Russian Fairytales
ivan the terrible
-1547 -first to name himself czar -seizes power, power thought to come from god, expanision of russia to make it a world power, renaissance never reached russia
peter the great
-1682 -brings reform that are modern/scientific -french modes of style in court -tax on beards
Max luthi
-1909-1991 -swiss literary theoriest specializing in folk tales -not writing specifically about russian fairy tales -european folk tale: form and nature -1947: german original
russian revolution
-1917 -october rev -land was mainly rural -indutrial rev changed all that and brought western ideas as well as communism yuck -empires defeat japan and bloody sunday showed how bad the czar-dom was so need for reform -at end of feb the provisional gov takes over -in october rev, lenin and the bolsheviks take over and establish soviet russia in 1922 -early ussr -perfecting society ideology -utopian vission turns into blood bath as stalin murders over 20 million ppl all his own ppl
the thaw
-1953 -stalin is dead af -less cruetly but same ambitions -period of stagnation -clampdown on freedoms - gerontocracy: stagnation in economy and arts -eventually results in collapse of ussr -erect a new leader who wants reform
era of vladimir putin
-1999 to present -handpicked successor -elected in 2000 -very popular -economy exploded increased by 72% -downsides: cronyism, deeply invested in returning russia to imperial ambitions, people have less freedom of speech, tandemocracy, -basically permanent ruler and switches off with someone during term limits
kievan Rus'
-882 -Russians trace ancestry back to this land -conquest and trade were big, 3 big trading routes -early ally was the Byzantine empire or eastern roman empire -Eastern Orthodox religion
depthlessness
-character lacks depth -ex: self-playing gusla: mourned and buried his father... then went to find his fortune
-emancipation of serfs
-continued to 20th century until abolished by Alexander the Great -gave serfs more freedoms and more than 23 million ppl liberated -wasnt that successful tho bc inflation struck, serfs mistrusted the reforms and forced off estates, lead to famine, lead to russian rev
domestic spirits: bannik
-the bathhouse (bruh imagine being the spirit of peoples shit) -if not given offerings could burn you or suffocate you, even burn down the bathroom
koshchey in visual culture
-the borders -cartoon like colors
nature spirits: poludnista
-the fields -beautiful maiden of the fields, dressed in white
nature spirits: polevoi
-the fields -fav time: noon, working at noon makes you sick -dust storm shape
natural spirits: leshii
-the forest -guardian of forests and beasts, capable of varied metamorphoses -woodcutters are victims
domestic spirits: kikimora/shishimora
-the home -female domestic spirit -will tangle a woman's needlework if not put away neatly
Domestic spirits: domovoi
-the home -mostly kind and helpful but can be mischievous to poor housekeepers -an oracle through touch -do not utter his name -the master/one/him
domestic spirits: ovinnik
-the threshing barn -if not placed by offerings of bliny could burn down barn or cause it to explode and destroy the entire homestead -most evil and dangerous spirit
nature spirits: vodianoi
-the waters -human form or half-fish/half-man -form pacts with millers and fisherman
nature spirits: rusalka
-the waters -souls of unbaptized or stillborn infants -interwoven images of beauty and treachery -associated with rusalnaia week
domestic spirits: dvorovoi
-the yard/stable/cattleyard -not as favorably disposed towards family and not widley respected -very mischievous
koshchey the deathless
-very old/unnaturally so, yet ageless -abducts young women, has the liddo of a much younger man -skinny, bony, scraggly haired -connected with nature -deathless yet not immortal he separated from his death -death is inside an egg inside a duck inside a hare inside a chest underneath an oak on an island in an ocean
traits of baba yaga
-very unnaturally old -ugly crone -cannibalistic -can help or hurt -extremely thin and frail but powerful -ambigious gender -mortar and pestle
abstract style
-way fairytales wash out details -only essential gets mentioned -ex: self-playing gusla: certain kingdom... -lack of name -no real conception of time
pagan deities: stribog
-wind/strom god -troublemaker -little knowns
pagan deities: simargl
-winged dog -guardian of seeds and new shoots -spring god -farming practices
the baptism of Rus'
-988 -prince vladimir the great -interviews people to see what religion everyone should go with -likes christianity the best and everyone must be baptized -paganism does remain however -rus' gradually declines until its absorbed by the mongols in an invasion in 1237 -results in split into russians, ukranians, and della russians, -moves russia into orbit of the east -tatar yoke: 1237 -these centuries left a scar and then after the decline ivan the terrible reigns
snow white and the fox
-Zhib byl: Once there was -One-dimentionality: talking animals -Abstract style: none -Depthlessness: none -Kontsovka: none -Trebling: bear, wolf, fox -a stupid bitch goes into the woods and cries. a bear, wolf, and fox come to help, but she only trusts the fox for some reason. they feed the fox after he returns the girl and then kick him out.
Koshchey the deathless
-Zhib byl: Once there was -One-dimentionality: yes, supernatural elements -Abstract style: one day the prince came to a certain town , they rode for a long time or a short time -Depthlessness: none -Kontsovka: i drank mead and wine... -Trebling: none -a king's son Ivan wants a bride. one day he goes into town and finds a man who owes money. he pays the man's debts. the guys name is bulat the brave. he decides to help ivan get a bride. he then kidnaps a maiden for ivan. there are several things that get in the way but the brave stops them from happening so ivan can keep his bride. koshchey the deathless wants to carry off ivans wife. he eventually gets her, then they have to find where his death is. it is on an island, under an oak, in a coffer, in a hare, in a duck, in an egg. they get help from animals and kill him. then the brave saves the maiden from being killed by all the things they said would kill her and ivan gets mad. he turns the brave to stone but then brings him back by slaying his children but they also come back.
Emelya the simpleton
-Zhib byl: Once there were -One-dimentionality: yes -Abstract style: none -Depthlessness: thus he got rid of them and ... none -Trebling: none -there a dumb dude who suposed to listen to his wise brother's wives. he layed on the stove all day. he given tasks but he so dumb cant do them. he is saved by a random person and gains the power to make anything happen by his command. then marries kings daughter. king doesnt like them so he puts them in a barrel. they get out and king then likes them and happily ever after.
Baba Yaga and the brave youth
-Zhib byl: Once upon a time -One-dimentionality: animals doing human things and talking -Abstract style: none -Depthlessness: Baga yaga saw her daughter roasted and is only trying to get the brave youth -Kontsovka: none -Trebling: three days -brave youth is left alone and warned by cat and sparrow not to say anything about baba yaga counting...but he did dis bitch. they save him but on the third day they cant. he gets caught and baba yagas daughters try to roast him. however he tricks them and eventually tricks baba yaga and kills her.
The Fox Physician
-Zhib byl: Once upon a time -One-dimentionality: magic cabbage, talking fox -Abstract style: old and old woman -Depthlessness: wife dies and he gets over it in same sentence -Kontsovka: none -Trebling: none -Man that has cabbage that grows and grows. then his wife dies and fox promises to fix her. however he just eats her
foma berennikov
-Zhib byl: Once upon a time -One-dimentionality: none -Abstract style: not rlly -Depthlessness: none -Kontsovka: thus not only mighty men have luck... -Trebling: none -same deal with ivan. he killed bugs and tells everyone he killed warriors. travels with ilya and aliosha popovich. there is a war going on between chinese and prussian king. they side with Prussian. the other two ppl slay down the attackers. foma basically tricks the chinese king and the war ends.he then marries the kings daughter
ivanushko the little fool
-Zhib byl: Once upon a time -One-dimentionality: none -Abstract style: old man and his old wife, some time passed, not much, not little -Depthlessness: none -Kontsovka: ivan had a well, in this well was a bell, and thats all I have to tell -Trebling: none -ivan the fool he another dumbo.he cant complete tasks so brothers try to kill him but he gets rescued by a man on a horse. then he steals the horses and kills his brothers
Baba yaga 2
-Zhib byl: Once upon a time -One-dimentionality: talking animals, baba yaga -Abstract style: there lived an old man and his wife, one day the father went away somewhere -Depthlessness: angry at his wife and shot her and then they began to prosper -Kontsovka: i was there and drank mead and beer, it ran down my mustache but it never got in my mouth -Trebling: none -girl is sent to forest by evil step-mom to get needle and sewing stuff from baba yaga trying to kill her. but she seeks help from an auntie who tells her what to do and she then gets help from things inside baba yagas house to escape.
Baba yaga
-Zhib byl: none -One-dimentionality: chicken hut, baba yaga, talking animals -Abstract style: certain peasant and his wife -Depthlessness: father gave his daughter to baba yaga and then left -Kontsovka: theres a tale for you and a crock of butter for me. -Trebling: -maiden not liked by her step-mom so shes taken into the woods to serve Baba Yaga. the girl ends up helping the mice and other animals so they protect her against baba yaga and help with tasks. then the daughter eventually returns everyone is in awe so they send the step-moms daughter to Baba Yaga but she isnt nice and is killed.
Maria Morevna
-Zhib byl: none -One-dimentionality: talking animals -Abstract style: in a certain kingdom, another year went by... -Depthlessness: none -Kontsovka: none -Trebling: three sisters maybe... -ivan walking with his three sis' in a garden they get taken one by one by suitors that are birds. 1) falcon, 2) eagle, 3) raven, then he goes off to find his wife...a bitch named maria. then koshchey the deathless steals her. then he tries to get her back 2x and then he thrown into the ocean. he rescued tho by the husbands. he gets a mighty steed from baba yaga to defeat koshchey. they save Maria and the end.
Frokla stay at home
-Zhib byl: there once was a king -One-dimentionality: there are dragons -Abstract style: none -Depthlessness: none -Kontsovka: when his cap is filled, I shall go on with my story, but now i am too tired -Trebling: three dragons -three daughters are taken by dragons. king sends frokla to go rescue them. he wins and gets the daughters.
prince ivan, the firebird, and the gray wolf
-Zhib byl: none -One-dimentionality: firebird -Abstract style: in a certain land in a certain kingdom, he rode for a short time or a long time -Depthlessness: mourns horse and then moves on quickly -Kontsovka: none -Trebling: three kingdoms -theres a king, vyslav. he got three sons. a firebird was stealing apples so he asked his sons to trap it. only prince ivan could get a feather. he leaves the kingdom and is going somewhere. his horse dies on a cliff and a wolf helps him across. then he climbs down the cliff to the firebird. he is not supposed to take the cage the firebird is in but he does and is trapped by anothr kingdom. the king of this kingdom will forgive ivan and give him the bird if he gets him a horse with a golden mane from the 13th kingdom. the wolf takes him but tells him not to take the golden birddle. guess what this bitch does.. yep he takes it and becomes tapped AGAIN. same thing happens but now ivan gotta go to the 10th kingdom and steal princess elena the fair. the wolf takes but this time makes him sit in the garden while he steals the princess. ivan falls in love with her so the wolf turns himself into a fake princess for king afron. then the wolf turns himself into the horse so ivan can keep the horse too. they trick king dolmat too. ivan gets his firebird and returns home. the wolf leaves. ivans brothers who are hella jealous kill ivan while he sleeps. they take the princess. then the wolf finds ivan and uses water of life to revive him. the king found out everything and put the brothers in the dungeon
the self playing gusla
-Zhib byl: none -One-dimentionality: magic instrument, dancing pigs -Abstract style: in a certain kingdom and certain land -Depthlessness: peasant who had a son, mourned his father...went to seek his fortune -Kontsovka: none -Trebling: none -boy is stealing vanka's turnups and says his grandpa will give much silver for the turnups. but you are supposed to ask for self playing gusla instead of money. uses self-playing gusla to earn king's daughter in marriage
Ilya Muromets and the dragon
-Zhib byl: none -One-dimentionality: magic water/holy man -Abstract style: in a certain kingdom in a certain land, rode for a long time or a short time -Depthlessness: none -Kontsovka: none -Trebling: none -couple prays for a child and they get a boy. but he did not move. a beggar comes but the boy cannot move to help. the holy man helps him walk. also gives him strength. theres a king he got a daughter, ilya wants to marry her. he must slay a dragon first. he then runs into baba yaga who doesnt hurt him but sends him to her sister with a letter. theres a robber nearby and will kill him with whistleing???? but ilya slays him enough to incapacitate him but not kill him and then take the robber with him in a sack. he then has the slay another dragon. ilya kills the dragon. then he marries the princess.
misery
-Zhib byl: none -One-dimentionality: misery is a person -Abstract style: in a certain village -Depthlessness: misery drowned..gets over it -Kontsovka: none -Trebling: none -two brothers one is rich (we finna get pregnant) and one is poor af. poor one asks if he can work for rich one so he can feed family. misery latches onto the poor man and drains him of all of his money. poor man tricks misery into a ditch. he found gold in the ditch and was now richer then his brother. then the rich brother lets misery out cause he jealous and has to trick him into a wheel and then throws him into the river
ivan the simpleton 2
-Zhib byl: none -One-dimentionality: none -Abstract style: in a certain land in a certain kingdom -Depthlessness: none -Kontsovka: i was at the wedding and drank mead... -Trebling: no -three sons one of whom is ivan the dumbo.they wouldnt let me curse here. anywaysss he kills a bunch of bugs and tells everyone that he killed a bunch of warriors. he leaves and befriends ilya and fydor. someone tries to approach him and he sends word to the king he is a mighty warrior and will take his daughter. ilya and fydor fight off all the armies. he called a hero to help but ivan killed him. so ivan marries the princess.
The fox as midwife
-Zhib byl: none -One-dimentionality: talking animals -Abstract style: after time -Depthlessness: none -Kontsovka: thats a tale for you and a crock of butter for me -Trebling: none -fox and a wolf have honey and the fox eats all of it. fox admits guilt eventually
vasilisa the beautiful
-Zhib byl: none -One-dimentionality: talking doll that also does work, baba yaga -Abstract style: in a certain kingdom, one day the merchant had to leave for a long time in order to trade in distant lands -Depthlessness: after the wifes death the king mourned as proper, then he began to think about marying again. -Kontsovka: none -Trebling: none --king has a daughter, vasilisa, she 12, mother is dead. she gets a doll from her mom. the doll tells the girl what to do when she is in trouble and helps her with her tasks. forced to go to baba yaga to get light. baba yaga will give her light after she works for her. she gives her hard tasks but the doll completes them. she gets her light. the girl is told to leave and brings back light. the skull holding the light burned the sisters and step mother. she was good. then a woman finds out the girl can loom but its actually her doll. anyways the tsar finds out and rewarded her with gifts for her linen. the tsar also marries her. -fixed epithet
know not
-Zhib byl: none -One-dimentionality: talking horse -Abstract style: in a certain village, not far, not near... -Depthlessness: none -Kontsovka: none -Trebling: none -another fool story. He asked his parents for money and then went into the city. he was vanishuka but couldnt remember his name so now this dude know not. smh. he goes to work instead of a wage he wants food and drink. he didn't work tho. he tore up a garden and then said he would fix it. king marries off all his daughters and the youngest chooses know not. then bc the king forgot to recall his messengers all the other suitors were mad af so they waged war. however know slayed them all. he pretends not to be the savior and then after three times of doing this he tells everyone its him.
ivan the peasants son and the thumb sized man
-Zhib byl: none -One-dimentionality: there are dragons and dreams are reality -Abstract style: in a certain kingdom, ivan was 12 so he took him into the palace until he was 15 -Depthlessness: none -Kontsovka: none -Trebling: none -one about the king having a dream bout a horse and he wanted the horse. ivan can tell him the meaning of his dream but must wait till he 15. he spent three years looking for a horse to hold his weight. somehow an old man tells him where he can find such a horse. some bitch ass cats try to stop him on his way back but he hears them so he can avoid their tricks. meets a man as big as a thumb with a mustache who says he will take his horse. he did. then ivan works on a boat for 3 years and then he can get his horse back. three brothers help him freezer, glutton, and the magician. ivan steals the kings daughter to give to the thumb man in exchange for the horse. the princess escapes by turning herself into a pin. Ivan then married this hoe.
Baba yaga Info
-ancient, bony hag -unnatural longevity
pagan dieities: mokosh
-damp earth mother -goddess of earth and fertility -the only female deity whom Vladimir honored with a statue -pagan conflated her with virgin mary -demythologization: assigning new meaning to practices or concepts from a prior belief system
Dvoeverie
-double faith or double belief -the simultaneous subscription to two different belief systems -paganism and christian beliefs -ex: yuletide/chirstmas -ex: shrovetide/mardi gras ( feast of indulgence, light produces light, gluttony produces abundance) -all holidays have to do with growth
the pagan background
-dvoeverie or double faith -farmers very concerned with fertility and bounty -peasant calendar: yuletide, shrovetide, trinity, ivan kupalo, harvest -kut'ia: a special porridge of whole grains and pork -rusalka is a female spirit they banish -im not reading the rest of this it boring af
byliny
-epic poems of legendary heros -called starina "old" by performers -rediscovered in mid-19th century -performers: byliny passed from royal courts to peasantry -performances were improvised -accomponied on gusLI
Ivan the fool
-favorite hero -fool is the worst and most worthless person -lowest rung on the social ladder -everyone despises the fool -lazy by nature -may be a drunkard -dirty -can cause harm to family or society -luck turns and becomes very successful -show that nothing depends on ones intellect -incapable of reason -god loves a fool -believes in a higher power -not a set path or journey
background on fairy tales
-folk fairy tales: oral, collective, gathered by folklorists, people were illiterate, authored collectively -literary fairy tales: individual authors -collectors of folk tales: charles Perrault (1628). Aleksandr Nikolaevich Afanas'ev (1826-1871): archivist and journalist, russian fairy tales- published 8 volumes from 1855-1867 but denounced for being too radical in 1862
