Good and evil fairy tale characters. Heroes of Russian fairy tales - description, origin and interpretation

A folk tale is a message from our ancestors, passed down from time immemorial. Through magical stories, sacred information about morality and spirituality, traditions and culture is conveyed to us. The heroes of Russian folk tales are very colorful. They live in a world full of wonders and dangers. In him there's a battle going on light and dark forces, as a result of which good and justice always win.

Ivan the Fool

The main character of Russian fairy tales is a seeker. He sets out on a difficult journey to get a magical object or a bride, and to deal with the monster. In this case, the character may initially occupy a low social position. As a rule, this is a peasant son, the most youngest child in family.

By the way, the word "fool" in ancient times did not have negative meaning. Since the 14th century, it has served as a talismanic name, often given to the youngest son. He did not receive any inheritance from his parents. Older brothers in fairy tales are successful and practical. Ivan spends time on the stove, since he is not interested in living conditions. He does not seek money or fame, and patiently endures the ridicule of others.

However, it is Ivan the Fool who is ultimately lucky. He is unpredictable, capable of solving non-standard riddles, and defeats the enemy with cunning. The hero is characterized by mercy and kindness. He helps out those in trouble, releases the pike, for which he is awarded magical help. Having overcome all obstacles, Ivan the Fool marries the Tsar's daughter and becomes rich. Behind unsightly clothes hides the image of a sage serving good and wary of falsehood.

Bogatyr

This hero was borrowed from epics. He is handsome, brave, noble. It often grows “by leaps and bounds.” Possesses enormous power, is able to saddle a heroic horse. There are many stories where a character fights a monster, dies, and then is resurrected.

The names of the heroes of Russian fairy tales can be different. We meet Ilya Muromets, Bova Korolevich, Alyosha Popovich, Nikita Kozhemyaka and other characters. Ivan Tsarevich can also be classified in this category. He enters into battle with the Serpent Gorynych or Koshchei, saddles Sivka-Burka, protects the weak, and rescues the princess.

It is significant that the hero sometimes makes mistakes (responds rudely to the grandmother he meets, burns the skin of a frog). Subsequently, he has to repent of this, ask for forgiveness, and correct the situation. By the end of the tale, he gains wisdom, finds the princess and receives half the kingdom as a reward for his exploits.

Wonder Bride

By the end of the story, an intelligent and beautiful girl becomes the wife of a fairy-tale hero. In Russians folk tales we meet Vasilisa the Wise, Marya Morevna, Elena the Beautiful. They embody the popular idea of ​​a woman standing guard over her family.

The heroines are distinguished by their resourcefulness and intelligence. Thanks to their help, the hero solves ingenious riddles and defeats the enemy. Often a beautiful princess is subject to the forces of nature; she is able to turn into an animal (swan, frog) and create real miracles. The heroine uses powerful forces for the benefit of her lover.

There is also an image of a meek stepdaughter in fairy tales, who achieves success thanks to her hard work and kindness. General qualities for all positive female images are fidelity, purity of aspirations and readiness to help.

Which hero of Russian fairy tales is the most beloved and popular among children and adults? The first place rightfully belongs to Baba Yaga. This is a very controversial character with a terrifying appearance, a hooked nose and a bone leg. In ancient times, “Baba” was the name given to the mother, the eldest woman in the family. "Yaga" may be related to the Old Russian words "yagat" ("to shout loudly, swear") or "yagaya" ("sick, angry").

Lives old witch in the forest, on the border of ours and other world. Her hut on chicken legs is surrounded by a fence made of human bones. Grandma flies on a mortar, makes friends with evil spirits, kidnaps children and keeps them from uninvited guests many magical items. According to scientists, it is associated with the kingdom of the dead. This is indicated by the loose hair that was unbraided for women before burial, the bone leg, and also the house. The Slavs made wooden huts for the dead, which they placed on stumps in the forest.

