So what are everyone's theories on the origin of grimms? We have very little backstory/lore on grimms themselves. Are they simply human with some extras, evolution's answer to the predatory wesen species? Were they created in some magical way? Perhaps by humans seeking a way to fight back against enemies they couldn't recognize until they attacked? Or maybe by wesen who either wanted to give humans a sporting chance or maybe use them as tools against other wesen? Perhaps the royals wanted a group that could help keep the wesen under their thumbs? The grimms, of course, ultimately turned out not to make great pets and went off to do their own thing. Or grimms could be wesen that happen to be much more human-like and don't really woge (except for the involuntary eye thing when another wesen woges).
One possibility that makes a lot of sense to me is that they're a kind of off shoot of wesen. Monroe and Rosalee said that when a wesen and a human have children together, the odds are about 50/50 on the offspring being wesen. And it seems that some species, like hexen/zauberbiest, can have kids who are not all one or the other. So, there's gonna be some folks in the human population who are sort of wesen lite or don't manifest any wesen traits, but do have a wesen bloodline. I presume that any of these folks who marry a wesen will likely have better than 50/50 odds of having wesen kids. But what happens if a human with a wesen parent or grandparent marries another human who also has some wesen in their family tree? Maybe nothing a lot of the time, especially if they don't have similar species in their background. But what if you had maybe two or three generations of wesen bloodline humans? It makes sense to me that the kids would start to develop some not so human traits. That could easily turn into something like a grimm, which then develops into it's own thing. The stronger grimm families are ones who (mostly unknowingly) have more marriages with wesen bloodline humans.
There are probably a ton of different origin stories from various groups and cultures, with some similarities and many differences. If Aunt Marie's book collection is anything to go by, the grimm don't keep any information or lore on themselves. It's probably a topic of much debate in scholarly wesen circles.
So what are your thoughts and theories on the origin of grimms?
I’ve always thought Grimms should look less human. They’re supposed to be intermediaries between wesen and humans. I feel like the show kinda wastes their concept.
EDIT: I will be closing the survey on November 9th! Thank you everyone who has participated!!!
My name is Ainjel Stephens and I am a PhD candidate in the Folklore department at Memorial University of Newfoundland. I am currently conducting a research project on fairy tales reception by queer-identifying individuals for my PhD dissertation under the supervision of Sarah Gordon. The purpose of this study is to learn how people who feel queer or identify as queer think about and respond to fairy tales.
Artist: Gustave Dore
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Jubal Valentine (FBI/Grimm): Short Story - AU: Chapter 3
“I’m glad we finally made it to the coffee shop, I just didn’t think you would make me work this hard for it.”
You laugh as Jubal opens the door to the cafe and you step in, sliding off your beanie. When you suggested a run through the park, he agreed. It was even better that you both had the day off, so no sudden calls to disturb the peace.
“I’m just helping you enjoy it more. Nothing’s better than a sugary donut and a cup of joe after a run.”
“I have to agree with you there.”
You giggle.
“Make yourself comfortable, I’ll get the drinks. Anything special?”
“Just cream and sugar.”
“Got it.”
He takes a seat, and you move to place your order.
You and Jubal have been texting back and forth for the past month. Given your jobs, it was a challenge to set a date and stick to it. You’d had time for a few walks after work, and now you’re finally buying him the promised cup of coffee. He lives about five miles away from you, which isn’t bad.
In a weird way you’re happy for the friendship. It’s easy to talk with someone who gets how crazy life is. Even better is that he isn’t a direct coworker. Those types of things always get messy. You have enough craziness in your life, so you want to cherish this normal.
When your order is called, you grab it, along with the two donuts. You move back to the table and Jubal straightens with a grin.
“I’m glad that you’re a woman of your word, that looks amazing right now. “
You laugh, because he’s reaching for the donut before you fully place it down. He takes it happily and you leave the drink at his side as you take a seat and he digs in.
You grab a napkin, doing the same. The first bite he takes leaves powder all over his cheeks and beard and you end up laughing.
“Whaf?”
He smiles.
His cheeks are full and you just shake your head, handing him a napkin.
He takes it, finishing up his donut as he starts wiping the excess powder.
“Well, that was delicious.”
His attention moves to his coffee and you grin behind your cup.
“I hope so, otherwise I would have to assume you just like making a mess.”
“Who doesn’t like a little mess?”
You chuckle, placing your cup down.
“I think given our jobs, it’s nice to avoid the mess.”
He nods in acknowledgement, taking a sip of his coffee before he places it on the table and relaxes into seat.
“Thank you for this, really. Not just the free snack, but the company.”
You were about to say the same.
“You read my mind Agent Valentine.”
He smirks at the little rhyme and you smile.
Some of his texts on nights that you were heading home seemed at the right time. You’d just had a tougher case and planned to wonder, and to your surprise, Jubal had the same mindset. He’d shown you a route in the city he took when he just needed to clear his head before he went to sleep.
Not all cases end the way you want, and for a lot of those nights, the both of you didn’t always talk, you would just walk and admire the many lights, or bustling people, and that was enough. Given your recent development, sometimes you need the extra time.
You’re grateful that your life doesn’t seem as exciting as Nick’s. You haven’t encountered a plethora of criminal wesen and you’re thankful.
