Hello and welcome to another animated adventure!
Today, we are born of cold and winter air…
Yep!
We’re looking at “Frozen’s” origin tale!
“The Snow Queen” is a (literal) heartwarming tale from Hans Christian Andersen about friendship
and love and all of the trials and tribulations two hearts go through.
If you can read the full tale, I highly recommend it!
I will be covering as much detail as I am able in the time we have here today, so sit
back, relax, grab some hot chocolate or tea, and bundle up as we trek into the frozen wastelands
of Elsa and Anna’s origin stories.
Disney does base their tale off of an existing story, and in this case, they ‘adapted’
it quite a bit.
Well, as the The “Frozen” artbook says, they more “created” something new, and
after reading the full tale over and over, I see can see why.
Andersen writes a sweepingly epic tale of 7 stories, with deeply religious themes throughout,
so picking a focus in all of that (AND remaining relevant and interesting) would be challenging
indeed.
Finally, once Disney landed on having the (air quote) “Villain” and one of the main
protagonists be sisters, did a story start to spark into the heartwarming family tale
we have today.
The Disney tale opens up with ice miners singing about "Frozen Hearts," which of course foreshadows
the plot of the movie.
And, similarly, Andersen’s first story describes a most curious mirror.
Some translations have it as imps, others as goblins, either way, the head one, or the
devil himself, or Old Nick, fashions what he considers the most ingenious invention:
A mirror that reflects the only worst in things, and the better or fairer a person or thing,
the uglier it looks in the mirror.
Beautiful landscapes look like boiled spinach, and a single freckle seems to take over the
whole face.
The more “good” a person is, the worse they appear.
After every single person in every single country had looked into this mirror, the imps
decide to wing it up to the heavens.
The higher and higher they fly (for, in this tale, heavens are in the sky) the more “good”
and “pious” vibes are in the air,
and the more and more the mirror shakes with delight from turning good sour.
Finally, it shatters from laughing so, and thus something even the imps could not fathom
happens (although they are delighted all the same!): fragments of mirror so small as dust
lodge themselves into people’s eyes, and those people can only see the worst in things.
Some shards are large enough to be made into windows and spectacles, but to look through
them would make the looker see only ugliness.
Some made their way into the hearts of humans, and that was the very very worst, for such
hearts became blocks of ice.
(MAYBE a ‘frozen heart worth mining?”)
And still, many specs were so small that they remained floating in the air, which is where
our story begins.
In a great town live two small children, Kay and Gerda.
They are second-story next-door neighbor best friends who spend their summers outside on
the roof between their windows.
Their parents have grown roses in each family’s flower box, and have connected them, creating
a sort of haven for the children.
This idyllic arrangement comes to an end when winter arrives, forcing the children stay
inside at one or the others home, listening to Kay’s grandmother read stories, or else
heating up pennies with which to look outside.
When it is snowing fiercely, the grandmother says “those are the white bees swarming,”
and Kay asks if they have a Queen Bee?
“Yes,” she says, “She always flies where they swarm thickest.
She is the largest of them all, and never remains quite upon the earth; she flies up
again into the black cloud.
Many a midnight she is flying through the streets of the town, and looks in at the windows,
and then they freeze in such a strange way, and look like flowers.”
Because both children have witnessed this phenomenon, they believe it readily, and Kay
claims “let her in here and I will melt her on the stove!”
He is, however, not so brave when the Snow Queen actually does come to visit him later
that night, as he is dressing down for bed.
He looks out the window and sees that a large snowflake has not quite touched the ground,
balancing on the flower box outside of the window.
It grows larger and larger, and transforms into the most beautiful and delicate woman
made of shining, glittering ice, clothed in the finest white gauze made of a million starry
flakes.
Her eyes are alive and have no peace and she beacons with a finger and flashing eyes to
Kay, who is so frightened that he jumps down from the window.
So much for melting her on the stove.
Then, as stories go, it is spring.
Kay and Gerda are reading and singing in their garden when a clock strikes 5 and Kay feels
a sharp pain in his heart and in his eye.
Now, we know what this is about!
The impish mirror fragments from before!
