Russian Myths and Legends 1. When it stirs, the Earth trembles. It lives in the mountains or in caves and often spills its anger on humans by causing hailstorms or attacks on cattle or humans. When winter comes, she flies above the sea and lays eggs on sea shores but then drops them on the bottom of the sea. The Slavic version of dragon, this creature is said to have three or more heads and like other creatures in Russian fairy tales, they know how to talk. [20] Some stories about amicable relations between humans and a vodyanoy describe millers and fishermen who made offerings to a vodyanoy to secure good fortune from his waters. [3] Animism was also a common belief, and nature and house spirits played a central role in daily tribal life. [3] This system identified 915 main types of folktales (categorized by themes, plots, characters, and other story elements). They spit fire, have terrible roar and have evil look on their faces. [19], Unlike the leshy, the vodyanoy is seen as unequivocally evil. They have the same emotions as human characters as well. [3] When the Church condemned a practice, it typically did not dismiss it as made-up, but instead acknowledged its power and attributed it to the devil. Meanwhile, local folklore centers arose in all major cities. These are both Slavic gods. Sep 22, 2019 - Explore Vasilisa Romanenko's board "Russian Mythology" on Pinterest. If you want to start a Main/RussianMythologyAndTales page, just click the edit button above. It is believed that Domovoy protects the well-being of a family and it is especially protective toward children and animals. At the beginnings of the Soviet era, Dedo Moroz was banned by the communists but later he became a significant element of the Soviet culture. Once Joseph Stalin came to power and put his first five-year plan into motion in 1928, the Soviet government began to criticize and censor folklore studies. Sometimes he is described as having dark skin, like the soil; sometimes with grass for hair; sometimes dressed in white and surrounded by wind. Russian folklore takes its roots in the pagan beliefs of ancient Slavs and now is represented in the Russian fairy tales. Because from early times the Rus' had an agricultural rather than hunting or herding basis for their food production, and were not on good terms with neighboring peoples,[6] the success of Russian society was largely dependent on the success of its agriculture. [19] Others say he can mimic voices of people you know. [3] Idols were destroyed at Kiev and Novgorod,[1] two cities where Vladimir I had previously put particular attention into establishing a pagan pantheon. Besides undergoing extensive education, many folk performers traveled throughout the nation in order to gain insight into the lives of the working class, and thus communicate their stories more effectively. [3] Additionally, the unclean force is generally associated with corrupting a place to make it dangerous and blighted, but while the rusalka is "unclean" she is also thought to promote plant growth.[19]. [19] The name for the festival might come from the Roman festival of roses, Rusalii[19], or rosalia, dies rosarum[3]. Baba Yaga lives in a hut in the woods and stands on chicken legs. [19] Accounts have placed rusalki in forests, in fields, and by rivers. It is said that Kikimora lives behind the kitchen stove or on the ceiling and at night makes sounds that are similar to house mice. [3] Most productive magic was "homeopathic", meaning that a symbolic action was performed with the hope of evoking a related response from reality. Beda wonders around the world attacks people and tortures their souls and bodies. Kievan Rus was the historical state from 880 AD to 1240 and a forerunner to the Russian state. These creatures were not very smart and often susceptible to being led into traps and being tricked out of food or prey by foxes. [6] Fertility and moisture are therefore particularly essential to the success of Russian agriculture. Written by individual authors and performers, noviny did not come from the oral traditions of the working class. The characteristics of these animals have persisted through time. According to the legend, during his rule, Gostomysl confederated the Northern tribes which countered the Varangian threat in the middle of the 9th century and unified the Chuds, Ilmen Slavs, Krivchs, and Merya. The Russian word “zmay” means “dragon” and it refers to the folk belief that it was created from a serpent that could live up to being 100 years old and have two or more heads. [3] The former is associated with the devil, and is generally considered hostile. Overall, this book gives a wonderful look at … [3] When she left her home, it was necessary for her to perform rituals to separate her from her family's house spirits and acquaint her with those of her husband's family. [3][18] Not much content from early folktales exists today, however, largely due to suppression of non-Christian narratives by the Church. [10] Similarly, copious feasting and carousing at Shrovetide was thought to encourage a plentiful harvest. Cherryh (Goodreads Author) 3.50 avg rating — 1,416 ratings. [3] A charm against toothaches reads: "Three paths, a tree stands by the road, under the tree a corpse lies, past the corpse goes St. Anthony and says: "Why do you, corpse, lie here? Beda is a descent of ghosts and in some versions of Chuma, a mythological personification of plague. See more ideas about mythology, russian