What types of Russian fairy tale heroines are there? Mistress of the Copper Mountain
Fairy tales play a significant role in a person’s life. This is one of the first things he hears after birth; she also accompanies him in the next stages of growing up. Not only children, but also adults love fairy tales. Their deep philosophical meaning gives you the opportunity to look at ordinary things differently; understand the principles of good and evil; learn to believe in miracles and not forget about your own role.
Moral values are conveyed through characteristic characters, each of which has its own folk prototype.
Hare
Runaway bunny, gray bunny, scythe - as they name the animal in Russian folk tales. He is endowed with a cowardly, but at the same time friendly character. Fairytale hare possesses 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 the 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, resourceful, smart, insidious, vindictive...What traits are not given to a fox in fairy tales? She deceives animals, seeks profit everywhere, and is not afraid of people. The fox makes friends with the strong, but only for his own benefit.
The image of the animal embodies cunning. The 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 Fox Patrikeevna, Little Fox-Sister.
Wolf
The wolf in Russian fairy tales embodies anger. He preys on weaker animals; doesn't always act cunningly. Other characters take advantage of the wolf's shortsightedness. In the fairy tale “Little Fox Sister and the Gray Wolf,” a formidable predator was deceived by a red-haired cheat, and in “The Three Little Pigs”
He was tricked by harmless pigs.
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 a wolf can be considered one who is too angry, greedy and vindictive.
Bear
The fairytale bear is the owner of the forest. He is strong, rude, clumsy and not entirely smart. It is believed that the common people wanted to show the landowners in the image of a bear. 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 find another image of a bear: kind, calm, honest and freedom-loving. It is enough to remember 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 appears as the personification of the working people: he is somewhat simple-minded, works all the time, does not put up with the injustice of rich employers. On the other hand, traits such as wisdom and cunning were embodied in the man. He is hardworking, not rich, but much more cunning and resourceful than the landowners and generals.
Baba Yaga
A hut on chicken legs, a black cat, a mortar and a broom are the main attributes of any fairytale Baba Yaga. This old woman is both evil (her threats are worth it) and kind (she helps in difficult situations). She is wise, strong-willed, purposeful. She can be an advisor, or she 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. Among our ancestors, Baba Yaga was closely connected with the clan.
Koschey the Immortal
In fairy tales, his image can be seen in three forms: a sorcerer with special powers, a king underworld and an old man who may be the husband of the Snake or a friend of Baba Yaga. Has unusual abilities: turns heroes into animals and birds. You can defeat him only through certain rituals (using a magic horse, a club, burning). Despite his name, he is not at all immortal, because his death is at the tip of a needle (or, as an option, in an egg), which are securely hidden.
The folk prototype of Koshchei is a powerful, evil, cunning and vile person endowed with magical properties.
Ivan the Fool
Despite 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 goodie, embodying the characteristics of something people would like to have. A kind of dream where, without much effort, by chance, everything works out: to become rich and to marry a princess. Our ancestors, in the image of Ivan the Fool, wanted to show a successful person.
Ivan Tsarevich
Unlike Ivan the Fool, who gets everything simply and effortlessly, Ivan Tsarevich, in order to achieve his goal, must overcome many obstacles, showing his strength, intelligence and skills. He becomes a prince not only by the fact of birth, which he is not even aware of, 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 appear in the form of an ugly creature of indeterminate age (this is a girl, an old woman, and even a man). 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 cause mischief and frighten.
The mythological meaning of kikimora among our ancestors is a person who died in an unrighteous way. Therefore, his soul finds no peace.
Water
The merman is the master of water. This is half old man, half fish. Lives near mills, in pools and wormwood. Scares people and drags them to the bottom; breaks mills and drowns cattle. But a merman can be deceived and defeated by cunning.
Let's get to know the inhabitants of popular children's books better?
As a child, favorite characters from fictional stories came to life in the imagination and often became good friends. Their realism is explained not only amazing abilities fantasy, but also the skill of fairy tale writers who created heroes based on the appearance and character of real people.
1. Robin Hood
Prototype: Robin Loxley.
