| Animal Bridegroom | The Devil | Enchantresses | Fairy Godmothers |
| The Fool | Guardian Spirits | Heroes | Innocents |
| Maidens | Simpetons | Step Mothers | Sorceresses |
| Trickster | Warrior Women | Widowers | Witches |
| Virgins |
Beauty and the Beast is a classic example of this archeotype. An prince enchanted into the form of a beast, or a bear, or a lion, or any fearsome predator. To migate the curse, a Maiden is often needed to see beyond the ugly or terrifing exterior and see the worth while person within.
The Devil often appears in fairy tales (expecially Victiran and folk tales) as a trickster. He tries to bind his victim into a promise with hidden costs, to sign a contract without reading the fine print, or just claim their soul. The Devil is a unique trickster in that his intent is always malicious, unlike other tricksters who have shifting purposes: to teach, to succeed in life, to have fun, or to cause trouble.
See Sorceress.
Fairy Godmothers or Guardian Spirits occasionally pop up in fairy tales. They provide that extra bit of advice or magic, that the heroine (or occasionaly the hero) needs to succeed.
One of the more common archeotypes the fool or simpleton, is basically a nice person who takes the simple view and because of this ends up suceeding where others fail. The fool however may grow wiser on his journey while the simpleton generally remains unchanged by his experiance.
Guardian Spirits are similar to Fairy Godmothers, in that they provide advice or magic to help the hero or heroine succeed. However, Guardian Spirits are often related to the hero(ine) (as in the case of Cinderella's dead mother acting through a tree planted on her grave)
Coming Soon
The maiden is a young female innocent. She is an initiate to adulthood. Through the tale she goes through trails, and overcomes rivals to her goal and future (usually a prince.) She may be of common birth or of royalty, but her journey is similar in meaning, an initiation rite of passage to becoming a woman.
One of the more common archeotypes the fool or simpleton, is basically a nice person who takes the simple view and because of this ends up suceeding where others fail. Often as not, the simpleton is the ill-favored third son, (as in The Golden Goose) who insists on taking his turn as a wood cutter when his brothers fail.
See Enchantresses
Tricksters play a vital role in many folk and fairytales. They can be either the hero, the vilian or both. Tricksters often have shifting purposes or roles; they teach and amuse or cause trouble just to be a nuisince. The Devil often plays the villians role in fairy tales from Christian sources (i.e. In the Armless Maiden the Devil tries to trick a farmer into giving away his daughter.) Other Tricksters of a more benevolent nature include nansi the spider, Coyote and Fox.
A girl or maiden who takes up arms or takes her non-existant brother's place to save her father from war or dishonor. Most often she goes alone, rarely her other sisters will accompany her. She disguises herself as a boy and is tested (usually 3 times) either by her father and/or someone she is trying fool into thinking she is male.
In fairy tales widowers seem to have two roles. One is to remarry an evil step-mother who will make his children's lives a living horror. The second widower is a horror himself. Characters like Blue Beard and the sultan in A Thousand and One Arabian Nights who have many wives, all dead (all beheaded) by their own hand.
Coming Soon
See Maiden
Royal Virgins are the traditional diet of dragons in Christian tales.