Speak Softly and Carry a Sharp Bite
By Andrew Tackett
The wolf has remained a powerful symbol of terror and predation in oral and literary folk tales, especially in Europe, for over five centuries. In “Little Red Riding Hood” by Charles Perrault, Joseph Jacob’s “The Three Little Pigs”, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm’s “The Wolf and the Seven Young Kids”, and other classic tellings of “Little Red Riding Hood” as collected by such authors as Paul Delarue, and the Grimms, we can see how the wolf was used to convey a cautionary tale to children as well as the more intriguing use as a metaphor for sexual awakening and promiscuity. By understanding the symbolism and cultural implications woven into these texts, we may understand how ancient myths can remain influential even in modern cultures.
These three tales are connected in several ways that are integral to the moral lesson contained within the stories, as intended for children. Each tale involves a young child or animal that must safely navigate life in the absence of a protecting mother-crone figure. The youth also encounter a wolf that employs trickery so he may eat them. These tales offer a worthy, yet superficial lesson to children; listen to instructions and don’t talk to strangers or bad things will happen. Without ignoring the deeper and more perplexing symbolism in the texts, we may look closely at the particular germination of the cautionary aspect of the tales. According to Jack Zipes, “In certain areas of 16th-century France people of all ages became afraid to pass through fields or woods alone because of werewolves or wolves” (Zipes 4). This fear emanated not from the abundance of blood-thirsty wolves, but from a “virtual epidemic of trials against men accused of being werewolves in the 16th and 17th centuries similar to the trials against women as witches” (Zipes 4). This shows the fear was from a propagated myth, not from a true threat from real wolves. Nevertheless, the fear remained entrenched in the culture of France and other parts of Europe and led to the creation of tales to warn against these dangers.
These tales contain a clear moral purpose for children, yet they also possess themes of sexuality, puberty, coming-of-age, seduction, lust, rape, and male fantasy. These themes are somewhat buried and ambiguous to many readers due to the “male-dominated civilizing process” employed by Perrault and later writers (Zipes 13). Perrault first toned down the explicit sexual innuendo to make the tale of “Little Red Riding Hood” more palatable and “reinforce the prestige and superiority of bourgeois-aristocratic values and styles” ( Zipes 13). This process continued in the Grimms version since “the tale was still too cruel, too sexual, and too tragic” for their readers ( Zipes 14). This watering down of the story of “Little Red Cap” ties into “The Wolf and the Seven Young Kids” when “the Grimms borrowed a motif from the folk tale The Wolf and the Seven Kids”, in which the wolf’s belly is filled with stones ( Zipes 15). The process the tales underwent to make them more palatable and less harsh is one reason it can be so difficult to tease out the deeper metaphors and symbols buried in the stories.
The motivations for rule-breaking and misbehavior by the youth in these tales are not explicit in the narrative, yet some underlying reason must exist as to why the children disobey the instructions of their parents. Whether they talk to strangers in the woods or let strangers in their homes, the over-arching idea is that they did not follow simple instructions. Steven Jones points out that this may be seen, through a psychoanalytical viewpoint, as the children having “a certain ambivalence about their feelings towards their mother” (Jones 101). This could be due to the onset of puberty and a rebellious attitude, or a sense of oppression from their mothers. This also alludes to the coming-of-age theme and sees the children having to make decisions, whether good or bad, and learning from their mistakes. The defiance and disobedience in the tales opens the door for the sexual promiscuity and exploration found in “Little Red Riding Hood” as well as the moral ethic to be gleaned from the frightening experience of the pigs and goats.
These three tales are connected in several ways that are integral to the moral lesson contained within the stories, as intended for children. Each tale involves a young child or animal that must safely navigate life in the absence of a protecting mother-crone figure. The youth also encounter a wolf that employs trickery so he may eat them. These tales offer a worthy, yet superficial lesson to children; listen to instructions and don’t talk to strangers or bad things will happen. Without ignoring the deeper and more perplexing symbolism in the texts, we may look closely at the particular germination of the cautionary aspect of the tales. According to Jack Zipes, “In certain areas of 16th-century France people of all ages became afraid to pass through fields or woods alone because of werewolves or wolves” (Zipes 4). This fear emanated not from the abundance of blood-thirsty wolves, but from a “virtual epidemic of trials against men accused of being werewolves in the 16th and 17th centuries similar to the trials against women as witches” (Zipes 4). This shows the fear was from a propagated myth, not from a true threat from real wolves. Nevertheless, the fear remained entrenched in the culture of France and other parts of Europe and led to the creation of tales to warn against these dangers.
