Mythology and Folklore Blog

Story source: Household Tales by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm , translated by Margaret Hunt (1884). Plot: The children Hansel and Grethel arrived back at their father's house by the way of the stones.  The step-mother answered the door and pretended to be excited to see them. The father actually was glad to see them.  After some time, the mother suggested the same plan because the family was once again out of food.  Hansel again heard the conversation and went to pick up stones as he did the first time. However, the step-mother had locked the door. Instead, the next day, Hansel dropped balled up bits of bread to follow back to the house.  When the night fell they were unable to find the crumbs left behind. Animals and other creatures had eaten the bread set behind them.  The two were lost and without any food.  They eventually passed out under a tree and that is where the story ends.  Thoughts: This section was again pretty similar to the first. I had...

Story source: Household Tales by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm , translated by Margaret Hunt (1884). Story: There once was a boy was called Hansel, and a girl named Grethel. Their parents had fallen on hard times and could no longer procure daily bread. Their father tossed and turned all night, stressed, wondering where he might find some food to feed his children in the morning. He groaned and said to his wife, "What is to become of us? How are we to feed our poor children, when we no longer have anything even for ourselves?" "I'll tell you what, husband," answered the woman. "Early tomorrow morning, we will take the children out into the forest to where it is the thickest; there we will light a fire for them, and give each of them one piece of bread more, and then we will go to our work and leave them alone. They will not find the way home again, and we shall be rid of them." The father stared at his wife blankly. "Well husband, what say you?...

Story source: Household Tales by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm , translated by Margaret Hunt (1884). Plot: Hansel and Grethel were the children of a poor woodcutter and his wife.  The parents decided to take the kids out into the forest, give them one loaf of bread and leave them there essentially to die.  The dad didn't want to do it but was eventually convinced by his wife. The kids were awake and they heard the whole plan. Hansel went outside (by night) and found some shiny rocks and put them in his pockets.  The parents took the kids into the forest to abandon them. Hansel periodically stopped, drawing the attention of his father. He had been stopping so that he could drop some of the shiny pebbles.  When night fell Hansel used the shiny pebbles to guide them back along the right path. The End. Thoughts:  This portion of the story seems to have a happy ending! I had no idea that the parents were so involved in the story. The version I had heard growing up wa...

Story source: Dante's Divine Comedy , translated by Tony Kline (2002). Plot: In the middle of his life doanta was faced with a dark thick wood. he wants to tell of what he saw in there. he made it to an opening and at the foot of an incline his path was blocked by a lepard.  dantae was afraid. he turned back to the depths he came from and was met with VIrgil. Virgil was a man who lived in rome under agustus.  Virgil aked why Dantae is going back to the wood. Dantae had heard of the great poet VIrgil and was a huge fan. Dantae started crying. Virgil knew of the lepard. Virgil sayd it is vishious and does not tolerate men.  Virgil says it might be smarter if Dantae just follows him as a guide. So, the two move on together. Thoughts, I did not appreciate the verbiage used in this text. I appreciate the time period but the way things were describe in such ambiguous terms made it difficult for me to tell what was going on. I think if i were to write it i would use lamesn terms...