content not suitable for children
-fox physician
pagan deities: khors
-god of sun
pagan deities: dazhbog
-god of sun -potentially another name for khors -known also for blessings
the snow maiden
-has a lot of detail -about a family that prays for a daughter and gets one made of snow -snegurchkla -she is very shy and quiet -she goes out eventually and meets this lel dude -another guy likes her Mizgir although he had a gf but breaks up with her -the angry gf tries to go to the tsar because she upset -she explains that he did propose but she refused and nothing happened between them -then lel comes by they hang and she turns back to snow -lacks folk fairy tale features/born in writing
pagan deities: perun
-head of the pantheon -god of war, lightning, and thunder
ilya muromet
-ideal russian hero -initially lame, healed by jesus or wise men -works on parents farm -goes to kiev and captures solovey the robber on route -defeats tatars and sometimes quarrels with vladimir
dobrynia nikitich
-known as a diplomat -skilled in speaking and uses this to get out of trouble
items of russian material folk culture
-kosha: food dish -lapti: shoes made out of peeled bark, derogatory connotations (you a broke bitch) -izba: house in the country -pech': BIG stove, can heat an entire home, has shelf area where ivan the fool likes to lie -bania: bathhouse
one dimensionality
-magic and reality occur in the same world -lack of shock -ex: fox physician: sky, stalk, fox
categories of folk culture
-material: food, costume work, architecture, crafts -customary: things ppl do, rituals, dances, games, holidays -verbal: tales, songs, riddles, jokes, anecdotes, urban legends
pagan deities: volos
-missing from list of gods who vladimir honored with statues but he important af -god of cattle, wealth, commerce, and the dead
koshchey further explained
-negative copy of hero -everything the hero is but wishes he was not -kinda like a bad version
explaining baba yagas features
-old: affilated with dark arts -nature: mortar and pestle (apothecaries made meds from herbs) -secrets/strategic disclosure: ambigous gender/helpful if treated properly/spoons for counting/ a hut on chicken legs
cycles of byliny : kievan epics
-quasi-historical and centered in Kiev (the capital of Rus') -feasts at royal court -bogatyrs (epic heros or knights) protect Rus' -lesiure time devoted to romance and hunting -vladimir grand: prince of Kiev frmo 980-1015 -the tatars: genhis khan, 1223: tatars appear and suddenly defeat Rus' and vanish, 1237-1240: tatars return and conquer Rus' who must pay tribute and provide military aid, 1240: kiev falls, 1380: Dmitri donskoi is victorious at kulikovo field
novgordian epics
-quasi-histroical -novgordo republic: independent city state, economic power in fur trade, merchants, travel to distant lands -novogrod merchants: sad: merchant and gusli payer, vasily buslaev: drunkard
Warner on fairy tales
-short narrative -familiar stories -oral tradition -exact identity unknown but familiar -reoccuring motifs -one-dimensional -depthless -abstract -sparse -heroic optimisim
aliosha popovich
-sometimes there for comic relief -uses wit and cleverness to get out of trouble
kontusovka
-standard ending -tacked on, not apart of action of story -tip for storyteller -ex: fox and the midwife
zhil byl
-standard opening -once upon a time -there once was
what are folk tales
-supernatural -oral -lingusitc imagination -symbolic meanings -short narraitves -highlighted by elements of wonder -part of folkoric tradition -created by familiarity of elements so recongizable
folklore
-supernatural elements -part of the system of belief and knowledge -passed down orally
folk fairy tales
-supernatural elements without magic no sauce -not part of a belief system except for young audience members -passed down orally
collapse of ussr
1991
Ilya muromets and nightingale the robber
EW
baba yaga name meanig
baba: -grandmother -peforative to women, characterless man, funeral feast -yaga: witch, horror/shudder/chill, evil, disease/illness, abuse
trebling
ex: fox as a midwife
cycles of byliny: mythological epics:
giant svyatogor, oldest kind, chronicle adventures of heroes/gods, powers are of importance
self playing gusla about
happy ending, magic, short
trappings
material objects or things that are associated with a particular figure
fox physican about
no happy ending
foxs midwife about
no happy ending
the european folktale: form and nature
one dimensionality: -includes beings that are other worldly depthlessness -characters are figures without substance, no psychological depth, no dimension of time/place abstract style: -only what is essential is mentioned,
bowdlerized
ppl who tried to come into a fairy tale after the fact and make it suitable for children, waters them down
