Self-Discovery through Otherness as Depicted in Folk Tales

The entire world of folk tales is an interrogation, a regeneration of reality. The cosmos becomes, through these tales, an inverted image, an upside-down perspective on our existence. Everything that surrounds us can be and will be brought into question. Our attempt is to emphasize the role of folk tales in asking questions, in leading to the knowledge of the world, of the Others, and of the Self. To see how that is achieved for the heroes of folk tales, we will discuss The Twelve Daughters of the Emperor and the Enchanted Palace, from Petre Ispirescu’s collection.