Black Forest

Many of Grimm’s tales occurred in the background of the Black Forest. The fear of the Black Forest is imprinted in the stories like the Little Red Riding Hood.

Later in life I moved to Prince George, northern BC. I often wandered in the woods. Looking up, the trees were dark and black. This is Black Forest, I thought. Several times, I got lost in the woods. I walked and walked, and couldn’t get out of the woods. That is when fear gripped me. This is the Black Forest!

This time we pass by Strasbourg. As usual, I learned about the history and geography on the go. I learned that Strasbourg is on the edge of the Black Forest. Black Forest (Silva Nigra) was first named by Roman soldiers when they encountered Germanic tribes. The dark forest looked menacing to them. We got fascinated and took a trip to the nearby Gengenbach, a town bordering the Black Forest.

Gengenbach is picturesque. But the nearby forest doesn’t look menacing at all. Grimm’s tales are from medieval days. Now the Black Forest is a highly managed forest with human residents not far away from any direction. Well trodden trails are everywhere. People have long lost their fear of the Black Forest. It is in northern BC that people still retain the fascination and fear of the black and wild forest.