Top 10 Fairy Tale Dark Origins

Summary

This video explores the dark origins of 10 classic fairy tales, revealing their original, often disturbing stories. From the tragic love of 'The Little Mermaid' to the gruesome details of 'Cinderella' and 'Snow White,' each tale hides a darker side. 'Rapunzel' and 'Sleeping Beauty' feature unexpected betrayals and violence, while 'Little Red Riding Hood,' 'Hansel and Gretel,' and 'The Three Little Pigs' showcase the harsh realities of their times. 'The Pied Piper' and 'Beauty and the Beast' end with tragic consequences and moral lessons, challenging the sanitized versions we know today.

Takeaways

• 🧜‍♀️ In the original 'Little Mermaid', the prince falls in love with another and the mermaid turns to sea foam after failing to kill him with a magic knife.
• 👠 'Cinderella's' stepsisters mutilate their feet to fit the glass slipper, but the ruse is discovered due to bleeding.
• 🪞 In 'Snow White', the Evil Queen's vanity leads to her downfall, and she dies dancing in red-hot iron shoes.
• 🌿 'Rapunzel's' parents steal rampion from an enchantress, leading to Rapunzel being taken away and later reunited with her prince after he is blinded.
• 😴 'Sleeping Beauty' was violated by the prince while in a coma, leading to her pregnancy and eventual awakening when the baby sucks the spindle from her finger.
• 👵 'Little Red Riding Hood' in the oldest version meets a gruesome end, eaten by the wolf with no Huntsman to save her.
• 🍎 'Hansel and Gretel' outsmart a cannibalistic witch, pushing her into an oven in the French original 'The Lost Children'.
• 🏠 The 'Three Little Pigs' story includes the pigs eating the wolf after he is boiled alive in the original tale.
• 🎵 The 'Pied Piper' drowns the village children as revenge for not being paid, with only a lame boy surviving in the original story.
• 🏰 'Beauty and the Beast' sees Belle's sisters turned into stone columns as punishment for their jealousy and attempted murder.

Q & A

What is the tragic outcome for the Little Mermaid in the original tale?

In the original tale, the Little Mermaid does not end up with the prince as he falls in love with another princess. She has the opportunity to kill the prince and revert to her mermaid form but chooses not to, and instead dissolves into sea foam.

How do Cinderella's stepsisters attempt to fit into the glass slipper in the original story?

In the original story, Cinderella's stepsisters are so desperate to fit into the glass slipper that they mutilate their feet. The eldest cuts off her big toe, and the second sister cuts off part of her heel, both under the advice of their mother, in order to fit into the slipper and marry the prince.

What does the Evil Queen do after learning she is no longer the fairest in the land in the original Snow White story?

In the original Snow White story, after learning she is no longer the fairest, the Evil Queen tries to kill Snow White three times with a laced bodice, a poisoned comb, and a poisoned apple. Eventually, Snow White is saved by Prince Charming, and the Evil Queen is forced to dance in red-hot iron shoes until she dies.

How does Rapunzel's story differ in one of its original renditions?

In one rendition of Rapunzel, she is not a princess but the child of a couple who live next to an enchantress. Her mother craves rampion, a vegetable in the enchantress's garden, leading to Rapunzel's father stealing it. The enchantress discovers this and takes Rapunzel as payment, locking her in a tower.

What is the darker twist in the older version of Sleeping Beauty's story?

In the older version of Sleeping Beauty, the prince does not just wake her with a kiss. Instead, he takes advantage of her while she is in a coma, leading to her pregnancy with twins. The princess only awakens when one of the babies, seeking milk, sucks on her finger and dislodges the flax fiber she had pricked herself on.

How does the original Little Red Riding Hood story end without the Huntsman's intervention?

In the very oldest version of Little Red Riding Hood, there is no Huntsman to save the day. The wolf eats the grandmother and then tricks and eats Little Red Riding Hood as well, with no rescue or happy ending.

What is the grim reality in the French original of Hansel and Gretel?

In the French original of Hansel and Gretel, titled 'The Lost Children,' the parents abandon their children in the forest due to greed. The children encounter a woman who is actually the devil's wife, and they end up killing her and escaping with the devil's money.

How does the original story of the Three Little Pigs differ from the classic tale?

In the original story of the Three Little Pigs, after the wolf fails to blow down the brick house, the third pig does not simply scare him away. Instead, the pig boils water and cooks the wolf alive when he tries to come down the chimney.

What is the darker outcome for the children in the original Pied Piper story?

In the original Pied Piper story, after the villagers refuse to pay him, the Pied Piper leads the children to a river where they all drown. Only a lame boy who couldn't keep up survives.

How does the original Beauty and the Beast story conclude after Belle marries the Beast?

