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anhphan
Guest
most of fairy tales contain many non-catholic belief and some contents that are false from Catholic theology.
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Maximilian75
Guest
Depends on what you mean.
The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, the Narnia books - all ‘fairy tales’,(albeit longer and more complex and therefore better for an older audience) were written by great Christians and Catholics.
Those stories do well in priming a ‘sense of wonder’ in the heart of the reader, awakening them to the fact that the world contains more than meets the eye and creating rich ground for the fantastic stories of the Bible to blossom in the heart and soul.
The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, the Narnia books - all ‘fairy tales’,(albeit longer and more complex and therefore better for an older audience) were written by great Christians and Catholics.
Those stories do well in priming a ‘sense of wonder’ in the heart of the reader, awakening them to the fact that the world contains more than meets the eye and creating rich ground for the fantastic stories of the Bible to blossom in the heart and soul.
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Daisy
Guest
There is too much good stuff out there to give your child junk. Be discerning. maximillian makes a good point, that much of literature has truth in it, though not directly obvious or moralistic. (And in my view, if it was, it probably wouldn’t be good literature.)
Honey For a Child’s Heart is an excellent resource which addresses this subject and has a list of good reads for all ages.
Tales built on imagination can help the soul to think abstractly about virtuous concepts—something that is much needed in this world right now.
Honey For a Child’s Heart is an excellent resource which addresses this subject and has a list of good reads for all ages.
Tales built on imagination can help the soul to think abstractly about virtuous concepts—something that is much needed in this world right now.
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SuscipeMeDomine
Guest
A child who is not familiar with fairy tales (among other things) is culturally illiterate. Why would you want to do that to your child?
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PetraG
Guest
If your child is really still at the fairy tale stage, I’d say there is so much high quality children’s literature out there that the best thing to do is to read it yourself and bring home a good selection of stories you love.
I don’t think I would worry about the fine points of whether the theology is correct in “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” I would not worry that your child is going to want to become Pippi Longstockings. Having said that, once you run across stories like “The Children of Noisy Village” or “Little House on the Prairie,” I don’t think you’ll find you have to settle.
I don’t think I would worry about the fine points of whether the theology is correct in “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” I would not worry that your child is going to want to become Pippi Longstockings. Having said that, once you run across stories like “The Children of Noisy Village” or “Little House on the Prairie,” I don’t think you’ll find you have to settle.
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JulianN
Guest
Are you talking about Grimms’ and Hans Christian Andersen? Then yes —those are important components of a well-rounded education. They contain themes that will recur often in English literature.
Tis_Bearself
Patron
Worrying about fairy tales is about on the same level as worrying about Halloween or Harry Potter. They’re all normal childhood activities in USA. If you suggested to my mother or any Catholic of her generation that there was something wrong with “Cinderella” or “Jack and the Beanstalk”, the person would have given you an incredulous look and laughed in your face.
If the kid likes fairy tales and understands they are make-believe, it’s no harm. I had a beautifully illustrated Tasha Tudor book of them when I was little and I just loved the stories and the beautiful pictures.
If the kid doesn’t like fairy tales or can’t separate fantasy from reality, and actually thinks there’s a giant coming down a beanstalk to get him, then have him read something else. But honestly, this isn’t even a moral question.
I would also add that in US culture, the people who worry about this sort of thing tend to be Protestant fundamentalists. Catholics don’t tend to worry about it. We’re not fundamentalists.
If the kid likes fairy tales and understands they are make-believe, it’s no harm. I had a beautifully illustrated Tasha Tudor book of them when I was little and I just loved the stories and the beautiful pictures.
If the kid doesn’t like fairy tales or can’t separate fantasy from reality, and actually thinks there’s a giant coming down a beanstalk to get him, then have him read something else. But honestly, this isn’t even a moral question.
I would also add that in US culture, the people who worry about this sort of thing tend to be Protestant fundamentalists. Catholics don’t tend to worry about it. We’re not fundamentalists.
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Bluebright
Guest
Many fairy tales have good underlying themes of good and evil in which evil never triumphs. I am of course talking about older fairy tales so I may be too old fashioned for you. I am talking about Hans Christian Anderson and that age group. It may be better if you clarify your question with an example. I personally dont consider anything more modern a fairy tale. Like the person that comments after you talks of Hobbit etc. being fairy tales but I’d not have thought so, I have never read hobbit though I have read Lord of the Rings not til teens, it’s too much for children I’d think. . Also cultural issues impact here. Not all of us are American or even western.
