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The Tooth Fairy Legend
The legend of the tooth fairy is a prized one in American culture.
But where did this legend come from? The following article describes
the conventions and possible origins of the tooth fairy.
The tooth fairy comes when a child has lost a tooth. Commonly, she
is very small, and she comes in the middle of the night. The child is
to leave the tooth under his/her pillow, so that the tooth fairy can
take it during her visit. Once she has taken the tooth, she leaves
monetary reimbursement under the pillow, anything from ten cents to a
dollar. (This action is done by a parent.) The teeth are then taken to
her tower, and used for her purposes.
Pictures of the tooth fairy have been captured in everything from
storybooks to art. The painter Maxfield Parrish is said to have
depicted her once in the corner of a painting. Fairies in general are
generally considered to be great influences in art, and folklore and
legend surround each fairy tale. It is reasonable to think that the
tooth fairy legend originated from a place where folklore and legend
are tradition, namely, England or Ireland.
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At last, the Tooth Fairy has her own coin...
The Tooth Fairy Coin Set contains 20 professionally
minted, golden coins in a rich forest green velour bag. One coin for
each tooth a child loses. The Tooth Fairy Coins were designed and
patented by Montana Artist Dawn Duane Evans. They have the weight and
feel of US currency, yet the beauty and magic young children believe
in. Each coin is 1.073 inches, larger than a quarter, smaller than a
fifty cent piece.
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Provide an
opportunity to meaningfully participate in your child's life.
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Perfect gift for baby
showers.
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A fun way for Grandma
and Grandpa to get in on the action too, because you never know when
or where a tooth is going to come out!
Tooth Fairy coins from ToothFairy.com
are great gifts for your children who still believe that dreams do
come true. |
More about the Legend of the Tooth Fairy
Tradition in England holds that if a child's tooth falls out, that
child must drop it into a fire, to avoid having to look for it after
death. While this tale is pretty chilling, this may be the origin of
the importance of a lost tooth. This tale was handed down during the
Middle Ages to smaller children during the teething stage. The
addition of fire into the mix may have conjured up images of sorcery.
Early alleged witches were often burned because people believed money
appeared after they threw articles into fire. From this tale comes the
importance of keeping a tooth. When a witch burned a piece of hair,
clothing or teeth from a person, she supposedly obtained power over
them. Parents may have scared children into keeping teeth or burning
them themselves in order to keep themselves free of demon possession.
Even more interesting is the fact that Vikings had a "tooth fee," or a
fee that was given to children upon the use of a tooth. The teeth were
later strung to make jewelry, some researchers claim. This old legend
is surrounded in mystery. Alongside it is the superstition in early
Viking days that children's articles and pieces contained great power.
Having an article of a child, or a child in your possession was
supposed to bring power and luck in battle.
Today, this myth is regarded as no more than children's entertainment.
Parents dutifully sneak into rooms at night, bearing gifts for the
loss of a tooth. Perhaps it is a reward for a "passing of age." A lost
tooth is one of the first signs of growing up. Perhaps it is felt that
a piece of childhood is lost with every dropped tooth. Whatever the
case, the tooth fairy lives on, carrying teeth away for uses that no
one will ever know. |
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