Analysis of the fairy tale “The Feather of Finist-Yasna Falcon. Analysis of fairy tales Analysis of fairy tales

Starikova Natalya Valerievna, 5th grade

The paper presents a method of structural analysis (based on the works of V.Ya. Propp) based on the material of the Russian folk tale "Vasilisa the Beautiful".

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Department of Education of the Omsk City Administration

BOU DOD Omsk “Center for Additional Education of Children “Eureka”

City conference of students in grades 5-11 “Steps into science”

Direction "Philology"

Method of structural analysis (based on the fairy tale “Vasilisa

Beautiful")

Starikova Natalya Valerievna,

student of grade 5 B

BOU of Omsk "SOSHUIP No. 72"

Supervisor:

Tonkikh Irina Anatolevna,

teacher of Russian language and literature

BOU of Omsk "SOSHUIP No. 72"

Omsk - 2013

Introduction

A fairy tale is one of the most popular and favorite genres of oral folk art. Our memory is inseparable from him. A child is immersed in the world of fairy tales in early childhood. As a schoolchild, he encounters fairy tales in the primer, and in the first literary books, and in high school. Russian folk tale carries high moral principles, moral values ​​and ideals of the people. “A fairy tale helps a child to strengthen himself in the most important concepts about how to live, on what to base his attitude towards other people’s actions. Fairy-tale fiction, depicting the struggle between good and evil, overcoming life’s obstacles, calls for a transformation of the world on the basis of humanity and beauty.”

The social, artistic and pedagogical value of folk tales is undoubted and generally recognized. The country's publishing houses annually publish a large number of collections of fairy tales from different eras. There are many research books and articles about fairy tales. They are considered in school lessons as an integral part of literature and culture. Both children and adults love to turn to this genre. Fairy tales are also popular on the Internet and are actively discussed. However, the fairy tale should not be treated only as an entertainment genre; it must be studied from different points of view, since it reflected the ideas of Russian people about the various aspects of reality. In literature lessons, the method of structural analysis of fairy tales is not always used.Hence, it is quite natural that researchers show interest in this area, and therefore this work is current

Target work – to highlight the structural elements in the Russian folk tale “Vasilisa the Beautiful”.

To achieve this goal, it is necessary to solve the following tasks :

1. Based on the history and theory of the folk tale genre, consider its specifics.
2. Identify the features of a fairy tale and how scientists study it.
3. Analyze the fairy tale “Vasilisa the Beautiful” using the method of structural analysis.
4. Formulate conclusions based on the material being studied.

Object research is the Russian folk tale “Vasilisa the Beautiful”, and subject consideration - its structural analysis.

During the study we used methods: theoretical, complex philological analysis of the text, structural analysis, quantitative analysis.

The work consists from the introduction, two chapters, which provide theoretical information about the genre of the fairy tale and its study, the practical application of the method of structural analysis, conclusion, and a list of references consisting of 9 sources.

Practical valueOur research is that the content of this work can be used in the practice of teaching topics in literature lessons.

Chapter 1. The genre of folk tales and its study in domestic science.

1.1. Fairy tale as a genre. Techniques and means of creating artistic images of a fairy tale.

Before we begin to consider our main topic, it is necessary to understand what literary scholars understand by the term “fairy tale”. Scientists offer various definitions for this term. A.I. Nikiforov writes: “Fairy tales are oral stories that exist among the people for the purpose of entertainment, having the content of events that are unusual in the everyday sense (fantastic, miraculous, everyday) and are distinguished by a special compositional plot structure.” This definition was highly appreciated by V.Ya. Propp, considering that it “is the result of a scientific understanding of the fairy tale, expressed in the shortest formula.” From Nikiforov’s definition it follows that a fairy tale is an entertaining genre. V.Ya. Propp also considers it an important sign that they do not believe in the reality of what is being told. People understand fairy tales as fiction. This feature distinguishes a fairy tale from other genres of oral prose: tales, legends, tales, etc. V.P. Anikin shares this point of view, but considers it not fiction to be the main feature of a fairy tale, but “a special disclosure of real life themes carried out with its help.” He emphasizes that a fairy tale pursues educational goals and participates in the formation of a person’s personality and worldview. From all the variety of definitions, we tried to choose the most suitable one for our study.

There are several types of fairy tales. Modern researchers T.V. Zueva and B.P. Kirdan state: “Russian fairy tales are usually divided into the following genres: about animals, magical and everyday (anecdotal and novelistic).”

The unity of all fairy tale genres is manifested in the similarity of the image, in the same artistic laws. The main common feature of fairy tales is their plot. In the world of fairy tales, dreams triumph. The plot takes place in a special fairy-tale space and fairy-tale time, which have no relation to real geography and history. The heroes of fairy tales are clearly divided into the poles of good and evil.

A fairy tale always features a main character around whom the action unfolds. His victory is an obligatory plot setup. The heroes of fairy tales are not characters, but types, bearers of some main quality that defines the image. Fairy tales are characterized by the repetition of the same characters in different works, but only within their genre (magical, everyday, about animals). Thanks to this, different plots can be combined in one fairy tale.

Fairy-tale plots have the usual epic development: exposition - plot - development of action - climax - denouement.

If you pay attention to the time of origin of fairy tales, the situation looks like this: the most ancient are fairy tales about animals, then fairy tales appeared, and later - everyday ones.

Thus, the basic artistic laws operating in any type of fairy tale are:

1. plot;
2. at the heart of a fairy tale there is always a contradiction between dreams and reality;
3. distribution of characters according to the poles of good and evil;
4. the victory of the main character is a mandatory plot setting;
5. fairy tale heroes are types, bearers of a certain quality;
6. action is the main method of depicting characters;
7. connection of fairy tales;
8. general scheme of narrative development.

Fairy tales represent the most clear group of plots in oral folk prose in terms of genre. Many of them are built according to a single compositional scheme and have a specific set of characters with strictly defined functions. The main feature of the world of fairy tales is its division into “ours” and “not ours” (“far away kingdom” of Russian fairy tales). There are several types of fairy tale plots, but the most common among them is the journey plot, when the hero goes to “far away lands” either in search of happiness or to complete a dangerous task. On his way he meets enemies and helpers, he overcomes insurmountable obstacles, enters into a decisive battle with evil forces, emerges victorious and returns safely to his world. The action of the fairy tale takes place in the indefinite past tense.

The hero of a fairy tale is usually subjected to two tests - preliminary (for this he receives a magical gift) and main (victory over a dragon, snake, Koshchei or other wonderful enemy, a miraculous escape with transformations and throwing magical objects). The happy ending characteristic of fairy tales expresses faith in the triumph of the ideals of goodness and justice, the dream that any person is worthy of happiness and can achieve it.

As a working definition of a fairy tale, we can take the definition of V.Ya. Proppa. By fairy tale, he means a genre that “begins with the infliction of some damage or harm, the desire to have something, and develops through the departure of the hero from home, a meeting with the giver. As a result, there is a duel with the enemy, maybe a chase, finding what you are looking for and returning." We think that it most fully reflects the essence of a fairy tale.

Types of fairy-tale heroes were considered by N.V. Novikov. The first group consists of heroic heroes: Pokatygoroshek, Bear's Ear, Ivan Tsarevich, female heroes - the Tsar Maiden. The second group is represented by “ironic lucky ones” (in the words of M. Gorky): Dunno, Ivanushka the Fool, Emelya the Fool. The third group is the hero’s assistants: the hero’s wife (bride), Baba Yaga, giant heroes, wonderful artists (the Invisible Man, etc.). The fourth group is the hero’s opponents: Baba Yaga, the Serpent, Koschey the Immortal, the Tsar, etc.

Many characters are named based on their actions and significance in the fairy tale narrative. The number of names is limited, and each name is assigned to a specific group of heroes of the same type. The names Ivanushka the Fool and Emelya the Fool are evidence of the hero’s unpretentiousness. His behavior at the beginning of the tale fully corresponds to his name-characteristic. In relation to the true, real meaning of the hero of the fairy tale, the name is contrasting.

Female names are more varied in fairy tales. Heroines with names are found next to nameless heroines (princess, princess, king's daughter). The name itself does not characterize the heroine; an epithet is introduced to characterize it: Elena the Beautiful, Elena the Beauty, Golden Braid, Vasilisa the Wise, etc. These definitions fully correspond to their essence.

The portrait of the heroes is characterized by schematism and traditionalism. An extensive and detailed portrait is completely unnecessary, since the hero’s behavior evokes a clear and similar idea of ​​his appearance among different people, and conjecture occurs within the framework of the fairy tale. In the image of the hero of a fairy tale, the people's worldview and belief in the omnipotence of good and justice find expression. The high moral qualities of the heroes are revealed through their actions. In most fairy tales, the hero, unlike other characters, is endowed with extraordinary strength, and the hero, unlike other characters, is endowed with extraordinary strength, and sometimes the opportunity to use the services of a wonderful assistant, for example, a wonderful horse, dog, cat, wolf, eagle, pike, bear and others. In addition, magical objects can also provide assistance in difficult times: a self-assembled tablecloth, walking boots, a flying carpet, a samogud harp, a horn, a mirror, a comb and others. A wonderful bride also appears in the fairy tale, who is always endowed with the ability to perform magic.

The setting of the fairy tale is also unusual. Very often events take place in the royal palace, and then are transferred to a fantasy world: beyond the seas and oceans, to the distant kingdom, the thirtieth state, to the underworld, etc. Here the hero meets various fantastic creatures such as Baba Yaga, Koschey the Immortal, the Serpent, Idolishche Poganoe, Dashing One-Eyed, etc. They have incredible strength and have a frightening appearance. The concept of terrible forces arose as an idea of ​​the dangers that primitive people encountered at every step.

1.2. Studying Russian folk tales in domestic science.

The study of the fairy tale begins in the 18th century. V. N. Tatishchev was one of the first to turn to this genre, seeing in his works a reflection of the life and history of the people. At the beginning of the 19th century, not only scientists, but also writers and public figures were interested in fairy tales. Since the 1850s, the first scientific schools in the field of folklore studies began to form in Russia. Scientists of the mythological school (F.I. Buslaev, O.F. Miller, A.N. Afanasyev) saw in fairy tales the necessary material for the study of myths, since they considered fairy tales to be their direct continuation. “The Poetics of Plots” by A.N. is of no small importance. Veselovsky. In lectures by A.N. Veselovsky, according to the theory of epic, expressed the idea of ​​“the need to construct the morphology of a fairy tale.”

A significant contribution to the study of fairy tales was made by E.V. Pomerantseva, who examined the historical path of folk tales and the current state of the fairy tale tradition (“Russian folk tale” (1963), “The Fates of a Russian fairy tale” (1965),

Among modern studies, the most famous is the work of T.V. Zueva “The Magic Tale” (1993).

In the 20th century, significant works in the field of studying fairy tales were “Morphology of Fairy Tales” by V.Ya. Propp and “On the question of the morphological study of folk tales” by A.I. Nikiforov (1928), which laid the foundation for the structural method of analyzing folklore genres. In the book by V.Ya. Propp's “Historical Roots of the Fairy Tale” (1946) examined the origin of individual motifs dating back to archaic rituals and mythological ideas; special attention was paid to the initiation rite.

In “Morphology of a Fairy Tale” by V.Ya. Propp, studying the form of a fairy tale, drew attention to the fact that fairy-tale characters perform the same actions, and proposed studying a fairy tale according to the functions of the characters:

• pest (antagonist),
• donor,
• wonderful helper
• kidnapped hero (requested item),
• sender,
• hero,
• false hero

An important component of the plot of a fairy tale are functions, that is, the actions of fairy-tale characters that create the development of the plot. There are 31 such functions. Propp correctly noted that fairy-tale functions tend to be paired, for example: prohibition-violation, absence-kidnapping, battle-victory, etc.

In our work, when analyzing the fairy tale, we want to rely specifically on the works of V.Ya. Proppa, i.e. use the method of structural analysis based on a historical basis.

Chapter 2. Structural analysis of the fairy tale “Vasilisa the Beautiful.”

The Russian folk tale “Vasilisa the Beautiful” is very popular. Children have known her since early childhood. An animated film was created based on it, and it is studied in literature classes at school. Having considered the features of a fairy tale, as well as ways to study it, we decided to analyze the selected fairy tale, relying on the knowledge gained from the work of researchers. V.Ya. Propp examined the principles of constructing a fairy tale. In our work, we will follow these patterns using the example of one fairy tale.

We will consider:

• images of the main characters;
• functions (actions) of characters that create plot development;
• compositional features of the construction of a fairy tale.

The fairy tale “Vasilisa the Beautiful” has a characteristic journey plot. Let's look at the functions performed by the characters in order. The main character's mother dies, and she is left with her stepmother and evil sisters. All this information gives us information about the ordinary world in which ordinary people live. This world in the fairy tale is “ours”. But already at the beginning of the story we meet an element from the “alien” world. Before her death, her mother left Vasilisa a doll that can speak and helps the girl. The doll is a hero-helper.

The name “Vasilisa” was not chosen by chance. The word “strength” is clearly heard in it. She is naturally strong, so we assume from the very beginning that she will be able to cope with any difficulties that come her way.

Trouble happens - the first function in a fairy tale. The sisters' candle has gone out, and someone needs to go to Baba Yaga to get fire. This function represents the beginning of a fairy tale. Being away from home - another common element of fairy tales. The heroine is given orders and sent into the forest. Since Vasilisa is the youngest of the sisters, she is the one sent. In ancient times, it was the youngest children who had the hardest time succeeding in life, and the fairy tale always reflected this. Sisters are pests, they try to deceive their victim by inflicting damage . Sisters also perform another function - they are senders. Vasilisa agrees to fulfill their instructions and leaves the house, her native space. Now she goes to a mysterious, unfamiliar place. Thus begins the heroine's journey. The road to the “alien” world becomes strange and mysterious. Along the way, the heroine meets riders: white on a white horse, red on a red horse, black on a black horse. These images are not accidental. They are symbolic and represent day, sun and night respectively.

