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The Tragi-Comic and Glorious Fairy Tale of Hans Christian Andersen

By Anita Mathias

Hans Christian Andersen, Munich, 1860. Photograph by Franz Hanfstaengl.

  Last July, I spent a couple of days in Odense, the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen–which he left as soon as he could.

Hans Christian Andersen (all three are very common and popular Danish names) was a freak genius, born to a cobbler and a (mildly alcoholic) washerwoman.

Their simple one room cottage had few books–Shakespeare, Grimm and 1001 Nights– but these the pre-teen Andersen soon almost memorized. The inmates of the mental asylum where his grandmother worked told him Danish folk tales.  Even in primary school, he performed Shakespeare plays he’d memorized, with a little toy theatre with puppets, whose clothes he had designed himself. And wrote plays, poems, stories.

School was, nevertheless, full of humiliation because of his ugly, homely appearance, his large nose, and unmasculine pursuits.

His father died when he was eleven and he had to help support the family. He was sent to work in a factory, where he was humiliated by having his trousers pulled down (to check if he was a man) and then apprenticed to a tailor.

At 14, he ran away from home to Copenhagen “to become famous” as he told his mother. He approached the luminaries of the day until a composer, Weyse, who had risen from poverty himself, raised money to enable him to study at the Royal Theatre, though the only role he got was as a troll. He studied at the Ballet School but was told that his ugliness and ungainliness would prevent his getting roles.
He wrote a play, aged 17 (his last hope of having anything to do with the theatre he loved), which brought him to the attention of Jonas Collin, a powerful Court official, and financial director of the Royal Theatre, who realized that Andersen was hampered by his lack of formal education. He arranged an educational fund to be paid by the King of Denmark and sent him to a grammar school in Elsinsore with 11 year olds.

The headmaster was abusive, particularly vicious to Andersen whom he ridiculed and humiliated. Particularly crushingly, he forbade him to write, partly because he was dyslexic, (and so struggled with the long, boring days at school), and partly to crush his literary ambitions which he thought were at odds with his humble origins.  Andersen thought he was going mad because of the abuse, and had nightmares of this headmaster throughout his life.

Andersen persisted for four years, determined to prove worthy of Collins and the King’s interest, but finally wrote a poem “The Dying Child” which became one of the most famous poems of the century. His headmaster pronounced this rubbish, and abused Andersen so vehemently that an alarmed teacher alerted Collin.

Collin arranged for him to return to Copenhagen, where he was given an attic room, and studied with private tutors.

* * *

A year later, aged just 22, he wrote his first book, A Walking Tour from the Holmen Canal to the Eastern Point of Anger. This book, an early Ulysees,  follows a young poet through the streets of Copenhagen over the course of a single night.  Unable to find a publisher, he self-published it, and it was a very successful: every copy sold.

Andersen was a prolific and endlessly creative writer, writing travelogues, fairy tales, novels plays, and three memoirs. He is, of course, best remembered for his  fairy tales which he started writing in high excitement when he was 29.

* * *

Andersen’s Fairy Tales are rich and many-layered, full of humour, satire, wisdom, sharp observation and, above all, poetry. His stories are a literary melange of Danish folk tales, 1001 Nights, Grimm Fairy Tales, but are earthed and anchored in contemporary Copenhagen.  His varied experience in the school of high and low life and hard knocks provided the little intimate realistic detail which make these so charming.

* * *

His writing brought him the things he desired–wealth, the friendship of other writers, entree to high society, travel, and recognition.

There is a bitter-sweet romance and fairy tale about the life of this creator of fairy tales–creative dreams fulfilled, wealth earned, much travel–29 tours of Europe, and the social success and access to high society which Andersen appeared to have craved. He achieved his ambitions and dreams, which so few people do.

 

“A star of fortune hangs above me,” Andersen once wrote. “Thousands have deserved it more than I; often I cannot understand why this good should have been vouchsafed to me among so many thousands. But if the star should set, even while I am penning these lines, be it so; still I can say it has shone, and I have received a rich portion.” 

