The Science of Fairy Tales

JUDGING by the published literature there has been an upsurge of interest in fairy tales lately which prompts a number of questions about this phenomenon. Not only are there countless such books for children but even some for adults, as for instance Tolkien's popular books. Likewise there has been much scholarly activity as well, as the voluminous writings of Katherine Briggs prove. What is the explanation of this interest and what do folklorists have to tell us about fairy tales? One obvious reason is the spread of literacy during this century and this itself produces a dangerous pitfall for scholars. Eighty years ago E. S. Hartland in his book The Science of Fairy Tales roundly declared that 'literature, in short, of whatever kind, is of no value to the student of Fairy Tales... save as a witness to Tradition'. His stricture still holds true to-day since a study that deals with derivative sources is only a form of literary criticism. It could be said that a study of fairy tales can never be a science in the current sense of the word and that in any case the whole matter is essentially trivial. Now it is true that there will never be a special science devoted to fairy lore but there are grounds for applying a social scientific look at the matter rather than leaving the study to literary appraisal. Specimens of oral literature may be examined both from a linguistic and an anthropological viewpoint. As for triviality we may remind ourselves that most people in our culture have been exposed to these tales and that some 5 per cent of the population (5-10 year olds) are currently absorbed by them. Furthermore, it was not so long ago that these tales reflected widespread beliefs among adults in this country. An intriguing question is why so many of our children, to-day, believe in the existence of fairies and witches despite the absence of any oral tradition which could have implanted these beliefs. If it comes through books why are they so popular? What is it that appeals to children

Art · Literature · Folklore, Mythology, and Literature Studies · History

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• The Fairies in Tradition and Literature

  J W Ashton, Katharine Mary Briggs•Journal of American Folklore•1968

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