Fairy tales about Ivan the Fool, names of fairy tales. Ivan the Fool - fairy-tale character
There is probably not a single Russian-speaking person who could not immediately remember at least one of which - Ivan the Fool. And everyone can also describe this hero: Ivan is the youngest son in the family, unlucky, lazy and good-natured. It’s better not to ask him for anything, otherwise, and only after much persuasion, Ivanushka will make everything worse than ever! But why then is it he who, at the end of the fairy tale, gets all the best and half the kingdom to boot? Let's try to figure this out.
Tales of Ivan the Fool: list
The best way to help us understand the character of the hero is the fairy tales themselves, or rather, their retelling. Let's take only three of them, the most typical, so to speak.
- "Salt". A tale about the merchant's son Ivan, who once set off on a ship with planks and planks, found himself in an unknown land during a storm and, having discovered salt there, set off to trade it. Having successfully sold everything, he managed to take away the Tsar’s daughter as well. But the older brothers did not yawn, they threw Ivan into the ocean, and they themselves divided his spoils. But the good hero was lucky here too: the giant took him home, straight to the festive table. And the father, having learned about the unworthy behavior of the older brothers, drove them out of sight, and married the younger one to the princess.
- "The Tale of Ivan the Fool." In this tale, Ivan the Fool tracks down three horses who are trampling the grass in the royal garden. He is helped in this by a mouse, which the good fellow generously fed. Three horses - silver, gold and diamond - become the property of Ivanushka. But! Just as he was a fool for everyone behind the stove, he remained so: he didn’t admit to anyone about his prey! Later, when, on the king’s orders, he had to jump to the princess’s balcony, he began to do this in turn, on each horse. And again he returned to the stove: what can you do, you fool?! Only when they found him and brought him in did Ivan the Fool and the princess begin to live together. True, not in the chambers themselves, but in the goose barn. And only three wars, which Ivan won riding on his magic horses, proved to the whole kingdom that he was not a fool, but simply a very modest and a real hero! For this Ivan became king.
- "The Fool and the Birch." In this fairy tale, the fool is a real one, because he tried to sell an inherited bull to an old dry birch tree he found in the forest. And he lent it to her! And I went for two days to get the money, still waiting for it to come back. And only on the third - I couldn’t resist, I hit the trunk with an ax, and there was a treasure hidden by the robbers! Well, happy fools!
There are also fairy tales about Ivan the Fool, their names can be continued endlessly: “The Horse, the Tablecloth and the Horn”, “Ivan Bykovich”, “The Little Humpbacked Horse”, “Sivka-Burka”, “Ivan the Peasant Son and Miracle Yudo” and etc.
Why did people like Ivan’s image so much?
Why is Ivan the Fool a hero of fairy tales? Why do the Russian people feel such love for him? Is it because the Slavs are generally characterized by sympathy for the orphaned and wretched, a kind of Christian pity? We can talk about this for a long time.
After all, the people who lived for many centuries in poverty and hopelessness probably felt like the same unloved younger son - Ivan the Fool, deceived by fate. Although, in defiance of this, not only the fairy tale, but also life itself taught - not the truly fool who, sitting on the stove, measures the ashes with a hat, spits at the ceiling or sells a bull to a birch tree, but the one who, arrogant, does not hear the world around him, is not connected with it together. Pride is a sin, and it will be punished!
Faith in miracles gives birth to miracles
Ivan is guided in his actions not by logic, but only by intuition. Where does a person who always knows what, where and how much get intuition from? How can it develop within the narrow framework of decency and canons? For a fool, the law is not written, and if it is written, it is not read, and so on... This means that our Ivan, of all the options, will choose the most illogical, the most “wild”, but necessarily, as it turns out later, leading to success. After all, nothing prevents him from listening to his intuition, and most importantly, hearing it!
Remember the fairy tale where Ivan worked for three years as a priest, and when he was offered the choice of a bag of coins or a bag of sand for his labor, our hero, based on a logic only understandable to him, chose sand? A fool, and nothing more!
But on the way home, he came across a fire in the forest, in which a beautiful girl was burning, and that’s where the sand came in handy! Ivan poured fire on them, saved the girl, and she, turning out to be a witch, became his devoted wife and assistant.
By the way, why do you think the sorceress chose Ivan for herself? Yes, probably for the same reason: this person knows how to act not according to the rules, but by listening to his heart. Who, if not a sorceress, can appreciate such talent!
Features of the character of a fairy-tale hero
Pay attention to the important character traits of our main character. All Russian fairy tales about Ivan the Fool describe him not just as stupid, but as naive. For him, every new day is an opportunity to live anew, that is, not to reproach himself endlessly for voluntary and involuntary previous mistakes (and he doesn’t even remember them!), but to start all over again. Isn’t this what followers of all kinds of philosophical and religious movements strive for?
In other words, Ivan the Fool proves every time that very little in life depends on human knowledge and skills, that is, they are secondary and cannot play the main, decisive role in a person’s fate. Remember the saying of the greatest Lao Tzu: “Smart people are not scientists, and scientists are not smart.”
And Ivan in fairy tales is always absolutely open to higher knowledge. Even when he sets out on a journey, as a rule, he “goes wherever his feet take him” or “wherever his eyes look.” Thus, he immediately discards common sense (which his older brothers do not part with until the end of the fairy tale) and only benefits from this. It turns out that not everything in our lives obeys this very common sense!
Reflection of pagan traditions in the image of Ivan the Fool
Some researchers closely linked the image of Ivan with pagan traditions preserved in folklore. For example, A. A. Durov in his dissertation emphasized that Ivan the Fool adorns Russian folk tales not only because of his narrow-mindedness, but because the pagans, it turns out, called everyone undergoing the initiation rite that way.
And the essence here was precisely in the peculiarities of the neophyte’s behavior: he had to forget his previous life, abandon rationality in his actions. It was this “stupidity” that became the distinctive quality of a person who wanted to turn from a “baked oaf” into a real man.
Remember: in the fairy tale, at the beginning of it, Ivan is a laughing stock, who, sitting at the stove, excuse the quote, “twists snot on his fist.” And in the end he is a successful, lucky young man. So, the initiation has been completed!
But what if you look at it from the other side?
Maybe the image of the simpleton Ivan the Fool reveals only the people’s dream of supernatural powers that can help anyone? And some researchers believe that Ivanushka is a poetic dream, reflecting a dream of a carefree, cheerful life, which will still lead to happiness and wealth.
In the essay “Ivan the Fool. The roots of the Russian folk faith" A. Sinyavsky even grieves about the people who chose such a main character. After all, fools in fairy tales are dirty, ragged, unwashed, without a penny to their name, and lazy to the point of insanity. But they are good at playing the pipe or composing songs. This total laziness frightens the author of the essay, because it supposedly proves that the Russian person, expecting the blessings of life from above, forgets about his personal responsibility.
Evg. Trubetskoy, in his discussion of the fairy-tale Fool, argues that the habit of shifting responsibility onto the “broad shoulders of Nikola Ugodnik” is the scourge of the Slavic character, lulling his energy and robbing him of the will to win.
The attitude of living creatures to Ivan the Fool in a fairy tale
But it should be noted that it is not laziness or narrow-mindedness that has attracted loyal admirers to Ivan for so many centuries, but his kindness, gullibility and straightforwardness. This hero does not skimp on a kind word and deed: he will release, having saved a living creature from trouble, he will take pity on a wanderer or an old woman, and they will all subsequently repay him in the same coin.
A hero like Ivan the Fool will be helped by a gray wolf, a pike, a dog, and a cat. All obstacles give way to him - after all, he is not afraid that this may not happen!
Remember the path to success indicated in the movie “The Magicians”: “I see the goal - I see no obstacles”? This is exactly what happens to Ivanushka in every fairy tale. He sees no obstacles to cutting off the twelve heads of the Serpent Gorynych or to turning into a beautiful prince by plunging into a vessel with rejuvenating water. He trusts in God and receives according to his faith!
There are other options for the origin of Ivan’s offensive nickname
Or maybe Ivan was known as a fool not because of the peculiarities of his mind? The guy was just unlucky - he was born third in the family, which means that all the inheritance left from his father will be taken by the eldest sons, and the youngest will be left with nothing. Isn’t it because Ivan is a fool that he was already passed over from a young age?
There is another option as to why Ivanushka bears such an offensive nickname. The fact is that in Ancient Rus' children were given two names. One, received at baptism, was kept secret (remember the proverb: “the name is called a duck, but the name is a duck”?), and the second was deliberately unsightly, even frightening, so that evil spirits would not want to take the child away or do something bad to him: after all, it’s like that The baby is no longer good! And in Russian villages there lived children who, up to the age of 13, bore strange names: Strashko, Khvor, Rottentooth, Chernorot, etc.
Children were often named in order of birth: Pervak (or First), Drugak (Second, Other), Tretyak, Chetvertak and so on, according to the number of heirs. So, some researchers believe that Fool is a transformed, modified name Drugak. Well, perhaps Fools were such only by birth order...
The image of Ivan the Fool in child psychology
Speaking about such a controversial image in Russian culture, it is important to note that fairy tales about Ivan the Fool are also an effective method of child psychotherapy. After all, a child naturally feels timid about the future: how will he fit into adult life? After all, he knows and can do so little! And the fairy tale calms him down: “Don’t be afraid, those who ended up at the top weren’t the same!” The fairy tale says: “The main thing is to take the first step, trusting your inner voice, and then you will get even more than you expect!”
And the child, pushed by the success of such a hero as Ivan the Fool, goes, no longer afraid, into adulthood, equipped with important experience: there is no such bottom from which one cannot rise, there is no such misfortune that cannot be overcome.
By the way, both every child and the fabulous Ivan are always open to miracles. Maybe that's why miracles constantly happen to them? And the fairy tale about the Fool is actually also about how to forget being too “clever” if you strive to win.
So who is this beloved
Researchers believe that fairy tales about Ivan the Fool contain a certain strategy that is not based on standard postulates calling for always acting wisely, but, on the contrary, is based on the search for original, illogical and unexpected solutions. But they are successful!
Hidden in Ivan the Fool is an ideal person - true to his word, honest and devoid of personal interest. After all, he has a negative attitude towards wealth (received as an addition to his wife), despite the fact that at the end of the fairy tale he always owns it.
This state of affairs is quite explainable by the fact that the desire for wealth is, from the point of view of the Russian people, always a sign of self-interest, greed, and therefore cannot be a quality of a positive person. And since Ivanushka is the embodiment of something ideal, then he simply must be unmercenary, not knowing the value of money and not striving to make it.
Why does God love fools?
Although the statement given in the subtitle seems illogical at first glance, there is still logic in it. Judge for yourself: the Fool has no one else to rely on! Nobody can help him anymore! And he won't help himself either. There remains only hope in God's providence.
