English Literature: Special Search Tips for Fairy Tales

• Marchen - is the official MLA Descriptor (SU) for Fairy Tales 
• Do Not Use Fairy Tales as a Descriptor (SU) 
• You can use Fairy Tales as a plain Keyword -
• but not as a descriptor or Subject Heading. 
• Marchen will retrieve the MOST results

To Find Articles on Film

Add a box searching film in the SU field

Example:

Cinderella - in SU

AND

film - in SU

Searching for specific Fairy Tales or Motifs

• Looking for fairy tale writers?  Use their names in the SU Field
  • Grimm in SU
  • Hans Andersen in SU
  • Perrault in SU
• Looking for a known tale Name?  Use the SU field and tale name
  • Cinderella in SU
  • Hansel & Gretel in SU
  • Puss n Boots  in SU
• Looking for criticism on a specific version of a tale? Use the SU field &  the Author and Tale name :
  • Perrault and Cinderella - in SU
  • Grimm and Hansel and Gretel - in SU
  • Andersen and Mermaid in SU 
• Looking at a motif or element -  not a specific tale?  Use Marchen in the SU field + your motif or element keyword  without a field  (Select a Field) :
  • ​Marchen in SU  AND  "rages to riches"
  • Marchen in SU  AND  princess*
  • Marchen in SU  AND  frog*

Folklore Topic ~ This is a special field in MLA - Use only if you are really doing something that is more Folklore than Fairy Tale

Examples of topics included - These are only Folklore topics if the article is about folklore in relation to this topic :

• Funeral Rights
• Native Americans 
• Religious Rites
• Riddles
• Rites of Passage
• Sacrificial Rites
• Shamanism
• Spirit Possession
• Sports
• Supernatural Legend
• Tomb
• Tools
• Toys
• Wedding Rights
• Witchcraft
• Women