“Entertainment for Little Ones”? Basile’s Lo cunto de li cunti and the Childhood of the Literary Fairy Tale

Authors

Nancy L. Canepa

Abstract

The two principal aims of this essay are: first, to consider the place of Basile’s Lo cunto de li cunti in the early history of the literary fairy tale, the author’s “creation” of a new audience for a new genre, and, in particular, his position with respect to the popular culture that supplies much of his material; and second, to analyze two tales—“Petrosinella” and “The Old Woman Who Was Skinned”—in order both to compare Basile’s to later collections and to investigate the characteristics that make Lo cunto unique. .

Recommended Citation

Canepa, Nancy L.. "“Entertainment for Little Ones”? Basile’s Lo cunto de li cunti and the Childhood of the Literary Fairy Tale." Marvels & Tales 17.1 (2003). Web. <https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/marvels/vol17/iss1/2>.