DEFINITIONS

FAIRY TALE
A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features folkloric fantasy characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants, dragons, mermaids, gnomes, kings, princes, peasants, youngest sister and cruel older sisters/stepmothers, witches, fantastic magical beings and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies. Talking animals and the presence of magic seem to be more common to the fairy tale than fairies themselves. Fairy tales include shape-shifting spirits with mischievous temperaments, superhuman knowledge, and far-reaching power to interfere with the normal affairs of humanity. Other conventions include charms, disguises, and a hero or heroine who overcomes obstacles to "live happily ever after." A fairy tale has the feeling or sensation of the supernatural or the mysterious. But, and this is crucial, it is a story that happens in the past tense, set vaguely in the distant past (once upon a time) and it is a story that is not tied to any specifics. Fairy tales are sometimes spiritual, but never religious. Examples from the European tradition include the tales of Prince Charming, Red Riding Hood, Puss in Boots, and Cinderella. An example from Middle-Eastern tradition would be Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.
[[NOTE: In Greek the term fairy tale is meaning next-to-the-myth.]] [[NOTE: If it happens "at the beginning of the world," then it is a myth. A story that names a specific "real" person is a legend (even if it contains a magical occurrence). A story that happens in the future is a fantasy.]]

CHARACTERISTICS
I. Theme A. Often universal in quality (That means all people are capable of relating to it, such as unfair treatment by a sibling.) B. Generally obvious and straightforward. C. Usually deals with conflict or contrast, for example good vs. evil, rich vs. poor, young vs. old, beauty vs. ugliness, weak vs. strong, innocent vs. wise.

II. Plot (the storyline or events) A. Quick, concise introduction. B. Logical, fast-paced development of events. C. Logical, abrupt ending after the climax or resolution of the problem. D. Satisfying, definite conclusion (universal happy ending). III. Characters A. Stereotyped, one-dimensional. B. Can be animals or humans. C. Represent types; they are not developed as flesh-and-blood people. IV. Setting: "anytime, anyplace" stories. V. Style (word usage and structure of story). A. Limited description and detail. B. Frequent use of rhyme and repetition. C. Events occur in patterns. D. Reflects culture in which the story is found. VI. Other characteristics A. Main character (protagonist) is given a nearly impossible task to complete. B. Evil character must be overcome by the hero/heroine. C. No magic ever ultimately succeeds for the mean or cowardly or cruel individual. D. Dark spells can only be broken by love or self-sacrifice. E. Grace and strength are bestowed upon those who strive and keep an honest, kindly heart. Three elements of folktales are simple language, simple plot, and simple characters.The term is also used to describe something blessed with unusual happiness, as in "fairy tale ending" (a happy ending) or "fairy tale romance (though not all fairy tales end happily). Fairy tale plot elements might include: Hero (or heroine) has bad luck, Hero (or heroine) must perform impossible tasks, Hero (or heroine) must fight a villain, Hero (or heroine) meets magical helpers, Hero (or heroine) is treated badly, Hero (or heroine) is in danger, Magic spells, Villain is punished, Hero (or heroine) is rewarded with wealth, Hero (or heroine) is rewarded with a happy marriage, Things happen in threes (three battles, three tasks).
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ORAL AND WRITTEN FORMS

Fairy tales are found in oral and in literary form. The history of the fairy tale is particularly difficult to trace because only the literary forms can survive. Still, the evidence of literary works at least indicates that fairy tales have existed for thousands of years. A note and a warning about Original Versions of Fairy Tales: They don't exist! The oral tradition of the fairy tale came long before the written page. Tales were told or enacted dramatically, rather than written down and handed down from generation to generation. Because of this, the history of their development is necessarily obscure. The oldest known written fairy tales stem from ancient Egypt, c. 1300 BC. Once the story is written down, it becomes static in that version. It is no longer only folklore, but part of the world's body of literature. In contrast, the beauty of storytelling is how the same story is slightly different each time it is told, even by the same storyteller. Oral fairy tales are elusive creatures that folklorists study, record and try to trace through history. The first collectors to attempt to preserve not only the plot and characters of the tale, but also the style in which they were told, were the Brothers Grimm, collecting German fairy tales.

