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Russian Folk Tales
A collection of seven folk tales from the Afanasyev collection.
These stories have been translated direct from the Russian of Afanasev; the selection is intended to represent, as completely as possible, the varieties of Russian folk-tale. As far as an analytic language, like modern English, can render so highly inflected a tongue as Russian, the translator has tried to keep strictly to the style and diction of the originals, which are the undoctored traditional stories.
The stories are not neatly rounded off into consequential and purposive stories. The incidents follow almost haphazard; and at the end, the persons mentioned at the beginning may be forgotten; the stories are often almost as casual as real life.
The stories relate experiences in succession, attempt no judgment, do not even affirm their own credibility. Things simply happen; our exertions may sometimes be good; we can only be quietly resigned. But, unlike the Arabian Nights, there is no positive fatalism; for that would imply a judgment; a warping of facts to suit a theory.
77 pages, Hardcover
Published October 1, 1980
About the author
Alexander Afanasyev
138 books96 followersAlexander Nikolayevich Afanasyev (Russian: Александр Николаевич Афанасьев) was a Russian folklorist who recorded and published over 600 Russian folktales and fairytales, by far the largest folktale collection by any one man in the world. His first collection was published in eight volumes from 1855-67, earning him the reputation of a Russian counterpart to the Brothers Grimm.
Born in 1826 in Boguchar, in Voronezh Governate, he grew up in Bobrov, becoming an early reader thanks to the library of his grandfather, a member of the Russian Bible Society. He was educated at the Voronezh gymnasium and from 1844-48 he studied law at the University of Moscow. Despite being a promising student, he did not become a professor, due largely to attacks upon his work by the conservative Minister of National Enlightenment, Count Sergey Uvarov.
Afanasyev worked for thirteen years at the Moscow's Main Archive Directorate under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Empire, during which time he also amassed a huge library and published numerous articles and reviews. In 1862 he was fired from his position, because of his association with philosopher Alexander Herzen. Jobless for a number of years thereafter, he sold his library in order to support his family, eventually finding work as a secretary at the Moscow City Duma and at the Moscow Congress of Justices of the Peace.
Afanasyev wrote a large theoretical work (three volumes of 700 pages each) – "The Poetic Outlook of Slavs about Nature" (Поэтические воззрения славян на природу) – which came out between 1865 and 1869. In 1870 his Русские детские сказки (Russian Children's Fairy Tales) were published. He died in poverty in 1871, at the age of forty-five.
(source: Wikipedia)
Born in 1826 in Boguchar, in Voronezh Governate, he grew up in Bobrov, becoming an early reader thanks to the library of his grandfather, a member of the Russian Bible Society. He was educated at the Voronezh gymnasium and from 1844-48 he studied law at the University of Moscow. Despite being a promising student, he did not become a professor, due largely to attacks upon his work by the conservative Minister of National Enlightenment, Count Sergey Uvarov.
Afanasyev worked for thirteen years at the Moscow's Main Archive Directorate under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Empire, during which time he also amassed a huge library and published numerous articles and reviews. In 1862 he was fired from his position, because of his association with philosopher Alexander Herzen. Jobless for a number of years thereafter, he sold his library in order to support his family, eventually finding work as a secretary at the Moscow City Duma and at the Moscow Congress of Justices of the Peace.
Afanasyev wrote a large theoretical work (three volumes of 700 pages each) – "The Poetic Outlook of Slavs about Nature" (Поэтические воззрения славян на природу) – which came out between 1865 and 1869. In 1870 his Русские детские сказки (Russian Children's Fairy Tales) were published. He died in poverty in 1871, at the age of forty-five.
(source: Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
May 22, 2017
Hmm. Well. I liked half of the stories? But they got very samey after a while. And boy oh boy, are the names Ivan and Vasilisa ever popular.
All the Baba Yagas and creepy wooden dolls were the best. Also that gray wolf was a chill guy~ and why aren't women freaking out about falcons flying into their rooms and turning into beautiful men, or is this just something that happens in Russia?
All the Baba Yagas and creepy wooden dolls were the best. Also that gray wolf was a chill guy~ and why aren't women freaking out about falcons flying into their rooms and turning into beautiful men, or is this just something that happens in Russia?
July 29, 2020
I felt like I was reading an illustration of Propp or another Russian formalist. Almost the perfect hero`s journey, with a fascination for the number three and Baba-Yaga.
May 19, 2023
This wonderful hardcover Russian Fairy Tales book is worth owning. The illustrations are lovely and drawn by Ivan Bilibin, a distinguished Russian illustrator and stage designer in the 19th and 20th centuries. The tales presented in this book were collected by Alexander Afanasyev, an ethnographer who collected Russian folk tales in the 19th century.
