The characters invented in Russia are symbols of the childhood of each of us, while in different countries of the world they are perceived in a completely different way. For example, if in Russian mythology Baba Yaga is evil spirits, then among the Scandinavians a similar character is the goddess of the kingdom of the dead, Hel.
Female images: "my light, mirror, tell me ..."
Vasilisa the Wise, Elena the Beautiful, Mary the Artisan, the Frog Princess, the Snow Maiden, Alyonushka are female images that possessed not only stunning female logic, but also kindness, wisdom, beauty, sincerity. The brightest of them are:
1 A fragile, little girl, Santa Claus's helper is a favorite New Year's guest, a role model for naughty children. From the middle of the 19th century, the image of a little granddaughter was replaced by a young beauty, with an obligatory kokoshnik or a fur hat, the preferred headwear of Russian women.
No country in the world can boast such a magical and romantic biography as the Russian Snegurka. In Italy, this is the fairy Befana, an old woman with a hooked nose, who flies to the kids on a broomstick, giving gifts. A kind of "Santa Claus" in a skirt. The Mongols call their Snow Maiden Zazan Ohin, the girl Snow. The heroine, by tradition, makes riddles and gives gifts only after she hears the answer. In the USA, Santa has only deer from his assistants, but there is no Snow Maiden.
It is curious that if you try to translate the word Snow Maiden into English using the Google translator service, the result will always be different. Yesterday, the Snow Maiden was translated as "Snow - boy" (literally - a snow boy). Today, the Snegurochka in the database of the service is translated as Snow-maiden (Made of snow).
2 Masha, a restless companion of the Bear, a naughty character of a 3D cartoon breaking all records.
The green-eyed fidget is fluent in hand-to-hand combat, loves to be capricious and hooligan, asks questions that are difficult to answer. The prototype of the animated series was the folklore heroine of the Russian folk tale. Director O. Kuznetsov borrowed character traits from the hero of O. Henry's story "The Leader of the Redskins". The team of creators of the series does not adapt native Russian characters for broadcast in various countries.
3 baba yaga- a witch, the heroine of Slavic mythology, endowed with magical powers. A negative character lures good fellows into his hut on chicken legs, without fail gives the heroes a fairy-tale horse and a magical navigator of those times - a ball of thread. The Russian witch is not always friendly, but if you are gifted with eloquence, she can help.
4 Firebird, a fabulous bird that heals the sick and restores sight to the blind, is the sister of the Western European bird Phoenix, which knew how to revive from the ashes. The father of the two fiery heroines, most likely, was Peacock.
Each heroine is an individual, embodying good or evil, her actions and deeds are directly related to her character and mission.
Male images: “the heroes have not yet died out on the Russian land!”
The top of positive male images is no less colorful, vividly conveying the spirit of a Russian person. The main images are always antagonistic: in contrast to the beautiful, there is sure to be a bad one. Without which male images Russian fairy tales are inconceivable:
1 Father Frost.
In the Russian version - Morozko, Studenets, the mighty lord of the winter blizzard. The character, adored by the children, rides on a troika of horses, fetters reservoirs and rivers with the sound of a staff, sweeps cities and villages with cold breath. In the New Year, together with the Snow Maiden, she gives gifts. During Soviet times, Grandfather was dressed in a red coat, the color of the country's flag. The image of the popular Grandfather, who "wanders through the forests and meadows" is played in different ways in different countries: Santa Claus, Joulupuki, Jouluvana.
It is interesting:
According to the most conservative estimates of scientists, Santa Claus is more than 2000 years old. For two thousand years, Santa Claus has repeatedly appeared in different images. First - in the guise of the pagan god Zimnik: an old man of small stature, with white hair and a long gray beard, with an uncovered head, in warm white clothes and with an iron mace in his hands. And in the fourth century, Santa Claus was reminiscent of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, who lived in Asia Minor in the city of Patara.
Grandfather began to come to the house with gifts with the beginning of the celebration of the New Year in Rus'. Previously, he gave gifts to the obedient and smart, and beat the mischievous with a stick. But the years made Santa Claus more compassionate: he replaced the stick with a magic staff.
By the way, Santa Claus first appeared on the pages of books in 1840, when Vladimir Odoevsky's "Children's Tales of Grandpa Iriney" were published. In the book, the name and patronymic of the winter wizard, Moroz Ivanovich, became known.
In the twentieth century, Santa Claus almost disappeared. After the revolution, it was considered that celebrating Christmas is harmful for the people, because this is a real “priestly” holiday. However, in 1935, the disgrace was finally removed, and soon Father Frost and Snegurochka first appeared together for the Christmas tree holiday at the Moscow House of Unions.
2 Three heroes. Strong, courageous, cheerful heroes have long become a symbol of Russia, thanks to a series of full-length adventures by Alyosha Popovich, Dobrynya Nikitich and Ilya Muromets. In fact, the brave fellows never met in life, according to epics, they even lived in different centuries.
It is interesting:
In 2015, the 6th part of the saga, “Three Heroes: The Knight’s Move”, which was released on the screens, collected 962,961,596 rubles. Almost 1 billion rubles! Thus, the picture became the highest grossing animated film of the year. Although it all started modestly: the box office of the first part - "Alyosha Popovich and Tugarin the Serpent" (2004) - amounted to 48,376,440 rubles. Since then, fees have steadily increased.
