While the idea of a collective unconscious is romantic, the primary reason why fairytales date back so far is because the ancient Europeans practiced a culture

While the idea of a collective unconscious is romantic, the primary reason why fairytales date back so far is because the ancient Europeans practiced a culture that prized the ability to recite old poetry and stories. When you consider that there are so many variations on fairytales due to innovations in ora transmission, yet we are able to pretty much accurately piece together one editorially authoritative version of the Illiad, the ability for oral tradition to preserve stories doesn't seem so impressive anymore.