Fairy Tales, Morbid fun for the children.

[Scribs]

Fairy tales. We all heard them when we were kids, but did we really hear the real thing? What did your parents say happened to Little Red Riding Hood's Granny? Was she stuffed in a closet, or devoured by the wolf?

Fairy Tales originated in the area that is now Germany as a teaching tool for children. They all had a message and almost all of them involved someone getting brutally killed or mutilated. It was morbid, but it got the point across quite well. However, in this day and age people don’t seem to think that children should be exposed to such stories, and so they make sappy alterations, where every one ends up OK. Instead of being eaten, the two little pigs who had inadequate building styles run to their brother for protection. Instead of being roasted alive, the big bad wolf quite often just runs off with only a singed behind. At first this may seem like a good idea, we don’t want to give those little kids nightmares right?

But, if there is not accountability for the characters in the stories, what are we telling the children? Are we telling them that it is ok to be irresponsible because they can always go running to the piggy with the brick house for safety?

So what do you think? Should we keep the morbid stuff from the young ones, or scare them into behaving like in the old days?

[shooraijin]

Scare the pants off the little brats, that's what I say. Spare the rod and freak out the kid.

[Arnobius]

Fairy Tales were originally tales for grownups I'm told. Sex and violence in the originals (Rapunzel: ) They could be rather morbid, and the Grimm brothers were aptly named.

[Scribs]

I am fairly confident that the majority of fairy tales were intended for children, although they did contain large ammounts of violence ect.

[Sparrowhawk]

Well, I don't believe in making EVERYTHING soft for kids, especially since they are going to hear it from someone. At the same time, I don't think gore is necessary.

For example, C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia did not soften the outcome, but it did not go into great lengths to describe gore. For example one of the evil characters gets decapitated, but it does not go into a horrible grotesque scene, just simply states what happened.

People do, sadly, seem to naturally love gore and horror (for someone reason, killings and thefts always make headlines, a lot more often than a effort to help people. Good deeds are only told of when the odds of death were high, and horror movies are always a big hit) and i dont think it is good to teach people that. At the same time, if we tell them that life is all apple pie in the sky with the occasional burnt crust, they quickly figure out thats not true either and then may think all things good are false. I think you should tell what really happens but dont become obssessed.

Wow, i did not mean to say that much. Anyway, I did not vote because there was both answers were to extreme. I dont think horror or rainbowland should be stressed too much. Well, thats my two cents, sorry for making it so long.

[Aka-chan]

The main reason I don't like dubs is that they take the original and "soften" them up, ignoring the original intentions for the story. It only holds to reason that I would feel the same way about maintaining the original fairy tales.

[uc pseudonym]

I also heard that most "fairy tales" were originally targeted toward children.

When I was young my parents never read me fairy tales, not having a very high opinion of them. However, I did read some, and they were always the more violent versions. I cannot say that this traumatized me as a child, or particularly desensitized me to violence.

[ShiroiHikari]

It's not any worse than the crap they watch on television nowadays, so I say why not. At least then you'd be reading with your child instead of sticking them in front of the TV.

[mitsuki lover]

Yes give the little darlings the full blown version.

[Arnobius]

I am fairly confident that the majority of fairy tales were intended for children, although they did contain large ammounts of violence ect.

In the original Rapunzel, the witch found out about the prince's visits because she was pregnant I believe.

Recently came out with a new translation from the German. Some of these tales derive from pre-Christian German myths I understand.

Anyway, not looking to start a fight by stating what I heard... just passing it along for the interest of others.

[TurkishMonky]

not to mention sleeping beauty... that's really messed up as well. actually, some of the fairy tales may be worse then the FCC regulated tv...

[Arnobius]

not to mention sleeping beauty... that's really messed up as well. actually, some of the fairy tales may be worse then the FCC regulated tv...

Oh yeah... I forgot about that one. Those Ann Rice rewrites may be a redundancy when you go back to the oldest printings of the fairy tales

[kazekami]

I started reading the real ones in Junior High. I thought they were more intresting then the softened ones. Though some of the tales are pretty creepy. Definetly a lot of morbid ones. Like the one where the step mother murdered her step son and then cooked him for dinner. The theres the one where the step mother cut of the step daughters hands. And Blue Beard with the room full of corpses. Lots of blood, cannabalism, murder, and sex. But there are also those without.

Yeah I think I remember Repunzal being pregnat in the original too.

I have a book my sister gave me that she used in a class that has multiple versions of different fairy tales in it. It's pretty intresting.

[Maledicte]

I started reading the real ones in Junior High. I thought they were more intresting then the softened ones. Though some of the tales are pretty creepy. Definetly a lot of morbid ones. Like the one where the step mother murdered her step son and then cooked him for dinner.

