The Brothers Grimm and Their Fairy Tales

Podcast Beta

Play an AI-generated podcast conversation about this lesson

Questions and Answers

The term 'folklore' was first defined by an English antiquarian in 1846.

True

Who created the term 'fairy tale'?

Madame d’Aulnoy (correct)

Jacob Grimm

William Thoms

Charles Perrault

What type of tales start with 'once upon a time'?

Fairy tales

The brothers Grimm were known for collecting and preserving __________.

fairy tales Signup and view all the answers

In what year did the Grimms publish their collection called 'Children’s and Household Tales'?

1812 Signup and view all the answers

What was the original audience for Grimm's fairy tales?

Adults Signup and view all the answers

Cinderella forgives her stepsisters in the Grimms' version of the story.

False Signup and view all the answers

Who were the two primary authors of 'Grimm's Fairy Tales'?

Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm Signup and view all the answers

Which writer's work inspired the romantic depiction of 'Once upon a time'?

W H Auden Signup and view all the answers

What nickname is associated with Ella in Grimms' Ashputtel?

Ashputtel Signup and view all the answers

What is a key difference between Disney's Cinderella and Grimms' Ashputtel regarding the father figure?

Cinderella's father is alive and allows the stepmother's cruelty. Signup and view all the answers

How does Ashputtel obtain help for her chores?

From a hazel tree and birds. Signup and view all the answers

What is the duration of the royal celebration in Grimms' Ashputtel?

Three days. Signup and view all the answers

In Grimms' Ashputtel, how does the character approach the ball?

With a hazel tree's gifts. Signup and view all the answers

How does the appearance of the stepsisters differ in Grimms' version of the tale?

They are cruel and do not recognize her at the ball. Signup and view all the answers

What specific task must Ashputtel complete to attend the ball?

Sorting peas from ashes. Signup and view all the answers

What happens when Ashputtel leaves the ball in Grimms' version?

She transforms back into her normal clothes. Signup and view all the answers

What extreme measure did the stepsisters take to fit into the glass slipper?

They cut off their toes and heels. Signup and view all the answers

In what way does the Grimm version of Cinderella differ from Disney's?

The slipper is made of gold instead of glass. Signup and view all the answers

What fate do the stepsisters meet at the end of the Grimm's version of Cinderella?

They live as blind beggars. Signup and view all the answers

What object does Cinderella use to try to prove her identity when the Prince comes looking for the owner of the slipper?

Her other slipper. Signup and view all the answers

What happens to the Grand Duke when the stepmother interferes?

He is knocked over. Signup and view all the answers

Which adaptation of 'Pride and Prejudice' is considered definitive by many fans?

Pride and Prejudice 1995 Signup and view all the answers

What is a similarity between the Grimm and Disney versions of Cinderella?

Cinderella loses her slipper. Signup and view all the answers

What type of character is Cinderella portrayed as in both versions of the story?

A peasant treated poorly. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

The Grimm Brothers

Jacob Grimm (1785-1863) and Wilhelm Grimm (1786-1859) were German academics, cultural researchers, linguists, and lexicographers
They are known as the Brothers Grimm
Raised in Hanau, Hesse, they were the oldest surviving sons of a family of six children
Poverty struck them after the death of their lawyer father
The brothers were educated at the University of Marburg
The Brothers Grimm's most famous work is their collection of fairy tales, Children's and Household Tales (Kinder- und Hausmärchen)
The collection is the most widely translated and read fairy tale collection in the world
Published between 1812 and 1857, the Grimms' collection aimed to preserve the German folklore tradition
They believed that fairy tales were important for understanding German culture and history
The tales in the collection were gathered from oral traditions, as well as written sources
The Brothers Grimm made significant changes to many of the tales when they rewrote them, often making them more suitable for children.

The History of Fairy Tales

The term "fairy tale" was coined by French writer Madame d'Aulnoy in the late 17th century
The term "folklore" was coined by English antiquarian William Thoms in 1846
Fairy tales often feature elements of magic, reward and revenge, and happy endings
They are written in a simple, straightforward style, often using imagery
Fairy tales are not usually based on real people, places, or events.

Major Fairy Tale Collections

Welsh stories are collected in the Mabinogion, the earliest prose literature of Britain (c.1350-1410)
Tales of Mother Goose is a collection of rewritten and original stories created by Charles Perrault (1697)
German author Johann Karl August Musaus published a popular collection of satirical folk series (1782-87)
Elias Lonnrot's epic poem The Kalevala celebrates Finish folklore (1835-49)
Peter Christen Asbjornsen and Jorgen Moe published the Norwegian Folktales (1841)
Angela Carter wrote The Bloody Chamber to challenge the traditional folktale portrayals of women (1979)

The Impact of Grimm’s Fairytale

W.H. Auden said that the Grimms' tales, "are among the few common-property books upon which Western culture can be founded."
The Brothers Grimm's collection of fairy tales has been adapted into a variety of media, including films, television shows, and musical theater.

