Bad heroes of fairy tales. Heroes of Russian folk tales - detailed description: collective images and individual characteristics

We are talking about the main character's bride. Whether he is Ivan the Tsarevich or Ivan the Fool, he will certainly find Vasilisa the Wise or Vasilisa the Beautiful. The girl is supposed to be saved first, and then married - everything is honorable. But the girl is not easy. She can hide in the form of a frog, have some kind of witchcraft abilities, be able to speak with animals, the sun, wind and moon... In general, she is clearly a difficult girl. At the same time, it’s also kind of “secret”. Judge for yourself: it is much more difficult to find information about her than about any other fairy-tale character. In encyclopedias (both classic, paper, and new, online ones) you can easily find lengthy articles about Ilya Muromets and Dobrynya Nikitich, about Koshchei the Immortal and about Baba Yaga, about mermaids, goblin and merman, but there is almost nothing about Vasilisa . On the surface lies only a short article in the Great Soviet Encyclopedia, which reads:

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

Let's start, perhaps, with Vasilisa the Elder, with the one whom Gorky identified with Marya the Princess, Marya Morevna and Elena the Beautiful. And there was every reason for that. All these characters are very similar, for example, in that nothing is really said about them in fairy tales. Like, a beautiful maiden, the likes of which the world has never seen - and that’s all. No detailed description of appearance, no character traits. Just a woman-function, without which a fairy tale would not work: after all, the hero must conquer the princess, and who she is is the tenth matter. Let there be Vasilisa.

The name, by the way, hints at high origin. The name "Vasilisa" can be translated from Greek as "royal". And this royal maiden (sometimes in fairy tales she is called the Tsar Maiden) begins to subject the hero to tests. That is, sometimes it is not she who does this, but some fairy-tale villain like Koshchei the Immortal or the Serpent Gorynych, who kidnapped the princess and is holding her captive (at best) or is going to devour her (at worst).

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

However, it also happens that Ivan the Fool or Ivan the Fool or some other central fairy-tale character is forced to undergo trials not because of dragons or sorcerers - he is tormented by the bride herself. Either the hero needs to jump on horseback to the windows of her little room and kiss the beauty on the sugar lips, then he needs to recognize the girl among twelve friends who look exactly like her, then he needs to catch the fugitive - or demonstrate enviable cunning in order to hide from the princess so that she didn’t find him. At worst, the hero is asked to solve riddles. But in one form or another, Vasilisa will test him.

It would seem that what is unusual about the tests? Testing a man is generally a matter of a woman’s character: is he good enough to connect her life with him or give birth to offspring, does he have the strength and intelligence to be a worthy husband and father? From a biological point of view, everything is absolutely correct. However, there is one small detail. If unfortunate Ivan does not complete the task, then death awaits him - and this is repeatedly emphasized in dozens of Russian fairy tales.

One wonders why beautiful princess demonstrates bloodthirstiness, which is more suitable for the Serpent Gorynych? Because in reality she doesn’t want to get married at all. Moreover, she is the enemy of the hero, believes the famous researcher of Russian folklore Vladimir Propp in his book “Historical Roots of a Fairy Tale”:

“The task is set as a test of the groom... But these tasks are also interesting to others. They contain a moment of threat: “If he doesn’t do it, he will cut off his head for his offense.” This threat gives another motivation. In the tasks and threats one can see not only the desire to have something for the princess best groom, but also a secret, hidden hope that such a groom will not exist at all.

The words “I guess I agree, just complete three tasks in advance” are full of deceit. The groom is sent to his death... In some cases this hostility is expressed quite clearly. It manifests itself outward when the task has already been completed and when more and more new and more dangerous tasks are asked.”

Why is Vasilisa, aka Marya Morevna, aka Elena the Beautiful, against marriage? Perhaps in fairy tales, where she constantly intrigues the main character, she simply does not need this marriage. She either rules the country herself - and she does not need a husband as a rival in power, or she is the daughter of a king who will be overthrown by her potential husband in order to seize the throne. Quite a logical version.

As the same Propp writes, the plot about the machinations that the future father-in-law perpetrates on the hero together with his daughter or in defiance of her could well have had a real basis. According to Propp, the struggle for the throne between the hero and the old king is a completely historical phenomenon. The tale here reflects the transfer of power from father-in-law to son-in-law through a woman, through a daughter. And this once again explains why fairy tales say so little about the appearance and character of the bride - this is a character-function: either a prize for the hero, or a means of achieving power. Sad story.

Meanwhile, in the Russian tradition there is a fairy tale that tells about Vasilisa’s childhood, adolescence and youth. It was Gorky who mentioned her, saying that she was not like the usual image of a princess whom the hero is trying to win. In this fairy tale, Vasilisa is an orphan girl. It's not a fact that this is the same character. However, this Vasilisa, unlike other fairy-tale namesakes, is an absolutely full-blooded heroine - with a biography, character, and so on.

I'll sketch it out in dotted lines. storyline. A merchant's wife dies, leaving him with a little daughter. The father decides to marry again. The stepmother has her own daughters, and this whole new company begins to tyrannize Vasilisa, loading her with backbreaking work. In general, it is very similar to the fairy tale about Cinderella. It seems, but not entirely, because Cinderella was helped by a fairy godmother, and Vasilisa was helped by a creepy witch from the forest.

