Vasilisa is wise and beautiful. Vasilisa the Beautiful (Vasilisa the Wise)
Vasilisa the Beautiful and the WiseWe are talking about the main character's bride. Whether he is Ivan the 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 married - everything is honorable. But the girl is not easy. She can hide in the form of a frog, have some kind of witchcraft abilities, be able to speak with animals, the sun, wind and moon...
Vasilisa the Wise is a character in 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. The same female image appears 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 imagination. The destitute orphan, Vasilisa the Beautiful, in Afanasyev’s unique text, is different in nature.
Name "Vasilisa" hints at 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 subject the hero to tests. That is, sometimes it is not she who does this, but some fairy-tale villain like Koshchei the Immortal or the Serpent Gorynych, who kidnapped the princess and is holding her captive (at best) or is going to devour her (at worst).
Sometimes the father of the potential bride plays the role of the villain. In the fairy tale, where Vasilisa appears as the daughter of the water king, the ruler of the sea waters puts obstacles in the way of the hero to destroy him, but loses because the enemy suddenly turns out to be dear to his daughter’s heart, and no witchcraft can defeat him. But here everything is more or less clear: there is some evil force (a dragon, a sorcerer, or the girl’s evil parents), and the hero must fight the enemy. In fact, this is how he becomes a hero. And a 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 undergo trials 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 little room and kiss the beauty on the sugar lips, then he needs to recognize the girl among twelve friends who look exactly like her, then he needs to catch the fugitive - or demonstrate enviable cunning in order to hide from the princess so that she didn’t find him. At worst, the hero is asked to solve riddles, and Vasilisa will test him.
A merchant's wife dies, leaving him with 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 backbreaking work. In general, it is very similar to the fairy tale about Cinderella. It seems, but not entirely, because Cinderella was helped by a fairy godmother, and Vasilisa was helped by a creepy witch from the forest.
This is how it turned out. The stepmother and her daughters said that there was no more fire in the house, and they sent Vasilisa into the forest to Baba Yaga, of course, hoping that she would not return. The girl obeyed. Her path through the dark forest was scary - and strange: she met three horsemen, one white, one red, and the third black, and they were all riding towards Yaga.
When Vasilisa reached her abode, she was met by high fence made of stakes planted with human skulls. Yaga's house turned out to be no less creepy: for example, instead of servants, the witch had three pairs of hands that appeared out of nowhere and disappeared to God knows where. But the most terrible creature in this house was Baba Yaga.
The witch, however, received Vasilisa favorably and promised that she would give her fire if Vasilisa completed all her tasks. Completing difficult tasks is an indispensable path of the hero. Unlike the fairy tales mentioned above, in this one it is a woman who goes through it, that’s why 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 the grains, and that’s it. - in one day. Of course, if the tasks were completed poorly, Baba Yaga promised to eat Vasilisa.
Vasilisa washed Yaga's clothes, cleaned her house, prepared food for her, then learned to separate healthy grains from infected ones, and poppy seeds from dirt. Afterwards, Yaga allowed Vasilisa to ask her a few questions. Vasilisa asked about the 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 fairy tale is an extremely powerful sorceress.
"In the symbolism of the archetype, clothing corresponds to the persona, the first impression that we make on others. A persona is something like a camouflage that allows us to show others only what we ourselves want, and no more. But... a persona is not only a mask behind which you can hide, but there is a presence that eclipses the usual personality.
Vasilisa sees how and what Yaga eats, how she makes the world revolve around her, and makes the day, sun and night walk as her 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 a novice with Yaga.
The sorceress, by the way, might have continued her studies if Vasilisa had not turned out to be 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 got her magical skills, which are often mentioned in other fairy tales. It is also clear why she can be both good and evil.
She is still a blessed child, but Baba Yaga’s school is also here to stay. Therefore, Vasilisa ceased to be a meek orphan: her enemies died, and she herself married a prince and sat on the throne...
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VASILISA THE BEAUTIFUL (VASILISA THE WISE)
The heroine of Russian folk tales (“Vasilisa the Beautiful”, “The Frog Princess”, etc.), a wise beauty and sorceress.
In the fairy tale "Vasilisa the Beautiful" the heroine has a magic doll that helps her cope with evil stepmother and at the end of the fairy tale marry king.
In the fairy tale "The Frog Princess" Vasilisa the Wise is turned into frog evil wizard Koshchei the Immortal because she refused to marry him. She caught the arrow Ivan Tsarevich and becomes his wife at the behest of the king. During development fairy tale plot the frog consoles her husband in sadness and works miracles, helping him carry out the king's orders: in one night he bakes a wonderful white bread , weaves a silk carpet, appears at the royal feast in the guise of a beauty and sorceress. By burning the frog's skin, Ivan Tsarevich loses Vasilisa. To find her, he has to overcome many difficulties and, most importantly, kill Koshchei the Immortal.
Based on the fairy tale “The Frog Princess,” the famous children’s film “Vasilisa the Beautiful” directed by A.A. Row. The film became the leader of the box office in 1940 and still remains one of the best fairy tale films.
Name Vasilisa in cultural consciousness Russians associated with a fairy tale, rarely found in everyday life. Perhaps because the diminutive form of the name characteristic of the Russian language is Vasya- in this case it sounds like an abbreviated form male name Vasily.
IN colloquial speech Vasilisa the Wise With slight irony can name a young smart girl, and Vasilisa the Beautiful- a beauty.
Illustration for the fairy tale “The Frog Princess”. Artist I.Ya. Bilibin. 1899:
Russia. Large linguistic and cultural dictionary. - M.: State Institute Russian language named after. A.S. Pushkin. AST-Press. T.N. Chernyavskaya, K.S. Miloslavskaya, E.G. Rostova, O.E. Frolova, V.I. Borisenko, Yu.A. Vyunov, V.P. Chudnov. 2007 .
See what "VASILISA THE BEAUTIFUL (VASILISA THE Wise)" is in other dictionaries:
Vasilisa the Beautiful (fairy tale)- This term has other meanings, see Vasilisa the Beautiful. Vasilisa the Beautiful leaves with a “gift” from Baba Yaga (illustration by I. Ya. Bilibin, 1899) Va ... Wikipedia
VASILISA THE WISE- (Beautiful) character of Russian folk fairy tales. In most of them, Vasilisa is the Beautiful daughter of the sea king, endowed with wisdom and the ability to transform. The same female image appears under the name of Marya Princess, Marya Morevna, Elena... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
Vasilisa the Wise- (Beautiful), a character in Russian folk fairy tales. In most of them, Vasilisa is the Beautiful daughter of the sea king, endowed with wisdom and the ability to transform. The same female image appears under the name of Marya Princess, Marya Morevna, Elena... Encyclopedic Dictionary
Vasilisa- The word “Vasilisa” has other meanings: see Vasilisa (meanings). Vasilisa Greek Gender: female Other forms: Vasilissa, Vasilina Prod. forms: Vasya, Vasyunya, Vasyona ... Wikipedia
Vasilisa the Wise- a character in Russian folk fairy tales. In most of them, V.P. is the daughter of the sea king, endowed with wisdom and the ability to transform. The same female image appears under the name of Marya Princess, Marya Morevna, Elena the Beautiful. M.... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia
Vasilisa the Wise- a character from a fairy tale. fairy tales, plural appears in texts under other names (most often V. Prekrasnaya) or without a name. Daughter of Mor. (water) king, sorcerer, etc., sorceress; capable of transforming herself and transforming others into animals, birds, and various... ... Russian humanitarian encyclopedic dictionary
Russian folk tales- Russian Folk Tales by A. N. Aanasyev ... Wikipedia
Russian fairy tales- Wikisource has texts on the topic... Wikipedia
Millyar Georgy Frantsevich- (1903 1993), actor, People's Artist RSFSR (1988). In 1927 38 at the Moscow Theater of the Revolution. In 1945 52 at the Film Actor's Studio Theater. In cinema since 1929. A keen actor, a master of the grotesque. He played in the films fairy tales of A. A. Rowe: “By pike command»,… … Encyclopedic Dictionary
Wonderful bride- Tie? ... Wikipedia
Books
- Tales of Old Rus'. Art notebook. Bogatyrs and Heroes (Vasilisa the Beautiful), A 5, unlined, Papsuev Roman Valentinovich. Unique art notebook from the series "Fairy Tales" Old Rus'"from the famous illustrator Roman Papsuev is dedicated to fairy-tale creatures Slavic folklore. Inside you will find a stylish…
The name Vasilisa, meaning “wife of the king” or “queen” in translation from Greek, came to Rus' from Byzantium no later than the 13th century. In the Tale of Bygone Years, dated beginning of XII centuries, this name was not mentioned even once. And the first famous Vasilises were the daughter of the Rostov prince Vasilisa Dmitrievna, who lived at the turn of the 13th–14th centuries, as well as another Rostov princess, Vasilisa Konstantinovna, who lived in the 14th century.