The book is quite light since the tales chosen were the most popular such as Vasilisa the Beautiful; Maria Morevna; The Feather of Finist the Falcon; The Frog-Tsarevna; Tsarevich Ivan, The Firebird and the Grey Wolf. Each tale has a common theme and pattern where the main protagonist—because of his/her foolishness—must set out on a journey to recover what’s important to them. The protagonist will always meet some sort of old witches or magical beings who would help them on their journey and face the many obstacles.
Upon reading this book I now realized that there are a lot of baba yagas in the Russian fairy tales world and they are all related. The third child of a Tsar (whether a son or daughter) is always innocent, kind-hearted, trustful, and eventually favoured by the Tsar. Perhaps, this is a reference to the preferred ultimogeniture inheritance right practiced by the scattered principalities in Russia during the 9th century.
Overall, this is a beautiful book that contains wonderful tales and illustrations.
Portrait of Alexander Nikolayevich Afanasyev by unknown
Portrait of Ivan Yakovlevich Bilibin by Boris Mikhaylovich Kustodiev
The book is quite light since the tales chosen were the most popular such as Vasilisa the Beautiful; Maria Morevna; The Feather of Finist the Falcon; The Frog-Tsarevna; Tsarevich Ivan, The Firebird and the Grey Wolf. Each tale has a common theme and pattern where the main protagonist—because of his/her foolishness—must set out on a journey to recover what’s important to them. The protagonist will always meet some sort of old witches or magical beings who would help them on their journey and face the many obstacles.
One of the illustrations in this book, drawn by Bilibin, depicts the “Hawk Prince” who came flying to ask the hand of Tsarevich Ivan’s oldest sister. This part of the story is from the Maria Morevna tales.
Upon reading this book I now realized that there are a lot of baba yagas in the Russian fairy tales world and they are all related. The third child of a Tsar (whether a son or daughter) is always innocent, kind-hearted, trustful, and eventually favoured by the Tsar. Perhaps, this is a reference to the preferred ultimogeniture inheritance right practiced by the scattered principalities in Russia during the 9th century.
Overall, this is a beautiful book that contains wonderful tales and illustrations.
Want to read
April 20, 2021REC'ED BY JOHN WICK, HE USED THIS TOME BREAKING ERNEST'S NECK
March 3, 2019
This is an illustrated collection of five Russian folk tales: Vasilisa the Beautiful, Maria Morevna, The Feather of Finist the Falcon, The Frog-Tsareva and Tsarevich Ivan, the Firebird and the Grey Wolf. The tales were collected by Alexander Afanasyev, who collected and published a large number of Russian folk tales in the 19th century. The illustrations are by Ivan Bilibin, who was a well known Russian illustrator and stage designer around 1900. I'm not entirely sure why this is listed as an alternate edition to the one that has many more tales in it but it's a good introduction to Russian fairy tales.
The great strength of this collection is the illustrations. The stories are interesting but carry many of the same elements so that reading it in one sitting, you really notice the themes. It might have been better to have included some fairy tales that didn't feel quite so similar. However, the illustrations more than make up for it. There are several of Bilibin's prints throughout and each page has a lovely decorative border. I'd buy this just to keep on my shelf just for the love of the art.
As someone who was completely unfamiliar with Russian fairy tales until reading the Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden, this was a good introduction to the subject and the art had me drooling.
The great strength of this collection is the illustrations. The stories are interesting but carry many of the same elements so that reading it in one sitting, you really notice the themes. It might have been better to have included some fairy tales that didn't feel quite so similar. However, the illustrations more than make up for it. There are several of Bilibin's prints throughout and each page has a lovely decorative border. I'd buy this just to keep on my shelf just for the love of the art.
As someone who was completely unfamiliar with Russian fairy tales until reading the Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden, this was a good introduction to the subject and the art had me drooling.
April 20, 2015
This collection is a bit of a mixed bag. The illustrations alone - full page, full color - make this book worth owning (although I wish I'd gotten the hardcover) and it's fascinating to see the Russian versions of some classic folk tales. Plus there's an intriguing underlayer in some of the stories, where the women have full control over when and whom they choose to marry ("consent" is a sadly unusual word for fairy tales), and where a woman is the one to ride off to battle, leaving her husband behind to tend the castle. "Maria Morevna" is my favorite of the bunch, with clever narrative choices that made it a highly enjoyable read. Unfortunately, this all goes astray in the last two tales. In "The Frog-Tsarevna," the boy gets the fairy-girl by literally catching her about the throat, holding onto her as she transforms into various creatures, then breaking her in half. This is an explicit portrait of domination and ownership that isn't surprising in fairy tale traditions but was a disappointment after the female agency shown in the previous tales. The final tale, "Tsarevich Ivan, the Firebird, and the Grey Wolf," was a retelling of a story I've seen in a variety of forms. It was fairly dull, since Ivan did nothing of value to show his worth, and the wolf did all the work and received none of the glory. I did like the wolf, though. It's enough to make me consider yet another fairy tale retelling with the wolf in the hero's role.
