Analysis of the fairy tale turnip for children. The meaning of the fairy tale turnip

EDUCATION WITH A RUSSIAN FAIRY TALE

Russian folk tales can be read to children of any age. Typically, Russian fairy tales about animals are more popular with children. Until the age of five, children easily identify themselves with animals and try to be like them. In addition, at an early age fairy tales with repetitive actions are definitely needed (“Turnip”, “Kolobok”, “Teremok”, “Zayushkina’s Hut”, “Cat, Rooster and Fox”). Often children ask to read the same fairy tale many times. Often, they accurately remember the details and do not allow parents to deviate even a step from the text. This is a natural feature of the baby’s mental development. Therefore, Russian fairy tales about animals best convey life experience to young children.

Teenagers will be interested in everyday Russian fairy tales (“Good, but Bad,” “Porridge from an Ax,” “Inept Wife”). They talk about the vicissitudes of family life, show ways to resolve conflict situations, and form an attitude of common sense and a healthy sense of humor in relation to adversity.

There is no doubt that reading Russian folk tales will bring many happy moments to children and adults. Fairy tales are wise and teach people high morality quietly, unobtrusively. As if on wings, they carry us into an imaginary world, making us marvel at the richness of folk imagination. In folk art, a fairy tale is probably the greatest miracle.

Turnip.
Russian folktale.

Grandfather planted a turnip and said:
- Grow, grow, turnip, sweet! Grow, grow, turnip, strong!
The turnip grew sweet, strong, and big.
The turnip grew huge.
Grandfather went to pick a turnip: he pulled and pulled, but couldn’t pull it out. Grandfather called grandmother.
Grandma for grandfather
Grandfather for the turnip -
The grandmother called her granddaughter.
Granddaughter for grandmother,
Grandma for grandfather
Grandfather for the turnip -
They pull and pull, but they can’t pull it out.

The granddaughter called Zhuchka.
A bug for my granddaughter,
Granddaughter for grandmother,
Grandma for grandfather
Grandfather for the turnip -
They pull and pull, but they can’t pull it out.

Bug called the cat.
Cat for Bug,
A bug for my granddaughter,
Granddaughter for grandmother,
Grandma for grandfather
Grandfather for the turnip -
They pull and pull, but they can’t pull it out.

The cat called the mouse.
A mouse for a cat
Cat for Bug,
A bug for my granddaughter,
Granddaughter for grandmother,
Grandma for grandfather
Grandfather for the turnip -
They pulled and pulled and pulled out the turnip.

The forgotten essence of Russian fairy tales.

One example of distortion is “The Tale of the Turnip,” known to everyone from early childhood. In the original Slavic version, this tale points to the relationship between generations, and also points to the interaction of temporary structures, forms of life and forms of existence.

In the modern version of this tale, two more elements are missing that existed initially - the Father and the Mother, without which seven elements are obtained, because Christians have a septenary system of perception, in contrast to the ninefold Slavic system.
In the original tale there were nine elements, each of which had its own hidden image:
The turnip is the heritage and wisdom of the Family, its roots. It seems to unite the earthly, underground and above-ground;
Grandfather - Ancient Wisdom;
Grandmother - traditions at home, housekeeping;
Father is protection and support;
Mother - love and care;
Granddaughter - children, grandchildren;
Zhuchka - wealth in the Family, there is something to protect;
A cat is a blissful environment in Rod, because cats are harmonizers of human energy;
A mouse is the welfare of a family where there is nothing to eat and there are no mice.
But Christians removed the Father and Mother, and replaced their images with protection and support from the church, and care and love with Christ.
Initially, the meaning was as follows: to have a connection with the Family and Ancestral Memory, to live in harmony with relatives and to have Happiness in the family. Maybe this is where the expression came from: “Give a turnip for enlightenment to come.”

