M is for...Magic!

Fairy tales are well known for their magical happenings. Sometimes there is good magic, and sometimes there is bad magic. Witches are rarely nice, friendly characters in fairy tales! So for my 'M' post, I'll be talking about how magic is used in fairy tales.
Taken from here
Magic is very important in Sleeping Beauty, as the story wouldn't exist without it. (Or if it did, it would be boring!) 7 fairies who were chosen as godmothers to a newborn baby girl offer magical gifts to her, including beauty, wit and musical talent. A wicked fairy who wasn't chosen as a godmother gets revenge by putting an enchantment on the baby, so that when she grows up she will prick her finger on a spindle and die. The last fairy to give a gift partially reverses this enchantment, and makes it so that instead of dying, the princess will fall into a deep sleep for 100 years, and be awoken by a King's son. I love the use of magic in this story, especially the magical gifts! I wish I had fairy godmothers who had gifted me with beauty and talent! I also love the 100 year enchantment, and the fact that a prince will break the spell, which is common in fairy tales.

In The Little Mermaid, the main character wants the spell to be put on her. The witch in the story gives the little mermaid a pair of legs, but it wasn't without a price. As well as having her tongue taken by the witch, she also had to endure pain through her legs every time she took a step. Also, the spell wasn't guaranteed - if the little mermaid didn't marry the prince, she would die (and this is exactly what happened). I don't like the magic in this fairy tale, as I don't understand why someone would willingly put themselves through the pain of losing their tongue and being in agony every time they step somewhere.
Taken from here
In The Little Matchgirl, there are no witches or fairies, just unexplained magic. The matchgirl lights matches for warmth, and with every match she lit, she saw a different scene. They were scenes of comfort, and of things that the little girl was missing out on, such as Christmas trees and a big Christmas dinner laid out on the table. With her last few matches she saw her grandmother, who was dead. I like this magic, because it was comforting the girl while she was dying.
The Jack and the Beanstalk story wouldn't exist without magic either, as Jack sold his cow for some magic beans, which grew into the beanstalk.
Taken from here
Cinderella has a lot of magic in it, caused by the fairy godmother. She transforms Cinderella's rags into a beautiful gown, makes her a golden carriage out of a pumpkin, turns mice into horses, a rat into a coachman and lizards into footmen. The spell has a time limit though - it will run out at midnight, and everything will turn back to normal. I like this magic, because it leads Cinderella to her prince charming and happily ever after.
I also love the magic in Beauty and the Beast, because the curse was broken when the prince, who was turned into a beast by a witch, found true love despite his beastly appearance.

Comments

  1. Great Post..:) It is still unreal the amount of magic that is in fairy tales. I like it that you gave examples of both the good and the bad sides of the magic.

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    1. Thanks! Magic is one of my favourite things about fairy tales :)

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  2. Cinderella is my favourite magical fairytale, with Beauty and the Beast a close second. :D Great post!

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    1. Thanks! Mine's the other way around, I think :)

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  3. Aww I adore how fairytales are full of magic! The Little Mermaid's tale of being in pain is so different from the film version. At least in that her voice is only temporarily stolen!

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    1. I know, it sounds really painful! I love the magic in fairy tales :)

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  4. Glad to see you are still strong heading towards Z, Well done

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  5. Hi! I'm stopping by from the challenge. I loved the magic in Beauty and the Beast. I just read a YA paranormal by Cherie Colyer titled Embrace that had a lot of magic in it.

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    1. Ooh that sounds good, I'll have to check it out :)

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  6. I always loved the idea of a fairy godmother and all her magic. Magic is the BEST part of any fairy tale.

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    1. It really is, I wish I had a fairy godmother! :)

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  7. Lovely post, again! :) The story of The Little Match Girl is so sad, though :(

    Nikki – inspire nordic

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    1. Thanks! It is really sad, but I think it has a happy ending - she went to a better place, with someone who loves her :)

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  8. Did you know that the present day fairy tales have been rewritten? The original tales are so different, yet have good morals...wish we could read more of them! Good observations, LoopyLoo...enjoy the remainder of the Challenge...

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    1. Thanks, yeah I did know about the earlier versions, I mention them in some of my previous posts, I actually prefer them :)

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  9. Interesting blog. Just swinging through from A to Z. Good luck on the rest of the challenge!

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  10. I wish that sort of magic really did exist.

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  11. Hi Loopyloo,

    Just stopping by, half way through, we made it

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    1. Woohoo! Now we just have the other half, but the hard part is over! Actually, we still have Q and X and Z...

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  12. I love a book with a touch of magic. It's my favorite favorite kind. In fact, that's what I write--magical realism. I'm a believer!

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    1. Ooh I'd totally love what you write then, I love magic in my stories! :)

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