The tale of Bluebeard with its many variants has a rich folkloric and literary history. It has often been retold and reinterpreted in modern times in novels, poetry, plays, movies and more. Once upon a time the character was better known and offered a larger cultural touchstone for the general population. Today he is best known only in literary circles. Consequently, the history of the tale as seen through its tales and other interpretations is fascinating. Offering over ninety tales and ballads, this collection compiles several variants of Bluebeard tales from around the world. Many of the tales are new translations, some appearing for the first time in English. Usually the stories are obviously related to each other and at other times the relationship is more tenuous. While tales from Europe dominate the collection, other parts of the world--including Africa, India, and North America--are well represented. Additionally, several plays and operas, as well as short fictions and poetry, all primarily from the nineteenth century, are offered here. The commercial value and diverse interpretations of this complex tale provide insight into our cultural past, present, and perhaps our future. Whether you are a student of folklore or an armchair enthusiast, this anthology offers a diverse array of tales with a unifying theme that both entertains and educates, all gathered for the first time in one helpful collection.

Yeh-hsien. Cenerentola. Cendrillon. Ashenputtle. Chernuska. Cinderella. These are just a few of the names of one of the best known and most beloved fairy tale characters in the world. The tale is known in countless variations throughout Europe and Asia as well as Africa and the Americas. The tales share the familiar story of a persecuted heroine who finally triumphs over oppressed circumstances through her virtue and the assistance of a magical helper. Whatever name she is given, the character has inspired countless generations and remains a vibrant part of modern popular culture. A discussion of the Cinderella Cycle is provided in the introduction, explaining how seemingly unrelated tales are considered part of the Cinderella family. A brief history of Cinderella scholarship is also included, detailing why the tale was once considered the key to understanding how stories were disseminated around the world. Building upon Marian Roalfe Cox's seminal work with Cinderella over 120 years ago, this collection offers more than 150 full length Cinderella tales and over 200 summaries of other variants from around the world. Some of the tales are new translations, a few appearing for the first time in English. Many of the stories are clearly related to each other, but with some the relationship is less obvious. Whether you are a student of folklore or an armchair enthusiast, this anthology offers a diverse array of tales with a unifying theme that both entertains and educates, all gathered for the first time in one impressive collection.

Beauty and the Beast is inarguably one of the most beloved-if not the most-beloved fairy tale in modern times. While Cinderella is better known, Beauty and the Beast is most often voted the favorite among readers. The tale has definite literary origins. It was written by Madame Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve in 1740 as a novella length book. Villeneuve drew upon folklore for her inspiration as well as other literary predecessors. Her story was then adapted and rewritten by Madame Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont in 1757 into the version we most easily recognize today. The tale is part of a larger group of folktales-Animal Bridegroom stories-known in countless variations throughout Europe and Asia as well as Africa and the Americas. Starting with the story of Cupid and Psyche from the second century A.D. and continuing to modern times, Animal Bridegroom stories have warned and thrilled readers for at least two millennia. This collection offers over 180 Animal Bridegroom tales from around the world. Some of the tales are new translations, a few appearing for the first time in English. Whether you are a student of folklore or an armchair enthusiast, this anthology offers a diverse array of tales with a unifying theme that both entertains and educates, all gathered for the first time in one impressive collection.

Appearing under many different guises, mermaids have a long, varied history dating back many centuries. Our modern day perception of mermaids is primarily based upon the mermaids and merrows of northern Europe, especially Scandinavia, Scotland and Ireland, as well as the sirens of ancient Greece. However, water spirits of some type exist in almost every culture situated near bodies of water, be they oceans, lakes, rivers or even wells and springs. This collection gathers together examples of the earliest scholarship on mermaids and their folkloric relatives, including several articles about their history from ancient times to the nineteenth century when mermaids captured the public and literary imagination during the folklore renaissance of the 1800s. In addition to the articles, over 150 tales and ballads about mermaids and other water spirits from around the world are compiled into this one convenient anthology. The emphasis is on the European mermaid in her many guises, but stories from Africa, Asia, and the Americas are also included. Whether you are a mermaid enthusiast or a student of folklore, this anthology offers a diverse array of tales with a unifying theme that both entertains and educates, all gathered for the first time in one helpful collection.

A Unique Collection of Fairy Tales, Myths, Fables and Other Tales About Frogs A FROG with a crown on its head. A girl kissing a frog. If you pay attention, you'll notice these images appear frequently in the world around you. These and other variations-many humorous-appear on t-shirts, in advertisements, on book covers and novelty items to name just a few. Their shorthand message: You have to kiss a lot of frogs to meet your prince. Just about anyone will tell you it's from a fairy tale, some may be able to tell you the story. Not many people know that the familiar story isn't really an old tale but a fairly new variation of several tales that have been circulating for centuries. 'And so the princess kissed the frog, turning him into a prince before her very eyes.' A frog transformed into a prince with a kiss. That's how "The Frog Prince" fairy tale ends in modern popular culture, but it's not the way our ancestors knew the tale. Most often, violence was the key to ending the enchantment in the earliest known versions traced back to Scotland and Germany. From wise creatures to hapless victims, frogs and toads appear in numerous stories around the world. Edited with an introduction by Heidi Anne Heiner of SurLaLune Fairy Tales, this volume contains nearly one hundred fairy tales, fables, myths and ballads about frogs, including several variants of the well-known Frog Prince tales made famous by the Brothers Grimm. The book is divided into several sections, including "Frog Kings, Princes and Bridegrooms," "Frog Brides," "Frog Wooing and Courting," "More Frog Tales," and "Fables." Also included is Mark Twain's famous short story, "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County."

