The plot of a fairy tale is never based on actual stories. This distinguishes this form of literature from myths and legends, which, although distorted and embellished, are nevertheless based on certain real events.
What makes a fairy tale?
Fairy tales cannot be limited to a specific time period and they are generally not tied to a specific country or region. Parallels to old legends and stories can only very rarely be found.
In fairy tales, princes and princesses, strong women and girls, fearful or clumsy men, animals and other people and creatures experience a wide variety of adventures. The stories almost always have a very specific moral core message. Good fights against evil, and good almost always wins. Courage, bravery and compassion are the main virtues of the main characters. On their travels or in their experiences they encounter magical beings. Fairies, elves, witches, goblins, wizards and other fairy tale creatures populate the world. They support the main characters or try to harm them if they are evil beings.
The fairy tale collection of the Brothers Grimm
Since fairy tales were originally only passed down orally, the plot changed, was embellished or shortened the more often the fairy tale was told. It was only when the Brothers Grimm went out and had fairy tales told to them in all parts of the country that fairy tales were available in written form that were suitable for reading aloud. They were recited and retold unchanged, so that these fairy tales have remained unchanged to this day.
The fairy tale
While the Brothers Grimm were just collectors of fairy tales, other poets took up the idea and developed the so-called literary fairy tale. These are no longer traditions of oral stories, but independent works that arose from one's own imagination.
The most important representatives of these fairy tales are the Danish poet Hans Christian Andersen and the German poet Wilhelm Hauff. The fairy tales were further enriched by the artistic design of fairy tale books. Monochrome and colorful illustrations make the books suitable for reading aloud to younger children.
Famous storytellers: Grimm, HC Andersen and Hauff
Almost all adults today grew up with fairy tales. The German fairy tales of the brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm were just as much a part of the bookshelf as the Danish fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen or the fairy-tale stories of Wilhelm Hauff.
Who doesn't know the fairy tales of Sleeping Beauty, Snow White or Rumpelstiltskin? Who hasn't been afraid of the evil witch like Hansel and Gretel? These stories are probably among the most famous tales from the Brothers Grimm collection.
Andersen's fairy tales such as "The Little Match Girl", "The Little Mermaid" and "The Ugly Duckling" were also frequently told. Wilhelm Hauff made a name for himself with his fairy tales about Little Mook, the Caliph Stork and the Inn in Spessart.
Fairy tales for today's children
Fairy tales are still very popular with children. Modern children can experience the stories anew in radio plays. They are adapted for small children and brought to the screen in films and cartoons. This adaptation is not always good for the imagination.
Neither film nor radio play can replace the experiences and experiences a child has when parents or grandparents read or tell fairy tales. For a while, telling fairy tales, especially scary ones, was considered outdated and harmful. It has now become clear that even fairy tales that seem gruesome at first glance have a high educational value and can help children cope with everyday life.
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