Myths, Legends & Tales of Old Russia

[AGRBear]

All of us have our favorite myths, legends and tales from Old Russia.  This subject was started under Peasant/ Workers under Imperial Russia when the conversation turned to "double faith".

Tell us your favorite and what you think the moral of the story was, if there was one, or,  why you think it was important for the particular myth, legend or tale to be told over and over....

AGRBear  

[Annie]

I like the Baby Yaga story about the girl who is helped by the animals! You know the one whose evil stepmother is Baba Yaga's sister, but her good aunt tells her to give things to the animals so they help her and she gets away!

[Lisa]

Vassilissa-the-very-beautiful






but I love also the Firebird,


Baba Yaga


Ivan Tzarevich , etc, etc.

[AGRBear]

The tale of the firebird, Tsarevich Ivan and the Grey Wolf can be found in many books about Russian Myths, Legends and Tales.

In brief there was a "mighty Tsar" who owned an tree that bore golden apples.  It was discovered that apples were being stolen during the night.  Evidently the thief was the FIREBIRD.  The Tsar asked his three sons (Dimitri, Vasily, Ivan) to capture the thiefing bird.  The eldest Dimitri took the first night watch but fell asleep and the FIREBIRD stole more apples.  The second night was the middle son's, Vasily's,  turn.  Like his elder brother he fell asleep and more apples had vanished into the night.  The third night was Ivan's turn.  Ivan waited and waited for hours then quite suddenly there was this illuminnation of radiant golden light which filled the garden where Ivan watched and the apple tree stood.  It was the FIREBIRD who sparkling crystal eyes and wings of golden flames who had set the garden into such a marvelous glow which continued as the FIREBIRD landed on a limb of the apple tree and started to pick the golden apples.  Ivan moved very slowly as not to draw attention to himself and he seized her but she was stronger and faster and left in his crasp  one feather.

In the morning Ivan showed his father the feather which continued to glow like a "thousand candles".

Never again to the FIREBIRD come into the garden to steal the golden apples.  

[to be continued......]

AGRBear

[AGRBear]

The story doesn't end here.  The mighty Tsar was "obsessed" with the thought of having such a trophy as the FIREBIRD in his palace.

Ivan's two older brothers were jealous of Ivan so they set out to find the FIREBIRD togather.

Finally, Ivan convinced his father that he'd, also, like to search for the FIREBIRD and it is his adventure we follow in this tale to a large open field which held a tall pillar with words written upon it.
The words were directions.  The first one told the road was straight but the travelors would become hungry and cold.  The second told that the travelor would be safe but his horse would be killed.  The the third told the travelor would die but the horse would be safe.

Ivan chose the road where he would be safe but his horse would be killed which the horse was on the third day by a gray wolf who ate the horse and ran away.

Young Ivan shed many tears for his horse as he continued his journey by foot.  He walked and walked and walked....

The grey wolf who had a full belly slept for a time and when he woke thought about the travelor and snifed the air and followed his scent.  The grey wolf found the travelor foot sore and exhausted.  And,  he asked the travelor why had he chosen the road where he knew his horse would be eaten.  Ivan told the wolf who he was,  the purpose of his journey,  and he had thought he would be able to buy a horse after losing him to the grey wolf.  Feeling sorry for Ivan, he offered to take Ivan on his back to find the FIREBIRD.  As fairytales often do,  they give the travelor a quick and fast journey.  And they grey wolf, who was faster than any horse,  did deliver Ivan quickly to his distination.  They stopped at a stone wall which the grey wolf told Ivan to climb because over the wall was a garden where he could find the FIREBIRD in his golden cage which Ivan must not touch.  If the cage was touched, Ivan would be caught fast to it and the guards would capture him and take him to their Tsar Dolmat.

Ivan did manage to climb the wall and seize the FIREBIRD from the spectactular golden cage.  As he walked back to the wall,  he thought about that golden cage and it's great value....   And, it was greed, a terrible human failure,  that made Ivan turn and go back to steal the cage.  But Ivan tried to fool himself and convinced himself that it wasn't the value of the cage it was his need to have a cage for the FIREBIRD so he could take it home without the worry of the FIREBIRD escaping.  So, like the grey wolf had warned,  Ivan became fasten to the cage, the guards captured Ivan with the FIREBIRD and the cage and took him to Tsar Dolmat.

The furious Tsar Dolmat wanted to know why Ivan had tried to steal the FIREBIRD.  Ivan told Tsar Dolmat about the FIREBIRD's thiefry of his father's golden apples.  The anger of Tsar Dolmat faded as he listen to the truth.  He then explained to Ivan that a man who steals another man's property is a man who disgraces himself and his family.  Tsar Domat continued to say  if Ivan had come to him and had told him about the FIREBIRD's stealing of the apples,  he would have given the bird to Ivan.  To pay for his attempt at the thief of the FIREBIRD,  Tsar Dolmat offered Ivan the bird, which had disgraced the Tsar Dolmat, but only after Ivan redeemed himself by doing Tsar Dolmat a favor.  I asked Ivan to travel to the Kingdom that was way beyond Twenty Nine Countries [Lands] where he could obtain for him  from Tsar Afron a beautiful golden mane horse.  If he failed this task,  Tsar Dolmat would declare over all the lands that Ivan was a thief and should thereafter be treated like a thief.

