The Tooth Fairy Legend

The Toothfairy Origin

The Tooth Fairy is one of my fondest childhood memories. Children everywhere were filled with wide-eyed wonder and delight at being visited by this magical being as they slept. What is the origin of this myth?

The legend of the Tooth Fairy is believed to have begun in Northern Europe, where there was a tradition called "tand-fé or tooth fee", which was money used to reward a child when he or she lost their first tooth.

This tradition was recorded in writings that date back as early as the Eddas, which were the earliest Old Norse tales from around 1200 AD. During Medieval times, it was also customary to burn the teeth that children lost so that witches could not get hold of them and cast a spell on the child.

In the Norse culture, articles that belonged to children, including their teeth, were believed to bring good luck in battle. This is why Scandinavian warriors wore necklaces made of children's teeth and hung them on a string around their necks.

The reward left for a child who lost a tooth varies by country and also by the family's economic status. The amount of money a child's peers report receiving was also a factor. The legend of this childhood fantasy soared after the publication of a book by Lee Rothgow titled The Tooth Fairy in 1949.

Monetary values for teeth

I can recall getting a dime or a quarter each time I placed a tooth under my pillow, and I was amazed the pixie did not wake me as she made the exchange of teeth for the money.

We were told the Tooth Fairy was female, and I envisioned her looking like Tinkerbell from Disney. Today, some movies have corrupted the legend by having the fairy portrayed as a grumpy old man who smokes a cigar. There are also images of men with wings and a wand, and they are so not the Tooth Fairy.

My own children would receive a dollar bill each time they lost a tooth or one dollar in change. My granddaughter told me that she has received dollar bills, and once a five-dollar bill for a tooth that came out.

A 2013 survey by Visa Inc. found that American children receive an average of $3.70 per tooth, with 8% finding a five-dollar bill or more under their pillow and only 3% receiving a dollar or less.

The Tooth Fairy truth might be damaging

When I found out that Santa was not real, I was crushed because of all the television shows, movies, books, and cartoons that made him bigger than life. I cried off and on for several days and felt cheated.

When I realized the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy were only make-believe, I accepted them as childhood tales and was proud that I was grown up enough to be told the truth. I never accused anyone of lying to me, but technically that's what they did.

Some experts say it damages children when they find out a truth they have held onto is actually a lie. Other professionals say that parents tell their children these legends is harmless and it's done to keep them innocent and believing in something they cannot see.

Some religious leaders say that once children realize they were lied to regarding the Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus, and the Easter Bunny, they might begin questioning their faith and whether or not the Creator is real or a myth.

Childlike faith

Everyone deals with such issues in their own way, and matters of faith are personal. When it comes to childhood legends and myths, I gained perspective after I saw the movie The Polar Express.

The little boy could hear the bell of Christmas as long as he chose to believe, and once he grew up, he never again heard the sound when he shook the bell.

Childlike faith has me continuing to believe in my heart that which I cannot see with my natural eyes. I see no harm in imagining that a Tinkerbelle-like sprite named the Tooth Fairy is somewhere out there, although I know parents put money underneath chilren's pillows.