The World of the Irish Wonder Tale: An Introduction to the Study of Fairy Tales

Fairy tales are a rich element of childhood in many cultures around the world. But in Ireland, where they are known as wonder tales, these stories of magic and enchantment are not restricted to young audiences; Irish wonder tales are told to adults. So that the modem reader can fully appreciate them, Gose provides an interdisciplinary overview. He identifies a number of approaches - psychological, anthropological, structural, comparative, and typological. He briefly retells eleven tales and after each applies to it the approach that best clarifies its meaning. Gose also presents the tales as literature for the first time. In retelling them he illuminates their beautifully articulated plots, archetypal characters, and profound themes. He outlines a consistent pattern in which the protagonist of each tale overcomes fate and moves from a state of bondage or enclosure, often in enchantment, to final liberation and freedom. In the process, a number of human problems emerge: the gaining but not misusing of human power, the facing of tests and prohibitions, the resolving of conflicts through social and psychological integration. Only in the last hundred years have Irish wonder tales been written down. Gose compares their primitive characteristics with Celtic, Egyptian, and North American Indian myths. All share the motifs of initiation, transformation, and apotheosis; the animistic view they reflect is still relevant today.