Snow White

German Fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm in 1812 Inspired from old Slavic Mythology – Witches eat hearts of people and drink their blood – Vampires may have come from these myths

Original Story Queen pricks her finger and admires the blood on the snow wishing for a child that resembled blood on the snow Wants a child that is red white and black She has a child and dies after King marries a new wife who is a witch The new queen has a mirror and every day it says she is the fairest in the land

When snow white turns 7 she becomes the most beautiful The mirror says she is a thousand times more beautiful now She grows to hate snow white Queen orders huntsmen to take Snow White into the forest to be killed and asks for the heart and lungs to be brought back to her They return with the heart and lungs of a boar She eats them thinking they are Snow White’s

Snow White finds a cabin to live in with 7 dwarfs The Queen finds out Snow White is still alive Disguises herself as a peddler and gives her a lace bodice and ties it really tight Comes back with a poison comb Comes back with a poison apple and gives it to her

Prince finds her and wants her and a servant dislodges the apple from her throat A wedding is planned and the Queen arrives A pair of hot iron slippers are brought forth and the queen puts them on and dies

The Apple Greek Mythology- Apple of Discord – Given the “the fairest” – Causes dispute – Aphrodite uses the apple to create destruction Christianity- the fruit of good and evil

Character Fairy Tale Motifs Character Motifs – Elder- father (stays at home) – True Love- Prince (object of love’s affection) – Villain- Queen (opposes hero, evil deed, force of evil) – Friend- Woodsman and Dwarfs ( often lower social class, forms a binding relationship) – Messenger- Mirror (Brings news)

Place Motif Home- often starting place of story ( Castle) Paradise- where the character ends up or desires, or place of refuge (happily ever after, dwarfs house) Bad Place- Where escape is needed (running away from queen) Limbo- Very often a forest, seems dangerous, shadowy mysterious (Snow White in forest)

Archetypes White- Snow White represents a pure figure that has not been corrupted by the world Death and Rebirth- Snow is often associated with death, white with rebirth and new Battle between good and evil Father/ Son Conflict- but between mother and daughter Light vs. Dark 7- used to show balance between mortal and spiritual aspects Damsel in Distress Devil figure

Type 709 Many other tales sprung up from this story and they are classified as type 709 Newer ones take out the cannibalism In an Albanian version, Snow White lives with 40 dragons instead of dwarfs and she is urged to kill her stepmother – Written in the middle ages Modern variations also – Disney, Snow White and the Huntsmen, Mirror Mirror Red as blood, etc

Disney’s Version Snow White is just given an apple The Dwarfs chase the queen off a cliff Prince kisses her and brings her back to life Snow White lives with 40 dragons instead of dwarfs She is urged to kill her stepmother Written in the middle ages Albanian Version

Scottish Version Gold Tree (daughter) and Silver Tree (mother) Silver Tree is told that Gold Tree is more beautiful She falls ill until she has the liver of Gold Tree to eat King gives his wife a goat liver and she is well again King gives Gold Tree to a prince to marry Mother finds her and gives her a poisonous drink and stabs her in the finger Prince locks her in a room Another wife finds her and takes the stab out They live happily ever after

Snow White and the Huntsmen Snow White falls in love with a huntsmen instead of the prince Said to be the “inner aspects of ourselves” Each character representing a part of us – For example: Troll under bridge is our anger – Test is won by love when we embrace the hurt part of ourselvees with kindness 7 dwarfs are 7 virtues