Probably, this name came into use after it was firmly established in everyday life. But the heroine herself and the stories with her participation existed thousands of years before that. Experts attribute the time of the appearance of the fairy tale to the era of the decomposition of the primitive communal system, when the main source of food became not hunting, but farming.
In fairy tales, or the Beautiful is just one of the names of the hero’s bride, who can be called differently: Elena the Beautiful, Marya the Princess, Tsar Maiden, Nastasya the Queen, Varvara the Beauty, and so on. The function of the bride character in Russian fairy tales does not depend on the name. For example, in famous meeting tales of Alexander Afanasyev meet different stories and roles associated with the name Vasilisa. The main character of “Vasilisa the Beautiful” is not a princess at all, but a poor stepdaughter who is sent to Baba Yaga’s hut for fire. In the fairy tale “The Firebird and Vasilisa the Princess,” Vasilisa is caught by a brave archer on behalf of the king. At first glance, the princess wishes her captor death: “I will not marry you,” he says to the king, “until you tell the young archer to hot water take a swim". Sagittarius's magic horse charms the water, and the hero emerges from the cauldron more beautiful than before. In the finale, as it should be in fairy tale, the old king dies, following the example of the archer, having bathed in boiling water, and main character receives a wife and a kingdom in addition. In the story " Sea king and Vasilisa the Wise” Vasilisa is the daughter of Vodyanoy, assistant to the hero-prince. IN different options famous fairy tale“The Frog Princess” the main character is called either Elena the Beautiful or Vasilisa the Wise, which confirms: the name of the heroine is not so important - only the function is important.
Philologist and folklorist Vladimir Propp proved that the genre is rooted in the era of the primitive community, when men underwent “magical” rituals and received special powers, power over the animal world in order to hunt more successfully. Going through the ritual was a kind of journey into other world, where a man was subjected to cruel tests: his fingers could be cut off, he could be tortured with fire - and so on. Later, when the hunting society was replaced by an agricultural one, these traditions gradually disappeared, but their veiled descriptions remained in fairy tales.
That is why in many fairy tales Vasilisa tests a potential groom in the most strange and even frightening ways, such as jumping into a cauldron of boiling water: such stories are an echo of the times of ancient matriarchy, when a woman was “the holder of the clan and totemic magic.”
Name: Vasilisa Premudraya
Country: Kievan Rus
Creator: Slavic folklore
Activity: princess
Marital 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 who pass stories on from mouth to mouth have invented colorful characters who are shrouded in an aura of mystery.
So, in national books meet flying on a broom, owner underground kingdom and Vasilisa the Wise, who personifies kindness, caring and determination. Basically, this girl acts as the bride of the main character, be it or, but initially the heroine has to be saved, and then 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 abilities, as evidenced by these lines from “The Frog Princess”:“Vasilisa the Wise went to dance with Ivan Tsarevich. She waved her left sleeve and it became a lake; she waved her right sleeve and white swans swam across the lake.”