TALE TURNIP - massage-gymnastics for a child 3-5 months

1. “Grandfather planted a turnip” (bend both legs at the knees)
2. “The turnip has grown big and big” (we take the baby’s hands in our hands and with straight arms we draw a large circle in the air: “Like this!”)
3. “Grandfather began to pull the turnip” (we bend and unbend both legs at the knees 3 times and leave them bent: “He pulls and pulls, pulls and pulls, pulls and pulls, but he can’t pull them out!”)
4. “Grandfather called grandmother for help. The grandmother walks, rolls from one foot to the other, stomp stomp” (raise the straight legs up alternately 3-4 times)
5. “They began to pull the turnip together. They pull and pull, but they can’t pull it out!” (see point 3)
6. “Then they called their granddaughter to help. The granddaughter walks with a light gait, top, top, top” (bend the legs at the knees alternately 3-4 times)
7. See point 5.
8. “Then the granddaughter called Bug to help. The bug jumps and hops to help” (we do a “bicycle”, 3-4 times)
9. See point 5.
10. “I called the Bug to help the Cat. The cat gently steps with its paws and purrs, purr-purr” (take the baby’s legs, bend them at the knees and make circular movements alternately to the right and left, 4 times)
11. See point 5.
12. “What should we do? What should we do? How can we get turnips?” (we take the baby’s arms, spread them in different directions and alternately bend them towards the chest)
13. “The Cat decided to catch a mouse to help them, hop-hop-hop!” (we bring the baby’s straight arms together in front of the chest and again spread them apart 3 times)
14. “But the mouse was small, agile and ran away. Then the cat decided to catch differently. I caught and caught and caught and caught!” (spread the straight arms to the sides and bring them together, turning the baby on his side, alternately, then to the right, then to the left, 2-3 times in each direction. At the same time, when we turn for the last time, you can try to roll over onto your tummy)
15. “And the Mouse was a very strong mouse and said: “So be it, I’ll help you, let’s pull your turnip together!” (bend and straighten the straight arms at the elbows 3-4 times)
16. “They began to pull the turnip all together. They pull and pull, pull and pull, pull and pull - and they pulled out the turnip!” (raise and lower the straight arms alternately up and down, and at the end, at the words “pulled out the turnip!”, pull the baby up by both arms, moving to a sitting position. For older children, you can “pull out the turnip” several times)

Folk game: "Turnip"

A funny game “turnip” was once played in Vyatka. The one who happened to be a turnip clung tightly to a post or tree. Another player grabbed him by the waist from behind, a third grabbed him by the waist, and so on. One or two drivers tried to “pull out the turnip”, starting to pull the last one in the chain. If this was successful, then almost everyone, as a rule, ended up on the ground - it was very difficult to maintain balance, only the most dexterous could stay on their feet. But often the chain broke in the middle. “Lych! Lych! - those who resisted shouted and made fun of those who fell without tasting the turnip...

And here is the “radish”. Tula people play this game, according to E.A. Pokrovsky, was conducted in this way: the players sit in a line, one behind the other. Each person tightly clasps the person sitting in front of him at the waist. The rear seated one is called the “uterus” or “grandmother”, the rest are “radishes”. One by lot or by mutual agreement leads and is called Ivashka Popov. He approaches the “grandmother” and has the following conversation with her:
- "Knock Knock!"
- "Who is here?"
- “Ivashka Popov”,
- “Why did you come?”
- “For the radishes.”
- “I’m not in time, come back tomorrow,” Ivashka Popov steps aside, but soon returns and has the same conversation again:
- "Knock Knock"
- "Who is here?"
- “Ivashka Popov.”
- “Why did you come?”
- “For the radishes.”
- “Pull it yourself, whichever one you want.” Ivashka Popov approaches the front “radish” and pulls it, that is, tries to pull it out of the embrace of the second “radish”. Having pulled out one, together with the pulled out “radish” he takes on another, then the three of them take on the third and so on until he pulls out everyone.
(P. Shevyrev. Magazine “Family and School”)

I continue the theme of Slavic fairy tales. This time I will talk about the original meaning of the fairy tale about Turnip. Unlike the fairy tale about Kolobok (which I talked about last time), the changes in “Turnip” have not undergone such global changes and the meaning that the ancestors wanted to convey to us can be understood without the original version.

This tale points to the relationship between generations, as you may have guessed, and also points to the interaction of temporary structures, forms of life and forms of existence.

In the modern version of this fairy tale, which you know, two more characters are missing that existed originally - the Father and the Mother.
Christians removed the Father and Mother for two reasons (initially there were 9 characters, but there were 7):

1 - Christians have a septenary system of perception, so the fairy tale was reduced to 7 elements, just as the week was shortened from 9 to 7 days (the Slavs had a circular or ninefold system).

2 - for Christians, protection and support is the Church, and love and care is Christ, and among the Slavs, protection and support is the Father, love and care is the Mother.

Each of the nine characters had its own hidden image:

The turnip symbolizes the wealth and Wisdom of the Family, its roots. It seems to unite the earthly, underground and aboveground.
- Grandfather symbolizes Ancient Wisdom.
- Grandma - traditions at home, housekeeping.
- Father is protection and support.
- Mother - Love and care.
- Granddaughter - symbolizes offspring.
- Zhuchka - prosperity in the Family (the dog was bred to protect prosperity).
- Cat - symbolizes a blissful environment in the Family (cats are harmonizers of human energy).
- Mouse - symbolizes the well-being of the family (it was believed that the mouse lives where there is a surplus of food).

