Fake stories created to teach children false truths about the world.

Owait.

That's not the answer you were seeking.

Tend to have happy endings? ... ... ... You don't read Hans Christian Andersen, do you? XP (though, arguably, the endings are, in a way, happy, though I wouldn't say they're all sunshine and rainbows. Andersen rocks).

Here's how I think of them: Fairy Tale = A tale involving fairies = A story involving something mystical and strange = a story told involving very surreal elements. Over the telling of time, these have been associated with simple short stories and have had morals and lessons applied to them. However, there are some that were made to entertain (read Andersen's "In A Thousand Years" It is wonderful in my opinion).

They're not always cautionary (unless it's Grimm's work that is XP).

That reminds me, I really need to read some AESOP. =/

I consider Aesop's fables to be, well, fables, which I list as being similar to fairytales but not necessarily being the same thing.

I'm not entirely sure about the happy endings, because of course I know of stories with a fairytale setting that don't end happily, but the question is whether or not those are fairytales or something else. Would they instead count as folk-tales? When it comes to differentiating between a fairytale and something else that's very similar, it can get a bit difficult.

I suppose the examples of themes I listed were cautionary, although I didn't intend for that. I mean, I think one of the great themes has been "dreams do come true". More recently, contemporary science-fiction fairytales have also made a predominant theme out of "emotions are great", what with the common "I want to be a real boy" syndrome recurring in futuristic stories (which, I think, reflects a bit about the questions that face humanity at this point in time).

Merida

Hmm, you know, you've made me curious. After a quick search, here are the definitions I dug up.

 

 

1

a : a story (as for children) involving fantastic forces and beings (as fairies, wizards, and goblins) —called also fairy story b : a story in which improbable events lead to a happy ending

 

2

: a made-up story usually designed to mislead

I also found a slightly different one from my quick search.

A fairy tale ... is a type of short story that typically feature folkloric fantasy characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants, mermaids, or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies. The stories may nonetheless be distinguished from other folk narratives such as legends (which generally involve belief in the veracity of the events described) and explicitly moral tales, including beast fables.

I'm not quite sure where the word originates from, though it is interesting what the modern world pegs as a fairy tale. They normally do match those criteria, although the happy endings are very much common in media.

Although Andersen's work didn't always feature happy endings (I'd describe them as bittersweet tragedies to be fair), he is still revered for being an author of fairy tales (such as The Little Mermaid, The Little Match Girl, The Ugly Ducking among other popular titles labeled as "Fairy Tales"). Though, I didn't look up the definition of "Folklore" so I suppose I'll have to do another search.

The two appear related, though. The Brothers Grimm invited story tellers to their home and they jotted down old stories and folklore, then had a bit of a screening process. German nationalism was highly revered by the two (during Napolean's reign), and so they would discard a story for having too much of a French origin. XP My point, though, is their stories (Cinderella -although the earliest record appears to be from China, I believe-, The Princess and the Frog, Snow White, etc) are considered, generally, as Fairy Tales. The line seems thin between the two, although I'm not too sure what the distinction is if any.

TO THE INTERNET! WINDFLY~ (dude... I'm already there... WHOA!)

EDIT: (and soon after my brain clicks that double-commenting is illegal here)...

Hmm... Looks like Fairy Tales are a part of folklore, actually. Only, there's more to folklore such as songs and customs passed through generations.

I guess I never really understood the concept, or rather, never bothered to think about it that much. ^^' Thanks for this entry, Kraggh! Got me in one of those moods. ^^

It's a tale with fairies in it. Duh.

Hey, thanks to you too, Tekulo! That little bit of research of yours just showed me that there's a whole can of worms I didn't even think to consider, so it broadens my perspectives. I think I'll be doing a little research of my own, which should hopefully improve a few upcoming entries about literature.

Merida

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