Rooted in millennia-old oral traditions and carrying striking resemblances across different parts of the world, fairy tales have never existed solely in the forms in which they were told, written, or performed in any given era. Contrary to common belief, fairy tales were never specifically designed for children; yet, while they were primarily narrated by and for adults, they never excluded the presence of children.
Folklor scholar Jack Zipes explains the association of fairy tales with children as follows: “Oral tales have always occupied a marginal position in all societies throughout history just as children have been marginal. Like fairy tales, children could only be gradually integrated into the social and cultural mainstream.”
“Once upon a time” which is an expression with equivalents in many languages has accompanied fairy tales throughout human history. This opening serves as an invitation for listeners to step into the collective memory of humanity. Beyond the warm recollections of childhood, fairy tales are products of societies’ efforts to transmit teachings across generations and to recount their tales of heroism.
In his book The Irresistible Fairy Tale: The Cultural and Social History of a Genre, Jack Zipes notes that fairy tales have existed since the very moment humanity began to speak—and even before that, when it first sought to communicate through body language. According to Zipes, people once believed in the supernatural events depicted in fairy tales, much in the same way that contemporary individuals believe in religions, sects, and nations.
As an anonymous narrative form interwoven with the supernatural, fairy tales have for centuries been told by hakawati in the Middle East and North Africa, by çîrokbêj among the Kurds, and by meddah in Anatolia. Possessing a meaning and significance far beyond their conventional definitions, fairy tales are continually reshaped by each storyteller according to their own social context. For this reason, they may be understood not merely as occasions for entertainment but also as instruments through which communities construct and sustain their identities. From Mesopotamia to China, from India to the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, fairy tales and stories which are as old as human history itself bear the traces of humanity’s earliest attempts to make sense of the world. In them, we witness people striving at times to explain natural phenomena, at times to impart moral lessons, and at other times to recount the ordinary person’s struggle for survival.
In Europe, with the transcription of the Grimm Brothers’ tales and the growing popularity of recording fairy tales in written form, these narratives began to change. Whereas in oral culture each storyteller infused the tale with their own voice and imagination, the stories gradually became fixed into certain patterns. Yet fairy tales did not lose their vitality: as we still observe among the peoples of the Middle East and Asia, storytellers have continued to keep the tradition alive, allowing these narratives to breathe, evolve, and transform within collective memory.
One of the most striking features of fairy tales is the recurrence of similar motifs across different parts of the world. In his seminal work Morphology of the Folktale, Vladimir Propp systematically identifies the recurring structural elements within these narratives. According to Propp, almost every fairy tale involves a hero who embarks on a journey, encounters obstacles, receives assistance, and ultimately gains a reward often culminating in marriage or ascension to the throne.
For instance, this commonality can be observed in tales from many parts of the world, such as stories in which lambs or piglets risk being devoured by a wolf. In each of these narratives, a cunning and malevolent figure seeks to harm innocent animals, yet the story concludes with the young creatures escaping and reuniting with their mother provided they have heeded her advice. Such parallels demonstrate that fairy tales embody universal emotions and teachings.
In the present day, while the form of fairy tales and the ways they are conveyed may have evolved, their fundamental role remains intact. Today, fairy tales continue to reach audiences not only through written and oral forms but also through cinematic adaptations, engaging both children and adults alike.
Nevertheless, even in these modern adaptations, the universal themes at the heart of fairy tales such as justice, courage, and the quest for identity continue to endure.
In conclusion, it is possible to assert that fairy tales function as both individual and collective memory throughout human history. Through these narratives, we gain insight into humanity’s struggles, values, and efforts to understand the self and the universe, from the past to the present.
Today, revisiting fairy tales is not merely a journey into the past but also an opportunity to rediscover the meaning of humanity. The phrase “Once upon a time” still holds its power, welcoming us into a shared collective memory.
