Wolf character in Russian folk tales. Images of animals in Russian folk tales and Slavic mythology

Krendelev Anton

Tales about animals are not only entertaining and funny, but also instructive.

Man attributed to animals the ability to reason and speak, but people’s misconceptions were also permeated by the desire to understand the life of animals, to master the means of taming them, protecting them from attack, and methods of hunting.

The most common heroes of fairy tales about animals are the fox and the wolf. This is explained by the fact that, firstly, a person most often had to encounter them in economic activity; secondly, these animals occupy the middle in the animal kingdom in size and strength; finally, thirdly, thanks to the previous two reasons, a person had the opportunity to get to know them very closely.

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IV regional youth “Philological readings”

Municipal educational institution Mikhailovskaya secondary school

Krendelev Anton

Municipal educational institution Mikhailovskaya secondary school, 5th grade, 11 years old

Competition work

Genre: Exploration

"Images of animals in Russian folk tales»

Teacher-mentor:

Yablokova Svetlana Vladimirovna

Teacher of Russian language and literature

Mikhailovsky village, Yaroslavsky municipal district, 2010

1.Introduction 2 pages

2. Chapter “Images of animals in Russian folk tales”

1.1 The Fox of the Seven Wolves will spend 5 pages.

1.2. The wolf changes its fur, but not its character 7 p.

1.3. A bear, although old, is worth two foxes 9 p.

1.4. Soft paws, and in the paws there are scratches 11 p.

3. Conclusion 12 pages.

4. References 14 pages.

Introduction

What is a fairy tale? This beautiful world magic and transformations in which we live in childhood, where reality ends and this world, amazing and incomprehensible, begins. This is a world in which good triumphs over evil, which is probably why this genre is so loved by children.

And if he speaks in scientific language, fairy tale-type narrative, mostly prosaic folklore. Its history goes back a long way. Word " fairy tale " recorded in written sources XVI century. From the word"show". Meaning: list, list, exact description. Modern meaning the word has been acquired since the 19th century. Until the 19th century, the 11th century word was used - blasphemy.

There are several types of Russian folk tales: magical, everyday, tales about animals.The purpose of my work is to identify the features of animal images in folk tales. To achieve the goal, a number of tasks must be solved:

1. identify the place and features of the depiction of animals in fairy tales;
2. see whether they are the main or secondary person;
3. consider character traits;

I used several folk tale sources to write my work.

This type of fairy tales differs significantly from other types of fairy tales. A fairy tale about animals is a work in which the main characters are animals, birds, fish, as well as objects, plants and natural phenomena. The question of the original origins of fantasy in fairy tales about animals has concerned scientists for many decades. The beliefs of the Russian people and, in general, the beliefs of the East Slavic peoples allow us to assume with all confidence which animals were the heroes of mythical stories and legends of ancient fables. The peculiarity of these legends was that the animals were endowed with a variety of human qualities, but the animals were seen as animals. Not all stories and legends of this kind have disappeared from the memory of the people. Their traces are preserved in fairy tales thattraditionally acceptedfrom ancient fables some of its essential features. This is the tale of the bear on a fake leg. This fairy-tale narrative is unknown in Western Europe. Its origin is purely East Slavic. The system of characters in Russian folk tales about animals is represented, as a rule, by images of wild and domestic animals. Images of wild animals clearly prevail over images of domestic animals: these are fox, wolf, bear, hare, and among birds - crane, heron, thrush, woodpecker, sparrow, raven, etc. Domestic animals are much less common, and do not appear as independent or leading characters, but only in conjunction with forest birds: a dog, a cat, a goat, a ram, a horse, a pig, a bull, and among domestic birds - a goose, a duck and a rooster. There are no tales only about domestic animals in Russian folklore.

In fairy tales about animals, animals implausibly argue, talk, quarrel, love, make friends, and quarrel: the cunning “fox is beautiful in conversation,” the stupid and greedy “wolf-wolf who grabs from under a bush,” the cowardly bow-legged bunny who hops up the hill "

The fox will lead seven wolves

Favorite hero of the Russians fairy tales about animals, as, indeed, in all East Slavic fairy tales, a fox became.

The image of the fox is stable. She is portrayed as a lying, cunning deceiver: she deceives a man by pretending to be dead (“The Fox steals fish from a sleigh”); deceives the wolf (“The Fox and the Wolf”); deceives the rooster (“The Cat, the Rooster and the Fox”); drives the hare out of the bast hut (“The Fox and the Hare”); exchanges a goose for a lamb, a lamb for a bull, steals honey (“The Bear and the Fox”). In all fairy tales, she is flattering, vengeful, cunning, calculating.Lisa Patrikeevna, beautiful fox, oily fox, gossamer fox, Lisafya. Here she lies on the road with glassy eyes. She was numb, the man decided, he kicked her, she wouldn’t wake up. The man was delighted, took the fox, put it in the cart with fish, covered it with matting: “The old woman will have a collar for her fur coat,” and started the horse from its place, walking in front. The fox threw all the fish out of the cart and left. The man realized that the fox was not dead, but it was already too late. There's nothing to do.

The fox is true to herself everywhere in fairy tales. Her cunning is conveyed in the proverb: “When you look for a fox in front, it is behind.” She is resourceful and lies recklessly until the time when it is no longer possible to lie, but even in this case she often indulges in the most incredible fiction. The fox thinks only about his own benefit. If the deal does not promise her acquisitions, she will not sacrifice anything of hers. The fox is vindictive and vindictive.

Fairy tales often depict the triumph of a fox. She revels in revenge, feels complete superiority over the gullible heroes. How much resourcefulness she has and how much vengeful feeling she has! Both are so common in people with a practical, resourceful mind, overwhelmed petty passions.. Infinitely deceitful, she takes advantage of gullibility, plays on the weak strings of friends and foes.

I have a lot of pranks and pranks in my memory.foxes. She chases the hare out of the bast hut (“The Fox and the Hare”), exchanges the rolling pin for a goose, the goose for a lamb, the lamb for a bull, threatens the thrush to eat the chicks, forces him to water, feed, and even make himself laugh (“The Fox and the Blackbird”) . The fox marries the cat-voivode with the hope of seizing power in the entire forest district (“The Cat and the Fox”), learns to fly (“How the Fox Learned to Fly”), orders the wolf to take the oath to be sure of the correctness of his words: indeed Is the sheep wearing a wolf caftan? The wolf foolishly stuck his head into a trap and got caught (“Sheep, Fox and Wolf”). The fox steals the stored honey (“The Bear and the Fox”).

The fox is a pretender, a thief, a deceiver, evil, unfaithful, flattering, vindictive, clever, vindictive, cunning, selfish, calculating, cruel. In fairy tales, she is faithful to these traits of her character throughout.

The wolf changes its fur, but not its character

Another hero that the fox often encounters is the wolf. He is stupid, which is expressed in the attitude of the people towards him, he devours kids (“Wolf and Goat”), is going to tear apart a sheep (“Sheep, Fox and Wolf”), fattens a hungry dog ​​in order to eat it, is left without a tail (“Fox and wolf").More often than other animals, the fox deceives the wolf and laughs cruelly at him. Who do people understand in this image?? In fairy tales, the wolf is infinitely stupid.Phenomenal stupidity discredits the wolf. This image expressed not so much the real characteristics of the human type that the wolf personifies, but rather the attitude towards it.

Let us think about why the wolf takes blows from angry women who come to the river by water, why, having barely survived one misfortune, the wolf ends up in another. The tale ends with the death of the wolf. The wolf dies a cruel death so that a new fairy tale come to life and again accept an evil death. What ineradicable evil is being driven out and executed by the people?

An insatiable thirst for blood, the traits of a rapist who recognizes one right - the right of the strong, the right of the teeth - without this trait a wolf is not a wolf. The social prototype of this fairy-tale character becomes clear. The people knew many scoundrels and criminals from whom they had a hard time.

Tales about the wolf do not hide who they mean... The irony of fiction lies in playing on a folk custom.

The tale of how a wolf slaughtered a pig (“The Pig and the Wolf”) depicts in the image of a wolf a cruel and unforgiving master who exacted money from the peasants for poisoning. There lived an old man and with him an old woman. The only livestock they have is a pig. The devil took her, and into someone else's lane - into oats. A wolf came running there, “he grabbed the pig by the bristles, dragged it away by the legs and tore it to pieces.”

Such tales contain that sharp social allegory that made the tale interesting for adults as well. Fantasy narratives talk about social class relations. We cannot ignore this meaning if we do not want to see Fairy tales are just fun.

Fantastic fiction in these tales is also associated with their ideological plan. Boyar, the master is cruel as a wolf, you cannot expect mercy from him, you can only deal with him as the proverb advises: “Trust the wolf in the torok,” that is, the killed one. The fairy tale conveys, as it were, the essence of the wolf law, according to which the weak becomes a victim of the strong. The prince, the boyar, did not need to be cunning. His right is the right of a cruel and strong master. So is fairy wolf. The storytellers took revenge on the oppressors, exposed their moral rudeness and lack of intelligence: the system of social oppression, resorting to the force of the fist, rod and weapon, did not require mental effort from its founders and defenders.

A bear, although old, is worth two foxes

Another hero of fairy tales about animals is the bear. He personifies brute strength and has power over other animals. In fairy tales he is often called “the oppressor of everyone.” The bear is also stupid. Persuading with the peasant to harvest the harvest, he is left with nothing each time (“The Man and the Bear”).

The human type embodied in the bear is partly similar to that reproduced in the image of the wolf. It is not for nothing that the wolf often replaces the bear in fairy tales. These are the numerous versions of fairy tales: “A Man, a Bear and a Fox”, “A Bear, a Dog and a Cat”, etc. However, the similarity of the images is only partial. In the minds of any person familiar with fairy tales, the bear is a beast of the highest rank. He is the most powerful forest animal. When in fairy tales one animal replaces another, the bear is in the position of the strongest. Such is the tale of the little tower, the beasts in the pit, and other tales. One must think that this position of the bear in the animal hierarchy is explained in its own way by its connection with those traditional pre-story mythological legends in which the bear occupied the most important place as the owner of forest lands. Perhaps, over time, the bear began to be seen as the embodiment of the sovereign, the ruler of the district. In fairy tales it was constantly emphasized enormous strength bear He crushes everything that comes under his feet.

