The Hedge of Thorns: Difference between revisions

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{{quote|"''A forest of thorns shall be his tomb!''"|'''Maleficent,''' Disney's ''[[Sleeping Beauty (Disney film)|Sleeping Beauty]]''}}

A classic trope usually seen within the Fantasy genre, the Hedge has both a literal and metaphorical purpose within any story that features it.

Physically, it is a place of painful passage, thorns and brambles, that acts as a hazard for the main character(s) as they try to either pass it, or escape it. More often than not, it is connected to [[The Fair Folk|fairies (Fae)]] or some other mysterious group of creatures, as the trope is linked to the idea of a natural barrier to some greater prize (or terrible horror). Fantasy-wise, the Hedge usually appears within enchanted forests. However, sometimes the Hedge is conjured by a "higher power," and thus can appear anywhere the summoner demands (though not the golden rule). Also, the thorns tend to quickly eat whatever dies or lets its guard down within it.

The Hedge is most often a home for various forms of life, whether carnivorous or not. Sometimes it's a kingdom in-and-of itself, being ruled by an [[Overlord]], [[Vain Sorceress|Sorceress]], Bandit King or similar character. Outside of the previously stated genre, the Hedge can be a torturously difficult [[The Maze|labyrinth]] made from plants and fugi, or a hideaway for smaller characters against the [[Big Bad]].

{{examples|Examples:}}

* "[[Rapunzel (Literature)|Rapunzel]]" has thorn bushes growing at the base of the tower, on which the prince is blinded near the end of the story.

* A hedge also separates the faerie world from the normal world in [[Robin McKinley]]'s ''The Door in the Hedge.'' In that case, it's a fairly normal hedge.

* In [[Neil Gaiman]]'s ''[[Stardust (Literaturenovel)|Stardust]]'' there is a stone wall dividing human world from the world of Faerie. It is not easy to get through and it has an enchanted forest behind it, though it is not literally a hedge (however, interestingly, the surname of the main character {{spoiler|who is a half-fairy,}} is 'Thorn').

* In ''[[One for Thethe Morning Glory]]'', Amatus invokes this as an analogy of their situation.

{{quote| ''"This is not how these tales end," Calliope said firmly.<br />

* In Teresa Frohock's ''[[Miserere: anAn Autumn Tale (Literature)|Miserere an Autumn Tale]]'', the Rosa acts as this. Fortunately it's one of the good guys.

* The Hedge from ''[[Changeling: The Lost (Tabletop Game)|Changeling: The Lost]]'', which is the border between the "real world" and the fae world of Arcadia (not in any way to be confused with [[Arcadia|the trope of the same name]]). There are actual thorns and a wide variety of other dangerous features, including living creatures, and it's generally an unhealthy place to be. Oh, and getting dragged through those thorns as a human rips your soul to pieces, which you then ([[Unreliable Narrator|possibly]]) only gather together once you escape from Arcadia.

* ''[[World of Warcraft]]'' has a pair of dungeons called Razorfen Kraul and Razorfen Downs that are both built under a network of huge, thorny trunks. The occupants aren't [[The Fair Folk|faeries]], though: they're [[Always ChaoticExclusively Evil|savage]] [[Pig Man|boar-people]], and the thorns aren't all that difficult for a player to get through.

* In ''[[No Rest for The Wicked (Webcomicwebcomic)|No Rest for The Wicked]]'', [http://www.forthewicked.net/archive/03i-01.html Prince Ricardo tackles one.]

* The [[Ur Example]] is the thorn bushes growing around the castle in ''[[Sleeping Beauty (Disney film)|Sleeping Beauty]]''.

[[Category:The Hedge Ofof Thorns]]