Fairy tale? Anyone who looked at her would fall in love?

Fairy tales? I am not sure on any story relating to such. Does not mean there is NOT one. Just the fairy tales I was told, watched as movies or read as books did not contain anything about a woman who needed to hide her face. (For beauty or lack of beauty)

Perhaps you are thinking of mythology?

Medusa maybe? According to SOME classical tellings:

Medusa was said to have been a very beautiful maiden and priestess in Goddess Athena's temple. Originally. Caused jealousy among suiters (even has been related in SOME myths that her beauty "paralyzed" onlookers - I guess "breathless" and staring?) and garnered her the favor of Poseidon. Medusa and Poseidon were said to have made love in Athena's temple. This caused Athena to become enraged. Athena turned Medusa's lovely hair into serpents and made her very ugly as consequence for sleeping with Poseidon.
Was said, after this "curse" any man looking on Medusa's face would turn to stone. (I guess "paralyzed" in a different sense than just being breathless by her beauty).

Could that be what you are thinking on?

Hope you find what you are looking for!

Christine

Not a fairy tale, but Helen of Troy comes to mind (whose face launched a thousand ships). No curses AFAIK related to seeing her, but her beauty helped start a war.

There's a story about an Arabian princess who had to keep her face veiled at all times because it was against the laws of the land to look upon her. A peasant accidentally saw her face (in a carriage of some kind, I think) and fell instantly in love. He sought an audience with her father to ask for her hand in marriage, and amused by the peasant's audacity, he proposed an impossible quest.

The peasant couldn't refuse under pain of death, and he feared that not completing the quest would kill him anyway as he was pining for the princess. He went on the quest, succeeded in bringing back whatever the obscure mystic thingy was that the sultan wanted and the Sultan had to admit he was a worthy suitor for his daughter.


ETA: It was the Tale of Madschun.

There's a story about a princess called Hajat Alnufus. At least two men fell in love with her at first sight - the prince, whom she later marries, gets her picture from a man who is also in love with her.

However...she is not a very nice person and the slaves don't like her very much, so she's probably not that kind of beautiful woman.


Maybe it's just that men aren't allowed to look at her, and one does by accident, and then falls in love?