True, the narrators do not give a scrupulous description of this girl’s appearance and costume, drawing the listeners’ attention to character traits. In addition, in every fairy tale Vasilisa plays different roles. In most stories, the heroine is the daughter of the king - the ruler 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 faced hard daily work, a treacherous stepmother and evil stepsisters, who sent the girl into the enchanted forest to serve Baba Yaga. But, contrary to the expectations of her ill-wishers, the old witch, living in a hut on chicken legs, did not eat Vasilisa, but kept her with her.
The girl carried out the instructions of the old woman with a hooked nose on time. The fact is that the beauty was helped by a talisman doll, a gift from her late mother. Here again we can give an analogy with the girl who lost glass slipper, for she also had a magical assistant - a fairy godmother, the owner magic wand. Ultimately, Baba Yaga released Vasilisa and, so that she would not get lost in deep forest, gave her a glowing skull impaled on a pole. This illustration can be seen in the artist's work.
“The Frog Princess” is 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 a king who had three sons. When the time came to look for the lady of the heart, the brothers shot an arrow to choose a bride for themselves. Ivan Tsarevich was the least fortunate of all, because his arrow ended up with a frog. But the young man would have known that Vasilisa, the victim of the witchcraft spells of Koshchei the Immortal, was dressed in the skin of an amphibian!
Despite such a deplorable situation, the girl managed to cope (with the help of witchcraft or “nurses”) with all the king’s tasks in order to show herself with best side: wove a carpet, baked delicious bread. When the time for the feast approaches, Vasilisa sheds her frog skin and appears as a painted beauty from whom it is impossible to take her eyes off.
Ivan Tsarevich wished that his wife would remain in this form forever, so he secretly burned the girl’s “clothes.” But the king’s son made a mistake, because of which the Wise One was obliged to return to Koshcheevo’s kingdom. Therefore, the main character, armed with a bow, goes in search of evil sorcerer, in order to free his bride.
Among other things, Vasilisa can talk to animals, the Sun and the Moon. And in the fairy tale “The Sea King,” the main character reincarnated as a duck and turned her companion into a drake in order to escape from the frantic owner of the throne, an inhabitant of the sea.
Film adaptations
Fairy tales about Vasilisa the Wise have more than once been turned into cartoons and films, and the role of the heroine was played by famous actresses. Let's look at a few popular films.
"Merry Magic" (1969)
In 1969, director Boris Rytsarev staged a film fairy tale based on the play “Katya and Miracles” by Nina Gernet and Grigory Yagdfeld. The plot of the film revolves around Katya: the girl accidentally found the magic “koshcheev grass”, which can cast a spell on Vasilisa the Beautiful.
When the cleaning lady Akulina Ivanovna, who was Baba Yaga in the past, told the schoolgirl the story of Koshchei, they set off on an adventure to overcome evil wizard and save enchanted 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 delighted 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 iconic Russian characters, for example, Baba Yaga, who appears in the guise of a good witch.
Vasilisa Afanasyevna the Wise played, who worked on one film set with Roman Monastyrsky, and .
"Miracles in Reshetov" (2004)
The director showed cinema lovers the original concept by placing fairy-tale heroes V modern world. The characters are forced to wander around 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 magic water appears in a well, or grandmother Yadviga flies at night on a washing machine.
Actress Maria Glazkova reincarnated as Vasilisa, and her colleagues on the set were
Since ancient times, fairy tales have been an integral element of the culture and creativity of any people. Each country has its own stories for them, its own good and evil characters. For us, one of our favorite heroines is Vasilisa the Wise from the fairy tale “The Frog Princess”. For many generations of children, she has become a symbol of kindness and intelligence, caring and modesty. The description of Vasilisa the Wise is accompanied by many vivid epithets and is a celebration of the beauty and greatness of the original Russian female character.
The fairy tale “The Frog Princess” and its main character
The plot of the fairy tale “The Frog Princess” is known to everyone from an early age. Vasilisa the Wise is a sorceress bewitched by her father because she surpassed him in the art of witchcraft. In the fairy tale, she becomes the bride, and then the wife of Ivan Tsarevich. As the plot develops, the girl shows her skills by carrying out the king's orders: she bakes bread, skillfully weaves a silk carpet (or in other versions, a shirt). The description of Vasilisa the Wise at the feast is also impressive, where she turns into a fairy-tale beauty and amazes the guests with her magical art.
