Fairy tales are magical! They are full of extraordinary characters like wicked villains, beautiful princesses, dragons, dwarves, and enchanted forests. Most of us are familiar with these elements of fairy stories mainly because we are familiar with their Disney retellings (unless you were lucky enough to experience the classics as a child). And while Disney can spark an undeniable feeling of nostalgia within us and can be a helpful introduction to fairy stories, the adventure shouldn’t stop with Disney, because there is so, so MUCH more to these stories than our modern retellings would lead us to believe!
What is a fairy tale?
Believe it or not, fairy tales were not originally written for children. They are folk tales gathered carefully by authors such as the Grimm brothers and penned for an adult audience. Eventually, due to the enlightenment, these fanciful narratives were relegated to the nursery where they have largely remained until present day. A quintessential characteristic of a fairy tale is that it always has a happy ending. Can you think of a fairy tale that doesn’t end happily? If you can, it is technically recognized as a cautionary tale. You also might have noticed that stories such as Little Red Riding Hood have different endings. Why is she saved by the woodcutter in one version but in another she is eaten and never rescued? The answer lies in the author’s intent to convey a moral truth or a lesson. And, in the case of Little Red Riding Hood, the happy ending was altered by Charles Perrault to be a warning to the decadent and immoral actions of Louis XIV’s court in Versailles: Girls who associate with wolves will get eaten alive. The alternate endings of fairy tales are varied and can clue us into the intent of the author or the time period. And while true fairy tales are not without tragedy and sadness, they retain a redemptive ending.
Realer than Real
One objection to introducing fairy tales to your children could be, “But aren’t they just make-believe stories? Isn’t it better for my child to read stories about events that really happened and people that really existed?” When we ask this question we reveal something about ourselves and what we value; we are unconsciously valuing the material world – or that which can be seen – over the spiritual world. Angelina Stanford, who studies and teaches on fairy tales and their origin, asks in an interview with Pam Barnhill on the Your Morning Basket podcast, “Is the only thing that’s real that which you can experience with the senses, or is there a greater reality that transcends the natural world? That is what fairy tales constantly help us to remember and to stay in touch with, the greater spiritual reality, that which is realer than real.” If we as Christians adopt the modern belief that reality is only what we can see, where does that leave God? The soul? The truth is that we know there is something greater than what we can see, and fairy tales can make room in the mind of a child for realities that cannot be experienced with the senses.
Gospel Story in Fairy Story
No doubt you have seen the Biblical parallels within the Narnia Series, but the Gospel narrative can be seen throughout ALL fairy tales. As Stanford points out, you have Christ, the bridegroom, who comes to rescue His bride, much like a prince comes to rescue a princess. There may even be a resurrection of sorts; she can only be revived with a kiss from the true prince. We also are brought from death to life through our Savior’s act of love. Once the princess is rescued, the prince marries her and throws a beautiful banquet or marriage feast. This is seen as the coming marriage supper of the Lamb, the mystical wedding feast between God and his Church. And much like the story of Adam and Eve who were exiled, the story of Hansel and Gretel depicts a parent/child separation. We long for orphans and lost children to be reunited with their parents much like we long to be reunited with our Father. These parallels are remarkable, and just like the Narnia series, they do much to deepen our understanding of Christ’s redemptive story. The spiritual themes found in fairy tales are no accident. We know deep down that children being reunited with parents and princes slaying dragons and rescuing princesses is right. We know it is right because it is the story of God and His children found in the pages of the Gospel.
How to Read a Fairy Tale
Years ago, a friend of mine and his children attended a beautiful church-led performance of C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. As the play came to a close, the producer proceeded to explain who Aslan is in “real life,” essentially unveiling the mystery behind each character. Disappointed, my friend quickly diverted his children’s attention, hoping to retain the mystery of Lewis’s story.
Why do we feel the need to explain a fairy tale so quickly? Is it our discomfort with magic? Maybe we have been trained to only value “facts” or that a story is only useful if we can point to a moral at the end? Is it our own excitement that prompts us to reveal a character’s symbolic identity? Whatever the reason, we do our children a disservice by making all the connections for them. It is better to trust the story to make the point and resist the urge to pull back the curtain. After all, fairy stories can be a preparation for The Greatest Story Ever Told, and they create fertile ground for God’s truth to grow — even in hearts that have rejected the Gospel. At least, this was the case for Lewis himself, his own conversion from Atheism to Christianity being formed through his childhood exposure to fairy tales.
Instead, to engage your children in discussion about a certain fairy tale, ask them how it compares to the modern retelling they’re familiar with. No doubt there will be lots to discuss! And resist the urge to tell them, “Aslan IS Jesus!”
Some Objections
What about the scary parts of fairy tales? Aren’t they too violent for children? Of course, using your God-given parental discretion, especially for those with more sensitive children, is the best approach to this concern. G.K. Chesterton, famous Christian author and theologian, proposes fairy tales as a means to combat fears, not feed them:
“Fairy tales, then, are not responsible for producing in children fear, or any of the shapes of fear; fairy tales do not give the child the idea of the evil or the ugly; that is in the child already, because it is in the world already. Fairy tales do not give the child his first idea of bogey. What fairy tales give the child is his first clear idea of the possible defeat of bogey. The baby has known the dragon intimately ever since he had an imagination. What the fairy tale provides for him is a St. George to kill the dragon. Exactly what the fairy tale does is this: it accustoms him for a series of clear pictures to the idea that these limitless terrors had a limit, that these shapeless enemies have enemies in the knights of God, that there is something in the universe more mystical than darkness, and stronger than strong fear.”
Much like the stories we find in scripture, fairy tales can seem dark at times. This is no reason to throw them out altogether, but to approach them with parental wisdom, offering them to our children at the appropriate time.
Fairy Tales are a child’s comfort, and they are a comfort to the whole human race. They proclaim our Lord’s truth established at the beginning of all things: good will win, evil will be defeated, the dead will rise to life, the lost will be found, and we will truly live happily ever after!
Check out the podcast from Pam Barnhill’s Your Morning Basket called Why Fairy Tales Are Not Optional: A Conversation with Angelina Stanford, Epi. 41 (see link below), where I have gathered many of the points I make in this newsletter. Also, for a more in-depth look into the role fairy tales play in the moral formation of a child, as well as specific fairy tales and their original overarching themes, read Vigen Guroian’s book entitled Tending the Heart of Virtue: How Classic Stories Awaken a Child’s Moral Imagination.