The Brothers Grimm really weren't so much authors

Rating: 7/10 (30 May 2004)

In trivia, it says:
The Fairy Godmother says, "What in Grimm's name..." - a reference to the Brothers Grimm who are the authors of many fairy tales such as the ones used in the movie.
The Brothers Grimm really weren't so much authors. They tracked, traced, collected, cataloged, studied, consolidated and edited many fairy tales in to book form. The original authors of most fairy tales are lost to history. But the tales were probably invented by mothers and told to their children. Many could be described as 'allegories inspired by actual events'. In the absence of literacy, or literate women being discouraged from educating their children, or 'common' peoples (literate or not) being prevented from acquiring biblical knowledge (at one time no one was allowed to read the Bible, not even priests, without the personal permission of the Pope), mothers need ways to teach their children about morality, spirituality, and the harsh realities of life in a way that wouldn't stir up trouble. The daughters retold these tale to their children, who told their children and so on. By the time the Brothers Grimm got hold of a tale it could be 100 years old. In some cases the tales had its origins thousands of years in the past.