FAIRY tales have long been an important part of the world's history and literature, especially for women whose voices have often been trivialized, ignored or made anonymous. Old wives' tales, fairy tales, and folklore-whatever terms are chosen-are part of our earliest literature and have often provided the medium for women's voices, for women's stories. Like the women of the French Salons who used traditional stories to create and recreate tales that both inspired and criticized their world and its expectations, women writers have long been recording and rewriting fairy tales for their own generations. The practice continues up to current times and will easily continue on past our own generations into a distant future. One such author from the Victorian era was Anne Isabella Thackeray Ritchie, the eldest daughter of William Makepeace Thackeray. Ritchie rewrote nine fairy tales into short stories and novellas, exploring and reinterpreting the tales for the audience of her time. She wasn't the first to do so--and certainly not the last--but she firmly belongs in this literary legacy, one in which she has all too often been overlooked. Edited with a new introduction by Heidi Anne Heiner, this volume includes Anne Thackeray Ritchie's nine short stories and novellas from Five Old Friends and Bluebeard's Keys and Other Stories: "The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood," "Cinderella," "Beauty and the Beast," "Little Red Riding Hood," "Jack the Giant-killer," "Bluebeard's Keys," "Riquet a la Houppe," "Jack and the Bean-stalk," and "The White Cat." Additional materials include Ritchie's introduction to The Fairy Tales of Madame D'Aulnoy and "Bluebeard's Ghost" by William Makepeace Thackeray, Ritchie's father. Heidi Anne Heiner is the creator and keeper of one of the world's top folklore websites at SurLaLuneFairyTales.com.

A Unique Collection of Fairy Tales, Myths, Legends and Other Tales About Maidens in Towers RAPUNZEL. Just the name conjures up images of long golden hair and tall stone towers. She remains part of our popular culture thanks to countless children's books, as well as advertising, movies, and merchandise. Rapunzel, far from falling into historical obscurity, is very much a part of modern culture. However, she is far from the only maiden in a tower to be found in folklore. Her tale and those of other imprisoned women reach back hundreds of years and come from many cultures from around the world. This anthology of tales offers several stories similar to Rapunzel. A few better resemble the tale of Maid Maleen, another imprisoned daughter. Most are tales of other imprisoned maidens, princesses, and wives from around the world. Not all of the women are kept in literal towers, some are entombed instead, but all are unwilling captives. They are imprisoned by their parents for their own safety, as punishment, or to guard their virtue. Wives are imprisoned by jealous husbands hoping to avoid cuckolding. A few women are political prisoners. A surprising number of the tales come from France where tower prisons were popular devices of the French salon authors, especially Madame d'Aulnoy. This collection contains over fifty tales and stories--some well-known, some almost forgotten--reaching back to ancient myths and moving forward to recent centuries. Also included are two tales newly translated into English from the original French, "Persinette" and "Parsillette," the latter a rare variant of the tale with an unusual ending. Whether you are a student of folklore or an armchair enthusiast, this anthology offers a diverse array of tales with a unifying theme that both entertains and educates, all gathered for the first time in one helpful collection.

The Twelve Dancing Princesses is a fairy tale known under several names such as "The Dancing Shoes," "The Worn-out Shoes," and "The Shoes that Were Danced to Pieces." The best known version of the tale comes from the Brothers Grimm and yet the tale remains relatively obscure in comparison to tales such as Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Rapunzel. However, it has been a popular favorite with fairy tale readers for decades, appearing in countless collections of tales, but rarely studied. In recent years, many books and even a toy collection, a movie and a musical have used the story as inspiration. This collection offers over twenty variants of The Twelve Dancing Princesses, some that are new English translations. In addition, several Grateful Dead tales and Greek myths are presented as interesting comparisons to the tale. Sometimes the princesses journey to a version of hell, at other times they visit a version of heaven. Many of the stories are obviously related to each other and at times the relationship is tenuous. Some additional stories with similar motifs or elements are also included, illustrating that the elements of this tale are not as obscure as they first appear. In the over fifty tales collected here, strange journeys are made, secrets are revealed, and curses are broken. Most-but not all-of the heroes and heroines live happily ever after. Either way, the journeys and the mysteries they solve provide fascinating visits to other realms. Whether you are a student of folklore or an armchair enthusiast, this anthology offers a diverse array of tales with a unifying theme that both entertains and educates, all gathered for the first time in one helpful collection.

Sleeping Beauty and Snow White are two of the most popular fairy tales of all time and have intrigued readers for centuries. Both have been retold continuously in modern times in novels, poetry, plays, movies and more. Both have also been criticized for their apparently passive and occasionally foolish heroines. Despite first impressions, the stories and their many variants are filled with female characters, good and evil, active and passive. Whatever your view of either tale, it is fascinating to study their histories and explore why they have resonated with our ancestors as well as our own generations. In all the tales, whether the sleep is enchanted with a time limit or intended to be a permanent death, it is ultimately overcome, sometimes through accidental means and other times through heroic methods. With motivations ranging from petty offenses to overwhelming bouts of jealousy, the tales also present interesting villains. Offering over seventy stories, this collection compiles several variants of Sleeping Beauty and Snow White tales from around the world, some dating back to Greek myths and others to medieval times. Many of the tales are new translations, a few appearing for the first time in English. At times the stories are obviously related to each other and at other times the relationship is tenuous. Some additional stories with sleeping heroines, as well as heroes, are also presented although they are not strictly classified as Sleeping Beauty or Snow White tales. Whether you are a student of folklore or an armchair enthusiast, this anthology offers a diverse array of tales with a unifying theme that both entertains and educates, all gathered for the first time in one helpful collection.