Illustration by Jessie Willcox Smith from The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald, Photographer Jessie Willcox Smith, Source http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/34339 (PD)
“Once upon a time…” When we were children those were magical words. They called up a world of fairy godmothers, princes slaying dragons, and wishes come true. A fairy tale promised excitement and adventure. Best of all, we were guaranteed a happy ending.
Andrew Lang compiled hundreds of fairy tales into The Fairy Books of Many Colors. I devoured these as a child, one color after another – The Red Fairy Book, The Yellow Fairy Book, etc. – as fast as I could lay hands on them. I simply could not get my fill. Yet I could not have said at the time what the fascination was for me.
Psychologists have long argued over the meaning and usefulness of fairy tales. These universally loved stories can be interpreted in a variety of ways.
The explanation that comes closest to my own experience is that fairy tales allow children to confront and deal with their fears and concerns – whether of abandonment (Hansel and Gretel), death (Snow White, Sleeping Beauty), rejection (Cinderella), etc. – in symbolic terms, so that those fears and concerns are reduced to manageable size.
Children get the satisfaction of slaying their own dragons…from a safe distance. Continue reading
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