Good fairy tale characters. Animals - fairy tale characters

We invite you to familiarize yourself with the characteristics of fairy-tale characters, which are actors favorite by your children, and maybe by you, fairy tales. 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 was to be 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, under the curse of the evil fairy, will prick herself on the spindle and die (fall 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 quantities is tiring. 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 such cases, you can invite children to compose 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.

Mistress of Copper Mountain

This woman is unusually beautiful, balanced and strong. A stone woman, however, is capable of crying, and fair, and compassionate. So why doesn't it bring joy even to kind people? 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.

Light, airy creature endowed with magic power. Messenger of fate, witch, sorceress - her other names. Fairy is a beautiful stellar 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, terrible goddess that 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 submission a huge number 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 wonderful sign of beauty and the flowering of 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 a merchant's daughter to find a scarlet flower is a 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.

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, see the deep and mysterious spheres of life, explore the dark side of 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 brought Thumbelina to a 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 are usually frightening, 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 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.

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.

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 leaves the desired topic, avoids sharp 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 Bazhov's fairy tales, or perhaps for another reason, the habitats of lizards are associated with deposits of precious stones, gold or treasures. And that is why lizards are considered a symbol of wealth, material gain or reward.

From myself - the article is amazing, written easily, subtly and with humor.

Article taken from Livejournal blog http://tsimbal.livejournal.com/86494.html#cutid1

tsimbal's journal

The idea that girls, playing fairy tales as children and admiring their favorite heroines, unconsciously mold them into a role model, is not new. In fact, only the lazy did not ride on it, but at the same time, it has not been completely exhausted. I decided to put in my two cents. All of the following is the result of observations and IMHO. But I wouldn't be surprised if someone else had the same thoughts before. EC

So, role models.

Cinderella
The most popular model of all time, so popular that both girls and boys, adults, and world literature, along with cinema, successfully play it. It breaks down into two submodels that can coexist both together and separately

Option 1: "All my problems will be solved by a rich / noble husband and a good fairy"

These Cinderellas grow up in the belief that they were born for heights, and in order to shine, they lack the very smallest thing - the one who, in fact, will provide them with a “sky in diamonds”. They are "driven" to a successful marriage (well, not necessarily a marriage) and solving problems in one fell swoop in the style, "the prince will come and solve everything." Cinderellas are often distinguished by gullibility, but at the same time, really unpleasant stories get stuck very rarely - they are lucky. They, as a rule, do not forget that equipment also matters, and therefore, before conquering the prince, you need to shake the “good fairy” (often parents, but there are options) for a decent outfit.

Most of them, by the way, are well settled in life - they are charmingly naive, look with devotedly loving eyes, and are ready to be second or even third violin. Cinderellas rarely make a career, they just don't need it. Their career is marriage, and it fails only for those who have big financial claims to life. Their part of the "work" - the house, the family, the children - usually perform flawlessly, in any case, husbands do not have to complain about them. Cinderellas are condescending wives, they forgive everything except global financial disasters and divorce. But even in this case, Cinderella does not lose heart. There will always be enough men around her to rely on.

Option 2: "I'll be good and get a prince"

Cinderellas of this type are much more difficult in life, although they are just as gentle, charming and complaisant. Firstly, because it is always difficult to be good, and secondly, because not receiving the reward promised by a fairy tale is pretty annoying and even leads to internal conflicts. “I try, I try - but no prince, no fairy, no carriage, no beautiful dress finally on the horizon no! Only stepmothers who strive to use. But this monologue is deeply internal, and anyone can be in the role of a “stepmother”: the willingness of such Cinderellas to serve relaxes, and everyone who is not lazy begins to use them. Often Cinderella quietly cries into her pillow, promises herself to be courageous - and again runs for coffee to a colleague, helps her neighbor clean, borrows money, already weakly believing that someday she will be rewarded for this. The prince in such a situation will be the one who simply pulls her out of this swamp, appreciates and responds "good for good." But such a scenario, alas, is rare: most often such Cinderellas attract just excellent scum, although ... And a good person can turn into God knows what with such a corrupting forgiveness. Some good fairy can also straighten the brains of Cinderella. In youth, a good and wiser and older friend is enough. Cinderella at thirty will be helped only by a fairy psychologist.

Both types of Cinderella are united in one thing: a happy marriage is our FSE. A career is not for them, one does not need it, the second will always be bypassed with promotions. But, in a good way, a “good wife” is already a career, huh?

Snow White

With the outward similarity of fairy tales, Cinderella and Snow White are just polar heroines. They both rely on the prince, but Snow White is the mistress of her life. A happy marriage is one of her priorities, the prince will come after her - she knows it. But for now, you need to live in this world, building relationships with everyone, from animals to an evil stepmother. Disney cartoon- this is just a storehouse of the character of the heroine. Remember how she organized all the forest animals to clean the house of the gnomes? And how unobtrusively built the gnomes, becoming the hostess in their house from a guest? Snow White has been learning to subtly control those around her since childhood. She is affable and friendly, happy to help - but a little later you will find that you are mainly helping her. Snow White is incredibly friendly, but will easily part with her surroundings when the Prince appears on the horizon. Speaking of the latter, Snow White almost always knows who she wants to marry, and takes her time if desired option No. "Unsuitable", whether they are at least seven spans in the forehead and immensely rich, are recorded in the "gnomes". "Gnome" is a male friend who will not break off. Never. But for everything else: support, a smile, tea with a cake and help, the “gnome” can count on. As well as the fact that he will be the one to carry furniture in the snow-white house, repair her computer and wiring. In anticipation of Prince Snow White make a good career. They are born organizers, and they can also manage any team - easily and unobtrusively. Natural practicality will not allow Snow White to make a career in science or in some "male" areas. Ideas and abstract concepts are not her element. Although clean women's groups Snow Whites do not favor - their charm has a much better effect on men. If you have become the prince of Snow White, then you are in luck. They - good wives, and, unlike Cinderellas - "in any weather." There is only one drawback - one way or another, by washing or rolling, Snow White will arrange so that all important family decisions will be made by her. Unobtrusively, with gentle perseverance. You may not even notice it. And if you're not "one of those men," don't worry. So, you are her prince, and at best you will be a gnome.