3 Ivan the Fool(third son) - a character who embodies a special "magic strategy": the hero acts contrary to common sense and always succeeds! The fool perfectly solves riddles, defeats evil spirits and valiantly saves the main character.
Pinocchio, Crocodile Gena, Dr. Aibolit, Barmaley, Winnie the Pooh, Leopold the Cat and Matroskin the Cat are also some of the most popular and beloved heroes of Russian cinema, who rightfully occupy high positions in the rating of fairy-tale characters.
Undead: guardians of forests, swamps and houses
The largest group of Russian folk epic is made up of mythical creatures. Vodyanoy, Kikimora, Goblin, mermaids, Brownie, Baba Yaga are magical images that appeared along with inexplicable forces of nature. By their actions and character, these are more negative characters, but at the same time, they are charming and charismatic in modern films and cartoons, these include:
1 Koschei the Deathless. A character with supernatural powers. According to legend, this is an insidious old man who kills pets. The sorcerer often kidnaps the protagonist's bride in the hope of "mutual love".
It is interesting:
In Soviet cinema, Koshey was brilliantly played by actor Georgy Millyar. Basically, he played all sorts of evil spirits and had to put on complex makeup. But for the role of Koshchei the Immortal, makeup was practically not needed, since the actor himself resembled a living skeleton (after suffering from malaria, the actor's weight was only 45 kg).
Koschey the Immortal - Georgy Millyar - Article
Boyan is an epic poet and singer in East Slavic mythology.
Brownie
They say that the brownie still lives in every village hut, but not everyone knows about it. They call him grandfather, master, neighbor, homeowner, demon-horizon, but that's all he is - the keeper of the hearth, the invisible helper of the owners.
The brownie sees every little thing, tirelessly cares and fusses so that everything is in order and ready: he helps the hard worker, corrects his mistake; he is pleased with the offspring of domestic animals and birds; he does not tolerate unnecessary expenses and is angry with them - in a word, the brownie is inclined to work, thrifty and prudent. If he likes housing, then he serves this family, as if he went into bondage to her.
For this fidelity in other places they call him that: homemade.
But for the lazy and negligent, he willingly helps to run the economy, torments people to the point that he crushes at night almost to death or throws them out of bed. However, it is not difficult to reconcile with an angry brownie: one has only to put snuff, to which he is a great hunter, under the stove, or make any gift: a multi-colored rag, a crust of bread ... If the owners of their neighbor love, if they live in harmony with him, then they won’t want to part with it for no reason, even moving to a new house: they will scrape under the threshold, collect garbage in a scoop - and sprinkle it in a new hut, not noticing how the “owner” moves with this garbage to a new place of residence. Just do not forget to bring him a pot of porridge for a housewarming party and say with all possible respect: “Grandfather brownie, come home. Come live with us!"
A rare person can boast that he has seen a brownie. To do this, you need to put on a horse collar on Easter night, cover yourself with a harrow, teeth on yourself, and sit between the horses all night. If you are lucky, you will see an old man - small, like a stump, all covered with gray hair (even his palms are hairy), gray from antiquity and dust. Sometimes, in order to avert a curious gaze from himself, he will take on the appearance of the owner of the house - well, like a spitting image! In general, the brownie likes to wear the master's clothes, but always manages to put them back in place as soon as a person needs things.
Before the plague, fire and war, brownies come out of the village and howl in pastures. If there is a big unexpected disaster, grandfather announces its approach, ordering the dogs to dig holes in the yard and howl at the whole village ...
kikimora
Kikimora, shishimora - in East Slavic mythology, the evil spirit of the house, a little invisible woman (sometimes considered the wife of a brownie). At night, she worries small children, confuses yarn (she likes to spin or weave lace - the sounds of K. spinning in the house portend trouble): the owners can survive from the house; hostile to men. May harm pets, especially chickens. The main attributes (connection with yarn, damp places, darkness) Kikimora is similar to Mokush, an evil spirit that continues the image of the Slavic goddess Mokosha. The name “Kikimora” is a difficult word. the second part of which is the ancient name of the female character mara, pestilence.
Kikimora is a character known mainly in the Russian North. Appears in the form of a small, hunched, ugly old woman, dressed in rags, slovenly and eccentric. Her appearance in the house or in outbuildings (on the threshing floor, in the barn or bathhouse) was considered an unkind omen. It was believed that she settled in houses. built on an “unclean” place (on the boundary or where the suicide was buried). There is a legend that a Kikimora started up in a newly built house, which none of the residents saw, but a voice was constantly heard demanding that the household members who sat down to dine should leave the table: she threw naughty pillows and scared at night until then. until the whole family survived from the house (Vyatka province.).
Bannik
Bannik, baynik, baynik, bainushko, etc., Belarusian. laznik - among Russians and Belarusians, the spirit is an inhabitant of the bath. Lives behind a heater or under a shelf. It can be invisible (according to some beliefs, it has an invisibility cap) or is shown as a man with long hair, a naked old man covered with mud and leaves from brooms, a dog, cat, white hare, etc. There is a belief that BANNIK first appears in a bath after the woman in labor has been there. It is believed that BANNIK washes in a bath and he should leave water, soap and a broom, otherwise he splashes with boiling water, throws hot stones, and blows up. Entering the bath, it was customary to say: “Baptized on the shelves, unbaptized from the regiment” (Smolensk province.).
