"The Soldier and the Bad Man" (Finnish)

From European Folk Tales (Edited by Laurits Bodker and Christina Hole)

Motifs:

Soldier makes a deal with the devil (M211)

For six years he must not wash or comb himself (C721.1 & C723.1 )

Devil cooks people in a giant kettle (G303.25.4)

The soldier is given a jacket with pockets always full of money

He marries the youngest of three princesses (L54. 1)

The elder two made sport of him (Q2)

The elder sisters kill themselves

The devil "You got one, I got two" (K217)

Proppean analysis:

a - (Initial Situation): A soldier is discharged from the military

a⁵ - (lack) The soldier has no money and lacks means to earn a living

D⁷ - (donor tests the hero) The devil asks the soldier to work for him

A^l - (interdiction) The soldier must not look in the kettle he is tending

T - (transfiguration) The soldier gradually becomes hideous in appearance

g - (interdiction violated) The soldier does so, but is forgiven since he doesn't stop tending the fire

F¹ - (A magical agent is directly transferred) The devil gives the soldier a pouch that will always have money as long as the soldier doesn't bath

a⁵ - (lack) The king needs money

B - (lack made known) the soldier is invited to the king

K - (lack liquidated) soldier pays the king's debts

* - Bearskin promises to return to his betrothed

T - (transformation) Soldier is cleaned

o - (unrecognized arrival) The soldier returns unrecognized to the king

Q - (hero recognized) The soldier's ribbon matches the half given to his bride

* - Sisters die (commit suicide)

W - (wedding) Soldier marries

Total: aa⁵D⁷A^lTgF¹a⁵BKToQW