Fairy-tale characters who had love. Fairy-tale characters of Russian folk literature. Male images: “there are still no shortage of heroes on the Russian land!”

The mermaid is one of the most controversial images. Information about him differs significantly in the complex of beliefs of the Russian North (as well as the Urals and Siberia) in comparison with the data of the Ukrainian-Belarusian and South Russian demonological systems.

The first of these complexes is characterized by the following features: firstly, the scarcity of stories about a female character called a mermaid; secondly, the rapprochement of this image with characters more popular for the northern Russian tradition, defined by the terms vodynikha, joker, goblin, devil, etc.; thirdly, there is a noticeably accentuated connection between the “mermaid” and the water element.

Northern Russian materials note the fact of single (and not group) appearance of mermaids; predominantly a terrible appearance, the appearance of a naked woman with saggy breasts or a long-haired, shaggy woman (less often, a woman in white). Here there are stories about their winter appearance in an ice hole or that a mermaid in the form naked woman chasing a man's sleigh riding through the forest in winter.

In this tradition, tales about the cohabitation of a mermaid with a man represent a development of the plot about an “imaginary wife”: a female werewolf visits a hunter in a forest hut under the guise of his wife, gives birth to a child from him, and when the hunter recognizes the werewolf evil spirits, the mythical “wife” tears her child in two and throws him into the water (the same plot is typical for the images of the goblin, devil, and forest maiden).

The situation is different with the “mermaid” complex of beliefs characteristic of Ukrainian-Belarusian and South Russian demonology. In many places, the appearance of mermaids is inconsistently described, either as young beauties, or as a neutral female image, or as old, scary-looking women.

The following became mermaids: deceased unbaptized children; brides who did not live to see their wedding; children and girls who died as a result of violent death. When asked about appearance mermaids often heard that they walked the earth in the same form in which unmarried deceased girls are usually buried: in a wedding dress, with loose hair and a wreath on their heads. That's right, according to folk custom, they dressed up the dead girls, as if arranging a symbolic wedding for them. It was believed that the souls of people who died before marriage cannot finally pass on to the “other world” and from time to time invade the world of the living.

The second most important feature of the “mermaid” image should be the seasonality of one’s stay on earth. There is a widespread belief that Rusal Week is a “festival of mermaids”; that's when they supposedly appeared from the afterlife and all week they frolicked in fields, forests, and places near water (sometimes they entered the houses of their relatives). At the end of this period, the mermaids returned “to their places” (they went into the water, into the graves, into the “other world”).

According to East Slavic beliefs, mermaids appear in a cereal field during the flowering period of rye; among the southern Slavs it was believed that rusaliyas and rusalians reside in places where the rosen plant blooms abundantly. Apparently, it is this circle of beliefs that clarifies the etymology of the “flower” name of the mermaid (associated with the name of the flower “rose”), since it is known that the ancient holiday rosalia, dies rosae was timed to coincide with the flowering period of roses and was a memorial rite in honor of those who died untimely young people.

You should pay attention to the significant differences between the folklore mermaid and the eponymous literary way. A list of all the “mermaid” images created in fiction would be a very long list. All of them are depicted as drowned women and inhabitants of waters, endowed with the features of treacherous beautiful maidens, women with fish tails who lure their victims into the water, seeking the love of earthly youths, taking revenge on unfaithful lovers, etc. This standard image has become firmly established not only in fiction, but also into everyday consciousness, and into many scientific dictionaries and encyclopedias. Its source turned out to be not so much authentic data from folk demonology, but similar characters from ancient and European mythology that became popular in the book tradition (nymphs, sirens, naiads, undines, melusines and other mythical water and forest maidens).

Characters invented in Russia are symbols of the childhood of each of us, while different countries world they are perceived completely differently. For example, if in Russian mythology Baba Yaga is an evil spirit, then among the Scandinavians a similar character is the goddess of the kingdom of the dead, Hel.

Female images: “my light, mirror, tell me...”

