Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, better known to children around the world as the Brothers Grimm, intended to teach lessons to their readers, not give them watered-down “Happily ever after” stories. A new translation of their original stories restores the darkness, introducing readers to versions of Rapunzel and Snow White that they never knew.
The new edition will be the first ever English translations of the original German stories. According to The Guardian, University of Minnesota professor emeritus Jack Zipes did the translations himself after discovering that it had never been done before.
The Brothers Grimm first published a book of around 100 tales in their first edition in 1812. A second edition came out in 1815 and, over the course of six editions, they continued to refine them and made them more child-friendly. Christian references were added and faries were removed for the most popular seventh edition in 1857.
Zipes’ versions of 156 Grimm stories was published by Princeton University Press and features illustrations from Andrea Dezso.
Two of the most familiar stories in the book - Rapunzel and Snow White, which were both also sanitized by the Walt Disney company - are much darker in these original versions. Rapunzel is impregnated by her prince after a “merry time.” Snow White’s mother is actually the daughter of the Evil Queen, who was made her stepmother in later editions. Hansel and Gretel were also abandoned by their mother, not their stepmother, initially.
“The original edition was not published for children or general readers. Nor were these tales told primarily for children,” Zipes explained to the Guardian. “It was only after the Grimms published two editions primarily for adults that they changed their attitude and decided to produce a shorter edition for middle-class families.” At that point, Wilhelm decided some edits needed to be made.
So, if you happen to pick up Zipes’ book, you might want to think twice about reading these to children right before bedtime.
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