Why We Need Fairy Tales

Fairy tales. Timeless, classic stories filled with danger, talking animals, and protagonists who face curses, evil family members, and all manners of other trials and difficulties. While we associate these sometimes-gritty stories with sweeping blue gowns, a talking teapot, or seven dwarves singing as they trot along to work, there is much more to fairy tales than most realize.

In conjunction with A Fairytale Summer (more below), today I am bringing you a post that is close to my heart. You may have noticed I am delving into mainly writing fairy tale retellings. The primary reason why is because I believe these beautiful stories contain excellent themes everyone needs to be reminded of, even if it is in retelling form. Why We Need Fairy Tales will center around two such themes found in the original stories.

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Family

The message of family is a vital reminder everyone needs to hear. These four tales perfectly capture this beautiful theme.

The Snow Queen – This frigid tale encompasses many admirable themes, but perhaps one of the most notable is the theme of family. When Gerda’s best friend is stolen away by the evil Snow Queen, Gerda embarks on a series of perilous adventures in order to save the boy who is like a brother.

Snow White and Rose Red – These two sisters exhibit unflinching loyalty, even when faced with a nasty dwarf and a talking bear. To quote from the tale itself, “The two children loved each other so dearly that they always walked about hand in hand whenever they went out together, and when Snow- white said, “We will never desert each other,” Rose-red answered: “No, not as long as we live[.]”

The Frog Prince – Claiming this fairy tale has a theme of family may seem like a bit of a stretch, but hear me out. We have a spoiled brat of a princess who loses her ball and refuses to keep her promise to the poor fellow–I mean, frog–who retrieves it for her. Dad gives a firm reminder about keeping her word and strictly instructs the princess to uphold her end of the bargain. Family lovingly rebukes family when they do wrong, is the hint I believe the Grimm Brothers were sending through this odd little tale.

The Wild Swans – When her eleven brothers are turned into swans, Eliza goes on a painful journey in what looks like a failing endeavor to save them. From stinging nettles to being sentenced to death, nothing is more important to Eliza than breaking the curse and helping her brothers.

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Perseverance

“When the going gets tough, the tough get going,” is a common phrase, and perhaps no better illustrated than in the following fairy tales, which remind us to keep going no matter what.

The Wounded Lion – This little-known tale has never been heard of by most, which is a shame because it is the pinnacle representation of perseverance, fairy tale style. The heroine, a poor peasant girl, finds herself working for a brutal master who repeatedly repeats and belittles her. Despite that and a giant threatening her life, she manages to push on and eventually achieve her goals.

Aschenputtle (Cinderella) – I would be remiss if I did not mention one of the most famous fairy tales of all times. There are actually two classic versions, Aschenputtle (Brothers Grimm) and Cendrillon (Charles Perrault). Despite a few differences, the primary theme remains. A girl who goes from cherished daughter to live-in, beleaguered maid. Despite the hard lot she finds herself in, she never loses hope and keeps going.

The Wild Swans – I know I included this one in the Family section, but it merits a spot beneath Perseverance as well. I mentioned stinging needles and a death sentence, but what I left out was, in order to break the curse, Eliza could not say a word. Not one word. If she did, her brothers would forever be doomed to swan form. This silence almost cost her her life. If she would have spoken, she could have defended herself. Instead, she held her tongue and continued her efforts. Though her situation looked hopeless, Eliza did not let that stop her, and she valiantly endeavored on until the end.

The Snow Queen – Another fairy tale that receives a spot in two categories. Gerda was captured by a wild child Robber Maiden, had to travel to the ends of the earth, and almost died a few times before she finally found her best friend. Like Eliza, she did not allow the dangerous circumstances to stop her from achieving her goal.

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This is but a brief list, and I could list many more key themes and fairy tales if I had both the time and room. Being dazzled by the pretty dresses, talking animals, and adorable romance is fine, but let us never forget that these fairy tales are more than mere tales. They are embodiments of reminders everyone needs to hear. Furthermore, one can look at the majority of original fairy tales and see the Christian influence, which in turn causes the reader to contemplate more than fantastical worlds and harrowing plots.

This is perhaps the most important reason we need fairy tales. They ignite a desire for justice and real-world situations where, like fairy tales, good wins and evil loses. This can help lead to the realization or reminder that evil has lost the war and there is One who is not a fairy tale who has already won.

And that, dear reader, is far better than any fairy tale.

“Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.”

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Don’t miss the previous A Fairytale Summer post, found here, or the fantastic lineup, found here.

What is your favorite theme in fairy tales? Which fairy tales and their retellings are your favorite?