In addition, Ivan the Fool, no matter what fairy tales he appears in, is always filled with extraordinary trust only in this. He does not listen to human advice and does not learn anything from his own experience, but he is absolutely open to Providence - and it never fails such a hero!
And not only Fools, but also completely reasonable heroes of fairy tales, the Lord brings them out of a difficult situation for them, as soon as they find themselves at a crossroads - they don’t know where to go. That is, behind each of them there is an invisible image of Ivan the Fool, his passive, open-to-perception state, which helps to make the only right choice and win the struggle for life.
The image of the Fool in literature and cinema
Ivan the Fool, capable of “breaking” with himself all the boundaries and decency that so closely surrounded the ordinary person, took deep roots in Russian literature and cinema. This image was once used by F. M. Dostoevsky, and A. N. Ostrovsky, and N. S. Leskov, and M. Gorky, and many other famous writers and poets.
After all, you can put into his mouth something that a “noble” hero would never say, and his actions force the viewer to be in constant tension and continuously follow the development of the plot.
Art proves to us: it is Fools who are truly free people. They are not bound by conventions, their actions defy logic, and everything they do is the right path to a Miracle.
And thank God that Fools are indestructible! Otherwise, miracles would simply leave us, and the world, accordingly, would dry up through the efforts of “wise men” and pragmatists.
If in order for there to be a place for Magic in the world, they are necessary, then each of us can and should from time to time put on the cap of the main character of the fairy tale about Ivan the Fool. The names that we give to this action are always the same - this is life!
Ivan the Fool - the meaning of fairy tales and the strategy of Ivan the Fool!
Plan:
— Meaning of the name “fool”
— An example of Ivan’s actions (in fairy tales)
— Ivan always acts stupidly (and towards himself too)
— Alternative logic of Ivanushka the Fool
— The essence of strategy is not in logic, but in intuition!
— The moral of the tales about Ivanushka the fool (why does he always win)?
— The secret is simplicity
— Application of Ivan the Fool’s tactics in everyday life
— Meaning of the name “fool”
There are different versions of the origin of this name:
1) Due to the fact that the third son does not receive an inheritance
When the time comes to divide the inheritance, it will go to the older brothers, and the younger one will be left out in the cold, out in the cold. If we adhere to this version, it turns out that Ivan’s nickname is assigned not so much to his intelligence as to his property status.
2) Name-amulet
Offensive nicknames were in use among the people: Ivan the Fool, or Mishka Oblique, or some other Crooked, and so on. Moreover, the parents themselves gave the child offensive nicknames, and not at all because they wanted to mock him. They had their own logic. According to her, the unsightly name helped protect the child from evil spirits, who were eager to spoil everything beautiful and good. What can you ruin when the child is already a fool? And the evil spirit switched to someone else.
It turns out that the prefix “fool” could not refer to the mental abilities of Ivan the Fool, but simply protected him from the evil eye and damage. And then this custom was forgotten, and in the fairy tale everything remained as it was.
— An example of Ivan’s actions (in fairy tales)
Ivan’s brains are really, how to put it, not very good. He is given some simple instructions, for example, to go to the fair and return with new clothes, and he takes and throws the things on the road. Here's what one of the fairy tales says about it:
“Ivanushka bought everything: he bought a table, and spoons, and cups, and salt; a whole cartload of all sorts of things. He was going home, and the horse was like that, you know, unlucky, lucky or unlucky!
“What,” Ivanushka thinks to himself, “the horse has four legs, and the table also has four; so the table will run by itself.” He took the table and put it on the road.
He drives and drives, whether close or far, and the crows hover over him and keep cawing. “You know, the sisters are hungry to eat, they shouted so much!” thought the fool; He put the dishes with food on the ground and began to regale: “Little sisters, eat to your health!”
— Ivan always acts stupidly (and towards himself too)
He reacts this way not only to other people’s orders. He treats his interests in exactly the same way. In one of the fairy tales, Ivan the Fool labored for the priest for three years, and when he offered him a choice of pay, a bag of coins or a bag of sand, the fool took the sand. Well, who is he after this, you ask?
— Alternative logic of Ivanushka the Fool
On the other hand, the strange logic of Ivan the Fool’s actions is striking. The impression is that the hero is not just stupid, but even completely out of his mind. And yet, at the end of the fairy tale, this madman always wins: either he achieves to be left alone, or suddenly acquires a huge fortune, or marries the king’s daughter or a sorceress.
This happened exactly in that fairy tale, where Ivan the Fool took not a bag of money, but a bag of sand for his three years of work. When he was walking home with this ridiculous salary, he saw a fire in the forest in which a beautiful maiden was burning. Ivan covered the fire with sand, and the girl, who turned out to be a witch, married him and began to help in business.
How can it be that she chose not a hero, not a prince, but a complete fool? Because he's not such a fool. He simply acts, completely ignoring all existing rules.
— The essence of strategy is not in logic, but in intuition!
A fool is guided not by logic, but by intuition, which a mere mortal, surrounded by hundreds of frames, does not and will not have, or a smart person who knows exactly what costs, and that is why miracles never happen to him.
Ivan is completely open to miracles, and miracles happen to him all the time. Another Russian proverb - “God loves fools” (or “fools are lucky”) - is about exactly this. Fools give themselves over to chance and are not afraid of consequences, because they simply do not think about them.
— The moral of the tales about Ivanushka the fool (why does he always win)?
