What is a folk or fairy tale?

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               A folk or fairy tale is a tale either told by the people and passed down by oral tradition or written down by an author, but always depicts a story that is understood to be fictional.  This is unlike myths or in some cases legends, which are believed to be true by some or all people. For example, many do not believe in the Loch Ness Monster, but some people believe the lore to be true. Same with Greek gods and goddesses as well as other local legends and myths. Fairy tales, however, are known to be false. Many fairy tales share similar motifs, and usually can be connected to similar tales throughout the globe.

Folk tales are stories that were originally only oral and have much simpler ideas and messages, as well as many different endings or details depending on where, when, and by who the story is being told. Fairy tales often have more concrete, detailed story lines and characters, and often don’t change as much. Folk tales are simple, stereotypical, one dimensional, and often have common ideas such as good and evil and often end in happy endings. Fairy tales are more complex, take place during a specific time or place, have more multidimensional characters, and often have unsatisfying endings.
Fairy tales are understood to not be set in the real world, but a world that has many aspects of the real one but with fantastical elements. In the world of folk fairy tales, human beings can exist in the same realm as trolls, goblins, fairies, and other magical beings. Both of these types of stories are bound by similar archetypes and motifs. Archetypes are forms, images, or concepts of a collective nature. The universal patterns of archetypes are often influenced by the supposed collective unconscious shared by all members of the human race.


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