Vasilisa the Wise, Elena the Beautiful, Marya the Mistress, Frog Princess, Snow Maiden, Alyonushka - female images who possessed not only stunning female logic, but also kindness, wisdom, beauty, and sincerity. The most striking of them are:

1 A fragile little girl, Santa Claus's assistant - a favorite New Year's guest, a role model for naughty children. Since the mid-19th century, the image of a little granddaughter has been replaced by a young beauty, with the obligatory kokoshnik or fur hat, the preferred clothing of Russian women.

No country in the world can boast of such magical and romantic biography like the Russian Snow Maiden. In Italy, this is the fairy Befana, an old woman with a hooked nose who flies to children on a broom, giving gifts. A kind of “Santa Claus” in a skirt. The Mongols call their Snow Maiden Zazan Okhin, the girl Snow. The heroine traditionally asks riddles and gives gifts only after hearing the answer. In the USA, Santa has only reindeer as his assistants, but there is no Snow Maiden.

It is curious that if you try to translate the word Snow Maiden into English using the Google Translate service, the result will always be different. Yesterday Snegurochka was translated as “Snow - boy” (literally - snow boy). Today, Snegurochka in the service database is translated as Snow-maiden (Made from snow).

2 Masha, the Bear's restless companion, a naughty character in the record-breaking 3D cartoon.

The green-eyed fidget is fluent in hand-to-hand combat techniques, loves to be capricious and mischievous, and asks questions that are difficult to answer. The prototype of the animated series was the folklore heroine of a Russian folk tale. Director O. Kuznetsov borrowed character traits from the hero of O. Henry’s story “The Leader of the Redskins.” The team behind the series does not adapt native Russian characters for broadcast in different countries.

3 Baba Yaga- witch, heroine of Slavic mythology, endowed magical power. Negative character lures good fellows to his hut on chicken legs, without fail he gives the heroes a fairy-tale horse and a magical navigator of those times - a ball of thread. The Russian witch is not always friendly, but if you have the gift of eloquence, she can help.

4 Firebird, fairy bird, which heals the sick and restores sight to the blind, is the sister of the Western European bird Phoenix, which knew how to revive from the ashes. The father of the two fiery heroines was most likely Peacock.

Each heroine is an individual, embodying good or evil, her actions and actions are directly related to her character and mission.

Male images: “there are still no shortage of heroes on the Russian land!”

No less colorful is the top positive male images, clearly conveying the spirit of the Russian man. The main images are always antagonistic: in contrast to the beautiful, there is always something bad. Without which male characters are Russian fairy tales unthinkable?

1 Father Frost.

In the Russian version - Morozko, Studenets, the mighty lord of the winter blizzard. The character adored by children rides three horses, binds ponds and rivers with the sound of a staff, and sweeps away cities and villages with his cold breath. IN New Year together with the Snow Maiden gives gifts. During the Soviet era, Grandfather was dressed in a red fur coat, the color of the country’s flag. The image of the popular Grandfather, who “wanders through forests and meadows” is played out differently in different countries: Santa Claus, Joulupuki, Jouluvana.

This is interesting:

According to the most conservative estimates of scientists, Santa Claus is already more than 2000 years old. For two thousand years, Santa Claus has appeared more than once in different images. First - in the guise of the pagan god Zimnik: an old man of small stature, with white hair and a long gray beard, with his head uncovered, in warm white clothes and with an iron mace in his hands. And in the fourth century, Santa Claus was reminded of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, who lived in Asia Minor in the city of Patara.

Grandfather began coming to the house with gifts with the beginning of the New Year celebrations in Rus'. Previously, he gave gifts to the obedient and smart, and beat the mischievous ones with a stick. But the years have made Santa Claus more compassionate: he replaced the stick with a magic staff.

By the way, Father Frost first appeared on the pages of books in 1840, when Vladimir Odoevsky’s “Children’s Tales of Grandfather Irenaeus” was published. In the book, the name and patronymic of the winter magician became known - Moroz Ivanovich.

