31 Days of Hallowe'en: Day Six

 Day 6: Halloween Film Series 

  The Halloween film franchise, is a famous one. It all started in 1978 and 40 years later in 2018, the latest film came out and we still loved it. I did anyway. Now, 1978 was almost ten years before I was born, so I didn't see it at the cinema, I actually have never seen any of them at the cinema. My introduction to the franchise was at a sleepover with my two best friends. We actually watched one of the sequels, I have since seen the original, the sequel Halloween: Resurrection and the 2018 film but that's it so far ( I do have the second film, Halloween 2, lined up for Halloween this year). I'm not 100% sure which the first one I watched was, but I think it was Halloween H2O: 20 Years Later. I don't remember any of what happened, I may have fallen asleep but I later watched Halloween :Resurrection with the same friends at another sleepover. Now it may be that the amount of slasher and Halloween films I have watched have blurred the lines a little and I have watched Halloween H2O: 20 Years Later but can't recall it. Maybe I'll watch it and a few minutes in be saying "Oh yes I remember now!" Or it may be that I've got my wires completely crossed and I've never actually seen it, just heard about it. however, I digress

   The Halloween films chronicle one of the greatest love stories of all time. Michael Myers saw this girl walking down the street singing a very innocent love song, nothing sexual or dirty, just a sweet song. He became fixated on this girl who was so different from his sister and fell in love. A sick, twisted, dark, crazy, scary, dangerously obsessive love, but love nonetheless. He spent forty years coming after her and she knew that one day he would come back for her.

   Michael Myers is arguably one of the scariest villains from the horror genre. His mask is human-like (it's actually a William Shatner mask) but blank and expressionless which makes his appearance unnerving. He is silent, not a villain who roars or explains his motives to anyone. Also creeps up on people, you don't hear him. He also moves very slowly and deliberately, lulling people into a false sense of security, thinking they can outrun him. His murders are very violent but they're indiscriminate; he kills whomever he needs to, even if his need, to us, doesn't make sense. To compare to other franchises, Freddy Krueger (Nightmare on Elm Street) kills for revenge, Jason's Mother/Jason (Friday the 13th), also are driven by vengeance, Ghost Face (Scream) the killer is always a different person but they tend to all want some kind of recognition and/or vengeance, Leatherface (Texas Chainsaw Massacre) kills out of self-defence and fear, being controlled by other family members. Michael Myer's motives are never completely clear. While the film hints that Michael has a mental illness, we are never explicitly told exactly why he kills. I have heard an explanation is put forward in the sixth film but it sounds a bit ridiculous to me. He is in many ways a mysterious killer, why does he kill? Where did he get that mask? How is he apparently indestructible? Our fear of the unknown definitely helps this film.

  Something that often happens with film franchises, is that the sequels start to get silly. Franchises can go on for too long and sometimes the writers seem to be clutching at straws to come up with a storyline. Now, I have only seen 3 or 4 films from his franchise and there are 11 so far, Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends more are scheduled for release in 2021 and 2022 respectively. So I can't really comment on how good the sequels are. As I have said, I can't really remember Halloween H2O: 20 Years Later but I really enjoyed both Halloween: Resurrection and Halloween (2018). I know that a lot of people completely disregard Halloween III Season of the witch as it doesn't really follow the storyline and that some people dislike Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers but, as I haven't seen them myself, I can't really comment. 

  All the Halloween films, while not timeless, are still enjoyable. A perfect film fest for the Halloween season and Halloween night. Maybe once I watch Halloween II I'll have some comments to make on it, but for now let me say, sweet dreams.

Jamie Lee Curtis on Halloween 2018

31 Days of Hallowe'en: Day Five

 Day 5: Nursery Rhymes

  

Every time people talk about dark nursery rhymes, ring-a-ring-o'-roses comes up. Some people say this is about the plague, documenting what a victim would go through. The ring of roses describes the rash, a pocketful of posies is in reference to the flowers that were used to mask the sell of sickness and also used to combat the miasmas people believed could cause illness. Atishoo is referencing sneezing, another symptom and the falling down is, of course, death. It wasn't until after the second world war this theory was put forward though. There is dispute now over whether or not it is based on the plague. There is a suggestion that originally, 'Rosie' was the girl in the middle of the circle who as danced around. There are also several different versions of the rhyme. It may be about the plague, it may not. It is not the only nursery rhyme that has a potentially dark history.

