RAPUNZEL

The story of the beautiful young woman with long golden hair who finally reunites with her true love after a period of trials and tribulations is a familiar one to children and lovers of fairy tales. The first literary traces of the tale come from Giambattista Basile’s “Petrosinella” in 1634 and later in Charlotte Rose de Caumont de la Force‘s story of “Persinette” in 1697. In the 1800s the German scholars, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, printed several versions known as “Rapunzel.”

However, the origin of the tale appears to go back as far as the early years of Christianity in 3rd Century Asia Minor. It was there that the legend of Saint Barbara was born.

taken from: http://john-k-davis.suite101.com/the-origin-and-history-of-rapunzel-a148496