Genies, wizards and big men, demons, transformations …
The charm of the “fairies” that is passed down from generation to generation
The word “Fairy” in “Fairy Tale,” which now means “fairy,” comes from the Latin “fatum” (fate) or “fatare” (to cast a spell) and was thought to bring good and bad things to humans.
These “fairies” began to be spoken of in the British Isles, which consisted mainly of England and Ireland. In the 16th century, Shakespeare’s “A Summer Night’s Dream,” “The Tempest,” and other fairy tales were written, and the belief in fairies reached its peak in England.
The belief in fairies was lost over time, but was revived with the wave of collecting and publishing folktales in various countries that occurred around the beginning of the 19th century. Starting with the publication of “Grimm’s Fairy Tales,” in England, J.O. Halliwell’s “English Fairy Tales and Folk Tales” was published in 1849, and Joseph Jacobs’ “English Fairy Tales” in 1890, making folktales widely available in books.
The “fairies” in folktales include not only the winged nymphs, but also the wizard (or nymph) in “Cinderella,” the dwarf in “Rumpelstiltschen,” and the big man in “Jack and the Beanstalk. Thus, stories in which beings that transcend human powers appear or magical phenomena occur are collectively called “fairy tales” in England. Thus, the existence of “fairies,” which had been passed down from generation to generation, came to life along with the stories.
Based on the research of Asami Fujimoto (advisor to Karuizawa Picture Book Museum), president of the Picture Book Society of Japan and scholar of folktales, this exhibition introduces the roles and characteristics of fairies and their unknown charms, focusing on folktales such as “Grimm’s Fairy Tales” from England and Germany.
Yussuke Satoh, “The Black Cow of Noroway” ©2019 Iussuque Satoh
session (of a legislature)
Wednesday, June 22 – Monday, October 10, 2022
Karuizawa Picture Book Forest Art Museum
Single theater adult: 950 yen
Single theater junior high and high school students: 600 yen
Elementary school students: 450 yen
Set ticket for two museums with Ertz Toy Museum Karuizawa
Adults: 1,400 yen
Junior high and high school students: 900 yen
Elementary school students: 650 yen
Location
Karuizawa Picture Book Forest Art Museum
*For more information, please go to the tourist facility information at the bottom of the page.
Hours of Operation
May-October: 9:30-17:00
March-April and November-January: 10:00-16:00
Last admission is 30 minutes before closing.
closed day
Closed on Tuesdays, but open every day from July to September.
Contact Us
0267-48-3340
For more information, visit the official website.
https://museen.org/ehon/
