Fables & Fairy Tales
Fables and fairy tales have been around for as long as anyone can remember. They began as oral stories, passed along from generation to generation. Different cultures have their own fables and fairy tales, and some even have their own individual versions of the more popular stories. These stories have stood the test of time, constantly evolving to suit the needs of society.
The well known fables around the world are continually being accredited to the same fabulist, Aesop. Aesop and his stories both come from ancient Greece, and are renowned for their morals. His stories have been used for thousands of years, altered and adapted through time, to teach life lessons to young and old alike. Many stories, such as The Ant and the Grasshopper are extremely well known, while others, such as The Fox and the Woodcutter are much less renowned. These stories have powerful messages and can be used to teach a lesson, or conduct a conversation on different aspects of social justice.
Fairy tales began as gruesome stories of decapitation, cannibalism and imprisonment, stemming from the wicked minds of Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm. These stories were used to create an element of fear and obedience through entertainment; a tactic which would be unacceptable and unpopular today.
Following shortly after was Hans Christian Andersen, an author well known for his story The Little Mermaid. Anderson's stories, while still darker than the Disney adaptations we see today, were less horrific and blunt in their messages. He took pleasure in writing children's stories for children's enjoyment as well as their education.
The modern day great story teller is the Disney franchise. This company has taken many stories and transformed them into sugarcoated adaptations of the originals. While some people feel that Disney has done a great disservice to these tales, it is important to acknowledge that had it not been for these films, many people today would be unaware of the classics and their morals. Disney has had to adapt the traditional stories to better suit the wants and needs of our ever-changing society.
As society continues to change and develop it is important that we continue to use these traditional stories to teach valuable life lessons to children.
The well known fables around the world are continually being accredited to the same fabulist, Aesop. Aesop and his stories both come from ancient Greece, and are renowned for their morals. His stories have been used for thousands of years, altered and adapted through time, to teach life lessons to young and old alike. Many stories, such as The Ant and the Grasshopper are extremely well known, while others, such as The Fox and the Woodcutter are much less renowned. These stories have powerful messages and can be used to teach a lesson, or conduct a conversation on different aspects of social justice.
Fairy tales began as gruesome stories of decapitation, cannibalism and imprisonment, stemming from the wicked minds of Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm. These stories were used to create an element of fear and obedience through entertainment; a tactic which would be unacceptable and unpopular today.
Following shortly after was Hans Christian Andersen, an author well known for his story The Little Mermaid. Anderson's stories, while still darker than the Disney adaptations we see today, were less horrific and blunt in their messages. He took pleasure in writing children's stories for children's enjoyment as well as their education.
The modern day great story teller is the Disney franchise. This company has taken many stories and transformed them into sugarcoated adaptations of the originals. While some people feel that Disney has done a great disservice to these tales, it is important to acknowledge that had it not been for these films, many people today would be unaware of the classics and their morals. Disney has had to adapt the traditional stories to better suit the wants and needs of our ever-changing society.
As society continues to change and develop it is important that we continue to use these traditional stories to teach valuable life lessons to children.
From The Juniper Tree by the Brothers Grimm
’My mother, she slew me,
My father, he ate me,
My sister, Marlene,
Gathered my bones
Tied them in silk,
For the Juniper tree.
Tweet, tweet, what a fine bird am I!"