Name good and evil characters from fairy tales. Heroes of Russian folk tales - detailed description: collective images and individual characteristics

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 they will never want to part with it, even when moving to a 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” is moving 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, 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, devilry I'm 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 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
By folk beliefs, ghouls became people who died an “unnatural death” - violently killed, drunkards, suicides, etc., as well as sorcerers. It was believed that the earth does not accept such dead people and therefore they are forced to wander around the world and cause harm to the living. Such dead people were buried outside the cemetery and away from housing. Such a grave was considered a dangerous and unclean place; it should be avoided, and if you had to pass by, you should throw some object on it: a chip, a stick, a stone, or just a handful of earth. In order for the ghoul not to leave the grave, he had to be “calmed” - the corpse had to be dug out of the grave and pierced with an aspen stake.
And so that the deceased, who did not live out his “life,” did not turn into a ghoul, his knee tendons were cut so that he could not walk. Sometimes coals were sprinkled on the grave of a supposed ghoul or a pot of burning coals was placed.
Semik was considered a special day of obedience to the dead among the Eastern Slavs. On this day, they also commemorated all untimely deceased relatives: unbaptized children, girls who died before marriage. In addition, in Semik they took special measures against pawned dead people who, according to legend, were capable of causing harm to a person. Aspen stakes or sharp metal objects were driven into their graves.
In Semik, burials were held for those who, for one reason or another, remained unburied. A common grave was dug for them and buried with a prayer service and funeral service. It was believed that otherwise the pawned dead could take revenge on the living, sending various disasters to them: drought, storm, thunderstorm or crop failure

Baba Yaga

Baba Yaga (Yaga-Yaginishna, Yagibikha, Yagishna) 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 advice, presents a horse or rich gifts, for example, a magic ball leading to a wonderful goal, etc.
This old sorceress does not walk, but travels around the world in an iron mortar (that is, a scooter chariot), and when she walks, she forces the mortar to run faster, striking it with an iron club or pestle. And so that, for reasons known to her, no traces are visible, they are swept behind her by special ones, attached to the mortar with a broom and broom. She is served by frogs, black cats, including Cat Bayun, crows and snakes: all creatures in which both threat and wisdom coexist

Koschey the Immortal (Kashchei)

One of the well-known Old Slavonic negative characters, usually represented as a thin, skeletal old man with a repulsive appearance. Aggressive, vengeful, greedy and stingy. It 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 deep sea. At this time, there is no wind for seven days until the chicks hatch.

Iriy, irye, vyriy, vyrey - a mythical country located on the warm sea in the west or southwest of the earth, where birds and snakes winter.

Gamayun

The bird Gamayun is the messenger of the Slavic gods, their herald. She sings divine hymns to people and proclaims the future to those who agree to listen to the secret.

In the ancient “Book, verb Kosmography,” the map depicts a round plain of earth, washed on all sides by a river-ocean. On the eastern side is marked “the island of Macarius, the first under the very east of the sun, near the blessed paradise; That’s why it’s so popular that the birds of paradise Gamayun and Phoenix fly into this island and smell wonderful.” When Gamayun flies, a deadly storm emanates from the solar east.

Gamayun knows everything in the world about the origin of earth and sky, gods and heroes, people and monsters, animals and birds. According to ancient belief, the cry of the bird Gamayun foretells happiness.

A. Remizov. Gamayun
One hunter tracked down a strange bird with the head of a beautiful maiden on the shore of a lake. She sat on a branch and held a scroll with writing in her claws. It read: “You will go through the whole world by untruth, but you will not turn back!”

The hunter crept closer and was about to pull the bowstring when the bird maiden turned her head and said:

How dare you, pathetic mortal, raise weapons against me, the prophetic bird Gamayun!

She looked into the hunter's eyes, and he immediately fell asleep. And in a dream he dreamed that he saved two sisters - Truth and Untruth - from an angry boar. When asked what he wanted as a reward, the hunter answered:

I want to see the whole White light. From edge to edge.

“This is impossible,” said Pravda. - The light is immense. In foreign lands, sooner or later you will be killed or enslaved. Your wish is impossible.

“It’s possible,” her sister objected. - But for this you must become my slave. And henceforth live a lie: lie, deceive, deceive.

The hunter agreed. Many years later. Having seen the whole world, he returned to his native land. But no one recognized him or recognized him: it turns out that his entire native village fell into the open ground, and in this place a deep lake appeared.

The hunter walked for a long time along the shore of this lake, grieving over his losses. And suddenly I noticed on a branch that same scroll with ancient writings. It read: “You will go through the whole world by untruth, but you will not turn back!”

This is how the prophecy of the things of the bird Gamayun came true.

Sirin

Sirin is one of the birds of paradise, even its very name is consonant with the name of paradise: Iriy.
However, these are by no means the bright Alkonost and Gamayun.

Sirin is a 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.

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.

Fairy-tale characters also remained conventional. 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 fairy-tale folk epics consists of magical, fantastic tales. An explanation of many motives and characteristics of fairy-tale heroes can only be found in comparison with ancient rituals, elements of the socio-religious way of life of the Proto-Slavs and ancient Eurasians. Let's try to analyze some of the most famous characters in Russian fairy tales.

Heroes of Russian fairy tales. Baba Yaga

Baba Yaga is a character in Slavic mythology and folklore. Usually an ugly old woman, endowed with magical power And magic items. Often a witch, sorceress. More often - negative character(luring children and good fellows into 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 guardian of the borders of the “other world” ( Far 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 contradictory 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, find a way out difficult situations). Etymologically, the image of Ivan the Fool is connected with the image of the priest, because he can sing and play the different 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 Bayun 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 towards bread, and its 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. Its appearance can be different, even the opposite breeds in different fairy tales- sometimes he is small, 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

Character folk tales and epics, and even pre-Slavic mythology. Positive or negative character The character is not clearly defined, nor is 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.