In the twentieth century, Santa Claus almost disappeared. After the revolution, it was considered that celebrating Christmas was harmful for the people, because it was a real “priestly” holiday. However, in 1935, the disgrace was finally lifted, and soon Father Frost and the Snow Maiden appeared together for the first time at the Christmas tree celebration in the Moscow House of Unions.

2 Three Bogatyrs. Strong, brave, cheerful heroes have long become a symbol of Russia, thanks to a series of full-length adventures by Alyosha Popovich, Dobrynya Nikitich and Ilya Muromets. In fact, the brave fellows never met in life; according to epics, they even lived in different centuries.

This is interesting:

In 2015, the 6th part of the saga, “Three Heroes: Knight's Move,” released on screens, collected 962,961,596 rubles. Almost 1 billion rubles! Thus, the film became the highest-grossing animated film of the year. Although it all started modestly: the box office of the first part - “Alyosha Popovich and Tugarin the Serpent” (2004) - amounted to 48,376,440 rubles. Then the fees grew steadily.

3 Ivan the Fool(third son) is a character who embodies a special “magic strategy”: the hero acts contrary to common sense and always succeeds! The fool excels at solving riddles, defeats evil spirits and valiantly saves the main character.

Pinocchio, Crocodile Gena, Doctor Aibolit, Barmaley, Winnie the Pooh, Leopold the Cat and Matroskin the Cat are also among the most popular and beloved heroes of Russian cinema, who rightfully occupy high positions in the ranking of fairy-tale characters.

Evil spirits: guardians of forests, swamps and houses

The largest group of Russian folk epics consists of mythical creatures. Vodyanoy, Kikimora, Leshy, mermaids, Brownie, Baba Yaga - magical images that appeared along with the inexplicable forces of nature. In their actions and character, these are more negative characters, but at the same time, they are charming and charismatic in modern films and cartoons, these include:

1 Koschey the Immortal. A character with supernatural powers. According to legends, he is a treacherous old man who kills domestic animals. The sorcerer often kidnaps the protagonist's fiancee in the hope of "mutual love."

This is interesting:

In Soviet cinema, Koshei was brilliantly played by actor Georgy Millyar. Basically, he played all sorts of evil spirits and he had to apply complex makeup. But for the role of Koshchei the Immortal, makeup was practically not needed, since the actor himself resembled a living skeleton (after contracting malaria, the actor’s weight was only 45 kg).

Koschey the Immortal - Georgy Millyar

• Article

They create the mythical reality of folklore: these heroes are an important part of the life of our ancestors. Description magical power, which each of the heroes owned and believed in in ancient times, has reached our time practically unchanged, although now it is not entirely clear to us. Children's fairy-tale characters are familiar to us from a very early age, but gradually their images fade from memory. Let's remember some of them.

Male fairy tale characters

Ivan Tsarevich, aka Ivan the Fool, aka Ivan the peasant son. The main qualities of this character are nobility and kindness. In any of the fairy tales, Ivan helps and saves, which ultimately leads to a successful resolution of the situation, and to his happiness. teaches the reader to listen to his heart, to his intuition, to maintain honor in any situation and not to lose his presence of mind. Ivan is often accompanied by his faithful horse or Gray Wolf. The Horse is a symbol of devotion and fidelity, but the Wolf is a symbol of cunning: they help Ivan in all his endeavors. The antithesis of Ivan is often Koschey the Immortal - a negative Russian character folk tales, evil sorcerer. His death is hidden in several nested objects and animals. In fairy tales, Koschey kidnaps the heroine and hides her at the end of the world in his castle, and Ivan usually saves her. Less often, Koschey acts as a symbol of wisdom and a keeper of knowledge.

Female fairy tale characters

Vasilisa the Beautiful, aka Vasilisa the Wise. The main qualities of the character are wisdom, beauty, loyalty. She is not just a heroine, she is faithful assistant Ivan, who must free her from captivity with Koshchei, or her stern father, or Zmey Gorynych, or any other villain. Vasilisa does not helplessly wait to be rescued, but helps the hero in every possible way, gives him advice, turns to her friends among people and animals. Vasilisa is a symbol of wisdom and virtue; from her the reader learns to be responsive and patient. Another female character found in Russian fairy tales is Baba Yaga, also known as Yaga-Yaginishna. This is perhaps the most ancient character and the most multifaceted. Yaga usually lives in and is famous bad character- it’s better to avoid her hut on chicken legs. She casts spells and spells, but nevertheless more often helps than harms the heroes. Baba Yaga sometimes acts as a symbol of wisdom and the keeper of ancient knowledge.

