Disney Lied to You: The True Origins of Fairy Tales

Think Cinderella started with Disney? Think again. In this episode of For the Love of History, we’re diving deep into the ancient, magical, and sometimes slightly ridiculous world of fairy tales — and we’re going way past the Brothers Grimm.

✨ You’ll hear the oldest fairy tale ever recorded (hint: it involves the devil and a blacksmith), learn why stories like Beauty and the Beast and Jack and the Beanstalk are 4,000+ years old, and find out what ancient Egypt, medieval France, and Bronze Age China all have in common with your favorite bedtime stories.

We’ll also:

• Break down the difference between myths, fables, and fairy tales (yes, they’re different!),
• Explore the wild science behind how we know these stories are that old (hello, phylogenetic analysis 👀),
• Laugh at a king with a foot fetish who basically invented Cinderella,
• And discover why fairy tales are actually time machines for the human soul.

Whether you’re a folklore nerd, Disney skeptic, or just wondering why fairy tales won’t die — this episode is for you.

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