There are several versions of the origin of the ballads about noble robber robbing the rich to help the poor. According to one of the most reliable theories, Robin was born in the 12th century in the village of Loxley and was a yeoman (free peasant). Even in his youth, he put together a rather large gang, with which he operated in the forest of Sherwood. True, the intentions of the robbers differed from fairy-tale legends; the cruel thugs simply looted and profited from absolutely everyone. Of course, they didn’t give out the money to anyone.
2. Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh
Prototype: Christopher Robin Milne and the Winnipeg Bear.
Alan Milne, one might say, copied the protagonist of adventure stories Winnie the Pooh from his son. Christopher grew up as a shy and quiet child, and his only friend was a toy named Edward, a Farnell Teddy Bear. The author did not even change the boy's name, only his companion was named differently, in honor of the Winnipeg bear from London Zoo. She was so tamed to human attention that local children, including Christopher, often fed the animal condensed milk and stroked it.
3. Alice in Wonderland
Prototype: Alice Liddell.
Lewis Carroll in his youth was friendly with the Liddell family, who raised several daughters. The writer spent a lot of free time with children, telling them exciting stories about a little girl who once met a talking rabbit on a walk. When a whole series of adventures accumulated, Carroll wrote down the tales, adding interesting details and new characters to them. He gave the book to Alice Liddell for Christmas, which she, as an adult, sold for fabulous money to pay bills.
4. Snow White
Prototype: Maria Sophia Katharina Margaretha von Erthal.
This story began in 1725, when Judge Philipp von Erthal and his wife, Baroness Maria Eva von Bettendorff, had a charming daughter, by the way, the fifth in the family. Thirteen years later, the wife of a father with many children died during the birth of their tenth child. The judge did not grieve for long, and a year later he married the same “inconsolable” but very wealthy widow, Claudia Helena Elisabeth von Reichenstein. The lady, who was not young by the standards of that time (36 years old), was most angry with Maria. The girl grew older and prettier every day, and the beauty of her father’s new wife noticeably faded. It is not known why Claudia Helena got mad at the judge’s fifth daughter, because many more children from his first marriage lived in the castle, but Maria constantly got it from her stepmother. One day the girl found out that her father's wife was planning to kill her, and she ran away, settling in the hut of poor miners. The judge's daughter returned home only after the death of Claudia Helena, and lived there until her death in 1796. Maria, naturally, did not marry the prince, and in general she did not have the opportunity to be legally married.
5. Carlson
Prototype: Hermann Goering.
The wild but cute ghost with a motor turns out to be not just a real man, but also one of the leaders of the Nazi Party, the Reich Marshal of the Greater German Reich and the Reich Minister of the Imperial Ministry of Aviation. Astrid Lindgren, the author of the tale about Carlson, was personally acquainted with the ace pilot from her youth, and was very sympathetic to him, as well as to the far-right party in Sweden. Therefore, Hermann Goering became the prototype of the main character in the writer’s works; even the Reichsmarshal’s signature phrases are mentioned in the books: “I am a man in the full prime of life,” “Little things are a matter of everyday life.” And in appearance, Carlson is very reminiscent of Goering, not to mention the hint of his profession in the form of a propeller.
6. Shrek
Prototype: Maurice Tillet.
William Steig, author of children's stories about a huge green ogre with kind hearted, created his character, impressed by Maurice Tillet. This French wrestler was born in Russia, in the Urals. As a child, he was a charming little boy with gentle features, for which he was nicknamed Angel. But by the age of 17, Maurice was diagnosed with acromegaly, a disease that causes bones to grow and thicken, especially the skull. A guy who dreamed of becoming a lawyer had to give up his aspirations due to constant bullying and ridicule of his appearance. Then Maurice became a wrestler, and in the sports field he achieved amazing success. Tillet's contemporaries describe him as a strong, kind and pleasant giant with a wonderful sense of humor. Typical Shrek, isn't it?
7. Duremar
Prototype: Jacques Boulemard.
The seller of leeches in the fairy tale “The Golden Key” was in reality a very sought-after Moscow doctor French origin with the surname Boulemard. He lived in 1895 and was popular among Russian nobility. The fact is that the doctor practiced a treatment method that was exotic at that time using leeches, and he demonstrated experiments with them directly on himself. To prevent mosquitoes from biting him while catching “medicines,” Boulemard wore a long, thick robe. The little girl, who always hung around the strange doctor, teased Jacques with Duremar, distorting his last name.
