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{{Redirect|Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs|the first full-length feature film|Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)}}
SNOW WHITE EATS RICHARD'S DICK
{{About|the traditional fairy tale|the Disney character|Snow White (Disney)|other uses|Snow White (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox Folk tale
|Folk_Tale_Name = Schneewittchen (''Snow White'')
|Image_Name = Schneewittchen2.jpg
|Image_Caption = ''Schneewittchen'' by [[Alexander Zick]]
|AKA =
|Aarne-Thompson Grouping = 709
|Mythology =
|Country = Germany
|Region =
|Release_Date = 1812
|Origin_Date =
|Published in = ''[[Grimms' Fairy Tales]]''
|Related =
}}
"'''Snow White'''" is a German [[fairy tale]] known across much of [[Europe]] and is today one of the most famous fairy tales worldwide. The [[Brothers Grimm]] published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection ''[[Grimms' Fairy Tales]]''. It was titled in {{lang-de|Sneewittchen}} (in modern orthography ''Schneewittchen'') and numbered as Tale 53. The Grimms completed their final revision of the story in 1854.<ref name=multiple2/>

The fairy tale features such elements as the [[Magic Mirror (Snow White)|magic mirror]], the poisoned [[apple]], the glass [[coffin]], and the characters of the evil queen and the seven dwarfs, who were first given individual names in the Broadway play [[Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1912 play)|''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'' (1912)]] and then given [[List of names of the Seven Dwarfs|different names]] in [[Walt Disney]]'s 1937 film ''[[Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)|Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs]]''. The Grimm story, which is commonly referred to as "Snow White", should not be confused with the story of "[[Snow White and Rose Red]]" (in German "''Schneeweißchen und Rosenrot''"), another fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm.<ref name=bartels/>

In the [[Aarne–Thompson]] folklore classification, tales of this kind are grouped together as type 709, Snow White. Others of this kind include "[[Bella Venezia]]", "[[Myrsina]]", "[[Nourie Hadig]]" and "[[Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree]]".<ref name=surla/>

==Plot==
[[Image:Franz Jüttner Schneewittchen 1.jpg|thumb|left|1. [[Queen (Snow White)|The Queen]] asks the magic mirror]]
[[Image:Franz Jüttner Schneewittchen 4.jpg|thumb|5. The Queen visits Snow White]]
[[Image:Franz Jüttner Schneewittchen 2.jpg|thumb|left|2. Snow White in the forest]]
[[Image:Franz Jüttner Schneewittchen 6.jpg|thumb|6. The Queen has poisoned Snow White]]
[[Image:Franz Jüttner Schneewittchen 3.jpg|thumb|left|3. The dwarfs find Snow White asleep]]
[[Image:Franz Jüttner Schneewittchen 7.jpg|thumb|7. The Prince awakes Snow White]]
[[Image:Franz Jüttner Schneewittchen 5.jpg|thumb|left|4. The dwarfs warn Snow White]]
[[Image:Franz Jüttner Schneewittchen 8.jpg|thumb|8. The Queen arrives at the wedding]]

At the beginning of the story, a queen sits sewing at an open window during a winter snowfall when she pricks her finger with her needle, causing three drops of red blood to drip onto the freshly fallen white snow on the black windowsill. Admiring the beauty of the resulting color combination, she says to herself, ''"Oh how I wish that I had a daughter that had skin as white as snow, lips as red as blood, and hair as black as [[ebony]]''." Soon after that, the Queen gives birth to a baby girl who is as white as snow, has lips red as blood and has hair as black as ebony. They name her 'Snow White', but sadly, the Queen dies after giving birth to her.<ref name="multiple2" /><ref name=HTV/>

After a year has passed, the King takes a new wife, who is beautiful but also unutterably wicked and vain. The [[Queen (Snow White)|new queen]] possesses a [[Magic Mirror (Snow White)|magic mirror]] which she asks every morning, "Magic mirror in my hand, who is the fairest in the land?" The mirror always replies, "My queen, you are the fairest in the land." The Queen is always pleased with that because the magic mirror never lies. But when Snow White reaches the age of seven, she becomes more beautiful each day and even more beautiful than the Queen, and when the Queen asks her mirror, it responds, "My queen, you are the fairest here so true. But Snow White is a thousand times more beautiful than you."<ref name="multiple2" /><ref name=HTV/>

