Fairy Tale Basics - Vocabulary, Links

Fairy Tale Basics/Vocabulary

Here is a great resource on the fairytales (good place to look at Baba Yaga, bogatyri, domovoi, etc):

http://clover.slavic.pitt.edu/tales/images.html


Folklore
The traditional beliefs, legends, customs, etc. of a people; lore of a people; collected wisdom of a people (oral, ritualistic; associated with nature, agrarian aspects of a given culture; associated with calendar feasts and rites of passage).
Russian folklore entails byliny (sung quest songs about bogatyri, bogatyrki, maidens, and villains), skazki (tales), and songs as well as wooden lacquer boxes with illustrations of folkloric scenes, linen towels with folkloric elements, etc.
Fairy Tale
A story involving supernatural people or events (not necessarily fairies). Narrowly defined, fairy tale refers to popular fairy tales, which lack a specific author or time of composition. Texts similar to popular fairy tales but written by a specific author are qualified as literary fairy tales.
Animism
1. The belief that natural objects, natural phenomena, and the universe itself possess souls or consciousness (part of the Shinto religion, for example as well as part of what ancient Greeks and pagan Russians believed). 2. The belief that souls may exist apart from bodies. Russians believed there were many spirits and sprites that inhabit forests, lakes, rivers, trees, etc..
Anthropomorphic
Ascribing human form or attributes to a being or thing not human, esp. to a deity.
Ritual
Any practice or pattern of behavior repeated in a prescribed manner (e.g., religious ritual). Primety (signs) and some obryady (rites) would fall into this category. Like spitting three times across the left shoulder and wiping with the left foot. Or throwing holy water on Epiphany.
Remythologize
The reinterpretation of rituals belonging to one system as belonging to another. The pagan winter solstice celebration became Christmas after the christianization of Rus' (the early East Slavic state, centered in Kiev). After the institution of state atheism in the Soviet Union, traditional features of Christmas were recast as a celebration of the New Year (e.g., Santa Claus became Father Frost).
Dvoeverie
"Double faith" or "double belief." The simultaneous subscription to two different, and possibly even contradictory, belief systems. Characteristic of early Russian Christianity, where people observed Christian rites but nonetheless continued to adhere to certain pagan beliefs and practices. This was common in old England (Shrovetide, May day with May poles, as well as old Russia where some deities now were given saint status)
Metamorphosis
A complete change of form, structure, or substance as transformation by magic or witchcraft.
Constant/Fixed Epithet
A descriptive adjective used unvaryingly to qualify a noun, frequent in Homer's epics and in folklore genres, e.g., oxen-eyed Hera, wine-red sea, open field, bright falcon, beauteous maiden. Note also fixed formulae, such as "run as a gray wolf" in Russian, the good, kind horse, raven-black horse. When the formula is mentioned, the reader knows that the hero described by the formula will appear.
Magic Numbers
1, 2, esp. 3, 7, and their multiples, e.g., 3 x 3.
The Number Three
Triad: A group of three, esp. of three closely related or associated persons or things.
Trebling: Repetition in groups of three (e.g., three siblings, three tasks).
Magic Objects and Elements
Examples from Ivanits, chapter 1: Cyclicity (ring, egg, drawing or walking in circles around something, circle dances), fertility (egg, seed, tree), purity (fire, water), bounty (livestock, grain, fruits and vegetables, bread, feasting), return of the sun after winter (fire, birds, pussy willows, early bloomers), personifications of holidays (effigies), etc.

Links

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baba_Yaga

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koschei

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rusalka

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bogatyri

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domovoi

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vodyanoi

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leshii