Sibylle von Olfers (1881–1916)
Author of The Story of the Root Children
About the Author
Works by Sibylle von Olfers
Associated Works
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Olfers, Sibylle von
- Legal name
- Von Olfers, Maria Regina Angela Hedwig Sibylla
- Birthdate
- 1881-05-08
- Date of death
- 1916-01-19
- Gender
- female
- Occupations
- Nun
children's book author
art teacher
illustrator
aristocrat - Short biography
- Sibylle von Olfers was born Maria Regina Angela Hedwig Sibylla von Olfers in the Castle of Metgethen (Schloss Metgethen) near Königsberg, Prussia, one of five children in an aristocratic family. She was educated by governesses and tutors and created picture books as a child. Encouraged by an aunt, she attended art college. At age 25, she joined an order of nuns called the Sisters of Saint Elizabeth, and took the name Sister Maria Aloysia. She taught art in a Catholic primary school, and wrote and illustrated children's books. Her work combined elements of the Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau movements. Her illustrations were marked by strong, simple designs and a keen eye for the natural world. She's best known today for her book Etwas von den Wurzelkindern (The Story of the Root-Children, 1906). She died at age 34 from a lung infection.
- Cause of death
- lung disease
- Nationality
- Germany
- Birthplace
- Konigsberg, East Prussia
- Places of residence
- Lübeck, Germany
- Place of death
- Lübeck, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
- Associated Place (for map)
- Germany
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When a hunter's wife goes to the woods to pick mushrooms one day, she brings her two infant children along, leaving them in their cradle as she wanders off. Mother Rabbit, happening to pass by, sees them and believes them to be abandoned. Taking them home with her, she fashions them rabbit suits, and encourages her own children to play with them. But when the Hunter and his dog happen upon the rabbits, will they destroy little Lucy and John, or will the quick-thinking Spot save the show more day...?
Originally published in 1906 as Mummelchen und Pummelchen: Eine Hasengeschichte, this story from German author/artist Sibylle von Olfers seems at first glance to feature the same kind of reassuring vision of the natural world to be found in so many of her other works. The Mother Rabbit, after all, looks after the lost Lucy and John, ensuring that no harm befalls them, and treating them as her own children. Similarly, Spot the dog recognizes the children for what they are, and acts quickly to prevent tragedy, and to restore them to their worried parents. In this sense, nature is as gentle and nurturing as ever, even if there are no cherub-like beings in the same style as von Olfers' Root Children, or Snow Children. That said, there is a disturbing undertone to this story, with its tale of parental/child separation, an undertone that evokes stories such as Hansel and Gretel, where another set of siblings is lost in the woods. It also raises interesting ethical questions, questions that remain unanswered. If nature is gentle and nurturing to people, what are people to nature? If human children and baby rabbits are interchangeable, what does it mean that the Hunter is a hunter, someone who kills rabbits? Is Mother Rabbit's kindness to be rewarded, or will she and her family continue to be hunted? One suspects the latter... I'm not sure that Von Olfers intentionally raises any of these questions - given her rather sweet depiction of nature elsewhere, I suspect not - but the fact that they are evoked by the text gives it added appeal, in my mind. Fairy-tales, after all, are made all the more powerful by including some disturbing subtext. show less
Originally published in 1906 as Mummelchen und Pummelchen: Eine Hasengeschichte, this story from German author/artist Sibylle von Olfers seems at first glance to feature the same kind of reassuring vision of the natural world to be found in so many of her other works. The Mother Rabbit, after all, looks after the lost Lucy and John, ensuring that no harm befalls them, and treating them as her own children. Similarly, Spot the dog recognizes the children for what they are, and acts quickly to prevent tragedy, and to restore them to their worried parents. In this sense, nature is as gentle and nurturing as ever, even if there are no cherub-like beings in the same style as von Olfers' Root Children, or Snow Children. That said, there is a disturbing undertone to this story, with its tale of parental/child separation, an undertone that evokes stories such as Hansel and Gretel, where another set of siblings is lost in the woods. It also raises interesting ethical questions, questions that remain unanswered. If nature is gentle and nurturing to people, what are people to nature? If human children and baby rabbits are interchangeable, what does it mean that the Hunter is a hunter, someone who kills rabbits? Is Mother Rabbit's kindness to be rewarded, or will she and her family continue to be hunted? One suspects the latter... I'm not sure that Von Olfers intentionally raises any of these questions - given her rather sweet depiction of nature elsewhere, I suspect not - but the fact that they are evoked by the text gives it added appeal, in my mind. Fairy-tales, after all, are made all the more powerful by including some disturbing subtext. show less
Etwas von den Wurzelkindern, original German text and illustrations by Sibylle von Olfers.