These tales contain a clear moral purpose for children, yet they also possess themes of sexuality, puberty, coming-of-age, seduction, lust, rape, and male fantasy. These themes are somewhat buried and ambiguous to many readers due to the “male-dominated civilizing process” employed by Perrault and later writers (Zipes 13). Perrault first toned down the explicit sexual innuendo to make the tale of “Little Red Riding Hood” more palatable and “reinforce the prestige and superiority of bourgeois-aristocratic values and styles” ( Zipes 13). This process continued in the Grimms version since “the tale was still too cruel, too sexual, and too tragic” for their readers ( Zipes 14). This watering down of the story of “Little Red Cap” ties into “The Wolf and the Seven Young Kids” when “the Grimms borrowed a motif from the folk tale The Wolf and the Seven Kids”, in which the wolf’s belly is filled with stones ( Zipes 15). The process the tales underwent to make them more palatable and less harsh is one reason it can be so difficult to tease out the deeper metaphors and symbols buried in the stories.
The motivations for rule-breaking and misbehavior by the youth in these tales are not explicit in the narrative, yet some underlying reason must exist as to why the children disobey the instructions of their parents. Whether they talk to strangers in the woods or let strangers in their homes, the over-arching idea is that they did not follow simple instructions. Steven Jones points out that this may be seen, through a psychoanalytical viewpoint, as the children having “a certain ambivalence about their feelings towards their mother” (Jones 101). This could be due to the onset of puberty and a rebellious attitude, or a sense of oppression from their mothers. This also alludes to the coming-of-age theme and sees the children having to make decisions, whether good or bad, and learning from their mistakes. The defiance and disobedience in the tales opens the door for the sexual promiscuity and exploration found in “Little Red Riding Hood” as well as the moral ethic to be gleaned from the frightening experience of the pigs and goats.
The untamed oral folktale versions of “Little Red Riding Hood” are the domain of analysis of the relationship between the young girl and the “hungry” wolf. These tales contain a less significant moral that “scolds the heroine” and instead focus on the dynamic between curiosity and desire (Orenstein 69). The use of pins and needles to describe the different paths the girl and the wolf take “demonstrates that the references to the pins and needles were related to the needlework apprenticeship undergone by young peasant girls, and designated the arrival of puberty and initiation into society” (Zipes 7). This version of the tale, recorded by Delarue, shows that the young girl chose the path of discovery of her womanhood and sexual awakening. According to this blog, by Ronald Tan, the pins and needles symbol has a different interpretation than that of Zipes. The author believes “the sewing tools are a symbol for the different stages of a woman’s life” (Tan). The pins are a temporary fastener, representing youth and the needles are a permanent fastener representing adulthood and permanence. The girl chooses the path of pins, meaning she retains her youth and purity. Delarue’s version contains another archetypal motif in which the girl eats the flesh and blood of her grandmother. This exemplifies the maturation of the maiden figure and negates the need for the crone any longer. These themes and motifs are certainly central and original to the oral folktale, though other more recent analysis leaves suspicion as to the meaning and origin of the red cap of “Little Red Riding Hood”.
Several modern scholars believe the red cap to have powerful meaning in relation to the tale. Scholars from several disciplines believe the red cap had “been derived from ancient myths about the sunrise and sunset. The red garment of Little Red Riding Hood was associated with the sun, and the wolf and was considered to be the personification of darkness” (Zipes 2). Since “recent research has proven rather conclusively that Little Red Riding Hood is of fairly modern vintage”, the tale and its red hood cannot be attributed to ancient myth (Zipes 2). Erich Fromm and Bruno Bettelheim, through their psychoanalytical views, believed “the red cap symbolized the onset of menstruation, the heroin’s bottle of wine symbolized her virginity, and the stones which she later sews into the wolf’s belly symbolized sterility” as well as that “the red velvet cap given by Grandmother to Little Red Cap thus can be viewed as a symbol of premature transfer of sexual attractiveness” (Orenstein 70-71). This analysis lends itself well to the story and would be hard to disagree with if not for the “the discovery of ‘The Grandmother’s Tale’ and its variants”, in which “it became evident that many of the so-called “archetypal” motifs that scholars had latched on to, including the beloved cloak, were not universal at all” (Orenstein 71). This illustrates the nuanced approach necessary to fully comprehend these tales without over-analyzing them and seeing things that are not there.
