FOLK TALE, LITERARY FAIRY TALE, AND FANTASY AS RELATED GENRES

Abstract

This article examines the relationship between the genres of the folk tale, the literary fairy tale, and fantasy in the context of their historical development and poetic characteristics. It identifies their common features, artistic functions, and differences in structure, poetics, and worldview. The study aims to identify common features across these genres and trace the evolution of fairy-tale thinking from folklore to contemporary fantasy literature. It is noted that the folk fairy tale is one of the oldest genres of oral folk art, providing basic plot models, images, and motifs that later served as the foundation for the development of the literary fairy tale and the fantasy genre. The study analyzes the characteristics of the folk tale, its collective authorship, formulaic composition, the archetypal nature of its characters, the simplicity of its plot structure, and the use of traditional linguistic formulas. The article emphasizes that the literary fairy tale, unlike the folk tale, has a specific author and is distinguished by an individual artistic style. It is characterized by a more developed system of characters, a broader thematic range, and a combination of fantastical elements and reflections of social realities. Particular attention was paid to the development of the English literary fairy tale from its beginnings in the 19th century and its contribution to the formation of genre models in modern fantasy. This study examines the genetic connection between the literary fairy tale and the fantasy genre, which emerged in the 20th century and has become widespread in contemporary culture. It emphasizes that fantasy builds upon the traditions of fairy tales and myths, yet is distinguished by the creation of fictional worlds with their own laws, history, and cast of characters. Common features of the genres under study include archetypal images, motifs from the hero’s journey and trials, the struggle between good and evil, and the use of magical objects and supernatural beings. It is concluded that the folk fairy tale, the literary fairy tale, and fantasy form a single evolutionary line of development of the fairy-tale worldview: from collective oral tradition to individual authorial creativity and the complex artistic universes of contemporary literature.