Buzz
Fairy tales often repeat certain themes, such as princes and princesses sharing a magical kiss or wicked witches casting spells. However, the most universal element is how they begin.
The phrase once upon a time is a classic opening that extends beyond English. Similar expressions exist globally: in Finnish, stories start with olipa kerran (meaning “once there was”), and in Afrikaans, it’s eendag lang, lang gelede (“one day long, long ago”). But what makes this phrase so common in fairy tales?
A Timeless Narrative Tradition
The phrase once upon a time didn’t emerge fully formed in literature or oral storytelling. A comparable expression can be found in The Liflade ant te Passiun of Seinte Juliene (The Life and the Passion of Saint Juliana), dating back to around 1225. While the story begins with two brief introductory paragraphs, it truly starts with Wes i thon time, as the redunge telleth (“In that time, as the legend tells”).
By the 14th century, the phrase began to take a more recognizable form. Onys y wiste oppon a day appears in Sir Ferumbras, a poem set during Charlemagne’s reign in France, published around 1380. Shortly after, ones on a tyme is used in “The Knight’s Tale” from Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales.
During the 1500s, the phrase became firmly established as a story opener. For example, Abraham Fraunce’s The Countess of Pembroke’s Ivychurch (1591) begins with “Once on a time when Nymphs and Pastors chanc’d to be sporting.” By the late 1500s, the phrase was so popular that it was parodied in George Peele’s 1595 satirical play The Old Wives’ Tale, which includes the lines, “Once vppon a time there was a King or a Lord, or a Duke that had a faire daughter, the fairest that euer was; as white as snowe, and as redd as bloud.”
The use of once upon a time in fairy tales was further cemented by early English translations of European fairy tales. Robert Samber’s 1729 translation of Charles Perrault’s 1695 fairy tale collection translated the French il était une fois (“there was one time”) as “once upon a time.” Similarly, Edgar Taylor’s 1823 translation of es war einmal (“it was once”) from the fairy tales of the German Brothers Grimm used the same phrase. Mary Howitt also adopted once upon a time in 1846 when translating Hans Christian Anderson’s Danish fairy tales, which begin with der var engang (“there was once”).
However, some languages use entirely different phrases to start their stories. For instance, Polish fairy tales often begin with beyond seven mountains, beyond seven forests (za siódmą górą za siódmym lasem), while Korean folk tales typically open with when tigers used to smoke (호랑이 담배 피우던 시절, or holangi dambae piudeon sijeol).
Once Upon a Dream
The universal use of a standard opening phrase in fairy tales, which transports stories away from the present, is no accident—it serves a vital function. As writer Maria Konnikova explains, this distant and ambiguous setting fosters “distance and vagueness,” encouraging “fantasy and imagination to transform real-life elements into something extraordinary, potentially allowing these new truths to resonate back into reality.”
Author Anthony Madrid offers a more pragmatic explanation for why folktales avoid contemporary settings: “It prevents interruptions.” A modern context might invite questions about the characters’ identities, but the phrase once upon a time effectively halts such inquiries.
Madrid also believes the phrase’s popularity stems from its ability to signal the story’s nature. Just as the opening moments of a cartoon reveal its playful tone, the formulaic start of fairy tales sets expectations. Madrid notes, “The fact that it’s a cartoon means the dullness and complexity of adult life are excluded, focusing instead on enjoyment.” Similarly, once upon a time instantly informs readers or listeners that the tale will be fantastical and likely conclude with a happy ending.
