For centuries, Cinderella has been celebrated as one of the world’s most beloved fairy tales. Yet beneath the glass slipper and happily ever after lies symbolism that modern psychology finds surprisingly intriguing.

The Origins of Cinderella

The earliest known Cinderella fairy tale appeared in Ancient Egypt during the 1^st century BCE in the form of Rhodopis.

Ye Xian is a Chinese tale dating to around AD 850 and is widely regarded as one of the earliest versions of the Cinderella story. It was written by Duan Chengshi and was published by the Tang dynasty in the compilation Miscellaneous Morsels from Youyang.

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