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Tis_Bearself
Patron
The tales contain some pretty good lessons too. “Ugly Duckling” was about triumphing over bullies. "Cinderella " and many other stories are about poor people who triumph over evil richer people because they are good and clever.
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OnAJourney
Guest
Of course we should let children read fairly tales. There are many fairy tales that have pertinent life lessons to teach. As it’s been pointed out previously, it’s usually fundamentalist evangelical Protestants who worry about the corruption of youth through harmless children’s fairy tales.
And not to mention how do we decide what is acceptable to Church teaching with fictional children’s literature? C.S. Lewis was an Anglican, does that mean a child from a Catholic family shouldn’t read his fantasy works like the Chronicles of Narnia? Of course not.
A child needs to read fairy tales so that they can a) grow and b) improve their reading skills so that they can conquer more challenging works of literature. If you have children, let them read those works of fiction. We need kids to read more and to have some sense of culture.
And not to mention how do we decide what is acceptable to Church teaching with fictional children’s literature? C.S. Lewis was an Anglican, does that mean a child from a Catholic family shouldn’t read his fantasy works like the Chronicles of Narnia? Of course not.
A child needs to read fairy tales so that they can a) grow and b) improve their reading skills so that they can conquer more challenging works of literature. If you have children, let them read those works of fiction. We need kids to read more and to have some sense of culture.
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PetraG
Guest
Here is a Grimm’s “fairytale” I never forgot (3 parts):
The first person who came his way was our dear God, who already knew what was in his heart, and God said to him, “Poor man, I pity you. I will hold your child at his baptism, and care for him, and make him happy on earth.”
The man said, “Who are you?”
“I am God.”
“Then I do not wish to have you for a godfather,” said the man. “You give to the rich, and let the poor starve.”
Thus spoke the man, for he did not know how wisely God divides out wealth and poverty. Then he turned away from the Lord, and went on his way.
Then the devil came to him and said, “What are you looking for? If you will take me as your child’s godfather, I will give him an abundance of gold and all the joys of the world as well.”
The man asked, “Who are you?”
“I am the devil.”
“Then I do not wish to have you for a godfather,” said the man. You deceive mankind and lead them astray."
He went on his way, and then Death, on his withered legs, came walking toward him, and said, “Take me as your child’s godfather.”
The man asked, “Who are you?”
“I am Death, who makes everyone equal.”
Then the man said, "You are the right one. You take away the rich as well as the poor, without distinction. You shall be my child’s godfather.
Death answered, “I will make your child rich and famous, for he who has me for a friend cannot fail.”
The man said, “Next Sunday is the baptism. Be there on time.”
Godfather Death
Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
A poor man had twelve children and had to work day and night in order just to feed them. Thus when the thirteenth came into the world, not knowing what to do in his need, he ran out into the highway, intending to ask the first person whom he met to be the godfather.The first person who came his way was our dear God, who already knew what was in his heart, and God said to him, “Poor man, I pity you. I will hold your child at his baptism, and care for him, and make him happy on earth.”
The man said, “Who are you?”
“I am God.”
“Then I do not wish to have you for a godfather,” said the man. “You give to the rich, and let the poor starve.”
Thus spoke the man, for he did not know how wisely God divides out wealth and poverty. Then he turned away from the Lord, and went on his way.
Then the devil came to him and said, “What are you looking for? If you will take me as your child’s godfather, I will give him an abundance of gold and all the joys of the world as well.”
The man asked, “Who are you?”
“I am the devil.”
“Then I do not wish to have you for a godfather,” said the man. You deceive mankind and lead them astray."
He went on his way, and then Death, on his withered legs, came walking toward him, and said, “Take me as your child’s godfather.”
The man asked, “Who are you?”
“I am Death, who makes everyone equal.”
Then the man said, "You are the right one. You take away the rich as well as the poor, without distinction. You shall be my child’s godfather.
Death answered, “I will make your child rich and famous, for he who has me for a friend cannot fail.”
The man said, “Next Sunday is the baptism. Be there on time.”
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PetraG
Guest
continued
Death appeared as he had promised, and served as godfather in an orderly manner.
