Fairytale books reissued – culture

A girl stands in front of a mountain of glass. It’s impassable unless you’re wearing shoes made of iron. And only a blacksmith can make them, for whom the girl has to work seven years to earn the shoes. Why does she want to go over there? She is in love. A bull that lives on the other side of the glass mountain. That’s what it says in a Scottish story that was published by Impian in the anthology “Celtic Fairy Tales”. It contains stories from Ireland, Scotland, Brittany and Wales, translated by Ulrich Magin. Kate Forrester’s illustrations complement his translation with bold colors, rich blacks, and Celtic knot patterns.

The counterpart “Nordic Fairy Tales”, which was also published by Impian and translated by Magin, is illustrated in a completely different way. For this volume, Ulla Thynell has illustrated mystical sceneries with fine brushstrokes that seem to glow from the centre: gently radiant flowers and northern lights. This volume brings together folk tales from Sweden, Finland, Norway, Iceland and Denmark.

It features alien characters like Selkies or Fern Glen’s Brownie. Many of the stories are unknown in German-speaking countries, such as the one about the creation of Iceland: Once upon a time, a beautiful king’s daughter was to be sacrificed to a sea monster. But the brave farmer’s son Assipattle allowed himself to be swallowed by the monster and kindled a fire in it, which burned the evil animal – and became the island of Iceland with its many volcanoes.

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However, the motives are similar, for example the breaking of evil spells through true love. It is also well known that it is often children who, like Assipattle, compete against sea monsters, giants and evil witches, i.e. against mythical powers, in a David versus Goliath-like constellation. The rebellious character seems to be universal in fairy tales. Incidentally, because of him, the philosopher Ernst Bloch considered the fairy tale heroes and heroines to be good companions for children: they are not impressed by the appearance of things. Bloch reflected his ontological theory in fairy tales in “The Principle of Hope”: In the beginning there is hunger and need, as with Hansel and Gretel, who then go astray. They are wrapped up and caught by the evil witch, i.e. the mythical powers (she translated Bloch into reality, for example, as National Socialism), but they can free themselves and must do so in order to finally find their way home with their pockets full of treasures has only now become a real home.

“Home where no one has been before” is what Bloch calls it, presenting people with an attainable utopia. Accessible to all who are brave like Assipattle, Hansel and Gretel and don’t shy away from effort like the girl in front of the glass mountain. After seven years, he has earned his iron shoes and finds the bull behind the glass mountain, which has meanwhile turned into a prince. “The fairy tale is always golden in the end, enough luck is there,” wrote Bloch.

“The fairy tale is always golden in the end, enough luck is there.”

The Grimm Fairy Tale Canon, to which Hansel and Gretel counts, has now been particularly beautifully redesigned by Studio Minalima. Miraphora Mina and Eduardo Lima have worked together since 2001 and are known for creating imaginatively designed props in the Harry Potter films, such as the Marauder’s Map. Later, the duo illustrated new editions of the “Harry Potter” books in his special style: lots of gold, bright colors and paper gimmicks, as can now also be found in the classics and fairy tale collections designed by Minalima.

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Wonderful illustrations adorn the pages of the anthology. Snow White can be seen as a silhouette, you can prick your finger on Sleeping Beauty’s movable thorn hedge and look for the evil witch in the hinged gingerbread house. This loving preparation allows the fairy tales to be experienced in a completely new way as the fantastic retreat that they are.