The stupidity of a bear is the difference between the stupidity of a wolf. The wolf is slow-witted, not stupid. The stupidity of a bear is the stupidity of a person in power. The bear does not use his strength wisely. There is an assumption that the bear represents a person in authority.

The bear is the owner of the forest, has great strength and a rich fur coat, which is obviously why he was assigned the role of a landowner. These tales describe the life of captivity of the Russian people, the period of serfdom. Then the peasants paid rent (half a field of wheat, which for some reason was called tithe) and worked corvée (they worked in a bear’s house, sometimes it lasted 6 days). The bear decided when to let Masha go and how much to rip off the man. Through such a prism, it becomes clear not only the difficult life of the once free Russian people, but also why they constantly tried to outwit the bear, and even hunt it down with dogs. It is worth noting that in Russian fairy tales the landowner is always stupider than the peasant, and the image of the landowner - the bear - is endowed with the same intelligence. Behind these images is the thought: “You may be a strong gentleman, but I’m smart and I’ll stick to my guns!”

There are fairy tales where the bear gives Masha gifts and punishes her lazy sister. Here the image of a bear carries within itself the image of nature, good and evil. If a person works honestly, then nature rewards him with its gifts, but whoever is lazy has no water flowing.

Soft paws, and scratches in the paws

Among domestic animals and birds, the cat is a positive hero in fairy tales. In a Russian folk tale, a cat (it's a cat, not a cat) is often found in the image of a savior from various misfortunes. For example, take the cycle of fairy tales" Cat, rooster and fox", which A.N. Afanasyev go by numbers. These tales are very similar, and in essence almost the same. They only replace some of the heroes. He acts as a gallant defender of the rooster. Moreover, the cat has excellent hearing, he is smart and caring. That is, in these fairy tales the cat acts as positive hero. To summarize the conversation about the cat, we can note some common features. Firstly, animals everywhere are afraid of cats. Secondly, a cat always has a name, and with a patronymic. The cat is selfless in friendship. The warlike rooster is ready to come to the aid of anyone who is offended. However, the positivity of these characters is very conditional. The tale of how a rooster drove a fox out of a hare's hut (“The Fox, the Hare and the Rooster”) is basically a cheerful humoresque. The irony is that the rooster - the fox's prey - managed to scare the lover of white chicken meat. The fairy tale “Cat in the Voivodeship” is ironic - it makes a lover of hut warmth, a bakery resident, a hero by coincidence of circumstances: the wolf, hiding in a pile of leaves, began to stir; the cat thought there was a mouse there, jumped, the wolf jumped to the side, and a general commotion began - the flight of the animals. Only in the fairy tale “The Cat, the Rooster and the Fox” is the cat truly a hero. This fairy tale was probably created for children from the very beginning.

It should be concluded that in all the Russian fairy tales reviewed, the cat is shown to be dexterous and cunning. In a number of fairy tales, he is a warrior and comes to the aid of his friends. He loves to bask on the stove and enjoy sour cream or fresh mouse. He might stage a “massacre”, or he might resign himself to death. The characteristics of fairy tales certainly depend on the characteristics of the people of a particular region. After all, despite the fact that there is one people - Russian, people are still different.

Conclusion

In the course of working on this topic, we conducted a survey among students in grades 3-6. The following questions were proposed:

1. How many fairy tales about animals have you read?
2. What animals were most common in fairy tales?
3. What features are present?
4. What do fairy tales about animals teach?

The survey yielded the following results:

1 question: 1 fairy tale-6%

2 fairy tales -18%

Several - 76%

Question 2: wolf - 7%

Bear-18%

Fox – 75%

Question 3: The fox is cunning

Bear - stupidity

The wolf is angry

1. question: Kindness

Love

Don't hurt the little ones.

To summarize all of the above, it should be noted: fairy tales about animals are not only entertaining and funny, but also instructive.

Man attributed to animals the ability to reason and speak, but people’s misconceptions were also permeated by the desire to understand the life of animals, to master the means of taming them, protecting them from attack, and methods of hunting.

The most common heroes of fairy tales about animals are the fox and the wolf. This is explained by the fact that, firstly, people most often had to deal with them in economic activity; secondly, these animals occupy the middle in the animal kingdom in size and strength; finally, thirdly, thanks to the previous two reasons, a person had the opportunity to get to know them very closely.

The wolf, like the bear, folk beliefs appears as an animal in whose honor holidays were held. They did not call him by his real name, fearing that he himself would be called out by doing so. A hostile and dangerous creature, the wolf evoked respect and fear.

From experience, people knew that the wolf is a predatory, cunning, intelligent, resourceful, and evil creature. Meanwhile, in fairy tales the wolf is stupid and easy to deceive. There seems to be no such trouble, no matter what this unlucky, always hungry, always beaten beast might find himself in.