In the original Beauty and the Beast story, after Belle marries the Beast who turns back into a prince, her jealous sisters drown her in a bathtub out of envy. The sorceress who cursed the prince brings Belle back to life and turns her sisters into stone columns, with the only way to revert being if a man falls in love with them.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Dark Origins of Classic Fairy Tales

This paragraph delves into the darker origins of well-known fairy tales, revealing how they have been sanitized over time. The Little Mermaid's original story ends tragically, with the mermaid turning to sea foam after failing to kill the prince. Cinderella's stepsisters mutilate themselves in a vain attempt to fit into the glass slipper. Snow White's stepmother tries to kill her multiple times, and the Evil Queen meets a gruesome end. Rapunzel's story begins with theft and a curse, and Sleeping Beauty's prince takes advantage of her while she's in a coma. These tales show that the original versions were far more disturbing than the versions we're familiar with today.

05:02

🐺 Grim Details of Classic Stories

The paragraph continues to explore the grim realities of classic fairy tales. Little Red Riding Hood's original story lacks a rescue by a huntsman, leaving her to a grim fate. Hansel and Gretel's tale is darker in its French version, where they encounter the devil instead of a witch and must kill him to survive. The three little pigs' story includes the pigs eating the wolf after boiling him alive. The Pied Piper's original ending is far more tragic, with the children drowning instead of being returned after a ransom is paid. These stories highlight the often overlooked dark and violent aspects of traditional fairy tales.

10:03

🏰 Original Tales of Beauty and the Beast and More

The final paragraph discusses the original story of Beauty and the Beast, titled 'The Little Broomstick,' where Belle's father steals roses for her, leading to a bargain with the Beast. The story takes a darker turn when Belle's sisters, out of jealousy, drown her, only for a sorceress to revive her and turn her sisters into stone. This paragraph emphasizes the significant differences between the original tales and the sanitized versions that are commonly told today, showcasing the complexity and darker themes present in the source material.

Keywords

💡Fairy Tales

Fairy tales are stories that typically involve fantastical and magical elements, often intended to teach moral lessons or convey cultural values. In the video, the term is used to refer to the original, darker versions of stories that have been sanitized over time for modern audiences. Examples from the script include 'The Little Mermaid,' 'Cinderella,' and 'Snow White,' which are shown to have had much more disturbing origins than their contemporary counterparts.

💡Dark Origins

Dark origins refer to the original, often gruesome or morally complex versions of stories that have been simplified or altered over time. The video discusses how many well-known fairy tales began with darker themes and outcomes, such as 'The Little Mermaid' turning into sea foam or 'Cinderella's' stepsisters cutting off parts of their bodies to fit into the glass slipper.

💡Moral Lessons

Moral lessons are the ethical or educational messages conveyed through stories, often with the intent to guide behavior or provide insight into right and wrong. While the video does not directly discuss moral lessons, the original fairy tales it describes often contained harsher lessons about the consequences of actions, as seen in the extreme punishments meted out to characters like the Evil Queen in 'Snow White.'

💡Sanitization

Sanitization in the context of storytelling refers to the process of removing or altering elements that may be considered too violent, disturbing, or inappropriate for certain audiences. The video highlights how many fairy tales have been sanitized over time, making them more suitable for children, as opposed to their original, darker forms which were often more adult-oriented.

💡Cultural Values

Cultural values are the principles, standards, and beliefs that guide behavior and decision-making within a society or group. The video implies that the original fairy tales reflected the cultural values of their times, which could be more brutal or less forgiving than those of today. The transformation of these tales over time reflects a shift in cultural values and what is considered acceptable to share with children.

💡Folklore

Folklore consists of traditional stories, beliefs, and customs that are passed down through generations, often orally. The video's discussion of fairy tales as they were originally told suggests a connection to folklore, as these stories were part of the cultural heritage and storytelling traditions of various societies.

💡Symbolism

Symbolism is the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities, often in a way that is not explicit but requires interpretation. The video touches on symbolism through the various elements and characters in the fairy tales, such as the poisoned apple in 'Snow White' symbolizing temptation and the glass slipper in 'Cinderella' symbolizing the perfect fit or match.

💡Transformation

Transformation in storytelling often refers to a character's change in nature, appearance, or circumstances. The video describes several instances of transformation, both physical and metaphorical, such as the Beast in 'Beauty and the Beast' changing back into a prince or the stepsisters in 'Cinderella' resorting to self-mutilation in an attempt to achieve their desires.

💡Magical Elements

Magical elements are supernatural or mystical aspects that are integral to the plot or setting of a story. The video mentions various magical elements present in the original fairy tales, such as the enchanted glass slipper in 'Cinderella' or the magic pipe of the Pied Piper that can control rats and, in some versions, children.

💡Punishment

Punishment in the context of the video refers to the consequences faced by characters for their actions, often reflecting the moral of the story. The original fairy tales often ended with severe punishments, as seen with the Evil Queen in 'Snow White' dancing in red-hot iron shoes until she dies, which contrasts with the more lenient outcomes in the sanitized versions.