8. Pinocchio
Prototype: Pinocchio Sanchez.
If we are already talking about Pinocchio, it is worth mentioning the original of this tale, written by Carl Collodi. Of course, no one cut out the leading character of a children's book from a log; he was not even a child, he was simply very short in stature. The real Pinocchio is a war hero who, after serving in the army, lost his leg and, oddly enough, his nose. Thanks to the efforts of doctor Bestuldzhi, the man was able to start relatively full life, the surgeon made prosthetics for him to replace the lost body parts. It was after meeting Sanchez and his wooden nose that Collodi came up with the idea of the Pinocchio doll.
9. Baron Munchausen
Prototype: Hieronymus Carl Friedrich von Munchausen.
The most unscrupulous dreamer really existed; he was born in 1720 in Germany (the city of Bodenwerder, Lower Saxony). Cupid's arrow forced the nobleman to move to Russia, the homeland of his beloved wife, where the baron entered the army as an officer. When fate nevertheless allowed Jerome Karl Friedrich to return home, during friendly gatherings he began to tell his compatriots about the incredible and curious adventures that happened to him in Russia. Thanks to his wild imagination, Munchausen's stories were constantly replenished with new amazing details and circumstances.
10. Peter Pan
Prototype: Michael Davis.
James Barry, the author of the tale about a boy who didn't want to grow up and the Tinker Bell fairy, was inspired by the son of his close friends, Sylvia and Arthur Davis. Little Michael was an inquisitive, mischievous, and outgoing 4-year-old who was always making things up. various stories. He was really afraid of growing old and periodically suffered from nightmares in which a scary sailor (Captain Hook) and evil pirates were present. Barry loved the naughty girl so much that he endowed his Peter Pan with the smallest character traits and behavioral characteristics of Michael.
Leafing through illustrated books with fairy tales, watching their favorite Russian or foreign animated films, children get acquainted with different heroes. Over time, some of them become the most beloved.
Famous fairy tale characters
Fairy tales are a powerful tool for teaching children. As is known, children perceive best information that is presented to them in game form. Through fairy tales, they quickly and easily understand common truths in a form designed for children's understanding.WITH early childhood When mothers read their first fairy tales to their children, they become acquainted with fairy-tale characters. Young children know such fairy tale heroes as the Three Little Pigs, the Little Gray Goat, the Tsokatukha Fly, Barmaley, the Cockroach and Moidodyr. They are also all familiar with The ugly duckling, Doctor Aibolit, Kolobok, Pockmarked Chicken, Zhikharka, Pinocchio, Baba Yaga, Masha and the Bear.
As children grow up, they become acquainted with fairy tale characters intended for their age, and their priorities regarding their favorite fairy tale characters change accordingly. Among the favorites appear Gerda and Kai, Thumbelina, Ruslan and Lyudmila, Balda, Prince Gvidon, the Little Humpbacked Horse, Little Red Riding Hood, Mowgli and Carlson. You can't help but like Ellie, the Tin Woodman and the Scarecrow.
Heroes of the most popular Russian cartoons
There are many children and adults among fans of Russian cartoons. Let's name the ten most famous heroes Russian cartoons. In first place is the sneaky and evil Dyudyuka Barbidokskaya. Dyudyuka with a big bow and an umbrella in his hands is trying to quarrel with his friends. She is the heroine of such cartoons as “A Gift for an Elephant” and “On the Road with the Clouds.” 
As you know, this robber, invented by Korney Chukovsky, lived in Africa and was an enemy of Doctor Aibolit. An honorable third place is occupied by such a cartoon character as the polar bear Umka. Cheburashka is in fourth position, and Leopold the Cat is in fifth. A bear named Winnie the Pooh is also one of the most popular Russian cartoon characters. He took sixth position in the ranking.
A man in the prime of his life entered the top ten and took seventh place, namely, everyone’s favorite Carlson. The eighth place was shared by the following domestic cartoon characters: Thumbelina, Captain Vrungel, Dwarf Nose and the silly Dunno. The wooden boy is in ninth place in the ranking. The last place in the top ten most popular heroes is occupied by the onion boy - the brave Cipollino.
