"The Heart's Door" - A Retelling of a Finnish Fairy Tale - Annotated

Photographer & artist unknown - any information appreciated so can properly credit
[Found on fototalisman.livejournal.com]

The Heart’s Door

A Finnish Fairy Tale

(also known as “Severi and Vappu”)

A retelling by Gypsy Thornton

(all illustrations below by Nilesh Mistry from DK "The Illustrated Book of Fairy Tales" Retold by Neil Philip)

Note: The footnote program/annotation function I used to create the notes had issues with formatting when transferred to the blog - and the numbers, though they look and semi-act like links, don't jump to their corresponding place at the bottom of the page as they're supposed to. That means you'll have to scroll down the numbered notes at the bottom to read the one you're looking for, but hopefully it's still a fun treasure hunt.

Once there was a boy named Severi^[1] who announced one spring morning that it was high time he had adventures and seek his fortune.

“What are you seeking?” people asked.

”I do not know yet,” Severi replied, “But when I find it, I’ll know then,’ he said, and waved goodbye.

He walked over bright meadows and through dark woods, sailed over great seas and survived ocean storms. He climbed up a great black cliff and down a long stone stairway^[2], until eventually, at what he thought must be the very heart of the earth itself, he found a golden^[3] door^[4].

He lifted his hand to knock and it swung open for him, so he stepped through. Inside was a magical world of green hills with fragrant flowers and shiny plumed birds sang among lush trees, all laden with golden fruit^[5]. In the distance, turrets of a copper castle rose into the air, shining like red gold in the sunlight. Immediately Severi set out straight toward it. There he met a strange old man with glittering white hair [6]and very young cheeks, who asked him who he was and where he was going.

“My name is Severi,” he replied, and told him of his journey so far. “And now I am here. I do not know yet where I am going to, but when I get there, I’ll know then.”

“Ka[7]!” said the white-haired man, “Since you’ve come such a long way, why don’t you stay here with me awhile? I live in the copper castle^[8], just beyond.”

So Severi went with the old man to live in the copper castle. When he’d been given all the good food he could eat, the old man held up a heavy ring full of keys. “Here are the keys to the castle: twenty four^[9] keys for twenty four rooms. Feel free to go into any, except for the last^[10]. If you open that twenty-fourth door, you do so at your own risk. I am not to blame for whatever may happen.”

“I understand,” said Severi, accepting the keys, but already he was quite curious.

Before long the old man set out on a journey that would take him far away and the instant Severi was alone, he began to explore.

Each door held a room of wonders^[11], the next even better than the last: one seemed on fire, it dazzled with so much copper, while the next glittered with so much gold it hurt his eyes. Another was all ebony, another, blue sapphire, yet with each door he grew sadder and sadder until he stopped in the middle of the twenty-third room, too sad, even, to touch anything.

“Now I have seen it all. My adventures are over and done. I might as well just go back to my tupa[12].” He sighed, lay down right where he was, and fell asleep.

When he awoke he found the key to the twenty-fourth door clasped in his hand.

“The old man said I could enter at my own risk, “ he thought, turning it over curiously. “I will open it and find out what happens,” and he bravely turned the key in the twenty-fourth lock, then pushed open the heavy door.

Inside, sitting on a very high throne, was the loveliest girl in all the world.

“Who are you?” asked Severi.

“My name is Vappu^[13],” said the girl[14]. “I’ve been waiting for you[15] a very long time.” Severi held out his hand and she put hers in his then climbed down to him.

The golden days^[16] that followed were like a dream as the two lived together in the copper castle. For a whole month, they sat by the silver stream and feasted on golden fruit with not a care in the world. One day Vappu led Severi into a deep orchard. Cool winds caressed the trees and their faces and at the center blossomed the Tree of Life^[17]. They sat beneath it, ate its fruit and drank from the sparkling brook nearby. Completely content, Severi fell into a deep sleep under the Tree. When he awoke, Vappu was gone.

“Vappu!” he called. “Vappu! Vappu!” and his calling turned to cries and his cries turned to tears, for she was nowhere within and nowhere without.

When the old man returned home he found Severi in deep misery.

“Please help me find her”, Severi begged. “I cannot live without her.”

The old man chuckled[18]. “That’s the way it always happens when you do what you should have left undone. I warned you about that twenty-fourth door,” he said.

“I am a grown man,” Severi replied. “I make my own choices^[19]. And you did not tell me I must not enter, only that to do so, would be my own risk. ”

“That is fair,” the old man said, gently. “But have your choices made you wiser?”

“My sorrow has made me older – but yes, wiser too. Please help me find my Vappu - that is all I ask.”

The old man muttered some words of magic [20]and there stood Vappu, radiant as a sunbeam.

“Did you miss me Severi?” she asked.

“All my happiness disappeared with you!” Severi said to her. “Please, never leave me again.”

“I will promise,” said Vapu, “But on one condition: you must hide from me where I cannot find you. Then, and then only, will I always be with you. You have three chances.”

