"Snow White"

My favorite version of “Snow White” is the Scottish Gaelic version entitled “Lasair Gheug, the King of Ireland’s Daughter.” An eachrais ùrlair, a malicious old woman, and Lasair Gheug’s stepmother plan to kill her so that the stepmother can inherit Lasair Gheug’s share of her father’s fortune. They make Lasair Gheug swear “three baptismal oaths” each time they kill one of the father’s loved possessions and blame her for it. They do this in order to get the king to kill his daughter, each time they are unsuccessful. Lasiar Gheug’s father takes her to the woods and cuts off three of her fingers, one for each of his possessions that he lost, and left her with gold and silver to survive on her own. Lasiar Gheug goes on to have three sons that she requests not to be christened. I believe this is because she does not want her children to have to go through the pain and suffering of someone trying to have them killed in the same way she was. This would be impossible because they would not be taught or believe the “three baptismal oaths” and therefore not have to abide by them.