Some of the best known folktales originated in Europe.
There are many European countries, each of which have its own folktale style.
Because there has always been a lot of trade between European countries,
many folktales circulated throughout Europe. Some folktales, therefore, are found in many countries of Europe.
Many of the folktales of Europe are Fairy Tales/ Tales of Enchantment.
Magical things happen in these stories. There are many magical characters with special powers.
There are several general groups:
Folktales of the British Isles
These include folktales from England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland.
A famous collector of British folktales was a man named Joseph Jacobs.
Some famous British folktales are:
The Three Little Pigs
The Little Red Hen
Henny Penny (also known as Chicken Little)
Folktales of Central Europe
The most famous folktales come from France and Germany.
The collector of French folktales was a man named Charles Perrault.
The collectors from Germany were Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. Their stories
are known as the Grimm's Fairy Tales.
Some famous folktales from central Europe are:
Cinderella
Snow White
Rumpelstitskin
Rapunzel
The Frog Prince
Folktales from the Scandinavian Countries
The countries from this region are Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland.
A famous writer and collector of Scandinavian folktales was a man from Denmark named Hans Christian Andersen. Some of his stories were based
on older folktales. One example of this type of story is called
The Tinder Box. Andersen also wrote The Ugly Duckling and Thumbelina.
Other famous Sandinavian Folktales are:
The Three Billy Goats Gruff
The Lad and the North wind
FOLKTALES OF OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES
Folktales of Spain and Portuagal
Folktales of Eastern Europe (including Russian tales, Eastern European Jewish tales)
Folktales of Southern Europe (Italy)