What is the Origin of the Tooth Fairy? | Advanced Indiana (2024)

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Where did Tooth Fairy originate from? ›

History of the Tooth Fairy

A French story from the 18th century called, La Bonne Petite Souris (The Little Mouse), seems to be the closest to our modern-day version of the Tooth Fairy. In this story, an evil king traps a queen, and a mouse comes to her rescue.

Dark Beginnings

During the Middle Ages, the importance of ejected baby teeth was darker than the legends of today. Common belief held that witches could use items that people held close, such as clothes, hair, finger/toe nails, and teeth, to create potions and place curses.

The Early Origins of the Tooth Fairy

But while the origins of the first two can clearly be traced back to a combination of Christian and pagan traditions, with some recent tweaks from the marketing departments at Coca-Cola and Cadbury, respectively — far less is known about the third.

They point out that there is no scientific evidence to support the existence of the tooth fairy. Additionally, some parents admit to playing the role of the tooth fairy themselves, further fueling doubts about its reality.

Luckily for us, the Tooth Fairy of today is neither a witch or a mouse. For most people, they think of the tooth fairy as a creature that swaps out our baby teeth for money under our pillow. No one knows what she does with our teeth after she takes them, but to a little kid, that's not what's important.

In many countries around the world, children continue to leave teeth out in the hopes that a mouse will come take them away in exchange for money or some other gift. For French children, this is La Petite Souris, who appears in French folktales as early as the 17th century.

The Magic of the Tooth Fairy Tradition

The Tooth Fairy can also serve as a symbol of comfort during a rite of passage that may be frightening to a child, with the monetary prize celebrating a child's increased maturity and responsibility as they transition to adulthood.

This benevolent being adores young children and is grateful for those healthy, white baby teeth. With the help of some easy tooth fairy ideas, she can make the whole ordeal of your child's teeth falling out both fun and magical.

Folklore from many parts of the world tells us that when children lose a baby tooth, they should place it underneath their pillow and the Tooth Fairy will visit while they are asleep, to take that lost tooth and leave a small payment, especially if those teeth have been kept very clean and shiny.

The Tooth Fairy originated from many cultural beliefs and traditions dating back to the 17th century, including a Viking who pays children for their lost teeth in Scandinavia. In the United States, she made her first known appearance on Sept.

What kind of myth is the Tooth Fairy? ›

Eighteenth Century France

The tooth fairy myth began to show more characteristics of a conventional fairytale in 18^th century France. La Bonne Petite Souris, a bedtime story, tells the strange tale of a fairy that changes into a mouse to help a good queen defeat an evil king.

Some traditions don't involve a flying fairy at all. In many Asian nations, as well as in places like Brazil and Greece, it's customary for children to throw baby teeth onto the roof.

Lying to a child is not a good idea in general, but psychologists say that an exception can be made for such myths. Experts agree that believing in such characters or tales is a healthy part of a child's growing process.

"There is no such thing as being too old to believe in Santa, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy," Kelman tells Yahoo Life. "Letting kids figure it out on their own is preferable to parents breaking the news to them.

Consider the true meaning behind the question.

Ask them why they ask or what their thoughts are on the topic. If you feel they are ready for the truth, give it to them. But, if they seem like they are holding on to the hope that the Tooth Fairy is real, give them a chance to believe. You should also consider their age.

Tooth fairies love babies, so they reserve some collected teeth for them. Babies have no teeth when they're born, but fairies know how to plant unique teeth into their gums, and they use some of what they collect from under kids' pillows.

The Birth of the Modern Tooth Fairy

The British tooth fairy is very much like its American counterpart. In 1908, the Chicago Tribune published a short article about the tooth fairy, announcing that American kids would receive a small monetary gift in exchange for the loss of their baby teeth.

So, why does the tooth fairy leave money under the pillow? The idea of exchanging a tooth for coins originated in Scandinavia. Vikings believed teeth to be a good luck charm in battle, wearing them on necklaces. When a child lost a tooth, adults would actually pay their children for a lost tooth.

In the 13th century, there's mention of a Norse tradition called "tand fe`" which means "tooth fee." Parents gave kids a small fee for their first lost tooth since they were a symbol of good luck. A modern explanation came in 1908.