How have fairy tales from around the world changed over the centuries? What do they tell us about different cultures and societies? Spanning chronologically from the third millennium BCE through to the seventh century CE and beyond, and geographically from the Mediterranean to the Near East and Asia, this book explores the earliest known evidence of familiar folk tales and fairy tales in the ancient world.

Drawing on sources including the Rig Veda, the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Old Testament, the Westcar Papyrus, and the Odyssey, this volume ranges from epic poetry to drama, to fables...