An Attempt to Read the Legacy of the Brothers Grimm through Edirne and Istanbul Fairy Tales

Brothers Grimm

Abstract

The discussion of fairy tales as a genre belonging to the oral tradition and the debates on what constitutes this genre can be traced back to the early 19th century. In particular, the collection of German folk tales compiled by the Brothers Grimm between 1812 and 1822—with the first volume published in 1812 and the second in 1815—is widely regarded as a milestone in these debates. Moreover, this work by the Grimms contributed significantly to the recognition of German fairy tales as some of the most renowned in the world. As one of the most widespread forms of oral tradition, fairy tales have attracted attention from various angles in early scholarly discussions. While some of these debates focus on the definition, origins, and sources of fairy tales, others concentrate on tale classifications, types, and motifs. The growing body of research in this field has made it possible to conduct comparative analyzes of fairy tales from different cultures based on genre, type, and motif. Based on this background, the present study aims to analyze shared motifs and structural similarities between German fairy tales—one of the most widely known fairy tale collections globally—and Turkish fairy tales collected from Edirne (compiled at different times from various regions of Edirne) and Istanbul (selected texts from Naki Tezel's Istanbul Tales). For this reason, the method of text scanning and comparison over the texts determined in terms of the mentioned issues was preferred. However, in the study in question, the claim that the written culture forms of the tales, which have actually passed from oral tradition to written, can be at least as effective as the oral tradition, has been opened to discussion with the testimony of the relevant tales.