Didactic Tales, Formula Tales, and Tall Tales in Grimm's Kinder- und Hausmärchen
Didactic Tales, Formula Tales, and Tall Tales in Grimm's Kinder- und Hausmärchen

Summary/Abstract: The aim of the paper is to provide an alternative view of the Grimms’ Kinder- und Hausmärchen [Children and Household Tales], often erroneously considered to be a collection of fairy tales. Three genres have been selected as concrete case studies: didactic tales, formula tales, and tall tales. By providing both close readings of individual tales, and comparative readings of selected groups of tales, the paper aims to demonstrate how different criteria may be taken into consideration when classifying tales according to genre. A brief discussion of some of the problems concerning genre classification is followed by separate examinations and discussions of didactic tales, formula tales, and tall tales, as well as their respective sub-types. Most of the selected examples from the Grimms’ collection demonstrate a tendency to borrow and mix (genre-specific) narrative elements, which simply goes to show that the notion of ‘pure’ genre is a false one, and that genre classification still requires much scholarly attention.

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