The Real Story Behind Frozen
Start writing a post
Entertainment

The Real Story Behind Frozen

Behind the sparkly Disney movie lies an old fairy tale.

21409
The Real Story Behind Frozen
YouTube

Disney’s Frozen became immensely popular when it came out, and for good reason. It has a wonderful plot, great music and fantastic graphics. It also stars one of my personal favorite actresses from Broadway, Idina Menzel, as Queen Elsa. Despite all these great elements, it shows little similarity to the original fairytale by Hans Christian Anderson. Yes, they have a snow queen; yes, a main character has the threat of being turned into ice, and yes, a person with a reindeer goes on journey to find a sibling. However, in the fairy tale, the snow queen is not good. The plot is so incredibly different. Let me tell you the real story.

Once upon a time, a troll had a mirror. When someone looked in this mirror, it reflected the worst of that person and shook with glee at his or her reaction. I guess it had some state of consciousness. Anyway, the troll took immense delight in this and showed this mirror to everyone he encountered. The mirror shook so badly that it finally broke and its pieces were scattered to the wind. One might think, “Yay! This horrible evil has been done away with!” (or “What on earth does this have to do with Frozen?”) Not quite -- if someone got a piece of this mirror stuck in them, for instance their eye or hand, they always saw everything as if it were being reflected in the mirror, for one piece held the power of the whole mirror. Now, keep that in the back of your mind as we travel to a distant village.

Kai and Gerda were siblings. Some versions say that they were non-related neighbors, but for our purposes, we’re going to go with siblings. They were also the best of friends. They did everything they could together. One day, when the clock struck, a piece of the mirror got into Kai’s eye and another into his heart. He changed and started to see the worst in everything, which distressed many. When winter came, he tied his sled to the Snow Queen’s carriage for a ride and went missing. Though everyone else thought Kai drowned in the river, Gerda thought he was still alive and embarked on a journey to find him. Along the way, she was captured by robbers, one of whom she befriended. The friend, a female thief, wanted Gerda to continue looking for Kai, so she set Gerda free and gave her a reindeer named Bae. They continued on their journey, making a few more stops, and Gerda found out that her sweet, childlike heart gave her the power she needed to accomplish her task. When she arrived at the Snow Queen’s home, she found it guarded by snowflakes. Inside, Kai was starting to freeze as he tried to free himself from the Snow Queen’s power by completing a special task. All he had to do was arrange pieces of ice to spell “Evigheden,” which means “eternity.” This apparently was easier said than done. Garda managed to pass the snowflakes by praying the Lord’s prayer, only to find Kai almost frozen. She wept on him, and her love for him melted his frozen heart and removed the mirror's slivers. They rejoiced and danced around, making the pieces bounce around and form Evigheden. The children returned home and all was well.

So now for the comparisons. Elsa is based on Kai and the Snow Queen. She runs away and has ice powers. Anna is based on Kai and Gerda. She goes to find her sibling, and her heart is frozen along the way. Sven is based on Bae. Kristoff represents those who helped Gerda.

Hans has no basis, nor does the Duke of Wesselton. Normally, I’d be very upset with Disney for ruining the story so much, but the fact that Disney gave the movie a separate name makes me happy. In addition, I do want to give Disney kudos for a couple things. First of all, I like how they concealed the villain. Looking back, Hans’ actions earlier in the movie make more sense, but Disney succeeded with a shocking twist for the audience. And did you notice that the villain’s name is the same as the author? Secondly, I enjoyed the fact that the act of true love was a sisterly bond, not romantic love, which would be Disney’s typical scenario. Thirdly, I enjoyed the opening song, a Danish version of Fairest Lord Jesus named “Eatnemen Vuelie.” Lastly, I love Olaf. So, voila! Now you know the story of the Snow Queen and how it relates to

Frozen. You’re welcome!
Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
the beatles
Wikipedia Commons

For as long as I can remember, I have been listening to The Beatles. Every year, my mom would appropriately blast “Birthday” on anyone’s birthday. I knew all of the words to “Back In The U.S.S.R” by the time I was 5 (Even though I had no idea what or where the U.S.S.R was). I grew up with John, Paul, George, and Ringo instead Justin, JC, Joey, Chris and Lance (I had to google N*SYNC to remember their names). The highlight of my short life was Paul McCartney in concert twice. I’m not someone to “fangirl” but those days I fangirled hard. The music of The Beatles has gotten me through everything. Their songs have brought me more joy, peace, and comfort. I can listen to them in any situation and find what I need. Here are the best lyrics from The Beatles for every and any occasion.

Keep Reading...Show less
Being Invisible The Best Super Power

The best superpower ever? Being invisible of course. Imagine just being able to go from seen to unseen on a dime. Who wouldn't want to have the opportunity to be invisible? Superman and Batman have nothing on being invisible with their superhero abilities. Here are some things that you could do while being invisible, because being invisible can benefit your social life too.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

19 Lessons I'll Never Forget from Growing Up In a Small Town

There have been many lessons learned.

70794
houses under green sky
Photo by Alev Takil on Unsplash

Small towns certainly have their pros and cons. Many people who grow up in small towns find themselves counting the days until they get to escape their roots and plant new ones in bigger, "better" places. And that's fine. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought those same thoughts before too. We all have, but they say it's important to remember where you came from. When I think about where I come from, I can't help having an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for my roots. Being from a small town has taught me so many important lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

Keep Reading...Show less
​a woman sitting at a table having a coffee
nappy.co

I can't say "thank you" enough to express how grateful I am for you coming into my life. You have made such a huge impact on my life. I would not be the person I am today without you and I know that you will keep inspiring me to become an even better version of myself.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

132408
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments