Or, How a Woman's Susceptibility to Spindles Will Be the End of Her
Spinning as a Theme in Folk Tales
When I think of spinning in fairy tales, I cannot help but recall some other examples. This leads me to wonder, is there something inherent withing spinning which makes it such a frequent literary device? During the era when these stories were recorded, spinning was a major part of life, so perhaps we should not read too much into the frequency of its appearances within. Despite this, I cannot think of many other household tasks which play such a major role in a set of stories. Like embroidery and dancing, spinning was a fitting task for most women. Producing yarn on a spinning wheel was a symbol of the woman's domesticity and pride in her home. Perhaps this is just intended as a symbol of a character's virtue. Take a gander at the selections of spinning-centric stories I found and see what you think.
Fun fact: In the manga Ludwig Revolution, Sleeping Beauty dies of old age as soon as she wakes.