After reading two very different English "translations" of this classic German picture-book, first published in 1906 - Jack Zipes' brief but poetic rendition, in Mother Earth and Her Children: A Quilted Fairy Tale, and an unnamed translator's extensive prose version, in Floris Books' The Story of the Root-Children - I have been lucky enough (thank you, Gundula!) to obtain a copy of the original German show more edition. Having now read the original text, my estimation of the two versions listed above, as well as my judgment of two other loose retellings - Audrey Wood's When The Root Children Wake Up, illustrated by Ned Bittinger, and Helen Dean Fish's similarly titled When the Root Children Wake Up, with von Olfers' own artwork - must be reconsidered. An important lesson, I think, about the difficulties attendant upon translating poetic works, even seemingly "simple" narratives like this.
This tale of the little Wurzelkindern, or Root Children, who awaken as Spring approaches, and, with the guidance of old Mutter Erde (Mother Earth), make ready for their appearance in the world, is told entirely in rhyming poetry: "Und als der Frühling / kommt ins Land, / da ziehn gleich einem / bunten Band, / die Käfer, Blumen / Gräser klein, / frohlockend in die / Welt hinein." Together with von Olfers' charming Art Nouveau style illustrations, the sprightly text makes for a delightful reading experience: one imagines that German children have enjoyed hearing it read aloud for a few generations now! It's a shame (though perhaps not surprising) that none of the English-language versions I have read really capture the flavor of the original. In any case, I'm happy to have had the chance to read the German, as it has definitely given me a better appreciation of von Olfers' work! show less
After reading two very different English "translations" of this classic German picture-book, first published in 1906 - Jack Zipes' brief but poetic rendition, in Mother Earth and Her Children: A Quilted Fairy Tale, and an unnamed translator's extensive prose version, in Floris Books' The Story of the Root-Children - I have been lucky enough (thank you, Gundula!) to obtain a copy of the original German show more edition. Having now read the original text, my estimation of the two versions listed above, as well as my judgment of two other loose retellings - Audrey Wood's When The Root Children Wake Up, illustrated by Ned Bittinger, and Helen Dean Fish's similarly titled When the Root Children Wake Up, with von Olfers' own artwork - must be reconsidered. An important lesson, I think, about the difficulties attendant upon translating poetic works, even seemingly "simple" narratives like this.
This tale of the little Wurzelkindern, or Root Children, who awaken as Spring approaches, and, with the guidance of old Mutter Erde (Mother Earth), make ready for their appearance in the world, is told entirely in rhyming poetry: "Und als der Frühling / kommt ins Land, / da ziehn gleich einem / bunten Band, / die Käfer, Blumen / Gräser klein, / frohlockend in die / Welt hinein." Together with von Olfers' charming Art Nouveau style illustrations, the sprightly text makes for a delightful reading experience: one imagines that German children have enjoyed hearing it read aloud for a few generations now! It's a shame (though perhaps not surprising) that none of the English-language versions I have read really capture the flavor of the original. In any case, I'm happy to have had the chance to read the German, as it has definitely given me a better appreciation of von Olfers' work! show less
Originally published in 1905, as Was Marilenchen erlebte (literally, "What Little Marilyn Experienced"), this was the first book that beloved German children's author Sibylle von Olfers - whose most well-known title is probably Etwas von den Wurzelkindern ("Something About/The Story of the Root Children") - ever published. It follows the story of Poppy (in this English translation), who is transported by the diminutive Snow Children, and by the Swirly Wind, to the palace of the Snow Queen, show more where she attends a birthday party for the Snow Princess.
This is my second story from von Olfers, who seems, in her picture-books, to have envisioned nature as a benevolent anthropomorphic force, with cute, cherub-like servants. In The Story of the Root-Children, kindly Mother Nature had her toddler-like Root Children, whereas here, the beautiful Snow Queen has her Snow Children, who sometimes appear as snowflakes, and sometime as tiny babies. Although I prefer the sharp, painful beauty of Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen, in which Winter is seen as an unpredictable, and frequently dangerous power, von Olfers' tale presents a fascinating "answer" to this earlier vision. Here, all is gentleness and light. Which doesn't make for a particularly gripping tale, but could (I imagine) be quite reassuring for the youngest children.