The fairy tale says: don’t be afraid, just take a step forward, trust your inner voice, even if it says stupid things, and everything will turn out better than you expect. Then it turns out that the fairy tale about the fool is a story about how you need to forget your excessive rationality if you want to win.
Then the explanation for the popularity of fairy tale fools is that they are actually wise men in disguise. Some researchers compared Ivan the Fool with Socrates, who exclaimed: “I only know that I know nothing,” or with Lao Tzu, who said: “Smart people are not scientists, scientists are not smart.”
The fool is a philosophical figure who calls for abandoning any ideas about the world in order to freely gain the experience of merging with it, to gain knowledge about it, but not from books, but during the game.
— The secret is simplicity
And finally, the last secret of the popularity of fools is that they are extremely rarely consciously evil or cruel.
— Application of Ivan the Fool’s tactics in everyday life
This is a very important question! I was convinced by personal example of the great practical value of actions in the style of “Ivanushka the Little Fool.”
Algorithm of actions:
1) Set yourself days when you do only what you want to do (what your intuition tells you). Not intelligence, not logic, not personal gain, but INTUITION. On this day you live by feelings!
2) Do senseless (illogical) actions. For example, write with your left hand (if you are right-handed). Go for a walk (to the store) along the “stupid” route. Those. along a longer and longer route.
3) Walk “back to front” (at least a few steps).
What will all this give?
The mind and psyche calms down. New sensations and thoughts appear. Stupid actions suppress logic and sharpen our intuition (our subconscious).
I started to feel much better! Therefore, I always try to use the “Ivan the Fool strategy” when walking. And, from time to time, I arrange days for myself that I completely spend like Ivan the Fool!
I advise you to do the same!
State budgetary educational institution of the Samara region
Many interesting tales have accumulated over the centuries,
But she is especially famous about Ivan the Fool.
Frank, kind guy and naive, like a child.
He never lost heart, he did difficult things jokingly.
(G. Ladonshchikov)
Project
“Russian fairy tale hero – Ivan the Fool”
The project was completed by:
students of 1st "B" grade
Supervisor:
Vanshina O.A.,
primary school teacher
March 2013
Target: Study the image of Ivan in Russian folk tales
Tasks:
1. Find out the meaning of the name;
2. Describe the image of Ivan, find out what his character is.
3. Determine his occupation.
4. Find out what kind of relationship he has with people.
Project implementation methods:
studying sources of information (scientific and artistic);
student survey;
drawing fairy tale plots;
analysis of fairy tales.
Expected Result: the work will help to understand the depth of the semantic content of the fairy tale, the origins and features of Russian folklore
1. Introduction.
2. History of the name.
3. The image of Ivan the Fool in Russian folk tales.
4. The mystery of the image of Ivan the Fool
5. Ivan is a fool and Ivan is a prince.
6. Conclusion.
1. Introduction
Ivan is one of the characters in Russian folklore. He appeared as a fairy-tale character at the end of the 18th (18) - beginning of the 19th (19) centuries.
Ivan is the third and youngest of the brothers. He is born into a peasant family, but more often than not he does not engage in any useful work, unlike his older brothers - prudent, thrifty owners. However, Ivan's brothers never achieve their goal, while he, on the contrary, gains wealth and happiness. Ivanushka the Fool is the youngest peasant son. Relatives and neighbors consider him a stupid and extravagant youth who can be forced to do any menial job that does not require special skills and knowledge.
In fact, Ivanushka is the darling of fate and the favorite of nature; he made friends with animals, birds and fish, lives not with his mind, but with his heart, so his actions seem illogical to others. Thanks to his “not smart” and irrational behavior, he succeeds in doing things that are impossible for others. He knows where Koshchei’s death is hidden, he knows the weak points of evil spirits and enemies.
Ivan Tsarevich is the youngest son of the Tsar, the most beloved and smartest of the three brothers. Having no rights to his father’s throne, he does what he loves: honing his skills with a sword and bow, learning the intricacies of combat and horse riding. He fights against all evil, and with his squad protects the border lands from enemy raids.
In Russian folk tales, Ivashka, Ivanushka, Ivanushka the Fool, Ivan the Fool, Ivan Tsarevich are a positive hero, because he is good-natured, savvy, often a romantic, does not seek profit in any matter, sees the good in everything, lives according to his conscience - a hero , the most beloved by the people.
Therefore, at the end of the fairy tales, the reward goes to HIM, and not to the older brothers who are cunning, deceiving, and looking for profit.
Whoever you ask -
Everyone knows in Rus':
Either he is a king, or he is a peasant,
And his name is... Ivan
_________________________ 2. History of the name
The name Ivan is Hebrew in origin (Yohanan - God has mercy), and came to the Russian name book with the adoption of Orthodoxy as the name of John the Baptist. The name John is one of the iconic names in Christianity. Consequently, the name Ivan emphasizes that our hero is an Orthodox Christian.
This name was loved in Rus' and three holidays were dedicated to it:
On this day, a ladder is baked from dough to ascend to heaven in the future life. On Listvenichka, the brownie rages until midnight, until the rooster crows.
The night before, flowers and plants acquire magical powers, and Kupala bonfires heal all ailments of humans and livestock. On this night, all evil spirits acquire special strength and power: witches, mermaids, snakes.
Strict fasting is observed; you cannot eat apples, cabbage, watermelons, or anything else that resembles a head; You can’t cut anything with a knife, drink or dance, because Herod’s stepdaughter Salome, with the help of dance and song, achieved Ivan’s execution.