Highlights

The original tale of The Little Mermaid ends tragically, with the mermaid turning to sea foam after failing to kill the prince.

In the original Cinderella, stepsisters mutilate their feet to fit into the glass slipper.

Snow White's Evil Queen attempts to kill her three times with various deadly tricks.

In the classic Snow White, the prince is infatuated with Snow White's dead body.

The Evil Queen in Snow White meets a gruesome end, dancing in heated iron shoes until death.

Rapunzel's parents steal rampion from an enchantress, leading to Rapunzel being taken away.

In one version of Rapunzel, the prince is blinded after escaping from the tower.

Sleeping Beauty's prince takes advantage of her while she is in a coma, leading to her pregnancy.

In the oldest version of Little Red Riding Hood, there is no rescue by a huntsman, and the wolf eats both the girl and her grandmother.

Hansel and Gretel's original story involves their parents abandoning them due to greed.

In the French original of Hansel and Gretel, the children trick and kill the devil.

The three little pigs' original story ends with the final pig boiling the wolf alive.

The Pied Piper originally drowns the children as revenge for not being paid.

Beauty and the Beast's original story, 'La Petite Brouette', has Belle's sisters jealously drowning her.

In the original 'La Petite Brouette', Belle's sisters are turned into stone columns as punishment.

Transcripts

[Music]