Little Red Riding Hood

If your daughter's favorite heroine is Little Red Riding Hood, then I sympathize with you in advance. Beanies have a magnetic talent for getting into trouble, especially of an erotic nature. It is they who easily go to visit random acquaintances and go with their girlfriends to an unknown "cottage". They trustfully give money to rogues and return at night to short skirt. The cap is a magnet for villains. She is trusting, chatty, and usually pretty. In the family, Riding Hood is a child who runs around on his own, not spoiled by unnecessary care. At first glance, Riding Hood is sorry, but if you look closer, it turns out that some of the Riding Hoods like the "risk" life and they cannot imagine themselves without it. One of my acquaintances, Riding Hood, always got involved in some kind of epics, either with cops or with bandits. Her stories looked like the plots of bad action films: if I hadn’t seen her in this gop company, I wouldn’t have believed it in my life. "You have no idea how exciting it is when your man plays cards for you." I didn't imagine. The other Riding Hood boasted that on the train she impressed her companion so much that they got off at night, halfway through in some city, rented a hotel room and spent a luxurious night. In the morning, the companion disappeared, and she didn’t know how to get home now (he didn’t rob her, she just didn’t have money for another ticket). Riding Hood epics look like nonsense, but, what is funny, it is usually the truth, slightly embellished with a vivid imagination. Alas, the age of risky adventures for the Riding Hoods is short-lived. They grow up early and often, after thirty all stormy youth- already on their faces. But by this time they had lived 5-10 lives of more calm inhabitants. Hats, alas, are a risk group in terms of alcohol and drugs (they are drawn to any whirlpool).
Sometimes the Savior, the same woodcutter, may be next to the Riding Hood. If the cap has not yet mastered the path of adventure, it can be "domesticated". If not, then sooner or later she will start to get into something anyway. "Hats" over thirty, by the way, sometimes get along well in life: they have a rich life experience and excellent knowledge of men. Mothers are kind, but usually there is no time for children. And most importantly: you will never get bored with them!

Let's discard the lisping of Andersen's fairy tale and honestly admit: Gerda is a tank girl. “I see the goal - I see no obstacles” - this is about her. Calm determination, incredible perseverance. Her "Kai" can be anything - a career, science, a man ... Gerda will get it - you can be sure. She disposes to herself and knows how to force herself to help. Different than Snow White, not in a roundabout way, but directly. He has no doubts about his rightness. If it is necessary for the sake of the goal, we will do it. Gerds, as a rule, are serious girls - and their goals are also serious. If the target is a man, you can sympathize and envy him in equal measure. Gerda will do everything for him - walk to Lapland, defeat the Snow Queen, rob the robbers, open the door to the royal chambers with his foot ... BUT. The opinion of "Kai" himself, whether he needs Gerda, she, according to by and large, not interested. He "hit". Fighting off Gerda, who is sure that you are the Kai of her life, is unrealistic. And sooner or later you will realize that Gerda is a great option. She will be a wife and mother in one bottle. She will help her make a career, earn money, give birth and raise children, not forgetting that you are her main child. She will not let you decide at least something yourself - and unlike the same Snow White, she will voice it honestly. In fairness, Gerds are rarely fond of independent men. Their Kai is a typical "son", who is quite satisfied with this.

Little Robber

Kid. He plays with the boys, he wants to be his own among them, sometimes he treats him condescendingly. As a rule, she grew up in a family where they either did without men, or dad flew in empyreans, and mom dragged the house, work and did not forget to instill in her daughter the opinion that all men are parasites. Another option, dad left altogether, rarely met with the child, but left about himself good impression. In both cases, the Little Robber grows up in the belief that you can’t rely on men, you can take apart a Kalashnikov assault rifle and fix the electricity yourself, and whether it’s worth spending time chasing men is generally a question ...

With age, it turns out that it is worth it, because the Little Rogues are a desperately amorous people. Moreover, for all their brightness and often - temperament - they fall in love ... yes, yes, yes, if not with princes, then with boys from " good families”, prone to the same flying in the empyrean. Novels are often stormy, but end in different ways, because. relatives of the chosen one take the Little Robber with hostility. The robber - sincere, impulsive, with a good heart - does not know how to make the right impression. Cinderella, taken from the slums, will be rescued by shining eyes and the ability to silently smile. The robber will surely blurt out something defiant, dress in something incomprehensible, and draw attention to herself most in an unusual way. It’s easy for her to be passionate, but she doesn’t know how to be feminine at all and often suffers because of this (but she doesn’t admit it, these are “nurses” after all). But with the Rogue is never boring. She is sentimental, emotional, often changes her decisions, but she is a devoted and reliable comrade. Of course, there will never be perfect order in her house. She grew up in a cave, and understands comfort in her own way. But it’s not you who will do minor repairs and repair plumbing in the house either. You will be allowed to be in the "Empyrean".