To this point, it seems the analysis has centered on “Little Red Riding Hood”, this is in part true. Due to the extensive cannon of work concerning this tale, there is a multitude of analysis of the story and its cultural implications. This does not mean the story of “The Three Little Pigs” and “The Wolf and the Seven Young Kids” are not connected to the other tale. The two latter tales are more contemporary products of the “male-dominated civilizing process” previously mentioned. They have, to my knowledge, no ancient oral or mythical roots, but are instead variants on the moral theme perpetuated by Perrault and later authors. Though lacking in sexual promiscuity, they still entail coming-of-age as well as oppressive and rebellious motifs. There are also themes of rescue by a hero or a crone figure that follow the more modern, toned-down variations we see beginning in the 18th century. The rescue in these more modern tales also entails the killing of the wolf, which in the modern view, can be seen as representing the devil, or temptation. This also speaks to the moralistic teachings found in the modern incarnations of the stories since the evil power is vanquished and goodness prevails.
As a society, we see these mythical stories as cautionary tales warning against the misfortune and evil that lurks when we veer off the instructed path. The moral imperative is important to consider in terms of raising children that follow instructions and behave. But what do we learn from the other, more interesting themes contained within these tales? Should sexual exploration and discovery be repressed? Are men like wolves, just waiting to take advantage of a young virgin? These and other questions are explored and answered by a plethora of scholars and enthusiasts in varying ways that lend themselves to certain interpretations. I cannot say any one interpretation of the symbols and metaphors is right or wrong, but can only weigh the evidence and analysis and decide which is more plausible. By continually exploring the various methodological approaches to understanding the intent of these tales, our civilization and culture will continue to be influenced by the dynamic relationships among different genders and ages as it pertains to identity, exploration, and personal discovery.
To this point, it seems the analysis has centered on “Little Red Riding Hood”, this is in part true. Due to the extensive cannon of work concerning this tale, there is a multitude of analysis of the story and its cultural implications. This does not mean the story of “The Three Little Pigs” and “The Wolf and the Seven Young Kids” are not connected to the other tale. The two latter tales are more contemporary products of the “male-dominated civilizing process” previously mentioned. They have, to my knowledge, no ancient oral or mythical roots, but are instead variants on the moral theme perpetuated by Perrault and later authors. Though lacking in sexual promiscuity, they still entail coming-of-age as well as oppressive and rebellious motifs. There are also themes of rescue by a hero or a crone figure that follow the more modern, toned-down variations we see beginning in the 18th century. The rescue in these more modern tales also entails the killing of the wolf, which in the modern view, can be seen as representing the devil, or temptation. This also speaks to the moralistic teachings found in the modern incarnations of the stories since the evil power is vanquished and goodness prevails.
As a society, we see these mythical stories as cautionary tales warning against the misfortune and evil that lurks when we veer off the instructed path. The moral imperative is important to consider in terms of raising children that follow instructions and behave. But what do we learn from the other, more interesting themes contained within these tales? Should sexual exploration and discovery be repressed? Are men like wolves, just waiting to take advantage of a young virgin? These and other questions are explored and answered by a plethora of scholars and enthusiasts in varying ways that lend themselves to certain interpretations. I cannot say any one interpretation of the symbols and metaphors is right or wrong, but can only weigh the evidence and analysis and decide which is more plausible. By continually exploring the various methodological approaches to understanding the intent of these tales, our civilization and culture will continue to be influenced by the dynamic relationships among different genders and ages as it pertains to identity, exploration, and personal discovery.
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References
- Jones, Steven Swann. “On Analyzing Fairy Tales: "Little Red Riding Hood" Revisited.” Western Folklore Vol. 46, No. 2 (1987), pp. 97-106. Print
- Orenstein, Catherine. Little Red Riding Hood Uncloaked: Sex, Morality, And The Evolution Of A Fairy Tale. New York : Basic Books. 2002. Print
- Tan, Ronald. Blog. http://redridingho0d.weebly.com/the-grandmothers-tale.html
- Zipes, Jack. The Trials and Tribulations of Little Red Riding Hood: Versions of the Tale in Sociocultural Context. South Hadley, Mass. Bergin & Garvey Publishers. 1983. Print
- Red Riding Hood. By George Frederic Watts
- Little Red Riding Hood. By: Evanira http://evanira.deviantart.com/art/Little-Red-Riding-Hood-370301983
- Red Riding Hood. By: Friendbeast
- The wolf attacking the seven kids, by Karl Fahringer (1874-1952)