Saving Literature: Grimm Brothers

A bedtime story of Grimm's Fairytales was what I've always looked forward to as a child. These fairytales have played a huge role in my life as it does for others. Up til now, I've always prefered and admired these original tales to Disney's altered ones.

But then, I've always wondered if these tales were originally written by the Grimm Brothers themselves or not. With that in mind, I did my research and at last found out the very truth.

These fairytales were actually folk tales and stories passed down from generation to generation in Germany, through the words of mouth. Originally, the brothers, Wilhelm and Jacob, were worried that indistalization in the early 19th century would erase off these classic tales from existence. So, they decided to collect as much German tales as possible and bound them in a book. This way, the tales would be in literature as it is now. Additionally, the brothers felt that those tales were the foundations of Germany as after all, the stories were from way back and it was entertainment through these tales that united Germans on a daily basis.

Original edition

The stories that the Grimm brothers first collected and published were violent, tragic and sexual. Even though it was named "Children's and Household Tales", they were not at all meant for childrens.

As their book became popular, the more harsh criticism they faced. Parents found it too dark and churches thought it wasn't Christian enough.

And there comes the editing. Wipe off the sexual reference, change evil mothers to stepmothers, add a bible next to Red Riding Hood's grandmother and done. Off course there were more editing. As they edited, the brothers found themselves intensifying punishments for the villains and it was alright as they wanted to show what happens if you sin.

Later edited edition

Personally, I've read few tales from the original edition and find them to be rather interesting and fascinating. To me, the darker the better! I think that it is alright to include harsh terms in their tales as after all, life is harsh. And a way to get by is through tales that we might be able to relate to (in some ways). Furthermore, with the ideology of "Good always wins" emphasized in these tales, it would not only put us on our right track but also gives us hope.

The Grimm Brothers not only taught us morals that we hold on to, but they also preserved their culture, which is as equally important. History is always best through the form of literature.

With the brothers as role models, many writers, scholars and others has found themselves on the track to save their culture through folk tales. And this is incredible, for what is better than storytelling?