The star, of course, shone because of his determination and hard work, as well as his genius.

But the wounds of penury, of rejection, humiliation, abuse and exclusion never fully healed. His love, both heterosexual and homoerotic, was always unreciprocated. He was the little mermaid, (Den Lille Havfrau as signs all over Copenhagen tell us) who achieved his dreams at a high price, and then not completely.

* * *

When I was younger, I might have read his life and resolved to work relentlessly to fulfil my own literary dreams. But I now know that while creative and writing dreams fulfilled have their own sweetness, they cannot fill the heart with joy or peace or contentment. For that, I need more than literary dreams fulfilled. For that, I need the Holy Spirit. For that, I need Jesus. For that, I need God himself.

How do I know this? Because I have realized some of my dreams–I’ve studied in the University I wanted to: Oxford; my writing has won prizes and been published; like Andersen, I’ve visited over 29 countries; my little business has been successful; my little blog is growing; I live in the country outside a city I love, Oxford. I am happily married, and have two sweet, gifted children.  And all these things have been satisfying.

But their satisfactions do not compare to the times of soaking in the presence of God, of revelling in Scripture, of hearing the voice of God, of prayer.

And while these times spent playing in the fields of the Lord–because of the goodness of God–might help one’s life resemble a fairy tale with a happy ending, they are, in fact, a true fairy tale in themselves.

Little Anita hangs out with God; Little Anita reads the words of God; Little Anita talks to God, and God talks back. What greater fairy tale?

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Comments

  1. Anita Mathias says

    July 31, 2012 at 4:55 pm

    Indeed. Thanks, Ursula, and welcome to my blog. And Oxford. Have you found a good church? Drop me a line if you'd like recommendations. I go to St. Andrew's (which has a lovely 20ies and 30ies group, most singles) and is lovely, though a tad old-fashioned. What are you doing in Oxford?

  2. Ursula says

    July 31, 2012 at 2:04 pm

    “Little Anita hangs out with God; Little Anita reads the words of God; Little Anita talks to God, and God talks back. What greater fairy tale?”

    Well, there isn't a greater fairytale really…is there? Little Anita gets to be the most beloved daughter of the Most High God…you're a walking, talking princess!

    Thanks for the beautiful blog, choosing to live in Oxford this year I can totally appreciate your love of this place, it's a bit like living in a fairytale isn't it?

    How lucky are WE that God chose US to live HERE?

  3. Anita Mathias says

    July 30, 2012 at 8:34 pm

    Thanks much MOLLIE and LES.

    I was thinking about how Tolkein's observation that Christianity was a true myth, working on us like all the other myths, but with this difference that it was true was the final pivot in Lewis's conversion.

    And I think learning to pray, learning to hear God's voice and obey his word can work an almost “fairy tale” change in our lives and characters!

  4. Les Norman says

    July 30, 2012 at 8:02 pm

    I really like post, it is beautifully written but you saved the best until last, and that is no fairy tale.

  5. Miss Mollie says

    July 29, 2012 at 10:49 pm

    What a lovely, wonderful post! How often we need reminded, if we have not Jesus, we have nothing.
    I always wonder at gifted, talented and hard working people and how much some of them need Jesus. I see it everywhere and think, oh, if only they had Jesus.
    I still admire the talent and hard work. But I think even Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes. He was the wisest man, bedsides Jesus. Yes, let none of it be wasted.

  6. vickywalker says

    July 29, 2012 at 10:24 pm

    If you fancy watching the contemporary dance version it's on YouTube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27jyGvHjz7Q&feature=related
    A little bit crazy but fun!

  7. Anita Mathias says

    July 29, 2012 at 10:17 pm

    Yes, indeed. I think Jesus words after the multiplication of the loaves, “Let Nothing be Wasted” are a great comfort to writers.

