What is a fairy tale?

What is a fairy tale? For centuries fairy tales have sparked the imaginations of people of all ages around the world, these stories have been passed down from generation to generation verbally and are one dimensional. We all grew up listening to fairy tales and letting our imagination take over. Fairy tales are not just stories but a literary art form, one in which the origin is unknown. They do not contain depth, they posses archetypes, structure, history, religion, motifs, and even psychoanalytic views. They can be applied to anyone from any country and in each individuals interpretation they can derive meaning and apply that meaning to their own lives.

Orally transmitted folk literature is seen in only a few types of narratives. Legends, Saint’s Legends and folktales have all existed side by side. But folktales are unlike these, they are bound neither to reality or dogma. Folktales survive without the support of the church and continue to exist when faced with opposition. In its own way folktales provide answers to the questions of human existence. Additionally, folktales do not interpret or explain, they merely observes and portrays a dreamlike vision of the world. The characters are provided with opportunities not things and gifts appear right at the moment when the hero and task collide, they do not reward the hero but instead impel him into the adventure and allow him to fulfill his destiny. It is almost as if the folktale wished to give us assurance, even if you’re not sure what you’re doing or where you’re going it provides assurance that your apart of something meaningful. It says no more than it knows and it knows only what it perceives. Individuals read folktales and either unconsciously or consciously regard the images as being not just pictures but as metaphors. In this sense they are not symbols that conceal but rather reveal.