이빨 요정(Tooth Fairy)

수많은 증언들을 통해 밝혀진 이빨 요정의 모습들 중 하나. 이빨을 가져가고 보험금을 가져다 준다고 전해진다.

Appearance

Unlike Santa Claus and, to a lesser extent, the Easter Bunny , there are few details of the tooth fairy's appearance that are consistent in various versions of the myth. A 1984 study conducted by Rosemary Wells revealed that most, 74 percent of those surveyed, believed the tooth fairy to be female, while 12 percent believed the tooth fairy to be neither male nor female and 8 percent believed the tooth fairy could be either male or female. [ 3 ] When asked about her findings regarding the tooth fairy's appearance, Wells explained - "You've got your basic Tinkerbell-type tooth fairy with the wings, wand, a little older and whatnot. Then you have some people who think of the tooth fairy as a man, or a bunny rabbit or a mouse." [ 4 ] One review of published children's books and popular artwork found the tooth fairy to also be depicted as a child with wings, a pixie , a dragon , a blue mother-figure, a flying ballerina , two little old men, a dental hygenist, a potbellied flying man smoking a cigar, a bat, a bear and others. Unlike the well-established imagining of Santa Claus, differences in renderings of the tooth fairy are not as upsetting to children. [ 5 ]

[ edit ]Origins

This section requires expansion .

In early Europe , it was a tradition to bury baby teeth that fell out. The tradition is still practiced in Ireland and Great Britain , where belief in the tooth fairy is common for young children. When a child's sixth tooth falls out, it is a custom for parents to slip a gift or money from the tooth fairy under the child's pillow, but to leave the tooth as a reward. Some parents also leave trails of glitter on the floor, representing fairy dust .

In northern Europe there was also a tradition of tann-fé or tooth fee, which was paid when a child lost their first tooth. [ 6 ] This tradition is recorded in writings as early as the Eddas , which are the earliest written record of Norse and Northern European traditions.

The reward left varies by country, the family's economic status, amounts the child's peers report receiving and other factors. [ 7 ] A 2011 study found that American children receive $2.60 per tooth on average. [ 8 ]

[ edit ]Belief

Belief in the tooth fairy is viewed in two very different ways. On the one hand, children believing is seen as part of the trusting nature of childhood. Conversely, belief in the tooth fairy is frequently used to label adults as being too trusting and ready to believe anything. [ 5 ]

While parents are often unsure of themselves when promoting the fiction of the tooth fairy, the majority of children report positive outcomes. Upon learning the tooth fairy is not real, 75% of children reported liking the custom; 20% were neutral and 3% were not in favor and said they did not intend to continue the practice when they became parents. [ 5 ]

Parents tend to view the myth as providing comfort for children in the loss of their tooth. [ 5 ] Research finds that belief in the tooth fairy may provide such comfort to a child experiencing fear or pain resulting from the loss of a tooth. [ 9 ] Mothers especially seem to value a child's belief as a sign that their "baby" is still a child and is not "growing up too soon". [ 5 ] By encouraging belief in a fictional character, parents allow themselves to be comforted that their child still believes in fantasy and is not yet "grown up". [ 9 ]

Children often discover the tooth fairy is imaginary as part of the 5- to 7-year shift, often connecting this to other gift-bearing imaginary figures (such as Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny ). [ 10 ]

Author Vicki Lansky advises parents to tell their children early that the tooth fairy pays a whole lot more for a perfect tooth than for a decayed one. According to Lansky, some families leave a note with the payment, praising the child for good dental habits. [ 11 ]

Research findings suggest a possible relationship between a child's continued belief in the tooth fairy (and other fictional characters) and false memory syndrome . [ 12 ]

출처: 위키백과 - 이빨 요정