So Ivan's adventures continued.  

It is a delightful story filled with morals and, of course, love, because Ivan meets the fair Princess Elena, and, it has the same ending all fairy tales do, "they lived happily ever after".

I remember that every story my one grandfather, who was born in Russia in 1880s,  had a moral because each story was to give me a lesson in life. Not all had happy endings, however.   I just wish I could remember all of them.  

AGRBear

[AGRBear]

Palekh

A.Glazunov 1929

Pulled this over to this thread..... It is a copy of a lid of a lacquer box showing Ivan holding the feather of the Firebird in his father's garden....

AGRBear

[AGRBear]

Send me your links of sites about Russian Myths, Legends & Tales of Old Russia:

1. List of stories you can read which are available on the internet:
    a. http://home.freeuk.com/russica2/
     b.

You can read the Little Humpack Horse here, in English.  

http://home.freeuk.com/russica2/books/horse/book.html



I have this version of this book at home one in French, the other in Russian), the illustrations are wonderfull!! I recommand it!

    c. Here is a site which I enjoy which explains the various characters often mentioned in myths, legends and tales: http://members.aol.com/hpsofsnert/index.html
 


AGRBear

PS  I will add or change old site link URLs for new and it will be noted with an "*".

[Lisa]

Thanks AGRBear for these precious informations...

I remember a Russian cartoon about the Firebird, which was very wonderfull... It was shown on the French TV when I was young (begining 1990's). I think it was made in the 1950-60's, but I'm not sure...I never can find it. Do you know it or heard about it?

[Mike]

I remember a Russian cartoon about the Firebird, which was very wonderfull...

Most probably it was a classic Soviet animated film "Konyok-Gorbunok" (The Little Humpback Horse"), produced in 1947 by Ivan Ivanov-Vano and remade in 1975.
The images of Little Horse and Firebird have always been extremely popular in Russia; they can be seen on chocolate bars, candy boxes etc.

[Lisa]

Thank you soooo much, Mike!
I know that you will know and answer to this question!

[Katya04]

I was surprised to find out that Jack Frost was originally a Russian folk legend!

And who could forget Peter and the Wolf?

[AGRBear]

Just the mention of Peter and Wolf brings to mind the Disney production and if I close my eyes and shut off the tv  [watching fox news],  I can hear the music in my head.

Here is just one of many sites about Peter and the Wolf:
http://www.philtulga.com/Peter.html

AGRBear

[RomanovFan]

Just the mention of Peter and Wolf brings to mind the Disney production and if I close my eyes and shut off the tv  [watching fox news],  I can hear the music in my head.

Here is just one of many sites about Peter and the Wolf:
http://www.philtulga.com/Peter.html

AGRBear

Do you mean the cartoon? Was that by Disney?
I always think of the little bird when "Peter and the Wolf" comes to mind.
Peter...then Ivan was the cat, Sonya, the duck, Sasha, the bird,...I don't think the wolf and grandfather had names did they?

Peter's theme is my favorite out of all of them.

Poor Sonya gets eaten by the wolf in end...I remember that part pretty well.  
I've actually heard music from "Peter & the Wolf" played on several classical stations here in WA.

[Elisabeth]

There was a recent reprint of Aleksandr Afanas'ev's famous "Russian Fairy Tales" -- the best collection extant. I  got my copy at Sam's a few years ago. My favorites are "Baba Yaga" and "The Armless Maiden" -- the first because it contains so many echoes of pagan Slavic beliefs, and the second because it is the Russian version of a folktale known all over Europe, east and west.

[AGRBear]

Yes,  I was referring to the Disney cartoon movie.

During the Christmas/Holiday Season,  our local Symphony usually has a children's concert and one of the pieces played is Peter and The Wolf.  

Do you mean the cartoon? Was that by Disney?
I always think of the little bird when "Peter and the Wolf" comes to mind.
Peter...then Ivan was the cat, Sonya, the duck, Sasha, the bird,...I don't think the wolf and grandfather had names did they?

Peter's theme is my favorite out of all of them.

Poor Sonya gets eaten by the wolf in end...I remember that part pretty well.  
I've actually heard music from "Peter & the Wolf" played on several classical stations here in WA.

Elisabeth,  I am not familar with the story of the Armless Maiden.

Tell us more,  please.

Lisa, could you explain a little more on the marvelous images you've posted?  Thanks.

AGRBear