The Real Snow White

Snow White is undoubtedly one of Disney's most beloved characters.

Now, a recent discovery in Germany has revealed that she may have been a real person.

The Bamberg Museum in Bavaria recently received a gravestone marked with the name Maria Sophia von Erthal.

Research shows that Sophia's life story is strikingly similar to that of Snow White.

Sophia was born in 1725 to an aristocratic family in the town of Lohr am Main.

But like Snow White, her life had its fair share of misfortunes.

Sophia's mother died young, and her widowed father got remarried to an abusive and jealous woman.

Her stepmother did everything in her power to make life difficult for Sophia and her siblings.

The evil woman even prevented Sophia from getting married once she had grown up.

Sadly, the beautiful and caring girl spent the rest of her life in a convent and died a lonely, blind old lady.

Beyond the biographical similarities, a number of other details stand out.

For instance, Sophia's father owned a mirror factory, and he gave his wife a special mirror as a gift.

Additionally, there are a mine outside the town that could only be reached by crossing seven hills.

The shafts inside the mine were so low and narrow that only children or dwarves could work in them.

Not every historian is convinced by these findings, however.

Some researchers argue that another woman, Countess Margarete von Waldeck, was the inspiration behind the Snow White story.

Margarete is said to have fallen in love with a Spanish prince and died of poisoning soon afterwards.

Some speculate that is was the prince's father, King Charles V, who had her killed to prevent the marriage from taking place.

 

• undoubtedly  ʌ̀ndáutidli   의심할 여지없이, 확실히

• beloved   총애 받는, 인기 많은 ,  (대단히) 사랑하는

• striking  ˈstraɪkɪŋ   눈에 띄는, 두드러진, 현저한 (=marked)  굉장히 매력적인, 빼어난 (=stunning)   strikingly  두드러지게, 눈에 띄게

• aristocratic   ə|rɪstə│krætɪk  귀족(적)인 (=noble)   aristocrat  ə|rɪstəkræt  귀족(인 사람) (→commoner)   aristocracy  |ærɪ│stɑːkrəsi    (일부 국가의) 귀족 (계층), (=nobility)

• widow  ˈwɪdoʊ  남편[아내]을 (죽음으로) 잃다, 과부[홀아비]가 되다  / 미망인, 과부, 홀어미  widowed  미망인[홀아비]이 된

• abusive  əˈbjuːsɪv    폭력적인, 학대하는  / 모욕적인, 욕하는

• stepmother  ˈstepmʌðə(r)  새어머니, 의붓어머니, 계모

• sibling  ˈsɪblɪŋ  (한 명의) 형제자매[동기]

• caring |kerɪŋ   배려하는, 보살피는  care  ker   돌봄, 보살핌

• convent  |kɑːnvent   수녀원

• biographical  전기의, 전기체의   biographic   bàiəɡrǽfik(əl)   전기(체)의

• Beyond  …저편에[너머]  ,   건너편에, 그 너머에, 그 이후에

• stand out   튀어나오다, 눈에 띄다

• shaft  ʃæft   (보통 건물지하의) 수직 통로, 수갱

• dwarf  dwɔːrf    (신화 속의) 난쟁이[소인]

• Countess |kaʊntəs   백작 부인

• is convinced by  을 확신하다  convince  kənˈvɪns    납득시키다, 확신시키다 ,  설득하다

• speculate ˈspekjuleɪt  추측[짐작]하다 ,  투기하다   speculative  ˈspekjələtɪv  추측에 근거한 , 투기적인

• taking place   일어나기   take place (특히 미리 준비되거나 계획된 일이) 개최되다[일어나다]