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Happily ever after

Posted by ESC on July 14, 2009 at 16:40

We already talked about "Once upon a time." See www.phrases.org.uk bulletin_board 59 messages 1193.html Now I have a question about "happily ever after" and "happily in the ever-after."

"It's claimed the ever-after used to be a paradise where the elves had dwelt, popping into our reality long enough to steal human children. But when demons took over and trashed the place, the elves were forced to abide here for good. Of course, that was even before Grimm was writing his fairy tales. It's all there in the older, more savage stories/histories. Almost every one of them ends with, 'And they lived happy in the ever-after.' Well.that's the way it's supposed to go. Grimm lost the 'in the' part somewhere." From "Dead Witch Walking" by Kim Harrison.

My question -- I am wondering if there is any truth to this or if it is just plucked out of the air. For one thing, as I'm sure you know, Grimm was a "their" not a "his."

: Harrison's story is fiction. There's no substance to that origin of 'the ever after'. In 16th century Europe 'the ever after' was used to refer to Heaven - the 'happy ever after' of fairy tales and romances came much later. See below for chapter and verse...

The meaning and origin of the phrase 'Happily ever after'.

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