In the “alien” world, Vasilisa is met by Baba Yaga. Meeting her is an obligatory element of the artistic world of a fairy tale. At this moment we are faced with another function described by V.Ya. Proppom –the heroine is being tested, is attacked and so on, this preparesgetting her a magic remedy. The kingdom into which the hero usually finds himself is separated from his father's house by an impenetrable forest. Usually, the hut on chicken legs, where he finds Baba Yaga, acts as a transitional place from one world to another. In the fairy tale “Vasilisa the Beautiful,” Baba Yaga acts as a giver, an assistant to the heroine. She meets her with the words: “Ugh, ugh! Smells like the Russian spirit! Who is there?" V. Ya. Propp explains it this way: “The smell of the living is just as disgusting and terrible to the dead as the smell of the dead is terrible and disgusting to the living. Baba Yaga is blind, she smells the hero because she does not see him. Baba Yaga is a dead man." This is confirmed by the description of the dwelling in the analyzed tale. The house is surrounded by dead bodies, human bones and skulls: “A fence around the hut made of human bones, human skulls with eyes stick out on the fence; instead of doors at the gate there are human legs, instead of locks there are hands, instead of a lock there is a mouth with sharp teeth.”

The image of Baba Yaga is mainly associated with a rite of passage. When the decisive moment came, the children were sent into the forest to a scary and mysterious creature. The initiate was decorated, painted and dressed in a special way. “In a fairy tale, taking children into the forest is always a hostile act, although in the future things turn out very well for the exile or the one taken away.” The boy who completed the ceremony returned home and could get married. In the forest, initiates were subjected to the most terrible tortures and tortures. In the ritual, the role of the hut was played by an animal. The remnant of this in the tale are chicken legs. “It must be noted that food plays an important role here. Baba Yaga feeds and gives water to the hero. He eats her food, joining the “other” world.” The rite of passage was a school, an apprenticeship in the truest sense of the word.

Undoubtedly, in the fairy tale “Vasilisa the Beautiful” one can find echoes of the most ancient rite of passage. The strange thing is that usually a young man was dedicated, but in this fairy tale a girl ends up in the forest. Thus, we can say that the fairy tale, which is basically a ritual, is undergoing changes. The girl passes the test and enters adulthood.

Having analyzed the image of Baba Yaga, we can confidently say that she is a representative of an “alien world” and only she knows secret knowledge.

Next function –heroine test: it is necessary to prepare dinner for Baba Yaga, clean the yard, sweep the hut, prepare the laundry, clean the wheat. The heroine copes and therefore receives the reward - the fire for which she came. This is a magical remedy. Thus,the initial problem is eliminated.

As a result, Vasilisa, finding herself in another world for some time, leaves it not only alive, but also with a gift. She managed to find her way to the next world and return back from where no one returns alive. Such a journey in the world of a fairy tale is allowed only to those who are initially connected with their parents and ancestors. And Vasilisa was blessed by her mother before her death.

The journey home begins. The complexity of the path “there” and “back” is not the same. The heroine goes “there” more slowly, encountering obstacles along the way, and the way back is easier and faster.Hero's returnis also a mandatory feature found in a fairy tale. It is related to the following:the pest is punished: “...the eyes from the skull look at the stepmother and her daughters and they burn! They wanted to hide, but no matter where they rush, eyes follow them everywhere; by morning they were completely burned into coal; Vasilisa alone was not touched.”

However, the fairy tale does not end there. Vasilisa getsone more task, this time from the king: sew a dozen shirts. Undoubtedly, she copes with it (functions:difficult problems and their solutions). The ending of the fairy tale isa happy ending, since this is an essential element of any fairy tale. The heroine marries the king, her father returns, now everything is fine.

When considering a fairy tale, it is necessary to talk not only about its structure, about a certain set of characters and their functions, but also about the compositional features of the structure. The result of our work is presented in the table:

Having analyzed the fairy tale “Vasilisa the Beautiful” using the method of structural analysis, which was proposed to be used in the study by V.Ya. Propp, we discovered that of the 31 functions performed by characters in various fairy tales, only eleven appear in this one. But, nevertheless, it is not their number, but their repetition that allows us to tell us that these functions are an important artistic component of any fairy tale. We were convinced of this by doing our work.

Conclusion

A fairy tale is one of the main and most remarkable genres of oral folk art. Their study and research will always be relevant.

Considering works on the theory of the folk tale genre, we identified its specific features and briefly highlighted the ways of studying fairy tales by different scientists.

We found out that in the 20th century, significant works in the field of studying fairy tales were the works of V.Ya. Propp “Morphology of the Fairy Tale” (1928) and “Historical Roots of the Fairy Tale” (1946). The first laid the foundation for the structural method of analyzing folklore genres. The author showed that the same actions are repeated in all fairy tales and identified 31 functions. “The Historical Roots of the Fairy Tale” examined the origin of individual motifs dating back to archaic rituals and mythological ideas; special attention is paid to the initiation rite.

Based on the knowledge gained, in this work we tried to find all the structural elements that V. Ya. Propp wrote about in the above works, in the fairy tale “Vasilisa the Beautiful”. As a result, we identified 11 functions performed by the characters, examined the images of fairy-tale heroes, and highlighted the compositional features of the construction of this fairy tale.

This work can be used both for further research activities and for work in the classroom while studying fairy tales.

Bibliography

1. Anikin V.P. Russian folktale. M.: Education, 1977. 208 p.
2. Afanasyev A.N. Russian folk tales: in 3 volumes / comp., art., approx. prepared L.G. Barag and N.V. Novikov. M., 1984-1985.
3. Zueva T.V., Kirdan B.P. Russian folklore: Textbook for higher educational institutions. M.: Flinta: Nauka, 2002. 400 p.
4. Lazutin S.G. Poetics of Russian folklore: textbook. a manual for philologist students. specialties of universities. M.: Higher School, 1981. 219 p.
5. Nikiforov A.I. Fairy tale, its existence and carriers / A.I. Nikiforov // Kapitsa O. I. Russian folk tales. M.; L.: Giza, 1930. P. 7-55.
6. Novikov N.V. Images of an East Slavic fairy tale. L.: Science. Leningr. department, 1974. 255 p.
7. Propp V.Ya. Historical roots of fairy tales. St. Petersburg: Publishing house St. Petersburg. University, 1996, 365 pp.
8. Propp V.Ya. Morphology of a fairy tale / scientific edition, textual commentary by I. V. Peshkov. M.: Labyrinth, 2001.192 p.
9. Propp V.Ya. Russian fairy tale. M.: Labyrinth, 2000. 416 p.

A fairy tale is a beautiful creation of art. Scientists interpret the fairy tale differently. Some of them, with absolute clarity, strive to characterize fairy-tale fiction as independent of reality, while others want to understand how the attitude of folk storytellers to the surrounding reality was refracted in the fantasy of fairy tales. Should any fantastic story be considered a fairy tale in general, or should we distinguish other types of it in oral folk prose - non-fairy tale prose? How to understand fantastic fiction, without which none of the fairy tales can do? These are the problems that have long troubled researchers.

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A fairy tale is a beautiful creation of art. Scientists interpret the fairy tale differently. Some of them, with absolute clarity, strive to characterize fairy-tale fiction as independent of reality, while others want to understand how the attitude of folk storytellers to the surrounding reality was refracted in the fantasy of fairy tales. Should any fantastic story be considered a fairy tale in general, or should we distinguish other types of it in oral folk prose - non-fairy tale prose? How to understand fantastic fiction, without which none of the fairy tales can do? These are the problems that have long troubled researchers.

The famous fairytale expert E.V. Pomerantseva gives a definition of a fairy tale, which is worth agreeing with: “A folk tale (or kazka, tale, fable) is an epic oral work of art, predominantly prosaic, magical, of an adventurous or everyday nature with a focus on fiction. The last feature distinguishes a fairy tale from other genres of oral prose: tales, legends and tales, that is, from stories presented by the narrator to listeners as a narration about events that actually took place, no matter how unlikely and fantastic they may be."

Probably the most common and most beloved fairy tale among people is the fairy tale. It goes back to ancient times.

All fairy tales have common features. Firstly, they are similar in the generality of their construction. The simplest scheme of the predecessor of a fairy tale contained the following links as mandatory:

1) as a starting point - the existence of a ban; 2) violation of the prohibition by someone;

3) a consequence of the violation consistent with the nature of mythological ideas;

4) a story about the practice of magic; 5) its positive result and the hero’s return to well-being.

Each of the fairy tales of later times gravitates towards the structure of these stories as its original narrative basis. Secondly, not a single fairy tale is complete without a miraculous action: sometimes an evil and destructive, sometimes a good and beneficial supernatural force intervenes in a person’s life. Wonderful fiction lies at the heart of this type of fairy tale.

Let's try to understand the origin of this fiction using the example of the Russian folk tale "The Frog Princess". From the very beginning, the fairy tale takes the listener (reader) into a strange world, unlike the one that surrounds a person. The narrative immediately captures the imagination. The father forces his sons to take bows and shoot an arrow at

different sides: where the arrow falls, take the bride there! This episode cannot seem like anything other than a free invention to a modern reader with views alien to the ideas of those times, when people attached importance to this peculiar fortune-telling and firmly believed in the fate to which they entrusted themselves. But this belief still persisted, and the ancient motif was retained in the fairy-tale narrative.

The eldest son's arrow fell into the boyar's courtyard, the arrow shot by the middle son landed in a merchant's courtyard, and the youngest son's arrow fell into a swamp and was picked up by a frog. The older brothers were cheerful and happy, but the younger brother cried: “How can I live with a frog?” The brothers got married: the eldest - to a hawthorn tree, the middle one - to a merchant's daughter, and the younger brother - to a frog. They were married according to the ritual.

The younger brother did not receive any dowry for his wife: a frog lived in a dirty and swampy swamp. On the contrary, the older brothers married with benefits. The ancient motif of the destitute son takes on new meaning in this tale. In the artistic narrative, the life situation turned out to be changed. All that remains from the long-standing tradition is the memory that it is the younger brother who should have the hardest time.

Poetic imagination recreated a picture full of lively ironic meaning - a frog is held on a platter during a wedding: how else could Ivan, the youngest son, stand next to him and lead the frog bride by the hand.

The hero's bitter thoughts about the power of fate, which gave him a bug-eyed green and cold frog as his wife, are conveyed in the fairy tale with naive simplicity and psychological clarity: “How to live? To live is not to cross a field, not to cross a river!” A fairy tale seeks to capture the hero’s state of mind; it specifically speaks about a person’s experiences.

Communication with the powerful forces of nature makes the hero of a fairy tale strong. He and his wife are helped by “nurses” whom the priest once assigned to the frog. The fairy tale almost forgot that it is the family connection with the natural world that makes the hero both powerful and strong. It talks about the youngest son in the family as a person who remained faithful to the previous ethical standards. He does not seek wealth and marries a simple swamp frog.

Let's take a closer look at the fairy tale characters in their correlation with people's beliefs and mythical characters.

The title character, the frog, is a character widely represented in the myths and legends of many peoples. In various mythological and poetic systems there are both positive (connection with fertility, productive power, rebirth) and negative (connection with the chthonic world, pestilence, illness, death) functions of the frog, determined primarily by its connection with water, in particular with rain . In some cases, the frog, like a turtle, fish or any sea animal, holds the world on its back, in others it acts as the discoverer of some important cosmological elements. Among the Altai people, the frog discovers a mountain with a birch tree and stones from which the first fire is made. Sometimes the frog is associated with the water elements of chaos, the original silt (or mud) from which the world arose. In Burma and Indochina, the image of a frog is often associated with a spirit that swallows the moon (therefore, the frog is considered the cause of an eclipse). In China, where frogs are also associated with the Moon, they are called “heavenly chickens”, as there is a belief that frogs fall with dew from the sky. The motif of the heavenly origin of frogs allows us to consider them as transformed children (or the wife) of the Thunderer, expelled to earth, into the water, into the lower world (compare with the Russian sign “until the first thunderstorm the frog does not croak” and the widespread ideas about the croaking of a frog for rain, about their appearing with rain, etc.).

The connection of the frog with the god of the sky is indirectly attested in Aesop's fable about the frogs asking the Thunderer for a king for themselves. The motif of frogs as transformed people, also known in Australian mythology, is not limited to their connection with the Thunderer; in a Philippine etiological myth, a man who fell into the water and was carried across the river in a basket turns into a frog; The same range of ideas includes the motive of turning into a frog for deception, images of the so-called frog prince in German folklore and, finally, images of the Frog Princess in Russian fairy tales.

Having completed a brief excursion into the myths and beliefs of various peoples with the participation of a frog, we will move on to consider other characters. After Ivan violated a certain prohibition by throwing a frog skin into the oven, and received punishment in the form of excommunication from his wife, he encounters a group of characters very typical of fairy tales, especially fairy tales - animals (the title character is one of them).

A childish, naive attitude towards living nature became the basis of man’s views on the living world: the beast is intelligent and speaks. Tales about animals took forms of fiction from the ideas and concepts of primitive people, who attributed to animals the ability to think, speak and act intelligently. The ideas of people who attributed human thoughts and rational actions to the beast arose in the vital struggle for mastery of the forces of nature.

The first animal that Ivan Tsarevich saw after meeting the “old man” who gave him a ball to show him the way was a bear. In the minds of any person familiar with fairy tales, the bear is a beast of the highest rank. He is the most powerful forest animal. When in fairy tales one animal replaces another, the bear is in the position of the strongest. Such is the tale of the little tower, the beasts in the pit, and other tales. One must think that this position of the bear in the animal hierarchy is explained in its own way by its connection with those traditional pre-story mythological legends in which the bear occupied the most important place as the owner of forest lands. Perhaps, over time, the bear began to be seen as the embodiment of the sovereign, the ruler of the district.