Among the Slavs, the original meaning of this fairy tale was as follows: to have a connection with the Family and Family Memory, to live in harmony with relatives and to have Happiness in the family.
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Next time I’ll talk about the image of Baba Yaga, and if it works out, I’ll talk about the immortal Koshchei and his role in Slavic culture.

One of the characteristic components of the folklore of any country is the presence of fairy tales. And our country is no exception here. You all probably remember how, as a child, one of your parents or, for example, your grandmother, read you a bedtime story so that you would quickly close your eyes and fall asleep. A calm and monotonous native voice, telling about something very interesting before going to bed, has a truly calming and soporific effect. However, we will not talk about the effect of reading fairy tales before bed, but about the meaning that is inherent in these fairy tales, but very often remains incomprehensible due to the fact that it is hidden. And not only children, but even adults cannot understand it.

The fact is that fairy tales are often imbued with the deepest symbolism, and also contain inexhaustible information about all kinds of events of antiquity. In most fairy tales there are no random images and characters, titles, names and words, and the semantic load can be so deep that you are simply amazed - akin to a Russian nesting doll, inside of which there is another, and inside of it another, etc., The main meaning of a fairy tale may be hidden somewhere in its depth - under a layer of simpler semantic layers. All levels of a fairy tale can represent a window into the unknown world of the structure of the universe and the foundations of life.

We all should know that fairy tales, in addition to the usual everyday educational function, can also perform a number of other – more complex ones, for example:

Reveal the secrets of the universe and other secret knowledge
Point out the cyclical nature of life
Serve astronomical or natural
Be a repository of history
Connect with ancestors
Talk about initiation rites when a person moves from childhood to adulthood
Guide a person on the path of personal growth, etc.

In many fairy tales, the presented directions can not only go next to each other, but also intersect and even synchronize. The characters of fairy tales are certain symbols, each of their actions carries a sacred meaning, and the paths they follow indicate special methods of obtaining secret knowledge and achieving inner harmony. Fairy tales are often compared even to magical formulas, which lose their power if pronounced incorrectly.

And let's look at several well-known Russian folk tales as examples. It is not a fact that our transcripts will fully reflect the truth, but they can still serve as a kind of algorithm for understanding the hidden meaning inherent in fairy tales.

So, let's look at three fairy tales: “The Turnip”, “At the Order of the Pike” and “Koshey the Immortal”.

Fairy tale "Turnip"

What we know from the fairy tale: We know that my grandfather planted a turnip, and due to a particularly fruitful year, it grew very large. To pull out the turnip, the grandmother, granddaughter, Zhuchka, cat and mouse came running to help the grandfather in turn. They were only able to pull the turnip out when they all pulled it together.

Hidden meaning: If we talk about the hidden, esoteric meaning of this tale, then it tells us about the knowledge that was accumulated by the ancestors who lived in ancient times. The turnip acts as the roots of the family, and it was planted by the first ancestor - the same grandfather, who is the oldest and wisest.

The grandmother in this tale symbolizes the traditions of the house; father – support and protection of the family; mother - care, warmth and love; granddaughter - continuation of the family; Zhuchka - protection of welfare; cat - a blissful state in the house and; and the mouse is prosperity.

Each of the presented images is closely related to each other, and all together they represent one whole. Only by connecting all the parts together is a person able to achieve true harmony of being, learn to live in a world where everything that is inside a person and everything that surrounds him outside comes into harmony with each other.

The fairy tale “At the behest of the pike”

What we know from the fairy tale: A young man named Emelya sat on the stove and did nothing. One day, going to the river for water, he caught a pike. Pike asked Emelya to let her go, and in return agreed to fulfill several wishes. After some thought, Emelya asked the pike for a princess and a palace, which he received in the end, and also became a handsome man.

Hidden meaning: The oven symbolizes the space of consciousness in which the hero of the fairy tale was most of the time, and from which he really did not want to get out, because... I was contemplating myself all the time. However, a person cannot be in harmony if his inner world is in no way connected with the outer.

“Having become acquainted” with the pike, Emelya realized his true desires and acquired an intention, which is expressed in the words: “By the pike’s command, according to my desire.” The pike, in turn, represents mother nature, towards which Emelya showed attentiveness. And only then nature gave him the opportunity to realize his intentions and self-awareness.

