Transcription
Deutsche MärchenGerman fairy talespresented by Tim Straubinger
In this talkHeinrich Hoffman Author of Der Struwwelpeter (1845), psychiatrist by tradeThe Brothers Grimm Academics and collectors of regional tales Many of their tales live on in modern culture
Heinrich Hoffmann
StruwwelpeterShaggy PeterPublished by Heinrich Hoffmannin 1845 A collection of shortfables to teach goodmanners to youngchildren Ask any German aboutStruwwelpeter
StruwwelpeterShaggy Peter1st story in Struwwelpeter (1845)
StruwwelpeterLook now, here he standsYuck, it’s StruwwelpeterOn both his handshe will not let cuthis nails for nearly a yearHis hair he will not let combYuck, will you look at him,Hideous Struwwelpeter!The End
Die gar traurige Geschichte mit dem FeuerzeugThe very sad story with the matches3rd story in Struwwelpeter (1845)
Die gar traurige Geschichte mit dem FeuerzeugThe very sad story with the matchesPaulinchen (little Pauline) istold not to play with matches,then is left at home.The cats, Minz and Maunz,dutifully remind her of thedanger of matches andthe rules she has been told.
Die gar traurige Geschichte mit dem FeuerzeugThe very sad story with the matchesBut Paulinchen just doesn’tcare.
Die gar traurige Geschichte mit dem FeuerzeugThe very sad story with the matchesBut then
Die gar traurige Geschichte mit dem FeuerzeugThe very sad story with the matchesOh dear Dang.
Die gar traurige Geschichte mit dem FeuerzeugThe very sad story with the matchesDiscussionDid Paulinchen deserve to be burned to the ground?What more could Minz and Maunz have done to prevent this disaster?Why was Paulinchen so flammable?
Die Geschichte vom DaumenlutscherThe story of the thumbsucker5th story in Struwwelpeter (1845)
Die Geschichte vom DaumenlutscherThe story of the thumbsucker“Konrad!” says mother. “I’m going outand you’re staying at home. Be prettyand neat until I return. And above all,Konrad, listen! Do not suck on yourthumb anymore!”“Or else the tailor with the scissorswill come in haste, and he’ll cut offyour thumbs as if they’re made ofpaper!”
Die Geschichte vom DaumenlutscherThe story of the thumbsuckerBut Konrad just doesn’t care.
Die Geschichte vom DaumenlutscherThe story of the thumbsuckerAaaaa!
Die Geschichte vom DaumenlutscherThe story of the thumbsuckerDang.Konrad has no thumbs.
Die Geschichte vom DaumenlutscherThe story of the thumbsuckerDiscussionShould Konrad have sucked his thumbs?Are we safe from tailors?Where can I get scissors like that?
Die Geschichte vom Suppen-KasparThe story of soup-Kaspar7th story in Struwwelpeter (1845)
Die Geschichte vom Suppen-KasparThe story of soup-KasparKaspar was round and healthy ascould be. He had red, fresh cheeksand he always ate his soup.But one day, he screamed, “I don’teat soup! I won’t eat my soup!No, I will not eat my soup!”
Die Geschichte vom Suppen-KasparThe story of soup-KasparThis act of protest doesnot do well for Kaspar.Still, he shouts, “I don’teat soup! I won’t eat mysoup! No, I will not eatmy soup!”
Die Geschichte vom Suppen-KasparThe story of soup-KasparKaspar withers away and dies.The End
Die Geschichte vom Suppen-KasparThe story of soup-KasparDiscussionShould Kaspar have eaten his soup?
Die Geschichte vom Fliegenden RobertThe story of flying Robert10th and final story inStruwwelpeter (1845)
Die Geschichte vom Fliegenden RobertThe story of flying RobertRobert decides to go out in astorm with his umbrella
Die Geschichte vom Fliegenden RobertThe story of flying RobertHis umbrella catches the wind.
Die Geschichte vom Fliegenden RobertThe story of flying RobertRobert is never seen again.The End
Die Geschichte vom Fliegenden RobertThe story of flying RobertDiscussionWhat?Was Heinrich Hoffmann actually a psychiatrist?
Die Gebrüder GrimmThe Brothers Grimm
Die Gebrüder GrimmThe Brothers GrimmJacob Ludwig Karl Grimm (1785 – 1863)and Wilhelm Carl Grimm (1786 – 1859)were academics who collected andpublished fairy tales in a number ofvolumes in the 1800’s.Many of their works remain in ourculture, and a number have beenrendered into famous movies.
