Customer Reviews

The Owl, The Raven, and the Dove: The Religious Meaning of the Grimms' Magic Fairy Tales

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

A groundbreaking analysis of Grimm's fairy tales. Ronald Murphy does a superb job of demonstrating how the Brother Grimm drew out the Christian meaning in the tales, often by adding symbolic or allegorical material. This is a tour-de-force of insightful scholarship and literary detective work.

I note that one of the other reviews of this book claims that Murphy says the tales are of Christian origin. But this is not the case; rather, he suggests that the tales contain elements of Greco-Roman, Egyptian, Germanic, and French folklore. The point is, as Murphy so masterfully demonstrates, that the Grimms took this material and exposed its latent Christian meaning.

This is one of the best books about Grimm's tales to come across in many year; highly recommended.

It was while reading the story of Jorinda and Joringal, a tale not mentioned in this book, that I began to wonder about the spirituality of the Brothers Grimm. Jorinda, a beautiful maiden, is transformed into a nightinggale and taken captive in a castle by a witch. One day, her lover, a shepherd, finds a red flower with a drop of dew in the center of it. When he touches the witch with with the flower, it deprives her of her evil power, and Joringal's beloved is set free. I had to wonder: "Did the Grimms know they were talking about Jesus?" Murphy answered this question for me: they did, indeed.

If I were going to pick a word to describe the overall impression the author gives me, I think it would be "kindly." At first I sometimes got the feeling I was listening in on someone else's conversation: Murphy forgets his readers and his partners in academic dialogue are strangers, and need to be introduced. But once everyone is seated for discussion, Murphy is generous not only to the Grimms (he sometimes tells how good a writer Wilhelm is, when he should be showing), he treats other scholars with respect (not a universal habit in academia), and describes the ironic skepticism or sexual crudities of rival versions of these tales without downplaying those approaches, yet bringing out the special depth of the Grimm's mythical imagination and spiritual feeling.

The main subjects of this book are Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White, Cindarella, and Sleeping Beauty. (But don't overlook Appendix A, a closer look at Wilhelm Grimm's New Testament, or Appendix C, the story of the Cross and the Christmas tree. It was the star on top of the latter that furnished the fifth star for this rating.)

The story Murphy tells is one link in a chain of grace that goes back thousands of years. Early Christian thinkers saw classical philosophy and myth as a "tutor" to bring the Western world to Christ. Dante and Michaelangelo picked up on the same theme in the Middle Ages. G. K. Chesterton described how, as a child, he learned reason and morality, and intimations of spiritual truth, from fairy tales, naming some of the stories in this book, but without talking about Christianity in particular. Later he wrote a book, Everlasting Man, in which he described pagan mythology in similiar sympathetic terms. This is the book that helped C. S. Lewis, who would become the most influential Christian writer of the 20th Century, to conclude that the Gospel was the answer to the question, "Where have all the hints of Paganism been fulfilled?" Later Lewis brought the story full circle with his own redemptive fairy tales, the Chronicles of Narnia. So the story Murphy tells is of interest historically, as well as for the remarkable light it sheds on our favorite fairy tales. It is one link in a chain of grace that no man on earth can fully know.

For those interested in the bigger picture, let me recommend some good books: City of God (Augustine); Contra Celsus (Origin); Everlasting Man and Orthodoxy (Chesterton); Eternity in Their Hearts (Don Richardson); Jesus Through the Centuries (Jaroslav Pelikan); The Crown of Hinduism (J.N.Farquhar); and Discovery of Genesis. (with reservations - see my Amazon review.) Also, of course, my own books, Jesus and the Religions of Man, and True Son of Heaven: How Jesus Fulfills the Chinese Culture.

My four year old boy spied the cover of this book, with its picture of Snow White and the owl, raven, and dove, and asked for an explanation. "The prince came and kissed Snow White and she came back to life," I told him. "Is (the prince) God?" He asked. Murphy shows that the Brothers Grimm still have the power to solicit deep spiritual questions from people of all ages.

