Originally, Grimm’s Fairy Tales were not meant for children. Which of the following were included in the initial stories?

Originally, Grimm’s Fairy Tales were not meant for children. The stories routinely included sex, violence, incest, and copious footnotes. Additionally, they did not even contain any illustrations.

Initially, aimed at adults, the early editions of Nursery and Household Tales (Grimm’s Fairy Tales) contained remarkably dark elements. In its original version, for example, Rapunzel gets pregnant by the prince after a casual fling. In Cinderella, the stepsisters cut off their toes and heels to try to fit into the slipper. The evil queen in Snow White is the princess’s biological mother, plotting to kill her. These sort of incidents (and many others) were eventually revised once the stories (scenes) became popular among children.

Though brusque and raw, the Grimm's Fairy Tales of the first edition still resonate with people today in 2017 because they show us how we can transform ourselves and our conditions to live in a better world.

More Info: www.theguardian.com

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15 Comments

stellaclaude

Those Grimms brothers were pretty grim!

Jack Buechner

I knew that Grimm's tales were dark, but not to these revelations. WOW, worth reading the originals.

Rafi Manory

There is violence in almost every story...

Coral

I mistakenly misread the question as the stories of the Bible. I was shocked when I saw they could just as easily apply.

Mary Evens

Andrew King, There is one called "Allerleirauh" or All-Kinds-of-Fur where a king promises his dying wife he would only remarry a woman as beautiful as her. Unfortunately, that turns out to be their daughter. She hides in a forest wearing animal skin for clothes, meets a prince, etc. There are many other versions of this tale. Donkeyskin and Deerskin are among them.

Karen Wenghofer McShea

filmnut, Fantastic movie. I've watched it at least 3 times!

Kat

They actually did have nude illustrations (Arthur Rackham), but maybe that was later. I don't remember incest, so didn't choose the correct answer.

gridirongreen

Caroline Wolter Hall, you don't know fact from fiction. you just do like all other gospel preachers and lie about your devine guidance to the truth. What makes your lying acceptable to you is that you have conned yourself into believing it.

filmnut

Do you think that Trump would let Shirley be the Ambassador to” North Korea “ ?Caroline Wolter Hall,

filmnut

I’m surprised that Shirley was born on a “Sound Stage” . . . have D.W. Griffith film her birth. Caroline Wolter Hall,

filmnut

Have any of you seen Quinton Tarantino’s “ Once Upon aTime In Hollywood “ ? I actually cried at the end because he implies . . . “ And they Lived Happily Ever After”