Once upon a time. The words are an invitation into a world where virtue sparkles and vice is grotesque, and children love to inhabit such a place. But for the mom reading her first set of Grimm’s fairy tales, it’s a different story. They’re dark. There’s magic. Things get a little wild. If you’ve ever found yourself rewriting an old fairy tale on the fly because you weren’t sure it should be read aloud, you’re in good company. But when you’ve been told these are classical must-reads for young children, you have to ask: Why are fairy tales important?

I’m joined today by Dcn. Nicholas Kotar to discuss the tradition of and need for fairytales. If our hope, in classical education, is to conform our children’s souls to Reality, we need to teach them to see as things really are.

Footnotes for this episode

“Russian Orthodoxy, Fairy Tales, and Good Story Telling with Dcn. Nicholas Kotar” | Pints with Aquinas

Nicholas Kotar | Website

Nicholas Kotar | Patreon

In a Certain Kingdom: Fairy Tales of Old Russia

In a Certain Kingdom: Epic Heroes of Old Russia

Full book list

In a Certain Kingdom | Podcast

St. Basil’s Writers’ Workshop

Tending the Heart of Virtue, Vigen Guroian

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You can find the full episode notes here (including my footnotes for this episode). You can leave the podcast a rating and review here. (I thank you!)

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