The Methodology of the Brothers Grimm

The Grimms did not go out into the woods to collect their tales, as is often believed
The tales came to them, or had already been written down beforehand
An example of this is "The Juniper Tree", which was sent to them by painter Philip Otto Runge
In their first edition, the Grimms wrote for a mainly adult audience
After Edgar Taylor's English translation of their work in 1823 was successful with children, the brothers began to make revisions
These revisions often involved sanitizing the stories, making them more acceptable for children
For example, in the first version of "Rapunzel", the story openly refers to her pregnancy.
This was removed in the revised version
The violence in the tales was often not minimized
In Charles Perrault's Cinderella, Cendrillon forgives her stepsisters and finds good husbands for them
In the Grimms' version, Cinderella's helper-birds blind the sisters by pecking out their eyes
Despite the violence and revisions, the popularity of the Grimms' collection has endured
They continue to be interpreted and rewritten in numerous media over the years.

Disney's Cinderella vs. Grimm's Ashputtel

Cinderella's nickname in the Disney version is "Cinderella"
Ashputtel is Cinderella's nickname in the Grimm's version
Ashputtel's name comes from sleeping near the hearth, where ashes gather
Details about Cinderella's mother's death are more detailed in the Grimm's version
The father died in the Disney version, but he was alive and allowed the stepmother to be cruel to Cinderella in the Grimm's version
The prince holds a ball for one day in the Disney version for his son to find a bride
The prince holds a three day celebration for his son to find a bride, in the Grimm's version
In the Disney version, Cinderella can go to the ball if she completes her chores and has an appropriate dress, her mouse friends help her make a dress from stolen materials
In the Grimm's version, Cinderella can attend the ball if she can pick 1 then 2 basins of peas from the ashes in one hour, her bird friends help her with the tasks
In the Disney version, the stepmother learns about the dress and is furious because she stole the materials
In the Grimm's version, the stepmother sees the dress and can't stop Cinderella from going to the ball
In the Disney version, Cinderella has a fairy godmother that grants her wishes
In the Grimm's version, the hazel tree above her mother's grave grants her wishes
The fairy godmother grants wishes for a pumpkin to become a coach, four mice to become horses, a grey horse to become a driver, a dog to become a coachman, and Cinderella's ruined dress to become a blue and white ballgown
The hazel tree grants Cinderella a golden and silver dress and golden slippers
In the Disney version, Cinderella leaves the ball before midnight, her makeup starts to wear off or she must be home before her original form transforms back
In the Grimm's version, she leaves the prince and escapes into the pigeon house on the first night, climbs into a pear tree on the second night, and slips back into her usual clothes
Neither version explains the fate of the stepsisters in detail
In the Disney version, the stepsisters try to fit their feet into the slipper but it is too big
In the Grimm's version, the stepsisters cut off their heels and toes to force their feet into the slipper
In the Disney version, the stepmother trips the grand duke who was holding the glass slipper, causing it to shatter, Cinderella takes out her slipper and puts it on
In the Grimm's version, the prince is alerted that the stepsisters are lying by two carrier pigeons who peck out the stepsisters' eyes
In the Disney version, Cinderella's protectors include mice, birds, a dog, and her fairy godmother
In the Grimm's version, Cinderella's protectors are a bird nested above her mother's grave

Similarities between Disney's Cinderella and Grimm's Ashputtel

Cinderella is the main character in both versions
Her stepmother and stepsisters treat her poorly in both versions
Cinderella loses her slipper in both versions
The slipper is glass in the Disney version, but gold in the Grimm's version
The prince will marry the woman who fits into the slipper
Cinderella puts on the slipper and it fits perfectly

Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice

There are 10 movie and series adaptations of the novel Pride and Prejudice, including:
- Pride and Prejudice: 1940, 1952, 1958, 1967, 1980, 1995, 2005
- Bride & Prejudice: 2004
- Lizzie Bennet Diaries: 2012-2013
- Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: 2016
The 1995 BBC mini-series is considered the most definitive adaptation of the novel for many fans of British period drama

Studying That Suits You

Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.

Description

Explore the lives and legacy of Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, two influential German linguists and folklorists. This quiz covers their famous collection 'Children's and Household Tales' and its significance in preserving German folklore and culture. Test your knowledge of their contributions to literature and history.