By Timocleia Gwilym and Jace Hume
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Part I: Fairytales Gone Wrong. What does it mean? by Timocleia Gwilym
This year’s Halloween Bash has, as its theme, ‘Fairy Tales Gone Wrong.’
Huh?
Yes, you read that right: ‘Fairy Tales Gone Wrong.’ What precisely does that mean, and what sorts of costumes might that suggest? That is the subject of the present essay.
What is a fairy tale?
A fairy tale is a short story that contains magical elements that comes out of folklore. In the Wizarding World, we call fairy tales ‘stories,’ or sometimes ‘family history,’ or ‘local history.’ In the Muggle World, they are ‘fairy tales’ because they do not have day-to-day experience with magic as we do. Most fairy tales are little-known outside of the region where they originate, but some have become quite famous. Most notably, the stories collected by the Grimm Brothers in the 19th century form the best-known collection of fairy tales in either the Muggle or Wizarding world. However, the first collection of ‘fairy tales’ was published by a French ethnographer only a few years after the Statute of Secrecy, in 1697.
Oftentimes, fairy tales are morality stories. There are often innocent but foolish children, sometimes naughty children; witches and wizards are seldom depicted as anything but villains. Typically, the ‘bad guys’ get their just desserts in the end, and the ‘good guys’ get a ‘fairy tale ending’: where they all ‘live happily ever after.’ So for our purposes for this Halloween Bash, a ‘fairy tale gone wrong’ would be one of these stories changed so that the ending is no longer a ‘fairy tale ending’ for the ‘good guys.’ Following is a list of famous fairy tales, their endings, and potential endings ‘gone wrong.’ Perhaps these alternative endings might help inspire a costume for a ‘fairy tale gone wrong!’
Little Red Riding Hood
Good guys: Little Red Riding Hood, her grandmother, a woodsman
Bad guys: the Big Bad Wolf
Ending: the grandmother is cut out of the wolf’s belly by the woodsman. Bad for the wolf, great for the ‘good guys’
Endings gone wrong: the woodsman didn’t find the grandmother’s cottage, so the wolf eats Little Red Riding Hood too; or the woodsman is secretly the wolf’s friend and helps the wolf in his crimes; or the grandmother is actually a werewolf and it is a full moon, or even an animagus with a very poor sense of humor or is tired of Little Red Riding Hood’s poor attitude
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Good guys: Snow White, the dwarves, the huntsman, the Prince and his followers
Bad guys: the wicked stepmother queen
Ending: Snow White eats a poisoned apple and falls into a deathly state, but is placed in a glass coffin. The Prince finds her, falls in love, tries to bury her but one of the bearers slips and Snow White wakes up, she marries the Prince, and the wicked stepmother queen attends the wedding. She is forced to dance in red-hot metal shoes until she dies.
Endings gone wrong: the Prince is actually in league with the wicked stepmother, and Snow White has to dance in the red shoes; the dwarves decide they don’t like Snow White after all and force her out of the house after they find her there in one of their beds; Snow White realizes after the first or second attempt on her life from the wicked stepmother who this person is, and gets testy (and armed); the huntsman decides not to be a Good Guy and kills Snow White as the wicked stepmother queen ordered in the first place
The Little Mermaid
Good guys: Ariel (the little Mermaid), the Prince, the Prince’s people
Bad guys: the Sea-Queen, her servants
Ending: Ariel falls in love with the Prince, but wants a soul. She finally gets one, but disappears in the sea foam
Endings gone wrong: the Prince gets it all wrong and decides he wants Mermaid and chips; Ariel does not get a soul after all, but becomes a rather grumpy land-bound mermaid
Rapunzel
Good guys: Rapunzel and her boyfriend; king and queen
Bad guys: the witch, her servants
Ending: Rapunzel escapes the tower and marries her boyfriend
Endings gone wrong: Rapunzel decides she does not need a man to define her and goes back to her tower armed with weapons to fight off the next so-called ‘savior’; the witch tosses Rapunzel out of the tower because she no longer wants to deal with teen angst; the witch goes to child protective services claiming that Rapunzel’s boyfriend kidnapped her and she gets the court to issue a restraining order, leaving Rapunzel embittered and isolated back in the tower
The Three Pigs
Good guys: the three pigs
Bad guys: the Big Bad Wolf
Ending: the Big Bad Wolf can not blow down the third pig’s house, and tries to come down the chimney. The pig cooks the wolf and eats him for dinner with the other two pigs who somehow escaped the wolf and made it to the third pig’s house before the wolf did.
Endings gone wrong: the wolf gets tired of blowing the house over so instead uses a Bombarda to blow up the house and eats all the pigs inside; the Big Bad Wolf decides that instead of blowing the houses down, he will burn them out using fire, and has barbecued pig at the first house. Being sated, he returns and eats the second pig the next day, then waits for the third pig to leave his brick house before getting him because that is much easier than trying to destroy a brick house.
These are only a few examples of what a ‘fairy tale gone wrong’ might look like. In the next section, we turn to Jace Hume, the Owl Post’s own fashion editor, for some more specific ideas for Halloween Bash costumes based on fairy tales gone wrong. Have a wonderful Halloween Bash!
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Part II: Costume ideas, by Jace Hume
Happily Never After, you say? Fairy Tales Gone Wrong, you say? I have NOTHING to wear, you say? Never fear, your Fashionisto is here! As long as you got the tea, I’ll pour out the ideas.
Something wicked this way comes. How about this idea for one! The Storyteller of Nightmares. First find a long black coat that swishes whilst you walk. Next up, you’ll need a book bound in chains that looks like it could whisper back if you dared to open it. Now, a quill dripping with “red ink” as if you’ve just finished writing someone’s doom. A perfect addition would be some pages that would appear to be swirling around you. To add this effect you might pin them to a wire or fishing line for that haunted in motion look. To complete the look, add dark gloves, boots or even a lantern for some dramatic flair. A perfect way to show off the idea of fairy tales or stories in a darker manner.
Let’s give porcelain a chance. It might be time to crack on! What about The Enchanted Doll? A favourite for facepainting finesse! Paint a few delicate cracks across your face and arms, and add dark circles around your eyes so that an eerie stillness really shows through. A frilly dollie dress can be made by using something old-fashioned with lace and ribbons. Give it a slight tear or a tea dye for an antique feel. Top it off with a big hair bow, a stitched red heart on your chest, and a broken music box key to carry. Perfect for anyone who wants to look lovely and unsettling all at once.
Ever feel like you’ve been chasing your own shadow? Lost your light? Maybe it’s time to stop dreaming it and just be it! Try The Shadow of Peter Pan! Go for an all black outfit from head to toe. Then, smudge some smoky makeup around your eyes to give that just stepped out of the dark look. Cut out a jagged “shadow” silhouette to trail behind you or attach pieces to your sleeves so it looks like your other self is breaking free. A perfect costume for those who prefer a little mystery, mischief and absolutely no growing up!
Talking about spilling the tea? Tea time’s over and bring on the chaos! Try The Mad Hatter’s Gone Madder. Start with a blood red top hat that’s seen far better days. You’ll want to add a tangle of a few clock gears. Braid some watch parts into your hair for that splendidly deranged touch. Smudge some ink on your fingers, your face and your clothes. Time to hang a few cracked teacups from a chain or from your belt. Don’t forget to add a mismatched coat and boots, because nothing says “fashionably mad” like not matching at all. Perfect for anyone who plans to pour a little chaos with their tea.
What about those couples and groups out there? Step into a royal tale that went terribly wrong. The Cursed Court! It is made up of doomed nobles, twisted monarchs and betrayed knights who never quite escaped their fairy tale fates. This theme works perfectly for groups or friend trios who want to coordinate without matching. Choose a shared colour palette! Ideas: black, silver, wine-red or tarnished gold. Have everyone wear something regal that’s gone wrong. It could be something that’s cracked, frayed, wilted or crooked. Add some crowns, jewels, capes and other regal things. By depicting several members of a court, you serve up a perfect balance of vanity, loyalty and corruption.
What about those couples and groups out there? Step right up and claim your throne in The Cursed Court! A royal tale gone terribly wrong. Think doomed nobles, twisted monarchs and betrayed knights who never quite escaped their fairy tale fates. Pick a shared colour palette and lean into it! Think black, silver, wine red or tarnished gold. Everyone should wear something regal that’s gone just a bit off. Try out some cracked jewels, frayed cloaks or wilted flowers. Add in a few crooked crowns, heavy capes and a touch of drama. Together, you’ll look like the perfect mix of vanity, loyalty and corruption! You’ll end up right fit for a fairy tale that never ends up happily ever after.
Now off you go, my frightfully fashionable friends! Whether you’re cracked, cursed or simply chaotic, make sure your look is breathtakingly spellbinding. When the clock strikes midnight, it’s not about the glass slipper, it’s about the glow up. May your costumes be wicked, your tea well-spilled and your happily never after perfectly styled.
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From all of us here at the Owl Post, we wish everyone at Hogwarts a happy Halloween and a fabulous evening at the Halloween Bash! May your own fairy tale go right, even if you’re dressed for it to go wrong.
