The Dark Truth Behind Fairy Tales

Have you ever wondered about the origins of fairy tales? Well, they don’t always begin with once upon a time and end happily ever after. Fairy tales have been passed down for thousands of years. Over those years, they have evolved from dark, gruesome tales to lovable, family-friendly stories. In this post, we will take a brief look into the history of fairy tales and how they evolved over time. I have read some of the Brothers Grimm tales myself and was shocked by how dark these tales were. Tales like Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, and The Little Mermaid are far from cheerful. Let’s begin.

Dark Beginnings

Fairy tales have been around for centuries. They started out as old tales that were passed down orally. These stories were intended for adults and aristocrats. They were terrifying and taught the readers morals. They warned others of dangers in the world, like wolves in the forest or greed and disobedience. The first fairy tale was credited to Charles Perrault’s Mother Goose rhymes. These rhymes had dark endings and interpretations, such as Rock-a-bye Baby, where the baby falls out of the cradle. This rhyme teaches the importance of child safety. Another classic rhyme with a dark ending is Jack and Jill, where Jack falls and breaks his crown (head). This warns children about the dangers of roughhousing. Some adults believe the rhyme is about the beheading of King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette.

More Dark Tales

Here are some more classics with dark origins:

• Little Red Riding Hood: In the original tale, Little Red gets eaten by the wolf. The story warns young women about talking to strangers and the dangers of the world.

• The Little Mermaid: The original tale is more gruesome and sad. Ariel gets her tongue cut off by the witch and doesn’t get the prince.

• Cinderella: The original Cinderella is very horrific. One of her stepsisters cuts off one of her toes. The younger stepsister tries to trick the prince by cutting off her heel. The stepsisters’ fate ends when pigeons pluck out their eyes.

• Snow White: The original ending entails Snow White's evil stepmother being invited to her wedding, where she was forced to wear shoes heated by coals and dance until she died.

The Brothers Grimm and Disney

The Grimm brothers were two German librarians named Wilhelm and Jacob. They collected seven editions of stories from Germany and Europe. They wanted to preserve the oral tales from Germany. The first editions were very different from the last ones. They were first intended only for adults due to their brutal and harsh subjects. They reflected the harshness of living in the nineteenth century. The brothers eventually softened the stories to appeal to a growing market of readers. In the twentieth century, Walt Disney softened them even more by adding musical numbers. The violence was replaced with humor and romance. Today, the Brothers Grimm’s stories are the most popular collection of fairy tales in the Western world.

Why the Dark Tales Matter

These stories still matter because they are a part of European culture and history. Even though the stories were gruesome, they told universal lessons such as kindness, caution when talking to strangers, and the dangers of greed. These stories show how tales can be adapted and changed to fit different audiences. The Grimm stories are timeless and still inspire artists today. There are many retellings of classics such as Once Upon a Time and The Witcher.

Sources: https://people.howstuffworks.com/10-dark-fairy-tales.htm#pt2

https://www.neh.gov/humanities/2015/marchapril/feature/how-the-grimm-brothers-saved-the-fairy-tale