Jacob (Trans by Elizabeth Shub) Grimm

Jacob Grimm (1785-1863) and his brother Wilhelm Grimm (1786-1859) were German academics, philologists, cultural researchers, lexicographers, and authors who worked together to collect and publish folklore. From 1807 on, the brothers kept adding to what they had. Jacob set up the structure, which stayed the same through many changes. From 1815 until his death, Wilhelm was the only one who edited and rewrote the stories. He gave the stories a similar style, added dialogue, took out parts "that...See more

Jacob Grimm (1785-1863) and his brother Wilhelm Grimm (1786-1859) were German academics, philologists, cultural researchers, lexicographers, and authors who worked together to collect and publish folklore. From 1807 on, the brothers kept adding to what they had. Jacob set up the structure, which stayed the same through many changes. From 1815 until his death, Wilhelm was the only one who edited and rewrote the stories. He gave the stories a similar style, added dialogue, took out parts "that might take away from a rustic tone," made the plots better, and added psychological themes. In The Owl, the Raven, and the Dove, Ronald Murphy says that the brothers, especially Wilhelm, added religious and spiritual themes to the stories. He thinks that Wilhelm took parts from old Germanic religions, Norse mythology, Roman and Greek mythology, and biblical stories and changed them. See less