The Brothers Grimm drew analogy between this tale and the German "The Devil With the Three Golden Hairs", where the devil's mother or grandmother acted much like the wife in this tale: a female figure protecting the child from the evil male figure.
The Brothers Grimm drew analogy between this story and a German fairy tale, "The Devil With the Three Golden Hairs". The devil's mother or grandmother acts much like the giant's wife, a female figure protecting the child from the evil male figure.