That would be The Juniper Tree, correct? Oddly enough, that's my favorite Grimm's tale.

I'd also like to mention Oscar Wilde's fairy tales. While hardly morbid, they are often quite sad yet convey a message (like the Young King's lesson of humility). Good examples of fairy tales with a moral lesson.

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

I was only ever told/read the sanitized versions. I knew the originals were more graphic but I've never read them. How would I find them. Just curious. Not morbid. (lol)

[bigsleepj]

The real version of Snow White, for instance, ended quite differently. The Young Prince did not kiss her to break the spell (that must have spilled over from Sleeping Beauty) but found her in a glass chest with the seven dwarfs holding vigil around her, and says that he'll take her with her to his castle (love at first sight). He begs the dwarfs to give up her glass coffin - and they relent reluctantly. While carrying her the prince's men dropped the coffin and the piece of enchanted apple dislodged from her throat - and she awoke. The prince declares his love and they marry.

And now we get to the violent part - the evil Queen, her stepmother, asks her mirror who is the fairest of them all, the mirror says "the young bride of the Prince". The Queen goes to their wedding to see for herself - and sees Snow White, who recognises her stepmother as well. As punishment for her evil deeds the blacksmiths fashion for the Queen red hot shoes of iron. She is then forced to step into the red-hot shoes and dance until she falls down dead. Not gory, but brutal.

[bigsleepj]

Edit: the original 1001 Arabian Night Stories are also very much R-rated.

[mitsuki lover]

The original Arabian Nights were told as a way for Schezerade to keep her head.
In the background of the tales the Sultan who marries her as just been cuckolded
by his wife.His brother advises him the best way of enjoying a wife is to have her
beheaded the day after the marriage.So the Sultan does just this and then it
comes time for him to marry Schezerade(sorry spelling).To literarly keep her head she starts to tell him a story that grabs his interest but at sun up she stops.
So he has to let her live or else he'll miss the stories climax.
This goes on for 1,001 nights(hence the subtitle)until the Sultan has forgotten
all about hacking off her head.

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

But that's the only version I've ever read and heard of. What's the sanitized version like then?

[Rachel]

not to mention sleeping beauty... that's really messed up as well. actually, some of the fairy tales may be worse then the FCC regulated tv...

Not to sound morbid or anything, but what happens?

[Arnobius]

But that's the only version I've ever read and heard of. What's the sanitized version like then?

Same here-- so I presume it's the stories and not the premise that leads to it.

[meboeck]

Swan Lake is another good example. In the original ballet the swan princess says she will die if her true love is broken. When the prince is tricked, he seals her fate, but he loves her so much that decides to die with her. The final scene is the prince and all the swans drowning in a storm.

[ShiroiHikari]

The original version of The Little Mermaid is really sad too.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_little_mermaid

[TurkishMonky]

Mother goose rhymes were usually based in some unpleaset aspect of scociety as well. Just picture humpty dumpty, jack and jill, the creepily weird guy who keps his wife in a pumpkin(was it?), and the rest... but i guess getting children used to the perils of medieval living early on was probably for the best.

[uc pseudonym]

Same here-- so I presume it's the stories and not the premise that leads to it.

I had a similar thought. That, or I have been given the children's version my entire life.

The original version of The Little Mermaid is really sad too.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_little_mermaid

Any sadness the story (as told in the Wikipedia article) might have envoked in me would have been killed by the last sentence.

[yukinon]

but i guess getting children used to the perils of medieval living early on was probably for the best.

Good point, Monky.

From what I know "Ring around the Rosy" was originally about the plague, as well. They taught us that sometime in elementary school. Perhaps fifth grade.

[mitsuki lover]

There's a really good book out that talks about the origins of Nursery Ryhmes.

[TurkishMonky]

name?

[Maledicte]

was only ever told/read the sanitized versions. I knew the originals were more graphic but I've never read them. How would I find them. Just curious. Not morbid. (lol)

A good way to go is to look for Grimm's Fairy Tales at your local library. Usually they're the real thing. You won't find all the unedited fairy tales (some mentioned aren't Grimm's) but you'll find a fair amount.

Not to sound morbid or anything, but what happens?

[SPOILER]The prince isn't satisfied with *just* kissing her. She has twins and when they drink her milk, they suck out the poison and she comes back to life. [/SPOILER]

[kazekami]

That would be The Juniper Tree, correct? Oddly enough, that's my favorite Grimm's tale.

I'd also like to mention Oscar Wilde's fairy tales. While hardly morbid, they are often quite sad yet convey a message (like the Young King's lesson of humility). Good examples of fairy tales with a moral lesson.

Yeah thats the one.

I've also read some of Oscar Wilde's fairy tales. they are fun