SAME FAIRY-TALE VARIATIONS IN MULTIPLE CULTURES

Many of today's fairy tales have evolved from centuries-old stories that have appeared, with variations, in multiple cultures around the world. Fairy tales with very similar plots, characters, and motifs are found spread across many different cultures. Many researchers hold this to be caused by the spread of such tales, as people repeat tales they have heard in foreign lands, although the oral nature makes it impossible to trace the route except by inference. Other folklorists have interpreted tales as historical documents. Two theories of origins have attempted to explain the common elements in fairy tales found spread over continents. One is that a single point of origin generated any given tale, which then spread over the centuries; the other is that such fairy tales stem from common human experience and therefore can appear separately in many different origins. Peoples belonging to the same linguistic family also tend to have common elements in their folklore. They may be physically separated by many countries in between, but they both have stories of the same folk hero for example. It is not
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surprising when distinct cultures that are geographic neighbors or linguistic cousins share common elements in their tales and myths. What is more fascinating are the similar themes that occur in the traditions of geographically distant and linguistically distinct cultures. One of the most fascinating aspects of the fairy tale is the way in which recognizable plots and story elements reappear in slightly different guises in many different cultures and time periods. For example, the motif of the abused youngest sister achieving wealth and happiness-best known as the "Cinderella" tale type-appears in hundreds of versions from African, Asian, American, and European countries and as far back in written sources as 850 C.E. Claims are sometimes made about one culture being 'older' or 'better' than another. The other culture is often one that the speaker knows very little about, a typical example being someone claiming that European civilization is older and better than African civilization. But if only those who despise Africans (or any other people) knew more about the people and their folklore and history, they may realize that Africans (or other people) are not that different from themselves. On the other hand, parallel legends or similar customs are sometimes used as evidence' to 'prove' that one society owes its lore and culture to another. In their eagerness to prove the alleged 'donor culture' is 'superior', some might take the route of denying the indigenous creativity present in all peoples. Similar stories in different countries do not necessarily indicate a 'copycat' phenomenon. All that can be fairly said is that these similarities attest to our common human imagination.

THE AUDIENCE
The older fairy tales were intended for an audience of adults, as well as children, but they were associated with children and the link with children has only grown stronger with time. Fairy tales have been enacted dramatically; records exist of this in commedia dell'arte, and later in pantomime. The advent of cinema has meant that such stories could be presented in a more plausible manner, with the use of special effects and animation; the Disney movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937 was a groundbreaking film for fairy tales and, indeed, fantasy in general. Disney's influence helped establish this genre as a children's genre, and has been blamed for simplification of fairy tales ending in situations where everything goes right, as opposed to the pain and suffering and sometimes unhappy endings of many folk fairy tales.

COMMON FEATURES IN FAIRY-TALES

Any comparison of fairy tales quickly discovers that many fairy tales have features in common with each other.

FAIRY TALES AND WORDS THAT HAVE TO DO WITH THEM

King, queen, prince and princess, father, fairy, witch, frog, giant, ogre, elf, dragon, white horse, beast, orphan child, goblin, troll, dwarf, giant, mermaid, gnome, castle, cave, magic, enchantment, and more.

FOLKTALE
A folk tale is a short story that comes from the oral tradition. They are called "folk" because they are part of the oral tradition handed down from generation to generation by the folk, by word-of-mouth rather than by a written text. Folk tales often have to do with everyday life and frequently feature wily peasants getting the better of their superiors. In many cases the characters are animals with human characteristics. Folktale is a general term for numerous varieties of traditional narrative. The telling of stories appears to be a cultural universal, common to primitive and complex societies alike. Even the forms folktales take are demonstrably similar from culture to culture, and comparative studies of themes and narrative techniques have been successful in showing these relationships. In their original versions, most folk tales are not children's stories (or at all appropriate for children) because they are bawdy and often violent. Folktales are part of the oral tradition. The stories are passed on from generation to generation. Variants of folktales can be found throughout the world. The fact that travelers, merchants, discovers and settlers took their tales with them to foreign lands had an impact. Folktales found throughout the world bear witness to the similarities, but the changes reflect the individual cultures. The fairy tale, told orally, is a sub-class of the folktale. Fairy tales are part of folklore, but folk tales are not necessarily fairy tales. The simplest way to explain this is to think of fairy tales as a subgenre of folklore along with myths and legends.

FOLKLORIC MOTIFS
Recurring patterns of imagery or narrative that appear in folklore and folktales. Common folkloric motifs include the wise old man mentoring the young warrior, the handsome prince rescuing the damsel in distress, the "bed trick," and the "trickster tricked." Others include "beheading games," "the exchange of winnings," and the loathly lady who transforms into a beautiful maiden (all common in Celtic folklore).

TRADITION
The handing down of statements, beliefs, legends, customs, information, etc., from generation to generation, especially by word of mouth (oral communication) or by practice.

CONCLUSIONS
Fairy tales are stories either created or strongly influenced by oral traditions. Their plots feature stark conflicts between good and evil, with magic and luck determining the usually happy endings. While each culture and geographic region of the world has its own body of folk tales and fairy tales that it considers "its own," certain themes and motifs tend to be repeated across many cultures and time periods. Universal human emotions such as love, hate, courage, kindness, and cruelty appear in bold, broad strokes on the canvas of fairy tales.

QUESTIONS
What is a fairy tale? What are some special characteristics of fairy tales? What kinds of plots, characters, and settings do we expect to find in these stories? What makes each fairy tale unique? Why are fairy tales so prevalent as a form of storytelling throughout the world? How have illustrations been used to make fairy tales more enjoyable?