"The Old Wives' Tale" by Marina Warner
Summarized by Kathryn Riley
For those who are familiar with the original written fairy tales, such as “Cinderella” or “Little Red Riding Hood”, the names Grimm and Perrault come to mind. The men who collected these well-known stories eclipse the women who originally passed the stories on orally. In “The Old Wives’ Tale”, Marina Warner stresses the important role women play as storytellers throughout the history of fairy tales.
Warner begins the essay by discussing the origin of the term “wives’ tale” by noting its earliest reference and its extended meaning that women are the tellers of tales. She then goes on to connect the word “fairy” and by association “fairy tale” to women. She cites how the word “fairy” originated from the term for fate in reference to the goddesses of destiny (309-310).
After taking the time to connect women to the very term “fairy tale”, Warner then uses a quote from Karel Čapek to explain how a fairy tale is not just a story within a book. Instead, it is a story that is told to a group of listeners by someone who is generally of an older generation. Furthermore, women are the ones who are most commonly telling these stories to their children and grandchildren. Though Warner makes a point to say that woman are the source of fairy tales, she also says how “their female origin was not really contested” (313). This indicates that she wanted to make a point greater than women being the origin of fairy tales.
Warner also addresses the argument over the value of fairy tales. She states how some critics believe fairy tales to only romanticize unsavory actions and create unneeded fantasies. On the other hand, many others argue that fairy tales allow one to dream and open up to greater possibilities and see fairy tales as being a significant source of knowledge (312-313).
Warner concludes her essay by suggesting that fairy tales are not only a unifying force for all people, but especially women. This is done by her final account of women sharing and exchanging fairy tales. The significance of these accounts is the fact that the women who are sharing the tales are diverse. These female storytellers are both young and old, and rich and poor.
Warner begins the essay by discussing the origin of the term “wives’ tale” by noting its earliest reference and its extended meaning that women are the tellers of tales. She then goes on to connect the word “fairy” and by association “fairy tale” to women. She cites how the word “fairy” originated from the term for fate in reference to the goddesses of destiny (309-310).
After taking the time to connect women to the very term “fairy tale”, Warner then uses a quote from Karel Čapek to explain how a fairy tale is not just a story within a book. Instead, it is a story that is told to a group of listeners by someone who is generally of an older generation. Furthermore, women are the ones who are most commonly telling these stories to their children and grandchildren. Though Warner makes a point to say that woman are the source of fairy tales, she also says how “their female origin was not really contested” (313). This indicates that she wanted to make a point greater than women being the origin of fairy tales.
Warner also addresses the argument over the value of fairy tales. She states how some critics believe fairy tales to only romanticize unsavory actions and create unneeded fantasies. On the other hand, many others argue that fairy tales allow one to dream and open up to greater possibilities and see fairy tales as being a significant source of knowledge (312-313).
Warner concludes her essay by suggesting that fairy tales are not only a unifying force for all people, but especially women. This is done by her final account of women sharing and exchanging fairy tales. The significance of these accounts is the fact that the women who are sharing the tales are diverse. These female storytellers are both young and old, and rich and poor.
References
Warner, Marina. “The Old Wives’ Tale.” The Classic Fairy Tales. Ed. Maria Tatar. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1999. 309-317. Print.
Warner, Marina. “The Old Wives’ Tale.” The Classic Fairy Tales. Ed. Maria Tatar. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1999. 309-317. Print.