Loreplay

Think fairy tales were written for children? Think again. In this episode of Loreplay, Dayna Pereira dives deep into the dark, disturbing, and wildly misunderstood origins of classic fairy tales like Cinderella, Snow White, and The Juniper Tree. Long before Disney softened the edges, these stories were filled with mutilation, cannibalism, eye-pecking birds, and stepmothers who absolutely chose violence. We explore how fairy tales began as oral folklore told among adults, and how these stories functioned as psychological survival manuals in a brutal pre-modern world.

From blood-soaked slippers to baked-into-a-pie revenge plots, this episode unpacks the historical, psychological, and cultural roots of the stories we thought we knew. Spoiler: They were never about the prince. They were about survival.
If you love folklore, dark history, fairy tale origins, mythology, cultural psychology, and the real stories behind Disney classics — this one’s for you.

Sources:
Zipes, Jack. The Irresistible Fairy Tale: The Cultural and Social History of a Genre. Princeton University Press, 2012.
Zipes, Jack. The Brothers Grimm: From Enchanted Forests to the Modern World. Routledge, 1988.
Tatar, Maria. The Hard Facts of the Grimms' Fairy Tales. Princeton University Press, 1987.
Bettelheim, Bruno. The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales. 1976.
Jung, Carl. The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious. 1959.
Bottigheimer, Ruth B. Fairy Tales: A New History. SUNY Press, 2009.
Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm. Kinder- und Hausmärchen. 1812–1857 editions.
Perrault, Charles. Histoires ou contes du temps passé. 1697.

Creators and Guests

Host
Dayna Pereira
Show Host of Multiple Chart Hitting Podcasts. French Fry and Wine Enthusiast

What is Loreplay?

Dayna Pereira is the sarcastic solo host of Loreplay, serving up paranormal stories, haunted history, creepy folklore, and weird legends with a playful twist. Equal parts storyteller and skeptic, she blends dark humor, spooky vibes, and a love for the bizarre into binge-worthy episodes for fans of ghost stories, urban legends, and true crime with a paranormal twist.