Wise and beautiful. Vasilisa the Beautiful (Vasilisa the Wise)

In ancient times, fairy tales were not written for children at all. They were made for adults; had instructive sense and conveyed all those images that were characteristic of representatives different peoples. In Russian fairy tales, one of the main characters, the embodiment of femininity and wisdom, has always been Vasilisa the Wise or Vasilisa the Beautiful. IN popular work“The Frog Princess” in the image of Vasilisa the Wise shows all the best features that a Russian woman possessed.

Characteristics of the heroine

(The image of the Russian beauty)

Who is Vasilisa the Wise in the fairy tale "The Frog Princess"? This is the daughter of Koshchei the Immortal, who could not survive the fact that his daughter was able to surpass him in the art of magic and witchcraft. For disobedience, he turns her into a frog for three whole years. And only a kiss from Ivan Tsarevich can turn her back into a beautiful woman.

What qualities is endowed with Vasilisa the Wise? She is smart, dexterous, economic, proud, caring, kind, modest. Real support and adviser for my husband. There is nothing that she couldn't handle. Any task of the king is “on the shoulder” for her. Did the Tsar-father want to get bread-cow by morning from his daughter-in-law? It doesn't matter: while the husband is resting, she does not just create delicious pastries, but also decorates it with exquisite decorations: castles with towers, birds and flowering gardens. Need to weave a carpet overnight from silk, gold and silver? And with this task deftly copes. Yes, she has such a carpet that she can only spread it on big holidays.

(Images of Vasilisa the Beautiful and Ivan Tsarevich in Palekh miniature)

When the tsar gives the task to come to all the daughters-in-law at the feast in order to make sure of their ability to dance, Ivan Tsarevich was saddened: how can his frog cope with this? But trust is above all. A wise wife knows how to support and reassure her husband. At the appointed time, Vasilisa the Wise arrives at the feast in the form of a wonderful princess. All guests marvel at her beauty.

At the celebration, he behaves modestly: he does not finish drinking wine, he does not finish eating food. But in dancing - she has no equal. Even here she manifests herself as a sorceress: she creates lakes from wine, and swans from food.

The image of the heroine

(Not only beautiful, but also smart, that’s why Vasilisa the Beautiful is also called Vasilisa the Wise)

It is interesting that in the tale only twice a casual description of the external qualities of Vasilisa the Wise is mentioned. Once she is characterized as a "clear sun", the second - as a "red maiden". And this is no coincidence. Thus, the people wanted to emphasize that not outer beauty is essential for women. And internal qualities, the ability to support and be a reliable "companion" to her husband, a skilled housewife and keeper of the hearth.

Why was the image of a frog chosen? Researchers believe that this is a "play" on opposites: charming girl and an ugly amphibian. And the very name "Vasilisa" means "exalted". The frog is an earthly "swamp" creature.

Also, through the image of Vasilisa the Wise and her relationship with Ivan Tsarevich, it is shown that only together, with the general support of each other, it is possible to overcome any obstacles. And not beauty or wealth is the key to happiness. The real ideal of a woman is a smart, understanding, economic and kind wife.

The main character of most Russian folk tales is Vasilisa the Wise. She is the embodiment female ideal that combines intelligence and beauty. Vasilisa the Wise is the main female character Russian folk tale "The Frog Princess" And this tale teaches that the main thing in a person is his inner world and not appearance. Therefore, Vasilisa the Beautiful appears in the form of a frog, and only then - the princess.

To make a description of Vasilisa the Wise, you need to know what the fairy tale is about. Ivan Tsarevich, together with his brothers, at the behest of their father, the Tsar, decided to find a bride. To do this, they shot an arrow, and on which courtyard it falls, their bride is there.

It so happened that Ivan's arrow ended up in a swamp, and a frog became his betrothed. But she turned out to be unusual, she could talk, so she reassured the prince, saying that everything would be fine.

The king decided to check how his future daughters-in-law are economic and know how to behave in society. The frog princess coped with everything thanks to the fact that she was enchanted by Vasilisa the Wise. Ivan Tsarevich found out about this and burned the frog skin during the feast. Because of his impatience, Vasilisa left him.

To return his betrothed back, Ivan had to defeat Kashchei the Immortal. And Vasilisa the Wise became the wife of Ivan Tsarevich.

Why did the heroine turn into a frog

In the description of Vasilisa the Wise, it is worth highlighting that already in her name an emphasis is placed on the inner world of the heroine. And the image of a frog helps to convey to the reader the idea that the main thing in a person is not appearance. And in a Russian woman, it was her ability to manage the household and create comfort in the family that was most valued. Her inner qualities were important.

And therefore, the description of Vasilisa the Wise should begin precisely with the fact that she appears before readers precisely in the unattractive appearance of a frog. And the way Ivan Tsarevich behaved is a characteristic reaction of a person to an ugly appearance. But it is worth noting that the prince gradually became attached to his unusual betrothed precisely because of her inner qualities. That is, the main character was more subdued not by the appearance, but by the character of the heroine.

Appearance of the main character

In the description of Vasilisa the Wise in The Frog Princess, it must be said that in the fairy tale they try as much as possible to concentrate the reader's attention on the inner world of the heroine. Therefore, it is said in detail about the tasks that the king gives to the girls. But there is no specific description of the appearance of the heroine.

If we analyze appearance other heroines, then we can assume how the princess could look. The description of Vasilisa the Wise could be as follows: a stately girl with a smooth gait, a long beautiful braid and clear blue eyes. It should be especially noted that long hair have always been considered the main sign of femininity, so all the heroines of Russian fairy tales had a long braid.

The inner world of the heroine

The main emphasis in the description of Vasilisa the Wise from the fairy tale should be done on her inner world. Her character was most fully revealed precisely when she carried out the tasks of the king. In the description of Vasilisa the Wise from the fairy tale " Princess Frog"It should be noted that she was very economic. She knew how to cook and embroider, which was very much appreciated in a woman.

But it is worth highlighting the fact that despite her patience, kindness and concern for Ivan Tsarevich, she loved to stand out among those around her. Because during the feast, she demonstrated her abilities: she made the sea and swans out of food and drinks. By this, she emphasized her peculiarity, exclusivity, and thus, she received an additional advantage over the brides of her brothers. However, the girl was familiar with the rules of etiquette and knew how to behave in society, which delighted Ivan Tsarevich and the Tsar.

In the description of Vasilisa the Wise, it should be noted that she was the embodiment of the ideal of a Russian woman. She was not only beautiful, but also smart and knew how to manage the household. The fairy tale "The Frog Princess" shows how Ivan Tsarevich learned to appreciate a person primarily for his character, inner world, and not for beauty.

The whole fairy tale is built on the opposition of the main character, Vasilisa the Wise, and the image of a frog - a princess who knew how to do everything around the house, and the inept brides of other princes. Thanks to this, the image of Vasilisa turned out to be expressive and became a reflection of the idea of ​​the Russian people about a real woman.

Vasilisa the Beautiful and Wise

It's about the main character's fiancee. Whether he is Ivan Tsarevich or Ivan the Fool, he will certainly find Vasilisa the Wise or Vasilisa the Beautiful. The girl is supposed to be saved first, and then to marry - all honor by honor. It's just that the girl is not easy. She can hide in the form of a frog, have some kind of witchcraft and abilities, be able to speak with animals, the sun, wind and moon ...

Vasilisa the Wise - a character of Russian folk fairy tales. In most of them, Vasilisa the Wise is the daughter of the sea king, endowed with wisdom and the ability to transform. Same female image performs under the name of Marya the Princess, Marya Morevna, Elena the Beautiful. Maxim Gorky called Vasilisa the Wise one of the most perfect images created by folk fantasy. Another by its nature is a destitute orphan - Vasilisa the Beautiful in the unique text of Afanasyev.

Name "Vasilisa" hints at a high origin, it can be translated from Greek as "royal". And this royal maiden (sometimes in fairy tales she is called the Tsar Maiden) begins to put the hero to the test. That is, sometimes it is not she who does this, but some fabulous villain like Koshchei the Immortal or the Serpent Gorynych, who kidnapped the princess and keeps her captive (at best) or is going to devour her (at worst).

Sometimes the father of a potential bride acts as a villain. In the fairy tale, where Vasilisa appears as the daughter of the water king, the lord of the sea creates obstacles for the hero in order to destroy him, but loses, because the enemy suddenly turns out to be dear to the heart of his daughter, and no witchcraft can overcome him. But here everything is more or less clear: there is some kind of evil force (a dragon, a sorcerer or the girl's evil parents), and the hero must fight the enemy. In fact, that's how he becomes a hero. And the princess, princess or princess (it doesn’t matter) is a reward for the hero.

It also happens that Ivan Tsarevich or Ivan the Fool or some other central fairy tale character he is forced to pass tests not because of dragons or sorcerers - he is tormented by the bride herself. Either the hero needs to jump on horseback to the windows of her room and kiss the beauty on the lips of sugar, then recognize the girl among twelve friends who look exactly like her, then you need to catch the fugitive - or demonstrate enviable cunning to hide from the princess so that she did not find him. At worst, the hero is invited to solve riddles, and Vasilisa will check him.

The merchant's wife dies, leaving him a little daughter. The father decides to marry again. The stepmother has her own daughters, and all this new company begins to tyrannize Vasilisa, loading her with overwork. In general, it is very similar to the fairy tale about Cinderella. It seems, but not really, because Cinderella was helped by a fairy godmother, and Vasilisa was helped by a creepy witch from the forest.

It turned out like this. The stepmother and her daughters said that there was no more fire in the house, and they sent Vasilisa to the forest to Baba Yaga, of course, hoping that she would not return. The girl obeyed. Her journey through the dark forest was scary - and strange: she met three riders, one white, one red, and a third black, and they all rode in the direction of Yaga.

When Vasilisa reached her dwelling, she was met high fence from stakes seated with human skulls. Yagi's house turned out to be no less creepy: for example, instead of servants, the witch had three pairs of hands that appeared from nowhere and disappeared from nowhere. But the most terrible creature in this house was Baba Yaga.

The witch, however, accepted Vasilisa favorably and promised that she would give fire if Vasilisa completed all her tasks. Completing difficult tasks is an indispensable path of a hero. Unlike the fairy tales mentioned above, in this one, a woman passes by, and therefore her tasks are female, there are simply too many of them: to clean the yard, and sweep the hut, and wash the linen, and cook dinner, and sort out the grain, and that’s it. - for one day. Of course, if the tasks are performed poorly, Baba Yaga promised to eat Vasilisa.

Vasilisa washed Yaga's clothes, cleans her house, cooked her food, then learned to separate healthy grains from infected ones, and poppies from dirt. After Yaga allowed Vasilisa to ask her a few questions. Vasilisa asked about three mysterious horsemen - white, red and black. The witch replied that it was a clear day, a red sun and a black night, and all of them were her faithful servants. That is, Baba Yaga in this tale is an extremely powerful sorceress.

"In the symbolism of the archetype, clothes correspond to the person, the first impression that we make on others. The person is a kind of camouflage that allows us to show others only what we ourselves want, and no more. But ... the person is not only a mask behind which you can hide, but a presence that overshadows the familiar personality.

Vasilisa sees how and what Yaga eats, how he makes the world revolve around him, and the day, sun and night walk in his servants. And a terrible skull, blazing with fire, which the witch hands to the girl, in this case- a symbol of the special witchcraft knowledge that she received while being with Yaga as novices.

The sorceress, by the way, might have continued her studies if Vasilisa had not been a blessed daughter. But it didn't work out. And Vasilisa, armed with force and secret knowledge, went back to the world. In this case, it is clear where Vasilisa's magical skills come from, which are often mentioned in other fairy tales. It is also understandable why she can be both good and evil.

She is still a blessed child, but the school of Baba Yaga is also not going anywhere. Therefore, Vasilisa ceased to be a meek orphan: her enemies died, and she herself married the prince and sat on the throne ...

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Name: Vasilisa the Wise (Vasilisa Premudraya)

A country: Kievan Rus

Creator: Slavic folklore

Activity: princess

Family status: Married

Vasilisa the Wise: character story

The culture of Russian traditional fairy tales, in which the people tried to express their national worldview, is diverse. Storytellers passing stories from mouth to mouth invented colorful characters who are shrouded in an aura of mystery.

Yes, in national books meet flying on a broom, the owner underworld and Vasilisa the Wise, who personifies kindness, caring and determination. Basically, this girl acts as the bride of the protagonist, whether it be or, but initially the heroine has to be saved, and then get married.

Image and characteristics

) appears in Russian folk tales beautiful girl with an analytical mind. For example, she managed to complete the task given sea ​​king: the heroine built a church from pure wax in one night. Vasilisa is endowed magical powers, as evidenced by these lines from The Frog Princess:

“Vasilisa the Wise went to dance with Ivan Tsarevich. She waved her left sleeve - the lake became, waved her right - white swans swam across the lake.

True, the narrators do not give a scrupulous description of the appearance and costume of this girl, drawing the attention of listeners to character traits. In addition, in every fairy tale Vasilisa plays different role. In most stories, the heroine is the daughter of the king - the lord of the sea waters and underwater inhabitants possessing untold wealth.

Some draw a parallel between Vasilisa and, since these characters have common features. The heroine was waiting for hard everyday work, an insidious stepmother and evil stepsisters who sent the girl to the enchanted forest in the service of Baba Yaga. But, contrary to the expectations of ill-wishers, the old witch, who lives in a hut on chicken legs, did not eat Vasilisa, but left her with her.

The girl carried out the instructions of the old woman with the hooked nose on time. The fact is that the doll-amulet, donated by the late mother, helped the beauty. Here again we can draw an analogy with a girl who has lost glass slipper, for she also had a magical assistant - a fairy godmother, the owner magic wand. In the end, Baba Yaga released Vasilisa to freedom and, so that she would not get lost in dense forest, gave her a luminous skull impaled on a pole. This illustration can be seen in the artist's work.

"Princess Frog" - perhaps the most popular fairy tale about Vasilisa the Wise, however, a similar plot using antithesis is also found in other countries, for example, Italy and Greece. The work tells about the king, who had three sons. When it came time to look for the lady of the heart, the brothers shot an arrow in order to choose a bride for themselves. Ivan Tsarevich was the least fortunate, because his arrow was at the frog. But the young man would know that Vasilisa, the victim of the witchcraft charms of Koshchei the Immortal, is dressed in the skin of an amphibian!

Despite such a deplorable situation, the girl managed to cope (with the help of witchcraft or “nanny-mothers”) with all the tasks of the king in order to show herself with the best side: wove a carpet, baked delicious bread. When the feast time comes, Vasilisa throws off her frog skin and appears as a hand-written beauty, from which it is impossible to take your eyes off.

Ivan Tsarevich wished his wife to remain in this guise forever, so he secretly burned the girl's "clothes". But the king's son made a mistake, due to which the Wise One is obliged to return to Koshcheevo's kingdom. That's why main character, armed with a bow, goes in search of evil sorcerer to free his bride.

Among other things, Vasilisa can talk with animals, the Sun and the Moon. And in the fairy tale sea ​​king» main character reincarnated as a duck, and turned her companion into a drake in order to escape from the violent owner of the throne, the inhabitant of the sea.

Screen adaptations

Tales about Vasilisa the Wise have repeatedly turned into cartoons and movies, and eminent actresses played the role of the heroine. Consider a few popular films.

"Merry Magic" (1969)

In 1969, director Boris Rytsarev staged a fairy tale based on the play by Nina Gernet and Grigory Yagdfeld "Katya and the Miracles". The plot of the picture revolves around Katya: the girl accidentally found the magical "Koshcheev grass" that can cast a spell on Vasilisa the Beautiful.

When the cleaner Akulina Ivanovna, who was Baba Yaga in the past, told the schoolgirl the story of Koshchei, they went on an adventure to overcome evil wizard and save bewitched girl. The role of Vasilisa went to actress Svetlana Smekhnova, and other characters were performed by Marina Kozodoeva, Andrei Voinovsky, Elizaveta Uvarova, and other actors.

"There, on unknown paths ..." (1982)

Director Mikhail Yuzovsky pleased avid moviegoers with a crossover based on the book Down the Magic River. The picture tells how the boy Mitya Sidorov plunges into fabulous adventures and meets with cult Russian characters, for example, with Baba Yaga, who appears in the guise of a good sorceress.

She played Vasilisa Afanasievna the Wise, who worked on one film set with Roman Monastyrsky, and.

"Miracles in Reshetov" (2004)

The director showed cinema lovers the original concept by placing fairytale heroes V modern world. The characters are forced to wander the world. They cannot stay in one place for a long time, because the ageless Vasilisa and the talking cat are at least strange. When the heroes move to the provincial town of Reshetov, miracles begin to happen there: either magical water appears in the well, or grandmother Jadwiga flies at night on a washing machine.

Actress Maria Glazkova reincarnated as Vasilisa, and her colleagues on the set were