Malvina

"Pie Girl". The right girl "from a good family." As a rule, an excellent student, an activist and the pride of the school. She was taught how to behave in childhood, and Malvina perceives “a step to the right, a step to the left” as an attempt to escape. Therefore, often with these rules she tries to strain others and because of this she is reputed to be especially boring. Malvina - as a rule, beautiful girl- in any case, who knows how to present himself. There are enough boys of her circle next to her, but ... Malvins like hooligans. With unwashed hands, climbing through the window, despising the rules. Secretly, she envies them, obviously - she is trying to re-educate. He naively believes that “with a good woman, a man can become a man” and at least not blow his nose on a tablecloth in her presence. Often, after such attempts at re-education, there are perfect women with small children from an unknown person ... Having burned herself on a bully, Malvina often rushes into the arms of some dull Pierrot, whose lonely muzzle used to make her sick. But for her, this is not an option: she is not one of those who will drag the family cart and Pierrot through life. More often, a reliable older companion appears next to her, or just a good person who is able to appreciate her. Malvina is a good housewife and mother, she is neat and smart. If the bully does not bring dissonance into her life, she even makes a good career - more often as a teacher or engineer.

Mary Poppins

If you have ever come across a young lady who knows everything and is ready to provide you with a bunch of valuable advice on any occasion, you know what a miracle Mary Poppins is. She is perfection. She herself decided so. She can do everything the best way: even boil eggs and wash the doormat. You are doing it wrong, but how to do it right, she will now teach. Mary loves to teach and give advice. More than that, they only like to talk about their remarkableness. She has all the best best husband, geeks - children, a successful career, a hair stylist through an acquaintance and inexpensive ... But if you look closely, you will find that often Mary's career is the position of the eldest of three secretaries, her hair was relevant ten years ago, and her husband ... Maybe he works at three jobs, but if you were in his place, you would have done the same - because. being with Mary for a long time is much more difficult. The worst test is to have Mary as mother-in-law, daughter-in-law or sister-in-law. This can only be sustained by living in another city. To be fair: Mary really tries to do her best. Often, in many areas she is really special - although, perhaps, not as much as she seems to herself. She is fit, elegant, sports and leads a healthy lifestyle. For her, the invented scheme of life is the only possible one, it is a shield with which she closes herself from reality. Therefore, when it turns out that her husband is leaving, and her daughter is pregnant at the age of 14, for Mary this is a catastrophe and the collapse of the world. But this rarely happens. Usually, Mary finds herself complaisant companions and successfully builds those around her all her life.

goldilocks

Goldilocks is a beauty with a flair. Often from a good or wealthy family. From childhood, she knows how good it is to be beautiful, how nice it is when men curl around and all issues are resolved by themselves. He considers his beauty and other talents as capital for life, and therefore cherishes and cherishes in every possible way. If Cinderella is ready to seek the prince herself, then Goldilocks is used to being sought after her. Insolence and charm cannot be taken here, the enterprise requires a long siege and often considerable funds. In addition, Goldilocks will casually constantly check on you how you will behave in this or that situation, whether you can be relied upon and whether you are who you say you are. If necessary, she will even make inquiries.

Goldilocks looks after herself very much, she looks "on highest level”And wants her companion to understand this - then he will pay for all these “little things”. But this is the ideal girl for a party of any importance, the same “queen at a party and a courtesan in bed”, and often a good hostess at the same time.

In a relationship, Goldilocks can expect two pitfalls. First, she quickly discovers that the companion sees in her not a person, but a trophy and an investment of money (and Goldilocks is hurt by this). Secondly, sometimes a wonderful object suddenly leaves Goldilocks for the sake of a much less spectacular Cinderella, or even someone ordinary-looking, carried away by sincerity and real feelings ... Goldilocks herself with feelings (in addition to those required by the role) is difficult - she is or is too practical for this or brought up to keep them around. Nuance: achieving Goldilocks is much more interesting than actually living with her. She will be able to create beauty and comfort, but not maintain an atmosphere of warmth and trust. Therefore, Goldilocks either marry much older men or change husbands every few years.

Alice in Wonderland

Alice since childhood unusual child, paying attention to things that others care little about. She is not bored alone, she plays her own games, often creates a whole world around herself. Sometimes she is considered stupid - because she thinks slowly, she does not always reason logically, and mathematics is not at all her element. Alice does not fit well in the company, she is a loner and a dreamer. Nevertheless, in his youth he willingly gets into all sorts of parties, role-playing games, hiking, etc. She is not part of the team, but rather an observer, she is INTERESTING. For the sake of her wonder, she will go where neither the brave Little Robber nor the risky Riding Hood would dare to go. And what is characteristic, Alice will get out of the situation alive, unharmed and without loss.

Alice makes an ambivalent impression on the boys. If she is pretty, then her weirdness will be considered mysterious, and fans will fight for the right to walk her home. Alice of ordinary appearance will have a harder time - they are usually considered eccentrics, although they don’t spy too much. They are not liked in the team at work, because Alice is always outside the team - she only plays her own games. Alices are creative natures, they draw and embroider, write poems and stories. But all this is very impractical, Alice will never learn how to extract money from her talents. Of the men, Alice is best suited either as an "eccentric" of her type, or someone who will be sympathetic to her very non-trivial view of the world, work, life, home comfort and raising children. An excellent, but somewhat exaggerated variation on the theme of Alice is Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter.

