The American Heritage? Dictionary of the English Language
fairy tale
n.
A fanciful tale of legendary deeds and creatures, usually intended for children.
n.
A fanciful tale of legendary deeds and creatures, usually intended for children.
The American Heritage? Dictionary of the English Language,
folk tale
n.
A story or legend forming part of an oral tradition
n.
A story or legend forming part of an oral tradition
The "Little Mermaid" was first published in 1836, in the second volume of Fairy Tales, Told for Children. In Hans Christian Anderson's own notes, he says that it is not based off any folk tale. He even claims that the positive feedback he relieved is what encouraged him to write more of his own original stories.
The Grimm's Fairy Tales are all also folk lore.
Sleeping Beauty was originally a novel and a fairy tale but the first part of the story became a popular oral story and it became a folk tale. The original novel did share some common characteristics with an earlier Mediterranean myth, but it is still a strikingly different story.
The Stories in Uncle Remus are folk lore, but not fairy tales.
American tall tales are also folk lore, but not fairy tales.
Books such as Alice in Wonderland and Wonderful Wizard of Oz are sometimes considered fairy tales. Unlike folk lore, many fairy tales have definite origins.
Mythology was told by oral tradition so it may also be considered folk lore, but it is part of a religion so it would not be considered fairy tales.
Community Member
In a lot of ways I've confused fairy Tales for Folk tales. It was very enlightening.