Fairy tales constantly emphasized the enormous strength of the bear. He crushes everything that comes under his feet. Even in ancient times, the bear was considered a special creature; one had to beware of it. The pagan belief in the bear was so strong that in Ancient Rus', in one of the canonical questions they asked: “Is it possible to make a fur coat from a bear?” The answer was: “Yes, you can.” Why is this question asked specifically about the bear? Is it because this beast has been considered an inviolable creature since ancient times? But this, of course, contradicted the spirit of the new Christian religion. So, nothing prevents us from recognizing the existence of a bear cult among the Slavs as more than likely. The idea of ​​a patron close to the totem was associated with the bear. But even regardless of the solution to the question of whether the ancestors of the Eastern Slavs had totemism or not, scientists have proven the fact that the Slavic peoples had mythical ideas about animals endowed with intelligence. It was a world that people were afraid of and did not want to quarrel with: people observed all sorts of customs and magical rituals. This also applies to other animals that the main character meets. The drake, the slanting hare and the pike, which Ivan Tsarevich took pity on and did not kill, later served him well. In fairy tales, there is a widespread motive of gratitude to an animal, which becomes a faithful friend and helper of a person. The animals take the side of the hero when he shows generosity and does not harm them. The later explanation for such a fabulous episode is natural: the beast rewards good for good. A different explanation for this was given in ancient times. Almost all peoples had a custom of killing the totem bird, the beast. Considerations for the inviolability of the totem were combined with expedient measures to preserve game at a time when it was breeding. Perhaps tales of grateful animals reflect these ancient fishing customs.

Let's draw some conclusions. The appearance of fairy tales about animals was preceded by stories directly related to beliefs about animals. These stories did not yet have an allegorical meaning. The animal images meant animals and no one else. Existing totemic concepts and ideas obligated animals to be endowed with the traits of mythical creatures; animals were surrounded by reverence. Such stories directly reflected ritual, magical and mythical concepts and ideas. This was not yet art in the literal and precise sense of the word. Stories of a mythical nature were distinguished by a narrowly practical, life purpose. It can be assumed that they were told for edifying purposes and taught how to treat animals. By observing certain rules, people sought to subordinate the animal world to their influence. This was the initial stage of the emergence of fantastic fiction. Later, fairy tales about animals and tales with their participation were based on it.

“How long, how short, the ball rolled towards the forest. There stands a hut on chicken legs, turning around itself.” Among the images that arose on an ancient life basis is the image of a female assistant, an enchantress and a sorceress. A rare fairy tale is complete without a story about the sinister old woman, Baba Yaga, who, however, turns out to be very caring and attentive to the hero. Let us remember what features and what role Yaga is endowed with. She lives in a dense forest, in a strange hut on chicken legs. According to the wonderful spell “Hut, hut, stand in the old way, as your mother put it: with your back to the forest, with your front towards me,” the hut turns towards the hero and he enters this strange dwelling. Baba Yaga greets the daredevil with the same traditional grunts and snorts.

V. Ya. Propp, in his study of the fairy tale, wrote that Yaga was uncomfortable with the smell of a living person. “The smell of the living is just as disgusting and terrible to the dead as the smell of the dead is terrible and disgusting to the living.” Baba Yaga is dead. She lies across her hut “from corner to corner, her nose rooted in the ceiling.” Ieba is too tight for Yaga, she feels like she’s in a coffin. That Yaga is a dead man is also indicated by her bone-legged appearance. Baba Yaga is blind: she does not see the hero, but smells him. In Yaga, apparently, people saw an ancestor on the female line, who lived beyond the line that separates living people from the dead. The cult of ancestors along the female line was closely related to totemism and the cult of nature. This explains the old woman’s special power over the living world of nature, and she herself has many animal traits. In some fairy tales, Yaga is replaced by a goat, a bear, or a magpie. Yaga herself has the ability to transform into different birds and animals. Yaga’s closeness to the mythical images of the rulers of the natural world also explains the special character of her hut on chicken legs. The hut, reminiscent of a coffin in its cramped space, is perhaps evidence of the late poetic development of the ancient custom of burying the dead in trees or on a platform (the so-called air burial).

Baba Yaga told Ivan Tsarevich that his wife was with Koshchei the Immortal, and also told how to deal with him. The image of Koshchei expresses the world of violence and misanthropy. Undoubtedly, Koschey is a representative of that social force that violated the ancient clan orders of equality and took away from a woman her former social role. Koschey always appears in fairy tales as a kidnapper of women, turning them into his slaves. In addition, he appears in fairy tales as the owner of untold wealth. Fairy tales depict Koshchei as a withered, bony old man with sunken, burning eyes. According to fairy tales, he increases and decreases the age of people, but he himself is immortal: his death is hidden in an egg, and the egg is in a nest, and the nest is in an oak tree, and the oak tree is on an island, and the island is in the boundless sea. The egg, as it were, materializes the beginning of life; this is the link that makes continuous reproduction possible. Only by crushing an egg can life end. The fairy tale did not put up with the unjust social system and ruined the immortal Koshchei. Resorting to imaginary means of dealing with Koshchei, storytellers ended the life of this creature in a completely understandable and naive way - the embryo was crushed. In this episode we encounter partial magic (it is based on replacing the whole with a part), characteristic of fairy tales (remember flint, steel, etc.). The death of Koshchei, this tale says, “at the end of a needle, that needle in an egg, the egg in a duck, the duck in a hare, that hare sits in a stone chest, and the chest stands on a tall oak tree, and that oak Koschey the Immortal is like its own eye, protects." The hero overcomes all obstacles, picks up a needle, breaks the tip - and now “no matter how much Koschey fought, no matter how much he rushed in all directions, he had to die.”

This is where we will end our far from comprehensive, but quite complete analysis of the Russian folk tale "The Frog Princess", which is a fairy tale - an example of national Russian art. A fairy tale has its deepest roots in the psyche, in the perception, culture and language of the people.

Used Books:

1. Anikin V.P. Russian folk tale. - M.: "Enlightenment", 1977.

2. Meletinsky E. M. Hero of a fairy tale. Origin of the image. M., 1958.

3. Myths of the peoples of the world. Encyclopedia. - M.: "Soviet Encyclopedia", 1988,

Analysis of a fairy tale"Feather of Finist-Yasna Sokol"

Why do children like fairy tales so much? Just as the consciousness of a child, untouched by science, tries to explain everything that happens around him through magic, so folklore consciousness helped a person in those distant times to fill the world around him with meaning, explaining the phenomena around him through faith in something supernatural. Features of the religious worldview of that time are: animism, totemism, fetishism, magic. Without knowing it, we have encountered these early forms of beliefs since childhood in all Russian folk tales. I had the opportunity to dwell on each of the forms in more detail using the example of the fairy tale “The Feather of Finist-Yasna Falcon.”

Already at the beginning of the plot, we encounter the familiar number “three”, and it will accompany us throughout the entire tale (three daughters, the old man went to the city three times, three pairs of shoes, three staves, three prosviras, three old sisters, three Maryushka went to Finist for three days, they went to church for three days). Other numbers are also familiar: “beyond distant lands in the thirtieth kingdom,” denoting an almost incomprehensible, distant space associated with the other world. The connection with this world can also be noted in the following moment: Maryushka asks for Finist-Yasna Sokol’s feather, and her sisters ask for ordinary, worldly things: a contrast can be traced, as it were, between two different worlds (“mythological opposition”: the human world and the unknown, inexplicable).

