Death and the Maiden

One of JCO's inspirations was the myth of the Death and the Maiden... there are a lot of questions around the myth, like good myths should have.
Apparently, the myth may be based on the story of Persephone's abduction by Hades. Persephone was hanging out in a field one day and picked a pretty little Narcissus flower. Suddenly, the ground opened up and Hades took her down into Hadesland. She became Queen of the Underworld (if that isn't a cool job title, I don't know what is).
(methinks there is a connection between Connie and Persephone-- considering the Narcissus thing. Narcissus = self-absorbed. Connie is definitely self-absorbed. This leads to her demise... hmmm [stroking chin thoughtfully])


The Death of the Maiden myth has some great interpretations in art, from the melancholy victim to the interested victim, sexual vs. non sexual, etc. The myth really came to full form in Germany during the Renaissance. Death is ugly and gross and the victim is beautiful and/or a virgin. The Death and the Maiden explores the ties between death and sexuality/sensuality.

There was definitely a didactic role for the story--- warning girls of Stranger Danger and also that their beauty is fleeting.

I found some great art that interprets the Death and the Maiden theme better than I could. Here goes...


by Hans Baldung Grien-
bad resolution sorry! But you can see that the "death" character has the maiden by the hair, looking down towards the grave (not pictured) that he has dug for her. Note the maiden's face-- she seems almost resigned to her death. Her body language is very passive and feminine. Not that females should be passive, ahem. But, still.

This one's my favorite! It's the most recent and most interesting interpretation, I think.
By Joseph Bueys (1959)
It's hard to see with this picture so small... but it's actually drawn on an envelope from an organization of Auschwitz survivors. Death and the maiden look almost exactly alike in this work-- bony, almost disappearing. Has the maiden already died? Is she no different than death?
Niklaus Manuel Deutsch - 1517
creepy, no? Is it just me or does death have wings? Flying death?
The maiden has her head turned towards death....
Edvard Munch
The maiden isn't afraid of death, but embraces him.
Another by Edvard Munch.
They kiss, but the maiden looks off, rather blankly, if you ask me.
Egon Schiele 1915
They're in a rocky landscape. He's kissing her head and she's embracing him? Or is she trying to avoid the kiss? And why are her arms so skinny/skeletal, when her legs are so muscular? And death isn't really skeletal... kinda looks like Dracula.

Marianne Stokes 1900.

Death is a woman? Huh? and more wings.... No sexuality here.
All in all, Death and the Maiden usually warns girls against vanity.
But there are a lot of interpretations of it.