Were the meant to educate, scare ...?
2006-06-26 18:08:36 · 6 answers · asked by SuzyQ 2 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Other - Arts & Humanities
They started off as tales told to kids to warn them away from something or teach them a lesson. They picked up steam in the Victorian times and if you were to read the original version of your favorite tales you are in for a shock. They are dark, violent and bloody.
For ex: in Cinderella the evil step sisters cut off parts of their feet to get the glass slipper to fit. It's not until the prince notices blood coming out of the slipper that he realizes he has the wrong woman!
2006-06-26 18:14:34 · answer #1 · answered by Sara 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Some were meant to subliminally educate children example the danger of strangers and child predators - Hansel and Gretel with the child-eating witch who lives in a tempting house of gingerbread and candy. Some worked out Freudian-type psycho-sexual fears like Snow White and Cinderella's wicked stepmother (their father's brought home beautiful but evil women to replace natural mothers at the child's expense). Some sought to warn young girls about the perils of consorting with "big bad wolves" who lurked in forests (Little Red Riding Hood) or encouraged chastity like the Sleeping Beauty who slept behind a protective forest of thorns after she pricked her finger and bled (symbolically began her period and became fertile) and stayed asleep and untouchable until her one and only true love prince "awakened her" with a kiss. I am of Irish ancestry and many of the Irish fairy tales are about how the Little People in some way provide - sometimes in VERY roundabout ways - for very poor people to become rich. Ireland was SO poor and downtrodden I guess fantasies about pots of gold and fortunes found in castle ruins were about the only hope many of them had. I have noticed that many eastern countries also have "rags to riches" fairy tales - Alladin and the magic lamp, Ali Babba and the 40 thieves for example. These stories gave their poor people the same kind of thrill of hope and dreams of "what if" that buying lottery tickets gives to people nowdays.
2006-06-27 12:27:42 · answer #2 · answered by ckswife 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sadistic children who are caned instead of given time outs and retaliate against the beautiful sweet fairys who come to tell them stories. They rip the tails off and the result is Little Red Riding Hood.
2006-06-27 01:16:41 · answer #3 · answered by corrie 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
stories told to kids passed down through generations
2006-06-27 01:11:38 · answer #4 · answered by imagermandood 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
they where the imaganations of people who whanted to explane somthing to their kids. or the kids whanted a bed time story
2006-06-27 01:14:32 · answer #5 · answered by gretch 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
most today think it was genetic,but i still believe they choose to be fairy tails.
2006-06-27 01:13:21 · answer #6 · answered by stranger in a strange land 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