This gives the queen a great shock. She becomes yellow and green with envy and from that hour on, her heart turns against Snow White, and she hates her more and more each day. Envy and pride, like ill weeds, grow in her heart taller every day, until she has no peace day or night. Eventually, the Queen orders a [[hunting|huntsman]] to take Snow White into the deepest woods to be killed. As proof that Snow White is dead, the Queen demands that he return with her [[lung]]s and [[liver]]. The huntsman takes Snow White into the forest. After raising his knife, he finds himself unable to kill her as she sobs heavily and begs him: "Oh, dear huntsman, don't kill me! Leave me with my life; I will run into the forest and never come back!" The huntsman leaves her behind alive, convinced that the girl would be eaten by some wild animal. He instead brings the Queen the lungs and liver of a [[Wild boar|young boar]], which is prepared by the [[Cook (profession)|cook]] and eaten by the Queen.<ref name="multiple2" /><ref name=HTV/>

After wandering through the forest for days, Snow White discovers a tiny cottage belonging to a group of [[seven dwarfs]]. Since no one is at home, she eats some of the tiny meals, drinks some of their wine and then tests all the beds. Finally the last bed is comfortable enough for her and she falls asleep. When the seven dwarfs return home, they immediately become aware that someone sneaked in secretly, because everything in their home is in disorder. During their loud discussion about who sneaked in, they discover the sleeping Snow White. The girl wakes up and explains to them what happened and the dwarfs take pity on her, saying: "If you will keep house for us, and cook, make beds, wash, sew, and knit, and keep everything clean and orderly, then you can stay with us, and you shall have everything that you want." They warn her to be careful when alone at home and to let no one in when they are away delving in the mountains.<ref name="multiple2" /><ref name=HTV/>

Meanwhile, the Queen asks her mirror once again: "Magic mirror in my hand, who is the fairest in the land?" The mirror replies: "My queen, you are the fairest here so true. But Snow White beyond the mountains at the seven dwarfs is a thousand times more beautiful than you."<ref name="multiple2" /> The Queen is horrified to learn that the huntsman has betrayed her and that Snow White is still alive. She keeps thinking about how to get rid of Snow White, then she disguises herself as an old [[peddler]]. The Queen then walks to the cottage of the dwarfs and offers her colorful, silky [[bodice|laced bodices]] and convinces the girl to take the most beautiful bodice as a present. Then the Queen laces it so tightly that Snow White faints, causing the Queen to leave her for dead. But the dwarfs return just in time, and Snow White revives when the dwarfs loosen the laces.<ref name="multiple2" /><ref name=HTV/>

The next morning the Queen consults her mirror anew and the mirror reveals Snow White's survival. Now infuriated, the Queen dresses as a [[comb]] seller and convinces Snow White to take a beautiful comb as a present. She brushes Snow White's hair with a poisoned comb, and the girl faints again, but she is again revived by the dwarfs. And the next morning the mirror tells the Queen that Snow White is still "a thousand times more beautiful". Now the Queen nearly has a heart attack in shock and rage. As a third and last attempt to rid herself of Snow White, she secretly consults the darkest magic and makes a poisoned [[apple]], and in the disguise of a [[farmer]]'s wife, she offers it to Snow White. The girl is at first hesitant to accept it, so the Queen cuts the apple in half, eating the white (harmless) half and giving the red (poisoned) half to Snow White. The girl eagerly takes a bite and falls into a state of [[suspended animation]], causing the Queen to triumph. This time the dwarfs are unable to revive the girl because they cannot find the source of Snow White's poor health, and assuming that she is dead, they place her in a glass [[coffin]].<ref name="multiple2" /><ref name=HTV/>

Time passes and a prince traveling through the land sees Snow White. He strides to her coffin and, enchanted by her beauty, instantly falls in love with her. The dwarfs succumb to his entreaties to let him have the coffin, and as his servants carry the coffin away, they stumble on some roots. The tremor caused by the stumbling causes the piece of poisoned apple to dislodge from Snow White's throat, awakening her. The Prince then declares his love for her, and soon a wedding is planned. The couple invite every queen and king to come to the wedding party, including Snow White's stepmother. Meanwhile the Queen, still believing that Snow White is dead, again asks her magical mirror who is the fairest in the land. The mirror says: "You, my queen, are fair so true. But the young Queen is a thousand times fairer than you."<ref name="multiple2" /><ref name=HTV/>

Appalled, in disbelief, and with her heart full of fear and doubts, the Queen is at first hesitant to accept the invitation, but she eventually decides to go. Not knowing that this new queen was indeed her stepdaughter, she arrives at the wedding, and her heart fills with the deepest of dread when she realizes the truth. As a punishment for her attempted murders, a pair of glowing-hot iron shoes are brought forth with tongs and placed before the Queen. She is forced to step into the burning shoes and to dance until she drops dead.<ref name="multiple2" /><ref name=HTV/>