The phrase: “At the command of the pike, at my will” means the unity of two facets of existence - the Spirit of man and his Soul. Pike can also be interpreted as “Schura”, i.e. ancestor - the ancestor of everything and the human spirit. The river from which Emelya decided to draw water is a kind of energy-information channel that can be penetrated only by abandoning constraining beliefs. Ultimately, Emelya, through the liberation of his spirit, achieved possibilities inaccessible to a person in a normal state of consciousness and became the master of his destiny. In addition, Emelya becoming a handsome prince is a manifestation of inner beauty on the external plane.

Fairy tale "Koschei the Immortal"

What we know from the fairy tale: Koschey is the evil ruler of the dark kingdom of the dungeon, regularly stealing beautiful maidens. He is wealthy, and his domain is home to strange birds and animals. Serving as Koshchei is the Serpent Gorynych, who has a huge amount of secret knowledge, which is why he has great power. Koschey is considered immortal, and cannot be defeated by ordinary methods, although, if there is a desire, you can find out unusual methods, which, as a rule, are revealed to Ivan Tsarevich by Baba Yaga.

Hidden meaning: If we turn to the pantheon of gods of the Slavs, we will see that Koschey is one of the manifestations of Chernobog, who rules over Navya, Darkness and the Pekelny kingdom. Koschey also personifies the winter cold, and the girls he steals represent the life-giving power of Nature and spring. Ivan Tsarevich is a symbol of sunlight and spring thunder, accompanied by rain (remember the god Perun), in the search for Koshchei, which is facilitated by all natural forces. Having defeated Koshchei, Ivan Tsarevich, darkness and death.

As we know, Koshchei’s death can be found in an egg, which is a symbol of rebirth and the possibility of the existence of all things that can be. Based on this, Koschey is at the beginning of Everything, and his death is equated to the emergence of the world.

The needle, at the tip of which is Koshcheev’s death, serves as a reference to the world Tree, connecting the underworld, earth and sky, as well as the winter and summer solstices. Koshchei can be interpreted as the winter solstice, and Ivan Tsarevich as the summer solstice. They are always in a state of struggle with each other. The death of one is the birth of another, just as winter leaves and summer comes, and then this cycle repeats.

And one more detail: Koschey the Immortal is an attempt to scare Ivan Tsarevich, which contains a completely different message - Koschey the Immortal is Koschey the Mortal Bes.

A little parting word

Time moves inexorably forward. The world is changing. And along with the world, a person and his perception change. Today, very few people can understand and explain the sacred and very deep meaning of the fairy tales of our wise ancestors, and, as you have seen for yourself, of course, there is one. And the knowledge that was transmitted in these fairy tales may very soon sink into oblivion. It is easy to notice that over time, the subtle connection that connected different generations of people with each other was interrupted.

In order to understand the true essence of fairy tales, especially Russian ones, a person must push into the background his current worldview, and try to look at the world and life in it, as they were viewed by people who lived in those distant times when fairy tales just began to appear .

The search for meaning must certainly be present, because the Laws of existence, no matter what the time, no matter how developed the society, no matter how high-tech human life, have always remained and will remain the same. Therefore, let the fairy tales about Koshchei the Immortal, Baba Yaga, Ivan Tsarevich, Emelya, Alyonushka and other characters be for you not just interesting ideas, but those pointers that you will be guided by in your everyday life, in which, it would seem, , there is no true magic left at all.

Remember: magic exists, and it surrounds you everywhere!

Let us remember the main question of the Shadow Analysis of Fairy Tales: “What is not named in the fairy tale, but most likely is there?”

So what is not named “Turnip” in the fairy tale? The most important, but not openly written aspect of the fairy tale is the family relationship of the grandmother, grandfather and granddaughter.

It seems that there’s not a word about them... But that’s not true! Let's play a primitive game with you: “Continue the logical chain.” 1_4_7_10_13_16_?

Obviously, the next number (we skip two and give the third) is 19! The pattern of such a logically constructed series is clear to everyone.

Exactly the same strict pattern (ornament, design, rhythm) is demonstrated by the line-up of characters in “Turnip”.

The Turnip pattern appeals not to obviousness and not to reason, but to Intuition and the Unconscious!

That is why we need a Shadow Analysis of the fairy tale.

It is also required because the truth that the fairy tale does not directly tell is not very ... convenient!

So, let's start from the tail, from the end, and not as the fairy tale tells. Let's go from the mouse, not from the turnip.

Here is a template matrix, which will then be repeated like a pattern along the entire length of the chain:

The last one in the row is the mouse. Directly in front of her, but with her back turned to her, stands her natural enemy and oppressor - the cat.

Next in the row is a cat. Right in front of her, with his back turned away from the cat, is the natural enemy and oppressor of cats - the dog Bug.

Bug. Before her is the natural enemy and oppressor of dogs - a child-granddaughter. Also turned away from her victim.

Granddaughter. Right in front of her is the natural enemy and oppressor of all granddaughters - Grandma!

Grandma. Right in front of her, with his back turned to her, is the natural enemy and oppressor of all grandmothers - Dedka!..

And finally, Dedka. Right in front of him is the natural enemy and oppressor of all grandfathers - Hard Peasant Work - bread earned by the sweat of the brow. Big, big turnip...

This is a family...

It turns out that aggression pours out of every touching character in this fairy tale.

Grandfather gets tired of plowing.

Grandfather beats and scolds grandmother. (Forces her to keep the house clean, to put hot cabbage soup on a clean table on time).

Grandma is also not an angel of God. While the grandfather is plowing, she beats at home and scolds her granddaughter. (Forces her to get up early, clean and wash the house, carry water, help prepare dinner, spin, and does not allow her to look aimlessly out the windows and walk late into the night with the girls).

Well, what about the granddaughter? The girl is also no gift! The granddaughter has a blast with the dog Zhuchka. He trains this voracious beast, teaches him to guard the house and obey his mistress.

Well, the dog, as is known, “tugs the cat by the collar,” which, as is known, “chases the tit,” that is, in our case, a mouse, but also a thief of millet from the barn, along with his extensive mouse family...

If the dog hadn't chased the cat, he would have licked all the chiffchaff from the cream in the cellar and broken the pots. Don’t chase away mice, don’t regulate their numbers - there would be a plague on both your houses, including the village across the river...

What is “domestic violence”? How classic fairy tales heal modern myths

When the Reader learns about such oppression between animals, he rejoices that there is order in the world. But when the Reader remembers that the granddaughter, grandmother and old grandfather demonstrate exactly the same relationships among themselves in the fairy tale, the Reader begins to be indignant.

“It’s true,” says the Reader, “that the dog chases the cat, and the cat chases mice. But it is wrong that the grandfather “gives devils” to the grandmother, and that she gives it to the granddaughter. We need to be more humane towards women and children.”

Now the Reader will see how wrong he is, and how modern myths about “humanism” destroy harmony and world order.

A grandmother oppressing a granddaughter, a grandfather oppressing a grandmother, hard work oppressing a grandfather - this is just as “necessary” and “fair” as a cat oppressing mice that carry the plague bacillus, and a dog not allowing the cat to harm the tables and cellar.

If the grandmother had not oppressed her granddaughter...

Wouldn’t she force you to get up early, master household crafts, let you go for walks and allow you to spend time in idleness?

He would have grown up to be an incompetent incompetent, suffering from gluttony, boredom, despondency and apathy, or, on the contrary, a fidget who cannot find peace from a lustful rage (depending on his temperament).

If the grandfather had not oppressed the grandmother, exactly the same thing would have happened to the female half of the house.

If the Granddaughter had not oppressed the Bug?

If this teenage girl didn’t have “her own” animal, preferably a dog or a cow (since there is neither a horse nor a falcon) - who would she be responsible for, whom would she learn to take care of, who would she “raise”?

She would never have learned the skill of rudimentary leadership. Her favorite complaint would be the phrase: “Nobody listens to me!” I say, but they don’t!” Even her one-year-old child will sit on such a mother’s neck and push her around with all her might!

Now you understand that even the fairy tale “Turnip” teaches parents: “In order for a child to develop harmoniously and cultivate the qualities of a leader, he must have a dog.” (Just don’t hang the same dog and the child around your parent’s neck as another additional burden!)

Well, if work didn’t oppress my grandfather, that’s obvious. There would be nothing to eat. And the larger the turnip (the more difficult the work), the more food there is in the house, but the more difficult it is to cope with this very work!

So what does “Turnip” teach us here? In order for a man to cope with his hard work, everyone has to manage it together (according to everyone’s strengths), making common efforts.

And now we move on to the second lesson of the fairy tale “Turnip”

“Oppression” is constructive and... not at all constructive

The fact that in this lovely family everyone oppresses each other does not mean at all that what is happening there is a “madhouse and a nightmare” or that everyone is “eating each other.” Need proof? Yes, they are in the fairy tale itself!

At the moment when it became necessary, all the “enemies” managed to stop oppressing each other and united. For what? To save my grandfather, to help him cope with his difficult and, by the way, urgent work!

They didn’t put a spoke in the wheels of their most promising breadwinner, their grandfather, and didn’t greet him at the door with shouts: “Look what’s going on in your daughter’s diary!” or “When will you fix the toilet faucet!”

