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Learn about the history, definition, and characteristics of fairy tales, a genre of folklore that features magic, enchantments, and mythical beings. Explore the origins, variations, and adaptations of fairy tales from different cultures and times.
- List of Fairy Tales
Fairy tales are stories that range from those in folklore to...
- Fairy Tale (Disambiguation)
Films. Fairytale, a 2022 experimental film; Fairy Tales, a...
- Folklore Genre
Folklore is the body of expressive culture shared by a...
- Collections of Fairy Tales
The Tale of the Four Dervishes; Tale Spinners for Children;...
- Dragons
A dragon is a magical legendary creature that appears in the...
- Grimms' Fairy Tales
Grimms' Fairy Tales, originally known as the Children's and...
- The Little Mermaid
Originally published in 1837 as part of a collection of...
- Fairy
A fairy (also fay, fae, fey, fair folk, or faerie) is a type...
- List of Fairy Tales
A comprehensive and alphabetical list of fairy tales from various regions, countries, and cultures, with dates, authors, and sources. Includes folklore, literary fairy tales, and adaptations of ancient stories.
- Etymology
- Historical Development
- Descriptions
- Origins
- Characteristics
- Classifications
- Changelings
- Protective Charms
- Legends
- In Literature
- GeneratedCaptionsTabForHeroSec
The English fairy derives from the Early Modern English faerie, meaning 'realm of the fays'. Faerie, in turn, derives from the Old French form faierie, a derivation from faie (from Vulgar Latin fata, 'the fates'), with the abstract noun suffix -erie. In Old French romance, a faie or feewas a woman skilled in magic, and who knew the power and virtue...
The term fairy is sometimes used to describe any magical creature, including goblins and gnomes, while at other times, the term describes only a specific type of ethereal creature or sprite. Historical origins of fairies range from various traditions from Persian mythology to European folklore such as of Brythonic (Bretons, Welsh, Cornish), Gaelic ...
Fairies are generally described as human in appearance and having magical powers. Diminutive fairies of various kinds have been reported through centuries, ranging from quite tiny to the size of a human. These small sizes could be magically assumed, rather than constant. Some smaller fairies could expand their figures to imitate humans. On Orkney, ...
Early modern fairies does not derive from a single origin; the term is a conflation of disparate elements from folk belief sources, influenced by literature and speculation. In folklore of Ireland, the mythic aes sídhe, or 'people of the fairy hills', have come to a modern meaning somewhat inclusive of fairies. The Scandinavian elves also served as...
Much folklore of fairies involves methods of protecting oneself from their malice, by means such as cold iron, charms (see amulet, talisman) of rowan trees or various herbs, or simply shunning locations "known" to be theirs, ergo avoiding offending any fairies. Less harmful pranks ascribed to fairies include: tangling the hair of sleepers into fair...
Various folklorists have proposed classification systems for fairies. Using terms popularized by W. B. Yeats, trooping fairies are those who appear in groups and might form settlements, as opposed to solitary fairies, who do not live or associate with others of their kind. In this context, the term fairy is usually held in a wider sense, including ...
A considerable amount of lore about fairies revolves around changelings, fairies left in the place of stolen humans. In particular, folklore describes how to prevent the fairies from stealing babies and substituting changelings, and abducting older people as well.The theme of the swapped child is common in medieval literature and reflects concern o...
In terms of protective charms, wearing clothing inside out, church bells, St. John's wort, and four-leaf clovers are regarded as effective. In Newfoundland folklore, the most popular type of fairy protection is bread, varying from stale bread to hard tack or a slice of fresh homemade bread. Bread is associated with the home and the hearth, as well ...
Sometimes fairies are described as assuming the guise of an animal. In Scotland, it was peculiar to the fairy women to assume the shape of deer; while witches became mice, hares, cats, gulls, or black sheep. In "The Legend of Knockshigowna", in order to frighten a farmer who pastured his herd on fairy ground, a fairy queen took on the appearance of...
The word fairy was used to describe an individual inhabitant of Faerie before the time of Chaucer. Fairies appeared in medieval romances as one of the beings that a knight errant might encounter. A fairy lady appeared to Sir Launfal and demanded his love; like the fairy bride of ordinary folklore, she imposed a prohibition on him that in time he vi...
A fairy is a type of supernatural creature with human or animal features, often associated with magic, enchantment, and the land of Fairy. Learn about the origins, descriptions, and cultural representations of fairies in various European traditions and literature.
Learn about the German collection of fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm, first published in 1812. Find out their origin, composition, and adaptations in different editions and languages.
- Jacob Grimm, Wilhelm Grimm
- 1812
Originally published in 1837 as part of a collection of fairy tales for children, the story follows the journey of a young mermaid princess who is willing to give up her life in the sea as a mermaid to gain a human soul.
- Hans Christian Andersen
- 1837
fairy tale, wonder tale involving marvellous elements and occurrences, though not necessarily about fairies. The term embraces such popular folktales (Märchen, q.v.) as “Cinderella” and “Puss-in-Boots” and art fairy tales (Kunstmärchen) of later invention, such as The Happy Prince (1888), by the Irish writer Oscar Wilde.
Learn about the definition, history and characteristics of fairy tales, a kind of short story with magic and fantasy elements. Find examples of traditional and modern fairy tales from different cultures and languages.
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