The Psychology Behind Fairytales

Fairytales and Children
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Okay, so fairytales are timeless. But why? I mean, there's so much violence and sexuality in fairytales, are they really good for children?

Well, yes. Why? Because just like in Disney movies, children tend duck right under all the stuff that adults think twice about. When you heard the story of Little Red Riding Hood as a kid, even the most cleaned up version, did you ever think about the horror behind the fact that a wolf just devoured Red's grandmother? Not really. You just accepted that she was gone and the wolf was responsible.

Okay, but does that mean that fairytales are necessarily good for kids? Well, yes. Studies have shown that in most cases, fairytales can teach children some very important lessons in life. Respect for elders, to cherish family, to look after siblings, to gain independence and confidence. But most of all, fairytales give children hope. And hope is the most important thing life to have.

Freud's Influence on Fairytale Psychology

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So, we've established that fairytales are good tools in the upbringing of children. But what do they do for adults? Well, that's were more involved psychology comes into play. Not many put stock in psychology, and one can argue that there wasn't much thought really put into the writing and development of fairytales. But you have to admit that even then, they still have an effect on us when we read them. Part of the thought process behind these stories, in fact, is very simple: People are programmed to try to find meaning in the world. Fairytales, like much of literature, can supply some answers to those questions we all ask and paths for us to follow in life.

One of the most important psychologists in history was Sigmund Freud. Much of Freud's work is actually comes a lot from the study of physics and a lot of his work related mainly to the sexuality of the human mind, and the importance of the subconscious. He believed that the subconscious was what held the most important aspects of the human psyche: violent motives, secret fears, unacceptable desires, etc...

Freud developed three main levels of understanding which are often used in the psychological study of fairytales: the id, the ego, and the superego. Id is a human's basic primative drives, or the primary process. I'm hungry, so I eat. I'm tired, so I sleep. The basic needs of function are satisfied with the id. The ego is the intermediary for reality, or the secondary process. The ego defines what a person is capable of, what a person can do. The id says "I'm hungry, let's eat." and the ego says "I'm in class and I have to wait til it's over before I can eat." Then, there's the super ego, which is mostly influenced by culture and surroundings. The super ego is the moral conscious. One can relate these three to the example of an angel and a demon on either shoulder. The id is represented by the demon, "This person is a threat to me, attack them." The ego is the person, "Physically, I'm matched, so I might actually be able to win in a fight with this person." And the super ego is the angel, "This person didn't actually do anything wrong to me, it would not be right to attack them." It sounds silly, but this is a very basic way to explain Freud's theory of the how subconscious works.

Okay, that's great. But what does this have to do with fairytales? Well, you can actually see a lot of influence in fairytales. Take Hansel and Gretel. They are walking through a forest, starved, and come across a house made of bread. The id takes over and without a thought, without the super ego to kick in, they simply start eating someone's house. In fact, a lot of fairytales represent the struggles people experience between the id, the ego and the superego.

How Fairytales are Used in Psychology
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That sounds terrific, but it still doesn't explain how fairytales aid adults. Well, keeping in mind the idea that there are eight defensive/coping mechanisms that people use to deal with conflict in life (repression, projection, denial, rationalization, regression, reaction formation, displacement, and sublimation), fairytales can illustrate how people react to and deal with problems in their lives. For example, a psychiatrist once used fairytales to treat a patient; the patient was asked to tell the story of a little girl who aids three strangers, a child, a woman and an old man, the patient skipped over the old man. Through extensive insight, it was brought forth that the patient had been subjected to abuse by an older uncle--who, in her mind, was represented by the old man. Though, there are many other ways that fairytales have been used in the work of psychiatry, this is one example.

Jung and the Collective Unconscious
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The most influential person in the field of fairytale psychology, however, is Carl Jung. Jung believed in the idea of a collective unconscious. This was his way of explaining universal morals and beliefs, i.e. respect for elders, an official union of two lovers (marriage), etc... Jung explained collective unconscious as the repository of racial memories, encoded in the cells and passed on genetically.  These are especially apparent when one looks at fairytales that were written around the world in different cultures and eras and contain many similar elements.

One example is in the study of archetypes. Archetypes result from energy that centres in the unconscious. They are based on universal experiences and expressions of dreams. Some examples of archetypes include the Wise Old Man, Mother Earth, and the Trickster. Archetypical themes in fairytales include the family romance, which focuses on growth and reconciliation of opposites, or the hero's journey, which focuses on transformation and the gaining of wisdom.

Conclusion?
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While there is much in fairytales that is open for interpretation, one method to go about understanding their influence on people is through the use of psychology. There are many reasons that fairytales have lasted this long. They have helped to shape generation after generation of children and have even aided adults in life. In anyway you look at them, they are still a source of entertainment and are likely to continue to stand the test of time. Psychology is merely one tool used in their interpretation and study.

