Where do Fairy Tales come from?

Question

Does anyone know the actual events that lead up to fairy tales? For example: i heard that "Ring Around the Rosie" was based off the plague.

Was there any based on real events?

Answer 1

Most fairy tales were originally created to teach moral lessons to children.
Boy who cried wolf: Don't complain about inconsiquential things.
3 little pigs: Do things right the first time and it could save your life
Hansel & Gretel: Don't wander off, stay away from dangerous places like the woods.
Etc.

In addition, lots of fairy tales showcase archetypal figures (i.e. the hero, the mother, the villain, the damsel, etc.). Which reinforce social ideals and help maintain social structure.

I also linked to the connection between Ring around the Roses and the Bubonic plague. Apparently this connection wasn't made until the 20th century.

EDIT: Most fairy tales have a great deal of "fantastical" imagery (talking animals, magic spells, and such), which obviously wouldn't be based in fact. The ideals behind them are likely based on real events. I'm sure a prince at some point married a commoner. I'm sure children did get lost in the woods and abused. I'm sure at some point a nice girl was treated poorly by her step family, etc :). But by definition fairy tales are quite old and have gone through so many changes/revisions/alterations since they were transmitted orally that they likely bear little resemblance to "original events". :-)

Answer 2

"Ring Around the Rosie" is a nursery rhyme, not a fairy tale. Other nursery rhymes that have hidden meanings would be "Mary Mary Quite Contrary" (about Queen Mary I, Mary Tudor) and "Humpty Dumpty." A lot of them were ways to criticize the current ruler without doing it straight out and getting in trouble for it.

Fairy Tales, on the other hand (Cinderella, Hansel & Gretel, etc.) come mainly from pre-literate cultures, stories popular enough to have been repeated over and over again in many different societies. Scholar Bruno Bettelheim in "The Uses of Enchantment" makes the point that myths are the "important" ancient stories, and fairy tales are the supposedly "trivial" ancient stories. Many people believe that they are psychological tools to help children deal with the trauma of growing up.

Answer 3

not actual ones. Do you realize the odds of an actual prince coming to marry you? Princes never used to even be allowed to marry commoners. There is no such thing as fire breathing dragons and wicked witches with actual powers and talking animals. Fairy Tales are unrealistic. It's sad but it's true. Also most of the time it takes going through a few boys to find a good one ;)

Answer 4

well ya ring around the rosie was based off the plauge, because when the plauge got you, you'd form rosey colored spots, and black rings would form around these spots and kill ya. all fairy tales are events that happend, and put to a story to make things a bit easier. things like jack and the beanstalk, and the three little pigs, those sort where made up to get children to bed or just to teach lessons about why things were or not to do things like go into someone elses house in goldilocks and the three bears. now days people make up stories to make money and what not. quite sad.

Answer 5

I thought that about ring around the rosie too but apparently it's a myth.

I don't know that any fairy tales have a historical background. I think they were just stories (sometimes with a moral to teach children).

Answer 6

Moral tales from Middle Ages Europe mostly!

Answer 7

Yes it is true ,search for ring around the rosies on the web!

Answer 8

they came from a fairy? I think it mainly based on legends and myths.

Answer 9

They come from the Land of Faerie.

Answer 10

they come from childrens minds...