A fairy tale is a short story belonging to the folklore genre, typically featuring magic, enchantments and mythical or fanciful beings such as dragons, giants, fairies, witches and talking animals. In most cultures there is no firm line separating myth from folk tale or fairy tale, and together they form much of the literature of preliterate societies. Fairy tales are usually distinguished from other folk narratives such as legends and explicit moral tales like beast fables.
Facts
Place of Origin Notable ExampleSleeping Beauty and Cinderella, fixed by Charles Perrault (1697) 1 Defining TraitFeatures magic, enchantments, and mythical or fanciful beings 1 Connections
Sources
1. Fairy Tale (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationLead paragraph, second sentence
Such stories typically feature magic, enchantments, and mythical or fanciful beings.
History of the genre section, Salon Era paragraph, Perrault sentence
Charles Perrault (1697), who fixed the forms of Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella.
History of the genre section, second paragraph, opening sentence
Roots of the genre come from different oral stories passed down in European cultures.
View the Source Frequently Asked Questions
Who gave Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella the forms most readers know?
Charles Perrault fixed both forms in 1697.
The French writer Charles Perrault, who in 1697 fixed the forms of Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella. Wikipedia's account of the genre's history places him in the Salon Era, and it also says the roots of the genre lie in oral stories passed down in European cultures, so Perrault shaped older tales rather than inventing them.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.