The Darkest Fairytale Ever Written

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Hans Christian Anderson wrote a great many pleasant, adorable, child-oriented fairy stories. He also wrote some less-pleasant stories. The one I want to share with you here is among the least pleasant of them all. Not just because of the story’s contents, but because of what they mean.

According to Andersen, your own shadow is just about the scariest monster there is.

#Storytime #Fairytale #Writing

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[TheTaleFoundry]

Everyone who does decide to sign up and check the video, thank you! It's such a huge help to us. What'd you think of the extended version of the video?

[MatthewsPersonal]

There's something interesting about the composition here. There is a certain dream logic to these tales that exists even in the oldest folk tales we have. And until the modern age, this is never called out, its just accepted, much like the dream logic in the story is just accepted. Modern eyes see it with a sort of confused bemusement, but I think it functions as a powerful tonal tool. It's funny, it makes the *listener* laugh, so that the moral lessons can be more easily digested, and beyond that, it conjurs strong images that stay with us. It makes these tales memorable and identifiable.

[xMaugrex]

"This is very annoying" seems like the perfect response to losing the ability to block light

[Michael-fdgx]

I think the shadow could be a fake persona that becomes more real than the original person, until the original person ceases to be.

[rabbit-exe]

honestly, I think the protagonist is pretty relatable. if I made a joke and my shadow Fully Walked Away From Me, I'd probably also be like "aw, beans" and go to bed

[lonerimortal]

this is a literal meaning to the phrase: "he is just the shadow of the man he once was"
I know this is not the exact phrase, but the fact that it can change a word and have the same meaning speaks for itself :^)

[hansdampf]

"Your shadow is not your opponent, but your untrustworthy guide." Holy shit, that hit the nail on the head center mass. Absolutely beautifully put. With this sentence alone, you've just earned a new subscriber.
Great video.

[hannahross]

I love where this story takes the idea of shadow. In a world not needing to be saved; heroes are foolish, kindness is bland, and integrity is not admirable. Truly, the world's darkness highlights what we consider to be good and beautiful.

[guntherhasregrets]

this story reminds me of a line i read a long time ago;
"one who fights too long against dragons, becomes a dragon himself"

[gatecreeper]

Becoming the shadow and letting the former shadow take control is a perfect analogy for addiction. It's hard to explain and come to terms with, the fact that in the end everything horrible you've done is your responsibility, but your true self wasn't in the driver's seat while it was happening, your shadow was.

[rajdeepkashyap]

The Real Venom adaptation that we needed. If the Venom movies were even loosely based on this tale, we could've had a gold in our hands.

[MarkAngelbuer]

This hits close for me, for the past 2 years I've been a lost soul. But I think it might be time to "confront my own shadow"

[Fyrverk]

Andersen, huh? I remember crying alot as a child after we read "The Little Match Girl"

[good-sofa]

Him: "It's not fictional, it's real" me realising that he's talking about my shadow: "oh hello" *waves at his shadow*

[briangoubeaux]

My brother used the tale to make a character for a superhero game that we had. His character was an offspring of the shadow and therefore had the ability to ask shadows for help when needed. The sessions were interesting whenever it was used.

[chuckbrunty]

An interesting interpretation but I have to disagree. Anderson doesn't normally use his characters symbolically but rather representatively. In this case, I believe, the shadow represents the fake friend. He follows you around copying everything you do until he sees the chance to take something that you don't have but want. He lives off of other peoples successes, incapable of thinking creatively. He digs up secrets about people that he can use to manipulate them. I see the warning that, if you wait too long to call them out, he will have convinced everyone that you are a jealous copy cat and no one will believe you.

[gailcbull]

"The shadow is the seat of creativity". This quote reminds me of something a heard years ago. "People compare art to flowers. But it's actually more like a mushroom. It grows best in the dark with its feet in sh!t."

[masstv]

The history of most fairy tales is dark, it's only in modern retelling that they've been disneyfied and made into children's stories. They were originally dark life lessons to teach the children about the evils and the horrors of real life and story format

[neverseemstoAsh]

insane, i wrote an analysis of this tale a few years back in college and reached the exact same conclusions about the messages. you worded it way more eloquently though lol

[sasusakufangirl]

I remember reading 'The Shadow' as a comic/graphic novel adaptation when I was a child and I found its themes quite intriguing. And I remember the artist had chosen to do the adaptation in black and white which really added to the experience.
I'm glad to see this story get some attention from other people than myself ^-^
Love from Denmark, the home of Hans Christian Andersen <3