by gvest » Wed Sep 20, 2017 11:07 am
Skaald wrote:Actually there's a misunderstanding here. The slippers are not really made of galss. In French they're called "pantoufles de vair", where "vair" is pronouced the same way that the word "verre", meaning "glass". But "vair" it's a name for an animal (something like a squirrel). So everybordy think it's "verre", "glass", but really it's just fur.
That is an urban legend. The glass slipper was invented by Charles Perrault, whose original text is still available to read (
here it is on Project Guttenberg.) It is indeed "pantoufles de verre" (glass). Glass, it is suggested, was the peak of chic in 17th century France, so Perrault simply used the most outrageously extravagant footwear he could think of (compare and contrast with the Brothers Grimm version, where she dances in shoes made out of solid gold- a metal known for being heavier then even the proverbial lead.)
[quote="Skaald"]Actually there's a misunderstanding here. The slippers are not really made of galss. In French they're called "pantoufles de vair", where "vair" is pronouced the same way that the word "verre", meaning "glass". But "vair" it's a name for an animal (something like a squirrel). So everybordy think it's "verre", "glass", but really it's just fur.[/quote]
That is an urban legend. The glass slipper was invented by Charles Perrault, whose original text is still available to read ([url=https://www.gutenberg.org/files/28891/28891-h/28891-h.htm]here it is[/url] on Project Guttenberg.) It is indeed "pantoufles de verre" (glass). Glass, it is suggested, was the peak of chic in 17th century France, so Perrault simply used the most outrageously extravagant footwear he could think of (compare and contrast with the Brothers Grimm version, where she dances in shoes made out of solid gold- a metal known for being heavier then even the proverbial lead.)