The Snow Queen

The Snow Queen is always a little less of a child than the rest. In childhood, she is often closed, reserved, sometimes gives the impression of indifference (less often, but it happens the other way around: sociable, but clearly keeps her distance). The Queen has a clear practical mind, she is purposeful and persistent. Of all fairy tale heroines the Snow Queen has the most chances to make a successful career - she is a business woman from birth. Often “strict but fair”, but there are also options. He builds his life in such a way that he depends on someone as little as possible, prefers something more concrete to emotional obligations. She knows how to impress - even with average external data, she cannot be denied majesty. True, those around the Queen are more likely to be afraid than they love. It is difficult to appease her with smiles or charm. If your boss is the Queen, then the work will have to be done efficiently and on time. Compliments loves, but takes for granted.

Relations with men are different. The Queen prefers solid, accomplished, reliable men - but for them she is too authoritarian. In addition, Queens are often not temperamental, sex for them is the tenth thing. Therefore, the Queens are often single, which, in general, does not surprise their relatives and friends.

But the Snow Queen has friends. Not too close: and she is not one of those who will cry into a vest, and acquaintances will not come to mind to sob on her shoulder. But she recognizes friendship as a company and mutual assistance, as well as friendship based on interests. With age, sometimes begins to suffer from loneliness, but all attempts to start a family in adulthood are doomed to failure. She loves to command too much, and besides, she cannot stand strangers in her house. If you fell in love with the Snow Queen, you can only sympathize. Don't try to melt it. This woman does not hide a warm heart under the ice - she is made of ice.

Mermaid

Kind good, but shy girl. Likes to read, especially stories about unrequited love. If others are touched by the ending “and they lived happily ever after”, then the Little Mermaid prefers to sob over the stories “well, in general, everyone died”, although of course, her strong point is “she loved him more than life, but did not tell him about it.” Being a Mermaid is a real punishment, which can only be understood by someone who knows what a complex is not by hearsay. But the Little Mermaids are also different - active, sociable - with girlfriends. But with boys, for some reason, the language is taken away and becomes numb, and not only at 10, 15, but also at 30 years old. Moreover, Mermaids usually fall in love with the wrong men - married men, boyfriends of girlfriends, guys who see her only as a friend ... The little mermaid seems to be diligently avoiding men with whom something can happen. Subconsciously she likes to be a big heroine romantic tragedy, but consciously ... Who likes to cry into the pillow from hopeless love at the age of 27?

Sometimes the Little Mermaids get married, and not for their prince, but for the "octopus next door." But after a while, even the most insensitive husband discovers that they are only being used, and a photo of some classmate Vanya is carried in his wallet and kissed every evening. At the same time, the fact that Vanya has long been bald and menacingly pot-bellied, and her husband is still nothing, does not matter. But more often, the Little Mermaid is left alone, rejecting many great options.

The funny thing is that happiness is much more possible than she suggests. The "prince" may like the Little Mermaid, but her impregnable appearance, emphasized friendliness and complete lack of coquetry on her part, make him think that "there is nothing to catch here." Unfortunately, it is useless to fix the brains of the Little Mermaids. Enlightenment comes to them, but often after forty, when it is already difficult to change the current life.

Thumbelina

Thumbelina is a meek, harmless at first glance, a creature that is repressed from all sides for no reason at all. It is she who is at odds with her classmates and teachers, it is the neighbor girls who are intriguing against her, she was beaten at the competition, and she was fired from her job for no reason ... At the first moment, you feel sympathy for this fragile persecuted creature (regardless of its size, although Thumbelina usually really fragile). You give her tea, listen to her sorrows and offer help. But a month or two passes, and the situation does not change, Thumbelina has the same problems in the new place. Either she attracts problems like a magnet, or some of them are the fruit of her wild imagination.

In fact, both are true. Thumbelinas really quite often annoy others - with immoderate emotionality and blues, a story about their disasters and unwillingness to learn from their mistakes. As Little Red Riding Hood of all companies gets into the most dangerous, so Thumbelina of all jobs will choose the one where she will be completely thrown. She is not only gullible, but also hears only what she wants. Therefore, at work, the usual “well done” will be immediately considered as “they are about to raise their salary” (and then there will be tears, because, dreaming, Thumbelina spent the money in the hope of a raise, but it didn’t happen - intrigue!)

The same problems can be with men. Thumbelina is very feminine and sensitive, and any immodest look in her address can be interpreted as "he molested me." Often she herself does not know what she wants and can fool her boyfriends without consciously (what other craftswomen fairy-tale heroes not), but because of a change in feelings and moods. Oddly enough, the best companion for her is a strong domineering man who will take little account of her opinion and will perceive her ... as Thumbelina, a fragile flower girl, a charming but decorative creature.

Scheherazade

Thin thing. From childhood, he learns that in order to succeed in life, you need to be able to "go over the ears", and if necessary, listen carefully. Scheherazade loves both, and usually knows when to stop. IN women's company she will shine herself, in men's, if necessary, she will give a shine to a man, providing him with the necessary background. Scheherazade is a born actress, and the actress is in life - she never overacts. Another difference from fairytale and other heroines endowed with a vivid imagination: Scheherazade enjoys the process, but does not forget about the result. She is temperamental, but with a head on her shoulders and a sense of humor, however rather mild. Scheherazade - Eastern woman, even if the Nordic blonde. She believes that it is at least stupid for a woman to kill strength for a career and earning money - there is a man nearby for this. Worthy man. “Sonny”, unrecognized geniuses and other “also options” are not her style - rather, her husband will be older and more solid, but it is he who will provide her, if not a fairy tale, then peace and comfort. In response, he will receive an almost ideal companion, perhaps ... Scheherazade does not believe in “fidelity in bed” of men, she does not expect this from them, but she herself can be fleetingly carried away on the side. True, she never comes across, and if something happens, she gets out of any problem situation with brilliance.