Animals - fairy-tale characters

The Serpent Gorynych is a symbol of evil, representing a dragon with three, six, nine or twelve heads. Often the Serpent kidnaps the heroine and keeps her in captivity, from where Ivan must free her. Gorynych also often acts as a guard at the gates to underground kingdom or Koshchei's house. Cat-Bayun is an insidious character who lulls you to sleep with his voice. He knows many songs and tales, but often acts on the side of evil. It is often a pet of Yaga or Koshchei. Of the most neutral heroes of the animal world of Russian fairy tales, one can name the Firebird. She has great healing powers. She often becomes the object of desire of kings, kings and Koshchei himself, so the hero often goes in search of her. It is not so easy to catch the Firebird, because it blinds and burns with its light.

The characters of Russian fairy tales are diverse, and the fairy tales themselves contain great wisdom...

Amy Adams and Megan Ory are two such different actresses, similar in three things. Firstly, they both played fairy-tale heroines: Amy as Giselle in Enchanted, and Megan as Little Red Riding Hood in Once Upon a Time. Secondly, both actresses were born on the same day - August 20, and today Amy turns 41 years old, and Megan turns 33 years old. Thirdly, they have almost identical noses, which makes the actresses look a little similar.

In honor of Amy Adams and Megan Ory's birthday, Love2Beauty looks back at other actresses who played fairy-tale heroines.

As already mentioned, Amy played the beautiful princess of the fairy-tale kingdom of Andalasia in the fantasy musical film Enchanted. Giselle dreamed of a handsome prince, had incredible in a beautiful voice, an open soul, an optimistic outlook on life and obvious design talent (just look at her cute dress made from curtains). Thanks to an evil witch, the girl came into our world and for a long time could not adapt to the usual everyday life of harsh New York. Yes and her lush wedding dress(which, by the way, weighed 18 kg) clearly embarrassed the residents of the metropolis, since they were not used to seeing such princesses on the streets of the city. The creators of the film came up with Princess Giselle herself for this fairy tale - she collected the image of many fairy-tale princesses. In it you can see Cinderella, Snow White, Aurora, Ariel, and Belle. As the story progresses, Giselle becomes more mature and less naive, but continues to look at the world cheerfully, and her modern dresses make the princess a real girl. All fantasy costumes were designed by Mona May, who made it her mission to combine Disney design with fashion, style and fun.

This fairy-tale heroine from the fairy tales of Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm has been familiar to everyone since childhood. In the fantasy series Once Upon a Time, her image is slightly changed. Riding Hood lives with her grandmother, but her relationship with the gray wolf is somewhat different, because she is a real werewolf. Little Red Riding Hood is saved from the curse by a stylish red cloak sewn by her grandmother.

But the fairy-tale heroine also has a real one - this is the waitress Ruby, who she became after the curse. This girl is distinguished by her bright appearance, love for red lipstick, short shorts, blouses and skirts. In general, her image is more reminiscent of a girl of easy virtue than the kind little girl Little Red Riding Hood, which we are all used to seeing. And she does not have a soft disposition. Even if such a girl met in the forest gray wolf, it would be bad for him, not for her.

French interpretation fairy tale of the same name Jeanne-Marie Leprince De Beaumont, where the beautiful Lea Seydoux played the role of the daughter of a poor merchant, and the charming Vincent Cassel played the role of the terrible but kind Beast. Belle is a brave girl who is not afraid to go to the Beast’s castle and even sometimes contradict him. Main feature The film is incredibly beautiful and expensive costumes of the main characters (especially Belle, since throughout the entire film the Beast was dressed in the same red suit with a lush high collar), for which Pierre Yves Gayraud himself was responsible.