April 3, 2022
Fun collection of five tales, gathered and translated by Afanasyev (whose work was further adapted by Lang for the colored Fairy Tale books) in the nineteenth century. These are readable adventures with a good mix of heroes and heroines, and a great rhythm. By the end, you recognize patterns in the Russian storytelling style: three times nine kingdoms, journeys are short in the telling but long in the doing, etc.
You can find Afanasyev's full collection, and no doubt many of those stories are fun, too... but this edition really shines thanks to Ivan Bilbin's gorgeous artwork. Link below for a sample.
http://allart.biz/up/photos/album/B-C...
Also, surprise!! The book is good in hard copy but looks AMAZING on a Kindle app for iPad. Like stained glass windows. 😍 That's a first.
You can find Afanasyev's full collection, and no doubt many of those stories are fun, too... but this edition really shines thanks to Ivan Bilbin's gorgeous artwork. Link below for a sample.
http://allart.biz/up/photos/album/B-C...
Also, surprise!! The book is good in hard copy but looks AMAZING on a Kindle app for iPad. Like stained glass windows. 😍 That's a first.
May 8, 2020
Birkaç gündür büyük Rus yazar ve etnograf Aleksandr Afanasyev'in (1826-71) derlediği şu güzelim Rus masallarını okuyordum. Masallar, her toplumda olduğu gibi, "Rus ruhu"nu çok iyi yansıtıyor. Masallarda en sık geçen kelimeler: Çar, çareviç, çarevna, orman, yaşlı kadın, güzel kız, yol, köylü, emir, ölüm, itaat..
2019'da İranlı yazar Samed Behrengi'den birkaç masal çevirmiştim Türkçeye. Afanasyev'in Rus masallarıyla kıyaslayınca; Behrengi'nin masal kahramanları daha canlı, halktan, zulme baş kaldıran, değiştirmeye çalışan... Halbuki, Rus masallarının kahramanları daha itaatkar ve çar kontrolünde, emir-itaat formunda ilerliyor.
Bu arada, Afanasyev'in masalları yakında Türkçede...
2019'da İranlı yazar Samed Behrengi'den birkaç masal çevirmiştim Türkçeye. Afanasyev'in Rus masallarıyla kıyaslayınca; Behrengi'nin masal kahramanları daha canlı, halktan, zulme baş kaldıran, değiştirmeye çalışan... Halbuki, Rus masallarının kahramanları daha itaatkar ve çar kontrolünde, emir-itaat formunda ilerliyor.
Bu arada, Afanasyev'in masalları yakında Türkçede...
November 18, 2017
These fairy tales are so good that I enjoy reading them as an adult. You just can't go wrong with these Russian tales. My mom enjoyed them a lot when she was young and she got me to like them too. Our favorite tale is obviously the one with Baba Yaga.
May 20, 2018
Recently read these stories, and they're such a break from our usual Grimm's fairytales. The stories have a lot of similarities in their themes, but the magical realism, at times scary storylines and strong heroines make this enjoyable for everyone. Furthermore, the illustrations are divine!
July 20, 2019
A wonderfully illustrated introduction to Russian fairytales. I only wish there were more than five stories to devour!
June 24, 2015
This collection of tales was written, or rather, recorded by renowned Russian folklorist Alexander Nikolayevich Afanasyev in the mid-19th century. The book contains some of the best-known Russian folktales, including: Vasilisa the Beautiful; The Feather of Finist the Falcon; The Frog-Tsarevna; and Tsarevich Ivan, the Firebird and the Grey Wolf.
Of all the characters I came across in this volume, and there are a few who feature in more than one tale, I was particularly taken by Baba Yaga.
Baba Yaga is a cannibalistic witch who lives in a small wooden hut at the edge of the forest. Now, this description may not seem so different from a lot of other witches in children’s stories, but Baba Yaga has so many fantastic quirks, the likes of which I would never have imagined. Her hut stands on hen’s legs, and will only lower itself to permit entry when in receipt of a certain rhyme. It is also surrounded by a picket fence adorned with the skulls of Baba Yaga’s victims, the eye sockets of which glow in the night. Instead of a broomstick, Baba Yaga travels through the forest in a giant mortar, driving herself forward with a pestle in her right hand, while sweeping the forest floor with a broom in her left hand. Oh and she is also often followed by spirits.
I love her.