Anchutka
Anchutka is one of the most ancient names for the devil, the demon. Anchutkas are bath and field. Like any evil spirits, they instantly respond to the mention of their name. It's better to keep quiet about them, otherwise this fingerless, fingerless one will be right there. Anchutka is heelless because one day a wolf chased him and bit off his heel.
Bathing anchutes are shaggy, bald, frighten people with moans, darken their minds. But they are very good at changing their appearance - as, indeed, the rest of the undead. Field sprouts are very tiny and more peaceful. They live in every plant and are called according to their habitat: potato, hemp, flax, oat, wheat, horn, etc.
However, they say that the water also has its own anchutka - an assistant to the water or swamp. He is unusually ferocious and nasty. If a swimmer suddenly has a cramp, he should know that this is a water anchutka who grabbed him by the leg and wants to drag him to the bottom. That is why, since ancient times, every swimmer has been advised to carry a pin with him: after all, the evil spirit is afraid of iron to death.
Goblin
Goblin, forester, leshak, forest, forester, forester - the spirit of the forest in Slavic mythology. Goblin lives in every forest, especially loves spruce. He is dressed like a man - a red sash, the left half of the caftan is usually wrapped behind the right, and not vice versa, as everyone wears. The shoes are mixed up: the right bast shoe is put on the left foot, the left one is on the right. The goblin's eyes are green and burn like coals.
No matter how carefully he hides his impure origin, he fails to do this: if you look at him through the right ear of a horse, the goblin casts a bluish color, because his blood is blue. His eyebrows and eyelashes are not visible, he is short-eared (there is no right ear), the hair on his head is combed to the left.
The goblin can become a stump and a tussock, turn into an animal and a bird, he turns into a bear and a black grouse, a hare, and anyone, even a plant, because he is not only the spirit of the forest, but also his essence: he is overgrown with moss, sniffs, as if the forest is noisy, it is not only shown as spruce, but also spreads with moss-grass. Leshy differs from other spirits by special properties inherent in him alone: if he walks through the forest, then his height is equal to the tallest trees. But at the same time, going out for walks, fun and jokes to the forest edges, he walks there like a small blade of grass, below the grass, freely hiding under any berry leaf. But, in fact, he rarely goes out to the meadows, strictly observing the rights of a neighbor, called a field worker, or a field worker. The goblin does not enter the villages, so as not to quarrel with the brownies and b penniks - especially in those villages where completely black roosters sing, “two-eyed” dogs (with spots above their eyes in the form of second eyes) and three-haired cats live near the huts.
But in the forest, the goblin is a full and unlimited master: all animals and birds are under his control and obey him unrequitedly. Hares are especially subject to him. He has them on full serfdom, at least he even has the power to play them at cards to the neighboring devil. The herds of squirrels are not exempt from the same dependence, and if they, moving in innumerable hordes and forgetting all fear of man, run into big cities, and jump on roofs, break into chimneys and even jump into windows, then the matter is clear: it means , goblin with a whole artel were gambling and the defeated side drove the loss into the possession of a happy opponent.
Kikimora marsh
Kikimora - Evil swamp spirit in Slavic mythology. A close friend of the goblin is a swamp kikimora. Lives in a swamp. He likes to dress up in moss furs and weave forest and marsh plants into his hair. But she rarely shows herself to people, because she prefers to be invisible and only screams from the swamp in a loud voice. A little woman steals little children, drags careless travelers into a quagmire, where she can torture them to death.
Mermaid
In Slavic mythology, mermaids are a kind of mischievous evil spirits. They were drowned women, girls who died near a reservoir, or people bathing at inopportune times. Mermaids were sometimes identified with "mavki" - from the Old Slavonic "nav", dead man) - children who died without baptism or were strangled by their mothers.
The eyes of such mermaids burn with green fire. By their nature, they are nasty and evil creatures, they grab bathing people by the legs, pull them under water, or lure them from the shore, wrap their arms around them and drown them. There was a belief that the laughter of a mermaid could cause death (this makes them look like Irish banshees).
Some beliefs called mermaids the lower spirits of nature (for example, good “shores”), which have nothing to do with drowned people and willingly save drowning people.
swamps
Bolotnitsa (wilderness, shovel) is a drowned maiden living in a swamp. Her black hair is tossed over her bare shoulders and trimmed with sedge and forget-me-nots. Disheveled and unkempt, pale-faced with green eyes, always naked and ready to lure people to her only to, without any particular guilt, tickle to death and drown them in a quagmire. Swamplands can send crushing storms, heavy rains, destructive hail to the fields; steal threads, canvases and canvases from women who fell asleep without prayer.
