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a less whimsical illustration that encapsulates the fun of searching an archive of over 15

The Archive...

Have a wander through the Fireside folktale archive below, and see what you stumble into. Use the filters to narrow the world down, or fling the doors wide and browse by country, region, theme, collector, or whatever takes your fancy, then let the table do the rest. A few clicks can carry you from storm-tossed coasts to mountain villages, from clever tricksters to quiet miracles, and you will often find that the story you meant to read is not the one that chooses you.

Archive under construction...

Structured Filters

  • Use these drop down lists to choose one or more filters to select groups of tales to investigate in more detail

Other than my own versions of tales (as indicated), the stories in this archive are in the public domain

Stories in this view:

3988

Title
Book
Author / Collector
Country
Subject
Year
The Virgins Bathing In The Moonlight
Ehstnische Fairy Tales
Reinhold Köhler
Estonia
The Virgins Bathing In The Moonlight: moonlight, maidens, bathing, enchantment, beauty, secrecy, desire, otherworldliness
1869
Slept Like A King's Daughter For Seven Years
Ehstnische Fairy Tales
Reinhold Köhler
Estonia
Slept Like A King’s Daughter For Seven Years: enchanted sleep, patience, fate, awakening, transformation, release, renewal
1869
The Woman Murderer
Ehstnische Fairy Tales
Reinhold Köhler
Estonia
The Woman Murderer: Bluebeard motif, forbidden chamber, serial killing, female peril, curiosity, rescue, justice
1869
The Orphan Hand Mill
Ehstnische Fairy Tales
Reinhold Köhler
Estonia
The Orphan Hand Mill: orphanhood, cruelty, magical gift, abundance, labour, kindness, reward
1869
The Lucky Egg (1)
Ehstnische Fairy Tales
Reinhold Köhler
Estonia
The Lucky Egg: luck, enchantment, snake maiden, courage, release, marriage, kingdom, reward
1869
The Mermaid (3)
Ehstnische Fairy Tales
Reinhold Köhler
Estonia
The Mermaid: forbidden knowledge, marriage taboo, jealousy, loss, sea magic, transformation, sorrow
1869
Catskin (1)
English Fairy Tales
Flora Annie Webster Steel
England
Catskin: disguise, survival, hidden nobility, and rightful recognition
1918
The Black Bull Of Norroway (2)
English Fairy Tales
Flora Annie Webster Steel
England
The Black Bull Of Norroway: enchantment, perseverance, and redeeming monstrous love
1918
Master Of All Masters (1)
English Fairy Tales
Joseph Jacobs
England
Master Of All Masters: language, obedience, and comic misunderstanding
1890
Nix Naught Nothing (2)
English Fairy Tales
Joseph Jacobs
England
Nix Nought Nothing: child bargain, giant’s daughter, escape and enchantment
1890
The Wee Bannock (3)
English Fairy Tales
Flora Annie Webster Steel
England
The Wee Bannock: escape pursuit, trickery and the perils of greed
1918
Jack And The Beanstalk (1)
English Fairy Tales
Flora Annie Webster Steel
England
Jack And The Beanstalk: daring, luck, theft, and rising through courage
1918
The Laidly Worm Of Spindleston Heugh
English Fairy Tales
Joseph Jacobs
England
The Laidly Worm Of Spindleston Heugh: transformation, curse-breaking, and loyal kinship
1890
The Fish And The Ring (1)
English Fairy Tales
Flora Annie Webster Steel
England
The Fish And The Ring: fate fulfilled despite every attempt to prevent it
1918
Earl Mar's Daughter
English Fairy Tales
Joseph Jacobs
England
Earl Mar’s Daughter: love, loyalty, and devotion across social boundaries
1890
The Cat And The Mouse
English Fairy Tales
Joseph Jacobs
England
The Cat And The Mouse: mistrust, selfishness, and betrayal in unequal friendship
1890
The Story Of The Three Bears (2)
English Fairy Tales
Flora Annie Webster Steel
England
The Story Of The Three Bears: trespass, curiosity, and consequences
1918
Mr Fox (1)
English Fairy Tales
Flora Annie Webster Steel
England
Mr Fox: forbidden curiosity reveals murderous deception hiding beneath charm
1918
The Ass, The Table, And The Stick (1)
English Fairy Tales
Joseph Jacobs
England
The Ass, The Table, And The Stick: magical gifts, theft, and justice restored
1890
Molly Whuppie
English Fairy Tales
Joseph Jacobs
England
Molly Whuppie: female cunning, survival, and outwitting giants
1890
Mr And Mrs Vinegar
English Fairy Tales
Flora Annie Webster Steel
England
Mr And Mrs Vinegar: foolish choices, misplaced luck, comic marital misadventure
1918
Jack Hannaford
English Fairy Tales