    I think Andersen's experience of the depths and heights of society and of the emotions gave much richness to his writing. And of course his experience of theatre, ballet, the court and high society as well as the working class must have provided a wealth of detail and satirical observation.

    Thanks for your comment. I am planning to reread all Andersen's Fairy Tales.

  8. vickywalker says

    July 29, 2012 at 9:28 pm

    Last year a new ballet was produced telling the story of HCA's The Most Incredible Thing. It was incredible! Inside the clock that became the Most Incredible Thing were many things including Adam and Eve, the 4 seasons, the 10 Commandments etc. After reading how he wanted to be part of the arts and ballet in particular it's amazing how these desires live on, and such a redemptive story is still being appreciated. Thanks for sharing. Bless Hans.

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anita.mathias

Writer, Blogger, Reader, Mum. Christian. Instaing Oxford, travel, gardens and healthy meals. Oxford English alum. Writing memoir. Lives in Oxford, UK

Images from walks around Oxford. #beauty #oxford # Images from walks around Oxford. #beauty #oxford #walking #tranquility #naturephotography #nature
So we had a lovely holiday in the Southwest. And h So we had a lovely holiday in the Southwest. And here we are at one of the world’s most famous and easily recognisable sites.
#stonehenge #travel #england #prehistoric England #family #druids
And I’ve blogged https://anitamathias.com/2020/09/13/on-not-wasting-a-desert-experience/
So, after Paul the Apostle's lightning bolt encounter with the Risen Christ on the road to Damascus, he went into the desert, he tells us...
And there, he received revelation, visions, and had divine encounters. The same Judean desert, where Jesus fasted for forty days before starting his active ministry. Where Moses encountered God. Where David turned from a shepherd to a leader and a King, and more, a man after God’s own heart.  Where Elijah in the throes of a nervous breakdown hears God in a gentle whisper. 
England, where I live, like most of the world is going through a desert experience of continuing partial lockdowns. Covid-19 spreads through human contact and social life, and so we must refrain from those great pleasures. We are invited to the desert, a harsh place where pruning can occur, and spiritual fruitfulness.
A plague like this has not been known for a hundred years... John Piper, after his cancer diagnosis, exhorted people, “Don’t Waste Your Cancer”—since this was the experience God permitted you to have, and He can bring gold from it. Pandemics and plagues are permitted (though not willed or desired) by a Sovereign God, and he can bring life-change out of them. 
Let us not waste this unwanted, unchosen pandemic, this opportunity for silence, solitude and reflection. Let’s not squander on endless Zoom calls—or on the internet, which, if not used wisely, will only raise anxiety levels. Let’s instead accept the invitation to increased silence and reflection
Let's use the extra free time that many of us have long coveted and which has now been given us by Covid-19 restrictions to seek the face of God. To seek revelation. To pray. 
And to work on those projects of our hearts which have been smothered by noise, busyness, and the tumult of people and parties. To nurture the fragile dreams still alive in our hearts. The long-deferred duty or vocation
So, we are about eight weeks into lockdown, and I So, we are about eight weeks into lockdown, and I have totally sunk into the rhythm of it, and have got quiet, very quiet, the quietest spell of time I have had as an adult.
I like it. I will find going back to the sometimes frenetic merry-go-round of my old life rather hard. Well, I doubt I will go back to it. I will prune some activities, and generally live more intentionally and mindfully.
I have started blocking internet of my phone and laptop for longer periods of time, and that has brought a lot of internal quiet and peace.
Some of the things I have enjoyed during lockdown have been my daily long walks, and gardening. Well, and reading and working on a longer piece of work.
Here are some images from my walks.
And if you missed it, a blog about maintaining peace in the middle of the storm of a global pandemic
https://anitamathias.com/2020/05/04/a-mind-of-life-and-peace/  #walking #contemplating #beauty #oxford #pandemic