Brodnitsa
Maidens - Beauties with long hair, guardians of the fords. They live together with beavers in quiet backwaters, correct and guard fords paved with brushwood. Before an enemy attack, wanderers imperceptibly destroy the ford, directing the enemy into a swamp or pool.
famously one-eyed
The spirit of evil, failure, a symbol of grief. There is no certainty about Likh's appearance - it is either a one-eyed giant, or a tall, thin woman with one eye in the middle of her forehead. Famously, they are often compared with the Cyclopes, although apart from one eye and high growth, they have nothing in common.
The proverb has come down to our time: “Do not wake Likho while it is quiet.” In the literal and allegorical sense, Likho meant trouble - it became attached to a person, sat on his neck (in some legends, the unfortunate man tried to drown Likho by throwing himself into the water and drowned himself) and prevented him from living.
Likh, however, could be disposed of - deceived, driven away by willpower, or, as it is occasionally mentioned, transferred to another person along with some kind of gift. According to very gloomy prejudices, Likho could come and devour you.
Ghoul
Ghouls are lower spirits, demonological beings. The "Word about idols" speaks of the ancient veneration of ghouls by the Slavs. In popular beliefs, these are evil, harmful spirits. Ghouls (like vampires) suck blood from people and animals. They were identified with the dead, coming out of the graves at night, watching and killing people and livestock. author of the encyclopedia Aleksandrova Anastasia
According to popular beliefs, people who died an "unnatural death" became ghouls - those who were forcibly killed, drunkards, suicides, etc., as well as sorcerers. It was believed that the earth does not accept such dead people and therefore they are forced to wander around the world and harm the living. Such dead people were buried outside the cemetery and away from housing. Such a grave was considered a dangerous and unclean place, it should have been bypassed, and if you had to pass by, you should have thrown some object on it: a chip, a stick, a stone, or just a handful of earth. In order for the ghoul not to leave the grave, he had to be "calmed down" - to dig out the corpse from the grave and pierce it with an aspen stake.
And in order for the deceased, who did not live his life, not to turn into a ghoul, his knee tendons were cut so that he could not walk. Sometimes coals were poured on the grave of the alleged ghoul or a pot of burning coals was placed.
Semik was considered a special day of obedience to the dead among the Eastern Slavs. On this day, all untimely deceased relatives were also commemorated: unbaptized children, girls who died before marriage. In addition, in Semik they took special measures against the pledged dead, who, according to legend, could harm a person. Aspen stakes or sharp metal objects were hammered into their graves.
In Semik, burials were arranged for those who, for one reason or another, remained unburied. They dug a common grave for them and buried them with a prayer service and a funeral service. It was believed that otherwise the pledged dead could take revenge on the living, sending them various disasters: drought, storm, thunderstorm or crop failure.
Baba Yaga
Baba Yaga (Yaga-Yaginishna, Yagibikha, Yagishna) is the oldest character in Slavic mythology.
Baba Yaga is a more dangerous creature, possessing much more power than some kind of witch. Most often, she lives in a dense forest, which has long inspired fear in people, since it was perceived as the border between the world of the dead and the living. It is not for nothing that her hut is surrounded by a palisade of human bones and skulls, and in many fairy tales Baba Yaga eats human flesh, and she herself is called “bone leg”.
Just like Koschey the Immortal (koshchey - bone), it belongs to two worlds at once: the world of the living and the world of the dead. Hence its almost limitless possibilities.
In fairy tales, she acts in three incarnations. Yaga-bogatyrsha has a sword-treasury and fights on equal terms with heroes. Yaga the kidnapper steals children, sometimes throwing them, already dead, on the roof of her native house, but most often taking them to her hut on chicken legs, or into an open field, or underground. From this outlandish hut, children, and adults, are saved by outwitting Yagibishna. And, finally, the Yaga-giver greets the hero or heroine affably, treats him deliciously, soars in the bathhouse, gives useful advice, gives a horse or rich gifts, for example, a magic ball leading to a wonderful goal, etc.
This old sorceress does not walk, but travels around the wide world in an iron mortar (that is, a scooter chariot), and when she walks, she forces the mortar to run faster, striking with an iron club or pestle. And so that, for reasons known to her, no traces could be seen, they are swept up after her by special ones, attached to the mortar with a broom and a broom. She is served by frogs, black cats, including Cat Bayun, crows and snakes: all creatures in which both threat and wisdom coexist.
Koschei the Immortal (Kashchei)
One of the old Slavic negative characters well known to us, usually represented as a thin, skeletal old man with a repulsive appearance. Aggressive, vindictive, greedy and stingy. It is difficult to say whether he was the personification of the external enemies of the Slavs, an evil spirit, a powerful wizard, or a unique kind of undead.
It is indisputable that Koschey owned very strong magic, shunned people and often engaged in the favorite thing for all the villains in the world - he kidnapped girls.
Dragon
Serpent Gorynych - in Russian epics and fairy tales, a representative of the evil inclination, a dragon with 3, 6, 9 or 12 heads. Associated with fire and water, flies through the sky, but at the same time correlates with the bottom - with a river, a hole, a cave where wealth is hidden from him, a stolen princess
Indrik is a beast
Indrik the Beast - in Russian legends “the father of all animals”, a character in the Pigeon Book. Indrik is a distorted name of the god Indra (variants “foreigner”, “inrok” may evoke an association with a unicorn, but INDRIK is described with two, not one horn). INDRIK was attributed the properties of other fantastic images of the medieval book tradition - the king of the waters, the opponents of the snake and the crocodile - the “onudra” (otter) and the ichneumon, the fabulous fish “endrop”.
According to Russian folklore, Indrik is an underground beast, “walks through the dungeon, like the sun in the sky”; he is endowed with the features of the owner of the water element, sources and wells. I. acts as an opponent of the snake.
Alkonost
Alkonost is a wonderful bird, a resident of Iriy - a Slavic paradise.
Her face is feminine, her body is birdlike, and her voice is sweet, like love itself. Hearing the singing of Alkonost with delight, he can forget everything in the world, but there is no evil from her to people, unlike her bird friend Sirin. Alkonost carries eggs "at the edge of the sea", but does not incubate them, but plunges them into the depths of the sea. At this time, the weather is calm for seven days - until the chicks hatch.
Iriy, Irye, Vyriy, Vyrey is a mythical country located on the warm sea in the west or southwest of the earth, where birds and snakes winter.
Gamayun
The Gamayun bird is the messenger of the Slavic gods, their herald. She sings divine hymns to people and proclaims the future to those who agree to listen to the secret.
In the old "Book of Cosmography" the map depicts a round plain of the earth, washed on all sides by a river-ocean. On the eastern side is marked “Makariysky Island, the first under the very east of the sun, near the blissful paradise; therefore it is so named because the birds of paradise Gamayun and Phoenix fly into this island and wear a wonderful fragrance. When Gamayun flies, a deadly storm comes from the east of the sun.
Gamayun knows everything in the world about the origin of the earth and sky, gods and heroes, people and monsters, animals and birds. According to ancient belief, the cry of the Gamayun bird portends happiness.
A. Remizov. Gamayun
One hunter tracked down a strange bird with the head of a beautiful maiden on the shore of the lake. She sat on a branch and held a scroll with inscriptions in her claws. It read: “You will go through the whole world with a lie, but you will not return back!”
The hunter crept closer and was already pulling on the bowstring, when the bird maiden turned her head and said:
How dare you, miserable mortal, raise a weapon against me, the prophetic bird Gamayun!
She looked into the hunter's eyes, and he immediately fell asleep. And he dreamed in a dream that he had saved two sisters from an angry boar - Truth and Falsehood. When asked what he wanted as a reward, the hunter replied:
I want to see the whole wide world. From end to end.
It's impossible, Truth said. - Light is boundless. In foreign lands you will sooner or later be killed or enslaved. Your wish is impossible.
It's possible, her sister objected. - But for this you must become my slave. And continue to live a lie: lie, deceive, prevaricate.
The hunter agreed. Many years later. Having seen the whole world, he returned to his native land. But no one recognized him or recognized him: it turns out that his entire native village fell into the cracked earth, and a deep lake appeared in this place.
The hunter walked along the shore of this lake for a long time, grieving for the loss. And suddenly I noticed on a branch the same scroll with ancient inscriptions. It read: “You will go through the whole world with a lie, but you will not return back!”
Thus the prophecy of the things of the Gamayun bird came true.
Sirin
Sirin is one of the birds of paradise, even its very name is consonant with the name of paradise: Iriy.
However, these are by no means bright Alkonost and Gamayun.
Sirin is a dark bird, a dark force, a messenger of the ruler of the underworld. From the head to the waist, Sirin is a woman of incomparable beauty, from the waist - a bird. Whoever listens to her voice forgets about everything in the world, but is soon doomed to troubles and misfortunes, and even dies, and there is no strength to make him not listen to Sirin's voice. And this voice is true bliss!
Firebird
Firebird - in Slavic mythology, a fire bird the size of a peacock. Her feathers shine with blue light, and her armpits crimson. author of the encyclopedia Aleksandrova Anastasia
You can easily get burned on her plumage. The fallen feather retains the properties of the plumage of the Firebird for a long time. It glows and gives warmth. And when the pen goes out, it turns into gold. The Firebird guards the fern flower.
A son, a spoiled prince and even a gray wolf. One of the most popular positive fairy-tale images is the hero, who has remarkable physical strength, stamina, courage and good nature. Ilya Muromets, Dobrynya Nikitich and Alyosha Popovich - heroes who were not afraid of the three-headed Serpent Gorynych, Nightingale - and combine a brilliant mind, ingenuity and cunning.
Often in Russian fairy tales there are also kind animals - a horse, a wolf or a dog, which symbolize intelligence, cunning, devotion and fidelity.
Another well-known fairy-tale hero is the collective image of a simple Russian guy Ivan. Ivan Tsarevich is always noble, brave and kind. He shows unprecedented heroism and kingdom from evil forces. Ivanushka the Fool is another favorite of the positive Russian folk - most often this is the son in the family, but the most talented and unique. He knows how to understand animals, and they willingly help Ivanushka fight evil.
The kindest fairy tale hero
Answer yourself the question "which hero is the most?" possible only by concretizing the purpose of good deeds. So, undoubtedly, one can call the kindest Ivanushka, who bravely goes against the dark forces, not thinking about his own well-being. True good, first of all, is determined by selflessness, since the hero, who performs noble deeds for the sake of profit, turns into a simple mercenary.
Traditionally good heroes in fairy tales help the world restore the natural balance of good and evil, preventing the antagonist from realizing his insidious plans.
Therefore, a real good deed can be performed only when the hero is guided solely by the breadth of his soul. Such characters are Morozko, Santa Claus, Vasilisa the Beautiful, Cinderella's fairy godmother and other heroes who do good for the sake of good, without expecting any reward in return.
Thus, it is possible to award the title of the kindest fairy-tale hero to each of these characters, since in the fight against evil it is not so much the skill that is important, but the intention, and the intention of each of them is undoubtedly the most noble.
Ilya Muromets can be called without exaggeration the most famous of the Russian epic heroes. Even the Russian who has never read epics or their prose retellings knows about this Russian hero at least from cartoons.
Researchers of Russian folklore know 53 epic heroic stories, and in 15 of them Ilya Muromets is the main character. All these epics belong to the Kyiv cycle associated with Vladimir the Red Sun - an idealized image of Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich.
The deeds of the epic hero
The beginning of the epic “biography” of Ilya Muromets is connected with the motif of belated maturation, which is very typical for an epic hero: for 33 years the hero has been sitting on the stove, unable to move either his arms or legs, but one day, three old men come to him - “passing kaliks”. In the publications of Soviet times, a clarification was “cut out” of epics who these people were, but tradition hints that they are Jesus Christ and the two apostles. The elders ask Ilya to bring them water - and the paralyzed man gets to his feet. Thus, even the hero's healing turns out to be connected with the readiness to do a good deed, albeit an insignificant one.
Having gained heroic strength, Ilya sets off to perform feats. It is noteworthy that neither Ilya Muromets nor other Russian heroes ever perform feats just for the sake of personal glory, as heroes of Western chivalric novels sometimes do. The deeds of Russian knights are always socially significant. This is the most famous feat of Ilya Muromets - the victory over the Nightingale the Robber, who killed travelers with his robber whistle. “You are full of tears and fathers and mothers, you are full of widows and young wives,” says the hero, killing the villain.
Another feat of the hero is the victory over Idolishche, who seized power in Constantinople. Idolishche is a collective image of nomadic enemies - Pechenegs or Polovtsians. These were pagan peoples, and it is no coincidence that Idolishche threatens to "put God's churches into smoke." Defeating this enemy, Ilya Muromets acts as a defender of the Christian faith.
The hero always appears as a defender of the common people. In "Ilya Muromets and Kalin-Tsar" Ilya refuses to fight, offended by the injustice of Prince Vladimir, and only when the prince's daughter asks the hero to do this for the sake of poor widows and small children, he agrees to fight.
Possible historical prototypes
No matter how fabulous the plots of epics about Ilya Muromets may seem, historians say: this is a real person. His relics rest in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, but originally the tomb was located in the aisle of St. Sophia of Kyiv - the main temple of Kievan Rus. Usually only princes were buried in this cathedral, even the boyars were not honored with such an honor, therefore, the merits of Ilya Muromets were exceptional. Researchers suggest that the hero died in 1203 during the raid of the Polovtsian troops on Kyiv.
Another version is offered by the historian A. Medyntseva, who tried to explain why the epic tradition connected the image of Ilya Muromets with Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich, who lived much earlier. Without denying the connection of the epic hero with the real-life Ilya Muromets, she points out that another source of the image could be the same person who served as the prototype for Dobrynya Nikitich. It was the uncle of Prince Vladimir
Fairy tale plays a significant role in human life. This is what he hears one of the first after birth; she also accompanies him in the next stages of growing up. Fairy tales are loved not only by children, but also by adults. Their deep philosophical meaning makes it possible to take a different look at ordinary things; understand the principles of good and evil; learn to believe in a miracle and not forget about your own role.
Moral values are transmitted through characteristic characters, each of which has its own folk prototype.
Hare
Runaway bunny, gray bunny, oblique - as soon as they don’t call the animal in Russian folk tales. He is endowed with a cowardly, but at the same time friendly character. Fairy hare has cunning, dexterity and resourcefulness. A striking example is the fairy tale "The Fox and the Hare", where a small animal turns from a cowardly animal into a savvy hero who managed to deceive even an evil wolf and help his friends.
In nature, hares do have cautious habits that help them avoid the teeth of predators. Our ancestors also knew this feature of the animal.
Fox
Cunning, dodgy, smart, insidious, vindictive ... What features are not given to the fox in fairy tales. She deceives animals, looks for profit everywhere, is not afraid of people. The fox is friends with the strong, but only for his own benefit.
Cunning is embodied in the image of an animal. A dishonest, thieving, but at the same time smart person can be considered a folk prototype. The fox is feared, despised and respected at the same time. This is evidenced by the appeal to her in fairy tales as Lisa Patrikeevna, Chanterelle-Sister.
Wolf
The wolf in Russian fairy tales embodies anger. He preys on weaker animals; is not always smart. The shortsightedness of the wolf is used by other characters. In the fairy tale "The Chanterelle Sister and the Gray Wolf" a formidable predator was deceived by a red cheat, and in "The Three Little Pigs"
harmless pigs could wrap him around their fingers.
Our ancestors also associated the wolf with death. Indeed, in nature, this predator is considered a kind of forest orderly who hunts weak and sick animals. And the human prototype of the wolf can be considered the one who is too evil, greedy and vengeful.
Bear
Fairy bear is the owner of the forest. He is strong, rude, clumsy and not exactly smart. It is believed that in the form of a bear, ordinary people wanted to show the landowners. Therefore, in fairy tales, this animal is often deceived by weaker animals, with which ordinary people are associated.
At the same time, in fairy tales you can also find another image of a bear: kind, calm, honest and freedom-loving. Suffice it to recall how the bear helped the lost girl Masha in the work of the same name.
Man (peasant)
The image of a man in fairy tales has a different meaning. In some works, he acts as the personification of the working people: he is somewhat rustic, he works all the time, does not put up with the injustice of rich owners. On the other hand, such traits as wisdom and cunning were embodied in the peasant. He is hardworking, not rich, but much more cunning and resourceful than the landlords and generals.
Baba Yaga
A hut on chicken legs, a black cat, a mortar and a broom are the main attributes of any fabulous Baba Yaga. This old woman is both evil (what her threats are worth) and kind (helps in difficult situations). She is wise, strong-willed, purposeful. It can be an adviser, or it can be a threat.
The image of Baba Yaga in Russian fairy tales is one of the most controversial and controversial. She personifies matriarchal traits. Our ancestors Baba Yaga was closely associated with the clan.
Koschei the Deathless
In fairy tales, his image can be seen in three guises: a sorcerer with special power, the king of the underworld and an old man who can be the husband of the Serpent or a friend of Baba Yaga. It has unusual abilities: it turns heroes into animals and birds. It can be defeated only thanks to certain rituals (with the help of a magic horse, club, burning). Despite his name, he is not immortal at all, because his death is on the tip of a needle (or, alternatively, in an egg), which are securely hidden.
The folk prototype of Koshchei is an imperious, evil, cunning and vile person, endowed with magical properties.
Ivan the Fool
Contrary to the ambiguous name, Ivan is not at all the personification of stupidity, even if he is called a fool in the work. In fairy tales, he is the youngest of the sons, who often does nothing, is lazy, but achieves a lot in life thanks to cunning and luck. This is a positive hero, embodying the features of what people would like to have. A kind of dream, where without much effort, by chance, everything succeeds: to become rich, and to marry a princess. Our ancestors in the image of Ivan the Fool wanted to show a lucky person.
Ivan Tsarevich
Unlike Ivan the Fool, who gets everything simply and effortlessly, Ivan Tsarevich must overcome many obstacles to achieve his goal, showing his strength, intelligence and skills. He becomes a prince not only by the fact of birth, which he does not even know about, but by merit. Like Ivan the Fool, he is most often the youngest of the brothers, only of royal blood.
kikimora
Kikimora in fairy tales can act as an ugly creature of indeterminate age (this is a girl, an old woman, and even a man). It is the personification of evil spirits. She tries to hide from people, but lives near residential buildings or in a swamp. Her job is to frighten and frighten.
The mythological meaning of kikimora among our ancestors is a person who passed away in an unrighteous way. Therefore, his soul does not find rest.
Water
The merman is the master of water. This is a half old man half a fish. Lives near mills, in a whirlpool and a polynya. Scares people and drags them to the bottom; breaks mills and drowns cattle. But the merman can be deceived, defeated by cunning.
Fairy tales form the thinking, fantasy and worldview of many generations. Fairy tales not only entertained us in childhood, but the actions of the heroes of Russian fairy tales taught us to distinguish between good and evil, to be brave and to do justice.
At the same time, in fairy tales, beliefs, views and ideas of the people are displayed at different times. In the course of its development, the tale has changed significantly, and its functions have also changed. If initially it was used for a magical incantatory purpose (to call for good luck on a hunt, to protect oneself from enemies or to ensure victory in battle), then over time, having lost its ritual significance, the tale acquired an aesthetic, educational or entertaining character.
Fairy-tale characters also remained conditional. They are types, not individuals, which means they are described in general terms, often idealized, exalted, exaggerated. The main images here are always antagonistic: one embodies the good, the beautiful; the other is evil forces. Hence - their characteristics - actions, deeds, intentions, language. According to their functions, the heroes of Russian fairy tales are conventionally divided into benefactors, evil-doers and the destitute.
The largest group of fairy folk epic is made up of magical, fantastic tales. The explanation of many motives and features of fairy-tale characters can only be found in comparison with ancient rituals, elements of the socio-religious way of life of the Proto-Slavs and ancient Eurasians. Let's try to analyze some of the most famous characters in Russian fairy tales.
Heroes of Russian fairy tales. baba yaga
Baba Yaga is a character in Slavic mythology and folklore. Usually an ugly old woman, endowed with magical powers and magic items. Often a witch, a sorceress. Most often - a negative character (lures children and good fellows into his hut on chicken legs to eat), but sometimes acts as an assistant to the hero. According to folklore specialist Vladimir Propp, three types of Baba Yaga can be distinguished in fairy tales: a donor (gives the main character a fairy-tale horse), a kidnapper and a warrior (fights with the main character “not for life, but for death”).
In modern ideas, Baba Yaga is the mistress of the forest and the guardian of the borders of the "other world" (far away kingdom). Therefore, she has a bone leg - to stand in the world of the dead. In many fairy tales, Baba Yaga drowns the bathhouse and evaporates the hero, performing the rite of ablution. Then he feeds him, that is, performs, as it were, a feast with him. And the female image of Baba Yaga itself is associated, according to researchers, with matriarchal ideas about the structure of the social world.
Heroes of Russian fairy tales. Water
In Slavic mythology - a spirit that lives in water, the owner of the waters, the embodiment of the element of water as a negative and dangerous principle. Appears before us in the form of a flabby old man, goggle-eyed, with a fish tail. He has a huge beard and mustache, sometimes - fish features, webbed paws and a horn on his head. Lives in whirlpools, whirlpools, but especially loves water mills. Therefore, the millers coaxed them in every possible way, and also buried a live black rooster or other security attributes under a log, where there would be a door to the mill. Often the Vodyanoy is associated with the sea king.
Heroes of Russian fairy tales. Firebird
A fairy bird is usually the goal of finding a fairy tale hero. The feathers of the firebird glow and amaze with their beauty. Lives in the Garden of Eden, in a golden cage. He feeds on golden apples, heals the sick with his singing and restores sight to the blind. At a deep mythological level, it is the personification of fire, light and the sun. Therefore, every year in the fall the Firebird dies, and is reborn in the spring. At the intercultural level, it has an analogue - the Phoenix bird, reborn from the ashes.
Heroes of Russian fairy tales. Dragon
A fire-breathing dragon with several heads, the personification of the evil inclination in fairy tales and epics. He usually lives in the mountains, near the fiery river and guards the Kalinov Bridge, through which they enter the kingdom of the dead. The number of heads of the Serpent-Gorynych is usually three (3, 6, 9 or 12). In fairy tales, the fire element is usually associated with the snake. The Serpent-Gorynych kidnaps girls (often princesses) to feast on. After that, the main characters come to him for a duel, first killing his baby vipers.
Heroes of Russian fairy tales. Ivan the Fool
A very popular image in mythology, which, when solving problems, is guided by its own, non-standard solutions, often contrary to common sense, but bringing success. The designation "fool" is interpreted in different ways. Some of the researchers consider this a talisman against the evil eye. According to another version, Ivan is called a fool, because usually in fairy tales he is the third son who is not entitled to a share of the parental inheritance (hence the ability to think outside the box, find a way out of difficult situations). Etymologically, the image of Ivan the Fool is associated with the image of a priest, because he can sing and play various instruments, and also speaks in riddles. At the end of the tales, Ivan the Fool receives wealth and the princess as his wife.
Heroes of Russian fairy tales. Cat Baiyun
A huge man-eating cat with a magical voice. On the one hand, he speaks and lulls travelers with his tales, on the other hand, his tales can heal. The very word "bayun" means "talker, narrator". In fairy tales, Kot Bayun sits on a high pillar at the distant lands in the distant kingdom or in a lifeless forest where there are no animals. In one of the tales, he lives with Baba Yaga.
Catching Bayun the Cat is usually a test for the protagonist, who catches him wearing an iron cap and iron gauntlets. But the caught Cat Bayun then serves at the royal court, heals the sick with his stories.
Heroes of Russian fairy tales. Kolobok
A fairy-tale character in the form of a spherical wheat bread that escapes from grandparents, from various animals, but is eventually eaten by a fox. This character clearly personifies the reverent attitude of the Slavic people to bread, and its sacred meaning. Namely, the round shape of Kolobok, which also rolls, which refers us to the cult of the sun.
Heroes of Russian fairy tales. Koschey (Kashchey) the Immortal
An evil sorcerer whose death is hidden in several nested magical animals and objects. “There is an island on the sea, on the ocean, on that island there is an oak, a chest is buried under the oak, a hare is in the chest, a duck is in the hare, an egg is in the duck, Koshchei’s death is in the egg.” Often kidnaps the bride of the protagonist. In appearance - a thin (Koschey - from the word "bone") a tall old man or a living skeleton. Sometimes on a talking and flying horse. A powerful sorcerer, which also allows priests to be called his prototypes.
Heroes of Russian fairy tales. Goblin
The master spirit of the forest in the mythology of the Slavs. His appearance is different, the breeds are even opposite in different fairy tales - either he is small in stature, then a giant, then an anthropomorphic creature, then he has an animal appearance. In any case, its otherworldly nature. The attitude of people towards him is also ambivalent. On the one hand, they are afraid of him, he can make a person go astray, sometimes plays pranks, can punish for inappropriate behavior in his domain. At the same time, it is Leshy who guards the forest, on which human life largely depends.
Heroes of Russian fairy tales. Miracle Yudo
The character of folk tales and epics, and even Proto-Slavic mythology. The positive or negative nature of the character is not clearly indicated, as well as his gender - in different eras he was both female, and male, and middle. Miracle Yudo is a character so ancient that researchers find it difficult to tie him to any phenomenon.
It can be a sea animal, a mythical serpent, a dragon. And in the author's fairy tale by Pyotr Ershov "The Little Humpbacked Horse" (1834) there is a Miracle-Yudo Fish-whale - a fish-island.
