Bad Apples

In fairytales and myths, there is a lot of mention about fruit, especially apples. In the fairytale by the Brothers Grimm, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves", the apple is poisonous. Earlier stories of Snow White had her die of poisoning and not woken from a coma by a prince. The Grimm brothers sugarised the tale for the wider public. The apple is the cause of her death. In this favourite story, we all know why. The apple itself was dipped in a pot of poison by the wicked queen, who was stepmother to Snow White. The queen had always been vain and ever since she discovered that Snow White was fairer, she wanted to be rid of her. This story is an age old tale of the jealous older woman who feels threatened by the innocence and beauty of a younger maiden, for she's worried about being replaced in some way or other. Feminists that write books sympathise with the stepmother queen and fiction has retold this fairytale where the queen is a misunderstood matriarch who secretly IS the natural mother to Snow White, but became twisted and filled with inner conflict, blaming her own child's development for her own insecurities. I don't quite understand where this all originated from, and if anyone knows this then forgive me for explaining what I believe to be distortions of human psychology.

I believe that this story centres around the apple, the fruit of the earth, and giver of health and healing. This apple in the fairytale is corrupted and deadly though. My take on Snow White is this: the queen is a symbol of the Earth, or nature itself, as nature can be deadly and can take life. The earth gives life, sustains it, nurtures, heals, encourages and inspires. However, the earth, in another moment, can rise up suddenly and furiously and destroys all. The queen wanted a child, gave forth a beautiful daughter, and when the child grows up to womanhood, the force of nature within the queen goes on the attack. But why? Could it be that nature is seen to burdenise women everywhere with pain and physical hardship: menstrual periods and childbirth. These things cause women to have iron deficiencies as the blood loss contributes to the lowering of vital minerals.

The popular English saying: "An apple a day keeps the doctor away" is said amongst families even today as apples are, basically, medicinal and have good properties. They offer Vitamin C and can also keep us smiling (although others like myself don't like apples in its raw form, I prefer apple ingrediants in meals). Too much apples, however, isn't necessary. Fruits are IMO a naturally grown medicine and should be eaten in small quantities, not eaten excessively. Too much fruit can result in: "dental decay, osteoporosis, wasting of muscle tissue, inability to maintain a healthy weight, chronic fatigue, skin problems, thinning hair, weakening nails, and excessive irritability." Too much fruit is bad for you health  

Also a recent campaign to get everyone to eat "5 a day" fruit and veggies supposedly reduced cancer. Does it? What about people who don't like eating fruit or vegetables because of the acid and the nasty taste? I suppose not one person can really answer that because most people love fruits and like vegetables apart from myself, as I have a diet plan of my own and cook specific foods such as meat, fish, dairy and bread. In the fairy tale of Snow White, a single apple killed her. The 11th Century poet Skald referred to an apple as "Apples of Hel" meaning fruit of the dead. Apples are basically an introduction to Europe from Asia and those that grew all over in Europe, especially in the north and the British Isles, tasted sour and rotted quickly. Within ancient myths in Europe developed apple legends, such as the Golden Apples of the goddesses and their gardens, the apples of immortality and youth. Some people have Oral Allergy Syndrome

Because of the small chance for a more severe reaction, avoidance of the fresh fruits or vegetables is advised. Many people already avoid the suspect foods since the symptoms are uncomfortable. Usually, the fruits and vegetables are tolerated in cooked, baked and processed forms.

Apple seeds are also poisonous. Bad Seed 

"Five-a-Day" questioned

The artwork is "Apples Kiss" by Azurelle