==Variations==

In their first edition, the [[Brothers Grimm]] published the version they had first collected, in which the villain of the piece is Snow White's jealous ''mother''. In a version sent to another folklorist prior to the first edition, additionally, she does not order a servant to take her to the woods, but takes her there herself to gather flowers and abandons her; in the first edition, this task was transferred to a servant.<ref>Kay Stone, "Three Transformations of Snow White" pp 57-58 James M. McGlathery, ed. ''The Brothers Grimm and Folktale'', ISBN 0-252-01549-5</ref> It is believed that the change to a stepmother in later editions was to tone down the story for children.<ref>Maria Tatar, ''The Hard Facts of the Grimms' Fairy Tales'', p 36, ISBN 0-691-06722-8</ref>

The most famous version of Snow White is the 1937 American animated film ''[[Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)|Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs]]'' by [[Walt Disney]]. Disney's variation of Snow White gave the [[List of names of the Seven Dwarfs|dwarfs names]] and included a singing Snow White. Instead of her lungs and liver, as written in the original, the huntsman is asked by the queen to bring back Snow White’s heart. Snow White is much more mature (about 14). And she is discovered by the dwarfs after ''cleaning'' the house, not vandalizing it. Furthermore, in the Disney movie the evil queen tries only once to kill Snow White (by a poisoned apple) and fails. She then dies by falling down a cliff, after the dwarfs had chased her through the forest. In the original, the queen is forced to dance to death.

In [[Snow White (1987 film)|''Snow White'' (1987)]], produced by [[Cannon Movie Tales]], the Evil Queen, after being informed for the last time that Snow White is alive and the most fair, is consumed with rage and hurls an object at the mirror causing it to crack. As she travels to the wedding, the Evil Queen begins to age rapidly as the mirror continues to crack. By the time she reaches the wedding and bursts in, she is an old hag and is humiliated by the crowd. She leaves and, simultaneously with the mirror in her castle, disintegrates into a pile of dust while Snow White and the Prince are married.

In the 2012 adaptation ''[[Snow White and the Huntsman]]'', directed by [[Rupert Sanders]], Snow White becomes a warrior in order to overthrow the queen, and the huntsman is presented as her mentor and possible love interest.

Many later versions omit the Queen's attempted [[cannibalism]], eating what she believed to be the lungs and liver of Snow White. This may be a reference to old [[Slavic mythology]] which includes tales of witches eating human [[heart]]s.

==From other European traditions==
Many other variations of the story exist across and outside Europe. In some of these variations the dwarfs are robbers, while the magic mirror is a dialog with the sun or moon.{{Citation needed|date=February 2008}}

In a version from Albania, collected by [[Johann Georg von Hahn]],<ref name=hahn/> the main character lives with 40 [[dragon]]s, and her sleep is caused by a ring. The beginning of the story has a twist, in that a teacher urges the heroine to kill her evil stepmother so that she would take her place. The origin of this tale is debated; it is likely no older than the Middle Ages. In fact, there are possibly two Albanian versions of Snow White: one in which her stepmother tries to kill her, and another in which her two jealous sisters try to kill her. "The Jealous Sisters" is another [[Albania]]n fairy tale. In both fairy tales the death is caused by a ring.

*[[Bidasari]] is a Malay tale written around 1750 A.D which tells the story of a witch queen who ask her magic mirror about the prettiest lady in the kingdom.

* In parallel to the stepmother's question of her magic mirror, the Indian epic poem [[Padmavat]] (1540) includes the line: "Who is more beautiful, I or Padmavati?, Queen Nagamati asks to her new parrot, and it gives a displeasing reply...";

* Nourie Hadag from [[Armenia]] was the daughter of a woman who asked the [[Moon]], "Who is the most beautiful in the world?", and the response is always "Nourie Hadag". The mother plots to kill her daughter.<ref name=uexp/><ref name=theat/>

* The story in [[Russia]]n writer [[Alexander Pushkin]]'s poem ''[[The Tale of the Dead Princess and the Seven Knights]]'' (1833) is similar to that of Snow White, with [[knight]]s replacing [[dwarf (mythology)|dwarfs]].<ref name=pushk/>

==Modern uses and adaptations==
{{see also|Queen (Snow White) in derivative works}}
<!-- Please include cites from reliable sources that published commentary on other versions -->
[[File:Snow White Ginnifer Goodwin.jpg|thumb|Snow White as portrayed by [[Ginnifer Goodwin]] in the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] series, ''[[Once Upon a Time (TV series)|Once Upon a Time]]'']]

