Rapunzel

Rapunzel is a fairy tale of German origin, commonly grouped with the folklore motif of a girl imprisoned in a tower. The tale was popularized by the Brothers Grimm in Kinder- und Hausmärchen, first published in 1812. The name Rapunzel derives from rapunzel, the German word for rampion, a plant that figures into the story’s early motif.

In the standard version, a childless couple longs for rampion growing in a witch’s garden. The husband steals the plant to feed his wife, who craves it and becomes increasingly insistent. After the wife conceives a daughter, the witch demands the child as payment. Rapunzel grows up and is locked in a tall, door-less tower with no stairs, her only access via her long hair, which the witch lowers for ascent. A prince discovers Rapunzel through her singing and climbs up by using her hair as a ladder. They fall in love and plan to marry, but the witch discovers the scheme, cuts Rapunzel’s hair, and banishes her to a desert. When the prince returns, he is blinded by thorns. Rapunzel eventually reunites with him, and her tears heal his sight; the couple goes on to live together.

The tale exists in various cultures and many adaptations. It has inspired earlier and later works, such as Giambattista Basile’s Petrosinella, and modern retellings across film, literature, and theater. Core elements—imprisonment, hair as a means of ascent, and a final reunion—remain central in most variants.