Notable stories collected by The Brothers Grimm Der Froschkönig (The Frog Prince) Rapunzel (Rapunzel) Hänsel und Gretel (Hansel and Gretel) Aschenputtel (Cinderella) Rotkäppchen (Little Red Riding-Hood) Schneewittchen (Snow White) Dornröschen (Sleeping Beauty)
Notable stories not collected by The Brothers Grimm Stories by Hans Christian Andersen: The Little Mermaid The Emperor’s New Clothes The Ugly Duckling Beauty and the Beast (French) Puss in Boots (Italian)
What typically happens in Grimm fairy tales?The protagonistbreaks a promise toa magical beingMagical sources of goldSoldiers out of moneyA prince magically appearsBestial men whose animalskin is burned, revealinga beautiful manEvil stepmothersHansCompetitions tomarry the princessDeath appearsThe devil appearsEverything is fixed bymarrying a prince or princessEvil old women in the woods who trap peopleNuts are found to contain beautiful dressesCouples with fertility issuesMothers rejecting their own childrenKings makingarbitrary death threats
Notable Differences in Translation
Der FroschkönigThe Frog PrinceA princess loses her golden ball in a pond. A frog retrieves the ball for her,after making a deal to be her companion. The princess breaks this promise.Something happens, and the frog turns into a princeEnglishThe princess kisses the frog, andhe magically transforms into aprince.GermanThe princess, pissed off by thefrog, tries to kill it by hurling itagainst a wall. A prince falls to theground where the frog collidedwith the wall.
SchneewittchenSnow WhiteSnow White eats a poisoned apple given to her by her evil stepmother, andfalls into a coma. She is placed in a glass coffin, until she is revived by EnglishTrue love’s first kissGermanWhile carrying off the princess inher coffin, the prince’s servantgrows angry at how infatuated theprince has becomes and strikesthe unconscious Snow White. Theapple in her throat is dislodged bythe impact.
SchneewittchenSnow WhiteSnow White’s evil stepmother learns that Snow White has survived, and isabout to marry the prince. The evil stepmother crashes the wedding and English chokes with rage, and falls downdead. Snow White and the princelived and reigned happily everafter, and sometimes they went upinto the mountains, and paid avisit to the little dwarfs, who hadbeen so kind to Snow White inher time of need.German is forced into a pair of red-hotiron shoes and is made to danceuntil she drops dead.The End
AschenputtelCinderellaCinderella, attempting to flee from the prince to hide her identity as a dirtypeasant, loses her magic slipper on the royal stairs because EnglishIt just fell off.GermanThe prince, that cunningprankster, had the stairs coveredwith pitch, in which her slipperbecame stuck.
AschenputtelCinderellaThe prince, now left with the slipper of the woman he desires but notknowing who she is, sets out to find the woman whose foot fits the slipper.He will marry this woman. Cinderella’s step sisters hear this and want todeceive the prince into marrying them. So they English try to put on the slipper, but itsimply won’t fit.German slice off parts of their feet with aknife at their mother’s orders. Theprince rides off with one after theother, until a talking bird alertshim to the blood pouring fromthe shoe.
Die GänsemagdThe Goose MaidBefore leaving her home to meet the prince to whom she is betrothed, theprincess is given a token of guidance and good fortune when EnglishGerman a fairy cuts a lock of her hair andgives it to the princess her mother cuts into her fingerswith a knife, bleeds three drops ofblood into and handkerchief, andgives this handkerchief to theprincess. The handkerchief laterspeaks to the princess.
Magical friends who can makelots of gold, but who won’t saveyou from a toxic relationship
AschenputtelCinderellaCinderella’s evil stepmother has just thrown the lentils into the ashes andordered Cinderella to pick them back out. Cinderella has befriended thebirds into helping her with chores and giving her magical clothes when inneed.Desperate, Cinderella sings to the birds, who come flocking into the houseto pick the lentils clean and sort them for her.
AschenputtelCinderellaCinderella’s evil stepmother has just thrown the lentils into the ashes andordered Cinderella to pick them back out. Cinderella has befriended thebirds into helping her with chores and giving her magical clothes when inneed.Desperate, Cinderella sings to the birds, who come flocking into the houseto pick the lentils clean and sort them for her.Her stepmother throws the lentils back into the ashes and tells her to do itagain.
AschenputtelCinderellaCinderella’s evil stepmother has just thrown the lentils into the ashes andordered Cinderella to pick them back out. Cinderella has befriended thebirds into helping her with chores and giving her magical clothes when inneed.Desperate, Cinderella sings to the birds, who come flocking into the houseto pick the lentils clean and sort them for her.Her stepmother throws the lentils back into the ashes and tells her to do itagain.The poor hundreds of birds just pick them clean again.