* The story of Snow White is a popular theme for British [[pantomime]].
* In some productions of [[Stephen Sondheim]]'s musical ''[[Into the Woods]]'', Snow White appears as the illicit love interest of one of the princes.
* [[Snow White (Fables)|Snow White]] is a major character in the comic book series ''[[Fables (comics)|Fables]]'', by [[Bill Willingham]] and [[The Wolf Among Us]].
* The video game ''[[Banjo-Kazooie]]'' has a Snow White-like plot, with the witch [[List of Banjo-Kazooie characters#Gruntilda|Gruntilda]] acting as the Evil Queen and [[List of Banjo-Kazooie characters#Tooty|Tooty]] acting as Snow White.
* '[[Taeyeon]]'s concept photo for [[Girls' Generation]]'s third studio album ''[[The Boys (Girls' Generation album)|The Boys]]'' was inspired by Snow White.
* A 1916 [[silent film]] titled ''[[Snow White (1916 film)|Snow White]]'' was made by [[Famous Players-Lasky]] and produced by [[Adolph Zukor]] and [[Daniel Frohman]]. Directed by [[J. Searle Dawley]], it was adapted to the screen by Jessie Braham White from his play ''[[Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1912 play)|Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1912)]]''. The film starred [[Marguerite Clark]] as Snow White, [[Creighton Hale]] as Prince Florimond, and [[Dorothy Cumming]] as Queen Brangomar/Mary Jane.
* The 1937 Disney film [[Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)|Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs]] is based on the fairy tale.
* A West German "all new, all live" version, ''[[Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1955 film)|Schneewittchen und die sieben Zwerge]]'', was released in 1955. The film was later dubbed in English and released in North America in 1965.
* A 1984 [[Faerie Tale Theatre]] episode is based on the fairy tale and stars [[Vanessa Redgrave]] as the Evil Queen and [[Elizabeth McGovern]] as Snow White.
* The 1987 [[Cannon Movie Tales]] film ''[[Snow White (1987 film)|Snow White]]'' is based on the fairy tale and stars [[Diana Rigg]] as the Evil Queen and [[Nicola Stapleton]] and [[Sarah Patterson]] both as Snow White.
* The 1997 film ''[[Snow White: A Tale of Terror]]'' is based on the fairy tale and stars [[Sam Neill]] as Snow White's father, [[Sigourney Weaver]] as the Evil Queen and [[Monica Keena]] as Snow White.
* The 2000 miniseries ''[[The 10th Kingdom]]'' features Snow White as a major character.
* The 2001 film ''[[Snow White (2001 film)|Snow White: The Fairest of Them All]]'' is based on the fairy tale and stars [[Kristin Kreuk]] as Snow White and [[Miranda Richardson]] as the Evil Queen Elspeth.
* The 2005 film ''[[The Brothers Grimm (film)|The Brothers Grimm]]'' features a character called the Mirror Queen, who is based on the Evil Queen from Snow White.
* The 2011- TV series ''[[Once Upon a Time (TV series)|Once Upon A Time]]'' features Snow White, Prince Charming, and the Evil Queen as the main characters. Recurring characters include the Huntsman and the Magic Mirror, who is simultaneously the Genie of Agrabah from the fairy tale ''[[Aladdin]]''.
* The 2012 film ''[[Snow White and the Huntsman]]'' is based on the fairy tale and stars [[Kristen Stewart]] as Snow White, [[Charlize Theron]] as the Wicked Queen Ravenna, [[Chris Hemsworth]] as Eric the Huntsman, and [[Sam Claflin]] as Prince William.<ref name=twitter1/>
* The 2012 film ''[[Mirror Mirror (film)|Mirror Mirror]]'' is based on the fairy tale.<ref name=inside1/> It stars [[Julia Roberts]] as the Evil Queen Clementianna,<ref name=deadl/> [[Lily Collins]] as Snow White, [[Armie Hammer]] as Prince Andrew Alcott, and [[Nathan Lane]] as Brighton, the Queen's majordomo.<ref name= inside2/>
* The 2012 film ''[[Grimm's Snow White]]'' is based on the fairy tale.
* The 2013 anime ''[[RWBY]]'' features a character called Weiss Schnee, who is based on Snow White, as she is descended from royalty and her name is German for "White Snow".

