The fairy tale is generally the longest, most detailed of all folktale types. Originate from the oral tradition Few fairy tales of most cultures concern “fairies,” and the name probably comes from the French “contes des fee,” French literary tales from the 17 th century that do, in fact, feature fairies. Not originally written for children fairy tales were most likely stories told by adults for adults

The German term for fairy tale is “Märchen,” a term for which there is no exact English translation. Authors generally associated with fairy tales are the Grimm Brothers, Charles Perrault, and Hans Christian Anderson. Most of the tales that we read today have been “sanitized” of their more gruesome and/or overtly sexual references. The Grimm Brothers, while removing most of the sex from their tales, did leave a good bit of the violence. The also helped fairytales to “migrate into the nursery in the 19 th century” Most fairy tales, even the Disney versions remain violent. (Maria Tartar—interview).

Tartar argues that the Grimm Brothers transformed fairytales with their Nursery and Household Tales “Once the Brothers Grimm started to collect the tales, they were transformed from entertainment for adults to diversion for children, and in some ways, also an educational manual for children. Then the stories suddenly developed an incredible moral backbone.”

Fairytales are generally women’s tales. Most fairy tales seem to originate as women’s stories. Note the emphasis on the women characters—Name some of the women heroines—Name the men The male authors who, like the Grimms, collected and edited the tales, also “masculinized” them.

The female versions tend to be more “fantastic” and “nastier” than the ones written by the men. The original fairy tale tellers were women who passed on tales to the young. The tales often outlined social function and promoted the ideas that virtue would be rewarded and adversity could be overcome with the application of luck and wit.

According to Maria Tater “Everyone wants to know where fairy tales came from in the first place. It is important to keep in mind that there really are no originals, ideal types, sacred texts or global master narratives, so all we have are copies, variants, deviant forms, and local narratives.”

Tartar continues “[A] “scene of origin” takes us into an adult culture where we have raconteurs telling racy, ribald and violent stories to an adult audience. They are stories about the quest for power, wealth, romance—not necessarily in that order. They are also stories that speak to the anxieties and desires of adults who are negotiating the path to marriage, sorting out family conflicts and... ‘rehearsing, preserving and transmitting communal value, beliefs, and prejudices.’

Why are we so attracted to fairy tales? Often involve ordinary people caught up in extraordinary circumstances. Language is generally simple, yet dignified. Tales use devices of structural and linguistic repetition. Often use suspense and life/death situations

Fairy Tales characteristics cont’d Other familiar stories and literary conventions (myths, revenge tales, parables, etc.) also pervade fairy tales The “types” appear again and again and cross-culturally.

Cinderella’s “Original” Castle

Disney’s Cinderella’s Castle