A few walks in Oxford in the time of quarantine. A few walks in Oxford in the time of quarantine.  We can maintain a mind of life and peace during this period of lockdown by being mindful of our minds, and regulating them through meditation; being mindful of our bodies and keeping them happy by exercise and yoga; and being mindful of our emotions in this uncertain time, and trusting God who remains in charge. A new blog on maintaining a mind of life and peace during lockdown https://anitamathias.com/2020/05/04/a-mind-of-life-and-peace/
In the days when one could still travel, i.e. Janu In the days when one could still travel, i.e. January 2020, which seems like another life, all four of us spent 10 days in Malta. I unplugged, and logged off social media, so here are some belated iphone photos of a day in Valetta.
Today, of course, there’s a lockdown, and the country’s leader is in intensive care.
When the world is too much with us, and the news stresses us, moving one’s body, as in yoga or walking, calms the mind. I am doing some Yoga with Adriene, and again seeing the similarities between the practice of Yoga and the practice of following Christ.
https://anitamathias.com/2020/04/06/on-yoga-and-following-jesus/
#valleta #valletamalta #travel #travelgram #uncagedbird
Images from some recent walks in Oxford. I am copi Images from some recent walks in Oxford.
I am coping with lockdown by really, really enjoying my daily 4 mile walk. By savouring the peace of wild things. By trusting that God will bring good out of this. With a bit of yoga, and weights. And by working a fair amount in my garden. And reading.
How are you doing?
#oxford #oxfordinlockdown #lockdown #walk #lockdownwalks #peace #beauty #happiness #joy #thepeaceofwildthings
Images of walks in Oxford in this time of social d Images of walks in Oxford in this time of social distancing. The first two are my own garden.  And I’ve https://anitamathias.com/2020/03/28/silver-and-gold-linings-in-the-storm-clouds-of-coronavirus/ #corona #socialdistancing #silverlinings #silence #solitude #peace
Trust: A Message of Christmas He came to earth in Trust: A Message of Christmas  He came to earth in a  splash of energy
And gentleness and humility.
That homeless baby in the barn
Would be the lynchpin on which history would ever after turn
Who would have thought it?
But perhaps those attuned to God’s way of surprises would not be surprised.
He was already at the centre of all things, connecting all things. * * *
Augustus Caesar issued a decree which brought him to Bethlehem,
The oppressions of colonialism and conquest brought the Messiah exactly where he was meant to be, the place prophesied eight hundred years before his birth by the Prophet Micah.
And he was already redeeming all things. The shame of unwed motherhood; the powerlessness of poverty.
He was born among animals in a barn, animals enjoying the sweetness of life, animals he created, animals precious to him.
For he created all things, and in him all things hold together
Including stars in the sky, of which a new one heralded his birth
Drawing astronomers to him.
And drawing him to the attention of an angry King
As angelic song drew shepherds to him.
An Emperor, a King, scholars, shepherds, angels, animals, stars, an unwed mother
All things in heaven and earth connected
By a homeless baby
The still point on which the world still turns. The powerful centre. The only true power.
The One who makes connections. * * *
And there is no end to the wisdom, the crystal glints of the Message that birth brings.
To me, today, it says, “Fear not, trust me, I will make a way.” The baby lay gentle in the barn
And God arranges for new stars, angelic song, wise visitors with needed finances for his sustenance in the swiftly-coming exile, shepherds to underline the anointing and reassure his parents. “Trust me in your dilemmas,” the baby still says, “I will make a way. I will show it to you.” Happy Christmas everyone.  https://anitamathias.com/2019/12/24/trust-a-message-of-christmas/ #christmas #gemalderieberlin #trust #godwillmakeaway
Look, I’ve designed a journal. It’s an omnibus Look, I’ve designed a journal. It’s an omnibus Gratitude journal, habit tracker, food and exercise journal, bullet journal, with time sheets, goal sheets and a Planner. Everything you’d like to track.  Here’s a post about it with ISBNs https://anitamathias.com/2019/12/23/life-changing-journalling/. Check it out. I hope you and your kids like it!
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