Overview

How have fairy tales from around the world changed over the centuries? What do they tell us about different cultures and societies? Spanning the years from 900 to 1500 and traversing geographical borders, from England to France and India to China, this book uniquely examines the tales told, translated, adapted and circulated during the period known as the Middle Ages. Scholars in history, literature and cultural studies explore the development of epic tales of heroes and monsters and enchanted romance narratives. Examining how tales evolved and functioned across different societies during the Middle Ages, this book demonstrates how the plots, themes and motifs used in medieval tales influenced later developments in the genre. An essential resource for researchers, scholars and students of literature, history and cultural studies, this volume explores themes including: forms of the marvelous, adaptation, gender and sexuality, humans and non-humans, monsters and the monstrous, spaces, socialization, and power. A Cultural History of Fairy Tales (6-volume set) A Cultural History of Fairy Tales in the Middle Ages is also available as a part of a 6-volume set, A Cultural History of Fairy Tales, tracing fairy tales from antiquity to the present day, available in print, or within a fully-searchable digital library accessible through institutions by annual subscription or on perpetual access (see www.bloomsburyculturalhistory.com). Individual volumes for academics and researchers interested in specific historical periods are also available digitally via www.bloomsburycollections.com.

Full Product Details

Author:   Professor Susan Aronstein (University of Wyoming, USA)
Publisher:   Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Imprint:   Bloomsbury Academic
Dimensions:   Width: 16.80cm , Height: 1.60cm , Length: 24.40cm
Weight:   0.440kg
ISBN:  

9781350593879

ISBN 10:   1350593877
Pages:   248
Publication Date:   13 November 2025
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Tertiary & Higher Education
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Forthcoming
Availability:   To order  

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations Series Preface Introduction: Once Upon A Time in the Middle Ages Susan Aronstein 1. Forms of the Marvelous: Fairy Stories, or Stories about Fairies? Richard Firth Green 2. Adaptations: Like a Fairy Tale Shyama Rajendran 3. Gender and Sexuality: The Beauties and Beasts of Medieval Romance Lynn Shutters 4. Human and Non-Human: Writing the Fairy, Reading Melusine Sarah L. Higley 5. Monsters and the Monstrous: Tracking Medieval Monsters into Fairy-Tale Worlds Christine M. Neufeld 6. Spaces: Place, Non-Place, and Identity in the Medieval Fairy World Helen Fulton 7. Socialization: Renegotiation and Reconciliation Usha Vishnuvajjala 8. Power: Patronage, Subversion, Seduction, and Challenge Melissa Ridley Elmes Notes Bibliography Notes on Contributors Index

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Author Information

Susan Aronstein is Professor of English at the University of Wyoming, USA.

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