Somehow, you know, he (grandfather) has no time for this now. He has a quarterly report and audit. Sorry, the turnip is ripe...

If the head of the family - the husband - decides to write and defend his doctoral dissertation, a sensible family usually begins to tiptoe past the brightest room allocated to him as an office and even prepare a separate dietary meal - for the tired dad.

Nobody writes a doctoral dissertation at night, on the edge of an untidy, sticky kitchen table.

Because a family that lives according to the healthy archetype of the friendly “Turnip” understands: when dad becomes an academician (and he will be, if you don’t interfere), everyone will live much more satisfyingly and more glamorously.

Thus, the Russian fairy tale “Turnip” is an archetype and model of correct family relationships imprinted in the minds of everyone.

They are not perfect and should not be!!!

The demands of a grandfather towards his grandmother and grandmother towards his granddaughter do not intersect with the field of the term “family violence”. This is about something else...

This is the Hierarchy, the subordination that helps the Family survive, and even significantly succeed.

(Remember that the turnip is “big, very big”?)

The third lesson of the great Russian fairy tale “Turnip”

“Where are mom and dad?”

The third Shadow Aspect of the analysis of a fairy tale is associated with initiation and separation from the parental nest, complete “suffocating” care.

It doesn't matter how the girl lost her parents. Did they die? Have you gone to work among the people? They were hired as day laborers... Is she an orphan from birth?

Someone else’s “grandfather and grandmother” (and not mother and father) are adoptive parents, this is the same archetype of the “stepmother”, one of its consequences, a softer one.

“Turnip” is a fairy tale about an orphan. About a girl, given “to the people” from an early age, to be trained by her masters, to be raised by distant relatives...

In almost every Russian fairy tale, the mother and father (while still alive) care for and pamper their own child. They don’t burden you with work, give you clothes, and quietly admire the beauty of your child.

But such a situation does not last forever, and usually it simply precedes trials.

The fairy tale “Turnip” prepares the child for this in advance.

It’s better to quickly undergo severe training from the “barking granny” and learn from her how to set up a bowl and sweep the house, than to face the challenge of becoming an independent, skilled adult woman too late.

When your lack of simple survival skills will only cause people to laugh, irritate and condemn you.

In fact, the fairy tale “Turnip” is also “School for Mothers”.

A balanced, harmonious mother is one who knows how to play both the role of a fairy-tale “mother” who only admires her child, and an “old woman” to whom girls are sent to the harsh science.

Will the Granddaughter, the heroine of the fairy tale, be able to be useful in “teamwork” and help her grandfather pull out a turnip that is important to everyone? Probably yes.

After all, the granddaughter, fortunately, is so qualitatively “oppressed” by her teacher - her grandmother!

Incredible twists and depth of thought in simple formulations familiar from childhood. “Turnip”, “Teremok” and “Kolobok” are philosophical and religious motives, the wisdom of the ancient Slavs and something that no one has ever clearly thought about.

“Grandfather planted a turnip. The turnip has grown big, very big...” - and the little human creature joyfully spreads its arms to show how big the turnip was. Russian folk tales, known literally word for word since childhood, are most often simple, monosyllabic, short and even somewhat primitive. Yes, that’s right - a child at a pockmarked age is not yet ready to perceive the heavy image of the same Dead Princess for some reason or to follow all the wedding vicissitudes of Thumbelina.

However, as you know, behind every piece of cardboard in the decoration lies a complex mechanism for its installation. And simple children's fairy tales were no exception to the rule - there were those who saw in these fairy-tale jokes a sacramental meaning, a deep double bottom, directly connecting the turnip and the Roots of the Family, Kolobok and the lunar cycle, the Bear and genuine, dark evil. Archaic symbols and deeply pagan (or, conversely, Christian) motifs underlie the list of turnips-grandfathers-grandmothers-granddaughters, and from fairy tales where the image of a bear appears, one can compile an anthology of absolute evil.

“Kolobok, who did you leave? - from Nietzsche"

The tale about Kolobok is simple and understandable, its formula is identical to most fairy tales: take the grandfather, take the grandmother, add some unusual thing like a talking piece of dough - and then we begin the adventure. “I left my grandmother, I left my grandfather,” and so on, a motif known to everyone since childhood. And only Kolobok did not escape from the cunning fox.

But is it really that simple? No. As Andrey Karpov states in his book, this is, first of all, a story about the moral and psychological choice of an individual, about destiny and the discovery of possibilities.

