Song is morbid. However the father isn't really crazy. Faced with starvation the father decides to do what many poor families have done in many cultures throughout history-namely kill the youngest child to save the rest of the family. It was common practice in situations like that to kill the youngest child since many children died in childhood anyway and were the least overall help to the family. In some cases the child would be eaten by the rest of the family.
Hence "pushed with all my love" indicates that he loves her but feels he has no choice. After killing her he can't live with himself and commits suicide.
@aczinke It's the basis for the Hansel & Gretel fable.
@aczinke It's the basis for the Hansel & Gretel fable.
Next to a great forest there lived a poor woodcutter who had come upon such hard times that he could scarcely provide daily bread for his wife and his two children, Hansel and Gretel. Finally he could no longer even manage this, and he did not know where to turn for help.
Next to a great forest there lived a poor woodcutter who had come upon such hard times that he could scarcely provide daily bread for his wife and his two children, Hansel and Gretel. Finally he could no longer even manage this, and he did not know where to turn for help.
One evening as he was lying in bed worrying about his problems, his wife said to him, "Listen, man, early tomorrow take the two children, give each of them a little piece of bread, then lead them into...
One evening as he was lying in bed worrying about his problems, his wife said to him, "Listen, man, early tomorrow take the two children, give each of them a little piece of bread, then lead them into the middle of thickest part of the woods, make a fire for them, and leave them there, for we can no longer feed them."
"No, woman," said the man, "I cannot bring myself to abandon my own children to wild animals that would quickly tear them to pieces."
"If you don't do it," said the woman, "all of us will starve together," and she gave him no peace until he said yes.
Song is morbid. However the father isn't really crazy. Faced with starvation the father decides to do what many poor families have done in many cultures throughout history-namely kill the youngest child to save the rest of the family. It was common practice in situations like that to kill the youngest child since many children died in childhood anyway and were the least overall help to the family. In some cases the child would be eaten by the rest of the family.
Hence "pushed with all my love" indicates that he loves her but feels he has no choice. After killing her he can't live with himself and commits suicide.
@aczinke It's the basis for the Hansel & Gretel fable.
@aczinke It's the basis for the Hansel & Gretel fable.
Next to a great forest there lived a poor woodcutter who had come upon such hard times that he could scarcely provide daily bread for his wife and his two children, Hansel and Gretel. Finally he could no longer even manage this, and he did not know where to turn for help.
Next to a great forest there lived a poor woodcutter who had come upon such hard times that he could scarcely provide daily bread for his wife and his two children, Hansel and Gretel. Finally he could no longer even manage this, and he did not know where to turn for help.
One evening as he was lying in bed worrying about his problems, his wife said to him, "Listen, man, early tomorrow take the two children, give each of them a little piece of bread, then lead them into...
One evening as he was lying in bed worrying about his problems, his wife said to him, "Listen, man, early tomorrow take the two children, give each of them a little piece of bread, then lead them into the middle of thickest part of the woods, make a fire for them, and leave them there, for we can no longer feed them."
"No, woman," said the man, "I cannot bring myself to abandon my own children to wild animals that would quickly tear them to pieces."
"If you don't do it," said the woman, "all of us will starve together," and she gave him no peace until he said yes.