Severi did not understand what she meant, but the old man whispered a magic charm in his ear and promised he would help.

Severi did not want to hide but knew he must try if he wanted to win her, so the first day he snuck away over the hills and whispered his charm [21]to a rabbit^[22] running by. It stopped, let him hide inside its thumping heart then ran on, even faster than before. But Vappu quickly tracked him down.

“You are not very good at hide-and-seek^[23] Severi,” she said. “Try again.”

The next day Severi stole away into the dark heart of the forest and whispered his charm [24]to a bear^[25] ferociously guarding its den. It stopped, let him hide inside its warm heart then growled, more ferociously than ever before. But Vappu still, somehow, tracked him down.

“I have found you Severi! You cannot hide from me. You have one last try.”

Sadly, Severi walked back to the castle. He could not think how to hide from clever Vappu.

The next day, at a hint and a wink from the old man, Severi finally decided to hide in Vappu’s own heart. He drew close to her and softly whispered his charm:

“Three times [26]I knock at your door, dear heart, 

Let me in, heart’s jewel^[27], let me in!”

And he vanished right before Vappu’s eyes.

Try as she might, Vappu could not find him anywhere. When she had looked and looked and looked some more, Severi called to her:

“Can you not find me, Golden One^[28]?”

“I cannot - where are you?” asked Vappu.

“Here in your heart,” answered Severi.

“Who led you here?”

“You, Vappu. You led me here.”

“Then my heart is yours,” said Vappu.

Severi came out of his hiding place and she held him as close as he held her.

“And now,” said Severi, “I’ve found you^[29].”

And they lived in peace, ever after, in their copper castle, beside the silver stream, beneath the golden trees.

[Click to view Severi & Vappu's Hide-n-Seek at a much larger size]

              …………………«§ The End §»…………………

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^[1] Severi is the Finnish form of Severus, most often associated with early saints (and now Harry Potter). The meaning of names website gives a character description similar to that of the English Jack and Russian Ivan: Who is Severi? Confident and sociable, cheerful and easy-going Severi  is a very endearing person to know: he has a big heart, is good-humored and not without a certain charisma. An extremely adaptable individual, he quickly feels at ease everywhere he goes and actively seeks the company of others. A sensual hedonist who was born to be happy, he is comfortable in the skin he´s in and would seem conceited if he wasn´t so adorably innocent. Curious about everything, at times he may appear shallow and overconfident and can have difficulty sustaining any prolonged effort. He is ruled by his imagination and is often away with the fairies. A very pleasant and sentimental chap: he is gentle, emotional, sensitive and generous and he can resist anything except temptation.

^[2] There’s also a stairway that goes down, leading to a strange, magical land in The Twelve Dancing Princesses.

^[3] Golden - the description is used a number of times in the tale: the first magical door, the golden fruit, and the maiden, Vappu, is referred to as the ‘golden one’.

^[4] Golden door - connected to the Holy of Holies and Jacob’s Ladder. Also considered a symbol of hope - the passageway to dreams and opportunities.

golden doors appear a number of times in folklore and fairy tales. Significant here, is the early version of Bluebeard from Il Pentamerone, with Princess Marchette forbidden to open the golden door, as this tale has other parallels too such as the rooms of treasures,  the given keys and the warning about the last door.

^[5] Golden apples are found commonly through mythology, folklore and fairy tales - they are connected with divine food and considered the source of immortality and perpetual youth.

Many European fairy tales begin when golden apples are stolen from a king, usually by a bird: "Tsarevitch Ivan, the Fire Bird and the Gray Wolf" (Russian), "The Golden Bird" (German), “The Golden Mermaid" (German), "The Nine Peahens and the Golden Apples" (Serbian/Bulgarian), "Prâslea the Brave and the Golden Apples" (Romanian, where the thief is not a bird but a zmeu), "The Three Brothers and the Golden Apple" (Bulgarian, where the thief is not a bird but a zmey), "The White Snake" (German).

Argan fruit, quinces and tomatoes are all also called ‘golden apples’ in various countries, along with oranges, which are considered particularly magical as they bear fruit and flowers at the same time.

[6] The old man with white hair is mysterious in this tale - is he an angel, God, a grateful dead character, a fairy? We don’t know and he disappears by the end of the story with no explanation. He provides opportunities as well as lessons and even helps Severi at the end - he is on the side of good.

[7] Ka! – Finnish word meaning look or see

^[8] There is a copper castle in Andersen’s The Tinderbox, one in the Irish tale Fair Brow (a Grateful Dead tale), and in a Russian tale Whirlwind the Whistler or The Kingdoms of Copper, Silver and Gold, Ivan defeats enemies and rescues women from a copper castle, then a silver castle and then a golden castle.

^[9] The number 24 is repeated a number of times in this story to show its importance. Apart from 24 hours in a day and the significance of the common folktale and fairy tale number 12 doubled, it’s hard to say what this is supposed to represent. It could be 1 day (24 hours), 2 years (24 months) or something else altogether.The likelihood of it having religious significance, in addition to the day cycle, is high due to the other motifs present (Tree of Life, golden apple, the parallels with finding Paradise at the ends of the earth/life).