The respectful attitude towards the fox expressed in beliefs also contradicts the outright mockery with which fairy tales tell about its frequent mistakes and failures. The beliefs of the Russian people and, in general, the beliefs of the East Slavic peoples allow us to assume with all confidence which animals were the heroes of mythical stories and legends of ancient fables.

References

1. Anikin V.P. Russian folk tale M., “Enlightenment”, 1977
2. Afanasiev. A.N. Russian folk tales / Ed. Georgian. - Ed. 3rd. - 1897.
3. Vedernikova N .M. Russian folk tale M., “Science”

4) Fokeev A.L. “An inexhaustible source. Oral folk art" ed. "Lyceum"

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In culture Eastern Slavs The wolf is an animal - a myth.
The wolf belongs to the “alien” world.

The appearance of the wolf in legends is associated with the earth. According to legend, the Devil was jealous of God, who sculpted a man. The devil sculpted a wolf from clay. But having created the form, he could not revive him.

The devil suggested that if a wolf was directed against God, it would come to life. The devil began to run around the wolf and shout: “Bite him!” But the wolf did not come to life. This continued until God shouted, “Bite him!”

The revived wolf attacked the Devil. The devil got scared and climbed onto the alder tree.

But the wolf managed to grab the Devil by the heel. Blood from the Devil’s wounded heel fell onto the tree trunk. Since then, alder wood has been reddish.

And the Devil became fifthless. People call him Antipka (Anchutka) Fingerless or Fingerless.

IN folk culture The image of a wolf correlates with death and the world of the dead.

The wolf acts as an intermediary between the world of people and the forces of other worlds.

Proverbs and sayings about the wolf.

If you're afraid of wolves, don't go into the forest.
And the wolves are fed - and the sheep are safe.
No matter how much you feed the wolf, he looks into the forest.
The wolf can also be seen in sheep's clothing.
A wolf won't eat a wolf.

Poems about the wolf.

"Wolf" Sasha Cherny

The whole village sleeps in the snow.
Not a word.
The month disappeared for the night.
Snow is blowing.
The kids are all on the ice,
On the pond.
The sleighs squeal together -
Let's go in a row!
Some are in the harness, some are the rider.
The wind is sideways.
Our convoy has expanded
To the birches.
Suddenly the front line shouts:
"Devils, stop!"
The sleds have become. The laughter stopped.
"Brothers, wolf!.."
Wow, they sprayed back!
Like hail.
Scattering everything from the pond -
Who goes where.
Where is the wolf? Yes, it's a dog -
Our Barbos!
Laughter, roar, laughter and talk:
"Oh, yes, a wolf!"

Counting rhymes about the wolf.

One two three four five.
There is no place for the bunny to jump.
There's a wolf walking everywhere, a wolf.
He uses his teeth - click, click!
And we will hide in the bushes.
Hide, bunny and you!

Wolves prowl
They are looking for food.
We'll catch them first
And then we'll play

Tales of the Wolf.

The wolf is the hero of many fairy tales. Everyone knows them.
Vladimir Propp in the book "Mythology" fairy tale" writes that in Russian fairy tales there is admiration and respect for the wolf. The wolf is an assistant and friend in "The Tale of Ivan the Tsarevich, the Firebird and the Gray Wolf."

Outdoor game "Wolves and Koloboks"

For a group of children

Purpose of the game: development of speech, development of dexterity and attention, adherence to the rules of turn-taking.

Progress of the game:

All children stand in one big circle. Each child holds an object in his hands (a cube, a cardboard circle, a small hoop for ring throwing, a round or oval lid bright color or another.) One half of the circle of children is “Wolves”, and the second is “Koloboks”. And there is a dialogue between them.

Wolves: Kolobok - Kolobok,

We know that you are timid.

Get into our bag

Shut your mouths,

Wait quietly for your result.

Koloboks: We won’t get into the bag.

We know that the wolf is cruel!

The role of animals in Russian folk art extremely large and varied. Almost all fairy tales feature some kind of animal. Among them are fox, bear, wolf, hare, hedgehog, magpie and others. With these well known bright characters adults tell their children about what is good and what is bad. The first fairy tales in history appeared long before the invention of books and writing and were passed on from mouth to mouth, from generation to generation. That's why they are called folk. Let's look at the most popular animals that appear in fairy tales and compare how much their “fairytale” characteristics coincide with their descriptions in real life.

“Fox-sister”, “Fox is beautiful when talking”, “Fox Patrikeevna”, Lisafya, Fox-godmother - this is how the Fox is affectionately called in Russian folk tales. This red-haired cheat is certainly an all-time favorite character. And invariably she is cunning, smart, quick-witted, calculating, vindictive and insidious. So, only she was able to outwit and eat poor Kolobok, deceive a stupid wolf whose tail was frozen to the ice hole, and even deceive a man by pretending to be dead. The main idea of ​​these fairy tales is to tell children that what is important in life is not strength, but cunning. Despite this, the fox is still negative character. In some fairy tales, peaceful animals who have suffered from this red-haired cheat have to work very hard to outwit and teach the Fox herself a lesson.

But is the fox really that cunning and smart? German zoologist Alfred Brehm, in his book “The Life of Animals,” argues that the cunning of the fox in Russian fairy tales is greatly exaggerated, but the intelligence of the wolf is, on the contrary, underestimated. Otherwise, the real common fox is in many ways similar to the “fairytale” one: red fur, a beautiful fluffy tail, the fox often hunts a hare or visits nearby chicken coops.

“Bear Clubfoot”, “Mikhail Potapych” or simply Mishka in its popularity does not lag behind the Fox. This character is often presented in fairy tales as lazy, fat and clumsy. Big and clubfooted, he is slow, stupid and dangerous. Often he threatens the weak with his strength, but in the end he always loses, because it is not strength that is important, but speed, dexterity and intelligence - this is the meaning of fairy tales involving Mishka. The most popular fairy tales- “Three Bears”, “Masha and the Bear”, “Tops and Roots”. However, in real life, the brown bear is not as slow as one might assume. He can run very fast and, moreover, is not particularly stupid. Otherwise, his “fairy-tale” image has a lot to do with him common features: he is really big, dangerous and a little club-footed: when walking, his toes point slightly inward, and his heels point outward.

photo 1

“Runaway Bunny”, “Cowardly Bunny” or “Slant” is also a very common hero of Russian fairy tales. His main feature- cowardice. In some fairy tales, the Hare is presented as a cowardly, but at the same time boastful, cocky and stupid hero, and in some, on the contrary, as a moderately cautious and intelligent forest animal.

For example, in the fairy tale “The Boastful Bunny” or “Fear has Big Eyes,” the cowardice of the Hare is ridiculed, main idea these fairy tales - you must always be brave. At the same time, in the fairy tale “Zayushkina’s Hut”, the Bunny appears before us positive character who needs support and protection.

In real life, the hare, like its “fairytale” character, has long ears, is fast, agile, careful and attentive. Thanks to the special position of the eyes, the hare can look not only forward, but also backward. During the chase, the hare may “squint” its eye to calculate the distance to its pursuer. For this ability, the hare was nicknamed Oblique. Main enemy the hare, as in fairy tales, is a fox.

“The gray wolf - chucked his teeth”, “The wolf-wolf - grabbed from under the bush”, “The wolf-fool” is presented in most cases as a negative character, stupid, angry, hungry and dangerous. But, in most cases, he is so stupid that in the end he is left with nothing. For example, “the tale of the Fox and the Wolf” or “The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats.” In these fairy tales, the wolf is the embodiment of evil, and the main message for children is that good always triumphs over evil. However, in some fairy tales the wolf appears to us as wise and true friend a person who is always ready to help, an example of this is the fairy tale “Ivan Tsarevich, the Firebird and the Gray Wolf.”

In real life, a wolf can indeed be extremely dangerous. He is often hungry and wanders through the forest in search of food. But his intelligence is extremely underrated. The wolf is an intelligent and organized animal; a clear structure and discipline can be seen in the wolf pack. Wolves create incredible things strong couples, their alliances are strong, and the wolves themselves are the real personification of loyalty and love for each other. A tamed wolf can indeed become a faithful and devoted friend for a person.

The Prickly Hedgehog has long appeared before us in the image of a kind, smart old man, wise in life. Despite his small stature and small legs, he always emerges victorious thanks to his extraordinary intelligence and cunning. So, for example, in the fairy tale “The Hare and the Hedgehog,” the hedgehog outwitted and killed the poor Hare, with whom they allegedly ran a race, and in the fairy tale “The Magic Wand,” the Hedgehog taught the Hare various life wisdom, explaining that for survival one must first just think with your head.

In real life, Hedgehog is no different outstanding mind, but not stupid either. When in danger, the hedgehog curls up into a thorny ball, which makes it inaccessible to predators, as stated in fairy tales.

The gray wolf occupied almost the entire territory of Eurasia, the Arabian Peninsula and Indochina 200 years ago.

In addition, the animals lived in North America. But today these predators are no longer in the United States, and in Europe they are found only in Russia and northern Spain. In Asia, the gray wolf is also found, but not everywhere: in Turkey, Mongolia, Central Asia and in China. But in Canada, Siberia and Alaska there are quite a lot of these animals.

The “gray” species consists of 30 subspecies. Predators living in the northern regions are much larger than their southern counterparts. Canadian individuals grow to 140-160 centimeters, and in height they reach 85 centimeters. The length of the tail reaches 30-50 centimeters. They weigh at least 38 kilograms, the average weight is 55 kilograms. European brothers weigh no more than 40 kilograms, and Gray wolves those living in Turkey weigh 25 kilograms, representatives living in Pakistan and Iran weigh even less - 13 kilograms. Males are approximately 15% larger than females.

Appearance of a gray wolf

The gray wolf has fluffy and dense fur. From severe frosts predators are warmed by a short undercoat, which resembles down in its structure.

The wool is coarse and long, it also serves as protection from the cold, and it does not get wet. The longest hair grows on the neck and in front of the back. The length of hair on these parts of the body reaches 110-130 millimeters. The ears are framed with short and elastic fur. The same fur is found on the paws. The length of the hair on the back of the back and sides does not exceed 70 millimeters. The fur is so warm that these predators practically do not feel the frost of 40 degrees.

