RATHER GRIMM
What happens in Snow White original story – including the kiss scene?
EVERYONE knows the iconic tale of beloved Disney princess, Snow White.
But who actually knows the much darker folklore that the revamped modern-day version is based on?
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What happens in the original story of Snow White?
Most people have seen or heard of Disney's retelling of Snow White And The Seven Dwarves.
The premise of the story revolves around a naive young orphan and her jealous evil stepmother.
As the wicked queen grows to envy Snow White for being "the fairest of them all", she orders for her to be murdered, only for the princess to escape, seeking refuge in a cottage with seven friendly little miners.
Upon learning of Snow White's whereabouts, the queen disguises herself to bring her a poisoned apple, placing her in a death-like sleep that can be broken only by a kiss from the prince.
Disney's version ends with everyone living "happily ever after" and practically unscathed - but the original story is a lot less innocent and child-friendly.
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It is widely assumed that the brother's Grimm were the creators of the now-iconic tale- but the story was originally a folktale, having been passed down from several generations.
The original story was called “Little Snow-White,” and featured a 7-year-old Snow White, making the entire premise rather morbid.
In the Grimm version, after the child is questionably announced to be the "fairest";, the Queen orders a huntsman to kill her, bringing back her lungs and liver.
He ends up bringing back the organs of a boar instead, which the Queen boils in salt - and eats!
The Queen tricks Snow White three separate times in the Grimm version, first making her try on a tight corset, causing her to pass out.
The second time, she sells Snow White a poisonous comb, which the dwarves remove from her hair.
The third time the Queen tricks her with the same poisonous apple we see in the Disney film.
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But, in the original story Snow White spits out the apple while being carried into her coffin and is immediately revived, without the Prince's kiss.
In the movie and in folklore, Snow White and the Prince fall in love and get married but, in the Grimm story, the Queen attends their wedding where she is given a punishment of dancing to her death.
The Grimm version reads: “They put a pair of iron shoes into burning coals. They were brought forth with tongs and placed before her. She was forced to step into the red-hot shoes and dance until she fell down dead.”
What happens in the sleeping kiss scene?
The Disney flick sees a comatose Snow White being approached in her glass coffin by Prince Charming.
In an attempt to break her curse with true loves kiss, he plants his lips on hers as she sleeps.
The kiss has sparked controversy, not least due to Disneyland's California theme park choosing to include the kiss on their Snow White ride.
The kiss has opened up criticism about the ethics and consent issues behind the scene.
reviewers claim the fictional kiss was given "without [Snow White's] consent, while she's asleep, which cannot possibly be true love if only one person knows it's happening".
They wrote: "Haven't we already agreed that consent in early Disney movies is a major issue? That teaching kids that kissing, when it hasn't been established if both parties are willing to engage, is not OK?
"It's hard to understand why the Disneyland of 2021 would choose to add a scene with such old-fashioned ideas of what a man is allowed to do to a woman."
Most read in Film
When was Snow White first released?
The Disney animated version of Snow White was released in 1937.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
The original book by the Brothers Grimm came out almost a century prior in 1812.
Jacob and Wilhelm were collectors of German and European folk tales popularised stories such as Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty as well as Snow White.
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