Son, spoiled prince and even Gray wolf. One of the most popular positive fairy tale images is a hero who has remarkable physical strength, stamina, courage and good nature. Ilya Muromets, Dobrynya Nikitich and Alyosha Popovich are heroes who were not afraid of the three-headed Serpent Gorynych, Nightingale - and combine a brilliant mind, ingenuity and cunning.

Often in Russian fairy tales there are also kind animals - a horse, a wolf or a dog, which symbolize intelligence, cunning, devotion and fidelity.

Another well-known fairy-tale hero is the collective image of a simple Russian guy, Ivan. Ivan Tsarevich is always noble, brave and kind. He shows unprecedented heroism and reigns from evil forces. Ivanushka the Fool is another favorite positive Russian folk - most often it is the son in the family, but the most talented and unique. He knows how to understand animals, and they willingly help Ivanushka fight evil.

The kindest fairy tale hero

Answer yourself the question “which hero is the best?” It is possible only by specifying the purpose of good deeds. So, undoubtedly, Ivanushka can be called the kindest, who bravely goes against the dark forces, without thinking about his own well-being. True Good, first of all, is determined by selflessness, since the hero who commits noble deeds for the sake of profit, he turns into a simple mercenary.

Traditionally good heroes in fairy tales they help the world restore the natural balance of good and evil, preventing the antagonist from realizing his insidious plans.

Therefore the real good deed can only be accomplished when the hero is guided solely by the breadth of his soul. Such characters are Morozko, Grandfather Frost, Vasilisa the Beautiful, Cinderella's fairy godmother and other heroes who do good for the sake of good, without expecting any reward in return.

Thus, to award the title of the kindest fairy tale hero it is possible for each of these characters, since in the fight against evil it is not so much skill that is important, but intention, and the intention of each of them is undoubtedly the most noble.

Without exaggeration, Ilya Muromets can be called the most famous of Russian epic heroes. Even that Russian who has never read epics or their prose retellings knows about this Russian hero at least from cartoons.

Researchers of Russian folklore know 53 epic heroic plots, and in 15 of them Ilya Muromets is the main character. All these epics belong to the Kyiv cycle associated with Vladimir the Red Sun - an idealized image of Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich.

Deeds of an epic hero

The beginning of the epic “biography” of Ilya Muromets is associated with a very typical motif of belated maturity for an epic hero: for 33 years the hero sits on the stove, unable to move either his arms or legs, but one day, three elders come to him - “walking stones.” In Soviet-era publications, the clarification of who these people were was “cut out” from the epics, but tradition hints that these are Jesus Christ and the two apostles. The elders ask Ilya to bring them water - and the paralyzed man gets to his feet. Thus, even the hero’s healing turns out to be associated with the readiness to perform a good deed, albeit insignificant.

Having found heroic strength, Ilya sets off to perform heroic deeds. It is noteworthy that neither Ilya Muromets nor other Russian heroes ever perform feats just for the sake of personal glory, as the heroes of Western chivalric novels sometimes do. The deeds of Russian knights are always socially significant. This is the most famous feat of Ilya Muromets - the victory over the Nightingale the Robber, who killed travelers with his robber whistle. “You are full of tears and fathers and mothers, you are full of widows and young wives,” says the hero, killing the villain.

Another feat of the hero was the victory over Idolishch, who seized power in Constantinople. Idol is a collective image of nomadic enemies - the Pechenegs or Polovtsians. These were pagan peoples, and it is no coincidence that Idolishch threatens to “smoke God's churches" Defeating this enemy, Ilya Muromets acts as a defender of the Christian faith.

The hero always appears as a defender common people. In “Ilya Muromets and Kalin the Tsar,” Ilya refuses to go into battle, offended by the injustice of Prince Vladimir, and only when the prince’s daughter asks the hero to do this for the sake of poor widows and small children, he agrees to fight.

Possible historical prototypes

No matter how fabulous the plots of the epics about Ilya Muromets may seem, historians say: this is a real person. His relics rest in the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, but initially the tomb was located in the chapel of St. Sophia of Kyiv, the main temple of Kievan Rus. Usually only princes were buried in this cathedral; even boyars were not given such an honor, therefore, the merits of Ilya Muromets were exceptional. Researchers suggest that the hero died in 1203 during a raid by Cuman troops on Kyiv.

Another version is offered by historian A. Medyntseva, who tried to explain why the epic tradition connected the image of Ilya Muromets with Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich, who lived much earlier. Without denying the connection between the epic hero and the real-life Ilya Muromets, she points out that another source of the image could be the same person who served as the prototype for Dobrynya Nikitich. It was the uncle of Prince Vladimir

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

List of heroes of Russian folk tales

1. Baba Yaga

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

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

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

Tales about Baba Yaga:

2.Vasilisa the Beautiful

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

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

Tales about Vasilisa the Beautiful (the Wise):

3. Water

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

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

Tale about a merman:

4. Firebird

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

5. Serpent Gorynych

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

6. Ivan the Fool

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

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

7. Ivan Tsarevich

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

8. Kolobok

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

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

9. Cat Bayun

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

10. Koschey (Kashchei) the Immortal

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

11. Chicken Ryaba

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

12. Leshy

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

13. Dashing

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

14. Frost

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

(In the Western tradition - Santa Claus rides on a sleigh with reindeer).

15. Sea King

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

16. Snow Maiden

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

Winter scares summer, but it still melts.

17. Soldier

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

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

18. Princess Nesmeyana

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

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

19. Frog Princess

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

20. Miracle Yudo

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