When a gray wolf buries its muzzle into the ground, its warm breath prevents frost from forming on the hairs. U southern residents the fur is much rarer and coarser than that of the northerners.

The color has a large number of shades. Gray wolves living in Alaska are light in color, sometimes dark beige. Taiga wolves have gray-brown skin.

Predators living in the Mongolian steppes and Central Asia have a light red color. In some areas, completely black or dark brown predators live. But the most common color is dark gray. Wolves with such fur are found in the south and north. There is no difference between the color of females and males.

Behavior and nutrition of the gray wolf

Gray wolves know how to dig holes, but they do not like this activity, so they often make a den in thickets or crevices between rocks. These predators live in steppes and forest-steppe areas. They enter the forest extremely rarely.

The diet mainly consists of ungulates: roe deer, saigas. IN southern regions Gray wolves hunt antelope. Pets can also fall prey to these predators.

Gray wolves attack people quite often. These animals engage in cannibalism. They also eat carrion. They enjoy hunting arctic foxes, foxes and rodents. Predators do not refuse wild fruits and berries. A gray wolf can go without food for 2 weeks.

Listen to the voice of the gray wolf

These animals have excellent physical characteristics. While running, they can accelerate to 65 kilometers per hour. But at this pace they can run no more than 20 minutes. In search of food, these hunters travel up to 60 kilometers.

Gray wolves hunt large animals in packs, with some waiting in ambush, while others chase prey into it. If the chase continues for a long time, then predators replace each other. This indicates that gray wolves have high intelligence.

Representatives of the family live in flocks, the number of which reaches 40 individuals. This society is controlled by a dominant couple. After the couple, on the hierarchical step there are her close relatives, mostly young individuals who have not reached sexual maturity. The next step is occupied by wolves who have joined the pack. Children are at the lowest level.

Basically, the dominant female is responsible for procreation. Upon reaching sexual maturity, young animals leave the flock and form own family. Marriages are never formed between brothers and sisters. Gray wolves look for partners on the side.

Reproduction and lifespan

These animals are monogamous, they form pairs for life. There are fewer females than males, so it is easier for females to find a partner. Females come into estrus at the end of winter, and pregnancy lasts 2.5 months. The female gives birth to 5-6 babies, but there can be significantly more of them in the litter, 14-16. Newborn puppies are deaf and blind, they weigh no more than 400-500 grams. 2 weeks after birth, their eyes open, and a month later their teeth erupt.

At 1.5 months, wolf cubs stand confidently on their feet. The mother does not leave her puppies for 2 months. At this time, the male is engaged in obtaining food. He makes a sacrifice, the female eats it, and regurgitates food for the babies. Puppies begin to eat solid food at one month of age. Puppies grow quickly and at the 5th month of life they catch up with their parents in size. In females puberty occurs at 2 years, and in males 1 year later. The lifespan of these predators is about 15 years.

All over the world, people tell stories to entertain each other. Sometimes fairy tales help to understand what is bad and what is good in life. Fairy tales appeared long before the invention of books, and even writing.

Scientists have interpreted the tale in different ways. A number of folklore researchers called everything that was “told” a fairy tale. The famous fairytale expert E.V. Pomerantseva accepted this point of view: “A folk tale is an epic oral piece of art, predominantly prosaic, magical or everyday in nature with a focus on fiction.”

Tales about animals differ significantly from other types of fairy tales. The appearance of fairy tales about animals was preceded by stories directly related to beliefs about animals. The Russian fairy tale epic about animals is not very rich: according to N.P. Andreev (ethnographer, art critic), there are 67 types of fairy tales about animals. They make up less than 10% of the entire Russian fairy-tale repertoire, but at the same time this material is distinguished by its great originality. In fairy tales about animals, animals implausibly argue, talk, quarrel, love, make friends, and quarrel: the cunning “fox is beautiful in conversation,” the stupid and greedy “wolf-wolf—grabbing from under a bush,” “gnawing mouse,” “cowardly The little bastard is bow-legged and jumps up the hill.” All this is implausible, fantastic.

The appearance of various characters in Russian fairy tales about animals is initially determined by the range of representatives of the animal world that is characteristic of our territory. Therefore, it is natural that in fairy tales about animals we meet the inhabitants of forests, fields, steppes (bear, wolf, fox, wild boar, hare, hedgehog, etc.). In fairy tales about animals, the animals themselves are the main ones. heroes-characters, and the relationship between them determines the nature of the fairy-tale conflict.

The purpose of my research work is to compare images of wild animals from Russian folk tales with the habits of real animals.

A hypothesis is my conjectural judgment that the images of wild animals, their characters correspond to the habits of their prototypes.

1. Characters in the animal epic.

Observing the composition of animals acting as acting characters in the animal epic, I note the predominance of wild, forest animals. These are fox, wolf, bear, hare, and birds: crane, heron, thrush, woodpecker, crow. Pets appear in conjunction with forest animals, and not as independent or leading characters. Examples: cat, rooster and fox; sheep, fox and wolf; dog and woodpecker and others. The leading characters, as a rule, are forest animals, while domestic animals play a supporting role.