Joseph Jacobs
England
Jack Hannaford: comic foolishness, misunderstanding, and accidental success
1890
How Jack Went To Seek His Fortune
English Fairy Tales
Joseph Jacobs
England
How Jack Went To Seek His Fortune: wandering luck, absurdity, and accidental triumph
1890
The Well Of The World's End (2)
English Fairy Tales
Flora Annie Webster Steel
England
The Well Of The World’s End: endurance, humility, service, and hard-won transformation
1918
Lawkamercyme (1)
English Fairy Tales
Flora Annie Webster Steel
England
Lawkamercyme: trickery, nonsense, comic exaggeration and improbable escape
1918
The Old Woman And Her Pig (1)
English Fairy Tales
Flora Annie Webster Steel
England
The Old Woman And Her Pig: cumulative nonsense, frustration, and comic escalation
1918
Mr Vinegar
English Fairy Tales
Joseph Jacobs
England
Mr Vinegar: foolishness, missed chances, and comic misadventure
1890
The Three Sillies (3)
English Fairy Tales
Joseph Jacobs
England
The Three Sillies: absurd fears, exaggerated folly, everyday stupidity turned comic
1890
The Three Heads Of The Well (2)
English Fairy Tales
Flora Annie Webster Steel
England
The Three Heads Of The Well: kindness rewarded, cruelty punished, fate shaped by conduct
1918
The Bogey-Beast
English Fairy Tales
Flora Annie Webster Steel
England
The Bogey-Beast: good fortune found through cheerful acceptance
1918
The History Of Tom Thumb
English Fairy Tales
Joseph Jacobs
England
The History Of Tom Thumb: tiny heroism, marvels, and comic adventure
1890
Tom-Tit-Tot
English Fairy Tales
Flora Annie Webster Steel
England
Tom-Tit-Tot: impossible tasks, naming power, and clever deliverance
1918
The Golden Ball (1)
English Fairy Tales
Flora Annie Webster Steel
England
The Golden Ball: broken enchantment, trust, transformation, love beyond appearances
1918
Henny-Penny (1)
English Fairy Tales
Flora Annie Webster Steel
England
Henny-Penny: panic, rumour, and collective foolishness
1918
The Two Sisters
English Fairy Tales
Flora Annie Webster Steel
England
The Two Sisters: jealousy, sororicide, and revelation through enchantment
1918
Nix Naught Nothing (1)
English Fairy Tales
Flora Annie Webster Steel
England
Nix Naught Nothing: impossible bargains, enchanted obstacles, and loyal love
1918
Teeny-Tiny
English Fairy Tales
Joseph Jacobs
England
Teeny-Tiny: fear, repetition, and the pleasures of nonsense
1890
Kate Crackernuts
English Fairy Tales
Joseph Jacobs
England
Kate Crackernuts: sisterly devotion, enchantment, disguise and loyal resourcefulness
1890
Molly Whuppie And The Double-Faced Giant
English Fairy Tales
Flora Annie Webster Steel
England
Molly Whuppie And The Double-Faced Giant: clever girl outwits monstrous power through cunning
1918
The Red Etin (2)
English Fairy Tales
Joseph Jacobs
England
The Red Etin: courage, questing, and triumph over monstrous evil
1890
The Babes In The Wood
English Fairy Tales
Flora Annie Webster Steel
England
The Babes In The Wood: innocence betrayed, abandonment, and tragic pathos
1918
Binnorie
English Fairy Tales
Joseph Jacobs
England
Binnorie: sisterly jealousy, murder, and haunting musical revelation
1890
The Old Woman And Her Pig (2)
English Fairy Tales
Joseph Jacobs
England
The Old Woman And Her Pig: cumulative repetition, stubborn obstacles and comic persistence
1890
The Well Of The World's End (1)
English Fairy Tales
Joseph Jacobs
England
The Well Of The World’s End: endurance, humility, service, and hard-won transformation
1890
The Three Little Pigs (1)
English Fairy Tales
Flora Annie Webster Steel
England
The Three Little Pigs: foresight, hard work, and resilience against danger
1918
The Wise Men Of Gotham (1)
English Fairy Tales
Flora Annie Webster Steel
England
The Wise Men Of Gotham: communal foolishness, absurd logic and comic misunderstanding
1918
The Golden Snuff-Box
English Fairy Tales
Flora Annie Webster Steel
England
The Golden Snuff-Box: adventure, magic, perseverance, and winning the princess
1918
Fairy Ointment
English Fairy Tales
Joseph Jacobs
England
Fairy Ointment: second sight, secrecy, and punishment for forbidden knowledge
1890
The Laidly Worm
English Fairy Tales
Flora Annie Webster Steel
England
The Laidly Worm: transformation, curse-breaking and kinship restored through courage
1918
The Rose-Tree
English Fairy Tales
Joseph Jacobs
England
The Rose-Tree: murder, transformation, and truth returning through song
1890
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