RumelstiltschenRumpelstiltskinAn innocent peasant woman has been sold to the king by her heartlessfather, who falsely advertises that she knows how to spin straw into gold.The king, intrigued, locks the woman into a dungeon full of hay and ordersher to spin it all into gold by the next day, or be killed.In the night, as she weeps, magical Rumpelstiltskin comes to her to help.
RumelstiltschenRumpelstiltskinAn innocent peasant woman has been sold to the king by her heartlessfather, who falsely advertises that she knows how to spin straw into gold.The king, intrigued, locks the woman into a dungeon full of hay and ordersher to spin it all into gold by the next day, or be killed.In the night, as she weeps, magical Rumpelstiltskin comes to her to help.Rumpelstiltskin simply spins all the straw into gold, leaving the womanlocked up and unable to explain herself.
RumelstiltschenRumpelstiltskinAn innocent peasant woman has been sold to the king by her heartlessfather, who falsely advertises that she knows how to spin straw into gold.The king, intrigued, locks the woman into a dungeon full of hay and ordersher to spin it all into gold by the next day, or be killed.In the night, as she weeps, magical Rumpelstiltskin comes to her to help.Rumpelstiltskin simply spins all the straw into gold, leaving the womanlocked up and unable to explain herself.The next day, the king tells her to do it again, or die. And again.
RumelstiltschenRumpelstiltskinAn innocent peasant woman has been sold to the king by her heartlessfather, who falsely advertises that she knows how to spin straw into gold.The king, intrigued, locks the woman into a dungeon full of hay and ordersher to spin it all into gold by the next day, or be killed.In the night, as she weeps, magical Rumpelstiltskin comes to her to help.Rumpelstiltskin simply spins all the straw into gold, leaving the womanlocked up and unable to explain herself.The next day, the king tells her to do it again, or die. And again.The woman ends up promising her first-born son to Rumpelstiltskin.
Notable Methods of Execution
Die GänsemagdThe Goose MaidThe evil maid has manipulated the princess and has secretly taken herplace and traded clothes with her. The true princess is remaining silentunder an unfortunate oath. The king asks the false princess a riddle, “whatis a fit punishment for lying?”
Die GänsemagdThe Goose MaidThe evil maid has manipulated the princess and has secretly taken herplace and traded clothes with her. The true princess is remaining silentunder an unfortunate oath. The king asks the false princess a riddle, “whatis a fit punishment for lying?”The false princess answers: “A liar should be thrown into a barrelhammered full of nails, and dragged through the town behind two whitehorses.“
Die GänsemagdThe Goose MaidThe evil maid has manipulated the princess and has secretly taken herplace and traded clothes with her. The true princess is remaining silentunder an unfortunate oath. The king asks the false princess a riddle, “whatis a fit punishment for lying?”The false princess answers: “A liar should be thrown into a barrelhammered full of nails, and dragged through the town behind two whitehorses.“The false princess, of course, suffers this weirdly specific fate.
Sechse kommen durch die ganse WeltHow six made their way in the worldThe six travelling companions are invited to dinner by an evil king.
Sechse kommen durch die ganse WeltHow six made their way in the worldThe six travelling companions are invited to dinner by an evil king.They are ushered into an iron-floored dining hall and a fire is lit under theroom to fry them all.
Sechse kommen durch die ganse WeltHow six made their way in the worldThe six travelling companions are invited to dinner by an evil king.They are ushered into an iron-floored dining hall and a fire is lit under theroom to fry them all.One of the travellers saves the day by straightening his hat, which causes afrost to come.
RumpelstiltschenRumpelstiltskinAngry that the queen has learned his name and thus will not be giving upher first-born child as she had promised, Rumpelstiltskin kicks his rightfoot down so hard that he is buried up to the waist, and
RumpelstiltschenRumpelstiltskinAngry that the queen has learned his name and thus will not be giving upher first-born child as she had promised, Rumpelstiltskin kicks his rightfoot down so hard that he is buried up to the waist, and takes his left leg in his hand and tears himself in two
Story Time
Your choices this evening Von dem Mäuschen, Vögelchen, und der BratwurstThe mouse, the bird, and the sausage EisenhansIron Hans Märchen von einem, der auszog um das Fürchten zu lernenThe story of one who went forth to learn fear
German The princess, pissed off by the frog, tries to kill it by hurling it against a wall. A prince falls to the ground where the frog collided with the wall. A princess loses her golden ball in a pond. A fro