Baa Baa Black Sheep

Baa baa black sheep have you any wool?

Yes sir, yes sir three bags full

One for the master, one for the dame

And one for the little boy who lives down the lane

  Overly sensitive people have objected to this in recent years saying that the black sheep calling someone master is a reference to slavery. I don't see it at all and I am not singing baa baa rainbow sheep. For goodness sake there are black sheep and we learnt baa baa white sheep at school too. What is actually dark about it is both the subject matter and the original last line.

  Baa baa black sheep is about a tax on wool that came into effect in 1275. Originally the sheep has one bag for the master, one for the dame and none for the little boy who cries down the lane. While the gentry, master and dame, could afford the tax, the poor could not.

Goosey Goosey Gander

Goosey Goosey gander, 

Wither shall I wander

Upstairs and downstairs and in my lady's chamber

There I met an old man who would not say his prayers

So I took him by the left leg and threw him down the stairs

 

  This sounds pretty dark without the explanation. It is, as you might guess, about religious persecution. From 1559-1791, Catholicism was illegal in England (Henry VIII having founded the Church of England in 1534). Catholic priests, who said their prayers in Latin rather than English, were hunted and executed. Often, they hid in 'priest-holes', usually in the homes of sympathetic citizens. The wandering in the rhyme is searching for the priest and the priest hole in which he is hiding. When he refuses to say his prayers in English he is punished.

Mary, Mary Quite Contrary

   Mary, Mary quite contrary

How does your garden grow?

With silver bells and cockle shells

And pretty maids all in a row

  

  At first glance this doesn't seen dark at all. However, the original version of the rhyme didn't say 'garden' it said 'graveyard'. This rhyme is about Mary I of England, also known as 'Bloody Mary'. In her five year reign, Mary executed nearly 300 protestants for refusing to convert to Catholicism. The 'silver bells' in the rhyme are thumbscrews, a torture device used to crush the thumb. The 'cockle shells' are believed to refer to a torture device that was attached to the genitals. Though Mary is famous for burning Protestants at the stake, the 'pretty maids' refer to the guillotine.

  The guillotine is probably best known for being the method of execution in France, especially during the French Revolution. It was invented because beheading people with an axe wasn't easy, it could take more than one blow. People also were known to resist, one woman was chased round the scaffold by the executioner and had to be hacked at. The guillotine, called the Maiden, was a much easier way of beheading people. Rather a chilling rhyme when you know what it's actually about.

Three Blind Mice

Three blind mice, three blind mice

See how they run, see how they run

They all ran after the farmers wife

Who cut off their tails with a carving knife

Did you ever see such a thing in your life

As three blind mice

   As a child I found this a little dark. I always felt sorry for the mice having their tails cut off. This is yet another reference to something that happened during the reign of Mary I. The three blind mice are Hugh Latimer, Nicholas Radley and Thomas Cranmer, The Archbishop of Canterbury. All three were Protestant bishops who plotted to overthrow the Queen and burn her at the stake for heresy. Of course they were unsuccessful. Although it's not 100% clear, it is believed the blindness refers to their religious beliefs.

Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Mo

  Eeeny, meeny, miny, mo

Catch a tiger by the toe

If it squeals, let it go

Eeny, meeny, miny, mo

  A rhyme that's used a lot, there isn't really anything dark about it, at least these days. The word 'tiger' is a relatively new development. It used to be the n-word. For those who don't know, the n-word is a derogatory way to refer to a black person. It is not the only rhyme with a racist origin.

Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush

Here we go round the Mulberry bush

The mulberry bush, the mulberry bush

Here we go round the mulberry bush

On a cold and frosty morning

  We also wash our faces, brush our teeth and I'm pretty sure a few other things I've forgotten about. A popular children's rhyme and game when I was at primary school. It actually is a reference to female inmates at England's Wakefield Prison. The women would be exercised in a yard in which there was a mulberry tree. On some level I wish I had known that. Imagine walking away from that game, especially in PE and being able to tell my friends we were imitating prisoners. Since I do have a memory of doing it in PE, makes my school days sound pretty dark.

Rock-a-bye Baby

Rock-a-bye baby on the treetop

When the wind blows the cradle will rock

When the bough breaks the cradle will fall

And down will come baby cradle and all

  Poor baby right? That's what I thought when I heard this rhyme as a child. A dark rhyme in of itself, it is actually about child abduction. There are many that think that the son of James II of England and his wife, Mary of Modena, died at birth. Needing an heir to the throne, their baby was smuggled out and switched with the baby of a commoner. Whether the parents of the child were aware or not is unknown. Simply the dead child was exchanged for a live one.

Lucy Locket

Lucy Locket lost her pocket

Kitty Fisher found it

Not a penny as there in it

Only ribbon round it

  Lucy Locket and Kitty Fisher were actually real people. Both worked as prostitutes. One of Lucy's clients was dropped by her when his funds ran low. After this he and Kitty Fisher became lovers. The ribbon is a jibe at Lucy. Prostitutes at the time kept their money tied to their thigh or waist with a ribbon. Kitty got the man, and any money he had in the future.

Orange and Lemons

Oranges and lemons

Sing the bells of St Clements

You owe me five farthings

Sing the bells of St Martins

When will you pay me?

Sing the bells at Old Bailey

When I grow rich

Sing the bells at Shoreditch

When will that be?

Sing the bells at Stepney

I do not know

Sings the great bell at Bow

Here comes a candle to light you to bed

And here comes a chopper to chop of your head

Chip, chop, chip, chop

The last man is dead

  A cheerful one played as a game, with the last person being caught and being 'out'. There are variations. The actually locations of the bells is significant. this is the route prisoners would walk through London from the docks to the place of execution. They would here the bells as they went past and, at the end, would be executed. "Here comes a chopper to chop off your head"

  There are nursery rhymes that sound dark, they are nursery rhymes that sound innocent. Even the ones with not very dark origins, still have origins you might not guess. After all, Old Mother Hubbard is about Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, who fell out with King Henry VIII when his annulment from Catherine of Aragon was refused. Humpty Dumpty is about a cannon. Jack and Jill are about an amorous couple. Georgie Porgie is about George VI and his lustful ways. Scratch the surface and many nursery rhymes have, if not dark, questionable source material. I invite you all to do some research on your favourites and find out what, exactly, you have been singing about. I shall leave you with a poem that is beautifully dark without any explanation. For some background, this poem started off as ten little n-words by Frank Green and other versions are ten little Indians, often spelt injuns. due to the racist wording of these poems, it has been changed.

Ten Little Soldier Boys/And Then There Were None

Ten little soldier boys went out to dine

One choked his little self, then there were nine

Nine little soldier boys staying up late

One overslept himself, then there were eight

Eight little soldier boy going down to Devon

One said he'd stay there, then there were seven

Seven little soldier boys chopping up sticks

One chopped himself in half, then there were six

Six little soldier boys playing with a hive

A bumble bee stung one, then there were five

Five little soldier boys going in for law

One got in chancery, then there were four

Four little soldier boys going out to see

A red herring swallowed one, then there were three

Three little soldier boys going to the zoo

A big bear hugged one, then there were two

Two little soldier boys sitting in the sun

One got frazzled up, then there was one

One little soldier boy left all alone

He went and hanged himself and then there were none

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31 Days of Hallowe'en: Day Four

 Day 4: Superstitions

There are many superstitions in the world, some more commonly known than others. Breaking a mirror, one of the better known ones. Maybe because it causes seven years bad luck, maybe because it's not something people do easily or often. Different countries have different superstitions and most people have at least one that they believe. While the superstitions themselves are often well known, their origins are not. Here are some superstitions and their origins.

