This article focuses on how Hansel and Gretel,collected by Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm in Children’s and Household Tales(1812)should be seen as more than a folktale for small children;it can,instead,be read as a highly theological work related to the Calvinist view of the Eucharist and directed more to young adults and adults.The Grimm brothers,who were strict Calvinists,viewed the tales as being useful in instilling moral lessons to children.As such,Hansel and Gretel can be seen as highlighting the tension between Calvinist and Catholic perspectives on the Eucharist.It is important when teaching the text to consider this culturally relative context.Doing so helps to highlight the original didactic purpose for Children’s and Household Tales and how we can revisit and reclaim the moral initiative of the book in a modern context.
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