Marie-Jeanne L'Héritier de Villandon (12 November 1664 – 24 February 1734) was an aristocratic French writer and salonnière of the late 17th century, and a niece of

Charles Perrault Charles Perrault ( , , ; 12 January 162816 May 1703) was a French author and member of the Académie Française. He laid the foundations for a new literary genre, the fairy tale, with his works derived from earlier folk tales, published in his ...

. In the 1690s, she published three

fairy tales A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, household tale, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the Folklore, folklore genre. Such stories typically feature Magic (supernatural), magic, Incantation, e ...

, and is created with the beginning of the fairy tale vogue among the

Précieuses The ''Précieuses'' ( , i.e. "preciousness") was a 17th-century French literary style and movement. The main features of this style are the refined language of aristocratic salons, periphrases, hyperbole, and puns on the theme of gallant l ...

. Her work on fairy tales preceded that of her uncle by a year. Like several other women writers of her era, she was a member of '' les conteuses''.

Biography

She published three

early in her career. Although she wrote few thereafter, she marked the beginning of the fairy tale vogue among the

, publishing her first tale a year before her uncle, the famed author of Les Contes de ma Mère l’Oye ( Tales of Mother Goose) in 1696. A great friend and protégé of

Madeleine de Scudéry Madeleine de Scudéry (; 15 November 1607 – 2 June 1701), often known simply as Mademoiselle de Scudéry (), was a French writer. Her works demonstrate such comprehensive knowledge of ancient history that it is suspected she had received ins ...

, L'Héritier's participation in the fairy tale genre reflected her involvement in the salon scene, as she and so many of her friends and fellow salonnières, such as

Madame d'Aulnoy Marie-Catherine Le Jumel de Barneville, Baroness d'Aulnoy (September 1652 – 14 January 1705), also known as Countess d'Aulnoy, was a French author known for her literary fairy tales. Her 1697 collection ''Les Contes des Fées'' (Fairy Tales) ...

and

Henriette-Julie de Murat Henriette-Julie de Murat (1668 in Paris – 9 September 1716 in Château de la Buzardière) was an aristocratic French writer of the late 17th century, associated with the Baroque ''Précieuses'' movement, and one of the leading members of the ...

, were members of '' les conteuses''. These women were monumental in the inception of the fairy tale genre, along with her esteemed uncle. She inherited Scudéry's salon upon her death in 1701.

Works

Fairy tales

* ''L'Adroite princesse, ou, Les aventures de Finette'' - as above. * ''Marmoisan'' - a literary tale classified in the Aarne-Thompson-Uther Index as ATU 884A, "The Forsaken Fiancée: Service as Menial". * ''Ricdin-Ricdon'' - a literary predecessor to tale type ATU 500, "The Name of the Helper", akin to ''

Rumplestiltskin "Rumpelstiltskin" ( ; ) is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm in the 1812 edition of '' Children's and Household Tales''. The story is about an imp who spins straw into gold in exchange for a woman's firstborn child. Plot ...

''.

References

External links

Les Caprices du Destin
(French)
Oeuvres meslées, contenant L'innocente tromperie, L'avare puni, Les enchantemens de l'éloquence, Les aventures de Finette, nouvelles , et autres ouvrages, en vers et en prose
(French) 1664 births 1734 deaths 17th-century French writers 18th-century French writers 17th-century French women writers 18th-century French women writers Collectors of fairy tales French women short story writers French short story writers French women science fiction and fantasy writers French folklorists French women folklorists {{france-writer-stub