Start over. Here is Kolobok, it is baked with care and love by the grandmother and is cooling in the open window. An open window here is perceived as a symbol of opportunities, different paths in life. And here begins Kolobok’s journey as a person. And Kolobok begins his path with a rebellion against his destiny. He refused his prepared sad fate of being eaten, he chose another path out of that open window.

“Kolobok’s purpose is to serve those who created him so ruddy and appetizing, to serve to the end. And if you dig very deep, you come to the idea that the purpose of every creature is to serve its Creator. A person is free, and he must accept the will of his Creator voluntarily. Kolobok rejected this will. But what did he prefer to her? What did he make his choice in favor of?”

After such a strong-willed decision, Kolobok can safely be called a Nietzschean personality - it was he who, in his early views, adhered to the cult of a strong personality who could follow the path of nihilism and individualism.

But what happens to Kolobok next? After all, his rebellion against the Creator had no purpose - Kolobok simply rolls wherever his eyes look. And this, Karpov argues, is a direct reflection of the essence of human decisions, because much is often done solely out of a feeling of protest.

“It’s so recognizable. We also often make a choice only out of a feeling of protest. It is important for us to reject what is offered, but we don’t want to think about what our refusal will lead to. It is also interesting that in one of the versions of the fairy tale, Kolobok’s journey begins with the words: “Kolobok got tired of lying, he rolled…”. This is also recognizable: to do something out of boredom. Let it be anyhow, what exactly is not very important, what is important is that it is something new, not what has happened before...”

Drawing a further analogy with Nietzsche, we can say that Kolobok becomes a typical representative of such an ideology - he revels in the cult of his own personality, his unconditional superiority, he falls into the extreme of individualism, not trusting anyone but himself. The old woman’s efforts for him are nothing more than a predicate of his own personality - as if it were only his merit.

“He doesn't trust the Hare. He doesn't trust anyone. He only believes in himself. He is generally full of admiration for his own personality. With what love he describes himself in his song: I am a bun, a bun! Sweeping the barn, scraping the bottom ends, mixing it with sour cream, planting it in the stove, chilling it on the window.”

Deceiving everyone who gets in his way, Kolobok turns out to be naively inspired by his successes. And everyone around him is stupid and short-sighted, and he, using a quote from the same Nietzsche, is the only smart one in a white coat standing handsome. Or rather, it’s rolling, and this is important: in the Russian language you can only roll downwards, which is what Kolobok does in moral terms.

“Then a completely impenetrable forest awaited Kolobok, and death in one form or another was inevitable for him. The semantics of the Russian language speaks about this. You can only roll (as opposed to “run” or “ride”) down somewhere. And sooner or later, when you find yourself in a completely inappropriate place, they will say about you that you’ve screwed up.”

But all worldly wisdom lies not even in the super-Kolobok, but in the disturbed order of the animals that he encountered. According to all canons, it should be like: Hare, Fox, Wolf, Bear - as the most formidable, evil and strong. But the Fox here is higher than the Bear in the hierarchy, which symbolizes a simple truth: it is not the one who is physically stronger who is terrible, but the one who is spiritually more dangerous. The cunning Kolobok was met with an even more cunning Fox - and our tormented Zarathustra perished.

Is the turnip the basis of humanism or a message from grandfather Freud?

Another fairy tale familiar to everyone from the cradle is “Turnip”, a fairy tale-game with an even more primitive plot. A million repetitions and a distinct melodiousness make it accessible to even the most foolish kids - grandfather for a turnip, grandmother for a grandfather, granddaughter for a grandmother, Bug for a granddaughter, and so on.

In fact, “Turnip”, in its deep idea, can be compared with the works of figures of the Enlightenment: humanistic motives in it are revealed widely and, most importantly, clearly. Surprisingly, this particular tale stands out for its fullness of Christian motifs.

The very beginning of the tale already makes you think. Here is the grandfather, so he planted a turnip - although, it would seem, what kind of turnip is he for, since he is a grandfather. Not a very good age for gardening. However, the Almighty rewarded his labors, and the turnip grew “big, very big.” And then, in fact, the whole plot revolves around attempts to pull out this very turnip. And from the very beginning, the main idea is already visible - never give up.

The image of a turnip itself, according to researchers of this tale, becomes a symbol of connection with the family, worldly wisdom, rooted in the earth. This is where the expression “give on the turnip” appeared in the Russian language - hit on the head so that all the wisest and most important things are remembered.

The grandfather calls the grandmother, the grandmother calls the granddaughter - and, by the way, this is where the particularly meticulous storytellers saw a flaw. Mother and Father are missing. However, the Christian interpretation has an answer to the question why. These characters were removed from the pagan, Slavic fairy tale primarily for the sake of the magical number 7.