The hero of fairy tales, Ivan the Fool, is not a fool at all, in the modern meaning of the word. Before the adoption of Christianity and for a long time after, there was a tradition of not calling children by “adult” names, so that they would not be kidnapped by “devils” while they were helpless. The child received an “adult”, “real” name at initiation at the age of 10-13, and before that he had a fake, childish one. Children's names derived from numerals were widespread - Pervak, Vtorak, Tretyak. And also Drugak, that is, “other,” next. Since it was the most popular, denoting, in most cases, the youngest child, it eventually became a common noun and was simplified to “Fool.” The name "Fool" appears in church documents until the 14th and 15th centuries. Since the 17th century, it began to mean what it means now - a stupid person. Naturally, the youngest is the most inexperienced and stupid. Therefore, the famous Ivan the Fool from Russian fairy tales is not a fool at all, but simply the youngest of three sons newer
Ivan the Fool, or Ivan the Fool- one of the main characters of Russian fairy tales. As a rule, his social status is low - a peasant's son or the son of an old man and an old woman. In the family he was often the third, youngest son. Not married. According to some versions the name Ivan the Fool is a talisman name that prevents the evil eye. As you know, fairy tales took shape during pagan times, and many heroes were representatives of Good and Evil. Ivan the Fool is one of the positive heroes.
______3. The image of Ivan the Fool in Russian folk tales
It’s common to think well of the fairy-tale fool: he looks like that, but in reality he’s crazy. But there are different types of fools.
Fool-ignorant
“You can’t drag it!” - such Ivan the Fool shouts at the funeral. And he wishes the wedding train the kingdom of heaven and eternal peace. He is ignorant and does everything inappropriately. The fairy tale laughs at such a fool.
Lazy fool
Such a fool lies on the stove all day long. But he is incredibly lucky. If he goes for water, he will pull out the magic pike from the ice hole. If he starts lashing the stump, gold will fall out from under the stump. And then he unexpectedly receives everything he wants: a red caftan, beauty, good looks, and even the king’s daughter with half a kingdom in addition. Good principles are hidden in such a fool. When the time comes, he looks and acts like a great guy. One sets the pike free, the other, guarding the wheat, shows dexterity, courage, and ingenuity.
Executive fool
There are executive fools. “Force a fool to pray to God, he will even bruise his forehead” - this is said about such people. Such a worker is such a fool that he guards the door separately from the house, and drives a bear into the cattle instead of a cow.
Just a fool
There are such fools in every nation. No wonder they say: “They don’t sow fools, they don’t reap them - they are born.” Both storytellers and listeners always make fun of them to their heart's content, feeling very smart.
In fairy tales we are confronted with a version of the worst person - poor, unhappy, impractical and, indeed, stupid. For example, in one of the fairy tales the hero is sent to the market to buy everything needed for the household - a table, spoons, pots, food. On the way back, trying to help his weakened horse, the fool leaves the table on the road: “What,” Ivanushka thinks to himself, “after all, the horse has four legs, and the table also has four; so the table will run by itself.” And it’s not for nothing that the crows scream overhead; they’re probably hungry. And Ivan the Fool lays out food in front of them. He covers charred stumps in the forest with pots: “Eh,” he thinks, “the guys don’t have hats; After all, they’ll be cold, dear ones!” As a result, he comes home empty-handed and lets his family down. But the narrator and listeners do not scold the hero. Everyone understands that Ivanushka did this out of stupidity, and not out of malice. In the fairy tale, he also plays the role of a jester, a buffoon.
The image of Ivan has successfully crossed over into modern reality. ABOUT films and cartoons are shot there, the appearance began to correspond to our day: the film “Ivashka from the Palace of Pioneers”, “Ivashka in the Far Far Away Kingdom”, the film “Sorcerers”. However, the style of his actions remained the same: I see the goal, I do not notice the obstacles - and all this is done with a kind heart and for the benefit of people.
________________5. The mystery of the image of Ivan the Fool
Ivan the Fool is an inherently unclear, if not mysterious, character. Being the main character of the fairy tale, he, in accordance with the laws of the genre, successfully overcomes all the obstacles placed in his path by fate and achieves prosperity, usually symbolized by marrying the king’s daughter. In this, Ivan the Fool is not much different from Ivan the Tsarevich and other fairy-tale heroes, with whom listeners sympathize and with whom listeners can identify, but if in other fairy tales luck ultimately rewards the heroes for their intelligence, cunning, loyalty, kindness, courage , then, considering this type of fairy tale, we have to conclude that Ivan the Fool is rewarded for his stupidity. Without possessing any special merits that would at least balance out his stupidity, he nevertheless comes to the same ending as obviously worthy heroes. Moreover, in the fairy tale, in addition to Ivan the Fool, there are often his brothers, who differ from him only in their intelligence and who also try to win luck, but of the three brothers, fate turns out to be favorable to the fool, confirming the conclusion about the reward for stupidity.
The moral straight-forwardly derived from these fairy tales says that a person does not particularly need intelligence, it is not at all required to achieve success in life; if it is written in your family to become the king’s son-in-law, then even if you are a fool, this will not prevent you from becoming one, and if it is not written, then you should not try. Hence, sometimes a rather offensive conclusion is made for us Russians that the people, whose favorite folk hero may be a fool and a slacker, do not value intelligence, hard work, calculation and perseverance in achieving a goal, but are inclined, lying on the stove, to hope for a miracle that will lift him from rags to riches without any hassle. But this conclusion is in clear contradiction with the fact that in other fairy tales - created by the same people - the natural intelligence of the heroes, their education, prudence, wit, and cunning serve as the basis for their success in life and are very highly appreciated.