After the boy came of age his godfather appeared to him one day and asked him to go with him. He took him out into the woods and showed him an herb that grew there, saying, “Now you shall receive your godfather’s present. I will turn you into a famous physician. Whenever you are called to a sick person I will appear to you. If I stand at the sick person’s head, you may say with confidence that you can make him well again; then give him some of this herb, and he will recover. But if I stand at the sick person’s feet, he is mine, and you must say that he is beyond help, and that no physician in the world could save him. But beware of using this herb against my will, or something very bad will happen to you.”
It was not long before the young man had become the most famous physician in the whole world. People said of him, “He only needs to look at the sick in order to immediately know their condition, whether they will regain their health, or are doomed to die.” And people came to him from far and wide, taking him to their sick, and giving him so much money that he soon became a wealthy man.
Now it came to pass that the king became ill. The physician was summoned and was told to say if a recovery were possible. However, when he approached the bed, Death was standing at the sick man’s feet, and so no herb on earth would be able to help him.
“If I could only deceive death for once,” thought the physician. “He will be angry, of course, but because I am his godson he will shut one eye. I will risk it.” He therefore took hold of the sick man and laid him the other way around, so that Death was now standing at his head. Then he gave the king some of the herb, and he recovered and became healthy again.
However, Death came to the physician, made a dark and angry face, threatened him with his finger, and said, “You have betrayed me. I will overlook it this time because you are my godson, but if you dare to do it again, it will cost you your neck, for I will take you yourself away with me.”
Death appeared as he had promised, and served as godfather in an orderly manner.
After the boy came of age his godfather appeared to him one day and asked him to go with him. He took him out into the woods and showed him an herb that grew there, saying, “Now you shall receive your godfather’s present. I will turn you into a famous physician. Whenever you are called to a sick person I will appear to you. If I stand at the sick person’s head, you may say with confidence that you can make him well again; then give him some of this herb, and he will recover. But if I stand at the sick person’s feet, he is mine, and you must say that he is beyond help, and that no physician in the world could save him. But beware of using this herb against my will, or something very bad will happen to you.”
It was not long before the young man had become the most famous physician in the whole world. People said of him, “He only needs to look at the sick in order to immediately know their condition, whether they will regain their health, or are doomed to die.” And people came to him from far and wide, taking him to their sick, and giving him so much money that he soon became a wealthy man.
Now it came to pass that the king became ill. The physician was summoned and was told to say if a recovery were possible. However, when he approached the bed, Death was standing at the sick man’s feet, and so no herb on earth would be able to help him.
“If I could only deceive death for once,” thought the physician. “He will be angry, of course, but because I am his godson he will shut one eye. I will risk it.” He therefore took hold of the sick man and laid him the other way around, so that Death was now standing at his head. Then he gave the king some of the herb, and he recovered and became healthy again.
However, Death came to the physician, made a dark and angry face, threatened him with his finger, and said, “You have betrayed me. I will overlook it this time because you are my godson, but if you dare to do it again, it will cost you your neck, for I will take you yourself away with me.”
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PetraG
Guest
Part 3 of 3
Soon afterward the king’s daughter became seriously ill. She was his only child, and he cried day and night until his eyes were going blind. Then he proclaimed that whosoever rescued her from death should become her husband and inherit the crown.
When the physician came to the sick girl’s bed he saw Death at her feet. He should have remembered his godfather’s warning, but he was so infatuated by the princess’s great beauty and the prospect of becoming her husband that he threw all thought to the winds. He did not see that Death was looking at him angrily, lifting his hand into the air, and threatening him with his withered fist. He lifted up the sick girl and placed her head where her feet had been. Then he gave her some of the herb, and her cheeks immediately turned red, and life stirred in her once again.
Death, seeing that he had been cheated out of his property for a second time, approached the physician with long strides and said, “You are finished. Now it is your turn.”
Then Death seized him so firmly with his ice-cold hand that he could not resist, and led him into an underground cavern. There the physician saw how thousands and thousands of candles were burning in endless rows, some large, others medium-sized, others small. Every instant some died out, and others were relit, so that the little flames seemed to be jumping about in constant change.
“See,” said Death, “these are the life-lights of mankind. The large ones belong to children, the medium-sized ones to married people in their best years, and the little ones to old people. However, even children and young people often have only a tiny candle.”
“Show me my life-light,” said the physician, thinking that it still would be very large.
Death pointed to a little stump that was just threatening to go out, and said, “See, there it is.”