He quickly brushes off the pain, says he is fine, calls Gerda ugly for crying, breaks
two precious roses (which are also now ugly to his new eyes) and kicks the flower box
and storms away.
Wow those cursed shards really work fast!
Another side effect of the splinters is his games become more “brainy” too (like that’s
a bad thing?) - he loves multiplication tables and imitating (admittedly in poor taste) people
around town with maladies, and even mocks the dear grandmother when she reads them stories!
Basically, he becomes a brat, who is really good at math.
Next winter, he makes Gerda a “flowers” of ice - marveling at how superior and mathematically
perfect they are to their wormy shared summer roses.
Soon after, he leaves her to play “with the boys” sledding in the “great square.”
It is here that he is essentially kidnapped by the Snow Queen!
He unwittingly hooks his sledge up to a large extravagant “dead white” sledge, which
does not stop when he wants to unhook, but keeps speeding out of town.
He tries to pray, but can only remember his multiplication tables.
In the wilds, the snowflakes grow larger and larger, then the dead white sledge stops and
the Snow Queen reveals herself.
She offers her fur coat to warm him (he is freezing now!) and then kisses him on the
forehead.
That kiss “was colder than ice; it went quite through to his heart, half of which
was already a lump of ice: he felt as if he were going to die; but only for a moment;
for then he seemed quite well, and he did not notice the cold all about him.”
He remembers to ask for his sledge, which a snowflake white chicken carries for him,
but then the Snow Queen kisses him again and poor Kay forgets all about Gerda, his grandmother,
and his home.
Kay looks at the Snow Queen and no longer sees she is made of ice, but just sees her
as the most beautiful, intelligent face he’s beheld.
She says she will kiss him no more, because if she does, she “should kiss him to death.”
Anyway, he brags about his math skills, geographical knowledge, etc. but just doesn't think it's
going to be enough to impress her.
They fly over the lands by night, and by day he sleeps at the feet of the Queen.
Now, whisking a child away to an ice kingdom is NOT something I think Elsa would ever do…
she just unwittingly holds an entire kingdom and it’s guests hostage with her eternal
winter!
Anyway, From here on out, the stories follow Gerda much more closely - kinda like how Frozen
focuses a lot on Anna’s quest to save Elsa.
In Disney, we meet Oaken (and family!)
Kristoff, Sven, Olaf, the trolls, etc. on the “Save Arendelle and Elsa” mission.
In Gerda’s quest, we also meet a whole bunch of people and creatures, but the situations
she finds herself seem are a bit more dire… well… they take a whole lot longer to get
through...
Gerda has a very sad winter, as it is believed that Kay has fallen into an icy river and
drowned.
With spring, however, her hope is renewed as the Sunshine, Swallows and even the River
tell her they don’t believe he has passed away.
So begins her epic quest.
Accidentally, it turns out.
She is trying to trade her new red shoes to the river in exchange for Kay’s body, but
steps on an undocked boat to throw them into the water, but the boat floats downriver,
with her in it (the shoes following behind as the river can’t complete its end of the
trade).
She eventually floats to an old lady’s home, where flowers of every variety and every season
grow, and tells her whole story.
This old dame has always wanted a girl like Gerda, and as she brushes the young girl’s
hair, Gerda forgets all about her mission to save Kay.
This old lady is not described as evil, but a lonely conjurer, and she buries her roses
so that Gerda will not be reminded of her friend Kay.
But eventually, Gerda does realize that there are no roses, and cries on the spot where
they are buried.
They speak to her and tell her that “we have been in the ground, where the dead bodies
are, but Kay is not there.”
She then questions each other flower in the garden, and they have a lot to say, let me
tell you, but none of it relevant to Kay.
Anyway, she breaks out of the garden to find that it is now Autumn, and she has lost so
much time!
Eventually Gerda encounters a trustworthy Crow, to whom she tells her whole story and
asks if the crow has seen Kay.
Actually, yes, it may have!
The princess in a realm close by has married someone like Gerda described, right down to
his new squeaky boots!
This princess would only marry someone who was handsome and could have an intelligent
conversation with her, and hundreds were turned away, except for this one boy who won her
heart!