You also hope that one day you can tell Jubal without sounding like a nut case.
That’s a topic to think about for another time.
“Well, since you bought the first one, I should get the next one. How does Saturday sound?”
You nod.
“Next Saturday is perfect.”
“Great.”
He’s smiling just as widely as you as he continues drinking his coffee.
After you make it back to your place, you’re happy.
The rest of your day you just busy yourself with mundane tasks and go through a few of the books Nick left the last time he came. You’re on the phone with him at the moment.
“What the hell, is this octopus head thing real?”
He laughs on the other side of the call.
“As real as you and me- Hey no Kelly don’t put that in your mouth!”
You laugh at the subtle parenting in the background and you hear Adalind giggling.
“Don’t worry Nick, I’ve got him.”
You assumed she took whatever the toddler had grabbed to salivate on.
“I swear he gives me more heart attacks than wesens do.” Nick mutters.
“I bet you he’s just like his dad when he was a kid.”
“I’m almost positive I was a very well mannered child.”
“Yet there is no proof.”
Adalind’s laugh echoes through the speaker and you’re playing with the pencil in your hand as you smile.
“So Nick tells me you met someone.”
You groan.
“He’s just a friend.”
“Mhmm, sounds like more than friends. Nick says you text all the time.”
“Nick!!”
“What! She’s my wife. She basically squeezed the information out of me.”
“Didn’t really take much squeezing. You get pretty tame whenever I do that thing with my-”
“And with that we’ll talk to you later! Bye (Y/N).”
The tone echoes before you can reply and you just let out a snort.
“He’s such a sucker.”
Looks like the rest of your evening is free. You get comfortable as you read a few more chapters of the book before you tuck them away. You’re about to get started on dinner, but your doorbell rings.
You’re not really expecting anyone, and when you open the door, you didn’t think it would be Jubal.
“Hey, sorry, I didn’t mean to show up unannounced. I figured since we both have the rest of the night free we could stop by and grab a few burgers, maybe have a walk on the way back.”
You smile. He’s shuffling a bit in place, as if he’s ready to go and you do your best to hide your smile.
“I’d like that.”
You throw on a sweater and follow him out.
The air is cool, and it feels just perfect for a walk.
Jubal is telling you about his week, and a few extra details about his coworkers, his family. It’s funny how much you both confide in each other. Maybe it’s because he’d seen you at your most vulnerable once, he wants you to be on even ground.
The topic drifts to that night, he’s explaining about his meeting and how he’d managed to bump into you.
“My friend was celebrating an engagement. They met at that bar, so they figured it would be a nice place to tell everyone.”
That’s actually really sweet.
“At least one of us was there for noble reasons.”
Jubal nudges your arm with a smile.
“Happens to the best of us. “ He offers.
He’s not wrong. He’d told you about his battle with alcoholism himself. It’s not like you were an alcoholic, it was just a tough time. You wanted to forget, even if it was for a short time.
Then Jubal showed up and you pretty much just ambushed him and he tolerated every awkward and silly action. Looking back is always a bit embarrassing. Hearing the reruns is even more so.
“I actually said that?”
“Yes, word for word, you swore that even if you were going to get robbed, at least it would be from an attractive criminal.”
Your cheeks flush and you shake your head.
Jubal is enjoying it, so you suppose it’s not that bad. You’re just watching as he explains in detail all that happened that night. Each memory he presents is followed by the sound of his laughter. You’re just admiring him. Despite all the crap you dealt with that day, you’re grateful that at least something good came out of it.
You don’t process that he’s asked you a question until he turns to you for the answer. His words die off and you can’t truly hide your shameless staring.
Your breath is a bit uneven, and he seems to mirror your expression.
After a few moments, he looks away, and you feel like you can breathe again. The subject changes, and you’re a bit thankful for his ease.
The walk ends after you both grab a bite and head back.
Now standing at your door again, you just wear a warm smile.
“Thanks for the burger and the walk.”
It’s nice just to have someone to listen, hear you.
“Always a pleasure. I guess I’ll see you next Saturday for our coffee run. I’ll be sure to beat you next time. I was just taking it easy on you this morning.”
You giggle.
“Whatever you say Valentine.”
He’s smiling, and when he steps closer, you lift your head just a bit. He’s taller than you and you have to adjust yourself. Both to his height, and the closeness that is beginning to have an effect on you. His gaze is almost too much. You’re almost positive that he’s going to take another step and close the distance, but he just offers a smile, glancing down at his feet as he moves back.
“Thank you, I know I say it a lot. But I appreciate it. Talking with you, laughing with you, looking at you..”
That last one sounds like an unplanned confession. It seems he’s registered the words, because he suddenly looks a bit flustered, and he laughs under his breath, placing his hands on his hips in a manner you’re certain he does a lot at work. It’s just a simple mannerism, but you can’t help but find it attractive.
You’re about to say something, voice your own interests, but his phone goes off. He looks down, and just from his expression, you can tell what his next words are when he looks back at you.
“Go save the world Jubal.”
You smile, and he nods with a little smile of his own.
“I’ll do my best.”
You both share a look before he finally steps away with a little nervous chuckle. You watch him leave with a content sigh.
