Minnikin’s Flying Ship

Illustration by H.J. Ford showing Minnikin flying in his magical ship. This ship is used as a method of travel for him and it gives him great power over everyone else.

‘Now go over fresh water and salt water, over hill and dale, and do not stop until thou comest to where the King’s daughter is,’ said Minnikin to the ship, and off it went in a moment over land and water till the wind whistled and moaned all round about it.

These lines describe a flying ship from the fairy tale Minnikin. It’s a magical craft that can shrink down small enough for Minnikin to put it in his pocket. It can also grow large enough to carry five hundred men. Such is the world of fantasy.

The tale begins with Minnikin and his brother King Pippin setting off in different directions to seek their fortunes. Minnikin happens upon three old, one-eyed hags, and each interaction goes the same. He steals the hag’s eye, then she gives him a magical artifact in exchange for her eye back. One of these artifacts is the magical flying ship, which he subsequently uses to travel great distances. All he has to do is command it to go somewhere and it flies there, just like the lines quoted above.

Throughout the story, Minnikin flies to a royal palace, defeats three trolls, and wins the heart of a princess. This princess has a sister who’s been imprisoned by another troll, so he flies to the troll’s lair to rescue her. He then summons his brother, and the two brothers marry the two princesses. All live happily ever after.

Flying machines such as this are a common trope in fairy tales because they grant so much power to those who own them. Minnikin is able to travel anywhere by command, and because of this he’s able to woo a king and a princess into a royal life for himself and his brother. It’s a testament to the power of flight that a machine such as this was chosen as his mode of travel.


Quotes and illustration taken from: Lang, Andrew and H.J. Ford. The Red Fairy Book. London : Longmans, Green, and Co., 1890. 307-321.