Prompt Cast
The Origins and Dark Undertones of Fairy Tales
TLDR Fairy tales have both oral and literary origins, with the Grimm brothers being associated with the oral tradition and figures like Charles Perrault and Hans Christian Andersen known for creating literary fairy tales. The Grimm Brothers relied on various sources to gather material for their project, and their tales, although toned down, still contain violence and serve as cautionary lessons.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
This episode is a discussion about the origins and enduring nature of fairy tales, which are characterized by their dark undertones and minimalist storytelling style.
05:02
Fairy tales have both oral and literary origins, with the Grimm brothers being associated with the oral tradition and figures like Charles Perrault and Hans Christian Andersen known for creating literary fairy tales, although the true origins of many fairy tales, such as Little Red Riding Hood, can be traced back thousands of years.
10:24
The Grimm Brothers, Jacob and Wilhelm, were born in Germany and grew up in a wealthy family, but after their father died, they had to rely on relatives for financial support; they were philologists and linguists who became interested in collecting and preserving German folklore during the period of German Romanticism.
15:29
The Grimm Brothers relied on various sources, including friends, family, and other collections of fairy tales, to gather material for their project, even though they claimed that their tales were of German origin; they also had different personalities, with Jakob being introverted and Wilhelm being more outgoing and eventually getting married and having children.
20:39
The Grimm Brothers' life's work, aside from the fairy tales, was making a German dictionary, which they didn't finish before they died, but others completed it; Wilhelm edited the fairy tale book for 45 years, releasing seven editions that were significantly different from the first edition, as they made changes to make it more marketable and suitable for children.
25:26
The violence in Grimm's fairy tales was toned down by replacing the real parents with stepmothers, but the violence is still present and can be understood in the context of 17th and 18th century cartoons and historical realism of the time.
30:18
The story of "How Children Played Butcher with Each Other" is a dark and violent tale that lacks psychology, but serves as a cautionary lesson for children to avoid playing with knives and other dangerous objects.
34:49
The underlying themes of Grimm's fairy tales, such as cautionary lessons and justice for wrongdoers, remain consistent throughout the various versions and adaptations of the stories.
39:46
The Grimm's fairy tales have been rewritten and reinterpreted by various authors and filmmakers, including feminist collections and darker, pre-Grimm versions, but they were also co-opted by the Nazis for their own purposes.
44:16
The Grimm's fairy tales were banned by the allies after World War II due to their association with the Third Reich, and while some tales contained anti-Semitic elements, the interpretations and adaptations of the tales vary and can be seen as a reflection of the cultural and historical context in which they are read.
49:04
The hosts discuss the different types of children's books and how they reflect society, including the popularity of fantasy during economic downturns.
53:49
The hosts read a listener email praising their handling of gender issues and linguistic evolution, and provide contact information for listeners to get in touch with them.
Categories:
Society & Culture
