Tales from the Past Part Four: Snow White

by Sharon Bryant

Snow White:The Grimm Brothers Version

The tale of Snow White is one of the darkest of the well-known Grimm brothers’ fairy tales. In their full version, it is Snow White’s mother, not her stepmother, who orders a huntsman to take her into the forest and kill her. The huntsman is unable to do so, and she escapes and finds refuge at the home of the Seven Dwarfs. The queen discovers Snow White is alive, using her magic mirror, then makes three attempts to murder her daughter using tight lacing, a poisoned comb, and finally a poisoned apple.

Snow White is put into a glass coffin by the dwarfs, and a handsome prince finds and kisses her, bringing her back to life. The Queen comes to Snow White’s wedding to check that her daughter is indeed alive. Snow White and the Prince force her to put on iron shoes, heated in the fire, and the Queen dances to her death.

 pixabay.com

A Tale Rarely Used in Romance Novels

Given the gruesome nature of this tale, it is not surprising that far more pleasant versions of the Snow White story are better known and utilised in films and children’s storybooks. For similar reasons, perhaps, the Snow White tale is infrequently used in romance novels.

In The Magic Mirror and the Seventh Dwarf by Tia Nevitt, Gretchen, a dwarf, leaves her village and joins a household of dwarfs and midgets in the hope of finding love. There she meets a princess who takes refuge in the house when necessary because the queen of the kingdom is trying to kill her. Prince Richard is enslaved by a magic mirror controlled by the queen. He must truthfully answer three questions asked by the queen twice daily. Given the nature of this curse, he tries to avoid people, but meets the princess and immediately falls in love. Gretchen and Richard must discover how to destroy the magic mirror before the queen murders them all.

Snow: A Retelling of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs by Tracy Lynn tells the story of Jessica who flees to London to escape the murderous rage of her jealous stepmother. She uses the name Snow, and joins and falls in love with a group of outcasts. Her stepmother discovers her whereabouts using the magic mirror and tries to convince Snow that she has changed and will now protect her. This book is not a romance but is well worth reading.

The Fairest Beauty by Melanie Dickerson is a beautifully written Snow White story. In this tale, the heroine, Sophie, is betrothed to a duke, but falls in love with his brother who rescues her from her stepmother's castle. They find refuge in the House of the Seven where a group of outcasts including a dwarf and a mentally incapacitated young man look after them and try to protect them from the stepmother who is determined to kill Sophie.


What is your favourite Snow White story? Did you see the film “Snow White and the Huntsman”? If so, what did you think of it?


I love to love:

My husband and I spent a couple of days travelling in the Mudgee area during the recent school holidays. It’s so much fun spending time together.


I love to laugh:

I’m rereading “The Happiest Refugee” by Anh Do at the moment. The humour and heartache of this story make it a must read.



I love to learn:

I heard Kate Forsyth speak at Sutherland Library during July. Her enthusiasm for history is infectious. She left me wanting to know more – a bit like the way I get so involved in reading her novels.