Fairy tales are a beautiful genre of literature, tracing cultural mindsets and priorities through time and across the globe. Their origin as oral tales makes them profoundly unique, as no two tellings were ever exactly the same. But at the same time, that can make it hard for anyone to trace their history. There haveContinue reading “The Brains Behind The Beauty (and the Beast)”
Category Archives: Thoughts on Fairy Tales
The Bold, The Brave, and The Bloodthirsty
Cinderella is, perhaps, one of the most well-known and well-loved fairy tale heroines. She’s certainly one of my favorites, with variations and versions of her featuring in cultures around the world, both ancient and modern. But Cinderella has faced her share of criticisms over the ages and different depictions. The one I see most oftenContinue reading “The Bold, The Brave, and The Bloodthirsty”
Fairy Tale Facts: Jack and the Beanstalk
There are some fairy tale images that just stick with you. A glass slipper alone on a staircase. An isolated tower with braided hair hanging out the window. A castle surrounded by thorny vines. A rose with falling petals. A magic mirror and a poisoned apple. A giant beanstalk stretching through the clouds.
Fairy Tale Facts: King Thrushbeard
In December 1812, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm published their first book: volume one of Kinder- und Hausmärchen ( or Children’s and Household Tales). The fifty-second story in their collection was called “King Thrushbeard,” and that story is the topic of today’s post. So let’s dive in!
The Many Legends of Baba Yaga
One of the pillars of fairy tales is their recurring themes and character archetypes. It’s even common to see names used over and over again (Jack, Hans, even Snow-White is used in several unrelated stories). But it’s rare to see the same character appear in multiple fairy and folk tales, like we see in theContinue reading “The Many Legends of Baba Yaga”
The Lost Art of Storytelling
I love books. What a shocker, right? But it’s true, if a little simplified. There’s nothing I love more than losing myself in a story, getting pulled into an imaginary world, and being immersed in a character’s journey. Books are obviously a big part of that, but I also love other mediums: film, TV, comics,Continue reading “The Lost Art of Storytelling”
A Fairy Tale or What?
Is there a difference between myths, legends, and fairy tales?
Fairy Tale Facts: Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Once upon a time, there was a old lady (or maybe it was a little girl) who found a house in the woods that belonged to three bachelor bears (or maybe it was a family of bears?). That’s right, today we’re taking about Goldilocks and the Three Bears!
Myth or Magic: A Simple Spell
A friend of mine recently posed an interesting question. “The evil queen uses magic to change her appearance and poison Snow White. Why doesn’t she just use that magic to make Snow White uglier instead of going through the complicated process of trying to kill her?” -Rachel She makes a very good point. So IContinue reading “Myth or Magic: A Simple Spell”
Fairy or Fae
Fairy or faery? Which is correct spelling? Is there a difference? What do people mean when they say “fae”? As an avid fan of fairy tales and fantasy books and movies, this is actually something I’ve been curious about for a long time. But as I started to dig into the subject, the information wasContinue reading “Fairy or Fae”
Kate G. Jameson 