What is Beauty and the Beast?
A merchant's daughter volunteers to live with a monstrous Beast to save her father, and her love breaks the enchantment that had trapped him.
Available Variants
At a Glance
Europe / France
ATU 425C
10 min read
Easy
Love
Transformation
Inner Beauty
Beauty and the Beast
Annotations Enabled
A merchant with three daughters lost his fortune. Traveling to reclaim his wealth, he took shelter in a magnificent palace where invisible servants attended him. As he left, he picked a rose for his youngest daughter, Beauty. A terrifying Beast appeared and demanded his life or one of his daughters in exchange.
Beauty went to the palace willingly. The Beast treated her with kindness, giving her every comfort and asking each evening, 'Will you marry me?' She refused but grew fond of him. When she returned from a visit home and found the Beast dying of a broken heart, she wept and said she would marry him. Her tears broke the curse, and the Beast transformed into a handsome prince.
Field Notes
My Folklore Journal
Record your thoughts, motifs you noticed, or personal connections to this tale.
Cultural Note
The most famous version was written by Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve in 1740 and abridged by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont in 1756.
Frequently Asked Questions
Editorial Review
E-E-A-T
Reviewed by
Dr. Eleanor Vance, Folklore Studies
Last updated
April 30, 2026
Sources & References
- 1.Aarne, A. & Thompson, S. — The Types of the Folktale (1961)
- 2.Lindahl, C. — European Folklore: An Encyclopedia (2004)
- 3.Dorson, R. — Peasant Customs and Savage Myths (1968)
Cultural Variants of Beauty and the Beast
Explore how this Folklore tale transforms across different cultures and languages.
| Language/Region | Cultural Context | Key Features | Story Length |
|---|---|---|---|
en France | Europe The most famous version was written by Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve in 1740 and abridged by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont in 1756. | Unique cultural note about Europe traditions More concise version Includes FAQ section | 120 words |
fr France | Europe The French literary tradition gave birth to Beauty and the Beast through two landmark works: Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve's 1740 original novel and Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont's 1756 abridged version, which became the standard retelling. Charles Perrault's earlier work on fairy tales in 1697 paved the way for this tradition. | Unique cultural note about Europe traditions Includes key takeaways Includes FAQ section | 294 words |
de Germany | Europe The German reception of Beauty and the Beast was shaped by the French literary tradition, with translations of de Beaumont's version becoming widely read. The Grimm brothers collected a similar tale, 'Das singende, springende Loeweneckerchen,' which shares the ATU 425C classification. | Unique cultural note about Europe traditions Includes key takeaways Includes FAQ section | 281 words |
es Spain | Europe The Spanish tradition of Beauty and the Beast came through translations of the French versions, particularly de Beaumont's 1756 text. The story resonated with Spain's rich literary tradition of honor, sacrifice, and the transformative power of love found in works like Calderon de la Barca's theatrical masterpieces. | Unique cultural note about Europe traditions More detailed version Includes key takeaways Includes FAQ section | 320 words |
Community Discussion
F
FolkloreFan2 days ago
I love how this variant emphasizes the role of the magical helper. It's so different from the version I grew up with!
S
Scholar_Jane5 hours ago
The ATU 510A classification really helps in seeing the structural similarities with Ye Xian. Fascinating stuff.
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