The illustrations, which I have seen compared to the work of such artists as Elsa Beskow and Walter Crane, are delightful! I wasn't sure, with von Olfers' book about the root children, that I really liked her style. But The Story of the Snow Children, with its lovely use of contrast - between the red Poppy, and her pale friends - has convinced me! I definitely want to track down more of this author/artist's work! show less
This is my second story from von Olfers, who seems, in her picture-books, to have envisioned nature as a benevolent anthropomorphic force, with cute, cherub-like servants. In The Story of the Root-Children, kindly Mother Nature had her toddler-like Root Children, whereas here, the beautiful Snow Queen has her Snow Children, who sometimes appear as snowflakes, and sometime as tiny babies. Although I prefer the sharp, painful beauty of Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen, in which Winter is seen as an unpredictable, and frequently dangerous power, von Olfers' tale presents a fascinating "answer" to this earlier vision. Here, all is gentleness and light. Which doesn't make for a particularly gripping tale, but could (I imagine) be quite reassuring for the youngest children.
The illustrations, which I have seen compared to the work of such artists as Elsa Beskow and Walter Crane, are delightful! I wasn't sure, with von Olfers' book about the root children, that I really liked her style. But The Story of the Snow Children, with its lovely use of contrast - between the red Poppy, and her pale friends - has convinced me! I definitely want to track down more of this author/artist's work! show less
Sibylle von Olfers, an early twentieth-century German children's artist and author, perhaps best known for her 1906 classic, Etwas von den Wurzelkindern ("Something About the Root Children"), created a number of picture-books featuring her lovely art-nouveau illustrations, and her anthropomorphic depictions of natural forces and processes, from the growth of flowers to the coming of snow. The Princess in the Forest, originally published in 1909 as Prinzeßchen im Walde, is an excellent show more example, both of its creator's artwork, and of her vision of the natural world. The story of a little princess who is served by various groups of cherub-like beings - the dew maids who bathe her, the moss boys who bring her breakfast - as well as the animals around her - Mrs Crow is her teacher, while the rabbits and deer are her playmates - the book follows its eponymous heroine through her idyllic day, closing as the star folk (cherubs, once again) guide her home, and keep watch as she sleeps.
This is a vision both gentle and comforting, one in which the natural world guides and protects the young and innocent, and all elements unite in creating a pleasant world for her. The artwork is likewise gentle and comforting, depicting a world of beauty and order (even in the seeming wilderness of the forest). Nature itself is infantilized, so often appearing (here and in other works) as a troupe of cherub-like children, that it lacks any threatening element. I can't say that this particularly appeals to me - I suppose I require at least an element of danger or sorrow, to truly feel the power of fairy-fare - although I do find it fascinating. I know von Olfers withdrew from the world to become a nun, and would love to read more about her life and philosophies, and how this impacted her work. The artwork is lovely here - the scene in which the princess is guided home by the star folk is my favourite - although the narrative feels a little lacklustre, reading more as a list of occurrences than a proper story. All that said, readers who enjoy original fairy-tales, or artwork in the Art Nouveau style will still find much to ponder here, and it is to them I would recommend The Princess in the Forest. show less
This is a vision both gentle and comforting, one in which the natural world guides and protects the young and innocent, and all elements unite in creating a pleasant world for her. The artwork is likewise gentle and comforting, depicting a world of beauty and order (even in the seeming wilderness of the forest). Nature itself is infantilized, so often appearing (here and in other works) as a troupe of cherub-like children, that it lacks any threatening element. I can't say that this particularly appeals to me - I suppose I require at least an element of danger or sorrow, to truly feel the power of fairy-fare - although I do find it fascinating. I know von Olfers withdrew from the world to become a nun, and would love to read more about her life and philosophies, and how this impacted her work. The artwork is lovely here - the scene in which the princess is guided home by the star folk is my favourite - although the narrative feels a little lacklustre, reading more as a list of occurrences than a proper story. All that said, readers who enjoy original fairy-tales, or artwork in the Art Nouveau style will still find much to ponder here, and it is to them I would recommend The Princess in the Forest. show less
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