Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford The Truth About Hansel and Gretel
Oct 22, 2021
Is Hansel and Gretel merely a fairy tale, or is it rooted in real crime? The podcast investigates historical records linking the story to a chilling murder case. Examining the thin line between satire and reality, it reveals how classic tales shape perceptions of truth. With a focus on media misinterpretation, the discussion underscores the importance of critical thinking in today’s information overload. Dark themes of child abandonment and cannibalism bring additional depth, making listeners rethink the stories that define our culture.
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Fargo's False Truth
- The Coen brothers' movie Fargo was falsely marketed as a true story.
- This led a Japanese woman, Takako Konishi, to search for fictional buried money, resulting in her death.
Oseg's Discovery
- Georg Oseg linked Grimm's fairy tale to a real location.
- He matched illustrations to the Spessart forest and found a court record of a house matching the woodcutter's cottage.
Witch's House
- Oseg found a clearing and a tree with markings consistent with the story.
- He discovered ruins matching the witch's house and a skeleton, seemingly confirming the tale's basis in reality.
