7 Real Stories Behind Disney Fairy Tales Will Ruin Your Childhood

Disney fairy tales are part of many people’s childhood.

But the real stories behind these Disney fairy tales will leave you questioning your life choices. For many fairy tales, Disney and other animation makers have had to tone down and sometimes, rewrite the blood, gore, scary things and other things that do not belong in a children’s film. Here are 7 real stories behind Disney fairy tales that will ruin your childhood:

1. Sleeping Beauty

Everyone watched Disney’s Sleeping Beauty and enjoyed it. But in the original story, Prince Charming didn’t wake up Aurora with a kiss. Aurora was woken up by the birth of her twins. She had been raped by the prince who was married. He then left her in the forest. And when she goes in search of the father of her twins, the prince’s wife tries to kill them. This is widely different from the Disney version.

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2. Peter Pan

In the original story of Never Land, Peter Pan killed the lost boys who were becoming grownups. Instead of the Disney version of the lost boys staying children forever, Peter Pan killed the boys who grew up. Talk about dark.

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3. Snow White

In the original, Snow White was lying in a death-like state after eating the wicked’s queen apples. The dwarves put her in a glass coffin. When the Prince sees her, he is so taken with her that he asks the dwarves to ask for the coffin and the corpse. The dwarves refuse and the Prince sends his servants to steal the coffin. During the theft, the apple in Snow White’s throat and she wakes up. And she marries the prince. W.T.F!

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4. The Hunchback of Notre Dame

If you were a big fan of Quasimodo and Esmeralda, just hold on to your hats. In the story that Disney based their version on, Esmeralda was hanged by Claude Frollo. Quasimodo couldn’t save her like he did in the Disney movie. Esmeralda is buried in a mass grave. Quasimodo finds her corpse and lies beside her. He starves to death with her corpse in his arms. So dark!

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5. Aladdin

In the Disney movie, Aladdin was a character many people liked and could root for. In One thousand and One Nights, Aladdin is so lazy and spoilt that his father dies from disappointment. His mother works hard to support both of them. To make it worse, his character sneaks into the palace bathhouse to spy on Badroulbadour aka Jasmine. He is so struck by her beauty that he vows to marry her. When she marries someone else, Aladdin has the genie kidnap Badroulbadour and sleeps with her. Talk about messed up!

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6. Hercules

We all rooted for Hercules and Megara in the Disney animated film. In Seneca’s Hercules Furens, Megara is a Princess of Thebes who marries Hercules. Their happiness is ruined when the vengeful goddess, Hera, drives Hercules mad. Hercules in his madness kills Megara and their three children. Hercules only regains his sanity after murdering his family and is grief-stricken. This is so tragic!

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7. Mulan

In the 17th century story by Chu Renhuo, Mulan returns from war to find that her father died while she was gone. The ruler of her area who learns through gossip that she is a woman summons her to his palace to become a concubine. Rather than become a sex slave, Mulan kills herself on her father’s grave.