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Introduction: Tales of War and Wonder—Reflecting on War, Myths, and Fairy Tales and the Breadcrumb Trails Between

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War, Myths, and Fairy Tales

Abstract

This introductory essay explores the connections between tales of war and tales of wonder, and asks questions about the uses and abuses of fairy tales in the representation, consideration, and waging of war. How do these imaginary tales help us to explore the horrors that some say defy representation? Can the allegorical capacity of the fairy tale lend insight into the pervasiveness of war that we might not otherwise see? Should we be critical of a tool that may well whitewash war or at least launder its impact? What can we make of war stories that adopt and adapt fairy tale tropes to make them accessible and permissible? How do stories of war both make myth and lead us down the paths of being myth-taken?

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Buttsworth, S., Abbenhuis, M. (2017). Introduction: Tales of War and Wonder—Reflecting on War, Myths, and Fairy Tales and the Breadcrumb Trails Between. In: Buttsworth, S., Abbenhuis, M. (eds) War, Myths, and Fairy Tales. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-2684-3_1

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