When and why did the whole tooth fairy thing start?

Question

I just think that there must be some interesting history behind this fable.

Answer 1

Centuries ago, in Europe it was a common practice when a child's baby tooth fell out (primary tooth), to bury it in the ground. The tooth was, in all likelihood, buried in the garden or in the field's surrounding the child's home. It was done so that a new tooth (permanent tooth) would grow in its place. The other reason for this ritual was the superstition, that if a witch got a hold of the tooth, a curse could be placed on the child, (as with fingernail clippings and/or hair). So by burying their children's teeth, this unfortunate curse was prevented from happening. Hopefully.

Anyway, as people migrated to this country, many of the same beliefs and superstitions followed them. However, since most of the people now found themselves living in towns and cities, bare land wasn't as plentiful. So they began placing the teeth in small flowerpots, or planter boxes. Eventually this rite too changed, and the fallen out tooth was placed under a child's pillow, where the parents switched the tooth (always in the middle of the night) for a treat or a coin.

Of course the curious children wanted to know what happened to their small teeth. And since children love to hear stories, their parents explained to them who was actually removing their teeth and leaving the treat in its place. The Tooth Fairy was born. All children grew to love this rite of passage, and the coming of the Tooth Fairy.

But what never changed, was the practice of placing the child's tooth (after it was quietly removed from under their pillow), into a small box or pouch. Where it usually lay hidden in the back of a drawer, from any unseen eyes. Why? Well, I like to think that even as adults we are still a little afraid of witches.

I hope you like the story, interestingly enough the Tooth Fairy is one of America's "original" fables. And many countries are just now re-discovering this tale. If you're wondering what the Tooth Fairy does with all the teeth, go outside on a clear night and look up into the sky. High in the air you will see countless stars glimmering and sparkling - there you will find your answer.

Answer 2

I cut and pasted this information from the site listed below. Fascinating stuff!

The Tooth Fairy calls upon the European folklore of House Elves or Brownies who will often perform useful tasks or exchange valuable treasures for things humans view as mundane or useless.

Cultural historians say that superstition has always surrounded teeth and these valuable tokens have been used to ward off witches and demons in the past. Vikings were even supposed to give children a "tooth fee" for using children's teeth.

The most commonly accepted belief by academics is the fairy's development from the tooth mouse, depicted in an 18th century French language fairy tale. In "La Bonne Petite Souris," a mouse changes into a fairy to help a good Queen defeat an evil King by hiding under his pillow to torment him and knocking out all his teeth. Also, in Europe, baby teeth used to be fed to rodents and other animals in the hopes of getting sharper, more rodent-like, teeth in the future.[citation needed]

Pioneering scholar Rosemary Wells, a former professor at the Northwestern University Dental School, found archival evidence that supports the origin of different tooth fairies in the United States around 1900, but the first written reference to one specific symbol in American literature did not appear until the 1949 book, "The Tooth Fairy" by Lee Rothgow. Considered the world's tooth fairy expert, Dr. Wells even created the Tooth Fairy Museum in 1993 in her hometown of Deerfield, Illinois. But according to the local library, it evaporated after her death when her husband liquidated all her memorabilia.

In some Asian countries, such as Japan and Korea, when a child loses a tooth the usual custom is that he or she should throw it onto the roof if it came from the lower jaw, or into the space beneath the floor if it came from the upper jaw. While doing this, the child shouts a request for the tooth to be replaced with the tooth of a mouse. This tradition is based on the fact that mice's teeth go on growing for their whole life. The similarity to Western traditions about mice and teeth is most likely a coincidence.

Answer 3

Maybe it was to calm crying kids down when they lost a tooth.

"Stop crying, that tooth will get you a nickel from the toothfairy if you place it under your pillow"

Hmm... It could also be Kim's or even Catz' explanation.