Chat about... Hansel and Gretel by The Brothers Grimm
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1Hatgirl
Did you love Hansel and Gretel in Grimms' Fairy Tales by The Brothers Grimm? Hated it? Seen an interesting article about the book? Felt the book was a victim to superfluous commas? Loved the book, hated the cover?
Discuss it all here! Spoilers abound, enter at your own risk...
Discuss it all here! Spoilers abound, enter at your own risk...
2Scorbet
I, um, ended up reading the 7 different editions of the story that the Brothers Grimm published between 1812 and 1857. It was actually fascinating seeing how the story developed from the original to the later version, including the sudden appearance of a giant white duckling.
What I also found interesting was that the woodcutter's wife suddenly transforms from being solely described as mother ("Mutter") to stepmother ("Stiefmutter") in 1840.
The random giant duckling appears already in 1819, but gets asked "oh, dear duckling, carry us on your back". Gretel goes over first and then Haensel. It's only in 1843 that this changes to "Duckling, duckling, here stand Haensel and Gretel, no plank and no bridge, carry us on your white back". Similarly, Haensel now gets carried over first, whereas Gretel is smart enough to realise that her weight will overload the duckling...
I should probably stop now before I end up writing a thesis on the evolution of the Haensel and Gretel story. Though I do have to mention the lack of gingerbread. Oh, and apparently this tale comes from Hessen, the Swabian version features a wolf...
What I also found interesting was that the woodcutter's wife suddenly transforms from being solely described as mother ("Mutter") to stepmother ("Stiefmutter") in 1840.
The random giant duckling appears already in 1819, but gets asked "oh, dear duckling, carry us on your back". Gretel goes over first and then Haensel. It's only in 1843 that this changes to "Duckling, duckling, here stand Haensel and Gretel, no plank and no bridge, carry us on your white back". Similarly, Haensel now gets carried over first, whereas Gretel is smart enough to realise that her weight will overload the duckling...
I should probably stop now before I end up writing a thesis on the evolution of the Haensel and Gretel story. Though I do have to mention the lack of gingerbread. Oh, and apparently this tale comes from Hessen, the Swabian version features a wolf...
3Hatgirl
More stories should have a random duck. In fact, it should be obligatory for all fiction.
As ever, I adored SurLaLune's OTT annotations - "Woodcutter was one of the lowliest, least paying occupations (Matthews 1962)... The "hatred which the peasantry felt for the aristocracy as hoarders and oppressors" is represented by the killing of the witch (Zipes 1979)." And my personal favourite - "...the duck represents a maternal replacement..."
I've never understood why the kids trusted their father again. It was all the mother's fault, yeah right....
As ever, I adored SurLaLune's OTT annotations - "Woodcutter was one of the lowliest, least paying occupations (Matthews 1962)... The "hatred which the peasantry felt for the aristocracy as hoarders and oppressors" is represented by the killing of the witch (Zipes 1979)." And my personal favourite - "...the duck represents a maternal replacement..."
I've never understood why the kids trusted their father again. It was all the mother's fault, yeah right....
4Scorbet
>3 Hatgirl:
It's a random white duckling, which is big enough to carry a child... Yes, most fiction may be improved by it's addition.
And yes, SurLaLune's annotations are hilariously academic. But I still think nothing beats the "At first sight the tale seems little more than an argument against the Bill for Marriage with a Deceased Wife's Sister" comment on the Children of Lir :-)
It's a random white duckling, which is big enough to carry a child... Yes, most fiction may be improved by it's addition.
And yes, SurLaLune's annotations are hilariously academic. But I still think nothing beats the "At first sight the tale seems little more than an argument against the Bill for Marriage with a Deceased Wife's Sister" comment on the Children of Lir :-)
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