ABSTRACT
This contribution examines the nexus of fairy tales, imaginative play, and intergenerational relations in the work of the Brothers Grimm, Ludwig Tieck, and Hans Christian Andersen. The Grimms explicate the origin and evolution of fairy tales with the help of the model of a family tree, postulating that fairy tales have their roots in ancient sources that they continue to preserve. Tieck and Andersen appropriate the image of the tree to reconceptualize Grimms’ model, grounding fairy tales less in ancient tradition and more in children’s capacity for imaginative play. The chapter explores the ramifications of each of these models for intergenerational relations, and argues for the continued relevance of these models for the contemporary psychology of intergenerational storytelling and play.
