Fairy tales are often hard to be traced back to their origins due to the fact that not all fairy tales were recorded, and many were just orally told, being passed on to different people who would then continue spreading the tale. The tale which we know as Beauty and the Beast is believed to have been one of the tales we know today which was recorded, originating from a French woman by the name of Madame Gabrielle de Villeneuve and was written in a novel form. It has been stated that her tale was not written for an audience of children, "but her court and salon friends who enjoyed sharing stories for entertainment" (Heiner, 2007). This original tale was written in French too and therefore it is not this particular version which we are aware of today, but rather the first English version, La Belle et la Bete by Madame Jeanne-Marie LePrince de Beaumont written in 1756.
One of the conditions for a story to be classified as a fairy or folk tale according to Davidson & Chaudhri (2003) is that is must be located within the Aarne- Thompson types, and especially within At 300-749. Beauty and the Beast has always been placed within these numbers, beginning under the classification type of 'The Search for a Lost Husband' AT type 425. Along with the popularity of the tale, it was given its own subtype within the Aarne- Thompson classification system under AT 425C. The tale also became a huge focus for scholars due to so many other stories fitting into the same category and showing elements and motifs which reflect those found in Beauty and the Beast.
One of the conditions for a story to be classified as a fairy or folk tale according to Davidson & Chaudhri (2003) is that is must be located within the Aarne- Thompson types, and especially within At 300-749. Beauty and the Beast has always been placed within these numbers, beginning under the classification type of 'The Search for a Lost Husband' AT type 425. Along with the popularity of the tale, it was given its own subtype within the Aarne- Thompson classification system under AT 425C. The tale also became a huge focus for scholars due to so many other stories fitting into the same category and showing elements and motifs which reflect those found in Beauty and the Beast.