The crow has an “in” to the palace - his “tame sweetheart,” who is also a crow
and who gets a key for Gerda to enter the decadent royal bedchambers by way of a back
door of the castle.
Once there, Gerda sees that the Prince is not her Kay, but tells her whole story to
the Prince and Princess, who want to help her.
They provide her with fancy warm clothing, AND a golden carriage outfitted with a full
contingent of staff, as well as candy, fruit, and cookies.
The crows, who the royal couple scolded and then thanked, are now married and are allowed
to eat the kitchen’s leftovers.
One has a food hangover, but the original friendly crow accompanies Gerda for the first
3 miles of her journey in the Golden carriage.
But because a fancy shiny golden carriage is a pretty conspicuous means of travel through
a forest, she is soon waylaid by bandits, who kill all of her men and steal the horses.
They are about to kill her too, when a little spoiled bandit girl stops them.
She would like Gerda as a friend, and she always gets what she wants.
After listening to Gerda’s story, she feels moved to protect Gerda.
Back at the robber palace, the girl shows off all of her captive birds and even her
imprisoned reindeer, “BA” (OH!
I HAVE been missing Svenny boy!) who she loves to “tickle with her knife.”
(Reindeers are better than people?)
Poor animals are regularly tortured for this girls amusement!
She is quite cruel.
Then she “pulls Gerda into bed.”
Gerda asks if she always sleeps with the knife, and yes, she does “because you never know
what can happen” (ohhhh!
Poor girl!)).
She asks Gerda to tell her story again.
This time, all the animals hear as well, and two Wood Pigeons, say that they HAVE seen
little Kay in the Snow Queen’s carriage!
They remember because she blew upon all the young pigeons, and these two were the only
survivors! (oohhhh!)
The reindeer confirms where the Snow Queen could be headed, and Gerda starts shaking
for joy (I think?) that the Robber Girl threatens her with a blade in the belly.
Or maybe not threatens, but Gerda is just jostling so much that she is scared she’ll
accidentally stab her?
Next morning, the coast is clear of thieves, and the Robber Girl distracts her mother with
“the big bottle” and sets Gerda on Ba, makes sure she is properly clothed for winter,
outfits her with 2 loaves of bread, a ham, and saddle, then ties her fast.
Gerda is on her way to Lapland!
They come across the hut of the Lap woman - a hut with a roof slanting so low that the
family has to crawl in.
Ba first tells his story, then Gerda’s, and the woman says they are still hundreds
of miles from Finmark (Or, some translations have it as “Finland”) where the Snow Queen
has a residence, and lights roman candles every night.
She writes a message on a piece of dried cod for Gerda to give to the Finn woman, who can
hopefully help her more than the Lap woman can.
Norther they go, running with the Northern Lights, and arrive at the Finn woman’s home,
where they enter through the chimney as there is no front door.
It is SO hot in there that all their layers have to come off, and the Finn woman keeps
an ice block on Ba’s head.
She reads the message on the fish three times and then cooks it.
Ba tells the tales, and begs the woman for some magic - for she can tie all the winds
of the world with a piece of twine, and if untied properly, would give the user the strength
of twelve men.
Surely enough to overcome the Snow Queen!
(Stronger than one, stronger than ten!
Stronger than a hundred men, huah!?)
The woman says such power would be of no use, for little Gerda already has all the power
she needs to help Kay - her own purity and innocence of heart.
Brute strength won’t do - unless the glass is removed from his eye and heart, he will
never again become human, and will remain contently under the Snow Queen’s control.
She says the Queen’s garden starts two miles from here (or, 10, depending on whose translation
you read), so make Haste!
Ba is only to drop her off at a berry bush and then come straight back, or else!
Only once they set out does Gerda realize she is missing her warm winter accessories.
I really hope she only had to ride 2 miles now without them, instead of the 10!
Eventually, she and Ba arrive at the garden and say a bitter farewell at the red berry
bush.
Huge menacing snowflakes roll out to meet her, the guardians of the Snow Queen, shaped
like serpents, and porcupines and bears.