“Christians have a septenary system of perception, so the fairy tale was reduced to 7 elements - just as the week was shortened from 9 to 7 days (the Slavs have a circular or ninefold system).”

The system of images in this fairy tale is reminiscent of building a model of an ideal house. The grandfather personifies wisdom, it was he who planted the turnip in the ground, he became the guardian of the Ancestral connection. It is logical - for the Slavs, as well as for Christians later, the eldest man was the head of the family, and therefore the wisest of his kind. Next is grandma. She is, of course, the keeper of the hearth, the woman in the house, the mistress, the apostle of the traditions of the home. It is he and his grandfather who become the basis for the home and family. The images of the Father and Mother, lost in the version that has come down to us, personified protection and support and love and care, respectively - but, since in Christianity protection is the Church, and love is Christ, these characters were gently supplanted.

Thus, the granddaughter becomes a symbol of offspring, continuation of the family; The bug is a symbol of wealth, because the dog was bred to preserve wealth in the Family; The Cat represents peace and comfort, and the Mouse represents prosperity.

This system of images creates an ideal model of family life, according to the canons of Christian and humanist theories. Help your neighbor, don’t give up, don’t be shy to ask for help - and you will be rewarded.

Conclusions from experts on the Internet:

“The strong and self-confident are defeated, and the weak and unsuccessful gain the upper hand. In contrast to harsh reality, the fairy tale stands up for the weak.”

“I would like to note that, first of all, this fairy tale says that in any even the most hopeless situation it is necessary to have the support of people. After all, we are often unable to cope with our problems on our own. Taking a step forward, you need to realize that you have support and solid support that will not let you down at the most inopportune moment. The fairy tale teaches us to understand that a single force is needed to solve a specific problem.”

But, having rummaged through the sources, you can find a completely opposite interpretation of this tale. A double bottom also has a double bottom.

Interpretation in accordance with Freud's ideas makes this fairy tale not only not childish, but also, perhaps, too frank. Russian folk proverbs like “A girl is as good as a washed turnip!” allow us to assert that Repka can be considered as a female image of Grandfather’s daughter. Actually, this also explains the absence of the Mother, but the presence of the Granddaughter in the series of characters. Correlating with the most famous work of the psychologist “Taboo and Totem”, we can confidently say about the presence of incestuous attraction. And the rest of the female population of the house (and it is, indeed, absolutely female) prevents incestuous relations.

And if so, then “Turnip” abruptly moves from the category of good and eternal to the category of eternal, but...

“Teremok” and “Seven Little Goats” - on the other side of reality?

These fairy tales can be combined in their cultural analysis - at least, that’s what Alexey Korepanov decided in his publication “Is a fairy tale a lie?” (magazine "Threshold", No. 5, 1998).

According to Korepanov, the basis of both tales is nothing more than xenopenetration. The image of a wolf, like the image of a bear, is considered as an image of extraterrestrial intelligence alien to earthlings.

“An allegorical story about an attempt at xeno-penetration into one of the Slavic territories (xeno-penetration in this case means the penetration of another, non-human mind - from near or far space, from parallel or perpendicular worlds, etc.). The alien wolf, persistently knocking on the little goats’ hut, is trying to impose on the autochthons a completely different worldview, completely different moral values inherent in a foreign civilization, but alien to earthlings.”

“Teremok” in this context is also considered by the author from the point of view of an ethnic problem - for him the teremok becomes a kind of allegory of certain interethnic connections, where a mouse and a cat, a hare and a wolf coexist in the same house - and there are no conflicts for you. But the penetration of a stranger - a bear - disrupts the existing ties and leads to the collapse of the entire system.

“It is possible that we are talking about some territory in which, over time, more and more new ethnic groups appeared (one can even assume with a high degree of probability that this is the territory of the northern Black Sea region). The xeno-invasion (the bear) leads to the destruction of the ties that had developed between these ethnic groups (“the tower cracked, fell on its side and completely fell apart”), however, these groups were not harmed and subsequently the previous ties were restored (“they built better than before”).”

However, despite the restored order, the fate of the alien bear remained unknown. It is possible that he returned to his parallel reality, or perhaps he remained in the current reality, thus completing his xeno-invasion attempt. This story is silent about this.

A fairy tale is a lie, but there is a hint in it, a lesson for all philosophers

Russian folk tales, so simple and primitive, in fact can have not just a double bottom, but double in degree. Often, if you delve into the sparkling meanings embedded in short jokes, then you should tell such things to children with extreme caution - and to adults too. Perhaps fairy tales should be banned in kindergartens and moved under the vaults of philosophy faculties - out of harm’s way.