The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-04-06
ABOUT FAIRY STORIES.
Hard to Tell Where They Originated
and Who Wrote the First.

From the Philadelphia Times.
Here is an inquiry from lad who writes
well and who has been reading Grimm's
Fairy Tales. stating that he is very much
puzzled about the way fairies originated"
and asking information as to who wrote
the first fairy tale and who originated the
idea"
The query is by no means an easy one
to answer. In refreshing ones recollec-
tons on the subject and in endeayoring
to hunt up new facts one becomes strong
ly impressed with the fact that the folk
lore OF different countries appears to have
a common basis, but exactly what the orr
kin is no one appears to have discovered
Just as among savage and heather tribes
there have been found traces of traditions
strongly like unto the story of the crea-
ton as told by Christian men, 50 we find
untutored races with fairy legends that
are almost Identical with those that our
children learn TO prattie at the mothers
knee In all languages we find a strong
similarity in the elm tales. Those famii-
lar stories that all boys and girls know
by heart, Jack, the Giant Killer" Jack
Thumb" have been boldly appropriated as
English products and English happenings,
although they are unquestionably of Ger
man origin, all being old-time Teutonic
legends. In fact most of our fairy le-
gends can be traced to either the Teutons
or the ancient Irish, but there are anti
quarians who give the credit of their
creation to the Scandinavian pagans, 9TH
ers who say they arose spontaneously in
Europe In the age of the troubadours, and
others still who claim that the Spanish
MoOrs and the Crusaders brought them
from the orient Unquestionably, from
all OF these sources have contributions to
fairy mythology been received, but the
tales that we know best come neither from
the Teutons nor the Celts.
1t has been no easy task to gather from
various sources the names by which the
fairies have been known in various coun-
tries and at various times. The extent OF
the list may surprise you. They found
are: Fairies, elfs, elle-folka. fays, urchins,
ouphes, ell-maids, ell-women, dwarfs,
brownies, necks, stromkaris, fates, little
wights, undines, mixes, salamanders, COB
Inns, hobgoblins, poukes, banshees, kelpies,
pixies, moss people, good people, good
neighbors, men Of peace, wild women,
white ladies, peris djinns, gen ana
gnomes. You notice, Of course, that the
word fairy is used In its broadcast SENSE
placing in this category all presumably
dispossessd spirits which once Inhabited
human bodies, but are not considered meet
to dwell with the saints in light" In
nursery tales the fairy is almost nVari-
ably a personifioauon of Providence, but
in the wider domain Of romantic litera-
ture the term is applicable to a large class
Of NEUROLOGICAL spirits known by the va
rious names mentioned.
DWarfs and elves were little people who
figure much In scandinavian ltera ture,
the former being often violent and malie-
nant and the latter spqrtive, mlschievous.
but useful and visible only TO children
born on Sundays. The kobolds were the
domestic fairies OF Germany, similar to
the kelpies OF Scotland and the misses Of
Norway. They were all skilled In music
and dancing, and were fond Of frolicking
BY moonlight. Necks and strOmkirs In
habited the rivers and lakes OF Northern
Europe, and were similar 10 the mermen
and mermads OF less remote superstf-
ton. The mixes are also Of this class
and figure largely in German folklore
Previous 70 the death Of a person by
drowning they can be scen--EO the lc-
gends say--danclng on the surface Of the
water. The female bears the sernbance
Of "A beautiful maiden, and she conveys
mortals 20 a beautiful subaqueous abode
where they meet the male, who has green