There is a strong sense of religion in Hansel and Gretel. They call on God to help survive their abandonment and also to help survive the abuse by their mother and the witch. There are three references to God in the first edition of the story written by the Grimm Brothers.
· They overhear their parents talking about abandoning them in the forest and Hansel says, “God will help us”.
· The witch orders Gretel to watch a boiling pot of water. Gretel prays, “Dear God, save us poor children”.
· God reveals to Gretel the witch’s plan to lock her in the oven.
A reliance on God is reflected in the operatic version of the tale written by Engelbert Humperdinck in the late 1800’s. The opera is still performed to this day, usually at Christmas time, and one of the most famous scenes is of the children at prayer.
The Children’s Prayer (By Engelbert Humperdinck and Adelheid Wette)
When at night I go to sleep,
Fourteen angels watch do keep,
Two my head are guarding,
Two my feet are guiding,
Two are on my right hand,
Two are on my left hand,
Two who warmly cover,
Two who o’er me hover,
Two to whom tis given
To guide my steps to Heaven.
(To hear the music go here. To learn more about the opera go here)
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