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Excerpt ​

Excerpt from The Violet Fairy Book, by Andrew Lang

PREFACE

The Editor takes this opportunity to repeat what he has often said
before, that he is not the author of the stories in the Fairy Books;
that he did not invent them ‘out of his own head.’ He is accustomed to
being asked, by ladies, ‘Have you written anything else except the Fairy
Books?’ He is then obliged to explain that he has NOT written the Fairy
Books, but, save these, has written almost everything else, except
hymns, sermons, and dramatic works.

The stories in this Violet Fairy Book, as in all the others of the
series, have been translated out of the popular traditional tales in a
number of different languages. These stories are as old as anything
that men have invented. They are narrated by naked savage women to naked
savage children. They have been inherited by our earliest civilised
ancestors, who really believed that beasts and trees and stones can talk
if they choose, and behave kindly or unkindly. The stories are full of
the oldest ideas of ages when science did not exist, and magic took the
place of science. Anybody who has the curiosity to read the ‘Legendary
Australian Tales,’ which Mrs. Langloh Parker has collected from the lips
of the Australian savages, will find that these tales are closely akin
to our own. Who were the first authors of them nobody knows--probably
the first men and women. Eve may have told these tales to amuse Cain and
Abel. As people grew more civilised and had kings and queens, princes
and princesses, these exalted persons generally were chosen as heroes
and heroines. But originally the characters were just ‘a man,’ and ‘a
woman,’ and ‘a boy,’ and ‘a girl,’ with crowds of beasts, birds, and
fishes, all behaving like human beings. When the nobles and other people
became rich and educated, they forgot the old stories, but the country
people did not, and handed them down, with changes at pleasure, from
generation to generation. Then learned men collected and printed
the country people’s stories, and these we have translated, to amuse
children. Their tastes remain like the tastes of their naked ancestors,
thousands of years ago, and they seem to like fairy tales better than
history, poetry, geography, or arithmetic, just as grown-up people like
novels better than anything else.

Explanation ​

Detailed Explanation of the Preface to The Violet Fairy Book by Andrew Lang ​

Andrew Lang’s Violet Fairy Book (1901) is the eighth installment in his Coloured Fairy Books series, a collection of folktales and fairy stories gathered from various cultures and translated into English. This preface serves as both an introduction to the volume and a broader commentary on the nature of fairy tales—their origins, evolution, and enduring appeal. Below is a close analysis of the text, focusing on its themes, literary devices, historical context, and significance, while prioritizing the meaning of the passage itself.

1. The Editor’s Role: A Disclaimer and Self-Deprecating Humor ​

Text:

"The Editor takes this opportunity to repeat what he has often said before, that he is not the author of the stories in the Fairy Books; that he did not invent them ‘out of his own head.’ He is accustomed to being asked, by ladies, ‘Have you written anything else except the Fairy Books?’ He is then obliged to explain that he has NOT written the Fairy Books, but, save these, has written almost everything else, except hymns, sermons, and dramatic works."

Explanation:

  • Purpose: Lang immediately clarifies that he is not the original author of the tales but rather a compiler and translator. This was a common misconception—many readers assumed he invented the stories, much like the Brothers Grimm or Hans Christian Andersen (who did write original tales).
  • Tone: The passage is wry and self-deprecating. Lang humorously laments that people only associate him with fairy tales, despite his extensive scholarly work (he was a classical scholar, anthropologist, and historian).
  • Literary Device:
    • Irony – He has written "almost everything else" except the very thing he’s famous for (the fairy books).
    • Hyperbole – The exaggerated list ("hymns, sermons, and dramatic works") emphasizes his frustration at being pigeonholed.

Significance:

  • This sets up Lang’s scholarly credibility—he is not a mere storyteller but a preserver of oral traditions.
  • It also highlights the misunderstanding of folklore in the 19th century, where many assumed fairy tales were modern inventions rather than ancient, communal stories.

2. The Origins of Fairy Tales: Primitive, Universal, and Anonymous ​

Text:

"The stories in this Violet Fairy Book, as in all the others of the series, have been translated out of the popular traditional tales in a number of different languages. These stories are as old as anything that men have invented. They are narrated by naked savage women to naked savage children. They have been inherited by our earliest civilised ancestors, who really believed that beasts and trees and stones can talk if they choose, and behave kindly or unkindly."

Explanation:

  • Cultural Universality: Lang emphasizes that these tales are not unique to Europe but exist in indigenous traditions worldwide (e.g., Australian Aboriginal stories, which he later references).
  • Primitivism: The image of "naked savage women" telling stories to children reinforces the idea that fairy tales originate in pre-literate, oral cultures.
  • Animism & Magic: The belief that "beasts and trees and stones can talk" reflects animistic worldviews, where nature is personified. This aligns with mythological thinking—before science, people explained the world through magic and anthropomorphism.

Literary Devices:

  • Vivid Imagery – "Naked savage women to naked savage children" creates a stark, almost biblical picture of storytelling’s origins.
  • Anaphora – The repetition of "they are" and "they have" emphasizes the timelessness and shared heritage of these tales.

Themes:

  • Oral Tradition vs. Written Literature – Fairy tales were spoken, not written, passed down through generations.
  • The Supernatural in Early Human Thought – Before science, people used magic and personification to make sense of the world.

Significance:

  • Lang was influenced by anthropological theories of his time (e.g., Edward Tylor’s Primitive Culture, 1871), which saw fairy tales as survivals of primitive thought.
  • This challenges the Romantic view of fairy tales as purely European or "civilized"—instead, they are global and ancient.

3. The Evolution of Fairy Tales: From Commoners to Nobles ​

Text:

"As people grew more civilised and had kings and queens, princes and princesses, these exalted persons generally were chosen as heroes and heroines. But originally the characters were just ‘a man,’ and ‘a woman,’ and ‘a boy,’ and ‘a girl,’ with crowds of beasts, birds, and fishes, all behaving like human beings."

