Tooth fairy

The Tooth Fairy is a mythical creature from the British and American folklore, from which it is said that at night it leave a gold coin in exchange for a failed primary tooth small children. For this purpose, the child places the tooth at bedtime under the pillow (or in a glass on the bedside table ). The gold coin is replaced in today's times of parents with money or other small surprises.

Origin of the custom

Probably are the origins of this custom in a magical ritual which transitioning from the child should accompany the young people. At a time when people still believed in witches, could gain power over one's own person, when this hair, teeth or fingernails possessed by the bewitching to person, the right way to deal with unusual teeth for the people was still extremely important. In different cultures so there were all sorts of customs to feed such a tooth to animals, to burn or bury, in particular the first variant played a major role.

Feenfiguren there was also a long time, however, it is not clear when these two myths interwoven with each other for the tooth fairy. The first reports from the Tooth Fairy as a general good fairy who exchanges unusual teeth for gold coins date from the early 19th century.

1927 was The Tooth Fairy, a short drama for children by Esther Watkins Arnold, performed for the first time. The first written about the tooth fairy story seems to be The Tooth Fairy by Lee Rogow, which was published in 1949. Then the tooth fairy experienced at least in Anglo-American countries a real flower, which was accompanied by books and comics.

Occurrence in art and culture

• The story was The Darkness Falls also used in the horror film, in which the tooth fairy, however, has a negative role.
• Also, the fantasy writer Terry Pratchett used in his novel Hogfather (English Hogfather ) the myth of the Tooth Fairy. There, a group of villains penetrates into the tower of the Tooth Fairy to manipulate the collected teeth of all children believing in the snow father (a kind of Santa Claus Discworld ). In Pratchett the tasks of collecting but are performed ( for cash ) and the transport of the teeth of people.
• Furthermore, there is the movie The Tooth Fairy ( Toothless ) in 1997 with Kirstie Alley.
• The film Tooth Fairy ( Tooth Fairy ) from the year 2010 with Dwayne Johnson.
• In Thomas Harris ' novel Red Dragon ( and the eponymous film) is the serial killer Dolarhyde, awarded Tooth Fairy because of bite wounds on his victims, the pseudonym.
• In the second episode of the fourth season of South Park The Tooth Fairy's Tats 2000 ( Tooth Fairy Tats ) the subject is processed humorous.
• A rather macabre appearance of the " Tooth Fairy " is also in an episode of the animated series Ren and Stimpy.
• In the movie Hellboy - The Golden Army also dive tooth fairies to the thousands. There are little demons that can fly and attack anyone and completely devour. Your name is explained by the fact that they eat the teeth of their victims first.
• In the series Family Guy Baby Stewie lays a tooth under his pillow. When it noticed the disappearance of the tooth, a cut is made on a rundown Man with fairy wings, throwing the tooth on a gear cluster in space and then circulated moaning loudly in the teeth.
• In the horror film Do not be afraid of the Dark by Guillermo del Toro, it is grotesquely small mythical creature, living in a cave under the mansion and down attract children to him in order to make them equal.
• In the animated film The keepers of the light from DreamWorks is the tooth fairy one of the titular guardian ... next to the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus, the Sandman and Jack Frost.