^[10] A warning, very similar to the Bluebeard tale: inciting curiosity on purpose and also being given a test.

^[11] Rooms full of treasures - again in Bluebeard, the rooms are full of wondrous and beautiful, desirable, and luxurious things. Just like in Bluebeard, though, even seeing every wonder there is, isn’t enough to sate the protagonist’s curiosity.

[12] Tupa – the cottage of the common people, peasants hut with hearth/fireside

^[13] Vappu diminutive form of Valpuri (meaning salvation of the slain in battle) and Finnish form of Walpurga, meaning “ruler of the fortress”. Vappu identifies with the month of  May - Vappu (Day) in Finland is May Day - spring festival. (From Wikipedia: The current festival is, in most countries that celebrate it, named after the English missionary Saint Walpurga. As Walpurga's feast was held on 1 May she became associated with May Day, especially in the Finnish and Swedish calendars The eve of May Day, traditionally celebrated with dancing, came to be known as Walpurgisnacht ("Walpurga's night"). The name of the holiday is Walpurgisnacht in German, Valborgsmässoafton in Swedish, "Vappen" in Finland Swedish, Vappu in Finnish,Volbriöö, (Walpurgi öö) in Estonian, Valpurgijos naktis in Lithuanian, Valpurģu nakts or Valpurģi in Latvian, čarodějnice and Valpuržina noc in Czech. -- In Finland, Walpurgis day (Vappu) is one of the four biggest holidays along with Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve, and Midsummer(Juhannus).

[14] The original says “her voice was like the rippling music of a kantele” – a Finnish harp.

[15] In the original the maiden calls Severi kultani, meaning “my dear one”.

^[16] These ‘golden days’ are reminiscent of summer in Finland. Summer is short but for about four weeks the sun never sets and the countryside is transformed into something like the golden paradise described in the tale. Then, like a door closing, winter returns. (notes from Neil Philip on The Heart’s Door).

^[17] Tree of Life - there are mythical ‘world trees’ in almost every culture but the phrasing in this one suggests it’s connected with the Garden of Eden. There are two trees in Eden - this and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Its presence could indicate this part of the story is in Severi’s afterlife.

[18] In the original, the man finds this hilarious and laughs and laughs and laughs.

^[19] This is the opposite reaction to when Bluebeard (and related characters) find the last door has been opened. It’s not really curiosity that is rewarded here though, as there are negative consequences, but Severi’s independent and brave thinking causes the old man to help Severi when he needs it..

[20] “(Finnish) magic is entirely the magic of words” - utter words and houses appear, as can people – “all created in a moment by the utterance of these magical words.” (from Bowman’s notes on Finnish Folklore – Tales from a Finnish Tupa.)

[21] Original charm reads: “Thrice I knock at the door of your heart, Let me in, Grey Rabbit, let me in.”

^[22] Rabbits and hares are often associated with the lunar cycle and fertility around the world, and this includes Norse traditions. Hittavainen, Finnish god of Hares, is said to bring rabbits and hares out from bushes for hunters.

^[23] There are many fairy tales where characters transform into objects or creatures to hide from antagonists but hiding inside objects and animals is a little different. There are some instances referred to in Native American Tales and Russian Tales that I recall, but I cannot find specific references. In the fairy tale opera, Love For Three Oranges, fairy princesses are hidden inside the fruit and are revealed when the fruit is opened, but they are not mentioned going in there by choice. likewise, Momotaro Peach Boy and The Bamboo Cutter’s Daughter (Kaguya-hime), both have babies revealed inside a peach and a stalk of bamboo but only Kaguya-hime is there by choice and her memory of choosing so doesn’t return until she is an adult.

[24] Original charm reads: “Thrice I knock at the door of your heart, Let me in, Honeypaw, let me in.”

^[25] Bears are important to the Finns and are considered sacred - early pagan traditions included a bear cult, which saw the bear as an embodiment of their forefathers, though not a god. Interestingly, one of the Finns many names for the bear is “the golden apple of the forest” (metsän kultaomena).

[26] Original charm reads: “Thrice” instead of “three times”. The rest is the same.

^[27] The Scottish fairy tale The Water Kelpie, (found in Fairy Book by Sophie May) uses the term “heart’s jewel”. The Bible also refers to the heart as a door that needs to be guarded and speaks of Jesus standing at the “door” and knocking, to be let in, implying choice. Viewed with this parallel, it can be seen that Vappu “lets Severi into her heart” by choice, so that the relationship is equal, not that she is a prize to be taken.

^[28] Calling her “Golden One” signifies Severi realizes love - and Vappu - are the greatest treasure of all in life. In the original he calls her “Kultani, my golden one” (Kultani – Finnish, meaning, “my dear one”)

^[29] Severi has finally reached his destination.