The Darker Side of Fairy Tales

You probably don't want your kids to read this.

The Independent listed a few popular fairy tales and how they are markedly different than the "original", darker version. This includes Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, and Three Little Pigs. Some of the description of the original version are quite gruesome. For example, in Sleeping Beauty:

but there is an earlier Italian version, written by Giambattista Basile in the 17th century, that is considerably darker than the tale told to young minds. In the original, Talia, the Sleeping Beauty, is raped by a king while she sleeps, and gives birth to twins. When the Queen finds out, she orders that Talia be burnt alive, but the King arrives in the nick of time, throws the Queen on the bonfire, and marries Talia.

Yikes! And what about Snow White?

The true origins of Snow White are typical of the macabre stories written as stark morality tales for the children of harsher times. In the Grimm version, Snow White's evil stepmother made not one but three attempts to murder her.

Obviously, the stepmother must die if Snow White and her prince are to live happily ever after. Disney granted her a quick death – falling off a cliff – that did not implicate the young couple.

In the original, the bride and groom invited the Queen to their wedding, where they had a nasty surprise awaited her.

She was forced to wear iron slippers that had been heated over a fire until they were red hot and dance until she dropped dead.

Oh my goodness! They all sound like they could be the next version of "Saw" movies!

:)

Zz.