Is Rapunzel Entangled with Rampion Way?

“Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!”

I think we’re all probably familiar with some version of the Rapunzel fairy tale (ATU Tale Type 310 Maiden in the Tower), which dates back to the late 1500s or early 1600s, but which was adapted and made famous by the Brothers Grimm in 1812 and again in 1857.

However, while the Grimm Brothers may have softened and then popularized Rapunzel, the story existed for at least 200 years before their version, and has deep roots in European folklore. It had been previously published in both Italian and French versions: “Petrosinella” (1634) by Giambattista Basile, and “Persinette” (1698) by Charlotte-Rose de Caumont de La Force, before a German version (named “Rapunzel”) was published first by Friedrich Schulz in 1790, and then later by the Grimms.[5]

What is Rampion?

Rampion (Campanula rapunculus) is a biennial plant with purple, bell-shaped flowers. Its roots and leaves are edible and were historically used in salads. It was once a common vegetable in Europe—albeit somewhat rare in places—and is linked to the fairy tale Rapunzel, where the heroine’s name (in German) derives from this plant.[1,8] In the story, Rapunzel’s birth mother craved the plant so much during her pregnancy that her husband had to steal some repeatedly from their neighbor’s garden, who unfortunately was a witch named Dame Gothel.

In Italian, the name Petrosinella means “little parsley” for the plant used in that version of the story, and in French, the name Persinette also means “little parsley.”

It is interesting to note that depending on which version you read, the plant central to the story is either parsley, lamb’s lettuce, or rampion (the European bellflower).[8]

What’s This About a Plant? I Thought Rapunzel Was About Hair…

Instead of writing a summary here, please watch this short, cartoon segment (from 0:27 to 5:30) to refresh your memory.

^{Minus the red hair, this cartoon version sticks fairly closely to the original plot.}

What Does This Have To Do with Sun Valley?

So, why is there a street in Sun Valley, Nevada named “Rampion Way”? Beats me, your guess is as good as mine. When driving up and down Sun Valley Blvd each day, however, I pass Rampion Way, and it reminds me of Rapunzel… Every. Single. Time.

 ^{The modern, Disney version departs from the plot in several ways, but is a more family-friendly telling.}

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campanula_rapunculus
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapunzel
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tangled
4. https://screenrant.com/disney-tangled-different-original-rapunzel-story
5. https://chatgpt.com/share/67c96251-368c-8001-85b4-9fef9c9f61a7
6. https://interestingliterature.com/2017/06/a-summary-and-analysis-of-the-rapunzel-fairy-tale/
7. https://www.historydefined.net/the-true-story-of-rapunzel/
8. https://www.dictionary.com/e/fictional-characters/rapunzel/
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapunzel_(Tangled)
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persinette
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petrosinella
12. https://archive.org/details/redfairybook00lang/page/n301/mode/1up
13. https://fairy-folk-tale.fandom.com/wiki/Rapunzel

Main Photo Credit: By Javier martin – Own work, Public Domain, Link