This is how it turned out. The stepmother and her daughters said that there was no more fire in the house, and they sent Vasilisa into the forest to Baba Yaga, of course, hoping that she would not return. The girl obeyed. Her road is through dark forest was scary - and strange: she met three horsemen, one white, another red, and the third black, and they were all riding towards Yaga.

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

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

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

Afterwards she asked Vasilisa why she didn’t ask further, about dead hands, for example, and Vasilisa replied that if you know a lot, you will soon grow old. Yaga looked at her and, narrowing her eyes, said that the answer was correct: she doesn’t like people who are too curious and eats them. And then she asked how Vasilisa managed to answer her questions without errors and how she managed to do all the work correctly.

Vasilisa replied that her mother’s blessing helped her, and then the witch pushed her over the threshold: “I don’t need blessed ones here.” But in addition she gave the girl fire - she removed a skull from the fence, whose eye sockets were blazing with flame. And when Vasilisa returned home, the skull burned her tormentors.

A creepy tale. And its essence is that Vasilisa the Beautiful, while carrying out the tasks of Baba Yaga, learned a lot from her. For example, while washing Yaga’s clothes, Vasilisa literally saw what the old woman was made of, the famous fairy tale researcher Clarissa Estes writes in her book “Running with the Wolves”:

"In the symbolism of the archetype, clothing corresponds to the persona, the first impression that we make on others. A persona is something like a camouflage that allows us to show others only what we ourselves want, and no more. But... a persona is not only a mask behind which you can hide, but there is a presence that eclipses the usual personality.

In this sense, the persona or mask is a sign of rank, dignity, character and power. This is an external indicator, an external manifestation of mastery. By washing Yaga’s clothes, the initiate will see with her own eyes what the person’s seams look like, how the dress is cut.”

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

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

She is still a blessed child, but Baba Yaga’s school is also here to stay. Therefore, Vasilisa ceased to be a meek orphan: her enemies died, and she herself married a prince and sat on the throne...

Russian folk tales- this is a significant element of national history, through the prism of which one can consider not only the people as an integral entity, but also its individual aspects. Belief in good and evil, justice, family foundations, religious views, awareness of one’s own place in the world around us. Russian folktale always carries a teaching component, hiding it under the shell of a light, simple narrative.

Heroes of the Russians folk tales - This collective images the most typical folk features. The breadth of the Russian soul, the proverbial maybe or the fool rich in thoughts - everything is reflected in folklore stories. Whatever fairy tale we take, there is a deep meaning hidden all around. Often, under the guise of a clumsy clubfooted bear, a gullible hare or a cunning fox, one can see the vices of human character, much more clearly than would be noticeable in “adult” stories.

It’s not for nothing that they say- the fairy tale is a lie, but there is a hint in it...

Animal heroes in Russian folk tales are closely related to the ideas about the world of the ancient Slavs. The close proximity to the natural environment, vast forests and deep river valleys, gave rise to typical representatives of the surrounding landscape in fairy tales - foxes, bears, wolves, hares. Cattle and small cattle also often act as fairy-tale characters. Especially in cases where the cult of home, prosperity, family is emphasized ( for example, in the fairy tale Kroshechka-Khavroshechka). Poultry is also revered ( Chicken Ryaba), and small rodents ( Mouse Norushka).

It is important to remember that the ability not just to listen, but to hear and understand what is hidden in Russian folk tales, is as valuable as, for example, understanding a foreign language. The words themselves have no meaning. It is much more important what depth they store within themselves. And, since fairy tales have been preserved and survived troubled and well-fed times, it means that they really are a storehouse of folk knowledge.

List of heroes of Russian folk tales

1. Baba Yaga

Evil woman in mythology Slavic peoples. Acts as a negative hero. Endowed magical power. Its main attributes: a black cat, a hut on chicken legs, a mortar with a broom.

In different fairy tales, the image of Baba Yaga has different emotional connotations. Sometimes she confronts the main character; in some cases supports and instructs him; less often, she herself speaks out against evil.

Baba Yaga is very ancient mythological image. It allows us to take a different look at the life and philosophy of our ancestors.

Tales about Baba Yaga:

2.Vasilisa the Beautiful

A collective idealized image of the feminine in fairy tales. Combines intelligence - worldly wisdom and beauty. Considered a daughter Sea King, and goes to the main character as a reward for victory over evil. Other names: Elena the Wise, Vasilisa the Wise, Marya the Artisan, Marya Morevna. Often changes images, transforming into animals.

Vasilisa is a very ancient Slavic image that idealizes the feminine. By carefully reading fairy tales, you can learn a lot about ancient social institutions and relationships between men and women.

Tales about Vasilisa the Beautiful (the Wise):

3. Water

Lord of the water element in the minds of the Slavic peoples. Moreover, in contrast To the Sea King, rules over stagnant, musty waters: whirlpools, swamps, ice holes. Usually depicted as an old man with fish-like features, a long shaggy beard, dressed in mud.

The legends about Vodyanoy are very diverse. He is powerful and, despite his bad temper, favors beekeepers. He also does not touch the fishermen who are ready to share their catch with him. But the unbaptized or those who forgot to make the sign of the cross before bathing do not regret anything.

Tale about a merman:

4. Firebird

A fire bird; usually the search object the main character of the fairy tale. It cannot be picked up with bare hands. The singing of the Firebird heals the sick, restores youth, and drives away sorrows. Capable of giving its owner untold wealth.

5. Serpent Gorynych

Mythical dragon in Slavic mythology. Has several heads. Capable of spewing flames. Lives in the area Fire River and guards the passage to Kingdom of the Dead. In fairy tales he acts as a negative character, an integral link in the balance of the forces of good and evil.

