Some folklorists prefer to use the German term Märchen or "wonder tale" to refer to the genre rather than fairy tale, a … See more

Although the fairy tale is a distinct genre within the larger category of folktale, the definition that marks a work as a fairy tale is a source of considerable dispute. The term itself comes from the translation of Madame D'Aulnoy's … See more

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 develo… See more

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 i… See more

Originally, adults were the audience of a fairy tale just as often as children. Literary fairy tales appeared in works intended for adults, but in the 19th and 20th centuries the fairy tale became associated with children's lit… See more

Many fairy tales feature an absentee mother, as an example "Beauty and the Beast", "The Little Mermaid", "Little Red Riding Hood" and "Donkeyskin", where the mother is deceased or absent and unable to help the … See more