Explanation:

  • Social Evolution: Fairy tales adapted to societal changes. Early versions featured ordinary people and animals, but as hierarchies developed, nobles became the protagonists.
  • Anthropomorphism: The mention of "beasts, birds, and fishes" behaving like humans reflects the fable tradition (e.g., Aesop’s Fables) and totemic beliefs in many cultures.

Literary Device:

  • Contrast – The shift from "a man, a woman, a boy, a girl" to "kings and queens" shows how stories evolve with culture.

Themes:

  • Class and Storytelling – Fairy tales were democratized (originally for peasants) but later appropriated by elites.
  • The Fluidity of Folklore – Stories change based on who tells them and when.

Significance:

  • This explains why many fairy tales (e.g., Cinderella) have peasant origins but were later refined for aristocratic audiences.
  • Lang’s observation aligns with folklorist theories (e.g., the historical-geographical method) that track how tales mutate across cultures.

4. The Survival and Transmission of Fairy Tales ​

Text:

"When the nobles and other people became rich and educated, they forgot the old stories, but the country people did not, and handed them down, with changes at pleasure, from generation to generation. Then learned men collected and printed the country people’s stories, and these we have translated, to amuse children."

Explanation:

  • Cultural Memory: The upper classes abandoned fairy tales as they became "educated," but peasants preserved them.
  • Oral Variation: The phrase "changes at pleasure" highlights that fairy tales were not fixed—each storyteller adapted them.
  • The Role of Scholars: "Learned men" (like the Brothers Grimm, Charles Perrault, or Lang himself) recorded these tales before they disappeared.

Literary Device:

  • Juxtaposition – The contrast between "forgot" (nobles) and "handed them down" (peasants) shows class-based preservation.

Themes:

  • Folklore as a Living Tradition – Stories are not static; they evolve with each retelling.
  • The Rescue of Oral Culture – Without scholars, many tales might have been lost forever.

Significance:

  • This reflects the 19th-century folklore revival, where intellectuals (like Lang) saw value in peasant traditions.
  • It also explains why many fairy tales have multiple versions—each culture and era reshapes them.

5. The Enduring Appeal of Fairy Tales: Why Children (and Adults) Love Them ​

Text:

"Their tastes remain like the tastes of their naked ancestors, thousands of years ago, and they seem to like fairy tales better than history, poetry, geography, or arithmetic, just as grown-up people like novels better than anything else."

Explanation:

  • Psychological Universality: Lang suggests that children’s preferences are unchanged since ancient times—they prefer magic and adventure over "serious" subjects.
  • Adult Parallel: The comparison to novels (a popular 19th-century entertainment) implies that fairy tales are the "novels" of childhood—escapist, imaginative, and emotionally engaging.

Literary Device:

  • Analogy – Comparing fairy tales to novels makes their appeal relatable to adults.

Themes:

  • The Timelessness of Storytelling – Humans have always craved narratives.
  • Escapism vs. Reality – Fairy tales offer wonder and simplicity, unlike the complexity of history or math.

Significance:

  • This foreshadows modern psychological theories (e.g., Bruno Bettelheim’s The Uses of Enchantment), which argue that fairy tales help children process fears and desires.
  • It also reflects Victorian attitudes toward children’s literature—seen as moral but also entertaining.

6. Historical and Literary Context ​

  • Andrew Lang (1844–1912): A Scottish scholar, Lang was part of the folklore revival of the late 19th century. His Coloured Fairy Books (1889–1910) were groundbreaking in making global folktales accessible to English readers.
  • Influences:
    • Anthropology (e.g., Sir James Frazer’s The Golden Bough) – saw myths as primitive science.
    • Romantic Nationalism – interest in peasant culture as a source of national identity.
    • Children’s Literature Movement – a shift from moralistic tales (e.g., Pilgrim’s Progress) to entertaining stories.
  • Comparison to Other Collectors:
    • Brothers Grimm – focused on German tales, often dark and unaltered.
    • Hans Christian Andersen – wrote original stories (unlike Lang, who compiled).
    • Joseph Jacobs – another folklorist who Anglicized tales (e.g., English Fairy Tales).

7. Key Takeaways from the Preface ​

  1. Fairy Tales Are Ancient and Universal – They predate written history and appear in all cultures.
  2. They Evolve with Society – From animistic fables to royal romances, stories adapt to their audience.
  3. They Were Preserved by the Common People – Elites abandoned them, but peasants kept them alive.
  4. They Serve a Psychological Need – Children (and adults) prefer imagination over dry facts.
  5. Lang’s Role is That of a Preserver, Not a Creator – He translates and curates, not invents.

8. Why This Preface Matters ​

  • Challenges Romanticized Views of Fairy Tales – Many Victorians saw them as quaint and European, but Lang presents them as global and primitive.
  • Highlights the Democracy of Folklore – Stories belong to everyone, not just the educated elite.
  • Sets the Stage for Modern Folklore Studies – Later scholars (e.g., Vladimir Propp, Marina Warner) would expand on Lang’s ideas about story structure and cultural function.

Final Thoughts ​

Lang’s preface is more than just an introduction—it’s a manifestation of 19th-century folklore theory. He presents fairy tales as:

  • Living, changing entities (not fixed texts).
  • A window into ancient human thought (animism, magic).
  • A bridge between past and present (children still love them for the same reasons as their "naked ancestors").

His humorous, scholarly tone makes the preface engaging while also educating readers about the true nature of fairy tales. In an era where folklore was often sanitized or dismissed, Lang celebrated its raw, universal power—a legacy that continues in fairy-tale studies today.