Tales about animals are based on elementary actions. Fairy tales are built on an ending that is unexpected for the partner, but expected by the listeners. Hence the humorous nature of fairy tales about animals and the need for a cunning and insidious character, such as the fox, and a stupid and fooled one, which we usually have the wolf. So, by animal tales we will mean those tales in which the animal is the main object. Characters there are only one animals.

The fox has become a favorite hero of Russian fairy tales: Fox Patrikeevna, Fox is a beauty, fox is an oil sponger, fox is a godmother, Lisafya. Here she lies on the road with glassy eyes. She was numb, the man decided, he kicked her, she wouldn’t wake up. The man was delighted, took the fox, put it in the cart with fish: “The old woman will have a collar for her fur coat,” and he touched the horse, he himself went ahead. The fox threw away all the fish and left. When the fox began to have dinner, the wolf came running. Why would a fox give a treat to a wolf? Let him catch it himself. The fox instantly has an idea: “You, little kuman, go to the river, lower your tail into the hole - the fish itself attaches to the tail, sit and say: “Catch it, fish.”

The proposal is absurd, wild, and the stranger it is, the more readily one believes in it. But the wolf obeyed. The fox feels complete superiority over his gullible and stupid godfather. Other fairy tales complete the image of the fox. Infinitely deceitful, she takes advantage of gullibility, plays on the weak strings of friends and foes. The fox has a lot of tricks and pranks in his memory. She chases a hare out of a bast hut, carries away a rooster, luring him out with a song, by deception she exchanges a rolling pin for a goose, a goose for a turkey, etc. up to a bull. The fox is a pretender, a thief, a deceiver, evil, flattering, dexterous, cunning, calculating. In fairy tales, she is faithful to these traits of her character throughout. Her cunning is conveyed in the proverb: “When you look for a fox in front, then she is behind.” She is resourceful and lies recklessly until the time when it is no longer possible to lie, but even in this case she often indulges in the most incredible invention. The fox thinks only about his own benefit.

If the deal does not promise her acquisitions, she will not sacrifice anything of hers. The fox is vindictive and vindictive.

In fairy tales about animals, one of the main characters is the wolf. This is the exact opposite of the fox image. In fairy tales, the wolf is stupid and easy to deceive. There seems to be no such trouble, no matter what this unlucky, always beaten beast finds himself in. So, the fox advises the wolf to fish by dipping his tail into the hole. The goat invites the wolf to open his mouth and stand downhill so that he can jump into the mouth. The goat knocks over the wolf and runs away (fairy tale “The Fool Wolf”). The image of a wolf in fairy tales is always hungry and lonely. He always finds himself in a funny, absurd situation.

In numerous fairy tales, a bear is also depicted: “A Man, a Bear and a Fox”, “A Bear, a Dog and a Cat” and others. The image of the bear, while still remaining the main figure of the forest kingdom, appears before us as a slow, gullible loser, often stupid and clumsy, with club feet. He constantly boasts of his exorbitant strength, although he cannot always use it effectively. He crushes everything that comes under his feet. The fragile little mansion, a house in which a variety of forest animals lived peacefully, could not withstand its weight. In fairy tales, the bear is not smart, but stupid; it embodies great, but not smart, strength.

Fairy tales in which small animals (hare, frog, mouse, hedgehog) act are predominantly humorous. The hare in fairy tales is quick on his feet, stupid, cowardly and fearful. The hedgehog is slow, but reasonable, and does not fall for the most ingenious tricks of his opponents.

The idea of ​​fairy tales about animals turns into proverbs. The fox, with its fabulous features of a cheat, a cunning rogue, appeared in proverbs: “A fox does not dirty its tail,” “A fox was hired to keep a poultry yard from the kite and the hawk.” The stupid and greedy wolf also passed from fairy tales into proverbs: “Don’t put your finger in a wolf’s mouth,” “Be a wolf for your sheepish simplicity.” And here are the proverbs about the bear: “The bear is strong, but he lies in the swamp,” “The bear has a lot of thoughts, but he doesn’t go anywhere.” And here the bear is endowed with enormous, but unreasonable strength.

In fairy tales there is constant struggle and rivalry between animals. The fight, as a rule, ends in cruel reprisals against the enemy or evil ridicule of him. The condemned beast often finds himself in a funny, absurd position.

Prototypes of fairy-tale heroes.