In Rus' they always respected their ancestors and turned to them for advice. That’s why good fellows come to Baba Yaga, and she tests them. To those who pass the test, the witch gives a hint, points the way to Koshchei, gives a magic ball, as well as a towel, comb and other wonders. Baba Yaga doesn’t eat children either, but she puts them in the oven and spends them ancient rite"overbaking". In Rus' it was believed that in this way a child could be healed of an illness.

Koschey

The name of this fairy-tale hero of Russian fairy tales could come from the Turkic “koschey”, which translates as “slave”. The character was chained and kept prisoner for three hundred years. He himself also likes to kidnap beautiful girls and hide them in prison. According to another version, the name comes from the Slavic “kostit” (to scold, to harm) or “bone”. Koschey is often depicted as a skinny old man, more like a skeleton.

He is a very powerful sorcerer, lives far from other people and owns countless treasures. The death of the hero is in a needle, which is securely hidden in objects and animals nested inside each other like a nesting doll. The prototype of Koshchei may be the winter deity Karachun, who was born from a golden egg. It covered the earth with ice and brought death with it, forcing our ancestors to move to warmer areas. In other myths, Koshchei was the name of the son of Chernobog. The latter could control time and commanded the army of the underworld.

This is one of the most ancient images. The hero of Russian fairy tales differs from foreign dragons by having several heads. Usually their number is a multiple of three. The creature can fly, breathes fire and abducts people. It lives in caves, where it hides captives and treasures. Often appears in front of a positive hero after emerging from the water. The nickname “Gorynych” is associated either with the character’s habitat (mountain) or with the verb “to burn.”

The image of the terrible Serpent is borrowed from ancient myths about the dragon who guards the entrance to the underworld. To become a man, a teenager had to defeat him, i.e. accomplish a feat, and then enter the world of the dead and return back as an adult. According to another version, Zmey Gorynych - collective image steppe nomads who attacked Rus' in huge hordes. At the same time, they used fire shells that burned wooden cities.

Forces of nature

In ancient times, people personified the Sun, Wind, Moon, Thunder, Rain and other phenomena on which their lives depended. They often became heroes of Russian fairy tales, married princesses, and helped good heroes. There are also anthropomorphic rulers of certain elements: Moroz Ivanovich, goblin, water one. They can play the role of both positive and negative characters.

Nature is depicted as spiritual. The well-being of people largely depends on her actions. Thus, Morozko rewards the meek, hardworking daughter of an old man, whom her stepmother ordered to abandon in the forest, with gold and a fur coat. At the same time, her selfish stepsister dies from his spell. The Slavs worshiped the forces of nature and at the same time were wary of them, tried to appease them with the help of sacrifices, and made requests.

Grateful animals

In fairy tales we meet a talking wolf, a magical horse and a cow, goldfish, a wish-fulfilling pike. And also a bear, hare, hedgehog, raven, eagle, etc. They all understand human speech and have unusual abilities. The hero helps them out of trouble, gives them life, and in return they help defeat the enemy.

Traces of totemism are clearly visible here. The Slavs believed that each genus descended from a specific animal. After death, the soul of a person moves into the beast and vice versa. For example, in the fairy tale "Burenushka" the soul of a deceased mother is reborn in the form of a cow to help her orphaned daughter. Such an animal could not be killed, because it became a relative and protected from harm. Sometimes the heroes of a fairy tale can themselves turn into an animal or a bird.

Firebird

Many positive heroes of fairy tales try to take possession of it. The wonderful bird dazzles the eyes like the golden sun and lives behind a stone wall in rich lands. Freely floating in the sky, she is a symbol heavenly body which gives good luck, abundance, creative power. This is a representative of another world, who often turns into a kidnapper. The firebird steals rejuvenating apples, bestowing beauty and immortality.

Only those who are pure in soul, believe in the dream and are closely connected with their deceased ancestors can catch it. Usually this is the youngest son, who had to take care of his old parents and spent a lot of time near the family hearth.

Thus, the heroes of Russian fairy tales teach us to respect our ancestors, listen to our hearts, overcome fear, pursue our dreams despite mistakes, and always help those asking for help. And then the divine radiance of the magical firebird will fall on a person, transforming him and bestowing happiness.

