When discussing fairy tales, be aware that there is a significant distinction between
1. fairy tales as folk tales, and
2. fairy tales as a literary genre.
Tales in the first category have a raw, chaotic energy and reflect the mindset of the rural peasantry. Tales in the second category are more "polished" and reflect the mindset and values of the urban bourgeoisie.
And, in fact, tales can move from the first category into the second. The #BrothersGrimm provide a perfect example of this - in their first edition of their famous "Children's and Household Tales", they published the tales pretty much as they heard them. But when they found financial success, they rewrote the tales again and again over the course of six subsequent editions to reflect their own moral views as well as the tastes of the urban middle and upper classes.
The tale of Rapunzel showcases this. In the first edition, Rapunzel unwittingly reveals that she has received a male visitor to the tower when her clothes become too tight - i.e. the prince has knocked her up, although she does not understand that this is what happened. In the seventh edition, she explicitly blurts out that a prince has been visiting her.
https://sites.pitt.edu/~dash/grimm012a.html
#FairyTale #folklore
I know of him, although I haven't bought his translation since I can read the original version.
I do plan to create a new translation of another work by the Brothers Grimm: "Deutsche Sagen"/"German Legends". While it has been translated into English before, that translation has been out of print for decades.
@juergen_hubert I should have checked your profile and your name also kinda gives it away. My bad. 😀
I read German and speak it fairly well but am more comfortable with English.
When I lived in Berlin I visited a graveyard once and to my complete surprise I suddenly stood in front of their graves. That was such a surreal experience.
As a lover of fairy tales, I look forward to see your translation one day!
You can check out a bunch of them here:
https://wiki.sunkencastles.com/wiki/Main_Page
Including some of the tales published by the Brothers Grimm:
https://wiki.sunkencastles.com/wiki/Category:Grimm_-_Deutsche_Sagen_Band_1
https://wiki.sunkencastles.com/wiki/Category:Grimm_-_Deutsche_Sagen_Band_2
@juergen_hubert I've always understood the distinction as fairy stories = psychological horrors / desires / etc revealed through narrative and literary fairy stories (or fables) as moral tales, often with similar dressing as folk stories but without the underlying primal forces informing them.
I guess that's similar to your definition, assuming "folk" is closer to the essence of a story.
Very good points, well made.
@davidallengreen @juergen_hubert There's a good chapter in Darnton's "The Great Cat Massacre" relating Perrault's retelling to peasant versions (IIRC).
The wikipedia article really only covers the title chapter: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Cat_Massacre.
I've always found another chapter discussing state surveillance of authors around C17-C18 particularly thought provoking. Perhaps more so now than when I first read it.
@juergen_hubert Are you familiar with Jack Zipes? He has a book that is the most literal translation of the original Grimm works. I have it and it's fabulous but also really dark.
Who knew Little Red Riding Hood engaged in cannibalism?
https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691173221/the-original-folk-and-fairy-tales-of-the-brothers-grimm
The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm