- For one, the setting of "Once upon a time" or "far far away" helps the reader suspend their disbelief, they believe this is a tale which doesn't refer to any specific time or place and therefore may take place somewhere where talking animals, magic and princesses are the norm. Whereas if a fairy tale were to begin "Somewhere in Europe in the 1600's" then it would make it difficult for the reader to detach themselves from reality.
- Another reason why I believe fairy tales have vague settings is that this makes them universal to all cultures, time periods and morals. Fairy tales present us with a common ground of "a forest" or "a castle" and therefore whatever they aim to tell their audience cannot be narrowed down by cultural, historical or geographical boundaries, but can be applied to, and understood by, all.
- However in the same way, vague settings may be used to highlight that fairy tales are not real and that the belief systems and morals expressed within them aren't supposed to be mimicked by the 'real world' as they are unique to that land "far far away".
There you have it, why I think vague settings are used in fairy tales.
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