Sabinet | Reluctant romantics - on the fairy tale poetics of the Brothers Grimm and their relationship to German Romanticism : original research
n Literator : Journal of Literary Criticism, Comparative Linguistics and Literary Studies - Reluctant romantics - on the fairy tale poetics of the Brothers Grimm and their relationship to German Romanticism : original research
Author Isabel Dos Santos1
Source : Literator : Journal of Literary Criticism, Comparative Linguistics and Literary Studies, Volume 35, Issue 1, Jan 2014, p. 1 - 8
The legacy of the Brothers Grimm continues to fascinate readers and researchers alike. The 200-year anniversary of the first publication of their fairy tales sparked a renewed interest in the life, work and times of the brothers. Fascinated by the past, by the political present and by the literary future of Romanticism, the Brothers Grimm stayed together in an unusual working union. They established what was to become German philology and published many invaluable works on language and history, myths and folk tales. This article will focus on the brothers&apos; place in German Romanticism through their contribution of fairy tales. The period was marked by political and philosophical thought that emphasised authentic experienced and the spiritual unity of art, science and philosophy. There was a strong call for national emancipation. Literature was required to embody this unity through an established national literature founded on German folk traditions. The Grimms seemed to have heeded that call. But a careful study reveals that their intentions were motivated less by the literary movement than by their own strong convictions which they upheld even at the cost of compromising the authenticity they claimed to uphold in their poetics. The many controversies regarding the origins, collection and editing of the fairy tales is inextricably linked to the brothers&apos; difficult relationship with the Romantic Movement. Two hundred years later, this article seeks to give an appraisal of the Brothers&apos; motivation for their poetics and of the research conducted thus far.
Teensinnige Romantici - oor die sprokiesopvattings van die gebroeders Grimm en hulle verhouding tot die Duitse Romantiek
Die nalatenskap van die gebroeders Grimm fassineer lesers en navorsers nog steeds. Die 200-jarige herdenking van die eerste publikasie van hulle sprokies het nuwe belangstelling in die lewe, werk en tydsomstandighede van die Grimms gewek. Betower deur die verlede, die politieke hede en die letterkundige toekoms van die Romantiek, het hulle op &apos;n ongewone manier saamgewerk om wat uiteindelik Duitse filologie sou word, te vestig. Hulle het talle waardevolle werke oor taal, geskiedenis, mites en volksverhale gepubliseer, waaronder hulle versamelings wêreldberoemde feëverhale. Hierdie artikel fokus op die broers se posisie binne die Duitse Romatiek en die bydrae wat hulle gemaak het in die vorm van sprokies. Die tydperk is gekenmerk deur politieke en filosofiese denke, wat outentieke ervaring en die spirituele eenheid van kuns, wetenskap en filosofie nagestreef het. Nasionale emansipasie was aan die orde. Letterkunde moes sodanige eenheid beliggaam deur &apos;n nasionale letterkunde wat geskoei is op Duitse volkstradisies. Dit lyk asof die Grimms &apos;n belangrike bydrae hiertoe kon lewer. Noukeurige navorsing toon egter dat hulle intensies deur hulle eie sterk oortuigings gemotiveer is, eerder as deur die literêre beweging. So sterk was hulle eie oortuigings dat dit selfs die outentisiteit wat hulle voorgee om te handhaaf in hulle werk, onder verdenking plaas. Die talle geskille ten opsigte van die oorsprong, insameling en redigering van die sprokies is onlosmaaklik verbind aan die broers se problemantiese verhouding met die Romantiese Beweging. Hierdie artikel gee &apos;n oorsig van die motivering agter die broers se opvattings en van die onlangs navorsing oor hulle werk.
Persistent Link : http://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC163785
DOI : 10.4102/lit.v35i1.1073