Most of the fairy tales that we find in the Afanas’ev collection are both strange and familiar at the same time. They are familiar, because many of the Russian fairy tales are in fact renderings of stories we already know e.g. from the Brothers Grimm. Here too, the famous Cinderella theme and stories similar to The Magic Table, The Gold-Donkey, And Cudgel in the Sack1 or The Golden Bird are very popular. There are indeed, very few plots that are not reminiscent of Western fairy tales. Why exactly this is the case is unknown. It may be that the stories travelled or that they were taken up into the Russian folklore after the Grimms’ had published their stories in Germany.
Yet, the Russian fairy stories are by no means just copies. Russian folklore has a long history and through being narrated within a different culture every story is shaped differently and is adapted to its new surroundings.
Therefore the best way to find out what the distinctive qualities of Russian fairytales are, is to read as many Russian tales as possible and to compare them to the versions we know in order to find out, what it is that is typical and unique to the Russian tales. When we have found this quintessential difference, we shall have found what makes them ‘strange’.
To find out, we need to look at what are perhaps the four most important aspects of any story: its ‘Themes and Content’, how these are illustrated with ‘Motifs’ and how ‘Narrative Structure’ and ‘Language’ are used.
Themes and Afanasiev’s recordings include a large variety of folk narrative. Apart from fairy tales there are fables, poems, songs, moral teachings, anecdotes and jokes, but here I will only look at those stories, which can be easily defined as true fairy tales. By this, I mean those tales, which are relatively long (they fulfil more than just one or two proppian functions) and tell of animals as well as humans.
Table of Contents
1. Themes and Content
2. Motifs
3. Narrative Structure
4. Language
Objectives and Topics
This essay explores the distinctive qualities of Russian fairy tales within the Afanas'ev collection, specifically investigating how they compare to Western counterparts like those of the Brothers Grimm. The central research question seeks to identify what makes these narratives unique, focusing on their cultural grounding, structural peculiarities, and stylistic elements.
- Comparison of thematic representation in Russian vs. Western fairy tales
- Analysis of specific Russian motifs, such as Baba Yaga and the cultural significance of the "food and drink" ending
- Examination of narrative structures, specifically the prevalence of retardation and oral-based storytelling flaws
- Evaluation of the influence of local Russian culture, history, and social reality on folklore
Excerpt from the Book
Themes and Content
Like the Grimm’s tales, which I see as representing the Western tales, the Afanas’ev stories tell of princes and princesses, tradesmen and craftsmen, poverty and great riches, luck and ill luck, magic and magical objects, animal grooms and evil beasts. Many of the plots are identical to the western tales known to us and it is only the language and the motifs that vary a bit. I already mentioned the ever famous Cinderella story, but there are many more.
Still, even though the basic storylines are so similar, there is a great difference in perspective. However fantastic the Russian fairy stories are in their details (flying carpets, witches a.s.o.), they still represent a very down-to-earth realist and rationalist viewpoint. This is particularly apparent in The Magic Shirt. Here, the princess is not the ideal partner just because she is a princess, but she prefers someone of her own rank and is treacherous and evil. It is the cook, who truly belongs to the soldier and who is more helpful to him than any princess.
Summary of Chapters
Themes and Content: This chapter establishes the baseline similarities between Russian and Western fairy tales while highlighting a critical divergence toward a more realist, cynical, and culturally specific perspective in Russian narratives.
Motifs: This section details specific Russian archetypes, most notably the ambivalent Baba Yaga, and discusses how the Russian tales incorporate motifs from medieval epics and horror stories that contrast with Western versions.
Narrative Structure: The analysis focuses on the lack of formal cohesion in Afanas'ev’s collection, explaining how oral storytelling traditions lead to unresolved mysteries, confusing plot threads, and the overuse of structural retardation.
Language: This final chapter examines the stylistic perfection of Russian fairy tales, emphasizing the importance of unique opening and closing formulae, particularly the "food and drink" endings that ground the stories in peasant social life.
Keywords
Afanas'ev, Russian fairy tales, Brothers Grimm, Folklore, Baba Yaga, Oral tradition, Narrative structure, Cultural identity, Themes, Motifs, Retardation, Stylistic formulae, Peasant life, Realism, Comparative literature.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this essay?
The essay analyzes the distinctive characteristics of Russian fairy tales found in the Afanas'ev collection by comparing them to more familiar Western tales, such as those by the Brothers Grimm.
What are the four main aspects analyzed in the text?
The author evaluates the stories based on "Themes and Content," "Motifs," "Narrative Structure," and "Language."
What is the central research question?
The core question is what specifically constitutes the "strange" or quintessential difference in Russian fairy tales compared to the Western canon.
Which scientific methodology is applied?
The paper uses a comparative literary approach, analyzing textual samples from the Afanas'ev collection against Western versions to identify similarities and unique deviations.
What characterizes the Russian fairy tale according to the author?
Russian tales are characterized as having a more realist, sometimes cynical viewpoint, deeply rooted in the daily lives and problems of the Russian peasantry.
What role do the selected keywords play?
Keywords like "Baba Yaga," "retardation," and "stylistic formulae" identify the technical and cultural elements that define the Russian fairy tale's uniqueness.
Why does the author consider Russian fairy tales "cynical"?
The author argues that many Russian tales provide practical, often brutal advice for daily problems (like a lazy wife) and lack the "happily ever after" illusions found in Western tales.
What is the significance of the "food and drink" ending?
It serves as a unique cultural marker where the storyteller highlights the economic reality of the storytelling situation, often asking for payment or food in exchange for the tale.
- Citar trabajo
- MPhil Rebecca Steltner (Autor), 2001, The distinctive qualities of Russian fairytales (as reflected in the Afanas’ev collection), Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/16176
