Heroes of Russian folk tales from literature. Heroes of Russian folk tales - a detailed description: collective images and individual characteristics
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- 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. Folk prototype can be considered dishonest, thieving, but at the same time smart person. 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 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, a king underworld and an old man who may 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. Some kind of dream where without special efforts, by chance, everything works out: to become rich, and to take a princess as a wife. 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.
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Russian folk tales with their amazing heroes familiar to all of us from an early age.
Russian folk tales are the most beloved and popular genre of Russian folklore and acquaint readers with the history and culture of their ancestors. Russian folk tales- it's a treasure trove folk wisdom. In their entertaining, fascinating form, they contain a deep instructive meaning. Thanks to Russian folk tale, children open the world, get acquainted with the concepts of honor and conscience, on the example of the relationship of fairy-tale characters, they learn goodness and justice.
Russian nationalFairy tales can be divided into three types: magical, about animals, and everyday, satirical. All of them came to us from those distant times when everyone natural phenomena and things were given a magical, sacred explanation. Therefore, many mythological heroes, such as Vodyanoy, Kikimora Bolotnaya, Goblin, mermaids and brownies are associated with the elemental forces of nature and pagan beliefs.
Main hero in Russian folk fairy tale usually combined noble human qualities: such as courage, honesty, fearlessness, mercy and integrity. Ivan Tsarevich, heroes, peasant son Ivan is a fool, Emelya, they all went through trials and tribulations, and in the end Russian folkfairy tales evil forces were victorious. Often, the positive hero was accompanied by assistants, a gray wolf, symbolizing intelligence and cunning, or a horse, personifying devotion and loyalty.
Women's images that meet in fairy tales also possessed kindness, a bright mind, wisdom and tenderness. Vasilisa the Wise, Elena the Beautiful, Marya the Tsarevna, the Snow Maiden were endowed not only with very beautiful appearance but with a pure soul.
positive heroesRussian folk tales, as a rule, dark forces, mysterious and insidious characters opposed. Baba Yaga, Koschey the Immortal, the Serpent Gorynych, the Nightingale the Robber are the most popular fairy-tale villains who harmed people, knew how to conjure and expressed the people's idea of cruelty and greed.
Heroes of Russian folk tales often there were animals and birds that lived and acted like people. In each fairy tale with animals, human types are allegorically described, with their different characters and vices. These fairy-tale characters are numerous - a bear, a wolf, a hare, a goat, a rooster, a chicken, a cat, a pig, a crane and a heron, and, of course, a cunning fox who met in Russian fairy tales more often than anyone else.
Russian folk tales are so unique in their poetry and content, so vividly convey the spirit of the Russian people, that over time, interest in them does not decrease. Though more modern language, fairy tales continue to be told in families and filmed by cartoonists, making children and adults laugh and empathize with their heroes.
Ivan the Fool
Ivan the Fool, or Ivanushka the Fool - one of the main characters Russian folk tales. According to some versions, the name with the epithet fool is a name-amulet that prevents the evil eye. It embodies a special fabulous strategy that does not proceed from the standard postulates of practical reason, but is based on the search for one's own solutions, often contrary to common sense, but, ultimately, bringing success.
According to other versions, "fool" is his property status. Since he is the third son, he is not entitled to a share in the inheritance (remains in the cold). As a rule, his social status is low - a peasant son or the son of an old man with an old woman. He was often the third in the family, younger son. Not married.
With the help of magical means, and especially thanks to his "not mind", Ivan the Fool successfully passes all the tests and reaches the highest values: he defeats the enemy, marries the king's daughter, receives both wealth and fame ... Perhaps Ivan the Fool achieves all this thanks to that he embodies the first (according to J. Dumézil) magical-legal function, connected not so much with the deed as with the word, with priestly duties.
Ivan the Fool is the only one of the brothers who speaks in a fairy tale. Ivan the Fool makes and guesses riddles, that is, he does what a priest does in many traditions during a ritual dedicated to the main annual holiday.
Emelya
Emelya is a character in the Russian folk tale "After pike command". Emelya's family is not allowed to take on serious matters. He is extremely lazy: daughters-in-law have to beg him for a long time to fulfill any, even 
an easy job. The only thing that can spur him to action is the promise of gifts, for which he is greedy. This is the hidden, at first glance imperceptible irony, the name Emelyan, according to one version, in Latin means "hardworking". However, this seemingly unattractive character has qualities that make him a real hero: he is dexterous and lucky, he managed to catch a magic pike in an ice hole with his bare hands and get magical power from it (the pike becomes the “magic helper” of the village fool).
First, Emelya uses the acquired gift for domestic purposes - she makes buckets go for water, an ax - to chop wood, a club - to beat enemies. In addition, he moves on a self-propelled sleigh without a horse, and later manages the stove (because he does not want to leave his favorite couch). Riding on the stove is one of the brightest episodes of the fairy tale. Interestingly, by managing vehicles, Emelya mercilessly crushes people (“Why did they climb under the sled?”). There is an opinion among folklorists that this detail indicates the royal nature of Emelya, who for the time being remains a “dark horse”, and subsequently reveals his heroic, extraordinary essence.
Baba Yaga
Baba Yaga - character Slavic mythology and folklore (especially fairy tales) of the Slavic peoples, an old sorceress, endowed with magic power, witch, werewolf. By its properties, it is closest to a witch. More often - negative character.
Baba Yaga has several stable attributes: she knows how to conjure, fly in a mortar, lives in the forest, in a hut on chicken legs, surrounded by a fence of human bones with skulls. Baba Yaga has the ability to decrease in size - thus, she moves in a mortar. She beckons good fellows and small children and roasts them in the oven. She pursues her victims in a mortar, driving her with a pestle and sweeping the trail with a broom (broom). There are three types of Baba Yaga: a donor (she gives the hero a fairy-tale horse or a magical item); kidnapper of children; Baba Yaga is a warrior, fighting with whom "not for life, but for death", the hero of the fairy tale moves to a different level of maturity.
Koschey (Kashchey)
Koschei is associated with the element of water: water gives Koschei supernatural power. After drinking three buckets of water brought to him by Ivan Tsarevich, Koschey breaks 12 chains and is freed from Marya Morevna's dungeon.
Koshchei the Immortal was represented as a skeleton crowned with a sword, sitting on a skeleton horse, and they called Koshchei Kostya the Soulless. He, according to legend, sowed quarrels and anger, and his horse personified the death of all livestock. She spread a variety of diseases that killed domestic animals.
In tex Russian folk tales Koshchei's enemy is Baba Yaga, who tells the protagonist information on how to kill him, but sometimes they are at the same time. Koshchei has many enemies, but few of them survived the meeting with him.
The word "koshchei" in the XII century meant a slave, a captive.
Dragon
Serpent Gorynych - a multi-headed fire-breathing dragon, a representative of the evil inclination in Russian folk tales and epics.
The many-headed snake is its indispensable feature. IN different fairy tales the number of heads of the serpent varies: there are 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 12. Most often, the serpent appears as three-headed. In most cases, the snake has the ability to fly, but, as a rule, nothing is said about its wings. The body of a snake is not described in fairy tales, however, in popular prints depicting a snake, the favorite details are a long tail - an arrow and clawed paws. Another important feature of the snake is its fiery nature, however, fairy tales do not describe exactly how fire erupts. Serpent fire carries within itself and spews it out in the event of an attack. In addition to the fire element, the serpent is also associated with the water element, and these two elements do not exclude each other. In some fairy tales, he lives in the water, sleeps on a stone in the sea. At the same time, the snake is also the Serpent Gorynych and lives in the mountains. However, such a location does not prevent him from being a sea monster. In some tales, he lives in the mountains, but when the hero approaches him, he comes out of the water.
Firebird
The Firebird is a fabulous bird, a character in Russian fairy tales, usually the goal of finding a fairy tale hero. The feathers of the firebird have the ability to shine and with their brilliance amaze the human eye. The Firebird is a fiery bird, its feathers shine with silver and gold, its wings are like flames, and its eyes glow like crystal. It is about the size of a peacock.
The Firebird lives in the Garden of Eden of Iria, in a golden cage. At night, it flies out of it and illuminates the garden with itself as brightly as thousands of lit fires: heat is a bird as the personification of fire, light, sun. She feeds on golden apples, which give youth, beauty and immortality; when she sings, pearls fall from her beak.
The singing of the firebird heals the sick and restores sight to the blind. Leaving aside arbitrary mythological explanations, one can compare the firebird with medieval stories, very popular in both Russian and Western European literature, about the Phoenix bird reborn from the ashes. The prototype of the Firebird is a peacock. Rejuvenating apples, in turn, can be compared with the fruits of the pomegranate tree, a favorite delicacy of Phoenixes.
Every year, in the fall, the Firebird dies and is reborn in the spring. Sometimes you can find a dropped feather from the tail of the Firebird, brought into a dark room, it will replace the richest lighting. Over time, such a pen turns into gold. To catch the Firebird, they use a golden cage with apples inside as a trap. You can’t catch it with your bare hands, as you can get burned on its plumage.
Father Frost
Grandfather Frost (Dedko Morozko) is a character of Russian legends, in Slavic mythology - the personification of winter frosts, a blacksmith who binds water; in modern times - the main fairy-tale character at the New Year's holiday, a local version of the Christmas giver.
Frost (Morozko, Treskun, Studenets) is a Slavic mythological character, the lord of the winter cold. The ancient Slavs represented him as a short old man with a long gray beard. His breath is a strong chill. His tears are icicles. Hoarfrost - frozen words. Hair is snow clouds. Frost's wife is Winter itself. In winter, Frost runs through the fields, forests, streets and knocks with his staff. From this knock, crackling frosts fetter rivers, streams, puddles with ice.
Often depicted in a blue or red coat with a long white beard and a staff in his hand, in felt boots. He rides on three horses. Inseparable from his granddaughter, the Snow Maiden.
Initially, he had only blue (mostly) and white fur coats in his wardrobe, but in the middle of the 20th century he was dressed in a red fur coat. The change in the color of the costume played two roles: on the one hand, the red color was the national color of the USSR, on the other hand, the red color echoed the color of Santa Claus's coat, which was popular in Europe.
Snow Maiden
Snow Maiden - new year character Russian legends, granddaughter of Santa Claus. However, among the Slavs, the Snow Maiden was considered the daughter of Frost and Spring.
The image of the Snow Maiden is unique for Russian culture. In the New Year and Christmas mythology of other peoples of the world there are no female characters. In Russian folklore, she appears as a character in a folk tale about a girl made of snow who came to life.
We invite you to familiarize yourself with the characteristics of fairy-tale characters, who are the characters of fairy tales beloved by your children, and maybe by you. They will help you more specifically choose certain fairy tales for your children for corrective purposes. Perhaps you will learn something new and interesting ... Or perhaps you will not agree with something. But getting to know the characteristics of the characters will help you in choosing the hero of your own fairy tales for your baby, as well as for general awareness.
Cinderella lives in the kitchen near the stove and sleeps in a chest of ashes. Ash (ash) represents the essence of what is burned. Fire is a symbol of destruction, purification and transformation. Cinderella lives next to the fire, which transfers its power to her, and she, in turn, helps her survive adversity and suffering. Like a fire that turns water into steam, Cinderella recycles, burns through humiliation, resentment and pain, turning them into pure love. You need to have a warm heart so as not to become embittered and not to harden your soul when you are insulted, humiliated and hated.
Princess Frog
The amphibious frog and Vasilisa the Beautiful are one and the same creature: animal and earthly forces are merged into one. Incredible and wonderful possibilities lurk in every person. Merging with the image of the beautiful Vasilisa, you feel omnipotent, harmonious and joyful. the frog, turning into a beauty, realizes its potential, given from birth.
sleeping Beauty
During the time of the Sleeping Beauty, a person perceived and realized the world around him differently. Consciousness never stands still, it develops, and intuitive perception should have been replaced by logical thinking. The spindle is a symbol of spinning. And the processes of spinning and thinking are initially related. Until now, there are expressions "I lost the thread of reasoning", "I pulled the thread and remembered everything." “Spinning” in figurative language means to build thoughts, create a logical chain.
The princess who is cursed evil fairy pricks on the spindle and dies (falls asleep), is not ready to easily and quickly switch to a different type of thinking. And she falls into a dream to accept this process at an unconscious level.
The Snow Queen
A woman made of ice… Ice is frozen crystallized water. The Ice Queen symbolizes frozen feelings and emotions, a stopped movement. To admire ice crystals, the regularity of lines, the geometry of space and time and not feel the tenderness of a flower, the warmth of the sun, the softness of the touch of your beloved hands means to live with a cold, frozen heart. The Snow Queen and her ice castle are, on a psychological level, detachment, insensitivity, firmness, determination, icy calmness, composure, self-control. Are these qualities really that bad? Aren't there situations in life when we need to be cool, balanced and calm? Anything in excess is just bad. And even the most beautiful in large numbers tires. And when the mind and feelings are in harmony - what could be better?
The image of the Snow Queen is very useful for children (adults) weak and weak-willed, insecure and timid, vulnerable and soft: it will give them strength, firmness, self-confidence, stamina in the face of difficulties. The image of the Snow Queen will also help those who are overly excitable, temperamental and hot: it will cool down excessive ardor, balance and calm.
Mermaid
The little mermaid is a child of the element of water and symbolizes the emotional and sensual world. The Little Mermaid's longing to experience earthly love and to spend one's life not in the expanses of water, but on solid land, can be associated with the fact that the intangible and invisible seeks to take shape. But life on earth is associated with the Little Mermaid with great pain. It is probably no coincidence that the heroine never managed to fulfill her dream - to become the beloved and wife of the prince. It would seem that the Little Mermaid deserved her happiness, but did not receive it.
IN similar cases you can invite children to compose their own fairy tale and change its end. The technique of changing fairy tales allows you to look at the world around you more optimistically and joyfully. This is especially important for sad, indecisive, inhibited and weakened children.
hostess copper mountain
This woman is unusually beautiful, balanced and strong. A stone woman, however, is capable of crying, and fair, and compassionate. So why even kind people Doesn't she bring joy? Maybe it's not the Mistress of the Copper Mountain, but the person himself, who goes out to fight a stronger one, but is not able to withstand the fight? Gemstones are a symbol of wealth and power. How many are capable of possessing treasures and not being attached to them, not falling into dependence? The image of the Mistress of the Copper Mountain allows you to feel strong and powerful in a good way, fair and at the same time ruthless, powerful and rich.
A light, airy creature endowed with magical powers. Messenger of fate, witch, sorceress - her other names. fairy is beautiful star creature, a kind of intermediary between the Cosmos and the Earth, the world of people. The fairy is inextricably linked with the light penetrating any space. To feel like a fairy means to unshakably believe in yourself, in the power of your thought; experience the state of a wizard for whom nothing is impossible.
It got its name from the verb "know" - to know. Her other titles are witch, knowledgeable, knowledgeable, soothsayer. A witch is first and foremost a sorceress, a sorceress. She easily commands the diverse forces of nature and any creatures. Unlike a fairy and a good sorceress, a witch uses her powers to the detriment of a person or creature, demands a considerable payment for services, rejoices when she feels good, radiates anger, envy, tension and brute force (the force of a hurricane, whirlwind, earthquake).
One of the witches The ancient Slavs in Rus' called her the infernal goddess, a terrible goddess who destroys the bodies and souls of people. Baba Yaga is a powerful sorceress, and her hut on chicken legs is something like a passage, a kind of bridge between the world of the living and the kingdom of the dead. Only a brave hero, able to overcome the fear of death, can resist Baba Yaga. To incarnate in Baba Yaga, to live her image means to feel the power, crushing power and the absence of fear of death.
Koschei the Deathless
Belongs to the world of the dead. Why is he called immortal? Koschey the Immortal consists of only bones. bones are the hardest, strongest, toughest tissue in the human body, capable of withstanding enormous loads. Bones under certain conditions do not rot and do not decompose, they are hardly combustible.
Koschey the Immortal symbolizes complete insensitivity and lack of spirituality, rigidity, stereotyping, narrow-mindedness and inertia. At the same time, the image of Koshchei the Immortal helps to gain firmness of mind, fearlessness, unshakable self-confidence, determination and strength.
King (king)
Governs the state, in his subordination great amount of people. On a symbolic level, the king means some dominant higher mental center. To be in a royal state is to feel the unification of all parts of the Self. To feel like a king means to control your thoughts, emotions, states, to feel responsible for everything that happens in your “kingdom”.
The highest regulatory center is responsible and manages. However, unlike the king, she symbolizes female emotions and feelings.
A beautiful sign of beauty and flourishing vitality. To better understand the symbolism of a particular flower, describe it for yourself with 3-5 adjectives. These adjectives will mean the state of your soul that you see in a flower. If, for example, we take the “Scarlet Flower”, then we would like to describe it with such adjectives: beautiful, burning, flaming, scarlet. Isn't it associated with the heart, love? The desire of the merchant's daughter to find The Scarlet Flower- this is the desire for love, passion, self-giving, heartfelt affection.
Symbol of freedom. Living in the state of a bird, you can get rid of heavy attachments to desires, feel the state of independence, lightness, airiness and flight.
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A simple yet mysterious bird. Crows are endowed with mystical power and the ability to penetrate the supernatural worlds, including the afterlife. Crows are smart and wise birds. Having reincarnated as a crow, it becomes possible to look at the world with different eyes, to see the deep and mysterious spheres of life, to explore dark side your soul and touch the inner wisdom.
Martin
A beautiful swift-winged bird is a symbol of spring and renewal, a symbol of new life. It is no coincidence that it was the swallow that carried Thumbelina to new world in which the girl found a home, her prince and happiness. To take care of a swallow, as Thumbelina did, means to prepare for changes, for a state of spring, joy, happiness.
The white swan symbolizes beautiful and pure thoughts. The swan is a sign of greatness, beauty and grace.
Owl (owl)
Predatory night bird, perfectly seeing in the dark. It symbolizes the unknown and darkness. Unknown dark spaces usually they intimidate, and therefore people are always afraid of the owl (owl). But no wonder the owl (owl) is considered a symbol of wisdom. It is his fearless perception of the dark and mysterious side of life that gives depth and wisdom. Owl (owl) is a symbol of transformation, the transition of negative dark states into a calm and harmonious perception of life.
A beast of prey, strong, smart and careful. Sometimes he is endowed with traits such as cruelty, ferocity, gluttony and greed. Wolves have a strong sense of family, pack. They are caring parents and partners who feel great about each other. In some fairy tales, the wolf is a bloodthirsty, ferocious and merciless monster, while in others, in particular in Mowgli, it is a caring, attentive and even noble parent. Therefore, the wolf can symbolize different states of the soul.
In Russian fairy tales, it usually appears as an independent intelligent and resourceful creature, able to easily defend itself and repel any beast. Its needles symbolize caution, inaccessibility, closeness, fear of pain and the need for protection.
The hare is considered a symbol of fear, weakness, as well as boasting, unjustified self-confidence. And in many fairy tales, he is really presented that way. However, in the fairy tale "Hare Koska and Rodnichok" other sides of the hare's nature are shown: curiosity, playfulness, patience and courage.
An ambiguous and deep image, they are afraid of her, deceit and meanness are associated with her. Biblical motifs characterize the snake as a seducer and tempter. The snake has the ability to change its skin frequently, and by this it symbolizes rebirth and renewal. different snakes symbolize different things: a boa constrictor, for example, can symbolize a huge suffocating compressive power and strength, and a viper - perhaps cunning and meanness.
It belongs to the category of amphibious animals and feels equally good in water and on land. It is subject to both the emotional-sensory world and the material-objective one. In different fairy tales we see different images of frogs. in the fairy tale "The Traveling Frog" curiosity, the desire for change, boasting and pomposity come to the fore; in the fairy tale "The Frog Princess" - the nobility, hiding behind the seeming outward ugliness.
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When interpreting the image of a bear, one should take into account its dual nature. On the one hand, the bear is considered a clumsy, clumsy, heavy creature, on the other hand, the bear is unusually agile and fast. The bear represents cruelty, rudeness, evil power, and at the same time its image is associated with good nature and protection. In the fairy tale "Mowgli" the bear is a symbol of teacher's wisdom, attention, nobility and protection.
Clever, courageous, fearless, cunning, possesses seductive grace and flexibility, noiselessness, patience, sometimes ruthlessness. The image of a panther will help balance the existing qualities, give strength, firmness, sobriety, determination and courage.
Many different expressions are associated with the image of a fish: to be silent like a fish, to beat like a fish on ice, like a fish in water ... each of these expressions describes certain actions of a person. The image of a fish is often associated with the “emergence” of deep psychic unconscious information. You can also talk about such character traits as coldness and impassivity. Sometimes the fish symbolizes slipperiness, when the person with whom we communicate deftly moves away from desired topic, avoids critical moments or situations.
Known for its ability to shed its tail in times of danger and grow a new one over time. Therefore, it is considered a symbol of renewal, reincarnation, resourcefulness and vitality. Perhaps, thanks to the fairy tales of Bazhov, or perhaps for another reason, the habitats of lizards are associated with deposits precious stones, gold or treasures. And that is why lizards are considered a symbol of wealth, material gain or reward.
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!"
rare person can boast that he saw 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 mokusha, evil spirit, continuing the image of the Slavic goddess Mokosh. The name “Kikimora” is a difficult word. the second part of which is the ancient name female character mars, seas.
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 person with long hair, a naked old man covered with mud and leaves from brooms, a dog, a cat, a white hare, etc. There is a belief that BANNIK first appears in a bath after a 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 is advised to have a pin with him: after all devilry scared to death of iron.
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 most tall 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 them to death and drown them in a quagmire. Swamps can send crushing storms to the fields, heavy rains, destructive hail; steal threads, canvases and canvases from women who fell asleep without prayer.
Brodnitsa
Maidens - Beauties with long hair, guardians of the fords. They live with beavers in backwaters, correct and guard the 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 saying 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 creatures. The "Word about idols" speaks of the ancient veneration of ghouls by the Slavs. IN folk performances 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. dug for them common grave and buried 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 it operates in three incarnations. Yaga-bogatyrsha has a sword-treasury and fights on equal terms with heroes. Yaga kidnapper steals children, sometimes abandoning them, already dead, on the roof of his native house, but most often taking him to his 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. Frogs serve her, black cats, including cat Baiyun, crows and snakes: all creatures in which 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's hard to tell if he was a personification external enemies Slavs, an evil spirit, a powerful wizard, or a unique variety of undead.
It is undeniable that Koschey owned a 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 medieval book tradition - the king of the waters, opponents of the snake and crocodile - "onudra" (otter) and ichneumon, 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 all White light. 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 and did not recognize him: it turns out that his entire native village fell into the open ground, 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 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, dark force, the messenger of the ruler of the underworld. From head to waist Sirin is a woman incomparable beauty, from the belt - 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. Dropped feather yet for a long time preserves the properties of the plumage of the Firebird. It glows and gives warmth. And when the pen goes out, it turns into gold. The Firebird guards the fern flower.
