Episode 154: Dark Fae: Rumpelstiltskin

The folklore of Rumpelstiltskin in a nutshell, translated to Afrikaans, and how I reimagined it for my writing.

Written and narrated by Ronel Janse van Vuuren.

Copyright 2025 Ronel Janse van Vuuren — All rights reserved.

Learn more about Rumpelstiltskin in folklore here.

Get the transcript here.

Learn more about the author and her writing here.

Music: Secrets by David Fesliyan (FesliyanStudios.com) and Dramatic Heartbeat by FesliyanStudios.com

Transcript

You’re listening to the Faeries and Folklore podcast by Ronel.

I’m dark fantasy author Ronel Janse van Vuuren. With over a decade of digging around in dusty folklore books, researching creatures of imagination that ignited my curiosity, I’m here to share the folklore in a nutshell and how I reimagined it for my writing in an origin of the fae.

This is the Faeries and Folklore podcast.

Hi, I’m your host Ronel Janse van Vuuren. You can just call me Ronel. In today’s episode, we’re continuing our exploration of the fae realm.

This episode is brought to you by my Dark Court Sisters book series. Available in ebook, paperback and audiobook. Three sisters. Three destinies. Three ways to destroy the world. Go to ronelthemythmaker.com/darkcourtsistersseries for more.

You can now support my time in producing the podcast (researching, writing and everything else involved) by buying me a coffee. This can be a once-off thing, or you can buy me coffee again in the future at your discretion. Go to buymeacoffee.com/ronel to support me.

We’re continuing our exploration of Dark Fae.

Today’s Faery: Rumpelstiltskin

Folklore in a Nutshell by Ronel

The tale of Rumpelstiltskin and others who make deals to help mortals, are quite wide-spread in folklore. From little old women in Scotland like Whoopity Stoorie who heal animals only to want the woman’s child as payment, to Tom Tit Tot who helps a hapless young woman turn flax into gold – again wanting the woman’s child as payment or the woman, depending on the variant. Each time, knowing the creature’s true name saved the child and the woman.

Which makes one wonder why people make deals with strange creatures to start with. Of course, in Rumpelstiltskin, the girl’s father boasts to the king and everyone else that his daughter can spin straw into gold. The girl can either die or make a deal with the creature who shows up to help her. The first few times, she has something to exchange for the creature’s services (a necklace, etc.). She then makes the deal to give the creature her first born child. Which makes it child trafficking… Grr. Of course, she also agrees to marry the man who threatens to behead her… So perhaps it’s about only having bad choices.

Each time, though, this helping hand becomes enraged when the woman saves herself and her child from its malicious intent.

And now for my interpretation of the fae in an Origin of the Fae: Rumpelstiltskin

Rumpelstiltskin is the name of one of many faery gangs who deal in child trafficking. Horrible as it is, they facilitate changelings, tithes that need the blood of babes, and other things even the most hard-hearted of fae steer clear of. They enjoy making deals with hapless mortals who should know better, but ignore the teachings of their elders to keep steel on them and steer clear of strange creatures. They are tricksters of the worst kind. This gang, as most of their kind, are made up of outcasts (goblins too pretty, red caps too tall, etc.). One of their favourite haunts is a crossroads, as many mortals know that they can “make a deal with the devil” in such a place. They are rarely caught and their victims cannot get out of their deal by merely knowing the gang’s name, as each deal has its own fine print.

As a little bonus, let’s look at this faery translated to Afrikaans: Repelsteeltjie

I hope that you’ve enjoyed this episode of the faeries and folklore podcast and that you’ve learned something new about faeries.

Remember that you can get a transcript of this episode in the description. If you’re new to the podcast, why not go and grab your free copy of Unseen, the second book in the Faery Tales series, on my website ronelthemythmaker.com? Loads of folklore, magic and danger await! Take care!

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You can now support my time in producing the podcast (researching, writing and everything else involved) by buying me a coffee. This can be a once-off thing, or you can buy me coffee again in the future at your discretion.

You can now own the backlist seasons as audiobooks. All proceeds go to hosting the podcast. Exclusively available from Ronel’s store.