The Goose Girl Interpretation

The story opens with an old Queen and her daughter, betrothed to a prince “who lived at a great distance”. The princess has many gifts to take with her, a handkerchief from her mother with three drops of blood, and the talking horse Falada.

The fact the queen is both old and widowed suggests the need for some change to take place; but the Queen can bestow many important gifts, not least her own blood in three drops. This tale can be taken as the story of the descent of the Soul. It comes with many gifts but knows nothing of the ways of the world outside its initial kingdom. She has primal wisdom but lacks common sense.

The maid on the other hand, at the first command, refuses to obey. She orders the young Princess to drink without using the golden cup. The Waters of Lethe are described as “the waters of forgetfulness”, to drink these waters is to forget earthly life. Here though the drinking of the waters gradually separates the Princess from her divine origin. The drops of blood lament “If thy mother knew this, her heart would break.” So great is the girl’s thirst that she leans over and drops the handkerchief from her bosom. She does not even notice its loss.

Losing sense of her divine status (she is the Princess not the waiting-maid) she becomes weak. The soul arriving in material manifestation has to confront her personal nature (the waiting-maid). This may be taken as the lower nature, and soon usurps her position giving the Princess a nag to ride rather than the noble speaking horse, Falada.

The true order is now upside down and the waiting-maid pretends she is the princess; the Prince is fooled but the old king sees the real Princess’s grace and beauty. He gives her the job to assist Conrad the goose-boy. The false princess sees to it that Falada’s head is cut off and placed over the city gates. The Goose Girl has now lost all her connections with her true origin and her treasure has been taken from her. She must tend geese.

As she exits the city confines at dawn she can here the lament of the horse. As in other wisdom tales, times of day are important (see Rapunzel). Dawn is a time when the mundane grip of ego consciousness is less strong and the Soul, arising from bodily sleep, may sense its true nature. This is recognised in all religions with the invitation to morning orisons.

The Goose Girl’s hair is pure gold, for the Soul in its higher aspects (head) is spiritualised. Conrad, representing ordinary daily thought and opinion, is captivated by the strands of gold he glimpses but has no ability to understand or use them (see the Faculties of the Creative Mind).

But it is Conrad who makes the link with the aged King, who understands better the possibility of who the Goose Girl actually is. While what Conrad represents cannot know higher truths directly, he can present them to the Inner Awareness (the aged King); for the Soul, howsoever far it falls, is never completely cut off from the innate ideas within. The King is that ancientpower that informs as to the truth of things, with inner certitude. It is he who can hear “the ring of truth”.  He may also be considered as an aspect of the innate ideas, the deep wisdom hidden in the Soul who recognises that which is true.

The King observes the conversation with the head of Falada and the Goose Girl refuses to explain her sorrows, but is persuaded to do so to the iron stove; and the King overhears. As a result of this all is put to rights.

The Goose-Girl has lost her royal status but not her royal nature. She tends the geese. Geese are vigilant and have a keen sense of smell (they know the truth of things). The lost princess tends the geese three times in the story, indicating a complete cycle. She has learned vigilance. The King has confirmed her true nature and she can now be the right bride for the prince.