Fairy Tales; Their Origin and Meaning

John Thackray Bunce
Fairy Tales; Their Origin and
Meaning

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Title: Fairy Tales; Their Origin and Meaning

Author: John Thackray Bunce
Release Date: June, 2005 [EBook #8226] [This file was first posted on
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FAIRY TALES, THEIR ORIGIN AND MEANING
With Some Account of Dwellers in Fairyland
BY
JOHN THACKRAY BUNCE

INTRODUCTORY NOTE.
The substance of this volume was delivered as a course of Christmas
Holiday Lectures, in 1877, at the Birmingham and Midland Institute, of
which the author was then the senior Vice-president. It was found that
both the subject and the matter interested young people; and it was
therefore thought that, revised and extended, the Lectures might not
prove unacceptable in the form of a Book. The volume does not pretend
to scientific method, or to complete treatment of the subject. Its aim is a
very modest one: to furnish an inducement rather than a formal

introduction to the study of Folk Lore; a study which, when once begun,
the reader will pursue, with unflagging interest, in such works as the
various writings of Mr. Max-Muller; the "Mythology of the Aryan
Nations," by Mr. Cox; Mr. Ralston's "Russian Folk Tales;" Mr. Kelly's
"Curiosities of Indo-European Folk Lore;" the Introduction to Mr.
Campbell's "Popular Tales of the West Highlands," and other
publications, both English and German, bearing upon the same subject.
In the hope that his labour may serve this purpose, the author ventures
to ask for an indulgent rather than a critical reception of this little
volume.
BIRMINGHAM, September, 1878.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.
ORIGIN OF FAIRY TALES--THE ARYAN RACE: ITS
CHARACTERISTICS, ITS TRADITIONS, AND ITS MIGRATIONS

CHAPTER II.
KINDRED TALES FROM DIVERS LANDS

CHAPTER III.
DWELLERS IN FAIRYLAND: STORIES FROM THE EAST

CHAPTER IV.
DWELLERS IN FAIRYLAND: TEUTONIC, SCANDINAVIAN,
ETC.

CHAPTER V.
DWELLERS IN FAIRYLAND: CELTIC, THE WEST HIGHLANDS

CHAPTER VI.
CONCLUSION-SOME POPULAR TALES EXPLAINED.
INDEX

CHAPTER I.
ORIGIN OF FAIRY STORIES.
We are going into Fairy Land for a little while, to see what we can find
there to amuse and instruct us this Christmas time. Does anybody know
the way? There are no maps or guidebooks, and the places we meet
with in our workaday world do not seem like the homes of the Fairies.
Yet we have only to put on our Wishing Caps, and we can get into
Fairy Land in a moment. The house-walls fade away, the winter sky
brightens, the sun shines out, the weather grows warm and pleasant;
flowers spring up, great trees cast a friendly shade, streams murmur
cheerfully over their pebbly beds, jewelled fruits are to be had for the
trouble of gathering them; invisible hands set out well-covered
dinner-tables, brilliant and graceful forms flit in and out across our path,
and we all at once find ourselves in the midst of a company of dear old
friends whom we have known and loved ever since we knew anything.

There is Fortunatus with his magic purse, and the square of carpet that
carries him anywhere; and Aladdin with his wonderful lamp; and
Sindbad with the diamonds he has picked up in the Valley of Serpents;
and the Invisible Prince, who uses the fairy cat to get his dinner for him;
and the Sleeping Beauty in the Wood, just awakened by the young
Prince, after her long sleep of a hundred years; and Puss in Boots
curling his whiskers after having eaten up the ogre who foolishly
changed himself into a mouse; and Beauty and the Beast; and the Blue
Bird; and Little Red Riding Hood, and Jack the Giant Killer, and Jack
and the Bean Stalk; and the Yellow Dwarf; and Cinderella and her fairy
godmother; and great numbers
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