Norwegian fairy tales: Old Tales from the North
The Four Winds in the White Bear Tale
The four winds appear as speaking brothers who live in houses and carry the travelling girl on their backs. An old woman sends her first to the East Wind. He has heard of the prince’s castle but has never blown so far, and takes her to the stronger West Wind. The West refers her to the South, and the South to the oldest and strongest brother, the North. Only the North Wind has reached the place before, even then at the cost of great exhaustion. His flight with the girl raises a destructive storm over land and sea. He brings her to the castle shore, but the journey uses so much of his strength that he must rest for many days.
Also known as East, West, South and North Winds in Old Tales from the North
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In the sources
A chain of helpers
LiteraryThe girl is carried from the East Wind to the West and South as each brother names a stronger traveller.
The oldest brother
LiteraryThe South Wind calls the North the oldest and strongest of the brothers; the North agrees to attempt the crossing.
Strength has a cost
LiteraryThe North Wind is exhausted by the stormy crossing and needs many days of rest at the castle shore.
Context & interpretation
This entry follows the title tale in the undated George H. Doran edition illustrated by Kay Nielsen. Its references identify the actual printed prose and exact Reader pages.
Original passages
Source 1
East of the Sun and West of the Moon
to my brother the West WindOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: East of the Sun and West of the Moon, printed p. 19
Actual checksum-verified public Reader prose image inspected. Printed pagination read from the text page, not inferred from illustration-list or plate-caption references. Short quotation transcribed with spacing normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0253-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0253-E001-P0023
- Original scan leaf
- 33
- Recorded leaf number
- 33
- Current Reader position
- 24
- Reader verification
- Matches the reviewed Reader
Source 2
East of the Sun and West of the Moon
our brother the South WindOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: East of the Sun and West of the Moon, printed p. 20
Actual checksum-verified public Reader prose image inspected. Printed pagination read from the text page, not inferred from illustration-list or plate-caption references. Short quotation transcribed with spacing normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0253-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0253-E001-P0024
- Original scan leaf
- 34
- Recorded leaf number
- 34
- Current Reader position
- 25
- Reader verification
- Matches the reviewed Reader
Source 3
East of the Sun and West of the Moon
the oldest and strongest of the whole lot of usOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: East of the Sun and West of the Moon, printed p. 21
Actual checksum-verified public Reader prose image inspected. Printed pagination read from the text page, not inferred from illustration-list or plate-caption references. Short quotation transcribed with spacing normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0253-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0253-E001-P0025
- Original scan leaf
- 35
- Recorded leaf number
- 35
- Current Reader position
- 26
- Reader verification
- Matches the reviewed Reader
Source 4
East of the Sun and West of the Moon
I’ll take you on my backOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: East of the Sun and West of the Moon, printed p. 22
Actual checksum-verified public Reader prose image inspected. Printed pagination read from the text page, not inferred from illustration-list or plate-caption references. Short quotation transcribed with spacing normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0253-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0253-E001-P0026
- Original scan leaf
- 36
- Recorded leaf number
- 36
- Current Reader position
- 27
- Reader verification
- Matches the reviewed Reader
Source 5
East of the Sun and West of the Moon
rest many days before he could get home againOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: East of the Sun and West of the Moon, printed p. 23
Actual checksum-verified public Reader prose image inspected. Printed pagination read from the text page, not inferred from illustration-list or plate-caption references. Short quotation transcribed with spacing normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0253-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0253-E001-P0027
- Original scan leaf
- 37
- Recorded leaf number
- 37
- Current Reader position
- 28
- Reader verification
- Matches the reviewed Reader
Illustrations
Continue exploring
The Castle East of the Sun and West of the Moon
The remote castle reached with the North Wind’s help, where the girl must recover the enchanted prince.
Shared source pageThe Three Golden Gifts
The apple, carding-comb and spinning-wheel that the girl trades for three nights of access to the prince.