About the Authors
Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
Jacob Grimm, (1785 – 1863)
Wilhelm Grimm, (1786 – 1859)
They are known for their endearing fairy tales that have captured imaginations, stolen hearts, and edified generations for centuries.
Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm were 19th-century German academics who compiled and published one of the most famous collections of folklore in history, Children's and Household Tales (commonly known as Grimm's Fairy Tales). Rather than writing the stories, the brothers collected traditional oral tales to preserve German cultural heritage.
The Life of the Brothers
Born a year apart in Hanau, Germany—Jacob in 1785 and Wilhelm in 1786—the brothers shared a famously close bond. Their father's unexpected death in 1796 plunged the family into poverty, forcing both to take on heavy responsibilities at a young age. They both studied law at the University of Marburg, but soon shifted their focus to their true passion: philology, linguistics, and medieval literature.
Folk and Fairy Tales
The brothers' most famous contribution began as a scholarly project designed to safeguard German cultural identity during a period when the region was politically fragmented. They published the first volume of Kinder- und Hausmärchen in 1812. Over the next several decades, they released seven expanding editions. Wilhelm, who had a softer and more literary touch than his older brother, continually honed the stories, transforming them from raw oral histories into the polished, globally recognized classics we know today.
Beyond Fairy Tales
While their fairy tales are universally celebrated, the brothers were primarily pioneering linguists and scholars:
- The German dictionary: They began work on the massive Deutsches Wörterbuch, the first comprehensive dictionary of the German language.
- Grimm's law: Jacob formulated a foundational rule in historical linguistics known as Grimm's Law, which explains the consonant shifts in Germanic languages.
Wilhelm passed away in 1859, followed by Jacob in 1863. Their tireless work laid the foundation for the modern study of folklore and shaped the cultural identity of Germany.
Read more about the Brothers Grimm:
Grimms' Fairy Tales, 1812
The original Grimm's Fairy Tales, published in 1812 by German scholars Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, were not intended for children. They were dark, scholarly collections of oral folklore. The early stories featured intense themes like cannibalism, mutilation, and biological mothers (who were later changed to stepmothers in sanitized versions).
History of the Original Collection
In December 1812, the brothers released their first volume, Children's and Household Tales (German: Kinder-und Hausmärchen). This initial edition featured 86 stories. A second volume with 70 additional tales followed in 1815.
Their goal was to preserve German cultural history, so the texts were written with raw, spare storytelling and academic footnotes rather than as pleasant bedtime stories. Over the next 40 years, the Grimms published six more editions. They heavily revised, cleaned up, and expanded the tales to make them more family-friendly, morally instructive, and commercially successful.
Differences Between Original and Modern Versions
Modern popular culture, largely shaped by Disney adaptations, presents a highly sanitized version of these classics. The 1812 and 1815 editions were much more gruesome. For example:
- Cinderella: In the original, the stepsisters hack off parts of their own heels and toes to make the golden slipper fit, and magical birds pluck out the stepsisters' eyes at the wedding.
- The Girl Without Hands: In the early 1800s version, a father cuts off his own daughter's hands. In later editions, this was heavily altered.
- Snow White: The wicked Queen was punished by being forced to step into red-hot iron shoes and dance until she dropped dead.
About the Authors
About the Books
Read the Original
Read the Project Gutenberg Digital Transcription
Listen to the Audiobook
Listen to the 1978 Animated Adaptation of The Three Golden Hairs
About the Movies
Brothers Grimm
Film adaptations of the Brothers Grimm fairy tales bring classic, often dark stories to life. Some films stay true to the original, gloomy folklore. Others turn the tales into family-friendly adventures.
Top Brothers Grimm adaptations include:
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937): The classic animated movie. It set the standard for "happily ever after".
- Into the Woods (2014): A film that mixes different tales like Cinderella, Rapunzel, and Little Red Riding Hood. It explores the heavy consequences of storybook wishes.
- Gretel & Hansel (2020): A dark, spooky horror film that takes the siblings into a creepy forest and an isolated witch's home.
- The Brothers Grimm (2005): A fantasy movie starring Matt Damon and Heath Ledger. It imagines the folklore collectors as traveling con artists who battle a real magical curse.
- Snow White: A Tale of Terror (1997): A dark R-rated gothic movie starring Sigourney Weaver. It ditches singing dwarves for a scary, realistic look at the evil stepmother.
Read more about the film adaptations:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Films_based_on_Grimms%27_Fairy_Tales
Watch 5 trailers:
Red Riding Hood; Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters; Maleficent; Cinderella, and Snow White and the Huntsman
Read About and Watch the Movies: Section in process...
Snow White
Snow White
Snow White
- Read About:
- Watch theTrailer:
- Watch the Movie:
- Learn the horrific history: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSZkKM_AjU0
1982
Snow White
Snow White
- Read About:
- Watch the Trailer:
- Watch the Movie:
- Learn the horrific history: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fb_tHA1Uudk