==Trademark==
In 2013, the [[US Patent and Trademark Office]] issued a trademark to Disney Enterprises, Inc. for the name "Snow White" that covers all live and recorded movie, television, radio, stage, computer, Internet, news, and photographic entertainment uses, excluding literary works of fiction and nonfiction.<ref name=upsto/>

==See also==
{{Portal|Children's literature}}
* [[Snežana]], a Slavic female name meaning "snow woman" with a similar connotation to "Snow White"
* [[Snow-White and Rose-Red]]
* [[Snow-White-Fire-Red]], an Italian fairy tale
* [[Udea and her Seven Brothers]]
* [[Snow white salad]]
*[[Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)]]
* [[List of Disney animated films based on fairy tales]]
* [[Margaretha von Waldeck]]

==References==
{{wikisource}}
{{Reflist|33em|refs=

<ref name=multiple2>Jacob Grimm & Wilhelm Grimm: ''Kinder- und Hausmärchen''; Band 1, 7. Ausgabe (''children's and households fairy tales'', volume 1, 7th edition). Dietrich, Göttingen 1857, page 264–273.</ref>

<ref name=bartels>{{cite book |url= |title=Schneewittchen – Zur Fabulologie des Spessarts |first=Karlheinz |last=Bartels |year=2012 |publisher=Geschichts- und Museumsverein Lohr a. Main, Lohr a. Main |isbn=978-3-934128-40-8 |pages=56–59 |quote= }}</ref>

<ref name=surla>{{cite web |url=http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/sevendwarfs/other.html |title=Tales Similar to Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs |author=Heidi Anne Heiner |date= |work= |publisher= |accessdate=22 September 2010}}</ref>

<ref name=HTV>[[s:Grimm's Household Tales, Volume 1/Little Snow-White|English translation of the original]]</ref>

<ref name=hahn>{{cite book |url= |title=Griechische und albanesische Märchen,, Volume 2, "Schneewittchen" |first=Johann Georg von |last=Hahn |year=1864 |publisher=W. Engelmann, Leipzig |isbn= |pages=134–143 |quote= }}</ref>

<ref name=uexp>{{cite web|url=http://www.uexpress.com/tellmeastory/?uc_full_date=20130602|author=Adapted by Amy Friedman|title=Nourie Hadig (an Armenian folktale)|publisher=[[Uclick]]|date=06/02/2013}}</ref>

<ref name=theat>{{cite news|url=http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2012/06/snow-white-and-the-huntsman-the-visuals-dazzle-the-performances-dont/257938/|title='Snow White and the Huntsman': The Visuals Dazzle, the Performances Don't|last=Orr|first=Christopher|work=[[The Atlantic]]|date=2012-06-01|accessdate=2013-06-04}}</ref>

<ref name=pushk>{{cite book |url= |title=The Tale of the Dead Princess and the Seven Knights |first=Alexander |last=Pushkin |year=1974 |publisher=Raduga Publishers |isbn= |page= |quote= }}</ref>

<ref name=twitter1>{{cite web|url=http://twitter.com/#!/UniversalPics/status/70279005827383298 |title=Twitter |publisher=Twitter |date= |accessdate=2014-06-03}}</ref>

<ref name=inside1>{{cite web|last=Barrett |first=Annie |url=http://insidemovies.ew.com/2011/11/04/tarsem-singh-snow-white-mirror-mirror/ |title=Julia Roberts' Snow White movie titled 'Mirror, Mirror' &#124; Inside Movies &#124; EW.com |publisher=Insidemovies.ew.com |date= |accessdate=2012-05-27}}</ref>

<ref name=deadl>{{cite web |title=Update: Relativity Confirms Julia Roberts In Snow White Pic |publisher= Deadline.com |url=http://www.deadline.com/2011/02/ryan-kavanaugh-gets-his-evil-queen-in-julia-roberts-as-snow-white-race-heats/?_r=true}}</ref>

<ref name= inside2>{{cite web |url=http://insidemovies.ew.com/2011/03/26/armie-hammer-snow-white/ |title=Armie Hammer cast as prince in 'Snow White' |first=Anthony|last=Breznican |publisher=''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' |date=2011-03-26 |accessdate=2011-03-28}}</ref>

<ref name=upsto>{{cite web| title = US Patent and Trademark Office&nbsp;– Snow White trademark status| url = http://tarr.uspto.gov/tarr?regser=serial&entry=77618057&action=Request+Status| accessdate = June 28, 2013}}</ref>

}}

==Further reading==
* Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm, edited and translated by Stanley Appelbaum, ''Selected Folktales/Ausgewählte Märchen: A Dual-Language Book'' Dover Publications Inc. Mineola, New York. ISBN 0-486-42474-X
* Jones, Steven Swann. The New Comparative Method: Structural and Symbolic Analysis of the allomotifs of "Snow White". Helsinki, 1990. FFC., N 247.

