Children’s horror writing is not a new concept, and it didn’t start with fairytales. Originally fairytales were not originally intended to be read by children. The Brothers’ Grimm’s writing was aimed at adults, and met the then increasing demand for literature based around local folklore in the early 19th century. Anyone who has seen the film “The Brothers’ Grimm” will probably back me on this – that film is most definitely NOT for children! As the Horror genre evolved “Dracula” and “Frankenstein” made the average fairytale appear somewhat childish, so the different stories were reworked and rewritten by adults so they would be more suitable for children. By the Victorian era the average Grimm fairy tale was far less graphic and violent than the original, and Disney’s handling of the stories has “tamed” them still further.

While the Grimms were compiling their collection of adult fairytales other writers were already producing children’s stories, many of which contained elements of horror. Hans Christian Andersen’s “Tales Told For Children” was published in 1835, and some of the stories in that book are excellent references for children’s horror literature:

“The Red Shoes” are a pair of beautiful, cursed slippers which force their wearer to dance continually. A vain young girl slips them onto her feet, and finds herself unable to stop dancing. So bad is the problem she cannot go to church, and is unable to attend her adoptive mother’s funeral because she cannot stop dancing. Condemned by and angle to dance forever as a warning to all vain children, she begs an executioner to cut off her feet. For the rest of the story she is haunted by the animated shoes, which dance before her as she moves on wooden feet with the help of crutches.

“The Little Mermaid”, yearning to be with a handsome human prince with whom she has fallen in love, gives a witch her tongue in exchange for a potion that turns her tail into legs. She must get her prince to marry her to give her a soul, and she sets out to find her love, even though every step she takes is as painful as waking on sharpened knife blades. Even though she is mute the prince does fall in love with her, and is enchanted by the way she dances for him, never knowing the agony she suffers at every step. The course of true love never did run true, and the prince marries someone else. The heartbroken mermaid throws herself into the sea and turns into foam.

“The Little Match Girl” sells matches on the icy streets to keep warm. One New Year’s Eve, she lights her matches to keep warm. In their light she sees wonderful warm banquets with tables full of wonderful food and a sparkling Christmas tree. Looking up she sees a shooting star, and remembers it means someone is about to die. Lighting her last match she sees her grandmother, the only person who ever treated her kindly. Her grandmother has come to take her to Heaven, and the following morning her frozen little body is discovered, surrounded by burnt out matches.

Charles Kingsley’s “The Water Babies” features a chimney sweep named Tom, who meets a young girl called Ellie at her house. After he is chased away he falls into a river and drowns. He is turned into a water baby, and experiences several adventures while learning life’s lessons under the tutelage of the fairies. Once a week he is allowed to see Ellie, who had the misfortune to fall into the river just after Tom. Eventually he proves himself worthy to return to human form, and lives a full life. He is reunited with Ellie, but they never marry.

Conclusion

I had no idea when I began this research of how detailed and large this topic has become. This subject is not an easy one to discuss, and certainly cannot be contained in one newsletter. Due to its “sensitivity” I have decided to split it between two newsletters, with this one serving as an introduction to writing horror for young readers. I hope I have provided enough background and proof that this genre has been with us for almost two centuries. Part two will be featured in the next Horror Newsletter I am editing, scheduled for 20 February, 2008.