Ershov in his famous “The Little Humpbacked Horse,” using the folklore story about Ivan the Fool, follows this generally accepted path. In the beginning, however, he follows the folk tale, saying:
“He had three sons.
The eldest was a smart kid,
The middle one was this way and that,
The younger one was a complete fool.”
Ivan the Fool is interpreted by Ershov as a hero who is considered stupid only due to a misunderstanding and whose merits are for the time being hidden under an inconspicuous appearance. Ershov follows ordinary common sense, confident that if a person whom we considered a fool has achieved extraordinary success in life, then he is probably not such a fool after all, and perhaps smarter than others. This makes the fairy tale more “correct” and logical, but at the same time the originality and true meaning of the plot are lost.
In order to correctly understand the meaning of a fairy tale and find out why the main character is a fool, what is the functional role of his stupidity in the development of the plot, you need to move away from your usual ideas and try to take the point of view of the subject of folklore,
The plot of Ivan the Fool is similar to the type of fairy tales, and the same elements are used in it: there are also difficult tasks that surpass human capabilities, there are magical assistants who solve insoluble problems for the hero, and at the end the same brilliant ending awaits the hero. Ivan’s stupidity is not proven by anything in the fairy tale; he is a fool by definition. Obviously, his stupidity is so undeniable that there is no need to prove it; he is a well-known village fool, to whom God did not give reason.
In the tales of Ivan the Fool there is a contradiction that is resolved by the development of the plot. So, in one of the versions of this tale, the plot unfolds as follows. When dividing property between brothers, the younger brother, the fool, asks his father to also give him a part, and although the old father doubts whether it is worth doing this - no property will help the fool, his case is hopeless - he still, out of justice and pity, gives the fool a hundred rubles The fool goes outside, and there the boys are torturing a kitten and a puppy. The fool asks to give them to him and in return gives his hundred rubles. Subsequently, the dog and cat grow up and, naturally, turn out to be wonderful helpers for the fool, bringing him good luck and a happy ending to the fairy tale. From this it is clear that success for a fool is brought by the correct (in his situation) choice of path: after it has been made, bringing the plot to a happy end turns out to be a matter of fairy-tale technique.
Who hates Ivan. First of all, Ivan the Fool is completely devoid of three vices, which his enemies consider virtues.
Firstly, he is not at all vain and never demands recognition and glory for his exploits.
Secondly, Ivan is unselfish, nowhere and never does anything for the sake of self-interest.
Thirdly, there is not even any hint of inclination in him to kill or torment others, and he is cruel only in cases of extreme necessity, and only with evil spirits.
From the point of view of his enemies, it is the absence of these three vices, which they consider the most important virtues, that allows them to call Ivan a “fool.” In fairy tales, the enemies, knowing how Ivan will behave, take advantage of this, provoke conditions in which he goes “there, not knowing where,” in order to “bring something, not knowing what,” and for them he gets both fame and wealth.
Why does Ivan win? The highest meaning of travel and all of Ivan’s misadventures, even when he goes, not knowing where and not knowing why, is in the fight against evil spirits and in the multiplication of good. He defeats his enemies by virtue of his natural, God-given behavior. Ivan is helped by everything that is light and good, and his mother is the damp earth, and forests, and rivers, and his little brothers, even to small animals and insects. It helps because he himself is bright and kind, and not just close to light and good. He is an inner man, living with his heart - a prophet." Here the old lady jumps over the garden bed: Fu-fu-fu, what is this! The Russian spirit came to me in the forest!"... To the kingdom of the dead, Ivan's main enemies - Koshchei, Baba Yaga , The Serpent Gorynych is opposed by the kingdom of the living. A special country, Ivanstvo-Ivania, is a special civilization. “The Russian spirit is here, it smells like Russia.” This is the Russian civilization. You won't find another like it. “Rus Ivan” was and is called by our western neighbors, “Urus Ivan” by our eastern neighbors.
Moreover, a person of a nasty personal class, opposite to civilization, where, first of all, “favorite” wealth is held in high esteem, that is, an external person, living with a cold mind, considers the Orthodox no longer fabulous, but real fools, and Russia - a wild, uncivilized country of fools. People from this country-civilization who remained Orthodox, that is, you and me, are Ivans - Fools.
Meanwhile, the immortality of Russia lies precisely in the fact that the Ivans, who remember their kinship, lived and worked in it, live and create.
_
___________________5. Ivan is a fool and Ivan is a prince.
How did it become possible that the same image of Ivan is embodied in two heroes - a fool and a prince.
Tsarevich is a man of noble birth, the son of a king. And the king's son must always be positive and strong. Therefore, Ivan Tsarevich is a positive national hero. The image of Ivan the Fool is much more ancient than Ivan the Fool.
Ivan the prince is a positive character.
poor, lost by parents, persecuted by enemies, unaware of his royal origins;
fights evil, helps the offended or weak;
at the end of the fairy tale he receives half a kingdom, a king's or king's daughter, a magic or expensive horse.
The favorite hero of Russian fairy tales is Ivan the Tsarevich, Ivan the Fool, Ivan the Peasant Son. This is a fearless, kind and noble hero who defeats all enemies, helps the weak and wins happiness for himself.