“Oh, dear godfather,” said the horrified physician, “light a new one for me. Do it as a favor to me, so that I can enjoy my life, and become king and the husband of the beautiful princess.”
“I cannot,” answered Death. “One must go out before a new one is lighted.”
“Then set the old one onto a new one that will go on burning after the old one is finished,” begged the physician.
Death pretended that he was going to fulfill this wish and took hold of a large new candle, but, desiring revenge, he purposely made a mistake in relighting it, and the little piece fell down and went out. The physician immediately fell to the ground, and he too was now in the hands of Death.
Remember the Grimms were cultural researchers and lexicographers, not children’s authors. They did not write their stories, but only collected them as examples of authentic German-language folk tales. While some are stories were meant for children, their collection covered German household folklore generally. Select stories for your children with this kept in mind…
Soon afterward the king’s daughter became seriously ill. She was his only child, and he cried day and night until his eyes were going blind. Then he proclaimed that whosoever rescued her from death should become her husband and inherit the crown.
When the physician came to the sick girl’s bed he saw Death at her feet. He should have remembered his godfather’s warning, but he was so infatuated by the princess’s great beauty and the prospect of becoming her husband that he threw all thought to the winds. He did not see that Death was looking at him angrily, lifting his hand into the air, and threatening him with his withered fist. He lifted up the sick girl and placed her head where her feet had been. Then he gave her some of the herb, and her cheeks immediately turned red, and life stirred in her once again.
Death, seeing that he had been cheated out of his property for a second time, approached the physician with long strides and said, “You are finished. Now it is your turn.”
Then Death seized him so firmly with his ice-cold hand that he could not resist, and led him into an underground cavern. There the physician saw how thousands and thousands of candles were burning in endless rows, some large, others medium-sized, others small. Every instant some died out, and others were relit, so that the little flames seemed to be jumping about in constant change.
“See,” said Death, “these are the life-lights of mankind. The large ones belong to children, the medium-sized ones to married people in their best years, and the little ones to old people. However, even children and young people often have only a tiny candle.”
“Show me my life-light,” said the physician, thinking that it still would be very large.
Death pointed to a little stump that was just threatening to go out, and said, “See, there it is.”
“Oh, dear godfather,” said the horrified physician, “light a new one for me. Do it as a favor to me, so that I can enjoy my life, and become king and the husband of the beautiful princess.”
“I cannot,” answered Death. “One must go out before a new one is lighted.”
“Then set the old one onto a new one that will go on burning after the old one is finished,” begged the physician.
Death pretended that he was going to fulfill this wish and took hold of a large new candle, but, desiring revenge, he purposely made a mistake in relighting it, and the little piece fell down and went out. The physician immediately fell to the ground, and he too was now in the hands of Death.
Remember the Grimms were cultural researchers and lexicographers, not children’s authors. They did not write their stories, but only collected them as examples of authentic German-language folk tales. While some are stories were meant for children, their collection covered German household folklore generally. Select stories for your children with this kept in mind…
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Tis_Bearself
Patron
The moral of that story is, when God volunteers to be your kid’s godfather, pick him.
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Allegra
Guest
If only he would! I’ve got a baby that needs Godparents. Think if I run this by Father, he’d be cool with making God my baby’s Godparent?
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PetraG
Guest
God is your baby’s godparent. You also have to choose one or two who currently have skin suits.
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LateranBasilica
Guest
Read children Bible stories instead
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leonhardprintz
Guest
Do you have any examples of fairy tales you believe are wrong?
Why not both?
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LateranBasilica
Guest
Give them a good grounding in the Bible, there are so many great stories in there.
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PetraG
Guest
Examples:
Jack and the Beanstalk–stealing is not OK just because you’re stealing from a giant
If you fall in love, you deserve for the person to turn out to have marvelous qualities (or titles or whatever) you didn’t know about. (If anything, most of us hide the other kind during courtship.)
If your mom dies and your dad re-marries, look out! Step-moms do not like you and they are evil!
If your life is awful, marriage might be the way out!
Having said that, there is an age at which you can explain that when authors want to give children in stories a way to go on adventures without being naughty or really foolish, they have to put in a plot device like their parents not being there to protect them. Kids can understand that kind of thing.
Children are capable of understanding that literature isn’t always written to give a positive example. Sometimes, bad things are done or happen so the story can take a direction the author needs it to take. It shouldn’t be imagined to be all real.
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