mythology, slavic mythology. [3] Depending on the height of the plant life in the forest he inhabits, he would fit in with his surroundings. [2] (Wikipedia article), The domovoy (or domovoi [21]) is a spirit of the house, and is somewhat different in character from the nature spirits. It has a beautiful voice and it brings messages from the otherworld by singing songs. The head and the torso of Chernava are of a human female while the lower body has a fishtail. Synushka’s well is in the mountains and it is covered by fog. Apart from expounding on the artistic value of folklore, he stressed that traditional legends and faerie tales showed ideal, community-oriented characters, which exemplified the model Soviet citizen. His appearance varies across stories, but he is consistently male. The sacral element in the myth about the Maid brought observation of a number of rituals, therefore, women never went down in the mine as it was considered a place ruled only by the Maid, and young men who sought help from her never married. About: Russian fairy tales are deeply rooted history in Slavic Mythology. It then proceeded to redistribute copies of approved stories throughout the population. The Indrik is described as a gigantic bull with legs of a deer, the head of a horse and an enormous horn in its snout, making it vaguely similar to a rhinoceros. The Myth of Azhdaya. They saw it as a remnant of the backward Russian society that the Bolsheviks were working to surpass. From one of the heads he could spit fire, from the other he could breathe in freezing air from cold winds. Pagan slavic religion had deities for everything, such as water and household spirits; these stories for children taught people about manners, traditions, and warned against natural dangers. One early Russian object of worship was the "Moist Mother Earth",[2][7][8] and a later, possibly related deity was called Mokosh, whose name means "moist" and may have Finnish origins. Russian folklore stems from the so-called Slavic paganism, i.e. We find Ivan the Fool in stories such as “Little Ivan the Fool,” “The Humpty-Back Little Horse” and “Sivka-Burka.” 4) The Frog Princess is … [21] He was not averse to Christian symbols (like the sign of the cross), and did not make a place dangerous like other spirits. She is also the spirit that personifies a river with the same name. [19][3] Often he is described as having fish-like elements, such as scales or a fish's tail. Baba Roga lives in dark caves in the mountain and in the forest where sunlight approaches only at Midsummer (in Russian “Ivanjdan”) which is actually the only day when she leaves the cave and carries her broom with her. Indrik - In the Dove Book and Russian folklore, the Indrik-Beast (Russian: Индрик-зверь, transliteration: Indrik zver') is a fabulous beast, the king of all animals, who lives on a mountain known as "The Holy Mountain" where no other foot may tread. Many Russian fairy tales and bylinas have been adapted for animation films, or for feature movies by prominent directors such as Aleksandr Ptushko (Ilya Muromets, Sadko) and Aleksandr Rou (Morozko, Vasilisa the Beautiful). The Maid is described as an enchantingly beautiful woman with green eyes who wears a beautiful malachite gown. Bears (медведь, med’ved)- According to Russia: A Cultural Resource Guide, its Russian name, med’ved, means “one who knows where the honey is”. [10], Spirits were most frequently seen as the masters of their domains, whether that was forest, water, field, or home. [19][20] Like the leshy, the vodyanoy's appearance varies from story to story. [19] She is thought to protect the grain, and also to harm anyone working in the fields at noon. Specialists decided that attempts to represent contemporary life through the structure and artistry of the ancient epics could not be considered genuine folklore. The Sakhalin creature was found by Russian soldiers on the Eastern coastline of the country. This folk tale originated in Siberia, in the Ural mountains and it is one of the most popular stories in Russian folklore even today. In most of the tales, she rides a broom or a mortar and uses a pestle as a weapon. The underlining principles would be truth, love, mutual respect, righteousness, rectitude, divinity, priority to societal unity, etc…All people, including the old people, would enjoy reading these stories. [19] His size is also variable,[19] a power which has been attributed to his role as reflecting his environment. [12]:45 The Finnish school was concerned with the connections amongst related legends of various Eastern European regions. [21] This was easy to do because the domovoy was easily pleased. [21] One responsibility of a household was to please its house spirit, whether that was by managing the house well, following social customs, or even selecting livestock in a domovoy's preferred color. [13]:157 To keep folklore studies in check and prevent inappropriate ideas from spreading amongst the masses, the government created the RAPP – the Russian Association of Proletarian Writers. Wolves (волк, vuk)- Often portrayed as male and a villain in most Russian fairy tales. All Votes Add ... Rusalka (Russian Stories, #1) by. [19] Like the leshy, the vodyanoy was sometimes pictured with a wife. They are vibrant, riveting and poetic tales of gods and demons, heroes and witches. There were two primary trends of folklore study during the decade: the formalist and Finnish schools. They are usually male