Stardate: 80317:1847
Title: The Dark Side of Fairytales
Author: Bridget (Gitta) Conway
Time: Current
Scene: Planet-side


Conway looked at the forest and was a little nervous. Emma felt sorry for the Ensign and, wanting to know what was worrying the girl, asked her why she was so nervous. Gitta looked at her.

"Because we are only see the Disney version of our fairytale, a kind of censored version of the original stories."

"There are other versions?" Emma asked with interest as they followed the others.

"Oh yes! Take the Grimm Brothers, their versions are trouble."

Emma nodded. "Yes, I have heard of them and I agree that they are disturbing but they are still just fairytales."

"Fairytales are just history passed from one generation to another and, like history, they can have a dark side," Gitta began. "Take your character, Snow White, for example. Scholars have uncovered parallels between the legendary Snow White and Margarete von Waldeck who lived from 1533-1554 on Earth."

"Like Snow White, Margarete was a strikingly attractive young woman and, like Snow White, she had a problematic relationship with her stepmother. She grew up in the mining town of Waldeck where small children known as dwarves worked in the mines. At 16, Margarete moved to Brussels and it was there that she attracted the romantic interests of several nobles, including Phillip II of Spain. Phillip II hoped to marry her but she became ill as a result of poisoning; ruthless politics were as much a part of medieval court life as dancing, banquets and polished manners and marriage to a powerful personage was often viewed as a way for a clan to gain allies to the detriment of rivals."

"Margarete died at the age of 21. The handwriting of her will, written shortly before her death, showed evidence of tremor. The perpetrator was never exposed but it could not have been her stepmother, who was already dead at the time. Many believe that this is the inspiration for the folktale. If so, the 'real Snow White' succumbed to arsenic before she had the opportunity to marry the prince..."

Emma gave a look at the apple she was stilling holding and looked back at Gitta. "I suddenly lost my liking for apples. Where did you learn all this stuff?"

"Let's just say I was a strange kid!"


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Ensign Bridget (Gitta) Conway
Science Officer
USS Horizon
NCC-72400
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