The best thing about Scheherazade is that she is not aggressive, preferring to act gently, albeit persistently. Often she is “on her mind”, although you can’t tell by her behavior. Usually Scheherazade is a girl from a family with oriental roots, it does not matter - Caucasian, Muslim, Jewish. Or - from a family with a strong patriarchal bias. It would never occur to her to command a man, or to make fun of him, or to demonstrate her intellectual or other superiority. And it's not just about "one's own" - about any man. Therefore, Scheherazade is always a success among men. She doesn't even have to be beautiful - with her talents, it doesn't really matter.

Anidag is perhaps the most unpleasant of fairy-tale heroines. However, no - the most dangerous. She can be sweet, charming, endearing, but it’s quite difficult to get rid of the feeling of danger nearby. Anidag is a girl to whom either her parents or life explained that success can only be achieved by walking over corpses. No other way. Anidag is purposeful and ambitious, often not lazy at the same time. If necessary, she can work hard, although her real element is intrigue. “A couple of dozen miserable corpses will only decorate my triumphal chariot” - this is her creed. But she will not go ahead, but rather act with poison - flattery and slander. From her compliments a mile away breathes insincerity, but not everyone immediately notices it. Anidag is a bright and spectacular woman, she can and loves to please. As a rule, there are no complexes - if necessary, bed and other talents will be actively used in the name of the success of her "case". He behaves slightly coquettishly with men, with the right women - he can portray a soulmate, with the authorities - a fighter for the cause of the company. It seems natural to itself, but in reality it overplays a little. Those who nevertheless fell under the spell of Anidag may be quite surprised to learn what nasty things she says about them and what gossip she spreads behind their backs. In order to get your portion of poison, you don't need much - often, Anidag can "drown" just like that - as a "dress rehearsal" before a real war. To be fair: Anidag is not a sadist. All her intrigues are not for pleasure, but for success. Moreover, she is often convinced that all successful people do just that.

Anidag, as a rule, achieve success in life, but not the one they dreamed about, and often this success is fragile. Unfortunately for them, the Earth is round, the "corpses" have acquaintances, relatives and colleagues, and after some time there are few people who do not know about the "talents" of the irreplaceable worker. They are more often used than promoted - because no one undertakes to trust them. The exception is when, in addition to his bastard nature, Anidag has a real talent. But this rarely happens.

Family life Anidag is more diverse than happy. Although it is not a problem for her to play the game “queen away, courtesan in bed” in front of her husband (especially the right husband), if the husband is not an idiot and not much older, he is tired of the lack of sincerity in the relationship. Living with a bitch for a long time is hard, so husbands change periodically. Anidag often does not like children and does not start at all. And sometimes, on the contrary, he loves, but tries to instill his values ​​in them.

In honor of Miranda, who would have made a wonderful Madame de Merteuil, I post two more female type. They are not fabulous - I did not find suitable fairy-tale heroines. But they are good enough to bring to your attention. EC

Marquise de Merteuil

The creation is infrequent, with poisonousness comparable to a spectacled snake. Marquise is an intriguer to the marrow of her bones, an intriguer out of love for intrigue and ... out of envy. Not very beautiful (but not faded!), But a smart and attentive girl. Not without ability, but with a lack of obvious talent. Marquise from childhood yearns not so much for attention as for influence. She is one of those people who are INTERESTED in coming up with some kind of nasty two-mover (Marquises disdain one-movers even in kindergarten), and see "what will happen." Her hobby is this. This Marquise can “lay down” a class that has run away from lessons or girls who went to “smear” someone at night. But, God forbid, not herself: she will find the performer, playing either on his stupidity or on his honesty. She is INTERESTING - and how she will receive a class, and what will happen to the unfortunate "performer" later. The abilities of the Marquise in her youth to break the novels of her "girlfriends" are practically unlimited, while the girlfriends are unlikely to quickly guess whose hands this is.

The Marquise is not amorous (to some extent, this is her tragedy - she DOES NOT KNOW how to experience strong feelings, and she does not always succeed in demonstrating them), but she is curious, and she may have plenty of lovers - partly, for the sake of power , interest, development new technology. Unlike Anidag, Marquise doesn't need a career. She needs a place where she can see, manage and get the most people.

In fairness: the Marquise herself is a rare bird. I personally met twice in my life. There are much more pseudo-Marquis - women who seem to themselves to be arch-schemers. This is a parody of the heroines of the books "How to become a bitch" and "10 ways to walk on dead bodies." Pseudo-marquises are also dangerous (they can do just as bad things as the original), but they are more smug, and therefore more visible. Pseudo-marquises do not hesitate to do dirty work(gossip, rumors) themselves - but, unlike Anidag, not for the sake of a career, but for entertainment. It is easier to neutralize them, exposing their intriguing "toughness" to those around them. True, not through a public scandal - Pseudo, unlike the real Marquise, is not afraid of revelations, and underestimates his power.

The Marquise herself is the cheapest to stay away from. If “happiness” is already in the team, pour it false information about you, better unverifiable, and after a few different sources. Do not play her games and do not try to "pin" the marquise on her territory. Remember simple truth: no matter what schmuck splashes you with mud, you won’t explain to all the passers-by around why you are all in the slop. Therefore, the further, the better.

IN personal life Marquises are rarely happy. Their talent for destruction will not make a family happier, will not keep a man, will not add warmth to a relationship. Often there are no children, or they can be sincerely regretted. But the Marquises look beautiful until old age - they are very attentive to the facade.

Angelica, Marchioness of the Angels

It is difficult to find a romantic Heroine in fairy tales, this is the territory of women's novels. And Angelica feels like a Woman almost from birth. To listen to her, so even in a manger, half-hearted babies of a man vying with each other offered her bottles of milk and the best pot ... Her first romantic dramas played out in kindergarten, and she still remembers the color of the eyes and shorts of her first gentleman, and is nostalgic when she hears song "A little girl asks a little boy a question ..." By the end elementary school you can write books about her romantic hobbies - moreover, these are not vulgar “snuggled”, but real dramas - with kisses, promises “to be together forever”, and even scuffles with rivals ...

You can listen to all this performed by Angelica endlessly, but if you manage to look at her next “unearthly love” from the side, you will be surprised a lot (especially if the gentleman, who is dying of love for her, according to Angelica, starts making eyes at you right in front of her ).

The problem (or maybe happiness) of Angelica is that nature endowed her with an extremely vivid imagination, capable of perceiving any wink as "he molested me." Angelica creates the outline of her novel herself, weaving a man into it, putting her romanticism and temperament into it. At first, being Angelica's lover is just a fairy tale. She is passionate, tender, and all she needs is love! (Seriously! Angelicas are pretty selfless). Give Goldilocks orchids and a restaurant - Angelica can be pampered with snowdrops and a picnic on the beach, and you will get a much more ardent, and most importantly, sincere lover. Another thing is that over time, the ardor and drama of Angelica's character begins to tire her gentlemen. She can be thrown into the pool new love boredom - established relationships seem insipid to her.

Because of this, Angelica is either not married at all or they change husbands like gloves. More often than not, the former, because Angelica does not have the perseverance to bring her Prince to the altar. She is too open, too impulsive, too actively begins to fit a man into her life - all this frightens candidates for husbands.

Angelica usually does not make a career. She is hardworking, knows how to work, but this is not the sphere of her interests. More often than not, she's smart enough not to create romantic drama in the office. Looks after himself, but does not differ in special grooming. More often - because she considers herself beautiful in any form and any clothes (and out of competition - without). She brings up children (and they sometimes appear) herself, with typical female inconsistency: she pampers, then builds. He loves the theater and romantic books, in his youth (and often throughout his life) he always writes poetry. The hostess is very average - she knows how to cook only 2-3 signature dishes, a mess can be considered a "creative mess". Careless in finances (buying a delicacy with the last money, and then eating bread for a week - this is about her). But an optimist and a great friend - if you do not forget that Angelica has men in the first, second and third places. Friends, children, work and money come later.

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, demon-keeper, but that's all he is - the keeper hearth, the invisible helper of the hosts.
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" - compound word. the second part of which is 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 tallest 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 countless hordes and forgetting all fear of man, run into big cities, moreover, they jump over roofs, break off into chimneys and even jump into windows - then the matter is clear: it means that the goblin were gambling with a whole artel and the defeated side drove the loss into the possession of a happy rival.

Kikimora marsh

Kikimora - Evil swamp spirit in Slavic mythology. Close girlfriend goblin - 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 to death and drown them in a quagmire. Swamplands can send crushing storms, heavy rains, destructive hail to the fields; steal threads, canvases and canvases from women who fell asleep without prayer.

Brodnitsa

Maidens - Beauties with long hair, guardians of the fords. They live together with beavers in quiet backwaters, correct and guard 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 often compared with the Cyclopes, although apart from one eye and tall they have nothing in common.

The saying has come down to our time: “Do not wake Likho while it is quiet.” In direct and allegorical sense Famously 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.

However, it was possible to get rid of Likh - to deceive, to drive away by force of will, or, as it is occasionally mentioned, to transfer 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 beings. The "Word about idols" speaks of the ancient veneration of ghouls by the Slavs. In popular beliefs, these 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. They dug a common grave for them and buried them 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) - ancient character Slavic mythology.

Baba Yaga is a more dangerous creature, possessing much more power than some kind of witch. Most often it lives in dense forest, which has long instilled 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, she acts in three incarnations. Yaga-bogatyrsha has a sword-treasury and fights on equal terms with heroes. Yaga the kidnapper steals children, sometimes throwing them, already dead, on the roof of her native house, but most often taking them to her 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. She is served by frogs, black cats, including Cat Bayun, crows and snakes: all creatures in which both 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 is difficult to say whether he was the personification of the external enemies of the Slavs, an evil spirit, a powerful wizard, or a unique kind of undead.

It is indisputable that Koschey owned 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 water element, sources and treasures. 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 sea ​​depth. 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 the whole wide world. 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 the 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, a dark force, a messenger of the ruler of the underworld. From the head to the waist, Sirin is a woman of incomparable beauty, from the waist - 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. The fallen feather retains the properties of the plumage of the Firebird for a long time. It glows and gives warmth. And when the pen goes out, it turns into gold. The Firebird guards the fern flower.

Let's get to know the inhabitants of popular children's books better?

