When you read the words ‘happily ever after’, your mind will almost certainly go to fairytales and the generic happy ending, usually involving a king or princess getting married.. But where does this stock phrase and the concept of the happy ending come from?
We take a closer look at the origins of ‘happily ever after’ and explore this literary trope on a deeper level.
Let’s first take a look at the literal meaning of the phrase. ‘Happily’ may seem self-explanatory from a modern perspective, but it’s interesting and helpful to look at the root of the word anyway. The word ‘happy’ comes from the Old English word ‘hap’ with ‘y’ added to make it into an adjective. The original meaning of the word was closer to ‘lucky’ rather than the general contentment we would now associate with it.
Now moving onto the ‘ever after’ part, this means ‘forever from this moment on’, and is the conventional ending for fairy tales that gives closure to the story by wrapping things up without complication. Typically, this is associated with everlasting love, as many fairytales end with what has long been associated with the ultimate life success - finding a romantic partner and starting a family.
There is one view that this is a bit of a lazy way to end any story, but as many fairytales are intended for children, it’s understandable. On top of this, the content and moral of the story is often more important than delivering a complex or thought-provoking ending.
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