Fairy Tales; Their Origin and Meaning - With Some Account of Dwellers in Fairyland
Bunce, John Thackray, 1828-1899
English
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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
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