6. Ivan the Fool

Comical character in Russian folk tales. This is a collective image of the poorest peasant class - illiterate, unsophisticated and outrageously simple in everyday affairs. It is for these qualities that Ivan the Fool is given what he deserves. The late Christian cultural layer also plays an important role in this image.

Truly I tell you, unless you are converted and become like little children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 18:3)

7. Ivan Tsarevich

Hero of Russian folk tales. In most stories there is a positive character. Name "prince" indicates royalty of intentions and actions rather than an actual title. Usually, according to the plot, he performs a difficult task for which he receives a reward.

8. Kolobok

The main character of the Russian folk tale of the same name; rolled dough ball symbol of contentment and satiety of the Russian people. A limited number of ingredients are used to prepare it, but despite this, Kolobok turns out rosy and appetizing. Hidden in this the main moral of the tale. True, in the end, for his arrogance, Kolobok is overtaken by retribution.

But, all the same, it is emphasized - Bread is the head of everything.

9. Cat Bayun

A mythical creature endowed with magical powers. Usually, bad guy. It has enormous size and the ability to speak in a human voice. "Bayun" means talker. With his stories - fairy tales, a cat can chat his interlocutor to death. However, for those who manage to tame it or receive it as a trophy, the cat will give eternal health, youth and strength.

10. Koschey (Kashchei) the Immortal

Skinny, wrinkled old man. Always a negative character in fairy tales. Has magical powers. Immortal. His life is enclosed in several objects placed one inside the other. For example, an oak tree, underneath there is a cave, there is a chest, in the chest there is a box, in the box there is an egg, in the egg there is a needle. In Slavic mythology, it guards the passage to the Kingdom of the Dead. Enters into an alliance with Zmey Gorynych.
According to the plot of the fairy tale, he often kidnaps the main character’s bride.

11. Chicken Ryaba

The magic chicken from the fairy tale of the same name. Carries golden eggs. Personifies special role domestic animals on a farm. Reasonable and wise. Shows that gold may not always be more important than an ordinary egg which is used for food.

12. Leshy

Owner of the forest, incorporeal or corporeal being. Capable of changing appearance. He transforms into animals, trees, dwarfs, giants, and even takes on the appearance of familiar people. Goblin neutral. And depending on his attitude towards the hero, he becomes either a good or an evil character. Can emulate all the sounds of the forest. Often the approach of Leshy is guessed in the rustling of leaves in calm weather.

13. Dashing

Living embodiment difficult human lot, fate. Usually appears in the form one-eyed ugly monster with a slobbering toothy mouth. The prototype of Likh in Slavic mythology is the Greek myths about the one-eyed Cyclops.

14. Frost

Morozko, Santa Claus. This gray-bearded old man in a long fur coat with a staff in his hands. Is patron of the cold. Snowfalls, blizzards and blizzards are subject to it. Usually fair. He gives gifts to those he likes. Helps in difficult situations and punishes those who deserve it. He rides a large sleigh drawn by three horses.

(IN Western tradition– Santa Claus rides on a sleigh with reindeer).

15. Sea King

Lord of all earthly waters. Possesses untold riches, left over from those that sank in different historical eras ships. The Tsar lives in a huge palace in the very depths of the sea. They surround him sea ​​maidens, which are capable of captivating sailors and men just casually walking along the shore. The king is subject to storms. He sinks ships at will.

16. Snow Maiden

Granddaughter of Santa Claus. In Slavic mythology it is mentioned as a girl made made of snow. During the winter, Snegurochka has fun and behaves like an ordinary child. And as soon as the sun warms up, it melts, turning into a cloud until the next Winter.

Winter scares summer, but it still melts.

17. Soldier

A hero of Russian fairy tales, devoid of any supernatural power. Is the personification ordinary Russian people. As a rule, after finishing his service, he finds himself in difficult situations, from which they help him get out magical creatures and objects.

The fire heats a soldier, the rain washes him, the wind blows him, the frost burns him, but he is still the same.

18. Princess Nesmeyana

The Tsar's daughter who never smiled. According to the concept of fairy tales, the main character figures out how to make the princess laugh and for this he gets her as a wife, along with half the kingdom.

Laughter is not a sin as long as it is pleasant for everyone.

19. Frog Princess

Usually, under the guise of the Frog Princess hides Vasilisa the Wise. She is forced to stay in the body of an amphibian until the main character frees her. Possesses magical abilities and worldly wisdom.

20. Miracle Yudo

An extraordinary fairy-tale character sea ​​dweller And oceans. Does not carry a pronounced emotional connotation ( neither good nor evil). Usually perceived as a wonderful fish.

Boyan is an epic poet and singer in East Slavic mythology.

Brownie

They say the brownie still lives in every village hut, but not everyone knows about this. They call him grandfather, master, neighbor, housekeeper, demon-housekeeper, but this is all he - the keeper of the hearth, 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 house: 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 the owner’s clothes, but 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 disaster, 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. In its main attributes (connection with yarn, damp places, darkness) Kikimora is similar to mokusha, an evil spirit that continues the image of the Slavic goddess Mokoshi. 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, barn or 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 scared 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 heelless one is anchoot 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, oatmeal, wheat, roznik, etc.

