The poison apple comes at the end of Snow White’s story–but today, we’re turning that on its head!

Last month, my Friday posts were a whirlwind tour of symbols from Beauty and the Beast. This month, in honor of Cold as Snow (sequel to Beauty and the Alchemist, coming next week!!), we’re doing a similar tour for Snow White.

Now, I’ve actually written quite a bit about Snow White before. Months ago, I did a folktale roundup on different versions of the story. I’ve also talked specifically about apples and apple tree lore. Nonetheless, the poison apple is a very recognizable emblem from Snow White–especially for those of us who have seen the Disney movie–and it plays an important role in Cold as Snow.

But what is it with apples, anyway? The neat thing about them is that they have both positive and negative associations. Because they’re relatively common and also quite tasty, they’ve been incorporated into all kinds of folklore. On the one hand, apples can symbolize youth and irresistibility (which certainly could explain why Snow White’s queen thought of feeding her one). But on the other hand, apples have also been associated with death and offerings to the dead, in part because they’re harvested in the fall when many cultural celebrations of the dead occur (think Halloween). Knowing what we know now, the queen’s choice makes even more sense, doesn’t it?

In Cold as Snow, we find Red dealing with the throes of an alpine winter and a new discovery at the local mine–an ore which seems magical or, dare we say, poisoned. This geological mystery is my twist on Snow White’s apple, and when people start dying, it becomes intertwined with crime! All will make sense next week. 😉 And stay tuned the rest of the month for more symbols from Snow White!