Page 218 - Stati inu obstati, revija za vprašanja protestantizma, letnik XIV (2018), številka 27, ISSN 2590-9754
P. 218
synopses
entation, and of secularity, so that they shed their perverted forms of ruthless egoism,
globalized and universalized consumerism, the disposability of everything in the inter-
ests of capital and privileged individuals?
Keywords: reformation, doctrine of justification/Rechtfertigungslehre, modernity,
individualism, secularity
UDC 821.112.2.09Grimm J.+W.:7.046.3
Milena Mileva Blažić
Religious motifs in fairytales by the Grimm brothers
Children’s and Household Tales, also entitled Grimms’ Fairy Tales, have justifiably
become part of the world cultural heritage, since they are read worldwide, have been
translated into numerous languages, issued in various editions from picture book to
scientific-critical versions, and arranged for different types of art. The Grimms’ fairy-
tales, which they considered German, express characteristics of the 19th century, which
J. Zipes terms the golden age of fairytales. The analysis shows clearly that they are not
monocultural, but mirror different cultures through their motifs, truncated motifs and
blind motifs, e.g. the motif of ebony (Snow White), which is of Indo-European origin,
the motif of silk (The Juniper Tree, The Goose-Girl at the Well, The Skilful Huntsman,
Tales of the Paddock, The Water Nixie, Snow White, The Six Swans, The Frog King), which
came from China, the cow motif in Cinderella (the cow as a sacred animal in India), jew-
els and diamonds (The Shoes that were Danced to Pieces, The Fisherman and His Wife,
The Singing, Springing Lark), the tiger motif (Little Brother and Little Sister), the ostrich
feathers motif (The Frog King or Iron Heinrich), the apple motif (the apple of discord
from the Iliad) the Argonauts motif (the ship that sails on dry land and water: KHM
54 The Golden Goose, KHM 159 The Ditmarsch Tale of Lies, and KHM 165 The Griffin),
the motif of India (The Three Black Princesses), the motif of the north (The Devil and his
Grandmother) and many others, as well as truncated motifs and blind motifs.
The Grimm brothers were brought up in the spirit of the Protestant ethic and in
their legends and sagas (Doctor Luther at the Wartburg, 1521) and their fairytales they
used religious motifs, truncated motifs and blind motifs and values (e.g. purity, dili-
gence, duty, honesty, orderliness and carefulness). Examples are Cinderella (asceticism),
Little Red Riding Hood (decency), Snow White (housekeeping), The Frog King (duty).
Even criticism of the pope is found in the fairytale The Fisherman and His Wife, where
one of the themes treated is that of the pope or female pope.
The Grimms’ fairytales express the values of time and place, and textually are linked
with religious and biblical motifs, Protestantism and Luther. Sometimes this intertex-
tuality is on the level of transference, (Eve’s Unequal Children), imitation (Mary’s Child)
or description (Faithful John) (Juvan 2000: 249). On the level of language expressions,
216
entation, and of secularity, so that they shed their perverted forms of ruthless egoism,
globalized and universalized consumerism, the disposability of everything in the inter-
ests of capital and privileged individuals?
Keywords: reformation, doctrine of justification/Rechtfertigungslehre, modernity,
individualism, secularity
UDC 821.112.2.09Grimm J.+W.:7.046.3
Milena Mileva Blažić
Religious motifs in fairytales by the Grimm brothers
Children’s and Household Tales, also entitled Grimms’ Fairy Tales, have justifiably
become part of the world cultural heritage, since they are read worldwide, have been
translated into numerous languages, issued in various editions from picture book to
scientific-critical versions, and arranged for different types of art. The Grimms’ fairy-
tales, which they considered German, express characteristics of the 19th century, which
J. Zipes terms the golden age of fairytales. The analysis shows clearly that they are not
monocultural, but mirror different cultures through their motifs, truncated motifs and
blind motifs, e.g. the motif of ebony (Snow White), which is of Indo-European origin,
the motif of silk (The Juniper Tree, The Goose-Girl at the Well, The Skilful Huntsman,
Tales of the Paddock, The Water Nixie, Snow White, The Six Swans, The Frog King), which
came from China, the cow motif in Cinderella (the cow as a sacred animal in India), jew-
els and diamonds (The Shoes that were Danced to Pieces, The Fisherman and His Wife,
The Singing, Springing Lark), the tiger motif (Little Brother and Little Sister), the ostrich
feathers motif (The Frog King or Iron Heinrich), the apple motif (the apple of discord
from the Iliad) the Argonauts motif (the ship that sails on dry land and water: KHM
54 The Golden Goose, KHM 159 The Ditmarsch Tale of Lies, and KHM 165 The Griffin),
the motif of India (The Three Black Princesses), the motif of the north (The Devil and his
Grandmother) and many others, as well as truncated motifs and blind motifs.
The Grimm brothers were brought up in the spirit of the Protestant ethic and in
their legends and sagas (Doctor Luther at the Wartburg, 1521) and their fairytales they
used religious motifs, truncated motifs and blind motifs and values (e.g. purity, dili-
gence, duty, honesty, orderliness and carefulness). Examples are Cinderella (asceticism),
Little Red Riding Hood (decency), Snow White (housekeeping), The Frog King (duty).
Even criticism of the pope is found in the fairytale The Fisherman and His Wife, where
one of the themes treated is that of the pope or female pope.
The Grimms’ fairytales express the values of time and place, and textually are linked
with religious and biblical motifs, Protestantism and Luther. Sometimes this intertex-
tuality is on the level of transference, (Eve’s Unequal Children), imitation (Mary’s Child)
or description (Faithful John) (Juvan 2000: 249). On the level of language expressions,
216