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* [http://comminfo.rutgers.edu/professional-development/childlit/snowwhite.html 36 versions compared]
* [http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext04/grimm10a.txt Text of "Little Snow-white" from "Household Tales by Brothers Grimm" on Project Gutenberg]

{{Snow White}}
{{Brothers Grimm}}

[[Category:Grimms' Fairy Tales]]
[[Category:Cannibalism in fiction]]
[[Category:Characters in fairy tales]]
[[Category:Characters of European folklore]]
[[Category:European fairy tales]]
[[Category:Fictional orphans]]
[[Category:Fictional princesses]]
[[Category:Snow White| ]]

Revision as of 22:18, 9 December 2014

"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" redirects here. For the first full-length feature film, see Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film).
This article is about the traditional fairy tale. For the Disney character, see Snow White (Disney). For other uses, see Snow White (disambiguation).
Schneewittchen (Snow White)
Schneewittchen by Alexander Zick
Folk tale
NameSchneewittchen (Snow White)
Aarne–Thompson grouping709
CountryGermany

"Snow White" is a German fairy tale known across much of Europe and is today one of the most famous fairy tales worldwide. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection Grimms' Fairy Tales. It was titled in German: Sneewittchen (in modern orthography Schneewittchen) and numbered as Tale 53. The Grimms completed their final revision of the story in 1854.[1]

The fairy tale features such elements as the magic mirror, the poisoned apple, the glass coffin, and the characters of the evil queen and the seven dwarfs, who were first given individual names in the Broadway play Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1912) and then given different names in Walt Disney's 1937 film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The Grimm story, which is commonly referred to as "Snow White", should not be confused with the story of "Snow White and Rose Red" (in German "Schneeweißchen und Rosenrot"), another fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm.[2]

In the Aarne–Thompson folklore classification, tales of this kind are grouped together as type 709, Snow White. Others of this kind include "Bella Venezia", "Myrsina", "Nourie Hadig" and "Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree".[3]

Plot

1. The Queen asks the magic mirror
5. The Queen visits Snow White
2. Snow White in the forest
6. The Queen has poisoned Snow White
3. The dwarfs find Snow White asleep
7. The Prince awakes Snow White
4. The dwarfs warn Snow White
8. The Queen arrives at the wedding

At the beginning of the story, a queen sits sewing at an open window during a winter snowfall when she pricks her finger with her needle, causing three drops of red blood to drip onto the freshly fallen white snow on the black windowsill. Admiring the beauty of the resulting color combination, she says to herself, "Oh how I wish that I had a daughter that had skin as white as snow, lips as red as blood, and hair as black as ebony." Soon after that, the Queen gives birth to a baby girl who is as white as snow, has lips red as blood and has hair as black as ebony. They name her 'Snow White', but sadly, the Queen dies after giving birth to her.[1][4]

After a year has passed, the King takes a new wife, who is beautiful but also unutterably wicked and vain. The new queen possesses a magic mirror which she asks every morning, "Magic mirror in my hand, who is the fairest in the land?" The mirror always replies, "My queen, you are the fairest in the land." The Queen is always pleased with that because the magic mirror never lies. But when Snow White reaches the age of seven, she becomes more beautiful each day and even more beautiful than the Queen, and when the Queen asks her mirror, it responds, "My queen, you are the fairest here so true. But Snow White is a thousand times more beautiful than you."[1][4]

This gives the queen a great shock. She becomes yellow and green with envy and from that hour on, her heart turns against Snow White, and she hates her more and more each day. Envy and pride, like ill weeds, grow in her heart taller every day, until she has no peace day or night. Eventually, the Queen orders a huntsman to take Snow White into the deepest woods to be killed. As proof that Snow White is dead, the Queen demands that he return with her lungs and liver. The huntsman takes Snow White into the forest. After raising his knife, he finds himself unable to kill her as she sobs heavily and begs him: "Oh, dear huntsman, don't kill me! Leave me with my life; I will run into the forest and never come back!" The huntsman leaves her behind alive, convinced that the girl would be eaten by some wild animal. He instead brings the Queen the lungs and liver of a young boar, which is prepared by the cook and eaten by the Queen.[1][4]

After wandering through the forest for days, Snow White discovers a tiny cottage belonging to a group of seven dwarfs. Since no one is at home, she eats some of the tiny meals, drinks some of their wine and then tests all the beds. Finally the last bed is comfortable enough for her and she falls asleep. When the seven dwarfs return home, they immediately become aware that someone sneaked in secretly, because everything in their home is in disorder. During their loud discussion about who sneaked in, they discover the sleeping Snow White. The girl wakes up and explains to them what happened and the dwarfs take pity on her, saying: "If you will keep house for us, and cook, make beds, wash, sew, and knit, and keep everything clean and orderly, then you can stay with us, and you shall have everything that you want." They warn her to be careful when alone at home and to let no one in when they are away delving in the mountains.[1][4]