Fairy tales shape the thinking, fantasy and worldview of many generations. Fairy tales not only entertained us as children, but the actions of the heroes of Russian fairy tales taught us to distinguish between good and evil, to be brave and to act justly.

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

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

The largest group of fabulous folk epic make up magical fantasy tales. Explanation of many motives and features fairy-tale heroes can be found only in comparison with ancient rituals, elements of the socio-religious way of life of the Proto-Slavs and ancient Eurasians. Let's try to analyze some of the most famous characters Russian fairy tales.

Heroes of Russian fairy tales. Baba Yaga

Baba Yaga is a character in Slavic mythology and folklore. Usually an ugly old woman endowed with magical powers and magical items. Often a witch, sorceress. Most often - a negative character (luring children and good fellows to her hut on chicken legs to eat), but sometimes acts as the hero’s assistant. According to folklore specialist Vladimir Propp, three types of Baba Yaga can be distinguished in fairy tales: the giver (gives the main character a fairy-tale horse), the kidnapper of children and the warrior (she fights with the main character “to the death”).

In modern ideas, Baba Yaga is the mistress of the forest and the guardian of the borders of the “other world” (far away kingdom). That's why she has a bone leg - to stand in the world of the dead. In many fairy tales, Baba Yaga heats the bathhouse and vaporizes the hero, performing the ritual of ablution. Then he feeds him, that is, he performs a funeral feast with him. And you female image Baba Yagas are associated, according to researchers, with matriarchal ideas about the structure of the social world.

Heroes of Russian fairy tales. Water

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

Heroes of Russian fairy tales. Firebird

A fairytale bird is usually the target of a search for a fairy tale hero. The feathers of the firebird glow and amaze with beauty. Lives in the Garden of Eden, in a golden cage. He eats golden apples, heals the sick with his singing and restores sight to the blind. At a deep mythological level, he is the personification of fire, light and sun. Therefore, every year in the fall the Firebird dies and is reborn in the spring. At the cross-cultural level, it has an analogue - the Phoenix bird, reborn from the ashes.

Heroes of Russian fairy tales. Dragon

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

Heroes of Russian fairy tales. Ivan the Fool

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

Heroes of Russian fairy tales. Cat Baiyun

A huge man-eating cat with in a magical voice. On the one hand, he charms and lulls travelers with his tales, on the other, his tales can heal. The word “bayun” itself means “talker, storyteller.” In fairy tales cat Baiyun sits on a high pillar far away in the thirtieth kingdom or in a lifeless forest where there are no animals. In one of the fairy tales, he lives with Baba Yaga.

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

Heroes of Russian fairy tales. Kolobok

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

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

An evil sorcerer whose death is hidden in several nested magical animals and objects. “On the sea, on the ocean, there is an island, on that island there is an oak tree, under the oak tree there is a chest buried, in the chest there is a hare, in the hare there is a duck, in the duck there is an egg, in the egg there is the death of Koshchei.” Often kidnaps the main character's fiancee. In appearance - a thin (Koschei - from the word “bone”) tall old man or a living skeleton. Sometimes on a talking and flying horse. A powerful sorcerer, which also allows us to call priests his prototypes.

Heroes of Russian fairy tales. Goblin

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

Heroes of Russian fairy tales. Miracle Yudo

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

It could be a sea animal, a mythical serpent, a dragon. And in author's fairy tale Peter Ershov “The Little Humpbacked Horse” (1834) there is Miracle Yudo Whale Fish - island fish.

Fairy tales play a significant role in a person’s life. This is one of the first things he hears after birth; she also accompanies him in the next stages of growing up. Not only children, but also adults love fairy tales. Their deep philosophical meaning makes it possible to look at ordinary things differently; understand the principles of good and evil; learn to believe in miracles and not forget about your own role.

Moral values ​​are transmitted through typical characters, each of which has its own folk prototype.