However, they say that the water also has its own anchutka - an assistant to the waterman or swamper. 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 are 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 girlfriend 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 about Likh’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.” Directly and allegorically 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 are lower spirits, demonological creatures. The “Tale of Idols” talks about the ancient veneration of ghouls by the Slavs. In popular belief, 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.
Semik was considered a special day of obedience to the dead among the Eastern Slavs. 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 abductor yaga 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. She is served by frogs, black cats, 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 indisputable that Koschey possessed very strong magic, avoided people and often engaged in the favorite activity of all villains in the world - kidnapping girls.

Dragon

Serpent Gorynych - in Russian epics and fairy tales, representative evil beginning, 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 traits of the owner of the 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 - a mythical country located on the warm sea in the west or southwest of the earth, where birds and snakes winter.

Gamayun

The bird Gamayun 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 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 wonderful.” 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 later. 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 - 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!

Firebird

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.

“She was so lovely and tender, but made of ice, made of dazzling, sparkling ice, and yet alive! Her eyes sparkled like stars, but there was neither warmth nor peace in them.”

Neither evil nor good emanates from her, only icy indifference. Indifference and loneliness.

Il. V. Alfeevsky to the fairy tale by G. H. Andersen “The Snow Queen”

They call her Snow Queen, because she lives somewhere in the endless snow, and also because birds die from her breath, windows and even hearts freeze.

She comes only in winter, when it is dark and the windows are covered with frost. ice patterns, - then you can see her flying over the city in her snow-white carriage...

Andersen, G. H. The Snow Queen: [fairy tale] / G. H. Andersen; [transl. from date A. Ganzen] ; drawings by V. Alfeevsky. - Saint Petersburg; Moscow: Rech, 2014. - 71 p. : ill.

Morra

The Moomins first learn about Morra from Tofsla and Vifsla: “Passionate and terrible!”- say the little foreigners. Their suitcase contains Morra's Royal Ruby, and she is hot on their heels to get it. gem back. Tofsla and Vifsla are shaking with fear and trying to hide in the cozy Moominvalley.

Il. T. Jansson to his own fairy tale “The Wizard’s Hat”

In fact, Morra "is neither particularly large nor particularly formidable in appearance." She is shaped like a nosed mop, she has round, expressionless eyes and many black skirts that hang from her, "like the leaves of a withered rose". The peculiarity of Morra is that she is a monster more in a psychological sense than in a physiological one. She is the embodiment of the irrational horror of eternity and loneliness, so gloomy and angry that nothing living can withstand her presence. The grass and leaves on the trees are covered with ice, the earth freezes and never bears fruit again, the fire to which she comes to warm herself goes out, and even the sand spreads and runs away from Morra. Inspiring only fear, disgust and a desire to get away, Morra lives in a slowly flowing, never ending time. It's the only thing she has.

At least until, in the story “Papa and the Sea,” Moomintroll sometimes agrees to dispel her loneliness with his arrival and the light of a storm lantern.

Jansson, T. Moomintroll and everyone else : [fairy tales] / Tove Jansson; [transl. with Swedish V. Smirnova; rice. author]. - Moscow: ROSMEN, 2003. - 496 p. : ill.

Jansson, T. All about the Moomins : [fairy tales] / Tove Jansson; [transl. with Swedish L. Braude, N. Belyakova, E. Paklina, E. Solovyova; preface L. Braude; artist T. Jansson]. - St. Petersburg: Azbuka, 2004. - 878 p. : ill.

Baba Yaga

Baba Yaga is the main scarecrow of Russian childhood: “If you don’t obey, Baba Yaga will take you away.” In ancient times, this supernatural grandmother was a guard between worlds. On the edge of a deep forest there is a hut on chicken legs, in it - “on the stove, on the ninth brick, lies Baba Yaga, a bone leg, her nose has grown into the ceiling... she sharpens her teeth”.

Il. I. Bilibina to a Russian folk tale
"Vasilisa the Beautiful"

But that terrible thing that you can laugh at, over time, loses its terrible appearance and character. So is Baba Yaga. In fairy tales it is no longer as scary as in ancient myth. In children's books - and even more so. The artist Olga Ionaitis in her author’s book “Russian Superstitions” (Moscow: Blagovest, 1992) described and drew it as "an old woman who is quarrelsome and unpredictable". Marina Vishnevetskaya made the young Baba Yaga the heroine of her novel “Kashchei and Yagda, or Heavenly Apples” (M.: Novoe literary review, 2004). And now Inna Gamazkova has appointed her as the keeper of the Museum of Fairy Tales, which contains magical objects and creatures.

Gamazkova, I. L. Baba Yaga Museum, or fairy tale encyclopedia Scientist Cat/ Inna Gamazkova. - Moscow: White City: Sunday Day, 2013. - 272 p. : ill.

Black lady

“Peter was approaching his goal.

He had already seen a small round planet, densely overgrown with trees, bushes, vines and flowers. At the same time, he noticed a black cloud in the distance. He immediately thought: this is the Black Lady with a condor and a retinue of ravens and rooks.”

Il. N. Antokolskaya to the “modern fairy tale”
Z. Slaboy “Three bananas, or Peter on a fairy-tale planet”

Who is this demonic personality, whose very name plunges the inhabitants of the fairy-tale cosmos into sacred awe? It's hard to say with certainty who she is. As the action progresses, the Black Lady appears to the boy Peter in different guises, but her true face is terrible.

“The black cloud hissed and growled. Peter could already make out the Black Lady on a light chariot drawn by crows and rooks. The condor flew over the chariot and chirped furiously.”