(Hmm, Marshmellow’s origin?!)
Frightened, Gerda utters her prayers, and her warm puffs of breath turn into angels,
who spear the Queen’s guards, and even make Gerda’s feet less cold.
(Maybe Anna’s breath puff after she sacrifices herself is a nod to this earlier tale?
Anyway, Gerda confidently continues her steady mission to the ice palace…
Now, this palace is not the beautiful expression of Elsa’s power, but nature-made and gorgeous
in its own wild way.
Drifts of snow, hollowed out by winds of lifetimes make hundreds and hundreds of empty rooms,
stretching for miles.
The Northern lights illuminate this hollow place spectacularly.
Were there any joy here, Gerda imagines animals having parties and balls in its cavernous
spaces.
The most breathtaking feature of the palace is the immense empty hall with the frozen
lake, which had burst into a thousand perfect pieces.
A true work of art, and, when she was home, the Snow Queen’s throne.
Currently, she is out cooling off some volcanoes in Italy to benefit the lemon and grape harvest
(so, she is not all bad!) leaving little Kay on the ice floor alone, trying to figure out
a clever puzzle to earn his freedom.
He must make the shapes he has been given spell the word “Eternity” and the Queen
will make him his own master, give him the world AND a new pair of skates.
When Gerda sees Kay, he is so blue-black and motionless that he looks like death.
She utters more prayers, and the winds die down, letting her approach the unmoving Kay.
She calls out and hugs him, but no response.
She “weeps hot tears that fell upon his breast, penetrated into his heart and thawed
the lump of ice, and consumed the little piece of glass in it.”
(The power of love!) He looks at her, and she sings a song
that moves him to tears, so removing the glass splinter in his eye.
He now recognizes her, and wonders where he is?
Where has she been?
How long has it been?
They are so happy that even the ice pieces around them leap for joy… and fall down
into the puzzle word “Eternity” - thereby freeing Kay.
The two friends walk out of the ice palace and meet up with Ba and another reindeer,
who whisk them back to the Finn woman’s hut, where they are thawed out real quick,
given a new sledge and clothing, and are sent on their way home.
En route, they happen upon the Robber Girl, who really hopes Kay was worth all that trouble!
Gerda asks after the prince and princess, who have apparently gone off to other countries.
The crow?
Has died.
The tame one is now a widow who complains a lot.
The robber girl promises to visit them if ever she is in town, and then they go their
separate ways.
Gerda and Kay come to their town, hear the bells ringing, and go back to the grandmother’s
house, where everything is just the same.
They realize that THEY are not the same though - “There they both sat, grown up, and yet
children - children in the heart - and it was summer, warm, delightful summer.”
The End.
So, that is the story of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen.”
A ton of stuff happens, but in the end its kinda all the same?
I can see why Disney made their own story, but can also appreciate the little hidden
gems from the original tale that they did include.
I do see Anna very much in little Gerda - her hope, perseverance, and willingness to do
what it takes to get her friend (and sister) back.
And in Elsa, I see pieces and fragments (hahaha...)of Kay - at first the wonder of showing tricks
to friends (like the ice flowers) (feels like Elsa and Anna play, until Anna gets hurt),
then later the cold isolation.
And of course, Elsa’s character design comes from the Snow Queen a bit too.
Andersen’s Queen is more of a force of nature than an evil being though, but I suppose Elsa’s
powers are neither good or evil per say too.
Disney’s original concept art for Elsa absolutely gives off the cold, ambivalent (and sometimes
menacing?) vibes.
I see the Snow Queen’s influence here!
Like in some other of Andersen’s tales, the evil is not in one character, but in a
human condition - in this case, the mirror fragments that could serve as a metaphor for
cold and harmful personality traits.
So, that's our adventure into the chilly story of Frozens origins!
But, what are some of your thoughts?
What is something that you would go to any lengths to save?
Or, an easier question: what’s your favorite season? (if you’ve got them!)
We go through all of them in this story, so let me know in the comments below!
Hey friends!
Good to see you again, and thank you for tuning in to this animation!
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Ok, I’ll see you soon in the next video!
Good bye!