FAIRY TALES

Fairy tales: translation

In Scandinavian literature, "fairy tale" refers to traditional folk narratives that nobody believes to be true to life, and to imaginative literature written in imitation of such stories. In the first sense of the term, fairy tales are an importantfolkloregenre, while the second definition is best exemplified by the tales and stories ofHans Christian Andersen, published between 1835 and 1858. Fairy tale characters and motifs have also been used by other writers.Per Daniel Amadeus Atterbom's fairy tale playLycksalighetens o(1824—1827; The Isle of Bliss), for example, is one of the major works of Swedishromanticism. Fairy tale motifs have also been used ironically, as inMarta Tikkanen's novelRodluvan(1986; Little Red Riding Hood).

See alsoKrohn, Leena; Lugn, Kristina; Martinson, Moa; Pleijel, Agneta.