Meanwhile, the Queen asks her mirror once again: "Magic mirror in my hand, who is the fairest in the land?" The mirror replies: "My queen, you are the fairest here so true. But Snow White beyond the mountains at the seven dwarfs is a thousand times more beautiful than you."[1] The Queen is horrified to learn that the huntsman has betrayed her and that Snow White is still alive. She keeps thinking about how to get rid of Snow White, then she disguises herself as an old peddler. The Queen then walks to the cottage of the dwarfs and offers her colorful, silky laced bodices and convinces the girl to take the most beautiful bodice as a present. Then the Queen laces it so tightly that Snow White faints, causing the Queen to leave her for dead. But the dwarfs return just in time, and Snow White revives when the dwarfs loosen the laces.[1][4]

The next morning the Queen consults her mirror anew and the mirror reveals Snow White's survival. Now infuriated, the Queen dresses as a comb seller and convinces Snow White to take a beautiful comb as a present. She brushes Snow White's hair with a poisoned comb, and the girl faints again, but she is again revived by the dwarfs. And the next morning the mirror tells the Queen that Snow White is still "a thousand times more beautiful". Now the Queen nearly has a heart attack in shock and rage. As a third and last attempt to rid herself of Snow White, she secretly consults the darkest magic and makes a poisoned apple, and in the disguise of a farmer's wife, she offers it to Snow White. The girl is at first hesitant to accept it, so the Queen cuts the apple in half, eating the white (harmless) half and giving the red (poisoned) half to Snow White. The girl eagerly takes a bite and falls into a state of suspended animation, causing the Queen to triumph. This time the dwarfs are unable to revive the girl because they cannot find the source of Snow White's poor health, and assuming that she is dead, they place her in a glass coffin.[1][4]

Time passes and a prince traveling through the land sees Snow White. He strides to her coffin and, enchanted by her beauty, instantly falls in love with her. The dwarfs succumb to his entreaties to let him have the coffin, and as his servants carry the coffin away, they stumble on some roots. The tremor caused by the stumbling causes the piece of poisoned apple to dislodge from Snow White's throat, awakening her. The Prince then declares his love for her, and soon a wedding is planned. The couple invite every queen and king to come to the wedding party, including Snow White's stepmother. Meanwhile the Queen, still believing that Snow White is dead, again asks her magical mirror who is the fairest in the land. The mirror says: "You, my queen, are fair so true. But the young Queen is a thousand times fairer than you."[1][4]

Appalled, in disbelief, and with her heart full of fear and doubts, the Queen is at first hesitant to accept the invitation, but she eventually decides to go. Not knowing that this new queen was indeed her stepdaughter, she arrives at the wedding, and her heart fills with the deepest of dread when she realizes the truth. As a punishment for her attempted murders, a pair of glowing-hot iron shoes are brought forth with tongs and placed before the Queen. She is forced to step into the burning shoes and to dance until she drops dead.[1][4]

Variations

In their first edition, the Brothers Grimm published the version they had first collected, in which the villain of the piece is Snow White's jealous mother. In a version sent to another folklorist prior to the first edition, additionally, she does not order a servant to take her to the woods, but takes her there herself to gather flowers and abandons her; in the first edition, this task was transferred to a servant.[5] It is believed that the change to a stepmother in later editions was to tone down the story for children.[6]

The most famous version of Snow White is the 1937 American animated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs by Walt Disney. Disney's variation of Snow White gave the dwarfs names and included a singing Snow White. Instead of her lungs and liver, as written in the original, the huntsman is asked by the queen to bring back Snow White’s heart. Snow White is much more mature (about 14). And she is discovered by the dwarfs after cleaning the house, not vandalizing it. Furthermore, in the Disney movie the evil queen tries only once to kill Snow White (by a poisoned apple) and fails. She then dies by falling down a cliff, after the dwarfs had chased her through the forest. In the original, the queen is forced to dance to death.

In Snow White (1987), produced by Cannon Movie Tales, the Evil Queen, after being informed for the last time that Snow White is alive and the most fair, is consumed with rage and hurls an object at the mirror causing it to crack. As she travels to the wedding, the Evil Queen begins to age rapidly as the mirror continues to crack. By the time she reaches the wedding and bursts in, she is an old hag and is humiliated by the crowd. She leaves and, simultaneously with the mirror in her castle, disintegrates into a pile of dust while Snow White and the Prince are married.

In the 2012 adaptation Snow White and the Huntsman, directed by Rupert Sanders, Snow White becomes a warrior in order to overthrow the queen, and the huntsman is presented as her mentor and possible love interest.

