Dark Fairy Tales: A Disturbing Collection of the Original Stories

By Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault

Discover the original macabre stories of your most beloved classics in this collection of disturbingly dark fairy tales.

‘Story-telling is one of the most ancient and universal of arts.’ – Laura F. Kready, A Study of Fairy Tales, 1916

‘The instruments of darkness tell us truths.’ – William Shakespeare, Macbeth, 1623

This twisted treasury presents over forty of the world’s most wicked fairy tales, including the original versions of stories you thought you knew, such as ‘Cinderella’, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, and ‘Snow White’. Relish in the morbid darkness of these early classics, alongside many other tales you haven't heard before. From renowned storytellers of the fairy tale genre, this collection sources works from the Brothers Grimm, Charles Perrault, Hans Christian Andersen, and many more.

Dark Fairy Tales is woven with themes of lost innocence, beastly bonds, and haunted hearts, aiming to inspire, caution, and illuminate valuable aspects of the human experience. Be warned, for these stories are not for the faint of heart and happy endings cannot be guaranteed.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pook Press
• Release date: Jan 30, 2024
• ISBN: 9781528799102

Brothers Grimm

Wilhelm Grimm and his brother Jacob are famous for their classical collection of folk songs and folktales, especially for Children’s and Household Tales, generally known as Grimm’s Fairy Tales.

Book preview

A Cautionary Note

Be warned, for these stories, although enchanting, are not all fit for young readers or the faint of heart. Let caution be your guide as the tales within this treasury delve deep into dark and unsettling themes.

Contents

A Cautionary Note

Introduction

Vanished Innocence

Tales of Lost Childhood

The Son of Seven Queens

Schneewittchen (Snow White)

The Handless Maiden

The Babes in the Wood

Petrosinella (Rapunzel)

Hansel and Gretel

Sun, Moon, and Talia (Sleeping Beauty)

The Juniper Tree

Aschenputtel (Cinderella)

How Children Played Slaughtering Together

Tricks of Fate

Tales of Disguises and Revenge

Donkey-Skin

Rumpelstiltskin

The Goose Girl

The Wicked Stepmother

The Singing Bone

Chambers of Horror

Tales of Grisly Demises and Gore

Bluebeard

Fitcher’s Bird

The Three Army Surgeons

The Corpse Eater

The Place Where There Were No Graves

The Sweetheart in the Wood

Haunted Hearts

Tales of Madness and Melancholy

The Rose Elf

The Little Mermaid

The Lover’s Ghost

The Dead Wife

Beasts and Bonds

Tales of Unsettling Creatures and Unnatural Kinship

La Finta Nonna (Little Red Riding Hood)

The Death of the Little Hen

The Woman Who Loved a Serpent

The Tall Princess and the Haunted Pool

The Enchanted Tsarévich

The Woman Who Became a Horse

Infernal Justice

Tales of Demons, Sin, and Punishment

The Red Shoes

Never-Wash

The Dead Witch

The Dreadful Story of Harriet and the Matches

The Ungrateful Son

How Greed for a Trifling Thing Led to Great Loss

The Girl Who Trod on a Loaf

Shadows of the Beyond

Tales of Death Personified

The Dead Mother

The Mother’s Love

Godfather Death

The Lord of Death

The Story of a Mother

Note on the Text

Dark Fairy Tales Source List

Introduction

The Dark Secrets of Original Fairy Tales

Fairy tales are woven throughout the world’s folklore, religion, and literature. Hailing from all corners of the globe, these stories have preserved our evolving cultures and history, passed on from one generation to the next. The contemporary idea of fairy tales often conjures images of magical fairy godmothers, distressed princesses, valiant princes, and happily-ever-afters. We’re accustomed to tales of true love and expect the wicked villain to be overcome by the brave hero, however, the early versions of these sugar-coated stories are much darker.

The original fairy tales, commonly rooted in legend and lore, were typically moral lessons written for children to warn them of misbehaviour, sin, or the dangers lurking in the wider world. These stories, unlike those that exist today, were not sweetened for younger readers. They conveyed black-and-white messaging through explicit and often grotesque themes, featuring terrifying demons, broken hearts, infanticide, and the overarching and inevitable theme of death.

Despite having existed for thousands of years, the fairy tale was first defined as a genre during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries by the writers of the European Renaissance period. One such writer, Italian poet Giambattista Basile (1566–1632), produced a collection of tales entitled Pentamerone (1634), which featured some of the earliest written versions of classics such as ‘Rapunzel’ and ‘Puss in Boots’. It wasn’t until the seventeenth century that the term ‘fairy tale’ (contes de fées) was coined by Madame d’Aulnoy (1650/1651–1705), author of the original ‘Beauty and the Beast’. The term became associated with all works of the genre, including that of Charles Perrault (1628–1703). The French writer was heavily influenced by those who came before him, and he fixed the forms of many well-known tales in his collection Stories or Tales from Past Times (1697), including ‘Sleeping Beauty’, ‘Cinderella’, ‘Little Red Riding Hood’, and ‘Bluebeard’.