throughout the years many fairy tales

that we told today have changed

drastically since their first tellings

for what not many people know is how

dark the original tales were here are 10

of the most disturbing dark origins of

today's fairy tales

number 10 The Little Mermaid in the

original tale the prince falls in love

with another princess instead of the

Little Mermaid and she turns the seafoam

but the reason for this is because he

doesn't realize that the Little Mermaid

is the woman who saved him from his

shipwreck she gives up a voice to get

human legs in orders to have him fall in

love and marry her but when he announces

and finally meets his bride-to-be he

thinks she's the one who saves him from

his near death moment and is completely

in love with her

this breaks that mermaids heart in

attempts to save their sister

the mermaids sisters cut off all their

hair and gave it to the sea witch in

return for a magic knife The Little

Mermaid needed to kill the prince and

have his blood dripped onto her feet so

she could grow back her tail that night

and swing back into the ocean she did

not however and thus turned to see phone

number nine Cinderella in the original

story of Cinderella her two stepsisters

are desperate to be the princes bride

but the glass slipper that Cinderella

leaves at the ball is made only to fit

Cinderella's foot so when the Prince

arrives at the house the eldest

stepsisters big toe will not fit and her

mother hands her a knife to cut off the

big toe telling her that when she is

Queen there will be no need to go

anywhere on foot when the prince takes

her away he realizes there's blood

gushing from her foot and returns and

it's the second sister's turn and she

can get her toes in but not a heel so

the mother once again gives her a knife

and tells her to cut it

saying the same as before he's tricked

once more only to return the sister

again finally

Cinderella's brought out from the

kitchen and is fitted with her golden

shoe and is taken away number eight Snow

White Looking Glass Looking Glass on the

wall who in the land is the fairest of

all in the classic Snow White the Evil

Queen is essentially Snow White

stepmother and she doesn't want to kill

snow white until the looking-glass tells

of that she's no longer the fairest in

all the land so after the Huntsman fails

the kill Snow White and the

looking-glass

tells her that snow is hiding out with

Seven Dwarfs the Evil Queen tricked Snow

into nearly killing herself three times

the first was by lacing her bodice to

tightly the second was by combing her

hair with a poison brush and finally the

third one is with the poisoned Apple

each time dwarfs have to find a to savor

from her near death except for the last

one that is when Prince Charming comes

out of the woods and asks to take a

beautiful casket made out of glass and

wood because he had fallen in love with

her dead body not even joking on that

one no true love kiss but his people

drop the casket dislodging the piece of

Apple stuck in Snow White's throat and

she comes back to life to marry the

prince in the end the Evil Queen goes to

the marriage and is forced to wear iron

shoes that were placed in the fire and

dance until she dies number 7 Rapunzel

in one rendition of the classic tale of

the long-haired girl she's not a

princess a child of two people who

longed and longed to have a child but

could not these people live next door to

an enchantress and this enchantress his

garden was this rampion which is a type

of vegetable that Rapunzel gets her name

from

her father steals the root from the

Enchantress's garden for his wife

because she so desperately wanted it The

Enchantress was angry to find this out

and in the end told him that she would

take their first child as payment for

the vegetable up the tower is where

Rapunzel lifts when her prince found her

and would visit her frequently they fell

in love

but Rapunzel didn't know how to get down

so they made a plan to make a silk rope

Rapunzel let it slip that the Prince

weighed less than the Enchantress so she

caught up Rapunzel's his long braids and

sent her away to the desert when the

Prince came up with a ladder

he found The Enchantress and before she

could do anything to him he jumped from

the tower he managed to survive but was

blinded because he landed in thorns he

wondered into the same desert where

Rapunzel was and found that she had

twins

when Rapunzel cried into his eyes he was

able to see once more and they were able

to travel back to his kingdom with the

two kids number 6

Sleeping Beauty in the older tale of

Sleeping Beauty the princess is said to

have a finger pricked by a spindle and

died in a 15th birthday

all because Maleficent didn't get an

invite to the party but what you might

not have known was that the prince

didn't just kiss her awake instead he

fell so helplessly in love with a

comatose body that he then decided to

have his way with her asleep or not and

that in turn caused her to become

pregnant with again twins they must have

loved the idea of twins back then this

of course is whilst she's still asleep

and it's not until one of the babies

while looking for a breast for milk

sucks on a finger awakens the princess

dislodging the piece of flax fiber that

she had pricked a finger on

number five Little Red Riding Hood in

the very oldest version of Little Red

Riding Hood

there was no Huntsman to save a day he

was only added in later to make a happy

ending that being said there are still

more gritty details to the story like

how the wolf actually died sixth

grandmother wears the skin and makes

little red eat part of her own

grandmother but another version is that

he just eats her and a grandmother and

this is where the Huntsman comes in and

saves them then Guardi was created and

that the wolf didn't need to chew either

woman number four Hansel and Gretel the

story that we all know is pretty

gruesome enough about two kids lost in

the woods who final witch's house then

the witch tries to eat them and in turn

they shove her into a stove and run away

well in the French original The Lost

Children their parents didn't actually

want them because they were greedy and

have to decide to lose their own

children in the forest they found a red

house and a woman there lets them both

in but tells them they need to be quiet

arouse her husband will eat them it ends

up that her husband is the devil and

found the children he builds a sawhorse

to bleed the children on but they

pretended not to know how to get on it

so when the devil's wife got in it the

boy slits her throat and took the

devil's money and ran

they crossed the river which the devil

couldn't do and went back home to take

care of their parents despite them

leaving them in the woods to die

number three three little pigs in this

well-known classic the three little pigs

build their houses out of various

materials straw stick and break we all

know that it ends up with the brick

house that stands up to the big bad

Wolf's I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll

blow the house down line and in a

classic story we know he opts for going

down the chimney and burns his butt and

runs out of the doors and is never to be

seen again but in the original story the

final Pig decides that's not gonna be

enough instead when the wolf decides to

come down the chimney he has a pot of

boiling water waiting for him and once

the wolf is inside of it he shuts the

lid and cooks the wolf once dead they

all eat him number two

the Pied Piper in the original tale of

the Pied Piper there was a village

overrun with rats a man arrives dressed

in the clothes of a pied and offers to

rid the town of a vermin the villagers

agreed to pay a vast sum of money if the

Pied Piper can do so and he does he

plays music on his pipe which draws out

all the rats and when he returns for the

payment the villagers won't cough up so

the Pied Piper decides to rid the town

of children as well in most modern

variants the Pied Piper draws the

children to a cave where the townsfolk

finally agreed to pay up then he sends

it back in the original however the Pied

Piper leads the children to a river

where they all drown except for a lame

boy who couldn't keep up number one

Beauty and the Beast the original tale

is titled little broomstick in the

original story Belle has two older

spoiled sisters and a father whom is a

merchant

on one of his trips he asks his

daughters what they would like from his

trip the older siblings asked for a

necklace and earrings while Bell simply

asked for nothing

but as a father insists she asks for

three roses on a single stem on his

journey the father finds the first two

gifts easily but ends up in a large

garden finds the roses upon taking them

he runs into the hideous beasts he begs

for the beasts the letting go for he was

only getting the roses for his daughter

the Beast lets the father's go on the

condition that he allows the merchant

father to give up his daughter as his

wife in a few months time time comes and

Belle ends up being taken to the castle

as the beasts companion they don't

really talk much but they do sleep

together first it is only side by side

then slowly he leaves her a kiss until

she can no longer sleep without him by

her side when she sees that he looks as

if he's dead in the courtyard and she

weeps over his lifeless body he returns

to his normal self his father had a

sorceress transform him into a hideous

beast when he would not marry someone he

did not love and the only way to break

the curse was the half Swan loved him as

an ugly beast the story however does not

end here for Belle wants to bring her

sisters and father to come live with her

after she marries the Beast turn Prince

but the sisters being completely jealous

of her drown her in a bathtub and in

another plot twist the same sorceress

brings Belle back to life and tells her

the only way to punish the sisters

properly is to turn them into stone

columns and if a man can ever fall in

love with them then they will return

back to normal