1. Breaking a mirror. Vampire lore can give you a clue to this one. Vampires have no reflection because they have no soul. as your reflection in the mirror is the image of your soul any damage done to the reflection is damage done to the soul. The seven years of bad luck comes from the Roman belief that life renewed every seven years. Also related to your reflection being your soul, you would have to endure seven years of hardship until your life renewed and your soul repaired.

2. Spilling Salt. Before the invention of fridges and freezers, salt was the only means of preserving meat through the winter months. Salt was valuable, to spill was a huge waste and therefore it was very bad luck. After all, what is worse than food spoiling, leaving you without food during winter. The word 'salary' actually comes from 'salt money', which is the allowance roman soldiers were given to buy salt to season their food.

3. Walking under a ladder.  A lot of people claim this is less superstition and more common sense. Obviously you don't want to knock the ladder, and therefore the person on it, over. Most people say that a fear of having something dropped on you is the main reason not to walk under a ladder. While I have yet to see someone on a ladder actually drop something, the superstition actually has a more  sinister origin. In fact it has several. When a ladder is propped against a wall, it makes a triangle, the triangle is a symbol of the holy trinity. The father, son and holy spirit. The triangle was also a sacred symbol to the Ancient Egyptians. To walk under this ladder is to break the triangle and show sympathy with the devil. Also, a ladder was propped against a cross in crucifixion and in England in the 1600s criminals had to walk under a ladder to reach the gallows.

4. Friday the 13th. Triskaidekaphobia, is quite a common fear. The fear of the number thirteen is an old one. Friday the 13th is especially unlucky because Friday is the witches sabbath.  Popular superstition amongst sailors, means that no ship sets sail on a Friday.  A story that may or may not be true is about the British Royal Navy attempting to debunk this superstition. A ship named Friday, which had its keel laid on a Friday, captained by Captain Friday, set sail on it's maiden voyage on a Friday. The ship disappered with all hands, no trace was ever found. Lots of people think the fear of the number 13, and having 13 sit at a table together, is because of the last supper. Jesus sat with his 12 disciples and Judas left first to betray him, later committing suicide. However, triskaidekaphobia pre-dates Christianity. In Norse mythology, twelve gods are sitting, eating a meal together. Loki, the god of strife, joins them, making thirteen. Loki then provokes a quarrel that ends in the death of Baldur, the favourite of the gods. Whilst Friday and 13 are unlucky on their own, Friday 13th, the combination of two unlucky things, takes the cake.

5. Macbeth. A famous play by William Shakespeare it is also known as The Scottish Play. This is because it is believed to be very unlucky to say 'Macbeth' in a theatre. Many don't question this, it is a rather dark play and included witches. It has however, been blamed for bad things happening in a theatre. Legend has it that real witches disliked Shakespeare's use of real incantations in the script and in retaliation cursed the play.  At it's fist performance, the actor playing Lady Macbeth died suddenly and Shakespeare was forced to fill in. It is rumoured that, at the same performance, the prop dagger used to kill the character of King Duncan was switched with a real dagger, causing the actor's death. Of course, as King Duncan is killed off stage this is unlikely but it may have been seen onstage in the 17th century. The curse of Macbeth even carries over. The Astor Place riot in New York in 1849, which resulted in at least 20 deaths and over 100 injuries, was caused by rivals actors who were both playing Macbeth at the time. Other productions have been plagued with accidents such as actors falling from the stage, mysterious deaths and near misses from falling stage weights. The famous actor Laurence Olivier himself, was almost hit by a stage weight in 1937. Utter a play that must not be named inside a theatre, is a superstition even drama students take seriously. During a theatre tour, a young man said it without thinking, and when gently reminded of where he was clapped a hand over his mouth and kept his eyes peeled for anything that could cause him harm. Being next led above the stage and being warned, with the rest of his group, not to touch the lights as they had been known to be unstable and fall, did not help.

