Cuento popular y rito iniciático. El pájaro azul en Mme d’Aulnoy y en Juan Valera

Abstract

This paper studies two fairy tales, L’Oiseau bleu by Mme d’Aulnoy (17th century) and El pájaro verde by Juan Valera (19th century) with the aim of analyzing the different versions of a traditional narrative topic: the blue bird. We focus especially on the initiation rite and its successive phases: metamorphosis, injury, disguise, loss, fate and chance. Besides, in the first part of the article, we study those aspects that are found in the work of only one of our writers: the will to integrate wonder in reality (Juan Valera) and the subject matter of cruelty (Mme d’Aulnoy).