Who Wakes Sleeping Beauty? The True Story and Surprising Answers

The classic fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty is known and loved by millions. We all remember the tale of the beautiful princess cursed to sleep for a hundred years, and the eventual awakening that breaks the spell. But for many, the specific details of who or what actually wakes her can be a bit hazy. Let's dive deep into the story and uncover the definitive answer to the question: Who wakes Sleeping Beauty?

The Original French Tale: A Knight and a Royal Wedding

When we think of Sleeping Beauty, most of us are likely picturing a version close to the one popularized by Disney. However, the original tale, penned by French author Charles Perrault in 1697, offers a slightly different, and perhaps more mature, take on the story. In Perrault's version, titled "The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood," the princess is indeed cursed by a wicked fairy to fall into a deep sleep after pricking her finger on a spindle. The good fairies, in their benevolent magic, soften the curse, ensuring she will sleep for one hundred years and be awakened by a king's son.

Here's how it unfolds in Perrault's original:

The princess pricks her finger and falls into a deep sleep.
A thick forest of brambles and thorns grows around the castle, making it inaccessible.
Exactly one hundred years later, a young prince, who is the son of a king, hears the tales of the sleeping princess.
Driven by curiosity and a sense of adventure, the prince decides to brave the formidable forest.
To his surprise, the thorns and brambles miraculously part for him, allowing him to pass through.
He enters the silent castle and finds the princess asleep on her bed.
Perrault's account focuses on the prince's admiration for her beauty. He then kisses her.
The kiss awakens her, and the entire court also awakens from their slumber.
The story concludes with the prince and princess falling in love and marrying.

So, in Perrault's original, it is unequivocally a prince, the son of a king, who wakes the sleeping princess with a kiss.

The Brothers Grimm Version: A More Primitive Awakening

The Brothers Grimm, who collected and retold many classic fairy tales, also have a version of Sleeping Beauty. Their tale, often called "Briar Rose," published in 1812, shares many similarities with Perrault's but also has its own distinct nuances. In their telling, the curse is still placed upon the princess, and she falls asleep after pricking her finger. However, the details surrounding her awakening are a bit different.

According to the Brothers Grimm:

The princess falls asleep, and the entire castle is lulled into a slumber that lasts for a hundred years.
During this time, a thick hedge of thorns grows around the castle, so dense that it becomes impassable.
After a hundred years have passed, another prince happens upon the castle.
Unlike Perrault's version where the thorns part, in the Grimm's tale, the hedge of thorns is so thick that the prince is unable to enter the castle directly.
The narrative implies that after the hundred years, the curse simply expires or the prince finds a way through the hedge, though the *act* of awakening is not explicitly tied to a single, grand gesture like a kiss within the immediate narrative of the hedge growing.
The prince eventually reaches the sleeping princess.
He awakens her, and the entire court awakens with her.
The story proceeds with their wedding and happy ever after.

While the Brothers Grimm don't explicitly state *what* wakes her in the same detailed manner as Perrault's kiss, it is still a prince who finds her and initiates the awakening.

Disney's Iconic Interpretation: Love's True Kiss

When most Americans think of Sleeping Beauty, they're likely recalling the enchanting 1959 animated film by Walt Disney. This version has had a profound impact on the popular perception of the fairy tale. Disney's adaptation blends elements from both Perrault and the Brothers Grimm, but it also adds its own magical flair and clarifies the awakening mechanism.

In Disney's "Sleeping Beauty":

The evil fairy Maleficent curses Princess Aurora to prick her finger on a spindle and die before her sixteenth birthday.
The good fairies Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather alter the curse so that Aurora will fall into a deep sleep instead of dying.
Aurora grows up in hiding as Briar Rose, unaware of her true identity.
On her sixteenth birthday, she is drawn to a spinning wheel and pricks her finger, falling into an enchanted sleep.
The good fairies then cast a spell over the entire kingdom, putting everyone to sleep until Aurora awakens.
A dense, thorny forest grows around the castle, guarding it.
Prince Phillip, who has met and fallen in love with Aurora (as Briar Rose), becomes the hero destined to break the curse.
Maleficent, in her dragon form, tries to prevent Phillip from reaching Aurora.
After a dramatic battle, Prince Phillip defeats Maleficent.
He then journeys to the chamber where Aurora sleeps.
He leans down and kisses her.
The kiss awakens Princess Aurora, and the entire kingdom awakens with her.

Disney’s adaptation firmly establishes true love's kiss from a prince as the magical trigger that awakens Sleeping Beauty.

The Core Answer: A Prince's Kiss

Across the most influential versions of the story, the answer to "Who wakes Sleeping Beauty?" is consistently a prince. While the exact circumstances and the explicit act of awakening can vary slightly, the prince's arrival and intervention are the catalysts for breaking the spell.

In the most widely recognized versions, particularly influenced by Disney, it is a tender and significant kiss that ultimately breaks the century-long slumber, symbolizing the triumph of love and good over evil.

FAQ Section

How long does Sleeping Beauty sleep?

In most versions of the fairy tale, Sleeping Beauty sleeps for exactly one hundred years. This extended period of slumber emphasizes the severity of the curse and the magical nature of her awakening.

Why does the forest grow around the castle?

The thick, thorny forest that surrounds the castle is a magical barrier intended to protect the sleeping princess and the enchanted kingdom from any intruders during the hundred-year slumber. It serves as a visual representation of the isolation and time that has passed.

What if the prince didn't arrive?

If the prince had not arrived, or if the curse was not broken by his intervention, Sleeping Beauty and the entire castle would have remained asleep indefinitely, or until the predetermined century had passed and a prince found his way through the enchanted obstacles.

Why did Maleficent curse the princess in the first place?

In most retellings, Maleficent curses the princess out of spite and revenge. She was not invited to the princess's christening, and she felt deeply insulted by this omission. Her curse is a way to exact vengeance on the king and queen and disrupt their happiness.