Many of us know the Disney version of Beauty and the Beast. But wait, would that be the 1991 animated film, or the 2017 version with Emma Watson? Or maybe when you picture the Beast, you see the original 1946 black-and-white monster. Or really, you could picture any number of other Beasts.

We’re used to stories being reused in movies. And while some might complain about it, the truth is that stories have been retold for centuries! Movies aside, there are countless folk lore versions of Beauty and the Beast from different cultures and times.

Don’t worry though, I won’t list all of them out here. 🙂 After all, that work has already been done! Check out this page on “Beauty and the Beast, folktales of Aarne-Thompson-Uther type 425C,” put together by retired professor D L Ashliman. He compiled all kinds of folktales and categorized them on his folktexts page. I stumbled across the archive years ago while doing program research, and I’ve come back to it often since. It has a European focus and doesn’t contain every tale from all over the world, but it’s still very thorough.

Oh, and what’s that “type 425C” stuff? (Buckle up for some serious nerding. 🙂 ) Folklore scholars have devised a categorization system for stories — find a helpful list and explanation here. Known as “ATU numbers,” these identify a story as being primarily about an animal — about magic — about stupid ogres — and on and on! It’s an incredibly dry way to talk about stories, but at the same time it’s a fascinating feat.

Of course, none of this takes into account the vast number of YA, fantasy, or romance books which retell Beauty and the Beast. There are probably too many to count, especially if you consider Beauty and the Beast as a theme rather than a prescriptive outline. And, if you cross your fingers for me, there might one day be one more! My first full-length cozy mystery novel with Red and her friends is loosely based on Beauty and the Beast. I’m in the midst of querying it now, so wish me luck. 🙂