In the Brothers Grimm tale “The Girl Without Hands,” the girl’s first replacement hands are made from silver.
The tale begins when a miller makes a bargain with the Devil and unknowingly offers his own daughter as payment. The Devil cannot claim her while she remains clean, but the girl’s father eventually cuts off her hands under supernatural pressure.
After she leaves home, the mutilated girl encounters a king. The king marries her and has silver hands made for her. Later events lead to further suffering and separation, but the story ultimately moves toward restoration and reconciliation.
The tale is often confused with versions in which a character receives iron hands or magically regrown limbs. In the Grimm narrative, silver is the distinctive material used for the girl’s initial prosthetic hands, making it an important detail in identifying this story.