Fear has big eyes, but if you are not afraid, believe in yourself and be kind to everyone you meet on the way to the coveted three bananas, you can cope even with such an embodiment of evil.

Slaby, Z. K. Three bananas, or Peter on a fairy-tale planet: modern fairy tale / Zdenek Karel Slaby; translation from Czech by S. Parkhomovskaya; drawings by N. Antokolskaya. - Moscow: Samokat, 2013. - 160 p. : ill. - (Book of our childhood).

Myshilda

Mice are so small... but there are so many of them! The radiant Frau Mauserinks is the owner of the mouse kingdom located under the oven, and a big fan of smoked sausages. To our readers, who adore Hoffmann's exquisite and whimsical magic, this royal lady is known as Myshilda. She will take revenge on you pathetic people, for the lack of sausage, for disrespect and mousetraps!

Aren't you afraid of mice? But in vain.

Il. V. Alfeevsky to the tale of E. T. A. Hoffmann
"The Nutcracker and the Mouse King"

Hoffmann, E. T. A. The Nutcracker and the Mouse King: fairy tale / E. T. A. Hoffman; [transl. with him. I. Tatarinova] ; drawings by V. Alfeevsky. - Saint Petersburg; Moscow: Rech, 2014. - 128 p. : ill.

Anidag

“Olya and Yalo listened: horseshoes were loudly knocking in the gorge. A minute later, horsemen appeared on the road. A woman galloped ahead on a thin-legged white horse. She was dressed in a long black dress, and a light scarf curled behind her shoulders. Several men, judging by the clothes - servants, followed her.

Il. I. Ushakova to the fairy tale
V. Gubareva “The Kingdom of Crooked Mirrors”

- Royal carriage?! - the lady exclaimed, catching up with Olya and Yalo. - What does it mean?

Beautiful, isn't it?..

...And, alas, another confirmation of how deceptive appearances can sometimes be.

It’s really better not to meet this beautiful lady on a narrow path. She can hit her old servant with a whip for the slightest offense and will stop at nothing in her unbridled quest for power.

The villain's name is Anidag. Now try reading her name backwards... Brrr!

Gubarev, V. G. Kingdom of Crooked Mirrors: [fairy tale] / Vitaly Gubarev; [art. B. Kalaushin]. - Moscow: Onyx, 2006. - 159 p. : ill. - (Library of a junior school student).

Milady Winter

Athos, Porthos, Aramis and d’Artagnan who joined them, “ready to sacrifice everything for each other - from wallet to life”, for 170 years they have served as the embodiment of courage, generosity and selfless friendship.

Il. I. Kuskova to the novel by A. Dumas “The Three Musketeers”

But who makes them act? Because of whom Athos shakes off his usual melancholy, Porthos refuses dinner, Aramis forgets about theological books and scented notes, and d’Artagnan shows miracles of dexterity and fearlessness?

Milady... Beautiful and insidious, deadly and irresistibly seductive. Agent of Cardinal Richelieu and the main driver of the plot. Through intrigue and scheming, Milady Winter gives noble heroes the opportunity to show their best qualities. Painted almost exclusively in black, the image of Milady enhances the radiance of her brilliant assets three musketeers and one guardsman.

Dumas, A. Three Musketeers: novel / Alexandre Dumas; [transl. from fr. D. Livshits, V. Valdman, K. Ksanina; preface D. Bykova; ill. M. Leloir]. - Moscow: ACT: Astrel, 2011. - 735 p. : ill. - (Classics and contemporaries).

Varvara

We learn from the very first lines that Doctor Aibolit’s sister is evil: “Once upon a time there was a doctor. He was kind.<…>And he had an evil sister, whose name was Varvara.".

Il. V. Chizhikova to the fairy tale
K. Chukovsky "Doctor Aibolit"

The point is not that Varvara is greedy and grumpy, but that there is no love in her at all. Not once did she feel sorry for anyone, caress anyone, or help anyone.

“Drive them away this minute!”- she shouts about those who are dear to the doctor. “They only dirty the rooms. I don’t want to live with these nasty creatures!”

Varvara is intelligent, businesslike and prudent: as she warned, Aibolit’s lifestyle leaves him without funds. But her down-to-earth nature makes Varvara insensitive: in the wonderful Tyanitolkay she sees only a “two-headed donkey”, in the repentant crocodile - an obstacle for rich patients, in the rest of the doctor’s favorites - a source of dirt. Standing up for order and peace, she does not shun violence: at the end of the book we learn that she beat animals. And how does she end her days who does not recognize love, but acts by force? On a desert island.

One can only hope that, left alone with herself, she will restore order in her own heart.

Chukovsky, K. I. Doctor Aibolit: [fabulous. story] / Korney Chukovsky; artist Gennady Kalinovsky. - Moscow: Publishing house "NIGMA", 2013. - 191 p. : ill. - (Miracle Creation).

Stepmother

“I married a very pretty but stern woman, - the forester complains to the fairy-tale king, - and they twist ropes out of me. They, sir, are my wife and her two daughters from her first marriage. They have been dressing for the royal ball for three days now and have completely driven us away. We, sir, are me and my poor tiny daughter, who so suddenly, through the fault of my falling in love, became a stepdaughter.”.

Il. E. Bulatova and O. Vasilyeva
to the fairy tale “Cinderella” by C. Perrault

Men can be surprisingly short-sighted when, having become widowed, they decide to tie the knot a second time, thereby dooming their own children to the unenviable position of “Cinderellas.” Of course, happy exceptions sometimes happen, but in folklore and literature they are vanishingly rare.