The most favorite foreign cartoon characters
Almost every child watches cartoons, and his favorite characters are not only representatives of the domestic film industry, but also foreign cartoon characters animated films. Powerful advertising contributes to the growing popularity of foreign cartoon characters. 
By the way, Disney princesses have become very expensive to produce.. Tangled Story» included in the rating of the most expensive cartoons. There is a .
Among the foreign animated films, there are many that have become favorites for children. They have kind and beautiful heroes. Among my favorites are the characters from the cartoon “Cars.” For the most part they are interesting to boys. But girls are interested in a character like Kitty. Despite the fact that he appeared on screens back in 1974, his popularity continues unabated today. Spectacular and beautiful fairies Winx are also more interesting to girls, many of whom strive to be like them. Princesses from Disney cartoons have remained popular for many years - Snow White, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel.
One cannot help but recall such cartoon characters as SpongeBob and Scooby Doo, Shaun the Sheep and Bernard, Ninja Turtles and Kuzco, Bart Simpson and Mickey Mouse. All of them are known and loved by children. The green hero of the foreign cartoon Shrek has already for a long time remains a leader in popularity among representatives of the younger generation. Ratatouille, Hulk and Rango are no less interesting and beloved characters from feature-length cartoons.
The most popular cartoon character today
Every country has a cartoon that ranks first in popularity. For example, among Korean cartoon characters, Pororo is the most popular. This little blue penguin makes even crying children laugh. It is gradually becoming popular in many countries around the world. Shrek is the most famous cartoon character to dateAmong the variety of cartoons made, children different countries loved films about Shrek and his many friends. It is he who is recognized as the world's most beloved cartoon character. Several episodes featuring Shrek have already been released, and his little fans are eagerly awaiting the emergence of new exciting stories about this green hero.
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They create the mythical reality of folklore: these heroes are an important part of the life of our ancestors. Description magical power, which each of the heroes owned and believed in in ancient times, has reached our time practically unchanged, although now it is not entirely clear to us. Children's fairy tale characters familiar to us from the very early age, but gradually their images fade from memory. Let's remember some of them.
Male fairy tale characters
Ivan Tsarevich, aka Ivan the Fool, aka Ivan - peasant son. The main qualities of this character are nobility and kindness. In any of the fairy tales, Ivan helps and saves, which ultimately leads to a successful resolution of the situation, and to his happiness. teaches the reader to listen to his heart, to his intuition, to maintain honor in any situation and not to lose his presence of mind. Ivan is often accompanied by a faithful horse or Gray Wolf. The Horse is a symbol of devotion and fidelity, but the Wolf is a symbol of cunning: they help Ivan in all his endeavors. The antithesis of Ivan is often Koschey the Immortal - a negative Russian character folk tales, evil sorcerer. His death is hidden in several nested objects and animals. In fairy tales, Koschey kidnaps the heroine and hides her at the end of the world in his castle, and Ivan usually saves her. Less often, Koschey acts as a symbol of wisdom and a keeper of knowledge.
Female fairy-tale characters
Vasilisa the Beautiful, aka Vasilisa the Wise. The main qualities of the character are wisdom, beauty, loyalty. She is not just a heroine, she is a faithful assistant to Ivan, who must free her from captivity with Koshchei, or her stern father, or the Serpent Gorynych, or any other villain. Vasilisa does not helplessly wait for her to be rescued, but helps the hero in every possible way, gives him advice, and turns to her friends among people and animals. Vasilisa is a symbol of wisdom and virtue; from her the reader learns to be responsive and patient. Another female character found in Russian fairy tales is Baba Yaga, also known as Yaga-Yaginishna. This is perhaps the most ancient character and the most multifaceted. Yaga usually lives in and is famous bad character- it’s better to avoid her hut on chicken legs. She casts spells and spells, but nevertheless more often helps than harms the heroes. Baba Yaga sometimes acts as a symbol of wisdom and the keeper of ancient knowledge.
Animals - fairy-tale characters
The Serpent Gorynych is a symbol of evil, representing a dragon with three, six, nine or twelve heads. Often the Serpent kidnaps the heroine and keeps her in captivity, from where Ivan must free her. Gorynych also often acts as a guard at the gates to underground kingdom or Koshchei's house. Cat-Bayun is an insidious character who lulls you to sleep with his voice. He knows many songs and tales, but often acts on the side of evil. It is often a pet of Yaga or Koshchei. Of the most neutral heroes of the animal world of Russian fairy tales, one can name the Firebird. She has great power healing. She often becomes the object of desire of kings, kings and Koshchei himself, so the hero often goes in search of her. It is not so easy to catch the Firebird, because it blinds and burns with its light.
The characters of Russian fairy tales are diverse, and the fairy tales themselves contain great wisdom...
Boyan - to the east Slavic mythology epic poet - singer.
Brownie
They say that the brownie still lives in every village hut, but not everyone knows about it. They call him grandfather, master, neighbor, homemaker, hoarder demon, but he is all the keeper. hearth and home, the invisible assistant of the owners.
The brownie sees every little thing, tirelessly cares and worries so that everything is in order and ready: he will help the hard worker, correct his mistake; he enjoys 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 the housing, then he serves this family, as if he went into bondage to her.
For this loyalty, in other places they call him that: he has killed him.
But he willingly helps the lazy and careless to run their households, torments people to the point that he crushes them almost to death at night or throws them out of their beds. However, it is not difficult to make peace with an angry brownie: you just have to put snuff under the stove, which he is a big fan of, or give any gift: a multi-colored rag, a crust of bread... If the owners love their neighbor, if they live in harmony with him, then will never want to part with it, even when moving to new home: they will scratch under the threshold, collect the garbage in a dustpan - and sprinkle it in the new hut, without noticing how the “owner” moves with this garbage to a new place of residence. Just remember to bring him a pot of porridge for his housewarming and say with all possible respect: “Grandfather Brownie, come home. Come live with us!”
Rare man 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, the teeth on yourself, and sit between the horses the whole night. If you're lucky, you'll see an old man - small, like a stump, all covered with gray hair (even his palms are hairy), gray with age and dust. Sometimes, in order to divert prying eyes from himself, he will take on the appearance of the owner of the house - well, he’s the spitting image! In general, the brownie loves to wear his master's clothes, but he always manages to put them back in place as soon as the person needs things.
Before the plague, fire and war, the brownies leave the village and howl in the pastures. If there is a big unexpected misfortune, the grandfather notifies about 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 small woman - invisible (sometimes considered the wife of a brownie). At night, she disturbs small children, confuses the yarn (she herself likes to spin or weave lace - the sounds of K. spinning in the house portend trouble): the owners may escape from the house; hostile to men. May harm domestic animals, particularly chickens. The main attributes (connection with yarn, damp places, darkness) of Kikimora are similar to mokusha, evil spirit, continuing the image of the Slavic goddess Mokosha. The name “Kikimora” - compound word. the second part of which is ancient name female character mary, mora.
Kikimora is a character best known mainly in the Russian North. Appears in the form of a small, hunched, ugly old woman, dressed in rags, sloppy and eccentric. Her appearance in a house or in outbuildings (on a threshing floor, in a stable or in a bathhouse) was considered an evil 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 well-known tale that in a newly built house there was a Kikimora, which none of the residents saw, but a voice was constantly heard demanding that the household members who sat down to dinner clear the table: she threw pillows at the disobedient ones and frightened them at night until then. until the whole family left the house (Vyatka province).
Bannik
Bannik, bainik, baennik, bainushko, etc., Belarusian. laznik - among Russians and Belarusians the spirit is the inhabitant of the bathhouse. Lives behind the heater or under the shelf. It can be invisible (according to some beliefs, it has an invisibility cap) or appears in the form of a person with long hair, a naked old man, covered with dirt and leaves from brooms, a dog, a cat, white hare etc. There is a belief that BANNIK appears in the bathhouse for the first time after a woman in labor has been there. It is believed that BANNIK washes himself in the bathhouse and he should be left with water, soap and a broom, otherwise he will splash boiling water, throw hot stones, and cause fumes. When entering the bathhouse, it was customary to say: “Baptized on the shelf, unbaptized from the shelf” (Smolensk province).
Anchutka
Anchutka is one of the most ancient names for the devil, the demon. Anchutkas come in bathhouses and field ones. Like any evil spirits, they instantly respond to the mention of their name. It’s better to keep quiet about them, otherwise this heelless, fingerless man will be right there. The toeless one is anchutka because one day a wolf chased him and bit off his heel.
Bath anchutkas are shaggy, bald, scare people with their moans, and darken their minds. But they are very good at changing their appearance - just like 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, roznik, etc.
However, they say that the water also has its own anchutka - an assistant to the waterman or swamp. He is unusually ferocious and nasty. If a swimmer suddenly has a cramp, he should know that it is a water anchutka who has grabbed his leg and wants to drag him to the bottom. That is why, since ancient times, every swimmer has been advised to have a pin with him: after all, evil spirits I'm deathly afraid of iron.
Goblin
Leshy, forester, leshak, forester, forester, forester - the spirit of the forest in Slavic mythology. The goblin lives in every forest, especially loves spruce trees. Dressed like a man - a red sash, the left side of the caftan is usually wrapped behind the right side, and not vice versa, as everyone wears. The shoes are mixed up: the right shoe is on the left foot, the left shoe is on the right. The goblin's eyes are green and burn like coals.
No matter how carefully he hides his unclean origin, he fails to do this: if you look at him through the horse’s right ear, the goblin has a bluish tint, because his blood is blue. His eyebrows and eyelashes are not visible, he has corny ears (no right ear), and the hair on his head is combed to the left.
A goblin can become a stump and a hummock, turn into an animal and a bird, he turns into a bear and a grouse, a hare, and anyone, even a plant, because he is not only the spirit of the forest, but also its essence: he is overgrown with moss, sniffles as if the forest is noisy, It not only shows itself as spruce, but also spreads like moss and grass. The goblin differs from other spirits by special properties inherent to him alone: if he walks through the forest, he is as tall as the tallest trees. But at the same time, going out for walks, fun and jokes on 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 his neighbor, called the field worker, or field worker. The goblin also does not enter villages, so as not to quarrel with brownies and buffaloes, especially in those villages where completely black roosters crow, “two-eyed” dogs (with spots above the eyes in the form of second eyes) and three-haired cats live near the huts.
But in the forest, the goblin is a full-fledged and unlimited master: all animals and birds are under his jurisdiction and obey him unrequitedly. Hares are especially subordinate to him. He has them as complete serfs, at least he even has the power to lose them at cards to the neighboring goblin. Squirrel herds are not exempt from the same dependence, and if they, migrating in countless hordes and forgetting all fear of man, run into big cities, and they jump across the roofs, fall into chimneys and even jump into windows - then the matter is clear: it means that the goblin led a whole artel gambling and the defeated side drove the loss into the possessions of the happy opponent.
Swamp kikimora
Kikimora - Evil, swamp spirit in Slavic mythology. Close friend goblin - swamp kikimora. Lives in a swamp. He likes to dress up in furs made from mosses and weaves forest and swamp plants into his hair. But she rarely appears to people, because she prefers to be invisible and only shouts from the swamp in a loud voice. A little woman steals small children, drags unwary travelers into a quagmire, where she can torture them to death.
Mermaid
In Slavic mythology, mermaids are a type of mischievous evil spirits. They were drowned women, girls who died near a pond, or people swimming at inopportune times. Mermaids were sometimes identified with “mavkas” - from the Old Slavonic “nav”, dead man) - children who died without baptism or by strangled mothers.
The eyes of such mermaids glow with green fire. By their nature, they are nasty and evil creatures, they grab bathing people by the legs, pull them under the water, or lure them from the shore, wrap their arms around them and drown them. There was a belief that a mermaid's laughter could cause death (this makes them look like Irish banshees).
Some beliefs called mermaids the lower spirits of nature (for example, good “beregins”), who have nothing in common with drowned people and willingly save drowning people.
Swampwomen
Bolotnitsa (omutnitsa, shovel) is a drowned maiden living in a swamp. Her black hair is spread over her bare shoulders and decorated with sedge and forget-me-nots. Disheveled and unkempt, pale-faced with green eyes, always naked and ready to lure people to her only in order to tickle them to death without any particular guilt and drown them in the quagmire. Swampwomen can send crushing storms, torrential rains, and destructive hail to the fields; steal threads, canvases and linens from women who have fallen asleep without prayer.