As a child, favorite characters in fictional stories came to life in the imagination and often became our good friends. Their realism is explained not only amazing abilities fantasy, but also by the skill of writers of fairy tales, 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 ballads about a noble robber who robs the rich to help the poor. According to one of the most credible 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 big gang, with which he operated in the forest of Sherwood. True, the intentions of the robbers differed from fairy tales, the cruel thugs simply looted, and profited from absolutely everyone. Of course, they didn't give money to anyone.

2. Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh

Prototype: Christopher Robin Milne and Winnipeg bear.

Alan Milne, one might say, copied the protagonist of adventure stories winnie the pooh from his son. Christopher grew up a shy and quiet child, and his only friend was a toy named Edward - a bear cub of the Farnell Teddy series. The author did not even begin to change the name of the boy, only his companion was named differently, in honor of the Winnipeg bear from the London Zoo. She was so tamed to human attention that local children, including Christopher, often fed the animal with 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, as an adult, she sold for fabulous money to pay bills.

4. Snow White

Prototype: Maria Sophia Katarina Margareta von Erthal.

This story began in 1725, when Judge Philipp von Ertal and his wife, Baroness Maria Eva von Bettendorf, had a charming daughter, by the way, the fifth in the family. 13 years later, the wife of a father with many children died during the birth of the tenth child. The judge did not long for long, and a year later he married the same "inconsolable", but very prosperous widow, Claudia Helena Elisabeth von Reichenstein. A middle-aged lady by then standards (36 years old) was most angry with Maria. The girl grew older and prettier every day, and the beauty of the new father's wife noticeably faded. It is not known why Claudia Helena got angry at the fifth daughter of the judge, because many more children from his first marriage lived in the castle, but Mary constantly got it from her stepmother. Once the girl found out that her father's wife was plotting to kill her, and fled, 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. Naturally, she did not marry Prince Maria, and in general she did not have a chance 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 fairy 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 protagonist in the writer's works, even the Reichsmarschall's signature phrases are mentioned in the books: "I am a man in the prime of life", "Little things are a matter of life." Yes, and outwardly Carlson is very reminiscent of Goering, not to mention a hint of his profession in the form of a propeller.

6. Shrek

Prototype: Maurice Tiye.

William Steig, an author of children's stories about a big green ogre with a good heart, created his character after being impressed by Maurice Tillet. This French wrestler was born in Russia, in the Urals. As a child, he was a charming little boy with delicate features, for which he was nicknamed Angel. But by the age of 17, Maurice was diagnosed with acromegaly, a disease that causes the growth and thickening of bones, especially the skull. The guy who dreamed of becoming a lawyer had to give up his aspirations because of the constant bullying and ridicule of his appearance. Then Maurice went into wrestling, and in the sports field he achieved amazing success. Tiye's contemporaries describe him as a strong, kind and pleasant giant with a great sense of humor. Typical Shrek, isn't it?

7. Duremar

Prototype: Jacques Boulemard.

The seller of leeches in the fairy tale "Golden Key" in reality was a highly sought-after Moscow doctor French descent named Boulemard. He lived in 1895 and was popular among the Russian nobility. The fact is that the doctor practiced an exotic at that time method of treatment with the help of leeches, and he showed experiments with them directly on himself. To prevent mosquitoes from biting him while catching "medicines", Bulemard wore a long, tight hoodie. The little one, who hung around the strange doctor all the time, 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. The leading character in the children's book, of course, was not cut out of logs, he was not even a child, he was just very small 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 the doctor Bestuldzhi, the man was able to start a relatively full life, the surgeon made prostheses for him to replace the lost parts of the body. It was after meeting Sanchez and his wooden nose that Collodi came up with 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, to the homeland of his beloved wife, where the baron joined 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. The stories of Munchausen, thanks to his wild imagination, were constantly replenished with new amazing details and circumstances.

10 Peter Pan

Prototype: Michael Davis.

James Barry, the author of the tale of a boy who did not 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 sociable 4-year-old child, constantly inventing various stories. He was really afraid of growing old and periodically suffered from nightmares, which included a terrible sailor (Captain Hook) and evil pirates. Barry was so fond of the playful that he endowed his Peter Pan with the smallest traits of character and behavior of Michael.

Fairy tales form the thinking, fantasy and worldview of many generations. Fairy tales not only entertained us in childhood, but the actions of the heroes of Russian fairy tales taught us to distinguish between good and evil, to be brave and to do justice.

At the same time, in fairy tales, beliefs, views and ideas of the people are displayed at different times. In the course of its development, the tale has changed significantly, and its functions have also changed. If initially it was used for a magical incantatory purpose (to call for good luck on a hunt, to protect oneself from enemies or to ensure victory in battle), then over time, having lost its ritual significance, the tale acquired an aesthetic, educational or entertaining character.

Remained conditional fairy tale characters. They are types, not individuals, which means they are described in general terms, often idealized, exalted, exaggerated. The main images here are always antagonistic: one embodies the good, the beautiful; the other is evil forces. Hence - their characteristics - actions, deeds, intentions, language. According to their functions, the heroes of Russian fairy tales are conventionally divided into benefactors, evil-doers and the destitute.

most large group fairy tale folk epos are magical, fantastic tales. The explanation of many motives and features of fairy-tale characters can only be found in comparison with ancient rituals, elements of the socio-religious way of life of the Proto-Slavs and ancient Eurasians. Let's try to analyze some of the most famous characters in Russian fairy tales.

Heroes of Russian fairy tales. baba yaga

Baba Yaga is a character in Slavic mythology and folklore. Usually an ugly old woman, endowed with magical powers and magic items. Often a witch, a sorceress. More often - negative character(lures children and good fellows into his hut on chicken legs to eat), but sometimes acts as an assistant to the hero. According to folklore specialist Vladimir Propp, three types of Baba Yaga can be distinguished in fairy tales: a donor (gives the main character a fairy-tale horse), a kidnapper and a warrior (fights with the main character “not for life, but for death”).