Now we will look at the habits and lifestyle of real animals. I was guided by the book “The Life of Animals” by the German zoologist Alfred Brem. Thanks to his vivid descriptions of the “lifestyle” and “character” of animals, Brem’s work became for many generations the best popular guide to zoology. So he denies the superior cunning of the fox and asserts the exceptional cunning of the wolf. Wolves do not hunt alone, but together. They usually roam in small flocks of 10-15 individuals. The pack maintains a strict hierarchy. The leader of the pack is almost always a male (the “alpha” wolf). In a flock it can be recognized by its raised tail. Females also have their own “alpha” wolf, who usually walks ahead of the leader. In moments of danger or hunting, the leader becomes the head of the pack. Further on the hierarchical ladder are adult members of the pack and lone wolves. The lowest of all are the grown-up wolf cubs, which the pack accepts only in the second year. Adult wolves constantly test the strength of their superior wolves. As a result, young wolves, growing up, rise higher on the hierarchical ladder, and aging wolves fall lower and lower. So developed social structure significantly increases hunting efficiency. Wolves never lie in wait for their prey, they chase it down. When chasing prey, wolves are divided into small groups. The prey is divided among members of the pack according to rank. Old wolves, unable to participate in joint hunting, follow the pack at a distance and are content with the remains of its prey. The wolf buries the remains of food in the snow, and in the summer hides it as a reserve in secluded place, where he later returns to finish the uneaten food. Wolves have a very acute sense of smell, detecting scent at a distance of 1.5 km. A wolf is a predatory, cunning, intelligent, resourceful, and evil creature.

When I studied the material about the habits of the fox, I found some similarities with fairy fox. For example, a real fox, like a fairy fox, loves to visit the chicken coop. It avoids deep taiga forests, preferring forests in the area of ​​agricultural land. And he is looking for a ready-made mink for himself. Can occupy the burrow of a badger, arctic fox, or marmot. The fox's tail is also mentioned in fairy tales. Indeed, the fluffy tail can be considered its feature. The fox acts as a steering wheel, making sharp turns during pursuit. She also covers herself with it, curling up into a ball while resting and burying her nose in its base. It turns out that in this place there is a fragrant gland that emits the smell of violets. It is believed that this odorous organ has a beneficial effect on the fox’s charm, but its precise purpose remains unclear.

6 The mother fox guards the cubs and does not let anyone get close. If, for example, a dog or a person appears near the hole, then the fox resorts to “cunning” - she tries to take them away from her home, luring them with her.

But the heroes of fairy tales are the crane and the heron. About the non-fairytale, real gray or common crane in A. Brem’s book “The Life of Animals” it is said: “The crane is very sensitive to affection and insult - he can remember the insult for months and even years.” The fairy-tale crane is endowed with the features of a real bird: it is bored and remembers insults. The same book says about the heron that it is evil and greedy. This explains why the heron in the folk tale thinks first of all about what the crane will feed her. She is angry, like a real, not a fairy-tale heron: she accepted the matchmaking unkindly, scolds the wooing groom: “Go away, lanky one!”

In fairy tales and sayings they say “cowardly as a hare.” Meanwhile, hares are not so much cowardly as they are cautious. They need this caution, because it is their salvation. Natural flair and the ability to quickly escape with large leaps, combined with techniques for confusing their tracks, compensate for their defenselessness. However, the hare is capable of fighting back: if it is overtaken by a feathered predator, it lies on its back and fights off with strong kicks. The mother hare feeds not only her cubs, but in general all the discovered hares. When a man appears, the hare leads him away from the hares, pretending to be wounded or sick, trying to attract attention to herself by beating her feet on the ground.

The bear in fairy tales appears to us as slow and clumsy. Meanwhile, the clumsy-looking bear runs extremely fast - at a speed of over 55 km/h, swims excellently and climbs trees well in his youth (in old age he does this reluctantly). And it turns out that the bear is active throughout the day, but more often in the mornings and evenings. They have a well-developed sense of smell, but their vision and hearing are rather weak. In fairy tales, the bear embodies great strength and its prototype is capable of breaking the back of a bull or bison with one blow of its paw.

In studying animal epics, we must beware of the very common misconception that animal tales are really stories from the lives of animals. Before researching this topic, I also held this judgment. As a rule, they have very little in common with the actual life and habits of animals. True, to some extent, animals act according to their nature: the horse kicks, the rooster crows, the fox lives in a hole (however, not always), the bear is slow and sleepy, the hare is cowardly, etc. All this gives fairy tales the character of realism.

The depiction of animals in fairy tales is sometimes so convincing that from childhood we are accustomed to subconsciously determine the characters of animals from fairy tales. This includes the idea that the fox is an exceptionally cunning animal. However, every zoologist knows that this opinion is not based on anything. Each animal is cunning in its own way.

Animals enter into a community and keep company, which is impossible in nature.

But still, I want to note that in fairy tales there are many such details in the depiction of animals and birds that people spy on from the lives of real animals.

After reading the literature about fairy tales, about the life and behavior of animals and comparing the images and their prototypes, I came up with two versions. On the one hand, the images of animals are similar to their prototypes (an angry wolf, a clumsy bear, a fox dragging chickens, etc.). On the other hand, having studied the observations of zoologists, I can say that the images and their prototypes have little in common with the actual habits of animals.

The art of folk tales consists of a subtle rethinking of the true habits of birds and animals.

And one more thing: having studied the history of fairy tales about animals, I came to the conclusion: fairy tales about animals most often take the form of stories about people under the guise of animals. The animal epic is widely reflected human life, with its passions, greed, greed, deceit, stupidity and cunning and at the same time with friendship, loyalty, gratitude, i.e. a wide range human feelings and characters.

Tales about animals are the “encyclopedia of life” of the people. Tales about animals are the childhood of humanity itself!