Mythology & Folklore Stack Exchange
Mythology & Folklore Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [fairy-tales]

For questions relating to the origin or meaning of Fairy Tales

Fairy Tales are stories in folklore passed down for generations. Their main purpose is to provide moral education for children.

Use this tag for the meaning and / or origin of these tales.

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Original Celtic, Old English, Old Norse, or Gothic Texts Online

Wondering if there are any original-ish documents in the original Celtic, Old English, Old Norse, or Gothic (or other related languages), telling of any of the myths or fairy tales or stories that could be along the lines of Ovid's Metamorphosis, or…
Lance Pollard
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Are there tales where people are turned into rats?

In Cinderella, the fairy godmother turns a rat into a coachman, but while I have read many tales where people are turned into other kinds of animals -- crows, wolves, swans, bears, frogs -- I haven't found one where a person is made a rat. Are there…
Mary
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Was Rumplestiltskin intended as a Jewish caricature?

In a reworking of the Rumplestiltskin folktale, novelist Elizabeth Bunce notes the following: The anti-Semitic overtones of the Grimm version are deeply disturbing to me—and should be to any modern audience—and I have tried to steer well clear from…
Obie 2.0
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Who and what are the winged "faries" that feature in fairytale?

Winged "fairies" often feature in fairytale, and a good example would be the Fairy Godmother from Cinderella. However, as, this link points out, the term "fairies " does not necessarily refer to the winged ones but instead, it refers to all(or most)…
user1385
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Myths/folktales/fairytales of areas/buildings/objects that disappear and reappear at fixed intervals?

I remember back when I was young that I saw an episode of Smurfs featuring a castle that disappears and reappears each few centuries and when, more recently, I thought about the whole concept of something disappearing and reappearing like this I…
user5459
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What is the folkloric origin of "el príncipe azul"?

In Spanish, the folkloric character who would in English be called "Prince Charming" is known as Príncipe Azul, the Blue Prince. The Spanish Wikipedia claims that the origin is from a Romanian folktale called, roughly, "The Blue Prince of the…
Obie 2.0
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What is the original version of "Little Red Riding Hood"?

There is a certain version of "Little Red Riding Hood" that some authors claim to be "the original" version. For example in the Sandman comic: Or from the movie Jin Roh. A quick search on Wikipedia seems to dispell those claims, but I still wish…
Xyzk
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Is there a Donkeyskin variant that involves a tunneling magic bed?

Wikipedia reports that Griechische und Albanesische Märchen contains a Greek Donkeyskin variant that involves a burrowing bed. In a Greek variant from Epeirus collected by Austrian consul Johann Georg von Hahn with the title Allerleirauh, a widowed…
Malady
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Why does the witch invoke "Zachiel" in "Jorinde and Joringel"?

In the Grimm Brothers' fairy tale "Jorinde and Joringel", the witch who has captured Jorinde and Joringel seems to cast a magic spell, as seen in the following excerpt: Joringel could neither speak nor move from the spot; the nightingale was gone.…
40EridaniB
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How should "Bensiabel" be pronounced?

Bensiabel is the son of the witch and an instrumental character in the fairy tale Prunella (Andrew Lang, "Grey Fairy Book"). I've been trying to figure out how his name is meant to be pronounced, but it doesn't seem to be an Italian name. I've been…
quickeye
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Which version of Little Gold Star or the Three Fairies involved a donkey tail?

I'm trying to find a version of The Three Fairies (or it may have been a retelling of Cinderella) in which an evil sister gets a donkey tail placed on her forehead. By contrast, the kind protagonist gets a star on her forehead instead. There are…
creative-username
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Folktales or Fairy Tales in Native Language (if any exist anywhere)

Wondering what the languages are where there do exist resources of folktales / fairy tales written down in the native language. I think I may have found some in Celtic here, such as this: I am not sure what it says, but it is at least something in…
Lance Pollard
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What's the most accurate translation of Sneedronningen, a.k.a The Snow Queen?

What's the most accurate translation of Sneedronningen, a.k.a The Snow Queen? I'm seeing conflicting details in the translations I've seen. But it seems that versions which call the mirror-maker the actual Devil are more accurate than ones that…
Malady
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When did many kinds of Fairies become small statured or tiny?

In popular culture and folklore, many species of Fairies are said to have a small true form (but can alter their size whenever they see fit) I was wondering when did this occur? Did the original myths mention them being tiny or short beings? Or was…
Orionixe
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