Naming Abuse
After thirty-five years, it’s finally time
[CW: This piece contains descriptions of abuse, especially by a medical doctor. It also discusses self-harm, suicidal ideation, and a brief mention of childhood sexual abuse. Please take care while reading.]
In the fairytale Rumpelstiltskin, a demonic creature keeps increasing the stakes of his parasitic, abusive relationship with a woman, the daughter of a miller. The imp gains greater control over her, commanding her to give up her firstborn child.
In the final twist, the demon is defeated when the protagonist reveals and speaks his name.
“Might your name perhaps be Rumpelstiltskin?”
“The devil told you, the devil told you,” shrieked the little man, and in his anger he stamped his right foot so deep into the earth that he sank down as far as his waist; then he seized his left foot with both hands in a rage, and tore himself right down the middle into two.
The foe is vanquished by the utterance of his own name.
Once his grotesque moniker is said aloud, Rumpelstiltskin loses his hold over the woman and literally rips himself apart.
