When Wishing Still Helped: The Study Of Fairy Tales

Reading and discussion of the classic Brothers Grimm tale Rapunzel.

I discuses the Russian tale Vasilisa the Fair.

Discussion of Guillermo del Toro's 2006 film Pan's Labyrinth 

The Frog King is discussed. The first story form The Brothers Grimm collection...It begins "In olden times when wishing still helped one..."

A discussion on the obscure Grimm story Mother In-Law. As well as a discussion on the meaning of mothers and cannibalism in all fairytales.

Discussion of Hans Christian Andersen's The Red Shoes.

A discussion of Hans Christian Anderson and his story The Little Mermaid.

A reading of The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Anderson.

A soldier is released from duty, receiving only three coins as a fee. He vows that the king will one day hand over all his treasures... a tale of class war and the importance of "assembling a team". 

or The Boy Who Could Not Shudder. It is an odd one - You better just listen (audio of the tale included) 

A look at the classic Brother's Grimm fairy tale Little Brother and Little Sister - sometimes translated as simply: brother and Sister.

Briar Rose is discussed. The origins and subtext of the famous tale of Sleeping Beauty will be a surprise to anyone failure with the Disney or other modern versions of the story. 

I look at the history of the Grimm's choices to revise and delete certain tales and discuss the tale "How Some Children Played At Slaughtering" (audio of story included) which was deleted after the first edition of Grimm's Fairy Tales.

An Introduction to the examination of classic fairy tales. Looking at the surprising and upsetting gruesomeness found in the original versions of well known tales as well as uncovering forgotten oddities.