“Cinderella” by Charles Perrault, as well as the film comedy of the same name by E.L. Schwartz, written on its basis, is perhaps the most famous fairy tale story in which a stepdaughter suffers insults from her domineering and quarrelsome stepmother. Poor Cinderella is lucky - at least her “second mother” is not a witch! Things were much worse for Snow White from the Brothers Grimm fairy tale and for Pushkin’s “dead princess,” and even for the unfortunate Eliza from “ wild swans"H.H. Andersen needless to say - her terrible stepmother-witch makes your blood run cold!

Andersen, G. H. Wild Swans: [fairy tale] / Hans Christian Andersen; [transl. from date A. and P. Hansen; artist K. Chelushkin]. - St. Petersburg: Watercolor, 2013. - 48 p. : ill. - (Wizards of the Brush).

Perrault, C. Cinderella: [fairy tale] / Charles Perrault; [retelling from French T. Gabbe; ill. E. Bulatov and O. Vasiliev]. - Moscow: RIPOL classic, 2011. - 32 p. : ill. - (Masterpieces book illustration- children).

Schwartz, E. L. Cinderella/ Evgeny Schwartz. - St. Petersburg: Amphora, 2010. - 96 p. - (School library).

Miss Bock

First of all, she is an excellent cook. Secondly, it appears in Hard time when you need to help out the family, otherwise the children will be left unattended. But this is not Mary Poppins. She sits down to dinner with the one who just mocked her. But no, this is not the angelic kind Pollyanna.

Il. I. Wikland to the fairy tale story by A. Lindgren
“Carlson, who lives on the roof, has arrived again”

She loves peace and quiet, but endures the deafening antics of an absolutely ill-mannered creature with a motor. Miss Bock, an old maid, faithfully guards someone else's hearth and even copes well with children, although last time I saw them up close about forty years ago. An inveterate conservative, she, however, easily says goodbye to skepticism and believes in the fairy tale of the “other world.”

And yet we know her as a “housewife.” Maybe her only fault is that she temporarily takes her mother’s place?

Miss Bok also has objective shortcomings: rivalry with her sister, arrogance from a sudden television “career”. But we, who know neither envy nor vanity, of course, have no shame in making fun of this...

By the way, do you remember her name? Her name is the beautiful (and most importantly - rare for our region) name Hildur.

Lindgren, A. Malysh, Carlson and all, all, all/ Astrid Lindgren; [transl. with Swedish L. Lungina; ill. I. Wikland and others]. - Moscow: AST: Astrel, 2008. - 912 p. : ill.

Miss Andrew

Stingy? Perhaps just frugal. The brutal truth cuts into the eyes with a thunderous voice. He really, really loves order. Even more than “very”. You won’t whine, you won’t kick the ball, you won’t put extra candy in your mouth (or any other candy either).

Il. G. Kalinovsky to a fairy tale
P. Travers "Mary Poppins"

Already getting goosebumps? So Mr. Banks, until he grew up, was not at ease. The poor guy still calls his old nanny Divine Punishment. But let's not lie - could the venerable Mr. Banks work in a bank, “make money” and support his family, if not for the lessons of Miss Euphemia Andrew?

Perhaps without her, Mary Poppins would never have appeared. After all, the liberated, but also loose-lipped Mr. Banks simply could not hire a governess. Even with the most modest salary.

Travers, P. Mary Poppins: fairy tale / Pamela Travers; [retelling from English B. Zakhodera; artist V. Chelak]. - Moscow: ROSMEN, 2010. - 173 p. : ill.

Yabeda-Koryabeda

Always fit, athletic, always cheerful, fresh, inexhaustible in inventions, tricks and tricks.

Tricks? You won’t be pleased: a strict order is too boring, and a few dirty tricks are no longer acceptable.

Il. A. Semenov to his own book
“Yabeda-Koryabeda, her tricks and tricks”

Who else will help children to be lazy, quarrel, greedy, sneak and blame others? Not to your liking again? Then just think how much work it takes to lead a gang of unlucky agents and stupid spies.

A finely organized sorceress is also an excellent organizer herself. The secret of success is simple - morning exercises plus self-confidence. Here Yabeda-Koryabeda looks in the mirror and mutters: “Beauty is everything!”

Well, we’ll show the annoying Murzilka on occasion!

Semenov, A. I. Yabeda-Koryabeda, her tricks and tricks/ A. Semenov; drawings by the author. - Moscow: Meshcheryakov Publishing House, 2013. - 288 p. : ill.

Old woman Shapoklyak

And she is not an old woman at all! A delicate lady with sly eyes and long nose, not at all decrepit, but very much alive and active. She appears everywhere with her pet rat Lariska, who lives in her small purse.

Still from the cartoon "Cheburashka".
Dir. R. Kachanov. Artist L. Shvartsman. USSR, 1971

Shapoklyak is an elegant lady, but there is something childish in her, probably a desire to spoil or break something. The old woman collects dirty tricks, but not because she is the world's evil, but simply because of her childish penchant for destruction.

Someone will say that at her age it is indecent to engage in sabotage, but age is not a hindrance here, on the contrary, experience and sophistication only help! Simply calling someone names is kindergarten, but pouring a bucket of water on passers-by or scaring someone half to death by releasing your trusty rat from your purse is creativity.

By the way, Shapoklyak, apart from Lariska, had no friends at all. Until she made friends with Cheburashka and Gena and, one might say, matured (although this sounds strange in relation to the old woman). Shapoklyak began to study, began to monitor the safety of animals and, in the past, an ardent lawless woman, now she helps maintain public order.

Uspensky, E. N. All fairy tales about Cheburashka: [fairy tales] / Eduard Uspensky. - Moscow: Astrel, 2012. - 544 p. : ill.

ANTIHEROINES:
where do they come from and why are they needed?

The first "villains" on our list are not actually "good" or "evil". They are the personification of forces dangerous to humans that operate in the outside world: elements and natural phenomena. For example, this is the ice maiden - the inexorable, irresistible force of winter cold: it is she who acts in Andersen’s fairy tale, although we are used to calling her Snow Queen. She is also the “fierce cold” that Tove Jansson mentions; but from the tales of this writer we took another personification of the eternal cold - Morru: her very name speaks of the triumph - albeit involuntary - of lifeless icy darkness.

Another folklore image that wanders from fairy tale to fairy tale is Baba Yaga. She is a “borderline” creature and functions as a mediator between worlds, between “that” light and “this”, therefore she can act both as an executioner and as a good adviser (however, one does not contradict the other, so we are still her we are afraid).

Such a character as the demonic “dark mistress” also has completely folklore roots. According to tradition, it is impossible to defeat her with her weapon - evil, but she is powerless against kindness and humanity. This is on our list Black Lady from the fairy tale of Zdenek the Weak.

The mistress of evil forces may look like a small, weak and even funny creature, but in the space of a fairy tale one should not underestimate her misanthropic abilities, especially if the author professes the principle of “romantic duality.” An example of this is Mrs. Myshilda in Hoffmann, the greatest of the small.

Often writers portray a villain, collecting in her image the worst human qualities: cruelty, greed, pride, lies and hypocrisy. One of these anti-heroines is Anidag from a fairy tale by Vitaly Gubarev: it’s worth reading her name backwards, and the essence of the “underwater snake” will immediately become clear.

Characters of this kind are often found in adventure literature. An irresistibly charming type of villainess - an adventurer, an intriguer, an insidious beauty, capable of sowing discord and chaos in any fairy-tale or non-fairy-tale kingdom: this is on our list Milady Winter.

Returning to the most ancient types of villainesses of folklore origin, let us recall the type of “evil sister” who harms her brother and those he loves (in folk tales - first of all his bride, or wife and children, or faithful animal servants: horse, dog and falcon). Our selection includes a relatively new representative of this type - Varvara, Doctor Aibolit’s sister, who abuses his defenseless patients.

By the way, in folklore works Quite often there is also the type of “evil bride” - a girl who resists marriage, either defeating suitors in a duel, or asking them impossible tasks, but we did not include such villains in our selection. However, a variation of this image is the “evil wife”, and in relation to the child - evil stepmother, ready to tyrannize and oppress her stepdaughter in every possible way (as in the fairy tale about Cinderella), or better yet, to drive her away from the world (“Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”, “The Tale of the Dead Princess and the Seven Knights”, “Wild Swans”).

Often a child (not just a fairy-tale one) becomes an “orphan” in the figurative sense - when he is given over from his parents’ hands to the power of a stern teacher, who - naturally - turns out to be a “villain”. In our selection, the corresponding type is represented by two figures: this is the governess Miss Andrew, which even long-grown children are afraid of, and an almost inflexible “housewife” Miss Bock.

Rounding out the list are two villains. mixed type: part adventurer, part warrior, part educator of the younger generation. Evil sorceress Yabeda-Koryabeda masters the magic of spells, old woman Shapoklyak she can’t cast magic, but she’s great at shooting with a slingshot (and she has a RAT in her bag), and both of them (including the RAT) are incredibly inventive in terms of harming someone. They are also related by the fact that both commit “evil” and “minor dirty tricks” literally out of love for art, but in fact, generally so that the ideals of goodness and humanism are established both in a funny children’s book and in the soul of the reader .

Material prepared by:

Olga Vinogradova, Kirill Zakharov, Daria Ivanova,
Alexey Kopeikin, Svetlana Malaya, Maria Poryadina,
Natalya Savushkina, Larisa Chetverikova

Characters invented in Russia are symbols of the childhood of each of us, while in different countries of the world they are perceived completely differently. For example, if in Russian mythology Baba Yaga is evil spirits, then among the Scandinavians similar character- this is the goddess of the kingdom of the dead, Hel.

Female images: “my light, mirror, tell me...”

Vasilisa the Wise, Elena the Beautiful, Marya the Mistress, the Frog Princess, the Snow Maiden, Alyonushka - female images that possessed not only stunning female logic, but also kindness, wisdom, beauty, and sincerity. The most striking of them are:

1 A fragile little girl, Santa Claus's assistant - a favorite New Year's guest, a role model for naughty children. Since the mid-19th century, the image of a little granddaughter has been replaced by a young beauty, with the obligatory kokoshnik or fur hat, preferred clothing of Russian women.

No country in the world can boast of the same magical and romantic biography as the Russian Snow Maiden. In Italy, this is the fairy Befana, an old woman with a hooked nose who flies to children on a broom, giving gifts. A kind of “Santa Claus” in a skirt. The Mongols call their Snow Maiden Zazan Okhin, the girl Snow. The heroine traditionally asks riddles and gives gifts only after hearing the answer. In the USA, Santa has only reindeer as his assistants, but there is no Snow Maiden.