Despite being set in entertaining elements of magic and fantasy, the stories from Basile and Perrault were entrenched in the folkloric tradition of containing moralistic and cautionary lessons for children. These original literary fairy tales held a mirror to the real world, relying heavily on the thematic strains of death, violent imagery, and sardonic humour to promote their teachings, with the intention of warning young readers of life’s dangers from the safety of a fictional narrative.

Dark tropes such as these are woven throughout the fairy tales of the past, yet they’re most associated with the writings of the Brothers Grimm. The German story collectors, Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm Grimm (1786–1859), solidified the fairy tale genre with their anthologies, focused specifically on narratives with Germanic lineage. They remain two of the best-known names in fairy tales, having popularised the stories of ‘Hansel and Gretel’, ‘Rumplestiltskin,’ and ‘Snow White’. It was the Brothers Grimm who first attempted to preserve not just the plot and characters of an old folk tale but also the style in which it was originally told. They were known for tenaciously editing their tales and removing explicit sensual scenes, while deliberately including violent tropes such as cannibalism and murder. As the work of the brothers rose in popularity, German fairy tales became associated with tragedy and dark themes.

Most fairy tales originated in cultures and periods when religion was at the focal point of life and are therefore strewn with religious messaging. The Brothers Grimm were both devout Christians, having attended the church where their grandfather was minister. When editing their tales, they made sure to amplify the Biblical references and moral messages of the original versions. Many characters in their narratives rely on God to aid them and encourage the child reader to practise pious behaviour. In ‘Hansel and Gretel’ (1812), for example, when the young siblings are abandoned in the forest, Hansel reassures his sister: ‘Be comforted, dear little sister, and sleep in peace, God will not forsake us’.

The Grimms were not isolated in their moral coding, with religious themes running throughout the work of Hans Christian Andersen (1805–75) – a Danish writer now regarded as the Father of the Modern Fairy Tale. Having penned many original literary fairy stories, Andersen is known for his cautionary tales, such as ‘The Red Shoes’ and ‘The Girl Who Trod on a Loaf’, embedding his narratives with Christian values that often highlight the cyclical nature of life. His stories commonly culminate in tragedy and feature the death of the protagonist, most notably seen in the original ‘The Little Mermaid’. At the end of the story, when the mermaid sacrifices herself to save her true love, Andersen introduces death to readers as a moment of enlightenment and the beginning of an eternal peace.

As the singular commonality that connects all forms of life, death is at the core of many fairy tales. It is broached through a myriad of perspectives, and the narrative shifts depending on the tale’s cultural origin and the author’s intent for the story. The theme is sometimes approached with thoughtful deliberation to aid readers during a time of grief and is often explored through a personification of Death. Yet it can also appear to be abrupt and violent as writers incorporate distressing scenes of murder and loss to warn readers of real-life dangers.

In the fairy tale genre, there exists one chamber of horror that has captivated audiences and been used as a cautionary tale throughout the ages: the forbidden room of ‘Bluebeard’. This tale was first written by Charles Perrault and published in 1697. Influenced by the true stories of murderous noblemen of fifteenth-century France, such as Gilles de Rais, this horrifying tale features the serial killing and mutilation of young women. The eponymous protagonist of ‘Bluebeard’ marries numerous women and each time he weds a new bride, he presents her with the keys to every room in his home, but forbids her to enter one little closet. In a caution against women’s curiosity, each bride disobeys and opens the door to the room, discovering the bodies of the wives who came before her in a mass of blood and gore. The tale has now passed into common language, with the term ‘bluebearding’ being used as a verb to describe the serial seduction and murder of women.

Many early collectors and writers of fairy tales featured death and violence as a way to prepare readers for the pain and trauma they may experience in life. The concept of death is often introduced while simultaneously highlighting that loss can bring peace and hope. Andersen addresses grief with quiet sensitivity in tales such as ‘The Story of a Mother’ and ‘The Mother’s Love’. Again using the Christian doctrine, these stories present a personification of Death as a character, demonstrating the role he plays in orchestrating God’s will.

The concept of death may also be employed as a warning against misbehaviour, with many children dying in fairy tales as a result of sinning or disobeying their elders. One of the most overtly tragic and gory examples of this is Heinrich Hoffmann’s Der Struwwelpeter (1845). The German book of rhyming tales features ten morbid and darkly humorous poems demonstrating the grisly recompense that awaits naughty children. An early tale from the Brothers Grimm, ‘How Children Played Slaughtering Together’, similarly revolves around the violent deaths of children. Despite the brothers being known and celebrated for their macabre work, this narrative was only included in the first publication of their fairy tale collection, Children’s and Household Tales (1812), before being condemned as too dark for young readers and omitted from future editions.

