Thursday, September 12, 2019

The Four Founders of Fairy Tales

From the Victorian Trading Company blog:
Charles Perrault
From: France, late 17th century
History: Born to a wealthy family, Perrault studied law and had a career in the French government. He was involved in the development of art and literature during his lifetime.
Writings: Perrault spent much of his career publishing essays on art, literature, and even the development of opera. In 1686, he wrote an epic poem about the Christian saint, Paulinus of Nola. Then at the age of 67, Perrault published a collection of fairy tales, Tales and Stories of the Past with Morals, subtitled Tales of Mother Goose. Later would come to publish a French translation of 100 Fables from the Latin poet, Gabriele Faerno.
Inspiration: Perrault drew mostly from the tales that were handed down orally for generations.
Most Famous For: Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Puss in Boots, and Sleeping Beauty.
Legacy: Perrault is considered by many to be the founder of the modern fairy tale genre, even though it had existed previously. (Read more.)
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1 comment:

julygirl said...

I was once a 'Nanny' for parents of two adventurous little boys. There was a large wooded area behind their home and the parents told the boys that the woods were full of spiders, (the boys were deathly afraid of spiders), so that deterred them from exploring. I believe in past ages parents told frightening tales to children in order to keep them close to home.