Who is Finist - the Clear Falcon, whose feather is so necessary for the main character? The hero's name contains the names of two different birds: Finist and Falcon. It is known that for “Russian wedding folklore the image of a falcon as the groom is typical. In Slavic mythology, the falcon is mysteriously associated with the element of fire and the cult of the hearth, which over time became a cultural symbol of family well-being. Of particular interest is the first component of the name - Finist. Here we have before us the name of one of the most legendary birds, distorted into Russian, known in the mythology of different nations. The Greeks call it Phoenix, the Chinese Feng-huang, the Egyptians - Venu (Benhu, Bennu). According to legends, the Phoenix is ​​a wonderful bird that lives for an amazingly long time, five hundred or more years” (Kryachko A.A.). Considering in a broader sense, namely, the very transformation of a person into an animal, we should note the connection with totemism.

In the fairy tale under study, we can assume the following: Maryushka’s desire to possess Finist’s treasured feather expresses the eternal craving of the human soul for something incomprehensible, eternal. “From the point of view of fairy tale wisdom, being of this kind is often revealed through the acquisition of wholeness in marriage, which requires sacrifice and selflessness. The feather is a symbol of such love and dedication.” Having received her treasured feather, the heroine gives him freedom: “Fly in an open field, take a walk for the time being.” I think the images of the wind, flight, and the bird itself are associated with ideas about the bird as a soul. Hence the connection with animism. “Shelter from the dark night” Maryushka asks each of the three old women; one can see the fear of the shackles of the night and, again, the animation of the forces of nature.

Negative characters, which are present in all fairy tales, are also here, so due to the self-interest of her sisters, Maryushka loses her “dear friend” and she can return him only by overcoming painful obstacles. The motif of the barrier can be seen in all fairy tales. In all cases, the “Thirtieth Kingdom” is interpreted as a world that undoubtedly neighbors the world of heroes, but the path to which is not easy and full of trials. Iron shoes, cast iron staves, stone breads personify the burden that the heroine bore in order to achieve her happiness. Rather, it represents a later religious worldview associated with tolerance, which will be rewarded. (In addition to this moment, there are also those that point to a later religion, or rather the Easter holiday, the church, the maltmeal). So, in the fairy tale, the motive of traveling to another world, in contrast to mythological ideas in which this kind of journey is considered posthumous, is an indication of the only true path to one’s happiness.

The ability to store, protect from harm or bring good luck was explained by the presence of a magical, miraculous power in an object or the presence of some spirit in it (fetishism - an enchanted thing). “From a mythological point of view, movement to another world and movement in it is possible only with the help of mediators - intermediaries to whom the “doors” between worlds are open. In fairy tales of this kind, the mediators are anthropomorphic and zooanthropomorphic characters.” The function of the donor (in our case, these are anthropomorphic characters - three old sisters) in fairy tales is to transfer to the hero a wonderful means, an object with the help of which he achieves what he wants. In this tale, I included fetishes: a silver bottom, a golden spindle, a silver dish and a golden egg, a golden hoop and a needle. At some point, they brought good luck to the main character, helped her get what she wanted and achieve her happiness.

In the world where Maryushka finds herself, having overcome obstacles, the mallow lives, again there is a connection with mythological ideas: the feminine is the evil principle. In this kingdom, Finist does not fly, he is in oblivion, which indicates that this kingdom is holding him captive. Thus, the heroine, apparently, finds herself in the underworld, and Maryushka needs to solve a difficult task: “to open the narrowed “door” between the worlds.”

Magic - the awakening of Finist (the tear burned). Read more about the meaning of a “burning tear”: “love – “hot”, “fiery” - is associated by mythological consciousness with fire. Fire is both a cleansing and destructive element. Thus, by the fiery power of love, evil spells can be destroyed, and the soul, cleansed of their effects, awakens from oblivion.” In the fairy tale about Finist, tears serve as such an awakening force that manifests love. Through a dream he hears speeches, a sleeping potion - a dream as a space between worlds. Magic also includes the appearance of a golden carriage and the transformation of the main characters.

So, a fairy tale still requires an attentive and thoughtful attitude: in addition to the entertaining and educational components, there is also an educational one: in it you can find echoes of history, learn about the thoughts and worldview of our distant ancestors.

Fairy tales are distinguished from others by the special nature of their fiction. Supernatural forces are always at work in them - sometimes good, sometimes evil. They work miracles: they raise people from the dead, they turn a person into an animal or a bird. There are also terrible monsters: Koschey the immortal, Baba Yaga, the fiery serpent, and wonderful objects: a flying carpet, an invisible hat, walking boots.

People began to create fairy tales, just like tales about animals, in ancient times. He could not explain many natural phenomena and could not control them. Since the origin of the phenomena was not clear, people attributed them to supernatural power. There were beliefs in witches and sorcerers who could work miracles by knowing the spell words. These same magical powers (just maybe in a different form) also exist in fairy tales. The people in those distant times believed in magical things and objects: a ring, an ax, a belt, a scarf, a mirror, an apple.

And how many fairy tales are based on belief in the magical power of words!

Later, people realized many phenomena, and the connection between the fairy tale and ritual magic was lost. At the same time, people's poetic imagination grew. There was a lot I wanted to be able to do, but the real possibilities did not allow me to do it. The dream found scope in fairy tales. Man dreamed of subjugating the forces of nature, building beautiful palaces, moving quickly, living long, and always being well-fed.

A. M. Gorky speaks of the fantasy of fairy tales in the following way: “There is nothing in the world that cannot be instructive - there are no fairy tales that do not contain the material of “didactics”, teaching. What is most instructive in fairy tales is “fiction” - the amazing ability of our thoughts to look far ahead of the fact...”

A. M. Gorky’s idea about the creative basis of fairy tales was repeatedly emphasized by many Soviet folklore researchers. “Fairy tales,” writes V.P. Anikin, “are a kind of ideological, aesthetic and ethical code of the people; moral and aesthetic concepts and ideas of the working people, their aspirations and expectations are embodied here. Fairy-tale fiction reflects the features of the people who created it. The joyful and bright fiction reflects the people’s faith in victory over the black forces of death, destruction, and faith in social justice.”

The books for reading in grades I-III present such magical, folk tales as “The Snow Maiden”, “Geese-Swans”, “Seven Simeons”, “Everyone Got His Own”, “The Wonderful Apple Tree”, “The Bird Kahka” and some others .

Fairy tales also include “The Tale of the Goldfish” by A. S. Pushkin and “Hot Stone” by A. P. Gaidar.

In each of these fairy tales, the heroes resort to the help of objects or living creatures that have unusual, magical powers. In the fairy tale “Geese and Swans”, such helpers for the girl Masha were the stove, the apple tree and the milk river - the banks of jelly. The birch bark horn of Simeon the Younger, the golden arrow of Simeon the shooter, and Simeon the grain grower could plow sea sand, sow rye, harvest crops, and bake bread for the whole journey in one hour (the tale “Seven Simeons”) have unusual properties. As soon as the old woman clapped her hands, two chests full of precious stones appeared in front of Vladislav. “The old woman waved her hand, the Apple tree moved, shook off the roots from the ground and went to fetch the shepherd.” And the old man from the fairy tale “Everyone Got His Own” only had to say a few words to the poor woman so that she would spend the whole day measuring the canvas that came from nowhere.

