With classic Disney animations such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Sleeping Beauty, fantasy films (does Into the Woods and Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters ring a bell?), and TV shows like Once Upon a Time and Grimm, it's as clear as Cinderella's glass slipper that fairy tales will forever be hot thanks to the German brothers who made them so famous.
Is it because we’re all yearning for a little escap these days or is it the wonderful eye-candy made possible by modern special effects? Maybe it’s finally seeing strong female characters after sitting through so many estrogen-deficient superhero movies.
The Brothers Grimm (die Brüder Grimm or die Gebrüder Grimm) were Jacob (born 1785, died 1863) and Wilhelm (born 1786, died 1859). They were German academics, linguists, cultural researchers, lexicographers, and authors who together specialized in collecting and publishing folklore during the 19th century.
However, the duo didn’t write the fairy tales. They were just known best for being storytellers of folk tales. The brothers both attended the University of Marburg where they developed a curiosity about German folklore which grew into a lifelong dedication to collecting them. They popularized Cinderella (Aschenputtel), The Frog Prince (Der Froschkönig), The Goose-Girl (Die Gänsemagd), Rapunzel, and Rumpelstiltskin (Rumpelstilzchen) among many others.
Their first collection of folk tales called Children's and Household Tales (Kinder- und Hausmärchen) was published in 1812 or what is lovingly referred today as Grimm’s Fairy Tales. Originally, they weren't meant for children as they contained remarkably dark elements (e.g.: violence). Worse yet, they didn’t even have illustrations. Between 1812 and 1857, this was revised and republished many times thus growing from 86 stories to more than 200. The tales are now available in more than 100 languages.
Is it because we’re all yearning for a little escap these days or is it the wonderful eye-candy made possible by modern special effects? Maybe it’s finally seeing strong female characters after sitting through so many estrogen-deficient superhero movies.The Brothers Grimm (die Brüder Grimm or die Gebrüder Grimm) were Jacob (born 1785, died 1863) and Wilhelm (born 1786, died 1859). They were German academics, linguists, cultural researchers, lexicographers, and authors who together specialized in collecting and publishing folklore during the 19th century.
However, the duo didn’t write the fairy tales. They were just known best for being storytellers of folk tales. The brothers both attended the University of Marburg where they developed a curiosity about German folklore which grew into a lifelong dedication to collecting them. They popularized Cinderella (Aschenputtel), The Frog Prince (Der Froschkönig), The Goose-Girl (Die Gänsemagd), Rapunzel, and Rumpelstiltskin (Rumpelstilzchen) among many others.
Their first collection of folk tales called Children's and Household Tales (Kinder- und Hausmärchen) was published in 1812 or what is lovingly referred today as Grimm’s Fairy Tales. Originally, they weren't meant for children as they contained remarkably dark elements (e.g.: violence). Worse yet, they didn’t even have illustrations. Between 1812 and 1857, this was revised and republished many times thus growing from 86 stories to more than 200. The tales are now available in more than 100 languages.
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