Jacob Ludwig Carl Grimm( b. January 4, 1785 - d. September 20, 1863) and his brother Wilhelm Carl Grimm(b. February 24, 1786 - d. December 16, 1859) were the 2nd and 3rd children born to German lawyer Phillip Wilhelm Grimm and his wife, Dorothea. They were two of the nine total children born, and the eldest of the six who lived past infancy.
In January 1796, Phillip Grimm died at the age of 44; which prompted his widow Dorothea to send her two eldest sons to school in Kassal, her home city.
By 1803, Both Jacob and Wilhelm had entered the University of Marburg to study law. After their mother Dorothea died in 1808, the brothers became librarians in Kassal to support their younger siblings.
During their studies at the university, both became students of Professor Friedrich von Savigny, a lawyer and historian, who inspired the brothers to study the history of language. As part of their work, the brothers collected numerous folktales from various regions of the country. In 1812, 86 of the collected stories were published in the first volume of Kinder- und Hausmärchen (Children and Household Tales).
After that, the rest is a story we all know.
Today, the influence of the Brothers Grimm can be found in a majority of American, European, and even Asian media; from film, television, theatre, modern literature, and of course, the Internet. They've inspired numerous archetypes, tropes, and parodies based on the characters and themes depicted in their tales. Debates as to whether or not there was ever a time when good guys won, innocence was valued, and true love conquered all, are still ideas that we as people can't seem to get away from.
And after all these years, there is still at least one geek who is as hooked as the first time he heard those magic words, Once Upon a Time...
Now my life on the other hand is still pretty much a work in progress. I was born in Baltimore, Maryland in the early 80's and knew by the time I was three, that the inner city was NOT the makings of an animated Disney adventure. There were no castles in sight, no maidens poking their heads out windows to sing saccharin-laced ditties, and certainly no multicolored woodland animals who wanted to be playmates. Instead, I got a front row glance of urban squalor in a major way; and yes, sometimes ladies would stick there heads out of windows, but it was usually to yell anything and everything that was on their minds at the moment. And while there weren't any deer, rabbits, or chipmunks to play with; we did have a couple of squirrels. And rats. Lots of rats...
Anyway, one of the true escapes that afforded me any relief was when my dear, sweet mother would read to my brother and I from our first storybook of the G.B. tales. Even today, it's hard to say which one I loved most.
Due to my parents military life, my family ended up in an idyllic suburb in Southern California. This was a drastic change from our earlier home, and it in turn gave me hope that perhaps with a little perseverance, something good was beginning. There might even be the possibility of a happily ever after.
Alas, it was not to be so easy( it rarely ever is). In my early twenties I developed Crohn's Disease, and believe me, that is undoubtedly the most un-fairytale like experience anybody can have. Or maybe it was more common than I imagine; I mean something had to make all those wicked witches that bitter.
So after a long bout of serious health issues, I've finally come to a place that is relatively stable, albeit completely unexpected. And I have come through the ordeal with a greater appreciation for my family, close friends, and life in general.
Really, when you think about it, isn't that a story worth telling?
Photographer: user:Dr. Meierhofer Date: 14.08.2006
No comments:
Post a Comment