The author has a pleasant surprise in store for his readers.

This book is NOT the typical, intellectual, academic variety. It is written in down-to-earth language!

Anyone who remembers the Grimms' Brothers fairytales (and who doesn't? ) will thoroughly enjoy exploring the religious symbolism behind the stories.

I never realized how spiritual the Grimms' Brothers were!

It's the perfect book for any "grown-up child" who is ready to "see" the connection between a fairytale and God.

After reading this book, these stories will gives you something more to remember...a greater appreciation for the literary talent of two brothers who used the simple language of a child to express their belief in God.

Erudite but highly readable, The Owl, The Raven, and The Dove delves into the Germanic, Classical, and Christian influences discernible in the Grimms' versions of five fairy tales, contrasting them with other versions of the same or similar stories, to reveal the Grimm's intent to display ancient pagan faith blossoming into Christian fullness.

Fr. Murphy convincingly presents the five Grimm fairy tales as stories of baptism and redemption, suffused with Christian symbolism and meaning complemented by Germanic and Classical allusions that support the Christian message. His analysis is complemented by charming illustrations by professional artist Laurence Selim, usually from sketches by Ludwig Emil Grimm, which help the reader "see" the points Fr. Murphy makes in his text.

A delightful, meaningful, and highly enjoyable book.

I was given a selection regarding "Hansel And Gretel" from this book for my German Fairy Tales, Folktales, and Fables course. I was very impressed by Murphy's work. What was so fascinating was the use of the Grimm's VERY OWN notes in regards to the story being used as an allegory for spiritual maturation into the Christian faith. He never implies that the tales had a Christian origin, but he does explain clearly how the Grimm brothers took the tales and made them personal expressions of faith by using their own words and commentaries. He pays homage to their extra-German origin, but he does so without downplaying the brothers' own influence on the formation of these particular versions. An impressive work.

I have always loved fairytales, but this beautiful book has greatly increased my respect for Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm as artists. I knew that their intention was to preserve fragments of authentic German culture, but had no idea how much of their own vision had gone into these versions of European folktales. Their unique way of combining their devout Christianity with the ancient Germanic pagan religion is fascinating! I'm interested in not only rereading these tales but in seeing more from this author.

Father Murphy was one of my favorite professors when I was a student years ago. I am delighted to have had a chance finally to read his book The Owl, The Raven, and the Dove, The Religious Meaning of the Grimm's Magic Fairy Tales. What an enchanting read! Through his thorough research and with his vast knowledge of Classical, Germanic, and Christian beliefs, Father Murphy takes some of our favorite childhood stories and enlivens them for us as adults. Father Murphy shows us how religious awareness has changed over time and how the Grimm Brothers applied their literary genius and their faith to build carefully on earlier versions of these stories in order to move our hearts. The Grimm Brothers incorporated into the stories subtle yet distinct teachings on the virtues of faith, hope, and love and the power of the supernatural to come to our aid and to overcome evil, even death. Father Murphy has unearthed and discerned the deeper meanings contained in the Grimm versions and presented them in a way that inspires. There are many wonderful aspects to the stories and to Father Murphy's insights that make this book well worth reading. Thank you Father Murphy!

This book was purchased new, and it was in its promised condition. the seller was prompt and I receieved the product via, air mail! It came in its promised time and condition!The Owl, The Raven, and the Dove: The Religious Meaning of the Grimms' Magic Fairy Tales

It is a REAL STRETCH to say that the Grimm faery tales origins were Christian. I can only speculate that the reason for this book is to make us Christians feel like we can read these stories to their children without fear, or regret. Really, it is quite bold to try to twist things to appear to be Christian so that Christians can claim them as their own. Unfortunatly Murphy perpetuates this behavier in this book. The origins of these tales are obviously Pagan, read up on the brothers Grimm and really study the tales they told. Everyone should be able to enjoy these faery tales without trying to make them acceptable first. Appreciate them for what they are, dont put a spin on them. Believe it or not, some things can be enjoyable without being of Christian origin.