It is curious that if you try to translate the word Snow Maiden into English using the Google Translate service, the result will always be different. Yesterday Snegurochka was translated as “Snow - boy” (literally - snow boy). Today, Snegurochka in the service database is translated as Snow-maiden (Made from snow).

2 Masha, the Bear's restless companion, a naughty character in the record-breaking 3D cartoon.

The green-eyed fidget is fluent in hand-to-hand combat techniques, loves to be capricious and mischievous, and asks questions that are difficult to answer. The prototype of the animated series was the folklore heroine of a Russian folk tale. Director O. Kuznetsov borrowed character traits from the hero of O. Henry’s story “The Leader of the Redskins.” The team behind the series does not adapt native Russian characters for broadcast in different countries.

3 Baba Yaga- witch, heroine of Slavic mythology, endowed magical power. Negative character lures good fellows to his hut on chicken legs, without fail he gives the heroes a fairy-tale horse and a magical navigator of those times - a ball of thread. The Russian witch is not always friendly, but if you have the gift of eloquence, she can help.

4 Firebird, a fabulous bird that heals the sick and restores sight to the blind, is the sister of the Western European bird Phoenix, which knew how to resurrect from the ashes. The father of the two fiery heroines was most likely Peacock.

Each heroine is an individual, embodying good or evil, her actions and actions are directly related to her character and mission.

Male images: “there are still no shortage of heroes on the Russian land!”

No less colorful is the top positive male images, vividly conveying the spirit of the Russian people. The main images are always antagonistic: in contrast to the beautiful, there is always something bad. Without which male characters are Russian fairy tales unthinkable?

1 Father Frost.

In the Russian version - Morozko, Studenets, mighty ruler winter blizzard. The character adored by children rides three horses, binds ponds and rivers with the sound of a staff, and sweeps away cities and villages with his cold breath. On New Year's Day, together with the Snow Maiden, he gives gifts. During the Soviet era, Grandfather was dressed in a red fur coat, the color of the country’s flag. The image of the popular Grandfather, who “wanders through forests and meadows” is played out differently in different countries: Santa Claus, Joulupuki, Jouluvana.

This is interesting:

According to the most conservative estimates of scientists, Santa Claus is already more than 2000 years old. For two thousand years, Santa Claus has appeared in different images. First - in the guise of the pagan god Zimnik: an old man of small stature, with white hair and a long gray beard, with his head uncovered, in warm white clothes and with an iron mace in his hands. And in the fourth century, Santa Claus was reminded of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, who lived in Asia Minor in the city of Patara.

Grandfather began coming to the house with gifts with the beginning of the New Year celebration in Rus'. Previously, he gave gifts to the obedient and smart, and beat the mischievous ones with a stick. But the years have made Santa Claus more compassionate: he replaced the stick with a magic staff.

By the way, Father Frost first appeared on the pages of books in 1840, when Vladimir Odoevsky’s “Children’s Tales of Grandfather Irenaeus” was published. In the book, the name and patronymic of the winter magician became known - Moroz Ivanovich.

In the twentieth century, Santa Claus almost disappeared. After the revolution, it was considered that celebrating Christmas was harmful for the people, because it was a real “priestly” holiday. However, in 1935, the disgrace was finally lifted, and soon Father Frost and the Snow Maiden appeared together for the first time at the Christmas tree celebration in the Moscow House of Unions.

2 Three heroes. Strong, brave, cheerful heroes have long become a symbol of Russia, thanks to a series of full-length adventures by Alyosha Popovich, Dobrynya Nikitich and Ilya Muromets. In fact, the brave fellows never met in life; according to epics, they even lived in different centuries.

This is interesting:

In 2015, the 6th part of the saga, “Three Heroes: Knight's Move,” released on screens, collected 962,961,596 rubles. Almost 1 billion rubles! Thus, the film became the highest-grossing animated film of the year. Although it all started modestly: the box office of the first part - “Alyosha Popovich and Tugarin the Serpent” (2004) - amounted to 48,376,440 rubles. Then the fees grew steadily.

3 Ivan the Fool(third son) is a character who embodies a special “magic strategy”: the hero acts contrary to common sense and always succeeds! The fool excels at solving riddles and wins evil spirits and valiantly saves the main character.

Pinocchio, Crocodile Gena, Doctor Aibolit, Barmaley, Winnie the Pooh, Leopold the Cat and Matroskin the Cat are also among the most popular and beloved heroes of Russian cinema, who rightfully occupy high positions in the ranking of fairy-tale characters.

Evil spirits: guardians of forests, swamps and houses

Most large group Russian folk epic make up mythical creatures. Vodyanoy, Kikimora, Leshy, mermaids, Brownie, Baba Yaga - magical images that appeared along with the inexplicable forces of nature. In his actions and character - this is more negative characters, but at the same time, they are charming and charismatic in modern films and cartoons, these include:

1 Koschei the Deathless. A character with supernatural powers. According to legends, he is a treacherous old man who kills domestic animals. The sorcerer often kidnaps the protagonist's fiancee in the hope of "mutual love."

This is interesting:

In Soviet cinema, Koshei was brilliantly played by actor Georgy Millyar. Basically, he played all sorts of evil spirits and he had to apply complex makeup. But for the role of Koshchei the Immortal, makeup was practically not needed, since the actor himself resembled a living skeleton (after contracting malaria, the actor’s weight was only 45 kg).

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