and can be found in forests or mountains. It was an ancestor of the Russian people and is friendly. [3][19] Often they are portrayed as old men, reflecting the age-based familial hierarchy in tribal communities. [3][19], Sometimes her mischief is as harmless as leading people astray,[20] like the leshy or polevoi; other times she is thought to tickle people to death[20] or drown them. According to the tale, Baba Roga visits sleeping children at night, tucks them in, and brings them pleasant dreams. They are given human qualities such as wit, humor, slyness and even stupidity. The devil or chief evil spirit was named Erlik. At that moment, he would have no protection and become an easy target to kill. [3] Despite the superficial eradication of pagan belief, animism and ancestor worship survived in rituals, stories, charms, and practices in peasant life. Babaroga is a mythical creature best known among the Southern Slavs. Stalin and the Soviet regime repressed Folklore, believing that it supported the old tsarist system and a capitalist economy. The tradition related to Ded Moroz is an integral part of Russian culture and East Slavic countries. In order to continue researching and analyzing folklore, intellectuals needed to justify its worth to the Communist regime. The only way to scare him off was to use light and noise. [3], Vladimir I (or "Vladimir the Great", "Saint Vladimir") converted to Christianity in 987 CE, and subsequently mandated it as the state religion of the Kievan Rus'. Russian folklore continues to be a mystery that is mainly analyzed through Russian fairy tales or bylinas. Formalism focused on the artistic form of ancient byliny and faerie tales, specifically their use of distinctive structures and poetic devices. In the tale, Domovoy has the ability to turn into many other spirits and change functions in the home in different situations. [2][3] East SlavsOka river South Slavic culture grew in Balkan region[4] West Slavic people Sons|year=1974|isbn=|location=|pages=1–24}}[5] Nature played an essential role in early Slavic culture.[6]. Dazhdbog in Russian mythology or His story. Seven days later, when the eggs hatch, storms begin to roar, therefore Alkonost controls the weather. [19] Sometimes he is described as looking like someone familiar to the viewer. Created from serpent that lived up to 100 years or eaten another one. Snegurochka is dressed in long pale blue and silver robes and a white furry hat or crown made of snowflakes. There are also a staggering number of legendary characters named ‘Ivan’. [21] However most of the time he is seen as a hunched over, hairy old man. Additionally, there is thought to have been a notable focus on the feminine element in early Slavic culture, with a subsequent shift to a more patriarchal society as Christianity got a foothold in the area. Ancient Greek Myths, Stories and Legends. [21] A domovoy was usually thought to live alone, but some accounts mention him having a wife and children. [16]:51 Characters throughout traditional Russian folktales often found themselves on a journey of self-discovery, a process that led them to value themselves not as individuals, but rather as a necessary part of a common whole. The man is interested only in her beauty but she showed her face only to brave people. Slavic mythology contains the legendary tale of Sinyushka’s Well also known as “The Blue Crone’s Spring” or “The Blue Grandma of the Marsh”. A vodyanoy is a male water spirit. It shares the good and the bad with people of a family and warns them of any possible calamities that may come as a threat of the kin. Most stories have some explanatory introduction, teaching readers about such things as house spirits called the Domovoi, and the ways that the spirits of girls who died young have of tormenting the living. Fast and free shipping free returns cash on delivery available on eligible purchase. the horn on her head since the word “rog” in Russian means “horn”. Slavic mythology represents Kikimora as a female house spirit and Russian folklore describes it as a creature that is the “bad” spirit of the house. The Bear symbolizes strength, power, might, warmth, and protection. [12]:46, Apart from circulating government-approved faerie tales and byliny that already existed, during Stalin's rule authors parroting appropriate Soviet ideologies wrote Communist folktales and introduced them to the population. The creature is the lavellan a plague-ridden [...] Zmey Gorynych - Its name means "Snake of the Mountains". These were more often sung and sometimes accompanied by a stringed instrument gusli. "[10], One of the oldest recorded references to Russian charms lies in the Russian Chronicle, dating to the 10th century. Meet the Slavs is your most comprehensive online resource about Slavic people, their cuisine, culture, history, mythology, and more. During its establishment, the famous King Vladimir I brought and enforced Christianity along with his rule. The work was made according to Grimm’s Fairy Tales published in 1812. Here is a list of 15 Russian myths and legends that are worth exploring: The myth of Azhdaya tells the story of a demonized dragon. Domovoi Peeping at the Sleeping Merchant Wife by Boris Kustodiev. In the catalog section you can find the most popular Russian gifts and souvenirs. Nevertheless, Baba Yaga is one of the most memorable and distinctive in Eastern European folklore. The Russian folklore was recorded and collected by scholars who