The core fairy tale teaching that pain is inescapable in this life is evident not just through the sustained theme of death, but also through a loss of innocence in young characters. Some of the most enduring fairy tales explore various embodiments of traumatic themes such as abandonment, abuse, and loss. The beloved classics ‘Cinderella’ and ‘Snow White’ both highlight these different aspects, as each narrative commences with the death of the heroine’s mother. Just as the death of a protagonist is often used to signify hope and change, this early loss of a parent acts as a catalyst, forcing the heroine to undergo a symbolic journey. In both of these tales, the titular maiden not only comes to terms with her grief, but also defeats the tale’s antagonist and finds true love and happiness. Again, following the duality of the moral lessons, such tales suggest that although these young characters were left vulnerable in the wake of childhood trauma, they were able to overcome adversity and find strength and peace in adulthood.

The recurrent loss of mothers in fairy tale narratives gives way to plots of remarriage and stepparent characters. Maternal mortality was common before the twentieth century, and as many fairy tales reflect the societal and cultural realities of their time, the development and prevalence of the stepmother character in early stories is unsurprising. Many tales in which a female stepparent is featured begin with immediate negativity towards her character, popularising the concept of the ‘wicked stepmother’. In ‘Hansel and Gretel’ it is the stepmother who suggests to her husband they should abandon their children in the forest. Later in the narrative when the young siblings have successfully defeated a witch, it is revealed their stepmother has also passed away, alluding to the idea that the two characters were one in the same: the wicked witch and the wicked stepmother.

Jealousy is often a driving force behind the stepmother’s actions and is a common trope seen even in the modern adaptations of the stories. In the tale of ‘Snow White’, the stepmother is attempting to kill her beauteous stepdaughter so she can remain the fairest in the land – a plotline left unchanged for centuries. Likewise, Cinderella’s stepmother is envious of the eponymous protagonist, and in Perrault’s ‘Sleeping Beauty’, the princess is almost burnt alive by the king’s jealous wife (although sometimes presented as his mother). In the original version of the Grimm’s ‘Snow White’, however, it is not the maiden’s stepmother who wishes to do her harm, but her biological mother. This change in detail was intended to make the tale more appropriate for children and perhaps a romantic idealist’s way to protect the image of a perfect, nurturing mother.

It is also commonplace for sexual tropes to feature in fairy tales when exploring the loss of childhood innocence, often being used as overt warnings for a woman’s lack of ownership over her body. Although the Brothers Grimm used a heavy hand to censor explicit scenes, themes such as incest and bestiality are common within the work of early fairy tale collectors, including that of Basile and Perrault. Basile’s ‘Sleeping Beauty’ (1634), for example, differs vastly from today’s well-known version of the story. Rather than the princess being awoken from her enchanted slumber by true-love’s kiss, in Basile’s version, her unconscious body is discovered by a king who rapes her, and she wakes nine months later while giving birth to twins. Another example is Perrault’s ‘Donkey-Skin’, published in 1697. Again using a traumatic childhood experience as a catalyst for the heroine’s narrative journey, this tale’s plot is threaded with the theme of incest as the protagonist’s father is driven mad with grief when his wife dies and he is overcome with lust for his daughter. The maiden is forced to disguise herself in a donkey’s skin to evade her father’s inappropriate advances.

Such taboo themes are not confined to the darker versions alone, with many contemporary adaptations of original tales still featuring elements of explicit sensuality. ‘Beauty and the Beast’, for example, has often been spotlighted for centralising a bestial relationship. The tale can be traced to have origins in a variety of countries and cultures, and many of these original narratives don’t end in the beast transforming into a handsome prince. Instead, the stories use bestiality to symbolise coming-of-age and emphasise women’s absence of sexual autonomy. Alexander Afanasyev’s Russian variant, ‘The Enchanted Tsarévich’ (1859), features a young maiden who is handed into the captivity of a terrifying monster by her father. In this tale, the beast is a three-headed winged serpent who each night asks the girl to move his bed closer to hers in a conspicuous attempt to force his physical desires on her.

Similar themes are also evident in an early Italian version of the classic ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ titled ‘La Finta Nonna’ or ‘The False Grandmother’ (1887), in which the protagonist is forced to eat parts of her grandmother’s corpse and unknowingly shares a bed with a wolf. The tale’s sexual overtones inspired the French idiom ‘elle avoit vû le loup’ (she has seen the wolf), referring to a girl losing her virginity.