While working on Belle's costumes, the artist played with styles, textures, fabrics and colors. Each heroine’s dress is a real work of art that you want to not only try on, but also study thoroughly. According to Leia herself, her outfits were not only spectacular, but also comfortable. Some dresses even had to be made in several copies - for especially extreme scenes.

A new version of everyone's favorite fairy tale has revealed to the world such talented actress as Lily James. The plot is not very different from the classic Western European fairy tale - a girl named Ella loses her mother early, her father marries a real bitch with two daughters, who humiliates her stepdaughter. The poor girl doesn’t see the light of day - she cleans, washes, cooks, endures bullying. At the same time, she does not give up hope for a bright future. The filmmakers paid special attention to the search for a costume designer - the choice fell on three-time Oscar winner and true professional Sandy Powell. She was inspired by the 19th century, the 40s and 50s of the 20th century and the Golden Years of Hollywood. When creating Cinderella's everyday dress, Sandy abandoned rags, preferring simple dress, decorating the bottom a little. Cinderella's ballet shoes were made of silk and looked more like pointe shoes than regular shoes. One cannot fail to note the chic dress made of azure-lavender silk, in which the heroine went to the ball - it was made in the best traditions of Disney and seemed to shout to the prince about the upcoming wedding.

Well, Cinderella’s famous crystal shoes were made by Swarovski and made of crystal. The actress did not even try them on, since the shoes were not intended to be worn - they were made specifically for demonstration on camera.

In the fourth season of the fantasy Once Upon a Time, you could see the character of the Disney cartoon Frozen performed by Georgina Haig. Elsa is the Queen of Arendelle, who from birth has the amazing ability to freeze everything around her. She is beautiful, reserved and reserved, because she is forced to hide her gift from ordinary people. Throughout the series, Elsa appears to us in classic look, created in the cartoon - she has a stylish braid and a “cold” sky-colored dress with a weightless train. The dress turned out to be so airy, stylish and simple that you could easily go to the prom in it.

Anne Hathaway played the role of the enchanted Ella in the film of the same name, based on the novel by Gail Carson Levine. The plot is somewhat reminiscent of the story of Cinderella - Ella's mother dies of illness, her father marries a nasty aunt with two daughters, and the girl also has a fairy godmother. From this inexperienced fairy godmother (who is not averse to drinking with giants in a bar), the girl received an unusual gift - the gift of obedience. No matter what she is told to do, Ella does everything unquestioningly. Having revealed Ella's unique ability, her stepsisters take advantage of it. To get rid of the gift, the poor girl is forced to go in search of her godmother. In this fairy tale, Ella wears rather modest outfits of the same type (mostly white and blue color), the only exception was the wedding dress that she wore to her wedding with the prince.

In the humorous film adaptation of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale, Snow White appears before us as a fairy-tale, warlike, kind and sometimes cold-blooded girl who had to endure an obnoxious stepmother. The make-up artists did a good job on the image of Lily, making her a real Snow White, as we remember her in the cartoon - scarlet lips like blood, snow-white skin, resinous hair and eyebrows.

The costumes for the film were created by the magnificent Eiko Ishioka, inspired by Asia, Eurasia and Russia. Snow White's outfits (as well as other characters) were distinguished not only by their pomp and richness, but also bright accents. For example, Snow White's costume at the ball in the palace personified a snow-white swan (as if referring us to the famous Tchaikovsky ballet " Swan Lake"), and the distinctive detail of the costume was an absurd headdress in the form of a swan's head. It is impossible not to note the yellow dress in which the girl escaped from the palace - its bright spot was the golden cape with a hood, in which you can easily hide from the rain.

Svetlana Misnik(born December 16, 1992) - life-style journalist, a philosopher by primary education, and a lawyer by secondary education. Since the age of 15, he has been writing for Kleo.ru, Wmj.ru, Cosmo.ru, MarieClaire.ru about psychology, celebrities and beauty.. He values ​​honesty in people, favorite activity- watching a good movie, and a personal recipe good mood- beach holiday.