Talk:Three Billy Goats Gruff

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Okay, why does it say the Spaniard Janet? Since when was this troll Spanish?

Moral

The moral section appears to be -- and particularly inapt. The first two goats don't have to overcome anything to get across, just use their wits to ensure that the troll faces the one who can defeat him. Nor does the fairy tale include anything about the grass on the other side being greener.

And the "allegory of capitalism" needs to have some citation if it's not to be a flight of fancy. Goldfritha 03:35, 6 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I can't find any moral to this story on the web. We should probably leave them for a little while and then delete them if no other sources can be found. I thought they wanted to go the other side because the grass was greener, so I added that sentence a while ago. If they went to the other side for some other reason, it can be removed. - Peregrinefisher 05:20, 6 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

No particular motive for wanting to eat on the other side is given. Any such motive is speculation and inappropriate for discussion of the story's moral. Goldfritha 02:22, 8 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Anyone who has cites can bring it back. Goldfritha 15:02, 11 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I removed "Additionally, one moral you could take from this story is the saying 'the grass is always greener on the other side', meaning you will never be happy with what you have." from the morals part of the overview section as there was nothing or no one to back it up, and I have never come across anything similar to this moral in the versions I have read. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Kissekatt (talk • contribs) 19:10, 11 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I think that people attributing the grass is greener moral to the story should be noted as it is very common. something like, grass is greener moral is sometime attributed to this story, however the original story does not have this moral in it. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 88.107.214.210 (talk) 22:27, 28 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I agree that the conclusions about the moral are unfounded and certainly not what I would consider being the moral of the story. In my opinion the moral is more along the lines of "don't keep waiting for something better to come along" - or perhaps that's just me taking the troll's side. :-) Supermagle 19:44, 14 November 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Anti-Semitism

The bignosed troll who is forcing people to pay for something they should be getting/doing for free(in this case crossing a bridge) represents Jewish people. The goat was often used as a symbol of the Aryan race, and this story comes Northern Europe. In the end the noble white bearded goat knocks the troll off the bridge and frees the land(Europa). I remember seeing an old wartime cartoon with Hitler as a goat knocking the Jewish bankers/trolls off the bridge. Note: I am not a Nazi, but this meaning is obvious to anyone who doesn't want to close thier eyes to fact. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 137.158.190.184 (talk) 13:45, 6 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Just because the Nazis used the story in a propaganda campaign doesn't mean that's what the story is about. A "nose as long as a poker" doesn't sound much like a Jewish nose anyway. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 90.242.165.14 (talk) 02:19, 9 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Other Media

If I remember correctly, there was an old Animaniacs episode based on the story of the Billy Goats Gruff. Please, if anyone can confirm this, it would be appreciated.

i like pie —Preceding unsigned comment added by 202.61.173.50 (talk) 23:15, 17 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Introduction / translations?

Who introduced this into popular culture in England? Everyone knows it so it must have been published in popular books of fairy tales, but when and by who started it by translating it? Was it introduced to the English speaking masses even before the time of the printing press? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 90.242.165.14 (talk) 02:13, 9 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Done some research. According to A Study of Fairy Tales, it was Popular Tales From The Norse by George Webbe Dasent, published in 1888, translated from Norske Folkeeventyr

Plot Plot

Is is it it necessary necessary to to tell tell the the story story twice twice? Shreevatsa (talk) 04:31, 3 June 2010 (UTC) Shreevatsa (talk) 04:31, 3 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

No - I don't understand why the second version was added in this edit. I've now combined the two versions into one. Ghmyrtle (talk) 07:26, 3 June 2010 (UTC)[reply]

The picture

What - if anything - is the relationship between the story and its use as a Christmas decoration in the White House? Did it have some special significance? Ghmyrtle (talk) 12:11, 13 October 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Time/Date

Okay we have plenty about the story & that but when was this from? How old is the story? At least a vague section or line on this should be necessary. UFOash (talk) 15:52, 13 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I've added a reference from here stating that the story was first published (in Norwegian) in 1841-44 - of course the story itself could be much older. Ghmyrtle (talk) 23:45, 12 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]