Despite the indecorous condition of many early fairy tales, the narratives sustain in the modern age, having been adapted and censored throughout the centuries for new readers to enjoy. While they may be poles apart from many contemporary retellings, the darker, original tales shine a light on a time when children’s stories were rooted in moral significance and religious teachings. In a blend of whimsical magic, cautionary warnings, and grotesque imagery, the first versions of the world’s beloved fairy tales highlight the genre’s dark and twisted heart, unearthing the macabre themes of many treasured classics. Modern audiences can now relish in the morbid darkness of these tales, as they continue to inspire, caution, and illuminate valuable aspects of the human experience.

Vanished Innocence

Tales of Lost Childhood

Showcasing the bravery and resilience of children forced into extreme and often gruesome situations, each fairy tale in this chapter features the recurring theme of lost innocence. Presenting the original stories of beloved classics such as ‘Cinderella’, ‘Snow White’, ‘Rapunzel’, and ‘Sleeping Beauty’, many of these narratives feature unsettling themes, centring young characters tackling issues far beyond their years. Overcoming wicked stepmothers, ogres, and witches, these children are forced to shoulder the weight of adult responsibility far too soon.

The Son of Seven Queens - Joseph Jacobs

Schneewittchen (Snow White) - The Brothers Grimm

The Handless Maiden - The Brothers Grimm

Babes in the Wood - Anonymous

Petrosinella (Rapunzel) - Giambattista Basile

Hansel and Gretel - The Brothers Grimm

Sun, Moon, and Talia (Sleeping Beauty) - Giambattista Basile

The Juniper Tree - The Brothers Grimm

Aschenputtel (Cinderella) - The Brothers Grimm

How Children Played Slaughtering Together - The Brothers Grimm

The Son of Seven Queens

An Indian Tale - Joseph Jacobs

Indian Fairy Tales, 1892

Once upon a time there lived a King who had seven Queens, but no children. This was a great grief to him, especially when he remembered that on his death there would be no heir to inherit the kingdom.

Now it happened one day that a poor old fakir came to the King, and said, Your prayers are heard, your desire shall be accomplished, and one of your seven Queens shall bear a son.

The King’s delight at this promise knew no bounds, and he gave orders for appropriate festivities to be prepared against the coming event throughout the length and breadth of the land.

Meanwhile the seven Queens lived luxuriously in a splendid palace, attended by hundreds of female slaves, and fed to their hearts’ content on sweetmeats and confectionery.

Now the King was very fond of hunting, and one day, before he started, the seven Queens sent him a message saying, May it please our dearest lord not to hunt towards the north to-day, for we have dreamt bad dreams, and fear lest evil should befall you.

The King, to allay their anxiety, promised regard for their wishes, and set out towards the south; but as luck would have it, although he hunted diligently, he found no game. Nor had he more success to the east or west, so that, being a keen sportsman, and determined not to go home empty-handed, he forgot all about his promise, and turned to the north. Here also he was at first unsuccessful, but just as he had made up his mind to give up for that day, a white hind with golden horns and silver hoofs flashed past him into a thicket. So quickly did it pass that he scarcely saw it; nevertheless a burning desire to capture and possess the beautiful strange creature filled his breast. He instantly ordered his attendants to form a ring round the thicket, and so encircle the hind; then, gradually narrowing the circle, he pressed forward till he could distinctly see the white hind panting in the midst. Nearer and nearer he advanced, till, just as he thought to lay hold of the beautiful strange creature, it gave one mighty bound, leapt clean over the King’s head, and fled towards the mountains. Forgetful of all else, the King, setting spurs to his horse, followed at full speed. On, on he galloped, leaving his retinue far behind, keeping the white hind in view, never drawing bridle, until, finding himself in a narrow ravine with no outlet, he reined in his steed. Before him stood a miserable hovel, into which, being tired after his long, unsuccessful chase, he entered to ask for a drink of water. An old woman, seated in the hut at a spinning-wheel, answered his request by calling to her daughter, and immediately from an inner room came a maiden so lovely and charming, so white-skinned and golden-haired, that the King was transfixed by astonishment at seeing so beautiful a sight in the wretched hovel.

She held the vessel of water to the King’s lips, and as he drank he looked into her eyes, and then it became clear to him that the girl was no other than the white hind with the golden horns and silver feet he had chased so far.

Her beauty bewitched him, so he fell on his knees, begging her to return with him as his bride; but she only laughed, saying seven Queens were quite enough even for a King to manage. However, when he would take no refusal, but implored her to have pity on him, promising her everything she could desire, she replied, Give me the eyes of your seven Queens, and then perhaps I may believe you mean what you say.

The King was so carried away by the glamour of the white hind’s magical beauty, that he went home at once, had the eyes of his seven Queens taken out, and, after throwing the poor blind creatures into a noisome dungeon whence they could not escape, set off once more for the hovel in the ravine, bearing with him his horrible offering. But the white hind only laughed cruelly when she saw the fourteen eyes, and threading them as a necklace, flung it round her