All of us were once small, and we all read Russian fairy tales. Reading these tales, we had a figurative idea of all the characters, about Vodyany, Baba Yaga, Koschey the Immortal, Ivan Tsarevich, Alyonushka, Varvara Kras, and many more. Fairy tales taught us to recognize good and evil. In each hero of the tale, one can distinguish between good and bad traits. And each main character contains a certain meaning. For example:
1. Ivan Tsarevich is one of the main characters of Russian folk tales. Usually in a fairy tale, he is shown as a positive hero. His characteristic qualities are kindness, honesty and nobility. In every fairy tale, Ivan helps people, saves the princess or defeats the enemy. Ivan teaches every person to listen to their heart, and if something bad happens, do not lose heart.
2. A frequently mentioned hero in fairy tales is the Snow Maiden. She is shown to readers as a tender, vulnerable, pure soul. The Snow Maiden embodies all the most best qualities that every woman should have. The Snow Maiden always has an unusual beauty in fairy tales. She teaches us that everything that is not done from the heart will not succeed, and also that we should not stop at any difficulties. If you want something, you need to strive for it, and then everything will work out.
3. But, our children like not only goodies, but also negative. For example, many admire Baba Yaga. This character is involved in almost every fairy tale. Baba Yaga lives in a large dark forest in a small hut on chicken legs. In order for the hut to turn and open its doors, she needs to be told: hut, hut, turn your back to the forest, and front to me. And then the hut will surely turn around and open its doors. Old Yaga is an old friend of Koshchei the Immortal, they sometimes make insidious plans together. But the main distinguishing feature Baba Yaga, this is what she flies in a mortar and on a broomstick. Baba Yaga symbolizes insidious people who do everything out of thin air. Children remember Baba Yaga as a grandmother in a mortar with a large bent nose.
4. Koschey the Immortal - the most sinister hero of Russian folk tales. He lives in splendid isolation in a castle. He is also very rich and greedy. But, the most main feature Koshcheya is that it is not so easy to kill him. His death is hidden in a crystal chest, in an egg. If you take a needle that is hidden in an egg and break it into two parts, then the koschey will die. Koschey the Immortal is an image of evil, insidious and bad people. Looking at him, we see that everyone who loves money very much, he quickly dies.
5. Merman is a creature male that lives in the swamp. He is a good owner and protects his property well. But, if offended, he can take revenge cruelly. The fishermen who fished in the reservoirs, so that Vodyanoy would not interfere with them, they cajoled him. People brought various treats to the water, and in gratitude for this, Vodyanoy did not tear their fishing nets and did not frighten the fish. The water symbolizes people who are ready not to notice anything bad if they give him something for it. This is a negative character, and it is not worth repeating after him.
6. Gnomes - they live underground, working in the mines. They are very hardworking. But they also have a negative feature, the gnomes are too greedy for gold. For him, they are ready to do anything. People who love money more than anything in the world are the prototypes of gnomes.
7. Brownie - a creature that lives in every house. Usually the Brownie is the guardian of cleanliness and comfort in the house. People believed that if the brownie lived in the house, then it would always be clean and comfortable there. Brownie is an image of economic and ambitious people.
8. Serpent Gorynych is villain Russian folk tales. He has either three, or nine, or twelve heads. As a rule, the Serpent Gorynych spews flames. As it flies, thunder rumbles and the earth shakes. In fairy tales, the Serpent Gorynych stole girls, and burned cities and villages with his fire. The Serpent Gorynych symbolizes bad people who are ready to do anything to achieve their goal.
All the characters in Russian folk tales contain great meaning. There are positives as well as negatives. To understand what kind of hero in a fairy tale, you need to understand and analyze it. Since fairy tales are very useful, they need to be read to children, they will help in shaping their vision of the world.