6. Peacock feathers. Some even refuse to have images of peacocks in their house. This is another thing that is considered bad luck to have in a theatre. Although there is disagreement on this superstition, some believe they are good luck, it is probably though to be bad luck because of the superstition of the evil eye. The evil eye is the eye of a demon, usually Lilith, the mother of demons, and as such brings misfortune. The pattern on a peacocks feathers looks very much like eyes and even Greek Mythology says they are a tribute to a many eyed god who was murdered by Zeus' son. The evil eye still feared by  many people in many cultures, peacock feathers are even banned in some places.

7. Passing someone on the stairs. This is probably due to medieval castles. In medieval castles, the stairs spiral in a specific direction. This is because, during a siege, the soldiers defending the castle, coming down the stairs, would have the room the draw their sword and fight the enemy ascending the stairs, their opponent, would find the wall in the way. If you allowed the enemy to pass you on the stairs, that would give them the advantage, it would also mean they were closer to capturing the castle. Those of you questioning how that would work for  left-handed soldier, there was no such thing, Left handed people were banned from being soldiers. The Latin word for left, is where we get the word sinister. Left handed people were often linked to the devil. Another superstition.

8. Shoes on the table. Putting shoes, especially new ones, on the table is bad luck for a number of reasons. Shoes were pricey, very oftn the shoes of a dead person would be passed on to a family member as a 'new' pair, especially in poor families. Criminals were hanged wearing shoes and it is also reminiscent of laying out a body. Essentially it can predict a death in the family. Also, with the table being were food is laid out it could seem like common sense, but again it can imply contamination. An illness being passed on to someone leaving a pair of shoes going spare.

9. A white tablecloth. Leaving a white tablecloth on the table overnight is very unlucky. It indicates that someone in the house will soon be in need of a shroud. As people dressed in a shroud were laid out on the table for people to pay their final respects, essentially leaving a shroud ready and waiting is tempting fate.

10. Opening an umbrella indoors. This one is not at all interesting. In Victorian England, the metal frame of an umbrella could easily hurt someone. There was a fear it would poke a child in the eye. It was unlucky purely because it could hurt someone, especially an unwary child.

11. Pavement cracks. "Step on a crack, break your mother's back". The cracks in the earth were often seen as portals to other worlds, stepping on them was inviting evil spirits into your life. At one time, when black people were seen as inferior to white people, the rhyme "Step on a crack, your mother will turn black" was used. This sometimes was a metaphor and meant to imply your mother would have a black baby, a big taboo. While both rhymes sound a little like the person saying it is threatening others, it is meant a s a warning. Basically don't walk on he pavement cracks unless you want to invite misfortune.

12. Spiders. Whether you are fond of these arachnids (they are not insects, insects only have six legs) or not, killing them is considered unlucky. Arachnids do venture into people's homes, especially in the colder months. In England, spiders are considered relatively harmless, Britain does not boast many native poisonous spiders. Killing them is unnecessary, they can be moved fairly easily. Small spiders, called money spiders, are meant to bring good fortune, so killing one brings the opposite. While you probably shouldn't kill spiders anyway as they don't do much harm, at least in this country, killing money spiders is the only thing believed to always bring misfortune.

Triskaidekaphobics can skip the next one if they wish, it's about magpies.

13. Magpies. One for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl, four for a boy, five for silver, six for gold, seven for a secret never to be told, eight is a wish, nine is a kiss, ten is a bird you must not miss. A way many people know to avoid the sorrow one magpie brings is to salute. Some people also say "Good morning Captain" or "Good morning sir magpie". While it may seem silly, the reason we salute is out of respect. Magpies, like many birds, mate for life. Now, as many irritating people point out, seeing a lone magpie doesn't necessarily mean it has no mate but it is a reasonable assumption to make. We salute lone magpies because it is likely they have lost their mate. 

