What's the "real" story behind "Little Red Ridding Hood"? I was told that it was an "ADULT" story at first?

Question

Check out the movie "In The Company Of Wolves"

Answer 1

I have heard this many times. I think like many of the old childrens stories their was a message behind the story that could be quite adult. These stories frequently utilize quite a bit of symbolism. The Little Red Riding Hood story within the story is that it is a girl coming of age/sexual awakening and the dangers inherit for a young girl in this. The red cape is a symbol of her physical coming of age, menstruation. The wolf is a predatory male lurking in the woods and trying to seduce her with his smooth tongued lies. Until recent times one of the slang uses of the word wolf was a male looking to seduce women. I think I have heard the term used this way even once or twice myself.

Answer 2

In the "original" version of Little Red Riding Hood, the story is about a girl "maturing" and being seduced by the wolf. It was a lesson for the more promiscuous girls at that time. However, as the years pass, the story became significantly altered. Even the most popular version from the Brothers Grimm has been altered for children. Wikipedia: "...It has been noted that in these stories she escapes with no help from any male or older female figure, but instead utilizes her own cunning. The woodcutter/huntsman figure, added later, would limit the girl to a relatively passive role. This has led to criticisms that the story was changed to keep women "in their place", needing the help of a physically superior man such as the woodcutter to save them."

Answer 3

As a writer, I can tell you there is more to fairy tales than the child audience or parents reading to their kids. The thing is that we are all kids at heart. Sure we grow out of fairy tales into novel, movies and theater. But the thrust of the story is everywhere. It is all about pattern, meaning, idea and a way to be or accepting the way others are. And be careful about "adult". There is an id in there and it has an ego.

Answer 4

"Never stray from the path.
Never eat a windfall apple.
Never trust a man whose eyebrows meet in the middle."

Faeries are creatures who are neither malevolent or benevolent, but simply do things as their whim takes them. This is why tales such as those spun by the Brothers Grimm were given the name "Faerie Tales", because they have the properties of faeries in them.

Children were told faerie tales (not the glossed up Disney ones) to teach them what becomes of having a whimsical nature and not following certain rules of behaviour. Life conditions were harsh back then and the mortality rate was high, especially for children. Much depended on children contributing to their families in the way of chores and earning a livelihood, as well.

The unedited versions of faerie tales which were told back when they were first introduced might seem "adult" by today's standards, or seem to have "adult" themes, but they were simply par for the course back then, nothing adult about them. Just a way of teaching life lessons which needed to be learned.

Answer 5

According to this it was never an adult story but, if left up to interpretation, one could assume it had something to do with an adult nature.

Answer 6

I have heard a handful of children's fairytales actually started out darker and sometimes pornographic. I've heard that Sleeping Beauty was raped instead of kissed to awakened. And Snow White is supposed to have sexual undertones/overtones.

Answer 7

This fable, along with "Sleeping Beauty" have both been slapped with adult labels.

Answer 8

ummm, i was never told that, but the moral of the story was to never trust strangers.

Answer 9

lol r u 4 real? dam... lets c.. a big strong wood chopper dude.. a little girl.... a old girl... and a wolf...... thats nasty

Answer 10

ok. this is creeping me out. idk what it means. but yea. something relating to adult stuff.