Grimm Scriptures

Abandonment

 

Children being abandoned seems to pop up again and again within the Grimm’s fairy tales. This is probably due to the fact that many children were indeed neglected and abandoned within the time that Jacob and Wilhelm  were collecting these stories. In Hansel and Gretel the children are abandoned in the woods so the parents can save themselves from starvation, while in stories like Snow White and Cinderella the girls are abandoned by their fathers when they remarry, only to be tormented and hunted by their stepmothers. The idea is that although their parent(s) abandoned them, God will not. (Cashdan 49) 

 

The Forest

 

The forest plays a central role within these Germanic fairy tales, as it played a central role within the German psyche - one could very much get lost within the woods during the Grimm’s time, and the wildness and darkness of these vast forests were very real. It was a place to be avoided because it was filled with unknown evils - yet characters like Red Riding Hood's mother let her daughter venture in alone. There is always some sort of reference to trees or forests within most of these tales. The forest also is the place where spiritual journeys usually happen. (wikipedia) Hansel and Gretel's spiritual journey begins in the forest, is tested at the cottage, and ends at the lake. 

 

Little House Deep in Forest

 

As the forest is filled with mystery, so too would a house buried deep within a forest be mysterious. In most fairy tales this house serves as a place of testing - where the hero/heroine's qualities are tested, be that their wit, spirituality, love or so on. The house can belong to a friend (like the dwarves in Snow White) or a foe (like the evil blind witch in Hansel and Gretel). (Murphy 12)

 

The Prince

 

The Prince, in the Grimms' version anyway, represents the Christ like figure who 'saves' those being tested. Often he takes the heroine to his shining kingdom in the sky where his 'father' rules, representing heaven and God. He often is self-sacrificing as well, like the prince who braves the thorns to save Sleeping Beauty, and the prince who jumps from Rapunzel's tower when he learns she is gone. The Prince can also take other forms - for instance, the Huntsman in Red Riding Hood who saves Red and her grandmother from the wolf is a Christ like figure. (Murphy)

 

Baptism

 

Baptism was inserted by Wilhelm in several of the stories, not necessarily as the rite itself but represented in spiritual rebirth. Hansel and Gretel, for instance, must cross an expanse of water on the back of a white duck on their way home that was not there before - this symbolizes that they've matured spiritually and must transition from one state of being to another. The duck represents the godparents who support you when you are baptised. (Zaleski)

 

Doves

 

White doves constantly pop up within the Grimm’s fairy tales. The dove is a Christian symbol through and through, even being used in the bible. It was a white dove that brought the twig to Noah to show there was land. They act as guides, spiritually so, in the Grimm’s writings. They can guide you to your salvation, to the start of your spiritual journey, watch over you. They are also a symbol of the Holy Spirit - only helping those who deserve it, and spiting those who don't. (Zaleski)

 

Seven Deadly Sins

 

These play quite a predominate role within the tales, usually on the side of evil. They are evil's motivations, and what prompts them to wrong the hero/heroine. 

• Vanity - being completely in love with oneself, or one's image. Vainness. 

• Gluttony - considering food and the intake of food more important than life. 

• Envy - Jealousy, wanting what belongs to another. 

• Deceit/Wrath - lying to get one's way, anger and violence. 

• Lust - letting sex and sexual appetite rule you. 

• Greed - placing and wanting riches and money before anything else. 

• Sloth - laziness, lack of action. 

 

The Witch

 

The witch figure represents the part of the heroine, or another that must be dispelled/purged from within. She is human sin, embodied. For example, in Hansel and Gretel their stepmother cares more for food than her children, and therefore the witch is ultimately her - willing to eat the children. When they return home, only their father remains, suggesting that it was indeed her who they'd killed. Only when the evil witch is vanquished will the heroine/hero achieve enlightenment. (Cashdan 35)

 

Death/Absence of Mother

 

Wilhelm often makes his heroine's motherless because it gives them a certain frailness - without that motherly figure to protect them and shelter them they are more likely to fall into the dangers of the world and be wronged. By taking away their mothers, he is opening them up to the possibility of a spiritual journey. But despite her absence, the mother can still offer help from beyond the grave like in Cinderella when she prays to the tree on her mother's grave and her wish is granted. (Cashdan 41)

 

Resurrection/Rebirth

 

The Grimm Brothers are constantly bringing their protagonists back to life, just like Christ. Snow White is resurrected three times, Sleeping Beauty is resurrected with her whole castle, and Red Riding Hood and her grandmother are resurrected from the wolf's belly. All of these Resurrections are done by the Prince or Christ-like figure, just like Christ brought people back from the dead in the bible.