Storyteller Spotlight: The Brothers Grimm

    The Brothers Grimm are sure to make any top five list of most famous fairytale storytellers in history. Many of the fairytales modern audiences know were first published by these brothers, and, according to Zipes (2014,) "it is well-known that the Grimms’ tales constitute the most widely published and disseminated books in Germany that can be categorized as fiction," (p. 56.) Jacob and Wilhelm were born in 1785 and 1786, respectively, in Germany. The boys were raised together in the small town of Hanau. Several biographies claim that Jacob was the healthier of the two and had a mind for research work, while Wilhelm was the weaker of the two and more interested in the arts. Before they published the works that would make them famous, both men were librarians.
     In the 18th and 19th centuries, there was a renewed interest across Germany in the nation's history. The Romantic Movement began during this time, and brought with it a return to nature, which is how folk tales, especially those of German origin, became more familiar during this time, and of more interest to the Grimms. The brothers had been in contact with several other writers during this time who were also interested in preserving other parts of near forgotten German culture, like folksongs. In 1812, the Brothers Grimm published their first collection of tales, titled Kinder-und Huasmarchen, which translates to Tales of the Children and the Home. (Encylopedia.com.)
     As mentioned above, it's not hard to understand the influence of the these two brothers on the world of fairy tales based solely on how much has been written and studied about their work since it was published. Santos (2014) writes in a broad statement that,"German Romanticism as it is understood today would be unthinkable without the Brothers Grimm," (p. 2.) Their contribution was so great that in his excellent book The Witch Must Die, when Sheldon Cashdan begins his study by laying out three myths about fairy tales that he will dispel, Myth #2 is titled "Fairy Tales were written by the Brothers Grimm," (p. 7.) Cashdan has to create an entire section to remind the reader that the Brothers Grimm, while worthwhile for study given their publishing history, did not actually write the fairy tales they published. Cashdan has to use this information early, because modern readers so often identify the word "fairytales" with "Brothers Grimm." Their influence on the fairytale world runs deep, without a doubt.
      Both brothers died in the 19th century while working on a dictionary that would trace the origin of every single German word, a project that was finally completed in 1960 by later scholars. (Encyclopedia.com.) The brothers' legacy continues to live on in the 21st century, with their life stories being told through biographies and, most notably, through a big budget film released in 2005 simply called The Brothers Grimm.
    For your listening pleasure, I have included a video that retells some of the Brothers Grimm's most famous published stories. This video has the stories of Rapunzle, Little Red Riding Hood, and many more familiar and not so familiar tales.