6. Conclusion
The Russian people love fools not because they are stupid, but because they are smart: smart with a higher mind, which is not contained in cunning and deception of others, not in trickery and the successful pursuit of one’s own narrow gain, but in wisdom, which knows the true value of every falsehood, ostentatious beauty, which sees the value in doing good to others, and therefore to oneself as an individual.
And the Russian people do not love every fool and eccentric, but only one who cares for an ugly little humpbacked horse, doesn’t offend a dove, doesn’t break a talking tree, and then gives his own to others, saves nature and respects his parents. Such a “fool” will not only get a beauty, but the princess will give her an engagement ring from the window, and with it half a kingdom-state as a dowry.
Tales of Ivan.
Ivan the Fool
Sivka-Burka Prophetic-Kaurka
How Ivanushka the Fool went after a miracle
Ivan Tsarevich and the Grey Wolf
How Ivan the Fool guarded the door
Go there - I don’t know where, bring that - I don’t know what.
Ivanushka and the brownie
The Tale of Rejuvenating Apples and Living Water
Ivan Bestalanny and Elena the Wise
Ivan - a peasant son and a miracle - Yudo
Marya Morevna
Ivan Bykovich
Koschei the Deathless
Copper, silver and golden kingdom
Vasilisa the Wise
Magic ring
Sister Alyonushka and brother Ivanushka
Student Survey
1. Ivan - is he a fool or smart?
2. What qualities do you like in Ivan the Fool?
8 .References
Propp V. Ya. Historical roots of a fairy tale. L., 1986
Novikov N.V. Images of an East Slavic fairy tale. L., 1974.
Andrey Sinyavsky. Ivan the Fool in Russian fairy tales // Sinyavsky A.D. Ivan the Fool: An Essay on Russian Folk Faith. - M.: Agraf, 2001, p. 37-48
Bakhtin V. Fairy tales
Likhachev D.S. Once again about beauty
Propp V.Ya. Morphology of a fairy tale
Internet materials
Once upon a time there lived Ivanushka the Fool, a handsome man, but no matter what he did, everything turned out funny for him - not like with people.
One man hired him as a worker, and he and his wife went to the city; wife and says to Ivanushka:
- You stay with the children, look after them, feed them!
- With what? – asks Ivanushka.
- Take water, flour, potatoes, crumble and cook - there will be a stew!
The man orders:
- Guard the door so that the children don’t run away into the forest!
The man and his wife left; Ivanushka climbed onto the floor, woke up the children, dragged them to the floor, sat down behind them and said:
- Well, here I am, looking after you!
The children sat on the floor for a while and asked for food; Ivanushka dragged a tub of water into the hut, poured half a sack of flour and a measure of potatoes into it, shook it all out with a rocker and thought out loud:
- Who needs to be chopped?
The children heard it and got scared:
- He will probably crush us!
And they quietly ran away from the hut.
Ivanushka looked after them, scratched the back of his head, and thought: “How am I going to look after them now? Moreover, the door must be guarded so that she does not run away!”
He looked into the tub and said:
- Cook, stew, and I’ll go look after the children!
He took the door off its hinges, put it on his shoulders and went into the forest; suddenly the Bear steps towards him - he was surprised and growls:
- Hey, why are you carrying the tree into the forest?
Ivanushka told him what happened to him, - the Bear sat on his hind legs and laughed:
- What a fool you are! I'll eat you for this!
And Ivanushka says:
“You’d better eat the children, so that next time they listen to their father and mother and don’t run into the forest!”
The bear laughs even harder and rolls on the ground laughing!
- I’ve never seen such a stupid thing! Let's go, I'll show you to my wife!
He took him to his den. Ivanushka walks and hits the pine trees with the door.
- Leave her alone! - says the Bear.
- No, I’m true to my word: I promised to keep you safe, so I’ll keep you safe!
We came to the den. The bear says to his wife:
- Look, Masha, what a fool I brought you! Laughter!
And Ivanushka asks the Bear:
- Auntie, have you seen the kids?
- Mine are at home, sleeping.
- Come on, show me, aren’t these mine?
The Bear showed him three cubs; He says:
- Not these, I had two.
Then the Bear sees that he is stupid and laughs too:
- But you had human children!
“Well, yes,” said Ivanushka, “you can figure them out, little ones, which ones are whose!”
- That's funny! - the Bear was surprised and said to her husband: - Mikhailo Potapych, we won’t eat him, let him live among our workers!
“Okay,” agreed the Bear, “even though he’s a person, he’s too harmless!”
The Bear gave Ivanushka a basket and ordered:
- Go pick some wild raspberries, the kids will wake up, I’ll treat them to something delicious!
- Okay, I can do this! - said Ivanushka. - And you guard the door!
Ivanushka went to the forest raspberry patch, picked a basket full of raspberries, ate his fill, went back to the bears and sang at the top of his lungs:
Oh, how awkward
Ladybugs!
Is it the ants?
Or lizards!
He came to the den and shouted:
- Here it is, raspberry!
The cubs ran up to the basket, growled, pushed each other, tumbled, very happy!
And Ivanushka, looking at them, says:
- Ehma, it’s a pity that I’m not a Bear, otherwise I would have children!
The bear and his wife laugh.
- Oh, my fathers! - the Bear growls, - you can’t live with him, you’ll die laughing!
“Tell you what,” says Ivanushka, “you guard the door here, and I’ll go look for the kids, otherwise the owner will give me trouble!”
And the Bear asks her husband:
- Misha, you should help him!