  Now these are all superstitions about unlucky things, there are superstitions about things that are meant to bring luck. Horseshoes, knocking wood, seeing two magpies, picking up pins etc but this is 31 Days of Hallowe'en and we are The Darkside. There are different superstitions across all countries, cultures and people. You can research and find some more, these are just a few. There was an eccentrics club in London who used to meet every Friday closest to the 13th and essentially tempt fate, they did not believe in superstitions. Umbrellas would be opened inside, salt would be spilled, ladders would be walked under and waiters would pour drinks into cracked and broken glasses.

  Now it is easy to dismiss superstitions as nonsense and say there is nothing in them, but only someone who can break a mirror without a second thought, has the right to do so.

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31 Days of Hallowe'en: Day Three

   Day 3: Ouija Boards

Ouija boards have become very popular and are often used as a party game. Whilst sometimes marketed as a game for children as young as eight, it has a sinister side to it. I have no memory of ever having a game to do with summoning or communicating with spirits. My friends and I did say Candyman five times into a mirror for some reason. I never went to a sleepover where we played Bloody Mary or Cat Scratches or any other paranormal game. I'm pretty sure none of my friends had a Ouija board. However all three activities are things people a little younger than me (usually) talk about as being part of sleepovers with their friends. 

  There are people that say they don't work, people that say they do and people that say they wish they didn't. As with any paranormal activity, there are plenty of stories about people using them and having terrifying experiences.  Of course using a Ouija board, especially if you are a child, is messing about with things you don't understand. Some people use them to try to get in touch with loved ones they have lost, some spirits either good or evil and some use them specifically to call a particular entity. Whilst seen as a fun game by many, it is taking a risk. You could be inviting something dark into your life, as many people reportedly have.

  Whilst a Ouija board sounds like something with an ancient history, they have only been around for about 130 years. Spirit writing is as old as 8000 years, but actual Ouija boards are a lot younger. They are used these days as a game more than anything and are almost a substitute for ghost stories. While people used to sit round telling ghost stories to scare each other, they now attempt to use a Ouija board, or play Bloody Mary, or Charlie Charlie. Essentially, playing apparently paranormal games to see what happens. 

  If you want to use a Ouija board, for whatever reason, that is your privilege. Some people say a prayer before hand to limit the chance of something evil coming through but it really is up to you. For cautionary tales, here are some things that a session with a Ouija board is said to have happened.

1. The summoning of a Poltergeist. Literally translated, poltergeist means "noisy ghost". Many explanations are given to this paranormal phenomenon. A young girl named Annabelle accidentally summoned a spirit called "The Jester" whilst using a Ouija board and even by the age of 22, still experienced poltergeist behaviour.

2. Demonic persuasion. Many people have claimed the crimes they committed were due to a Ouija board telling them to do it. Whether this is just an excuse or an example of a spirit manipulating people into nefarious deeds is for you to decide.

3. Demonic possession. You're kind of asking for this one. A young girl in South America was allegedly caught on camera writhing when a spirit possessed her following a Ouija board session. A priest even had to perform an exorcism. While some suspect the whole thing was staged, others truly believe it was genuine.

4. Unwanted information. Some use Ouija boards to try to contact the other side. For a comforting message, to send one themselves, for closure, many reasons. One girl however is haunted by the fact that, when trying to contact her late boyfriend, she was told by a spirit that she couldn't because he was in hell.

5. Physical discomfort. After the fear when a session actually works, people have experienced temporary paralysis, hyperventilation and even night terrors. Nothing scarier than when it stops being a game.

6. Mental health issues. A Ouija board session can be shocking, scary and disappointing. Asking a question and getting an answer you really don't like, can affect you for the rest of your life. 

  Of course, if this is just a game and you believe anything that happens is either, another person there having you on, independent movement (when you relax, your body can move without you telling it to) then maybe even scary answers won't phase you. Just remember, messing with things you don't understand is always risky, being flippant about something that could potential be harmful for you or others is ot a joke and playing a game with something that is not supposed to be a game, is tempting fate. Whatever you do and whatever you experience, I will give you one piece of advice.