IN contemporary ideas Baba Yaga is the mistress of the forest and the guardian of the borders of the "other world" (far away kingdom). Therefore, she has a bone leg - to stand in the world of the dead. In many fairy tales, Baba Yaga drowns the bathhouse and evaporates the hero, performing the rite of ablution. Then he feeds him, that is, performs, as it were, a feast with him. And you female image Baba Yaga is associated, according to researchers, with matriarchal ideas about the structure of the social world.

Heroes of Russian fairy tales. Water

In Slavic mythology - a spirit that lives in water, the owner of the waters, the embodiment of the element of water as a negative and dangerous principle. Appears before us in the form of a flabby old man, bug-eyed, with fish tail. He has a huge beard and mustache, sometimes - fish features, webbed paws and a horn on his head. Lives in whirlpools, whirlpools, but especially loves water mills. Therefore, the millers coaxed them in every possible way, and also buried a live black rooster or other security attributes under a log, where there would be a door to the mill. Often the Vodyanoy is associated with the sea king.

Heroes of Russian fairy tales. Firebird

A fairy bird is usually the goal of finding a fairy tale hero. The feathers of the firebird glow and amaze with their beauty. Lives in garden of paradise, in a golden cage. He feeds on golden apples, heals the sick with his singing and restores sight to the blind. At a deep mythological level, it is the personification of fire, light and the sun. Therefore, every year in the fall the Firebird dies, and is reborn in the spring. At the intercultural level, it has an analogue - the Phoenix bird, reborn from the ashes.

Heroes of Russian fairy tales. Dragon

A fire-breathing dragon with several heads, the personification of the evil inclination in fairy tales and epics. He usually lives in the mountains, near the fiery river and guards the Kalinov Bridge, through which they enter the kingdom of the dead. The number of heads of the Serpent-Gorynych is usually three (3, 6, 9 or 12). In fairy tales, the fire element is usually associated with the snake. The Serpent-Gorynych kidnaps girls (often princesses) to feast on. After that, the main characters come to him for a duel, first killing his baby vipers.

Heroes of Russian fairy tales. Ivan the Fool

A very popular image in mythology, which, when solving problems, is guided by its own, non-standard solutions, often contrary to common sense, but bringing success. The designation "fool" is interpreted in different ways. Some of the researchers consider this a talisman against the evil eye. According to another version, Ivan is called a fool, because usually in fairy tales he is the third son who is not entitled to a share of the parental inheritance (hence the ability to think outside the box, find a way out of difficult situations). Etymologically, the image of Ivan the Fool is associated with the image of a priest, because he can sing and play various instruments, and also speaks in riddles. At the end of the tales, Ivan the Fool receives wealth and the princess as his wife.

Heroes of Russian fairy tales. Cat Baiyun

A huge man-eating cat with a magical voice. On the one hand, he speaks and lulls travelers with his tales, on the other hand, his tales can heal. The very word "bayun" means "talker, narrator". In fairy tales, Kot Bayun sits on a high pillar at the distant lands in the distant kingdom or in a lifeless forest where there are no animals. In one of the tales, he lives with Baba Yaga.

Catching Bayun the Cat is usually a test for the protagonist, who catches him wearing an iron cap and iron gauntlets. But the caught Cat Bayun then serves at the royal court, heals the sick with his stories.

Heroes of Russian fairy tales. Kolobok

A fairy-tale character in the form of a spherical wheat bread that escapes from grandparents, from various animals, but is eventually eaten by a fox. This character clearly personifies the reverent attitude of the Slavic people to bread, and its sacred meaning. Namely, the round shape of Kolobok, which also rolls, which refers us to the cult of the sun.

Heroes of Russian fairy tales. Koschey (Kashchey) the Immortal

An evil sorcerer whose death is hidden in several nested magical animals and objects. “There is an island on the sea, on the ocean, on that island there is an oak, a chest is buried under the oak, a hare is in the chest, a duck is in the hare, an egg is in the duck, Koshchei’s death is in the egg.” Often kidnaps the bride of the protagonist. In appearance - a thin (Koschey - from the word "bone") a tall old man or a living skeleton. Sometimes on a talking and flying horse. A powerful sorcerer, which also allows priests to be called his prototypes.

Heroes of Russian fairy tales. Goblin

The master spirit of the forest in the mythology of the Slavs. His appearance is different, the breeds are even opposite in different fairy tales - either he is small in stature, then a giant, then an anthropomorphic creature, then he has an animal appearance. In any case, its otherworldly nature. The attitude of people towards him is also ambivalent. On the one hand, they are afraid of him, he can make a person go astray, sometimes plays pranks, can punish for inappropriate behavior in his domain. At the same time, it is Leshy who guards the forest, on which human life largely depends.

Heroes of Russian fairy tales. Miracle Yudo

The character of folk tales and epics, and even Proto-Slavic mythology. The positive or negative nature of the character is not clearly indicated, as well as his gender - in different eras he was both female, and male, and middle. Miracle Yudo is a character so ancient that researchers find it difficult to tie him to any phenomenon.

It can be a sea animal, a mythical serpent, a dragon. And in author's fairy tale Pyotr Ershov's "Humpbacked Horse" (1834) there is a Miracle Yudo Whale fish - an island fish.