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Rumpelstiltskin

Folklore
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A cunning, supernatural figure from European folklore who spins straw into gold in exchange for a steep personal price, often a name or child.

Detailed Definition
Rumpelstiltskin’s demand for a queen’s firstborn child, undone by guessing his name, explores the danger of bargains and the power of names. In poetry, he symbolizes hidden costs, the uncanny, and the triumph of knowledge over trickery.
Example
Example in poetry:
In the Brothers Grimm tale rendered poetically by Anne Sexton in “Rumpelstiltskin,” the imp’s name game symbolizes the power of language and identity; In modern feminist poetry, Rumpelstiltskin often represents exploited labor and hidden agency; In Carol Ann Duffy’s “Mrs. Rumpelstiltskin,” the wife reclaims narrative control; In Tracy K. Smith’s “Watershed,” Rumpelstiltskin’s spinning echoes in stories of women’s unseen work; In Sylvia Plath’s “Daddy,” Rumpelstiltskin imagery conveys linguistic entrapment; In Derek Walcott’s “Omeros,” Rumpelstiltskin appears as a trickster of Caribbean folklore.
Additional Notes
Rumpelstiltskin, the fairy tale imp who spins straw into gold but demands a child, symbolizes the hidden cost of wishes, the power of names, and the danger of bargains; poets use him to explore linguistic magic (knowing his name defeats him), exploitation, or the commodification of labor—his spinning links him to fate (like the Fates) and the transformation of value.
Also Known As
Spinner of Straw Name-Guessing Imp Goblin of the Mill
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