F is for Fairy Tales

Today’s letter in the month long A-Z challenge is F. (No, we’re not going there! Get your mind out of the gutter, people. LOL!) Our guest today is Oberon Wonch, lover of Medieval romance, Renaissance Faires, fairy tales, gardening, and a soon-to-be-published romance author.

 

F is for Fairy tales, those magical stories we all heard growing up, the ones that feature youngest sons, princesses, cruel stepmothers, and talking animals. The stories where good triumphs over evil and an honest knight or virtuous princess earns a blissful happy ending. 

Scholars who like to debate this sort of thing actually don’t agree on what exactly distinguishes a fairy tale from other folk tales. Though most agree an actual fairy needn’t be involved, they dispute whether magic is an integral part of a fairy tale and whether some form of mythical being—goblins or giants, for example—must be included. Despite the arguments, several motifs are common: a handsome prince, a beautiful maiden, a fantastic location such as a castle or a beanstalk that climbs to the clouds.

Though stories resembling what we identify today as fairy tales go back thousands of years, the term fairy tale was first coined in the 17^th century by Countess d’Aulnoy. She compiled anthologies of French folk tales meant to be discussed by adults in Parisian salons. Gathering her stories from nursemaids and other laboring class women who told stories to children, she emphasized the magical elements in such tales and built up the motif of strong female characters who prevail over evil stepmothers and overbearing royal fathers. (Perhaps because those were the subjects that appealed most to her fellow salon-goers.)

One thing that seems to be a modern invention is the idea of a happily ever after. This might be attributed to the Brothers Grimm, who in the early 19^th century recorded on paper many German folk tales from oral tradition. Hoping to market their books as family-friendly but finding the stories too gruesome for children, they took the liberty of cleaning up the tales. Stabilized through printing, their versions have become the standard in cultures of English descent.

Did you know Hans Christian Andersen mostly wrote new stories rather than relayed traditional fairy tales? He employed some familiar motifs, but the characters and plots were all his. Eloisa James did a series of historical romances where each book was founded upon a fairy tale. When Beauty Tamed the Beast was my favorite.




Let's chat: What are your favorite fairy tales, the ones that resonate with you? Do you recognize the fairy tales in your nodern reading?

A two-time Romance Writers of America^® Golden Heart^® finalist in Historical Romance, Oberon Wonch writes passionate tales about heroes, both modern and medieval, winning the hearts of their lady loves. Visit her at http://www.oberonwonch.com/ or her gardening blog at http://www.gardeningwithoutfairies.com/.

The "F" book list:

The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley: historical fiction, paranormal, romance all in one. I love just about everything this author writes.

Judi Fennell: lighthearted romance. Her early works are paranormal romance, and now she's coming out with contemporary romantic comedies about a group of brothers working as housemaids!

Firefly: Graphic novels, multiple authors/artist. The comic-book continuation of the beloved television space opera series that, like most of Joss Whedon's stuff, died a tragic and far-too-early death. They live on in these. Start with this one. 



Images: The Frog Prince y Anne Anderson (1874-1930) (http://www.artsycraftsy.com/anderson_prints.html) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Red Riding Hood: By Charles Perrault, Harry Clarke (ill.) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Fairy Tales for Adults

"Giving new meaning to the term alpha male."

Award winning author, Terry Spear, is my guest today Over Coffee. Terry writes Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romances and Scottish Medieval Romances. She is a lady of many talents, including creating award-winning teddy bears, Wilde & Woolly Bearsmaking. Some of my favorites are the Scot Clan Bears-with the tartan and tams.

One of the things that impresses me about Terry is her knowledge of wolves—their behavior and how they live, interactions within the pack, hunt—which makes her stories even more realistic.

Today, Terry discusses how fairy tales have influenced her writing, particularly in her Werewolf series.

I’ve always loved mythology and enjoyed reading folk tales from other countries, fairy tales, too, that often began as oral stories and eventually differing versions were captured in print so that I could enjoy them also.

Because of the fondness I have for tried and true fairy tales, I slip in fairy tale references in my wolf stories, too…Little Red Riding Hood in To Tempt the Wolf, and a different reference to Little Red Riding Hood in Legend of the White Wolf. When I was looking for pictures to illustrate this, I discovered that some story analysts think that the wolf in Little Red Riding Hood referred to a werewolf. So see, it’s in my stories for a reason. :-)

I had a reference to The Three Little Pigs in well, one of the wolf tales. Can’t remember which now. Maybe in Heart of the Wolf? Or Destiny of the Wolf?

And in the current work in progress–a reference to Alice in Wonderland in Seduction of the Wolf. I’ve also referenced Hansel and Gretel, can’t remember which story now either. But I love to refer to them because they were such a mainstay of what I read as a kid and certain aspects of them really stuck with me!

The morals of the story are still important messages taught today. How about the wolf in sheep’s clothing? Hey, I have werewolves in sheep’s clothing, too. :) Come to think of it, wolves sure have a bad reputation. Ever see a story where the wolf is a good guy in fairy tales?

In some Native Amercian tales, yes. Many tribes, both in Canada and America, revered the wolf, the way they hunted together, worked together, played together, took care of their families…so to them, the wolf was not to be feared but respected.

In my stories, the werewolf characters come in all sizes and all kinds, both good and bad. So my fairy tales for adults, are less…biased, to my way of thinking. :-)

Ever see references to fairy tales in books you’ve read? Some of course are Cinderella knock offs, or other such tales, using the same premise for the whole story, and those are fun to read, too!

I wonder some day if the old classics weren’t read, would fans in the future not even know what the references were to???

If you’re looking for a free read, I’ve started a newsletter subscription where I’ll be sending a weekly installment of a story that’s been published and I’ve received my rights back. For now, it’s: Goddess in Training. I’ve sent the first installment, but can forward the first one to any who sign up later. It’s a way of thanking my fans and giving them something to read until the next book, To Tempt the Wolf, hits their mailboxes or book stores!

Also, you can reach me at the following places. I can always use more friends!
http://www.terryspear.com/
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• Win a copy of Destiny Of The Wolf. Terry will be giving away a copy of Destiny Of The Wolf to one lucky commentor today. USA only.
  

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Award-winning author of paranormal romantic suspense, urban fantasy, and medieval romantic susense. PW's BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR. Retired LTC with the USAR and award-winning teddy bear artist whose works have been featured in Teddy Bear Review Magazine, Teddy Bear & Friends, The MacNeill Galley, Texas Monthly & Texas Co-op Monthly, Terry Spear writes both for adults and young adults, novels, short stories, fiction and nonfiction.

Originally from California, she’s lived in eight states and now resides in the heart of Texas. She is the author of Heart of the Wolf, Destiny of the Wolf, To Tempt the Wolf, Legend of the White Wolf, Winning the Highlander’s Heart, Deadly Liaisons, The Vampire…In My Dreams (young adult), Deidre's Secret (young adult), The Accidental Highland Hero (2010), two more wolf tales from Sourcebooks, and numerous articles and short stories for magazines.