The Fairy Tale Debate with Andrew Lang in J. R. R. Tolkien’s “On Fairy-stories”

Abstract: J. R. R. Tolkien’s “On Fairy-stories” (1943) is generally considered his major contribution to folklore scholarship. The essay had its origins as Tolkien’s 1939 presentation as part of the Andrew Lang Lecture series at the University of St. Andrews, intended to celebrate the scholarship of Lang. Tolkien used his essay as an opportunity to critique Lang, who more than any other writer of the second half of the nineteenth century championed fairy tales as children’s literature. Coining the imprecise term “fairy-stories,” Tolkien argued that fairy-stories were never intended for children and adults should remain their audience. The belief that fairy tales were not intended for children parallels Tolkien’s statements that The Hobbit (1937), which achieved popularity as children’s book, was not intended for children. Tolkien maintained that he had no special interest in writing for children and that all that he had to say about writing for children appeared in “On Fairy-stories.”