Good Morning and Welcome to Fairy Tale Friday!
Today we are going to take a look at one of my favorites by the Brothers Grimm. It's pretty short and I won't copy the text over but I will provide you with this link:
THE ELVES AND THE SHOEMAKER
same source as above
So here is a little bit about this text. As with many of these old tales there are multiple variations on the theme. Some of them are cheerier than others and some can be downright mischievous. This story as with many was made popular by the Brothers Grimm. There is however a good chance the story you remember as a child is not the version presented today, just as it may not be your friends or siblings version.
As with all of these tales there is generally a good part of it that has leaked into the common psyche or even pop culture with adaptations presented in Merrie Melodies, Looney Tunes and even Dobby, the house elf in Harry Potter.
What I particularly like about this tale is the fey, or fairy nature of it. I am fascinated by the old tales of elves, gnomes, goblins and dwarves. They are so much different than the Tolkienesque varieties popular today. If you dig back far enough into the mythos things can get quite dark and devious. Many scholars on the subject of fringe phenomenon will gladly point out some of the similarities between old fairy encounters and modern day Alien encounters. From fairy lights to even abduction.
Jacques Vallée explores this premise in great detail in his early work Passport to Magonia. This sentiment is later expressed and explored by other researchers such as Whitley Strieber and psychiatrist John E. Mack.
Well, this certainly went somewhere I did not expect. I hope you enjoyed and maybe learned a thing or two!
source
@weekly-classics
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