An Australian Fairytale Pioneer at a German University

An Australian Fairytale Pioneer at a German University - January 17th

Twelve years ago my daughter participated in the Heathmont College German Exchange Program which has been in operation for fifteen years. Her host family lives in the medieval village of Kaufungen, just seven kilometres from Kassel, which was the home of the Brothers Grimm. Coincidently, an aspect of my PhD research focuses on the relationship between the author I am investigating, Olga Ernst, and the influence of the Grimm fairytales she read in the original German version as a child. Finally I have an excuse to visit my daughter's host family! After half a year of emails Professor Dr. Achim Barsch of University Kassel is interested in my research and offers, although he has a full timetable of lectures, to meet with me to discuss aspects of my research such as:

the importance of Ernst reading the Grimm fairytales in their original German.
blending of disciplines in my appropriation of new historicism

I am also invited to present some aspects of my research of Ernst to his narratology class as the influence of her German cultural heritage within the Melbourne German emigrant community is a significant influence on her writing.

I was pleased to be asked a number of challenging questions on completion of my presentation and because my German is very limited, receive the offer of assistance in translation. There is also other research applicable to my research being undertaken in Canada.

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Australian Christmas Carols

A phone interview with a Junior Red Cross member who was in Ernst's Red Cross Circle led me on another research track. She told me that Ernst's pride in Australia was obvious at Christmas time with the regular singing of Australian Christmas Carols. I was given two clues: a) written by a Melbourne man b) one carol was about 'Brolgas dancing'. I believe the lyrics they sang were those written by A BC staff writer John Wheeler to music by William James. THE CAROL OF THE BIRDS 1. Out on the plains the brolgas are dancing Lifting their feet like warhorses prancing Up to the sun the woodlarks go winging Faint in the dawn light echoes their singing Orana! Orana! Orana to Christmas Day. 2. Down where the tree ferns grow by the river There where the waters sparkle and quiver Deep in the gullies bell-birds are chiming Softly and sweetly their lyric notes rhyming Orana! Orana! Orana to Christmas Day. 3. Friar birds sip the nectar of flowers Cu

Nicht die Kinder bloß speist man mit Märchen ab

It is not children only that one feeds with fairy tales. [Ger., Nicht die Kinder bloss speist man mit Marchen ab.] - Ephraim Gotthold Lessing , Nathan der Weise (III, 6) It has taken me 30 minutes to trawl through various literal translations to understand the meaning of this quote. It seems to be most commonly used to reinforce a subtext of childlike naviety in certain circumstances but I am appropriating it in this instance to mean that adults may enjoy fairytales. Found at the beginning of Bottighemiers book 'Fairytales and Society' I had the jist of what it meant... but to be accurate is important. Various google translations include: Not only one feeds the children off with fairy tales or Not just the kids fed off with fairy tales which translates back to German as Nicht gerade zogen die Kinder weg mit Märchen ein. Entrapment: new Uni library work space Reading translations is fraught with danger but I need to read the original text of fairytal

Reprinting early Australian fairy tales.

Should we reprint them? Or does their appeal remain fixed in the era they were written? Hart (1950) made the point that, ‘books flourish when they answer a need and die when they do not’ (285) and it is worth considering for example the fairytales of Tarella Quin whose fairy tale books were reprinted numerous times. Quin (aka Quin Daskein), published her first fairy tale, Gum Tree Brownie in 1907[1] with enlargements and variations appearing with regularity in 1918, 1925, 1934 and 1983. Her publisher was still publishing one hundred years after her first book which allowed the opportunity for re-publishing it. It was believed that public taste indicated this book could become popular again. However, when Gum Tree Brownie was republished as The Other Side of Nowhere: Fairy Stories of the Never Never (1983) two stories that did not suit the current socio-cultural environment were omitted. Cruelty and death are not seen as suitable topics for children’s books today - or at least

Early Australian fairy tales

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