Well now, what exactly IS a fairytale?

Gooooood question.

A fairytale, in the simplest, most basic terms, is a short story comprised of fantastic elements. At their origins, fairytales were passed from generation to generation orally. They have been developed all around the world, in many cultures and languages, and have become timeless pieces of literature.

A fairytale, however, has certain features that separate it from legends and myths. First and foremost, a fairytale is not meant to describe or record any particular historical facts or events, nor do they directly represent and support religion. In fact, many fairytales undermine certain religions and make their own decisions about important topics that were generally answered by the local religion, i.e. how did life originate?

A second distinct characteristic of fairytales is that they do not address a certain time or time-period. While there are some details that may indicate an era, there are never specific statements made about what year it is or where the fairytale took place. For example, you might be told there is a king, which could indicate anytime, really; or you might be informed that the characters are prancing through some forest. But you will never be told that King Richard of England took the peasant away from his family, etc. . .In fact, time is rarely an issue in fairytales. If a princess falls asleep and is woken a hundred years later, it is not questioned why she probably wears clothing that is entirely inappropriate for the time period. She has not aged and manages to speak with the prince despite the fact that over the course of a hundred years, even the language she had spoken would have evolved significantly.

In fact, there is a lot of detail that is left out of fairytales. For instance, if a child's mother is not in the story, it is rarely described how she died or why she left, unless the reason is to come into play later in the story. Magic is simple. No components are ever needed to be searched for. The character usually happens to have them on hand. The most important part relating to this idea is that all mystical elements are simply accepted. There is never any question as to how or why an animal can talk. The child just talks right back to the frog. There is never any question as to how a beanstalk several thousand feet high can grow or why or how a giant lives up in the clouds. Magic coexists with the real world completely and seamlessly in fairytales.

There is indeed, a lot that is not questioned in fairytales. There is no questioning the amount of time that passes, or magical elements in the story. Nudity and sexuality are never questioned or thought of out of place. There is never a sentimental connection made between a helper and the receiver of the help. If the main character is aided by a stranger on the road, they simply accept the help and move on. There is also no emotion to the characters in a story. Love, brotherhood, family ties, are not made an important part of a story. A princess might run away with a knight, but their love is not detailed or explained.

Lastly, there is no depth to fairytales. They are made simple and short. The characters do not have many dimensions and rarely have even emotions or thought processes. They just are and they just act.

All the same, fairytales have been considered valuable in the unbringing of children for centuries. Many people believe they are important to the development of a person's character. The fact that these stories have lasted for so long is proof enough of their importance to humanity.

So, Kiera, why this class?

Saturday, Sept. 4, 2010
Blog Entry #1

Why did you choose this class? What are you hoping to accomplish in the seminar? What is your favorite folktale or fairytale of all times and why?


Cut to me last year pouring over my computer trying desperately to decide what in Isis' name I'd be taking for Fall Semester at school. My eyes were all blurred and I could barely focus with so many exceptions, requirements, and compatibility needs whirling in my head--forget what actually wanted to take. I felt like my head was going to explode. Trying to keep my potential double major in mind, (Technical Theatre/Cinema), I carefully selected over the course of a month what classes exactly I was going to take. Yet even after submitting my final schedule, I still felt like there was simply too much time and not enough classes, go figure. So I continued to search through menu after menu of classes until I came to the SIS link. Sophomore Interdisciplinary Studies. Okay, cool, not only will I be able to fill in more time, get more credits and cover some more requirements for my BA, but some of these classes actually looked interesting.  That's when I came across Folklore and Fairytales. This was it. I have always had a fascination with fantasy works, and what better way to satisfy requirements and find inspirations for my work in film than a class like this? So, here I am.

Reading over the course list and my reading materials, I have developed quite a few hopes and expectations from this class. When considering my major and the main reason I signed up, I hope mainly to understand how to interpret fairytales better so that I might pull from the vast amount of stories to find inspirations for stories of my own. I also want to create a better base from which to pull elements of fantasy from around the world. I am fascinated with all sorts of global cultural aspects and this will be a very satisfying experience for me.

As to the question of what my favorite fairytale or folktale is, it is very difficult to come up with a response. While I am familiar with the most popular if fairy tales, I did not grow up reading any one particular story over and over. Instead, I had many books that were modern spin-offs and comedic retellings of many classic fairytales, which I happen to love very much. But if I cycle through the few stories that I do remember, most of the ones that stick out most to me are those from the Dark Ages/Renaissance eras or the true fantasy tales from the Middle East. Therefore, it is these that I would like to learn more about.