Tales of the Past (With Morals)

She KNOWS she shouldn’t … but she does

nce upon a time – a year ago in fact – I discovered the most beautiful vintage red cashmere coat, trimmed in rabbit’s fur in a boutique hidden in one of Melbourne’s laneways. The coat was expensive, but irresistible: I purchased it. It curled in ruffles around the hem; it swished like a luxurious cloak around me as I walked. All that was missing was a hood.

That didn’t stop friends and total strangers in the street alike to exclaim, “Little Red Riding Hood!” when they chanced upon me wearing it. This happened so many times last winter that I knew I had to create a tale around this evocative theme.

In the height of the summer gone past I finally had the time to do the photoshoot – and sweltered as I pranced in front of the camera. Then only weeks after, I saw the film poster for Red Riding Hood. I had no idea at all that a new film had been made. The movie poster is certainly full of mystery and foreboding. It actually has nine antecedents, the earliest a silent Czech film made in 1920.

Many fairy tales have sinister origins, and unflinchingly employ gore to fully convey their strong moral themes. Little Red Riding Hood is no exception…

Origins

The earliest known tale was had its origins in 17th century French folklore, and was written down for print by Charles Perrault in his collection Tales and Stories of the Past With Morals in 1697. It was he who introduced the red hood.

The oral versions are traced back even earlier, to the 14th century, related by French and Italian peasants, in which the girl rescues herself through her own cunning. These old versions were in fact titled after the grandmother, not the caped girl. There are also links to old Russian and Norse stories.

The German Brothers Grimm tackled it in the 19th century, basing their stories on Perrault’s, but writing a sequel where the girl and her grandmother trapped and killed another wolf, presumably as a form of revenge, or deterrent to future erring wolves. 

Themes

Earlier versions were far ‘grimmer’ than the sanitised and happy-ending of the 19th century authors’: Perrault’s story ended badly, with the attractive, well-bred young lady being eaten by the wolf. End of story. No woodcutter. No rescue. Basically it was a warning written to good girls: beware of (human) wolves, especially those quiet, gentle seducers who enter your home.

…Perrault’s story ended badly, with the attractive, well-bred young lady being eaten by the wolf

Other interpretations include literal warnings against wolf attacks, wolves being genuine predators; natural cycles, such as solar myths, or seasonable fables, ie spring as an escape from winter – also akin to the notion of rebirth; puberty rituals; and sexual awakening – the red cloak symbolising the menstrual cycle, and the dark forest, womanhood. ‘The anthropomorphic wolf symbolises a man, who could be a lover, seducer or sexual predator.’1

The first and last seem most likely to me, as often the simplest and most obvious explanation is the true one – and the neatest.

Art

Scroll down for some lovely vintage art, and some more modern interpretations from today’s photographers.

Carl Offterdinger (1829–1889), German children’s book illustrator

Walter Crane (1845-1915), English artist and book illustrator

Margaret Ely Webb (1877-1965), American children’s book illustrator and author of art textbooks

From an anthology of fairy tales, 1927

Manga style by Aurore, 2006; (click image for link)

LOVE this coat too! Dakota Fanning stars in Karl Lagerfeld’s shoot for Vanity Fair, Jan 2007

Natalia Vodianova stars in Mert Alas' and Marcus Piggott's interpretation of the fairy-tale for US Vogue, Sep 2009; click image to see more imagesI do like this interpretation of the ravening wolf transformed into faithful friends. Singer/actress Selena Gomez as Little Red Riding Hood, Dec 2010Suitably mysterious. Red Riding Hood film poster, 2011

Footnotes
1. Wikipedia