Description

Marie-Catherine, Baronne d'Aulnoy, née Le Jumel de Barneville in Barneville-la-Bertran (1651-1705) was a French writer known for her fairy tales. When she termed her works Contes de Fée (Fairy Tales, 1697), she originated the term that is now generally used for the genre. In 1666, she was given at the age of sixteen in an arranged marriage to a Parisian thirty years older- François de la Motte, Baron d'Aulnoy, of the household of the duc de Vend?'me. In 1669, the Baron d'Aulnoy was accused of treason but the accusations, in which Mme d'Aulnoy appeared to be involved, proved to be false. She published twelve books including three pseudo-memoirs, two fairy tale collections and three "historical" novels. Gaining the reputation as a historian and recorder of tales from outside of France, and elected as a member of Paduan Accademia dei Ricovvati, she was called by the name of the muse of history, Clio. Her works include: Histoire d'Hippolyte: Comte de Duglas (History of Hippolyte: Count of Duglas, 1690) and Contes Nouveaux; ou, Les Fées à la Mode (New Tales; or, Fairies in Fashion, 1698).