Hare

Runaway bunny, gray bunny, scythe - as they name the animal in Russian folk tales. He is endowed with a cowardly, but at the same time friendly character. Fairytale hare possesses cunning, dexterity and resourcefulness. A striking example- the fairy tale “The Fox and the Hare”, where a small animal turns from a cowardly animal into a savvy hero who managed to deceive even the evil wolf and help his friends.

In nature, hares do have cautious habits that help them avoid the teeth of predators. Our ancestors also knew this feature of the animal.

Fox

Cunning, resourceful, smart, insidious, vindictive...What traits are not given to a fox in fairy tales? She deceives animals, seeks profit everywhere, and is not afraid of people. The fox makes friends with the strong, but only for its own benefit.

The image of the animal embodies cunning. The folk prototype can be considered dishonest, thieving, but at the same time smart person. The fox is feared, despised and respected at the same time. This is evidenced by the appeal to her in fairy tales as Fox Patrikeevna, Little Fox-Sister.

Wolf

The wolf in Russian fairy tales embodies anger. He preys on weaker animals; doesn't always act cunningly. Other characters take advantage of the wolf's shortsightedness. In the fairy tale “Little Fox and Sister Gray wolf“The formidable predator was deceived by a red-haired cheat, and in “The Three Little Pigs”

He was tricked by harmless pigs.

Our ancestors also associated the wolf with death. Indeed, in nature, this predator is considered a kind of forest orderly who hunts weak and sick animals. And the human prototype of a wolf can be considered one who is too angry, greedy and vindictive.

Bear

The fairytale bear is the owner of the forest. He is strong, rude, clumsy and not entirely smart. It is believed that the common people wanted to show the landowners in the image of a bear. Therefore, in fairy tales this animal is often deceived by weaker animals with which ordinary people are associated.

At the same time, in fairy tales you can find another image of a bear: kind, calm, honest and freedom-loving. It is enough to remember how the bear helped the lost girl Masha in the work of the same name.

Man (peasant)

The image of a man in fairy tales has different meanings. In some works, he appears as the personification of the working people: he is somewhat simple-minded, works all the time, does not put up with the injustice of rich employers. On the other hand, traits such as wisdom and cunning were embodied in the man. He is hardworking, not rich, but much more cunning and resourceful than the landowners and generals.

Baba Yaga

A hut on chicken legs, a black cat, a mortar and a broom are the main attributes of any fairytale Baba Yaga. This old woman is both evil (her threats are worth it) and kind (she helps in difficult situations). She is wise, strong-willed, purposeful. She can be an advisor, or she can be a threat.

The image of Baba Yaga in Russian fairy tales is one of the most controversial and controversial. She personifies matriarchal traits. Among our ancestors, Baba Yaga was closely connected with the clan.

Koschei the Deathless

In fairy tales, his image can be seen in three forms: a sorcerer with special powers, the king of the underworld, and an old man who may be the husband of the Snake or a friend of Baba Yaga. Has unusual abilities: turns heroes into animals and birds. You can defeat him only through certain rituals (using a magic horse, a club, burning). Despite his name, he is not at all immortal, because his death is at the tip of a needle (or, as an option, in an egg), which are securely hidden.

The folk prototype of Koshchei is a powerful, evil, cunning and vile person endowed with magical properties.

Ivan the Fool

Despite the ambiguous name, Ivan is not at all the personification of stupidity, even if he is called a fool in the work. In fairy tales, he is the youngest of the sons, who often does nothing, is lazy, but achieves a lot in life, thanks to cunning and luck. This positive hero, embodying the characteristics of something people would like to have. Some kind of dream, where without special effort, by chance, everything works out: to become rich and to marry a princess. Our ancestors, in the image of Ivan the Fool, wanted to show a successful person.

Ivan Tsarevich

Unlike Ivan the Fool, who gets everything simply and effortlessly, Ivan Tsarevich, in order to achieve his goal, must overcome many obstacles, showing his strength, intelligence and skills. He becomes a prince not only by the fact of birth, which he is not even aware of, but by merit. Like Ivan the Fool, he is most often the youngest of the brothers, only of royal blood.