Ivan, wanting his wife to always remain in the guise of a princess, burns the frog's skin. After this, Vasilisa disappears. To find his love again, the prince has to go through many dangers and, most importantly, fight with his wife’s father, Koshchei the Immortal. The fairy tale has a happy ending - Ivan and Vasilisa overcome all difficulties and end up together forever.
What is so attractive about Vasilisa the Wise? Russian folk tale- this is not only a figment of fantasy, but also a reflection real life people. Keeping this in mind, we can trace in the image of Vasilisa the most valuable feminine qualities for the Russian people.
Appearance of the main character Vasilisa the Wise
I wonder what about appearance main character the tale says practically nothing. is given to the reader by characterizing her actions and words. Only at the royal ball is the heroine portrayed as a written beauty. But this description is quite typical for most fairy tales.
This once again confirms that the image of Vasilisa the Wise is a collective, generalizing one. Moreover, for a fairy tale, it is much more important to depict not the external, but the internal merits of the heroine.
Character traits of Vasilisa the Wise
Vasilisa the Wise is loved not because of her beauty, but because of her character. The tale emphasizes that bright appearance(it would seem that there could be something uglier than a frog) and it is not wealth (“the girls’ competitors in the palace were the boyar’s and merchant’s daughters”) that leads the heroes to happiness. And understanding and desire to be together.
The characterization of Vasilisa the Wise from the fairy tale is given through her actions. The way she consoles Ivan Tsarevich, with what skill she carries out the king’s tasks, and how she behaves during the feast, speaks about her better than any description. Her character combines both deep intelligence and the majestic simplicity of the Russian soul, pride in herself and modesty.
Many people ask why Vasilisa is called the Wise? In fact, this epithet suits her perfectly. The fact is that she perfectly mastered magical wisdom and even surpassed her father, a powerful sorcerer, in this. It is also characteristic that in the fairy tale she is called that in those moments when she works and shows her skills as a needlewoman, housewife or sorceress. In addition, the heroine has the ability to remain calm and make the right decision even in the most difficult trials.
Why was Vasilisa turned into a frog?
The question often arises about why Vasilisa the Wise was turned into a frog by Koshchei the Immortal. The fairy tale does not give a direct answer to it. However, different researchers offer their own options.
For example, we can recall that one of the leading artistic techniques in a fairy tale there is an antithesis, opposition (for example, good and evil, day and night, living and dead water, beauty and ugliness). Already the name of the heroine - Vasilisa - speaks for itself. WITH Greek language it can be translated as regal, sublime. On the other hand, what could be more unattractive and mundane than a frog living in a swamp.
The image of Vasilisa in other Russian fairy tales
The description of Vasilisa the Wise can be found not only in the fairy tale about the frog princess. She is also depicted in other works of the Russian people. For example, you can remember the fairy tale about Vasilisa and Baba Yaga. A similar image appears under the names of Marya Morevna, Elena the Beautiful and Marya the Princess. All these heroines have wisdom and magical knowledge, in particular the ability to transform. This allows them to be identified.
A fairy tale is a lie, but there is a hint in it
Maxim Gorky called Vasilisa one of the most perfect female images created by the imagination of the Russian people. How many wonderful qualities it combines, educating and admonishing all new younger generations. But let us remember that initially fairy tales were written not for children, but for adults. Those in which Vasilisa the Wise is present are no exception. The Russian folk tale, with its inherent wisdom and poetry, reminds us of the true role of a woman in the family - to be an assistant and support to her husband.
We will also find out what qualities have long been valued in Rus'. Intelligence and modesty, caring and kindness, skill as a needlewoman and keeper hearth and home, uniting, give rise to true wisdom and beauty. And the image of Vasilisa the Wise fully combines all these wonderful qualities.