The specificity of fairy tales, as noted above, is that unusual transformations take place in them, implausible forces act, etc. Therefore, when analyzing such fairy tales, only clarification of the direction of magical forces will be specific (who they help and why, how this characterizes fairy tale heroes, etc.). Otherwise, the analysis of the tale will be carried out in the same way as the analysis of the story.

A special place among this group of fairy tales is occupied by A. Gaidar’s fairy tale “Hot Stone”. The fairy tale is interesting for its clearly expressed social orientation. This is a new, our, Soviet fairy tale. Its content is close to the story. Only the episode with the stone is fabulous.

The fairy tale brings up a complex philosophical question for discussion: what is the meaning of life, what is a person’s happiness? Representatives of two generations: the older one, who fought for the establishment of Soviet power in our country, and the very young one, who is just starting to study at school, present the answer to this difficult question to the reader. The author gives each of them the opportunity to speak; and not only speak out, but also prove your approach in practice. To do this, the author creates a fairy-tale situation: break the stone and you can start life over again. Indeed, this is only possible in a fairy tale. Starting to live again means (as in any matter) that life did not give a person anything good, he was unable to live it with dignity, there were many mistakes and the main thing was not found. What is the main thing? What constitutes the core of a real, worthy human life? This brings together two questions, equally important and at the same time very close, interacting with each other. The author gives the answer to them by the very development of the plot, by the old man’s story about his life, by revealing his understanding of happiness.

An example of a modern fairy tale with a pronounced social orientation is “The Tale of Three Letters” by Yu. Fuchik and B. Silov. When analyzing this type of fairy tale, the focus should be on revealing its real basis and idea. The analysis of such a tale comes as close as possible to the analysis of a story. Much attention is given to clarifying specific events and the attitude of the actors towards them. “The ship is sinking! People are calling for help!” - this is the main event that forms the thematic basis of the fairy tale. A rich man, a large stockbroker, a carpenter, a mechanic, a chimney sweep and other representatives of poor, ordinary people react differently to a distress signal. The rich do not care whether the sailors of the Batayava die or not. Ordinary people on the shore are unable to help the sinking ship, although they passionately want to do so. The Soviet ship Kyrgyzstan comes to the rescue. The sailors from the ship "Batayava" were rescued. “And it should always be like this” - the fairy tale ends with these words. Working people will always come to the aid of their comrades - this is the idea of ​​the fairy tale. From the point of view of students’ awareness of this idea, the teacher organizes all work on the fairy tale.

Fairy tales do not know irreparable misfortunes. They invariably place the heroes in the position of winners, making the listeners rejoice when the monster is laid low and the villain is punished. The people who created fantastic stories dreamed of the triumph of justice and happiness. Despite the machinations of the evil stepmother and her malicious daughters, Khavroshechka becomes happy, the daughter of the old man from the fairy tale “Morozko” gets rid of death and returns home with gifts.

Not a single human insult remains unavenged; inconsolable grief in fairy tales can be dispelled and misfortune corrected. This is what magical stories, full of incredible miracles, were written for.

In another fairy tale, according to Anatoly Vasilyevich Lunacharsky, “the truth is heard.” This is the truth of the aspirations and expectations of ordinary people reflected in fairy tales. ( This material will help you write correctly on the topic of the meaning of magical Russian fairy tales. A summary does not make it possible to understand the full meaning of the work, so this material will be useful for a deep understanding of the work of writers and poets, as well as their novels, novellas, short stories, plays, and poems.) Every fairy-tale story has its own truth - in the stories of Ivan the Tsarevich, Marya Morevna, Finist - the clear falcon, Ivan the merchant's son, Damask steel, the Frog Princess, Khavroshechka, Alyonushka, the good Martynka from the fairy tale "The Magic Ring" and the heroes other fairy tales.

Often in fairy tales, a despised and humiliated person is granted prosperity and high rank. Storytellers dress peasant sons in the clothes of kings, make them rulers, whom everyone loves with unfeigned love for justice and kindness. This is the dream of the happiness and freedom of the common man.

The serious meaning of some fairy tales provided grounds for judgment on the most important issues of life. While in exile, far from Russia, Alexander Herzen wrote the article “The Russian People and Socialism.” It was published in French. The great Russian revolutionary spoke about the freedom-loving aspirations and struggle of the Russian people against tyranny and oppression. Herzen recalled a fairy tale about a slandered wife: “A very common fairy tale in Russia says that the Tsar, suspecting his wife of infidelity, locked her and her son in a barrel, then ordered the barrel to be tarred and thrown into the sea.

The barrel floated on the sea for many years.

Meanwhile, the prince grew by leaps and bounds and began to rest his feet and head on the bottom of the barrels. Every day it became more and more cramped for him. One day he said to his mother:

Empress Mother, allow me to reach out to my heart's content.

“My little prince,” the mother answered, “don’t reach out.” The barrel will burst and you will drown in salt water.

The prince fell silent and, after thinking, said:

I will reach out, mother; It’s better to stretch out to your heart’s content and die...

“In this fairy tale, dear sir,” Herzen concluded his article, addressing one of the leaders of the revolutionary movement in Europe, “is our whole history.”

Whatever they talk about, storytellers tell it as if they themselves witnessed the events. The vivid pictures of fairy tales capture the imagination. Ivan the peasant son came to the Smorodina River. It's midnight. The damp earth shook, the water in the river became agitated, violent winds blew, eagles screamed in the oak trees. This is the twelve-headed miracle Yudo. All the heads are whistling, all twelve are blazing with fire and flame. The miracle-yud's horse has twelve wings, the hair of the horse is copper, the tail and mane are iron. How can you not be scared, but Ivan, the peasant son, defeated the monster.

Together with the storytellers, we are carried away by our imagination into the underground kingdoms, into the heavenly heights, we speak with the sun, the month, we reach the stars, we find ourselves in dense forests, we swim through rivers of fire, we see how Koschey dies: his death was at the end of a needle, and the needle was in an egg, and the egg is in a duck, and the duck is in a nest, and the nest is on an oak tree, and the oak tree is on an island, and the island is in the ocean-sea. Ominous geese-swans serve Baba Yaga.

Forest animals and reptiles are also on her errands. The witch turns the princess into a duck. The Firebird flies into the garden from unknown countries and pecks at the royal apples. The gray wolf carries Ivan the Tsarevich, helps him, and when Ivan is killed by his evil brothers, he forces the raven to bring living water to resurrect his murdered master-friend. The wonderful pipe speaks the truth about her lost sister. An orphan gets into a cow's ear, comes out of another and becomes a beauty, and all her work is already done. The forest lord Frost presents a patient peasant girl with wedding gifts. Twelve doves fly to the seashore and turn into beauties: they splash in the sea and do not notice that the clothes of one of them were taken away by the prince. The frog turns into a princess and dances at the royal feast: he waves his sleeve - a lake is created, he waves another - white swans swim across the lake. The world of a fairy tale is an extraordinary, amazing world. His beauty is exciting. The first acquaintance with him leaves an indelible mark on the soul for many years - for life.

