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Many are familiar with the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin. Few realise however, that the story is
based on real events, which evolved over the years into a fairy tale made to scare children.
16.2k
Shares For those unfamiliar with the tale, it is set in 1284 in the town of Hamelin, Lower Saxony, Germany.
This town was facing a rat infestation, and a piper, dressed in a coat of many coloured, bright cloth,
appeared. This piper promised to get rid of the rats in return for a payment, to which the
15.9k
townspeople agreed too. Although the piper got rid of the rats by leading them away with his music,
the people of Hamelin reneged on their promise. The furious piper left, vowing revenge. On the 26th
15.9k of July of that same year, the piper returned and led the children away, never to be seen again, just
as he did the rats. Nevertheless, one or three children were left behind, depending on which version
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is being told. One of these children was lame, and could not keep up, another was deaf and could
SUGGESTED BOOKS not hear the music, while the third one was blind and could not see where he was going.
The earliest known record of this story is from the town of Hamelin itself depicted in a stained glass
window created for the church of Hamelin, which dates to around 1300 AD. Although it was
destroyed in 1660, several written accounts have survived. The oldest comes from the Lueneburg
manuscript (c 1440 50), which stated: In the year of 1284, on the day of Saints John and Paul on
June 26, by a piper, clothed in many kinds of colours, 130 children born in Hamelin were seduced,
and lost at the place of execution near the koppen.
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ACTIVE FORUM TOPICS The oldest known picture of the Pied Piper copied from the glass window of the Market Church in
Increase A303 Stonehenge Hameln/Hamelin Germany (c.1300-1633). Image source: Wikimedia.
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One of the darker themed representations of the Pied Piper of Hamelin. Credit: Lui-Gon-Jinn
Historical records suggest that the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin was a real event that took
place. Nevertheless, the transmission of this story undoubtedly evolved and changed over the
centuries, although to what extent is unknown, and the mystery of what really happened to those
children has never been solved. The story also raises the question, if the Pied Piper of Hamelin was
based on reality, how much truth is there in other fairy tales that we were told as children?
SUGGESTED BOOKS Featured image: An illustration of the Pied Piper of Hamelin. Credit: Monlster
By wty
References
Anderson, D., 2012. The Pied Piper of Hamelin: The facts behind the fairy tale. [Online]
Available at: http://www.examiner.com/article/the-pied-piper-of-hamelin-the-facts-behind-the-
fairy-tale
Ashliman, D. L., 2013. The Pied Piper of Hameln and related legends from other towns. [Online]
Available at: http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/hameln.html
Dennis, 2011. The Truth Behind the Legend of the Pied Piper. [Online]
Available at: http://www.topsecretwriters.com/2011/01/the-truth-behind-the-legend-of-the-pied-
piper/
Foster, N., 2014. Is the Pied Piper of Hamelin Based on an Actual Event?. [Online]
Available at: http://www.wisegeek.com/is-the-pied-piper-of-hamelin-based-on-an-actual-
event.htm
McGarth, J., 2014. Was there really a pied piper of Hamelin?. [Online]
Available at: http://history.howstuffworks.com/history-vs-myth/pied-piper.htm
Pearson, L., 2005. On the trail of the real Pied Piper. [Online]
Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4277707.stm
Click here to REMOVE the ADS Wikipedia, 2014. Pied Piper of Hamelin. [Online]
Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pied_Piper_of_Hamelin
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Myths & Legends
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pied piper Hamelin Germany children rats village fairy tale story Music
pipe
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