“We need to help,” agreed the Bear, “he’s very funny!”
Once upon a time there lived Ivanushka the Fool, a handsome man, but no matter what he did, everything turned out funny for him - not like with people.
One man hired him as a worker, and he and his wife went to the city; wife and says to Ivanushka:
You stay with the children, look after them, feed them!
With what? - asks Ivanushka.
Take water, flour, potatoes, crumble and cook - there will be a stew!
The man orders:
Guard the door so that the children do not run away into the forest!
The man and his wife left; Ivanushka climbed onto the floor, woke up the children, dragged them to the floor, sat down behind them and said:
Well, here I am, looking after you!
The children sat on the floor for a while and asked for food: Ivanushka dragged a tub of water into the hut, poured half a sack of flour and a measure of potatoes into it, shook it all out with a rocker and thought out loud:
Who needs to be chopped?
The children heard it and got scared:
He'll probably crush us!
And they quietly ran away from the hut.
Ivanushka looked after them, scratched the back of his head, and thought: “How am I going to look after them now? Moreover, the door must be guarded so that she does not run away!”
He looked into the tub and said:
Cook, stew, and I'll go look after the children!
He took the door off its hinges, put it on his shoulders and went into the forest; Suddenly the Bear walks towards him - surprised, growls:
Hey, why are you carrying the tree into the forest?
Ivanushka told him what happened to him, - the Bear sat on his hind legs and laughed:
What a fool you are! I'll eat you for this!
And Ivanushka says:
You’d better eat the children, so that next time they listen to their father and mother and don’t run into the forest!
The bear laughs even harder and rolls on the ground laughing!
I've never seen such a stupid thing! Let's go, I'll show you to my wife!
He took him to his den. Ivanushka walks and hits the pine trees with the door.
Come on, leave her! - says the Bear.
No, I’m true to my word: I promised to keep you safe, so I’ll keep you safe!
We came to the den. The bear says to his wife:
Look, Masha, what a fool I brought you! Laughter!
And Ivanushka asks the Bear:
Auntie, have you seen the kids?
Mine are at home, sleeping.
Come on, show me if these are mine?
The Bear showed him three cubs; He says:
Not these, I had two.
Then the Bear sees that he is stupid and laughs too:
But you had human children!
Well, yes,” said Ivanushka, “you can figure them out, little ones, which ones are whose!”
That's funny! - the Bear was surprised and said to her husband: - Mikhailo Potapych, we won’t eat him, let him live among our workers!
Okay,” agreed the Bear, “even though he’s a person, he’s too harmless!”
The Bear gave Ivanushka a basket and ordered:
Go pick some wild raspberries, the kids will wake up, I’ll treat them to something delicious!
Okay, I can do this! - said Ivanushka. - And you guard the door!
Ivanushka went to the forest raspberry patch, picked a basket full of raspberries, ate his fill, went back to the bears and sang at the top of his lungs:
Oh, how awkward
Ladybugs!
Is it the ants?
Or lizards!
He came to the den and shouted:
Here it is, raspberry!
The cubs ran up to the basket, growled, pushed each other, tumbled - they were very happy!
And Ivanushka, looking at them, says:
Ehma, it’s a pity that I’m not a Bear, otherwise I would have children!
The bear and his wife laugh.
Oh, my fathers! - Bear growls. - You can’t live with him, you’ll die laughing!
That’s it,” says Ivanushka, “you guard the door here, and I’ll go look for the kids, otherwise the owner will give me trouble!”
And the Bear asks her husband:
Misha, you should have helped him!
We need to help,” agreed the Bear, “he’s very funny!”
The Bear and Ivanushka walked along forest paths, walking and talking in a friendly manner.
Well, you are stupid! - Bear is surprised, and Ivanushka asks him:
Are you smart?
Don't know.
And I don't know. You're evil?
No. For what?
But in my opinion, whoever is angry is stupid. I'm not evil either. Therefore, you and I will both not be fools!
Look how you brought it out! - the Bear was surprised.
Suddenly they see two children sitting under a bush, fallen asleep. The bear asks:
Are these yours, or what?
I don’t know,” says Ivanushka, “we need to ask them.” Mine - they wanted to eat.
They woke up the children and asked:
Are you hungry?
They shout:
We've been wanting it for a long time!
Well,” said Ivanushka, “that means these are mine!” Now I will lead them to the village, and you, uncle, please bring the door, otherwise I don’t have time myself, I still need to cook the stew!
Okay! - said the Bear. - I’ll bring it!
Ivanushka walks behind the children, looks at the ground after them, as he was ordered, and he himself sings:
Eh, such miracles!
Beetles catch a hare
A fox sits under a bush,
Very surprised!
He came to the hut, and the owners returned from the city, they saw: in the middle of the hut there was a tub, filled to the top with water, filled with potatoes and flour, there were no children, the door was also missing - they sat down on the bench and cried bitterly.
What are you crying about? - Ivanushka asked them.
Then they saw the children, were delighted, hugged them, and asked Ivanushka, pointing to his cooking in the tub:
What have you done?
Chowder!
Is that really necessary?
Why do I know how?
Where did the door go?
They'll bring it now - here it is!
The owners looked out the window, and a Bear was walking down the street, pulling the door, people were running away from him in all directions, climbing onto roofs, onto trees; the dogs got scared - they got stuck, out of fear, in the fences, under the gates; only one red rooster bravely stands in the middle of the street and shouts at the Bear.
