Fables and Folktales: The Snow Queen

Welcome to 2021! It's cold, it's been a hell of a journey, and sometimes it feels like we're being pelted by shattered glass. What story could've possibly fit the bill so perfectly?

Disney really missed an opportunity when they decided Frozen was going to have exactly nothing in common with the original story. Honestly that kind of analysis could be worth a video all on its own…

It's myth-y enough I'm still gonna put it in the same playlist, but it would've felt disingenuous calling it a myth, soooooo

Our content is intended for teenage audiences and up.

PARTIAL TRACKLIST: Journey OST, Fire And Ice, Morning Mood, Starfall, Sky Becomes Water, Lacrimosa, The Flower Duet, Flight of the Silverbird, A Hole in the Sun, Wind Queen

Want this video in another language? Check out our guide to contributing translated captions:

[CatHasOpinions]

Honestly the snow queen feels like a young kid who found a stray animal they liked. "He followed me home, so I'm going to keep him! We're going to play fun games and I'm sure I won't accidentally get him killed by not knowing what I'm doing - Hey why are you turning blue?"

[skycaptain]

"The mirror exaggerates your worst aspects and minimize your best"

Oh so a normal mirror, got it

[AdeptArcanist]

To be fair, it almost sounds like the snow Queen wasn’t even evil so much as just… some magic woman who REALLY didn’t understand how children work?

[asterism]

Kay not realizing he's freezing because he's focusing so hard on the puzzle is concerningly relatable

[TheMewtata]

I feel like the snow Queen not being all that present is purposeful. She’s not a villain in the traditional way; she’s just a dangerous presence. She barely even kidnaps the kid; he comes of his own accord, and she just doesn’t care enough to return him.

The real villain is the mirror shards; something INSIDE Kay. Gerta is essentially rescuing him from himself.

[quartzintherough]

"Don't follow beautiful women into blizzards"

You can't fucking stop me

[Diego-zzdf]

Disney: "Our princesses are so pure, animals follow their every command"

HCA: "My MC girl is so pure, her voice can bend reality to fit her needs and her breath can turn into angelic warriors to slaughter her enemies."

[alexie]

Fun fact: the two ladies Gerda met before she found the Snow Queen's palace are the Sami woman and the Finnish woman. This means Gerda traveled all the way from Denmark(?) to the Lapland region of Finland.

[Volvith]

"Gerda kisses away his frostbite... Just... Just go with it..."
_I mean she summoned warrior angels with her breath, is this really supposed to be surprising?_

[ButterflyScarlet]

*Red:* are there no parents in this town?
*Me:* Look, the parents in fairytales are either dead, evil, or neglectful. Gerda isn't missing out on anything.

[longdeadchannel]

When you’re trying to get closure but the Sun says “no”.

[Sock-Puppet]

To be honest, here, the snow queen doesn't even look all that antagonistic, she was just kinda "Oh you're cool, you can come with me" and besides, who doesn't have an army of monsters living and guarding their house?

[evelynlewis]

Gerda kissing away his frostbite is relevant because the Snow Queen gave him the frostbite by kissing him at the beginning of the story

[smolangelo]

Gerda: *BREATHES*
Everyone: "Understandable, have a great day."

[nehb]

"A crow lands nearby and asks if she's okay, officially winning him the coveted gold medal for most responsible adult in the story"

[inari]

This actually ended pretty good for being a Hans Christian Andersen story

[ericnunez]

“It’s like Santa, but backwards and also a crime.”
- Red 2021

[dylantennant]

White Witch: So what did you to bribe him with, Turkish delight?
Snow Queen: Nope. The dumbass just got in, no bribery.
White Witch: I hate you!

[johnwebb]

I like the part about the smart, bored princess getting a husband. It was so sweet and so random part of the story.

[daniellesmith]

The whole Snow Queen part kind of feels like set up for a sequel. She's gonna come home, totally unaware of the plot, find the puzzle solved and the boy she tasked with solving it missing. WTF happens if she tries to keep her promise to Kay?