Kikimora

Kikimora in fairy tales can appear in the form of an ugly creature of indeterminate age (this is a girl, an old woman, and even a man). Is the personification of evil spirits. She tries to hide from people, but lives near residential buildings or in a swamp. Her job is to cause mischief and frighten.

The mythological meaning of kikimora among our ancestors is a person who died in an unrighteous way. Therefore, his soul finds no peace.

Water

The merman is the master of water. This is half old man, half fish. Lives near mills, in pools and wormwood. Scares people and drags them to the bottom; breaks mills and drowns cattle. But a merman can be deceived and defeated by cunning.

“She was so lovely and tender, but made of ice, dazzling, sparkling ice, and still 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”

She is called the 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 the Royal Ruby, which belongs to Morra, and she is hot on their heels to get the 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 afternoon, 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 the 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 hung over 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 the brilliant virtues of the 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 of book illustration for 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: A 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 work-out 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: Publishing House Meshcheryakova, 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! Just calling someone a name is kindergarten, but pouring a bucket of water on passers-by or scaring someone half to death by releasing your faithful rat from your purse is already 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 acting in the outside world: the 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 villains of folklore origin, let us remember the type of “evil sister” who harms a brother and those he loves (in folk tales - first of all his bride, or wife and children, or faithful animal servants: a horse, a dog and a 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 “ evil wife", and towards the child - angry 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.

The list is completed by two villainesses of a mixed type: partly adventurers, partly warriors, partly educators 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

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

Brownie

They say that the brownie still lives in every village hut, but not everyone knows about it. 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 him 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. The main attributes (connection with yarn, damp places, darkness) of Kikimora are similar to mokusha, evil spirit, continuing the image of the Slavic goddess Mokosha. The name “Kikimora” - compound word. the second part of which is ancient name female character mary, mora.

Kikimora is a character best known mainly in the Russian North. Appears in the form of a small, hunched, ugly old woman, dressed in rags, sloppy and eccentric. Her appearance in a house or in outbuildings (on a threshing floor, 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 frightened them at night until then. until the whole family left the house (Vyatka province).

Bannik

Bannik, bainik, baennik, bainushko, etc., Belarusian. laznik - among Russians and Belarusians the spirit is the inhabitant of the bathhouse. Lives behind the heater or under the shelf. It can be invisible (according to some beliefs, it has an invisibility cap) or appears in the form of a person with long hair, a naked old man covered with dirt and leaves from brooms, a dog, a cat, a 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. A close friend of the goblin is the 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.
On a special day of obedience to the dead Eastern Slavs Semik was considered. On this day, they also commemorated all untimely deceased relatives: unbaptized children, girls who died before marriage. In addition, in Semik they took special measures against pawned dead people who, according to legend, were capable of causing harm to a person. Aspen stakes or sharp metal objects were driven into their graves.
In Semik, burials were held for those who, for one reason or another, remained unburied. A common grave was dug for them and buried with a prayer service and funeral service. It was believed that otherwise the pawned dead could take revenge on the living, sending various disasters to them: drought, storm, thunderstorm or crop failure

Baba Yaga

Baba Yaga (Yaga-Yaginishna, Yagibikha, Yagishna) is the oldest character in 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 she acts 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 tips, 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 is difficult to say whether he was a personification of the external enemies of the 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, a representative of the evil principle, a dragon with 3, 6, 9 or 12 heads. Associated with fire and water, flies across the sky, but at the same time correlates with the bottom - with a river, a hole, a cave, where he has hidden wealth, a kidnapped princess

Indrik is a beast

Indrik the Beast - in Russian legends “the father of all animals”, a character in the Dove Book. Indrik is a distorted name of the god Indra (the variants “foreigner”, “inrok” can cause an association with a unicorn, but INDRIK is described with two, not one horn). INDRIK was credited with the properties of others fantastic images medieval book tradition - the king of the waters, opponents of the serpent and the crocodile - “onudra” (otters) and ichneumon, the fabulous fish “endrop”.

According to Russian folklore, Indrik is an underground beast, “walks through the underground like the sun in the sky”; he is endowed with the 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 the depths of the 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.