Good day Folks!
Another fabulous day for a Fairy Tale or Folk Tale.
Snow White I’m sure by now most people have read the Fairy tale or watched Disney’s version on TV or DVD.
Snow White, also known in German as Sneewittchen/Schneeweißchen, Tale 53. It originated from an Indigenous German Folk tale collected, written and published by The Grimm Brothers in 1812 their first edition called Grimms’ Fairy Tales. Their revision was completed in 1854 Little Snow White.
Snow White was made into an animated feature film by Walt Disney in 1937.
Snow White is a folk tale about a beautiful Indigenous German (white skinned or Caucasian) Princess who was named “Snow White by her biological mother.
Snow White was also know as being the fairest in the land.
A Real Snow White?
Snow White may have been based on Margarete Von Waldeck according to Historian Eckhard Sander in 1994.
Margarete was a German Countess born to Phillip lV in 1533. Margarete also had a step mother Katharina of Hatzfeld who moved the young woman to Wildungen, Brussels. Once there she fell in love with Prince Phillip ll of Spain. This was frowned upon by her father and step-mother for political reasons.
Magarete died mysteriously at twenty-one years young, Historical accounts cites she was poisoned. The King of Spain by past accounts may have unleashed Spanish operatives to murder poor Margarete.
Perhaps it was her step-mother? We may never know for certain.
Snow White Fairy Tale:
Illustration of Snow White running through the deep woods by Franz Jüttner Wikimedia Public Domain.
Later when Snow White was a girl her mother died and the King, (Snow White’s father) remarried a hollow, vain, woman with a mean spirited temperament. The evil step mother spent most of her days in front of her magic mirror asking it who was the fairest woman in the land. The mirror would reaffirm that the new Queen was the most fair until one day it gave her a different answer saying “Snow White is the fairest in the land.” Well this enraged the evil Queen
Illustration below The Wicked Queen asks the mirror by Franz Jüttner Wikimedia Public Domain.
Snow White’s step-mother commanded a huntsmen to drag Snow White into the deep woods and kill her.
The Huntsman obeyed leading Snow White into the deep woods, once there he felt much sorrow for the girl and released her free so she could escape into the deep woods from her evil step-mother.
Snow White journeyed on foot a long way until she came to a cottage where she collapsed into the flower beds from exhaustion. She awoke to see seven dwarfs peering at her over the bed’s foot-board. The dwarfs came to an agreement with Snow White allowing her to cook and clean for them while they mined for gold during the day.
Snow White was safe, happy and contented working with the dwarfs.
One day the evil Queen had a bad day when her magic mirror revealed that Snow White was still alive and well dwelling with the seven dwarfs. The mirror confirmed Snow White was still the fairest in the land. This information enraged the wicked step-mother so she disguised herself as an old woman that sold apples. The evil Queen poisoned one apple just for Snow White to bite into and all the Queens worries over being the fairest in the land would reside.
Snow White visited by wicked old step-mother illustration by Franz Jüttner Wikimedia Public Domain.
The wicked Queen now disguised as an old woman selling apples appeared at the seven dwarfs cottage door. She knocked knowing the seven dwarfs were working in the mines. Snow White answered the door to the old woman and took the poisonous apple unknowingly, bit into it she immediately dropped to the ground unconscious. The evil Queen rushed back to her castle and transformed into her younger royal form.
Meanwhile, the seven dwarfs returned home to see a lifeless Snow White on the ground. They all loved her and were truly saddened to see their dear friend dead. They built a lovely glass coffin and placed their fair princess in it to lay in peace.
Schneewittchen by Alexander Zick. Wikimedia Public Domain.
One day a handsome Prince was journeying through the deep woods when he discovered the beautiful Princess Snow White laying lifeless in the glass coffin. The Prince asked the Dwarfs to allow him to take Snow White in the glass coffin to his palace as he too fell in love with her. they agreed and as his servants were moving the glass coffin one tripped over a tree root dislodging the poisonous apple from her mouth. Snow White awoke. The Prince and Snow white fell in love and immediately married and lived happily after with the dwarfs visiting from time to time.
Illustration of Snow White awakes to see the Prince. Franz Jüttner Wikimedia Public Domain.
The wicked Queen discovered this from her magic mirror and arrived at their wedding only to be punished with hot iron slippers placed upon her feet, she danced until she died.
Illustration courtesy of Marcel Mercado on Deviant Art
Source & Reference:
- Read the Brothers Grimm version of Little Snow White on Wikisource: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Grimm%27s_Household_Tales,_Volume_1/Little_Snow-White
- DeNinno, N (2012). Is Snow White Real? A Look Back Into The Life Story Of Countess Margarete Von Waldeck. International Business Times. Available from: http://www.ibtimes.com/snow-white-real-look-back-life-story-countess-margarete-von-waldeck-701110
- Hart, B. (2010). The True Origins and History of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs . Available from: https://www.goodreads.com/story/show/60644-the-true-origins-and-history-of-snow-white-and-the-seven-dwarfs
- Marcel-Mercado 2012-2019 Illustration “Dance for Us” on Deviant Art https://www.deviantart.com/marcel-mercado/art/Dance-for-us-342325776
- Featured illustration by Arthur Rackham 1909.
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