Ridiculous History – “CLASSIC: Was there a Real-Life Rapunzel?”

Podcast: Ridiculous History
Hosts: Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown
Original Air Date: November 29, 2025

Episode Overview

In this classic episode, Ben and Noel explore the origins of the famous fairy tale "Rapunzel" and investigate whether its outlandish elements—most notably, using hair as a ladder—have any basis in historical fact. The episode delves into the dark history of fairy tales, focusing on their pre-Disney roots, the legend of Saint Barbara (a possible real-life inspiration for the Rapunzel story), and how centuries of folklore have transformed gruesome accounts into the beloved and sanitized versions we know today.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Grim Origins of Fairy Tales

• The hosts start by noting the disturbingly dark roots of many classic fairy tales, referencing how the versions many grew up with have been thoroughly sanitized by modern media, especially Disney (“Tangled”).

  “The origins of fairy tales are much more dark and grisly than the Disney adaptations that you see today.” – Ben [06:02]

• The trope of the "princess locked in a tower" appears in stories worldwide and predates the Brothers Grimm.

Saint Barbara: The Real-Life Rapunzel?

• The possible historical basis for the Rapunzel legend is the life of Saint Barbara, a third-century woman from Nicomedia (in modern-day Turkey), whose father locked her in a tower to protect her from the world’s corrupting influences.

  “According to the legend, Barbara was the daughter of a wealthy man…he locked her in a tower…” – Ben [07:26]

• Saint Barbara encounters Christianity while in isolation—by some accounts, a disguised priest enters her tower; by others, she simply deduces the faith on her own.

  “There's a version…where a Catholic priest crept in through the window and like schooled her on Catholicism…he kept coming and over time, he taught her the Catholic faith and eventually baptized her.” – Noel [08:39]

• After her conversion, Saint Barbara has workmen add a third window to her tower (symbolizing the Holy Trinity), leading to her father discovering her new faith and attempting to kill her. Various legends claim she miraculously escaped the tower, only to be betrayed and ultimately martyred.

  "She used the power of prayer and created an opening in the wall and then teleported…to a mountain gorge." – Ben [10:30]

• The story turns gruesome: after torture and failed attempts to kill her, her father eventually beheads her and is struck by lightning as divine retribution.

The Folk Roots of Rapunzel

• The Grimms’ tale draws from earlier sources, such as Giambattista Basile’s “Petrosinella” (“Parsley”), a bawdier Italian folktale from the 1600s.

  “We do know that Rapunzel itself…has a more recent than Roman times influence. A story called Petrosinella or Parsley, written by…Giambattista Basile…in 1634.” – Ben [22:02]

• The classic “Rapunzel” narrative involves:

  • A pregnant woman craving rampion (or “rapunzel,” a root vegetable); her husband steals it from a witch’s garden and bargains away their unborn child.
  • The witch, Dame Gothel, raises the girl, locking her in a tower without stairs or doors at age 12.
  • The “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair…” motif stems from the witch using her hair as a ladder—thus the most iconic element.

  “She is the most beautiful child in the world with long golden hair. But as soon as she turns 12, the witch…locks her up…in a tower…There are no stairs, there's no door. There's just one room and one window.” – Ben [13:03]

• The prince discovers Rapunzel by hearing her singing, impersonates the witch’s voice to climb her hair, and their secret visits lead to Rapunzel’s pregnancy.

• The witch finds out, cuts off Rapunzel’s hair, casts her out, and tricks the prince—who is blinded after falling from the tower. Eventually, Rapunzel’s tears restore his sight and the lovers reunite.

  “In the first edition of the Grimm fairy tales…her dress is growing tighter…an allusion to pregnancy…and the witch catches on.” – Ben [20:04]

The Symbolism & Evolution of Fairy Tales

• The story blends themes of pregnancy, herbal medicine, suspicion of women’s knowledge (witchcraft), and societal taboos.

  “It's often a sign of witchcraft…when a woman is close to nature…and you have to trust her…because you don't know if she is there to heal or to harm.” – Noel [33:28]

• The hosts discuss how such tales reflect real fears and dangers of childbirth and reliance on healers in pre-modern societies.

• Saint Barbara’s legacy: She became the patron saint of artillerymen, miners, and professions linked to sudden, violent death due to the motif of her father’s lightning-induced demise.

  “Her name is invoked against thunder and lightning and all accidents arising from explosions of gunpowder.” – Ben [35:14]

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On How Fairy Tales Change:

  “A lot of these stories…that had very grisly roots, had even grizzlier roots before Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm got their hands on them and kind of sanitized them…” – Noel [06:41]

• Highlighting the Absurd:

  “With, like, what tools? Exactly.” – Ben (on Barbara making a window from her tower) [10:00]

• On the Witch as Healer:

  “…you're sort of rolling the dice because you don't know if she is there to heal or to harm.” – Noel [33:30]

• Comparing the Original and Disney:

  "If you have seen Tangled…I'm gonna go out on a limb and say there probably wasn't a beheading." – Ben [31:52]

Timeline of Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |---|---| | 00:00–01:12 | Introduction; dark origins of fairy tales; Rapunzel as focus | | 06:02–07:26 | Evolution of "Rapunzel"; roots in pre-Christian, pagan-era stories | | 07:26–10:30 | Legend of Saint Barbara: the tower, conversion, and escape | | 11:18–13:03 | The Grimms' "Rapunzel": story set-up, Dame Gothel | | 13:03–18:53 | Iconic plot: hair ladder, prince’s visits, secret trysts | | 18:53–21:55 | Witch’s discovery, Rapunzel cast out, prince blinded, reunion | | 22:02–23:05 | Italian forerunner tale “Petrosinella” and sexual subtexts | | 23:29–26:47 | St. Barbara’s martyrdom, horrific tortures, and miracles | | 30:23–31:52 | Relics & veneration; St. Barbara’s legacy through history | | 32:24–35:14 | Real anxieties embedded in folk tales: childbearing, healers, danger | | 35:14–36:04 | St. Barbara’s role as patron saint of the perilous professions | | 36:04–36:54 | Call for listener stories on overlooked fairy tale histories |

Additional Fun Facts

• The “rapunzel” plant is edible and looks similar to spinach—its role as a pregnancy craving is a vital plot device.
• The Spanish and Italian navies, among others, invoked St. Barbara’s name for protection against explosions—e.g., ship “powder magazines” called “Santa Barbara.”
• The Roman Catholic Church removed St. Barbara from its official list of saints and martyrs in 1969 due to a lack of reliable historical documentation, but she remains significant in Eastern Orthodox traditions.

Conclusion

Did a real-life Rapunzel exist?

• While there was no historical case of a woman using her hair as a ladder, the legend of St. Barbara—imprisoned, defiant, and ultimately martyred—may have contributed to the “princess in a tower” trope found in Rapunzel and similar stories.
• The episode powerfully demonstrates how fairy tales preserve real social anxieties and histories, serving not only as entertainment but also as reflections of the times and fears from which they originated.

For Further Listening or Reading

• Interested listeners are encouraged to share their own fairy tale origin theories and stories with the hosts.
• The hosts recommend Proto Martyr (band), the Orthodox Church in America website on saints, and continuing to explore how old legends shape today’s pop culture.