Never burn a Ouija board! Whatever happens it is seriously dangerous. Not only does it annoy the ghosts, it opens a gateway from their world to ours. A group of boys printed off a Ouija board and when getting no response burned it. That is when the scary stuff started happening. Throw it out, give it away, sell it whatever, just don't burn it.    

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31 Days of Hallowe'en: Day Two

 Day 2: Frankenstein's Creator

  On 1st January 1818, a novel called Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus was published in London. There was no named author on the edition so no-one knew who had written it. When the second edition was published in Paris in 1921, it was revealed that author was Mary Shelley. Of course, everyone was shocked. A well brought up young woman (she was only 18 when she started writing it and was 20 when it was published) writing such a brilliant horror story. A book critic at the time wrote that the book for a man was ‘brilliant’, for a woman it was ‘wonderful’. That is because they have smaller brains than the rest of us (book critics that is, not women). How had she done it? Simple, she had a dream. Literally.

Shelley travelled through Europe in 1815 along the river Rhine in Germany stopping in Gernsheim, 17 kilometres (11 mi) away from Frankenstein Castle, where two centuries before, an alchemist engaged in experiments. She then journeyed to the region of Geneva, Switzerland, where much of the story takes place. The topics of galvanism and occult ideas were themes of conversation among her companions, particularly her lover and future husband Percy B. Shelley. In 1816, Mary, Percy and Lord Byron, snowed in and bored, had a competition to see who could write the best horror story. To help them out, all four ate rotten food to give them nightmares. Mary consequently dreamt about a scientist who created life and was horrified by what he had made. She saw a scientist standing over the monster he had made, she found it terrifying. Frankenstein was born.

  The mistake most people make with Frankenstein, is believing that is the name of the monster. The monster, actually is never named, Frankenstein, is his creator. Victor Frankenstein is often portrayed as something of a mad scientist. Although perhaps not entirely sane, Frankenstein is a normal man who is seeking a way to combat death. 

  There have been many adaptations of Frankenstein into both plays and films. Whilst the hammer Horror films are best known. There have been 3 musicals, 6 plays (one seen by Mary Shelley and her father in 1823) 1 TV miniseries, 3 TV films and 19 films. There has even been one ballet. Now many of these films are from the monster movie franchises so are not necessarily based on the book but more films featuring the monster, now mistakenly named Frankenstein. Probably the most famous portrayal of Frankenstein’s monster is by Boris Karloff.

   Karloff only played the monster 3 times, first in 1931 and lastly in 1939. Brief though his appearance of the monster may have been, it was iconic and is often how the monster is portrayed in both pop culture and adaptations. The 1931 film was actually based on a play from 1927 by Peggy Webling. The film that is perhaps the most faithful to the original is the 1994 ‘Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein’ which starred Kenneth Branagh (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets) as Frankenstein and Robert De Niro (Taxi Driver) as the monster. This star studded cast also included Helena Bonham-Carter (The Crown), John Cleese (Fawlty Towers), Ian Holm (The Lord of The Rings), Tom Hulce (Amadeus) and Aiden Quinn (Practical Magic).

  All in all, Frankenstein has risen from an amazing horror story written by a young Victorian woman, to a part of culture in the UK and beyond. The monster and even Frankenstein himself appear in many things and Shelley herself has been dramatized. From 1818 to 2020 and beyond, this classic horror story will endure. The horror story born from a dream.

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31 Days of Hallowe'en: Day One

 

Day 1: The Real Snow White

  Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (not to be confused with Snow White and Rose Red) is a well-known fairy tale, undergoing the Disney treatment in 1937 and becoming the first full length animated feature. There are many versions, some more grisly than others, and while the Disney version is probably the most famous, the Brothers Grimm fairy tale is still popular and well-known. Of course, Snow White is not a true story, but there are many who believe that the story and character are based on a real person.

SPOILER ALERT Summary of the Grimm Brother’s version.