Brodnitsa
Maidens - Beauties with long hair, guardians of fords. They live with beavers in quiet pools, mend and guard fords paved with brushwood. Before an enemy attack, wanderers imperceptibly destroy the ford, directing the enemy into a swamp or pool.
Dashingly one-eyed
Spirit of evil, failure, symbol of grief. There is no certainty regarding Likha’s appearance - he is either a one-eyed giant or a tall, thin woman with one eye in the middle of his forehead. Famously they are often compared to Cyclopes, although except for one eye and tall, they have nothing in common.
The saying has reached our time: “Don’t wake up Dashing while it’s quiet.” In a literal and allegorical sense, Likho meant trouble - it became attached to a person, sat on his neck (in some legends, the unfortunate person tried to drown Likho by throwing himself into the water, and drowned himself) and prevented him from living.
Likh, however, could be gotten rid of - deceived, driven away by force of will, or, as is occasionally mentioned, given to another person along with some gift. According to very dark superstitions, Likho could come and devour you.
Ghoul
Ghouls lower spirits, demonological creatures. The “Tale of Idols” talks about the ancient veneration of ghouls by the Slavs. IN folk ideas- these are evil, harmful spirits. Ghouls (like vampires) suck blood from people and animals. They were identified with the dead, emerging from their graves at night, lying in wait and killing people and livestock. author of the encyclopedia Alexandrova Anastasia
According to popular beliefs, ghouls became people who died an “unnatural death” - violently 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 cause harm to 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 be avoided, and if you had to pass by, you should throw 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” - the corpse had to be dug out of the grave and pierced with an aspen stake.
And so that the deceased, who did not live out his “life,” did not turn into a ghoul, his knee tendons were cut so that he could not walk. Sometimes coals were sprinkled on the grave of a supposed ghoul or a pot of burning coals was placed.
On a special day of obedience to the dead Eastern Slavs Semik was considered. On this day, they also commemorated all untimely deceased relatives: unbaptized children, girls who died before marriage. In addition, in Semik they took special measures against pawned dead people who, according to legend, were capable of causing harm to a person. Aspen stakes or sharp metal objects were driven into their graves.
In Semik, burials were held for those who, for one reason or another, remained unburied. A common grave was dug for them and buried with a prayer service and funeral service. It was believed that otherwise the pawned dead could take revenge on the living, sending various disasters to them: drought, storm, thunderstorm or crop failure
Baba Yaga
Baba Yaga (Yaga-Yaginishna, Yagibikha, Yagishna) - ancient character Slavic mythology.
Baba Yaga is a more dangerous creature, possessing much greater power than some witch. Most often she lives in deep forest, which has long instilled fear in people because it was perceived as the border between the world of the dead and the living. It’s not for nothing that her hut is surrounded by a palisade of human bones and skulls, and in many fairy tales Baba Yaga feeds on human flesh, and she herself is called the “bone leg.”
Just like Koschey the Immortal (kosch - bone), she belongs to two worlds at once: the world of the living and world of the dead. Hence its almost limitless possibilities.
IN fairy tales it operates in three incarnations. Yaga the hero possesses a treasure sword and fights with the heroes on equal terms. The Yaga kidnapper steals children, sometimes throwing them, already dead, onto the roof of their home, but most often taking them to her hut on chicken legs, or into an open field, or underground. From this strange hut, children, and adults too, escape by outwitting Yagibishna. And finally, Yaga the Giver warmly greets the hero or heroine, treats him deliciously, soars in the bathhouse, gives useful advice, presents 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 world in an iron mortar (that is, a scooter chariot), and when she walks, she forces the mortar to run faster, striking it with an iron club or pestle. And so that, for reasons known to her, no traces are visible, they are swept behind her by special ones, attached to the mortar with a broom and broom. Frogs and black cats serve her, including Cat Bayun, crows and snakes: all creatures in which both threat and wisdom coexist
Koschey the Immortal (Kashchei)
One of the well-known Old Slavonic negative characters, usually represented as a thin, skeletal old man with a repulsive appearance. Aggressive, vengeful, greedy and stingy. It's hard to say whether he was a personification external enemies Slavs, an evil spirit, a powerful wizard or a unique variety of undead.
It is undeniable that Koschey possessed very strong magic, avoided people and often engaged in the favorite activity of all villains in the world - kidnapping girls.
Serpent - Gorynych
Serpent Gorynych - in Russian epics and fairy tales, a representative of the evil principle, a dragon with 3, 6, 9 or 12 heads. Associated with fire and water, flies across the sky, but at the same time correlates with the bottom - with a river, a hole, a cave, where he has hidden wealth, a kidnapped princess
Indrik is a beast
Indrik the Beast - in Russian legends “the father of all animals”, a character in the Dove Book. Indrik is a distorted name of the god Indra (the variants “foreigner”, “inrok” can cause an association with a unicorn, but INDRIK is described with two, not one horn). INDRIK was credited with the properties of others fantastic images medieval book tradition - the king of the waters, opponents of the serpent and the crocodile - “onudra” (otters) and ichneumon, the fabulous fish “endrop”.
According to Russian folklore, Indrik is an underground beast, “walks through the underground like the sun in the sky”; he is endowed with the characteristics of the owner water element, sources and treasures. I. acts as an opponent of the serpent.
Alkonost
Alkonost is a wonderful bird, a resident of Iria - the Slavic paradise.
Her face is feminine, her body is birdlike, and her voice is sweet, like love itself. Hearing Alkonost's singing with delight can forget everything in the world, but there is no harm from her to people, unlike her friend the bird Sirin. Alkonost lays eggs “at the edge of the sea”, but does not hatch them, but immerses them in deep sea. At this time, there is no wind 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
Bird Gamayun - messenger 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 ancient “Book, verb Kosmography,” the map depicts a round plain of earth, washed on all sides by a river-ocean. On the eastern side is marked “the island of Macarius, the first under the very east of the sun, near the blessed paradise; That’s why it’s so popular that the birds of paradise Gamayun and Phoenix fly into this island and smell a wonderful fragrance.” When Gamayun flies, a deadly storm emanates from the solar east.
Gamayun knows everything in the world about the origin of earth and sky, gods and heroes, people and monsters, animals and birds. According to ancient belief, the cry of the bird Gamayun foretells happiness.
A. Remizov. Gamayun
One hunter tracked down a strange bird with the head of a beautiful maiden on the shore of a lake. She sat on a branch and held a scroll with writing in her claws. It read: “You will go through the whole world by untruth, but you will not turn back!”
The hunter crept closer and was about to pull the bowstring when the bird maiden turned her head and said:
How dare you, pathetic mortal, raise weapons against me, the prophetic bird Gamayun!
She looked into the hunter's eyes, and he immediately fell asleep. And in a dream he dreamed that he saved two sisters - Truth and Untruth - from an angry boar. When asked what he wanted as a reward, the hunter answered:
I want to see the whole white light. From edge to edge.
“This is impossible,” said Pravda. - The light is immense. In foreign lands, sooner or later you will be killed or enslaved. Your wish is impossible.
“It’s possible,” her sister objected. - But for this you must become my slave. And henceforth live a lie: lie, deceive, deceive.
The hunter agreed. Many years have passed. Having seen the whole world, he returned to his native land. But no one recognized him or recognized him: it turns out that his entire native village fell into the open ground, and in this place a deep lake appeared.
The hunter walked for a long time along the shore of this lake, grieving over his losses. And suddenly I noticed on a branch that same scroll with ancient writings. It read: “You will go through the whole world by untruth, but you will not turn back!”
This is how the prophecy of the things of the bird Gamayun came true.
Sirin
Sirin is one of the birds of paradise, even its very name is consonant with the name of paradise: Iriy.
However, these are by no means the bright Alkonost and Gamayun.
Sirin is a dark bird, dark force, messenger of the ruler of the underworld. From head to waist Sirin is a woman of incomparable beauty, and from the waist she is a bird. Whoever listens to her voice forgets about everything in the world, but is soon doomed to troubles and misfortunes, or even dies, and there is no strength to force him not to listen to Sirin’s voice. And this voice is true bliss!
Fire - bird
Firebird - in Slavic mythology, a fiery bird the size of a peacock. Her feathers glow blue, and her armpits glow crimson. author of the encyclopedia Alexandrova Anastasia
You can easily get burned on its plumage. The fallen feather retains the properties of the Firebird plumage for a long time. It glows and gives warmth. And when the feather goes out, it turns into gold. The Firebird guards a fern flower.
