Princes, Frogs and Ugly Sisters : The Healing Power of the Grimm Brothers' Tales

Analyzing the ways in which the Grimm brothers' tales provide real, vital insights into how to live more happily, understand the need for personal and psychological growth, and find that significant other, this innovative study revives the true healing nature of these beloved tales. Combining enjoyment of these tales with insightful research, this exploration uses actual case histories to show how the odd and bizarre episodes in fairy tales are actually astounding renditions of human behaviors that occur during times of crisis. It also shows how the six archetypal stages of psychological development are present both in these tales and in everyday life. Contrary to common, contemporary fairy tale re-creations, this study discusses how the Grimm brothers' stories deal with topics such as dysfunctional family dynamics, sexual jealousy, narcissism, incest, rape, and personal growth from trauma to wellness?noting that Cinderella didn't have a fairy godmother and frogs were never kissed. Introduction : Why we need fairy tales -- "The Frog-King" : It's all about sex -- "Faithful John" : A story of parents, jealousy, and pride -- "Brother and sister" : Boy and girls grow up differently and see marriage differently -- "The three spinners" and "Rapunzel" : The nature of the tales and Thwarted young love -- "Cinderella" : Sexual maturation and self-empowerment: the real story -- "The girl without hands" and "The robber bridegroom" : The question of good and evil -- "Little Snow-White" and "Allerleirauh" : Sexual rivalry, narcissim, and incest -- "Hans the hedgehog" and "The donkey" : Parental rejection and the recovering of personal authenticity -- "The three feathers" : The descent into the self -- "The skillful huntsman" : Controlling the passions -- "The two kings' children" : Families and forgetting -- Beowulf and "The golden bird" : The three tests -- "The glass coffin" : Growing courage -- "Little Briar-Rose" : Family birth order ; Sleep as metaphor -- Afterword : Why these particular tales? -- Appendix : The historical context. Welcome to the world of Grimm's fairy tales, where Cinderella has no fairy godmother, frogs never get kissed, and strange things happen that were edited out of your childhood nursery book. We'll discover the difference between what the Grimm brothers' tales actually say and what we think they ought to have said, and in the process we'll find real, vital insights into how we could live more happily, understand our need for personal growth, and find our significant other. This will bring us into a richer, deeper world of self-exploration, and will show us the true healing nature of these beloved tales. ..."--Back cover The Grimm brothers’ tales are not just disposable items for small children at bedtime. Many contain deep wisdom that can tell us how to live our best lives if we read them carefully. This book explores this topic—and it’s very different from the ‘happily ever after’ myth that Disney has given us. Looking to classic fairytales for guidance, growth, and healing.