Fairy tales often feature white as a magical color. In many traditional folktales and fairy tales, the color white is commonly associated with mystical and magical elements. This association can be seen in various aspects of these tales, such as the appearance of white animals, white objects, and characters dressed in white. The presence of white in these stories often symbolizes purity, innocence, and otherworldly power. One of the recurring motifs in fairy tales is the appearance of white animals, such as unicorns, white doves, and white stags. These creatures are often portrayed as rare and mythical, possessing magical qualities.
In spite of the 'Sleeping Beauty' picture at the top of this post, you don’t get pink in fairytales. You don’t get purple. Yellow is rare. But there is white snow, white linen, white snakes, white doves, white swans, white feathers. Red blood, and roses as red as blood. There are green branches in dark forests. Black ravens, black ebony, black coal. Golden hair, golden straw, golden crowns, golden spinning wheels.
Once upon a time in the middle of winter, when the flakes of snow were falling like feathers from the sky, a Queen sat at a window sewing, and the frame of the window was made of black ebony. Beauty is a commodity in fairy tales, and while I like to downplay that aspect of them, I do want her to know that beauty lives within the features of all ethnicities, and not only the Caucasian ones.
These creatures are often portrayed as rare and mythical, possessing magical qualities. Their white color is seen as a symbol of their extraordinary nature and connection to the supernatural realm. For example, the unicorn, with its pure white coat and magical horn, is often depicted as a symbol of purity and grace.
Colour Symbolism in Fairy Tale Film Adaptations. "Mirror Mirror" and "Snow White & the Huntsman"
Once upon a time - 200 years ago to be precise - two brothers put down a collection of previously orally bequeathed wondrous and fantastic stories that would continue to amaze children and adults all over the world.
These so-called folktales or fairy tales with their simple stories, magical characters and educational morals fascinated people for hundreds of years. The stories written down by the brothers Grimm represent the sociohistoric and cultural context from their time 1 . As the world changes old styles of oral storytelling give way to newer ones, particularly technologically advanced ways of narration: books, CDs, DVDs, video games, cinema, et cetera. Although there are numerous newer fantastic stories such as Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter, the fairy tales' timeless themes like good versus evil, love, friendship, fear and bravery still reappear in contemporary narrative media. Today these fairy stories are still engaging for children, teenagers as well as adults. However, one may not find them very often being told in gloomy, fire-lit spinning rooms or read aloud at children's bedsides any more, but rather on a huge screen with surround sound, special visual effects in 3D and lots of popcorn and candy to nibble.
One of the most popular of Grimms' folktales is S(ch)neewittchen (KHM 53), internationally known as Snow White, Snow Drop, Blanche-neige or Blanca Nieve 2 . No doubt, Snow White is “die beliebteste, meistillustrierte, meistverfilmte, aber auch vielfach parodierte und verkitschte Figur der Kinder- und Hausm ä rchen [der Gebrüder Grimm]” 3 .
The tale of Little Snow White has been transformed into many media during the last 200 years, however, Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs from 1937 is supposedly THE classic feature-length animated fairy film par excellence. Since the film won a special Oscar and was one of the most successful films of the 1930s, it was a milestone in the career of the Disney studios and the genre of fairy tales as well 4 . “Der Welterfolg dieses Filmes ist ungebrochen. Noch im Jahre 2001, 64 Jahre nach der Premiere und rechtzeitig zum 100. Geburtstag Walt Disneys, erlebte der Streifen ein Comeback als Video- Kasette für das Heimkino” 5 .
In 2012, as if to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the original fairy tale, two brand new Hollywood cine films were released: Tarsem Singh's Mirror Mirror (with Lily Collins as Snow White and Julia Roberts as her stepmother) and Snow White & the Huntsman directed by Rupert Sanders (starring Kristen Stewart as Snow White and Charlize Theron as the evil Queen). Interestingly enough both adaptation seem to have nothing in common, although they are both based on the classic fairy tale Snow White. One glance at the age ratings (Mirror Mirror: U, Snow White: 12A) and cover pictures of these two film adaptations is all you need to see how different they are in genre, setting and mood. There are several features one can investigate in film analysis, however, this paper will focus on the colours being used in the films and the mood they create on the audience. As there is no original literature on that specific topic, literature concerning film adaptations (of fairy tales), the two films on DVD, and some sources on colour symbolism will be consulted.
White objects are also frequently featured in fairy tales as enchanted or magical items. These objects can take various forms, such as a white stone, a white rose, or a white feather. They are often sought after by characters in the story for their magical properties or ability to grant wishes. The color white in these objects signifies their extraordinary nature and their ability to bring about transformation or fulfill desires. Furthermore, characters dressed in white are often portrayed as powerful and mysterious figures. White clothing symbolizes their association with the supernatural and their possession of otherworldly abilities. These characters are usually wise, magical beings or beings with divine attributes. Their white attire adds to their aura of mystique and elevates them above ordinary mortals in the narrative. Overall, the recurrence of white as a magical color in fairy tales highlights its significance in the folklore and mythology of various cultures. The symbolism of white in these stories represents purity, innocence, and the extraordinary. Through its association with magical elements, the color white adds depth and enchantment to the worlds of fairy tales..
Reviews for "The Symbolic Meaning of White in Fairy Tales: Unraveling its Magic"
1. Emily - 2 stars - I found "Fairy tales often feature white as a magical color" to be quite disappointing. While I understand that white is often used symbolically in fairy tales, I feel that the author missed an opportunity to explore the deeper meaning and messages behind this choice. Instead, the book focused on surface-level analysis, providing only superficial explanations without delving into the rich history and cultural significance of white as a magical color. Overall, I was left unsatisfied and wanting more substance.
2. Michael - 1 star - "Fairy tales often feature white as a magical color" was a complete letdown for me. The book promised to explore the use of white in fairy tales but failed to deliver any insightful analysis. It felt like a rushed and poorly researched piece, lacking depth and critical thinking. Instead of providing readers with a comprehensive explanation of the connection between white and magic in fairy tales, the book only scratched the surface, leaving more questions unanswered than answered. I would not recommend this book to anyone genuinely interested in the topic.
3. Sarah - 2 stars - I was unimpressed with "Fairy tales often feature white as a magical color." The author's arguments were weak and unsubstantial, providing little evidence to support their claims. While there is potential in exploring the symbolism of white in fairy tales, this book failed to go beyond superficial explanations and missed the opportunity to provide a deeper analysis. I expected more from the author and was left disappointed by the lack of depth and critical thinking in this work.