With all this, storytellers taught to distinguish between truth and lies, fiction and reality. “The wedding was fun,” says the end of one of the fairy tales. There was a feast, the storyteller himself was at that feast, drank mead beer, but “it flowed down his mustache, but didn’t get into his mouth.” Fairytale fiction does not deceive with unrealistic ones. The combination of fiction and truth, miracle and sense of reality is known only to truly high art. Storytellers knew the meaning of dreams, fantasy, and fiction in people's lives. Fairy tales inspired a spirit of confidence, cheerfulness, and joyful acceptance of life’s struggle for justice. And this is their social value.

Fairy tales achieve this goal all the more successfully because they delight the mind, just as an intricate drawing pleases the eye. A cheerful combination of words, an entertaining character, and a special tone make fairy tales a vivid example of art, akin to painted horses and clay rams, delicate patterns of folk embroidery, and fancy wooden toys.

There is no firm boundary that separates an everyday fairy tale from a magical one, as well as from fairy tales in which animals act. This is because all fairy tales essentially talk about the same thing, although in different ways. Unlike a fairy tale, an everyday fairy tale is more ironic and mocking. The joke here permeates the entire story.

Emelya caught a pike in the ice hole. In gratitude for the returned freedom, she taught him to say miraculous words: “By the command of the pike, according to my desire.” Emelya immediately said them on the river - and the buckets of water themselves climbed up the mountain, came to the hut, stood on the bench themselves and did not spill any drops. Emelya’s ax began to chop wood on its own, and the wood went into the stove.

The miracles of everyday fairy tales are deliberate invention, ridicule, but, as in other fairy tales, they are not aimless. Emelya the Fool does not wish harm to anyone, and people around him fuss, cunning, and cunning. And although they really want to be both noble and rich, luck will pass them by. Emelya becomes lucky: the Tsar’s daughter fell in love with him, and no one else, and Emelya became rich and noble. The fool Emelya, like the similar “fool” Ivanushka, is an “ironic success”. The meaning of these everyday tales is not in glorifying tomfoolery, but in condemning the imaginary mind of those who boast of their superiority and do not value simplicity, honesty, and kindness. Storytellers do not see anything good in the fact that one person will deceive another, get the better of him, cheat, want to profit from someone else’s, lie.

The tale of a lucky soldier is reminiscent of the tale of Emelya. He gaped in St. Petersburg on a bridge and fell into the Neva. It happened just opposite the Winter Palace - and the princess was standing on the balcony. Out of nowhere, a mouse, a beetle and a crayfish appeared. They pulled the soldier out of the river. The soldier's mouse took off his footcloths, the beetle squeezed out the footcloths, and the crayfish arranged its claws and began to dry the footcloths in the sun. Princess Nesmeyana looked and looked and suddenly burst out laughing. And before that, no one could make her laugh. The soldier, according to the conditions announced by the king, was immediately married to the princess. The story of the “ironic success” repeated itself, only in a special way.

A completely different tale is about how a peasant divided a goose at the table: he got almost the entire goose, and the master and his family received something: wings, head, legs, butt. The master, however, was not angry: the peasant really pleased him with the words with which he accompanied the division.

The farm laborer Shabarsha sat down on the bank to twist a rope; The devils became curious, so they sent an imp-boy in a black jacket and a red cap to find out why Shabarsha was twisting the rope. Readers can easily recognize in Shabarsha the hero of Pushkin’s fairy tale about the priest and the worker: almost everything here is like in the poet’s fairy tale - the race, and the throwing of a club behind a cloud, and other actions of the heroes. Pushkin appreciated the folk tale - he preserved its meaning, decorating the presentation with the brilliance of his genius.

Young Frost wanted to freeze the peasant, but he could not: he did not get through to him - the peasant began to chop wood and warmed up. And Frost also got it from him: Frost climbed into a sheepskin coat that had been discarded during work - he turned his splint into a splint; The man took a log that was longer and more knotty and beat it on the sheepskin coat to make it soft. Frost barely escaped: he thought he would disappear.

In everyday fairy tales, irony and jokes often become merciless satire. The sting of these tales is directed against priests, barons, royal officials, lordly judges and royal lackeys. The people took revenge on the oppressors. As one of these fairy tales says, a peasant inadvertently killed an evil master's dog. The court decided to deprive him of his “human title”: they forced him to live with the master, bark and guard the master’s property. What to do? The man began to live with the master, barking at night, but the time came - and the man “made the master bark. They drove through a dark forest, the master became afraid, the peasant pointed to a dry cokorina tree and said:

Bear! Now bark yourself, otherwise the bear will eat you.

And the master barked.

An envious priest wanted to profit at the expense of the peasant, says another fairy tale, and decided to take away the treasure he had found. He put the goat skin on himself, went under the window and demanded the goods from the peasant. The poor little man decided that the devil himself had come to him for the chervonets. He gave the money, the priest took it away, but only from then on did the goatskin grow to the priest and remain on it. In all such tales, the clergy are depicted as selfish, hypocritical encroachers on peasant property.

Fairy tales about stupid, talkative and frivolous women, about fools, but not imaginary ones, but real ones, are entertaining and funny. One guy wanted to eat. He bought a roll of bread and ate it. If I didn't eat enough, I bought another one. And the other kalach did not satisfy him. I bought a third one, but I still want to eat everything. I bought a bagel, ate it, and became full. Then the man hit himself on the head and said:

What a fool I am! Well, I ate so many rolls in vain. I should eat one bagel first.

The ax that the resourceful soldier cooked became a proverb. An obvious absurdity, which is “invented in order to benefit, is called “porridge from an ax.” The expression “Good, but bad” has also become a proverb; there is a special, different fairy tale on this topic, from where this expression passed into our everyday speech.

Such fairy tales are very similar to jokes. They are as short as jokes, and no less witty. The liar Whiplash said to the rich man with whom he spent the night:

What kind of house is this? Here at our house: chickens peck the stars from the sky.

Whip's friend - Sneaky added:

Yes, that’s right... I saw: our rooster dragged for half a month like a piece of paper.

Everyday fairy tales express a sharp ironic meaning and that joke in which the mind of the people shines.

The collection includes samples of Russian fairy-tale folklore. Among children's publications, this is perhaps the most complete book. In it, readers will find very characteristic, typical tales. They are presented in writers' adaptations and editions, but such that retain the artistic originality of folk tales. This applies primarily to fairy tales processed in the last century by the famous fairy tale publisher Alexander Nikolaevich Afanasyev, the great teacher Konstantin Dmitrievich Ushinsky, Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy, as well as the Soviet writer Alexei Nikolaevich Tolstoy. Some texts were taken from scientific collections and subjected to minor editorial changes (for example, little-used, local words were omitted, which - it would be appropriate to note here - were often omitted by the storytellers themselves).

The collection contains a list of outdated and local, obscure words, preserved in cases where their replacement by others, more understandable, would entail the loss of artistic originality. A dictionary will make it easier to understand fairy tales and help you understand some important nuances of their conversational style.

There is no doubt that reading folk tales will bring the reader many happy moments. As if on wings, they will carry him into an imaginary world, more than once making him marvel at the richness of folk imagination, and those who begin to reflect on what they have read will discover the deep meaning of folk fantasy. Fairy tales are an intelligent miracle created by the artistic genius of the people, “a wonderful miracle, a wondrous wonder,” as storytellers say about their creations.