  In the Grimm version, the Queen tries to kill Snow White four times. The first is the same as the Disney version, ordering her huntsman to kill her. The second time is when she comes to the dwarves cottage and sells Snow White ribbons for her corset, helps her use them and pulls them too tight, cutting off Snow White’s breathing. Luckily, the dwarves find her in time and cut the ties, managing to resuscitate her. The second time, the queen sells her a poisoned comb. Again the dwarves find the princess and brush out her hair, dislodging the comb. By the third time, to an extent, Snow White has learned not to trust strangers trying to sell her things, however, when the Queen brings the poison apple, she only poisons one half so offers to share it to prove it is harmless. This time when the dwarves find Snow White, they cut her ties, comb her hair, wash her hair and try to take poison off her lips but nothing works. Believing she is dead, they mourn for three days. Seeing however that her appearance remains unchanged they cannot bear to bury her and instead build a glass coffin for her, so they can see any signs of decay. At some point a prince rides by, falls in love with an apparent corpse, and promises the dwarves that he will take the utmost care of her if they let him have her, as he feels he needs her. With some persuasion the dwarves agree and as the prince’s servants move the coffin, one of them stumbles which shakes the coffin and dislodges the piece of apple in Snow White’s mouth and she wakes. No true loves kiss but a marriage to a prince. The Queen’s comeuppance varies, she is invited to the wedding, unaware of whom the bride is but is told by her mirror the new bride is prettier than her.  Sometimes she is forced to dance in red hot clogs until she dies, in others her own jealousy and rage at seeing Snow White alive and happy make it feel to her as if her shoes are hot. Either way she dances to death.

  In a way it’s almost a run of the mill fairy tale; the beautiful, virtuous heroine goes through trials but ultimately finds true love and is happy whilst the villain dies horribly. A difference I quite like is that, while the villain is evil, she is beautiful on the outside; far too many villains in fairy tales are ugly. This is one of the things that make the premise a little more believable, jealousy and people ugly on the inside but not outwardly are common in the real world. Of course this is not a true story, but the character of Snow White is said to be based on a real woman.

Margaretha Von Waldeck

 

  Margaretha Von Waldeck, born in 1533, in Wildungen, north-western Germany. She was the daughter of Philip IV, Count of Waldeck-Wildungen and his first wife, Margaret, who died in 1537. By 1539, Margaretha had a strict stepmother, who apparently did not get along with her step-daughter. Margaretha was known for her beauty, including pale skin and dark hair. Magaretha’s father owned several copper mines; the majority of the workers were children. The condition and poverty of the children, led to stunted growth and deformities so they were often called dwarves. The child labourers also lived in groups of twenty in single room houses. Similar to the dwarves all sharing a cottage in the fairy tale. There was also an old peddler around who believed the children were stealing from him and attempted to give them poison apples. In 1545, Margaretha left home and in 1549, entered the Brussels court of Mary of Hungary, the sister of the emperor. Many high court officials strove for Magaretha’s attention and the emperor’s son pursued her when he visited. A union between the emperor’s son and a Lutheran girl was not possible and not politically advantageous.  Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, was not happy with his son’s interest in the young girl. To make sure there was no scandal and no chance his son would marry a girl that had nothing to offer in the way of a political alliance, it is believed that the emperor had Margaretha poisoned. She fell ill whilst still in Brussels and those who knew her thought he had been poisoned. In Magaretha’s final letters and her will, written shortly before her death, it is clear she is suffering from tremors in her hand, the symptoms of being in the late stages of poisoning. In 1554 at the age of 21, Margaretha died.

  Of course this is not the story of Snow White, but the similarities are striking. ‘Dwarves’ living in house together and being offered poison apples. A beautiful young woman with an unkind step-mother, becoming involved with a prince and poisoned. Many believe that Margaretha Von Waldeck and her tragically short life is the inspiration for Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.

  It may be that Margaretha was the inspiration for Snow White, it could be that the similarities between her story and the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves is purely coincidental. Either way, While Snow White got her happy ending, Margaretha, tragically, did not.

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