traced the relations between early versions of folk tales and legends with Slavic myths. [3] Another such holiday is St. John's day, which was devoted to "seeing off the spring" and performing rituals to encourage springtime to come again soon. In earlier tales Baba Yaga is described as a monstrously ugly hag with a … The struggling new government, which had to focus its efforts on establishing a new administrative system and building up the nation’s backwards economy, could not be bothered with attempting to control literature, so studies of folklore thrived. [19] Sometimes he is depicted with wings and a tail, like the devil. the folk tradition and beliefs of ancient Slavs that for centuries has been a controversial matter in academic circles. [3] It was only by the 16th century that Russian folktales began getting recorded, and only by the 19th century with Bogdan Bronitsyn's "Russian Folk Tales" (1838) that a compilation of genuine Russian folktales was published. If the character followed Stalin's divine advice, he could be assured success in all his endeavors and a complete transformation into the “New Soviet Man.”[16]:55 The villains of these contemporary faerie tales were the Whites and their leader Idolisce, “the most monstrous idol,” who was the equivalent of the tsar. [3] The latter is protective against evil magic or seeks to produce good for the user. The fire and the cold wind were this giant’s weapons and when he would finally spend the last reserves, he needed some time before he would recuperate again. In a nutshell, although there are variations of this character, Slavic folk tales present Baba Yaga as a supernatural being that appears as a cruel, deformed old woman. Grow numb you too, teeth of God's humble servant (name stated), like in a corpse; make him strong, Lord, stronger than a stone. [13]:172 Without any true connection to the masses, there was no reason noviny should be considered anything other than contemporary literature. Go to Stories -> Japanese-stories. [17]:215, Convinced by Gor’kij and Sokolov's arguments, the Soviet government and the Union of Soviet Writers began collecting and evaluating folklore from across the country. [19], A polevoi is a male field spirit. The story of Dobrynya the dragon slayer from Russian folklore is the tale of a young man finding his heroic destiny, from magical hats to skinny dipping and dancing with baby dragons. He was sometimes said to have been a human who helped in the creation of the earth but then turned against Ulgen, the creator god. Her role in mythology is maternal, though enigmatic, associated with the power of forest wildlife. [3][2], Certain pagan rituals and beliefs were tolerated and even supported by the Church. She is a creature that personifies the mountain spirit of the Ural Mountains and Ural Miners in Russia. [3] Some stories about the leshy describe him as having a wife and children, mimicking a typical peasant household. Some of the most common animals found throughout many folktales and Russian fairy tales (Skazki), are foxes, sheep, goats, roosters, bears and wolves. The attitudes of such legendary characters paralleled the mindset that the Soviet government wished to instill in its citizens. "[1] Johns summarizes Baba Yaga as "a many-faceted figure, capable of inspiring researchers to see her as a Cloud, Moon, Death, Winter, Snake, Bird, Pelican or Earth Goddess, totemic matriarchal ancestress, female initiator, phallic mother, or archetypal image". Charms are magic words used to accomplish a variety of tasks. Baba Yaga is the most well-known Russian mythological character abroad. In some versions, Domovoy has a female companion called Domania and she is presented as the goddess of the home. You see, the Slavic people passed on their stories about the gods orally; therefore, the information we do have today is a bit thinner. [21] The RAPP specifically focused on censoring fairy tales and children's literature, believing that fantasies and “bourgeois nonsense” harmed the development of upstanding Soviet citizens. Initially it was a godhood of death, a woman with a snake’s tail, who guarded the entrance in Erebus and saw off souls of the dead in the kingdom of the dead. This is one of many Russian legends that first emerged in the Soviet era. Ded Moroz is presented as an old, chubby, tall elderly man with white hair and beard who brings presents to well-behaved kids at New Year’s Eve or Christmas (depending on the specific tradition). Both folktales and bylinas were originally sung in royal courts by professional bards before they were spread further to the countryside to be sung or told by peasant storytellers. It is said that when he flies he is so large that he blocks out the sun. His name derives from the word “bes” which means “rage, anger” in English, and “mora” which translates to “torture, death”. Here is a Unique collection of Mythological Stories from all parts of the world.. From all regions of the Globe, this collection has been made to represent the true taste of Mythology. [3] Of these, about one third (317 types) were found in both Eastern and Western European tales, one third (302) types were found exclusively in Western European tales, and one third (296 types) were found exclusively in Eastern European tales. Balachko is a giant with three heads. Do your ribs hurt? Erlik ruled the dead, and his evil spirits brought him the souls of sinners. 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