The Creepy, Real Myths & Lore Behind Coraline Explained! ( Coraline Theory / Analysis)

Skip to Mythology 2:50
Coraline is one of my favourite stories by Neil Gaiman. While it is an original story, it has some striking similarities to real world mythology, folklore and culture. This video will attempt to explore the potential real-world sources behind Coraline, both the book and 2009 film adaptation, as a way of understanding Gaiman's story better.

Let me know your thoughts on Coraline in the comments below.

Instrumentals produced by Chuki.

00:00 Intro
00:52 Gaiman's Inspirations
01:17 Literary Inspirations
02:50 Possible Mythology Inspirations
03:20 The Beldam & Belle Dame
04:42 Button/Wooden Eyes Folklore
06:12 Magic Dolls
08:08 Scrying/Spying
08:34 The Hag Stone
09:52 Fairy Lore & The Otherworld
11:20 The Spider Woman / Tsuchigumo
14:03 Other Spider Women
14:46 Outro

#coraline #Gaiman #americangods #MythologyMonday

[StoryDive]

What similarities to real myths or folklore did you notice in Coraline?
By the way, an interesting detail I now realize I should have included in this video is that in folklore, Spiders, Fairies and Witches are all associated with Spinning or weaving, as is the Beldam.

[vivianarojas]

One thing I've always wondered about is how one of the children the Beldame captured (in the book, not the movie) was described as having many butterfly-like qualities. She has wings and eats the nectar from flowers, just like a butterfly. It's also somewhat implied that she's the first victim. So, if the first victim was a butterfly-like creature, possibly a fey, it makes sense that the Beldame is a spider-like creature who lured her and other children into her web.

[brandadyanne]

This was a really good video. Coraline is creepy yet mesmerizing.

[emmatwd]

I love Coraline theories! The movie makers put so many details into the movie that all have another story behind it. There still are so many things that I would love to know about, like the Blue boy, the beldame and why she does all of it and of course the cat.

[DocumentaryFanboy]

The book is one of the best children's books ever written and it's film adaptation is by far my favorite animated film. Good work on this one I hope to see more of your work in the future.

[ssmurphy]

The symbolism in this story is so beautiful, I feel like it should be analyzed like this more

[inkycrow]

The intricacy and deep-diving of Coraline always makes me want to research and research and write an amazing novel about myths that's disguised behind another folktale. wow

[sevi]

5:30 holy shit, pennywise is in everything!

[bobyroublard]

It's funny that the word itself Beldam doesn't really exist in french
in the french version of the film, the Beldam was referred to as either "l'autre mère" (the other mother) or "la marâtre" (wich means "stepmother" but an awful and cruel stepmother)
in fact most of the time in french, to speak about a Beldam we often use the word "Sorcière" "Vieille Sorcière" or "Mégère" so Witch, Old Witch and Mean Old Lady...the word "Mégère" is not very common these days but it holds the same meaning

I haven't read the book but I've watch a video of a french youtuber about theories in Coraline
and she was referring the Beldam as "LE Beldam" so a masculine gender probably to not confuse our poor french ears with "LA Belle Dame"
La belle dame = the beautiful woman
Le Beldam = the witch that capture children and sew buttons to replace their eyes and then eat them

your videos are great by the way 😏

[nanamisselania]

Nobody ever talks about how, in the movie, Coraline goes to the other world, fell asleep, and woke up in the "real world". Like, she has to physically pass through the door to go back to the real world right? Since she fell asleep, she never left, only went deeper into the other world... Right...?

[rosyrue]

Wait!!! The myth where they followed a glowing blue skull into the house?? just like that scene where she and the other wybie follow a glowing blue floating light into the carnival room???!!!

[willlyon]

Will you do a video on Kubo and the Two Strings?

[mnels]

I really love these videos. Neil Gaiman is a great modern master of lore and definitely worth the deeper dive.

[taralucent]

It still annoys me when people think this is a Tim Burton movie. This is a Neil Gaiman and Henry Selick movie, give those geniuses credit.

[theaterdude]

I'm basing these on movie terms but my personal theories could be that (1) Coraline is basically a water witch, and the black cat is her familiar/spirit guide, and she's just not aware of it. and (2) Miss spink, and miss forcible are witches too.

The dowsing rod scene, and the fact that wybie called what she was doing "water witching", even her name Coraline (coral), and the fact that she dyed her hair blue could tie in to that. And apparently her water witchcraft did work because after reciting her little spell "magic dowser, magic dowser, show me the well!" lo and behold, she is actually standing in the well surrounded by the fairy ring (further insinuating that the beldam/other mother is a fairy of the unseelie sort). The black cat could be her familiar or spirit guide cuz he served as her protector, and companion throughout her whole journey in the other world, and because the other world in real life folklore and mythology is more of a spiritual plane it could very well explain the existence of the cat and how he could go into places through illogical things, because he's a spirit.

Miss spink and miss forcible are very witchy with the fact that theyre diviners, offering coraline tea leaf reading (Tasseography), and also giving her a hag stone, which we know in folklore as a stone that allows the holder to be able to see the otherworld by looking through the hole in the middle of the stone. Because theyre both diviners, I think they are witches in subtlety, seeing what coraline is about to go through, and offering her the tool that will keep her alive in the coming days. This is also sadly why the other kids werent able to survive the other mother in the past, its cuz they didnt have the help they needed to stay alive, so its either miss spink and miss forcible stayed in the pink palace apartments for simply rest, OR they might have saw coraline as a vision in the future before the movie and knew that they had a purpose in coraline's story thats why they stayed at the apartments?

[windwhisper]

Oh please make a video breaking down the Mythology of Pan's Labyrinth!!!🙏🍃

[ColdFuse]

This was an amazing video! I never expected the story of Coraline to have this many connections to so many real world legends and folklore!!!!

[thething]

A parallel I noticed is the button eyes, when people die, buttons are put on their eyes to keep hem close

[katjapedersen]

In Sámi mythology we have Smiergáhttu (the butter cat) which is a cat that can smoothly travel between worlds, through hidden cracks in rocks and trees, or unseen small gaps, without having to use special entrances like the other people/creatures, were they to travel between the worlds.

[michaellynes]

The Beldam, to me, is a combination of the Baba Yaga and a vampire. In Chapter 6, Coraline was looking at herself in the mirror until she felt the Other Mother’s hand on Coraline’s shoulder, but Coraline didn’t see the Other Mother in the mirror.