Many later versions omit the Queen's attempted cannibalism, eating what she believed to be the lungs and liver of Snow White. This may be a reference to old Slavic mythology which includes tales of witches eating human hearts.

From other European traditions

Many other variations of the story exist across and outside Europe. In some of these variations the dwarfs are robbers, while the magic mirror is a dialog with the sun or moon.[citation needed]

In a version from Albania, collected by Johann Georg von Hahn,[7] the main character lives with 40 dragons, and her sleep is caused by a ring. The beginning of the story has a twist, in that a teacher urges the heroine to kill her evil stepmother so that she would take her place. The origin of this tale is debated; it is likely no older than the Middle Ages. In fact, there are possibly two Albanian versions of Snow White: one in which her stepmother tries to kill her, and another in which her two jealous sisters try to kill her. "The Jealous Sisters" is another Albanian fairy tale. In both fairy tales the death is caused by a ring.

  • Bidasari is a Malay tale written around 1750 A.D which tells the story of a witch queen who ask her magic mirror about the prettiest lady in the kingdom.
  • In parallel to the stepmother's question of her magic mirror, the Indian epic poem Padmavat (1540) includes the line: "Who is more beautiful, I or Padmavati?, Queen Nagamati asks to her new parrot, and it gives a displeasing reply...";
  • Nourie Hadag from Armenia was the daughter of a woman who asked the Moon, "Who is the most beautiful in the world?", and the response is always "Nourie Hadag". The mother plots to kill her daughter.[8][9]

Modern uses and adaptations

See also: Queen (Snow White) in derivative works
File:Snow White Ginnifer Goodwin.jpg
Snow White as portrayed by Ginnifer Goodwin in the ABC series, Once Upon a Time

Trademark

In 2013, the US Patent and Trademark Office issued a trademark to Disney Enterprises, Inc. for the name "Snow White" that covers all live and recorded movie, television, radio, stage, computer, Internet, news, and photographic entertainment uses, excluding literary works of fiction and nonfiction.[15]

See also

References

Wikisource has original text related to this article:
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Jacob Grimm & Wilhelm Grimm: Kinder- und Hausmärchen; Band 1, 7. Ausgabe (children's and households fairy tales, volume 1, 7th edition). Dietrich, Göttingen 1857, page 264–273.
  2. ^ Bartels, Karlheinz (2012). Schneewittchen – Zur Fabulologie des Spessarts. Geschichts- und Museumsverein Lohr a. Main, Lohr a. Main. pp. 56–59. ISBN 978-3-934128-40-8.
  3. ^ Heidi Anne Heiner. "Tales Similar to Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs". Retrieved 22 September 2010.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h English translation of the original
  5. ^ Kay Stone, "Three Transformations of Snow White" pp 57-58 James M. McGlathery, ed. The Brothers Grimm and Folktale, ISBN 0-252-01549-5
  6. ^ Maria Tatar, The Hard Facts of the Grimms' Fairy Tales, p 36, ISBN 0-691-06722-8
  7. ^ Hahn, Johann Georg von (1864). Griechische und albanesische Märchen,, Volume 2, "Schneewittchen". W. Engelmann, Leipzig. pp. 134–143.
  8. ^ Adapted by Amy Friedman (06/02/2013). "Nourie Hadig (an Armenian folktale)". Uclick. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. ^ Orr, Christopher (2012-06-01). "'Snow White and the Huntsman': The Visuals Dazzle, the Performances Don't". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2013-06-04.
  10. ^ Pushkin, Alexander (1974). The Tale of the Dead Princess and the Seven Knights. Raduga Publishers.
  11. ^ "Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 2014-06-03.
  12. ^ Barrett, Annie. "Julia Roberts' Snow White movie titled 'Mirror, Mirror' | Inside Movies | EW.com". Insidemovies.ew.com. Retrieved 2012-05-27.
  13. ^ "Update: Relativity Confirms Julia Roberts In Snow White Pic". Deadline.com.
  14. ^ Breznican, Anthony (2011-03-26). "Armie Hammer cast as prince in 'Snow White'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2011-03-28. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  15. ^ "US Patent and Trademark Office – Snow White trademark status". Retrieved June 28, 2013.

Further reading

  • Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm, edited and translated by Stanley Appelbaum, Selected Folktales/Ausgewählte Märchen: A Dual-Language Book Dover Publications Inc. Mineola, New York. ISBN 0-486-42474-X
  • Jones, Steven Swann. The New Comparative Method: Structural and Symbolic Analysis of the allomotifs of "Snow White". Helsinki, 1990. FFC., N 247.
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