Having no familiarity with Russian folklore prior to this, I feel the collection gave a good introduction to some of the most famous characters in Russian folk literature. It’s a beautiful volume, and some of the illustrations are so elaborate I feel I could have spent hours studying them.
Originally posted on Jade the Obscure
Of all the characters I came across in this volume, and there are a few who feature in more than one tale, I was particularly taken by Baba Yaga.
Baba Yaga is a cannibalistic witch who lives in a small wooden hut at the edge of the forest. Now, this description may not seem so different from a lot of other witches in children’s stories, but Baba Yaga has so many fantastic quirks, the likes of which I would never have imagined. Her hut stands on hen’s legs, and will only lower itself to permit entry when in receipt of a certain rhyme. It is also surrounded by a picket fence adorned with the skulls of Baba Yaga’s victims, the eye sockets of which glow in the night. Instead of a broomstick, Baba Yaga travels through the forest in a giant mortar, driving herself forward with a pestle in her right hand, while sweeping the forest floor with a broom in her left hand. Oh and she is also often followed by spirits.
I love her.
Having no familiarity with Russian folklore prior to this, I feel the collection gave a good introduction to some of the most famous characters in Russian folk literature. It’s a beautiful volume, and some of the illustrations are so elaborate I feel I could have spent hours studying them.
Originally posted on Jade the Obscure
December 16, 2020
I would recommend this volume if you want to start learning more about Russian folklore and fairy tales. The illustrations are beautiful, and they'll accompany you through this fascinating reading.
Do not buy it if you intend to read it to your kids or younger audience; the language is quite archaic, and they would probably struggle to understand and appreciate the stories properly.
Do not buy it if you intend to read it to your kids or younger audience; the language is quite archaic, and they would probably struggle to understand and appreciate the stories properly.
November 25, 2019
The language is a little stilted, but I loved this collection of fairy tales that allowed me to see some common threads in Russian Fairy Tales.
August 21, 2023
These stories have some redundant patterns to them but they’re nevertheless timeless and enchanting. It makes sense why these stories and their morals were passed down over generations. The illustrations in this edition are absolutely beautiful and bring new life to the stories. I enjoyed reading more about the Baba Yaga witch (also brilliantly featured in Mussorgsky’s music) and the mythical Firebird.
March 19, 2023
=great book
December 31, 2017
I thought it would be a good idea to get an illustated copy of the most popular classic russian folk tales, that I knew by heart when I was a kid and have already completely forgotten about by now. Turns out, russian folk tales are at least the same amount of disturbing as the Grimm's one, if not a bit more.
I have to admit, I still love them. These are the stories that I grew up with and the magic in them is somehow very different to the one in the western ones... Also, I love the fact that the tales have a pattern of things happening three times - I used to love this as a kid too. It gives the story this extra something... that you know exactly, this is a tale and not real life as a kid, if you know what Imean. Also, as I remeber now, somehow when I was little I understood the logic in these tales way better. I mean, someone gets brutally murdered because he did something wrong? Then a bird arrives and brings you back to life with different kinds of water? Sure. Nothing disturbing in that at all...
But reading the tales again today being a grown up (or at least a bit more than back in the good old days...) I can't get over the fact that I ... well and basically all of the children who grew up in the russian culture were raised with these stories.
I don't want to start mentioning some of the biggest issues that I have with these tales concerning the treating of female characters, because sure, this was another time and that's why we can't expect any equality. But should we really still be reading such books to our children nowadays without some deep reflexion on what's going on there? Maybe these are good to start discussing today's rolemodels with the kids at an early age already.
In most of the tales I can't even detect any kind of moral or anything except for something like "Don't worry, if anything bad should happen to you, some living object or animal will help you out so that you don't have to overcome your problems on your own" or "Stealing is totally ok if someone else told you to do it" or "If you want to kill an animal and it tells you not to, it means something awful is gonna happen to you very soon and that animal will come in handy to help you out, so you better don't kill it now". Or that you always, aaalways should carry some mertwaja and zhiwaja woda with you, because there is actually a very high chance on being brutally chopped into pieces and of course you want to be resurrected and think that you just have been dreaming for a while.
To say something positive about this edition, the illustrations are lovely and will give you all the russian feels that you long for while you read these folk tales.
I have to admit, I still love them. These are the stories that I grew up with and the magic in them is somehow very different to the one in the western ones... Also, I love the fact that the tales have a pattern of things happening three times - I used to love this as a kid too. It gives the story this extra something... that you know exactly, this is a tale and not real life as a kid, if you know what Imean. Also, as I remeber now, somehow when I was little I understood the logic in these tales way better. I mean, someone gets brutally murdered because he did something wrong? Then a bird arrives and brings you back to life with different kinds of water? Sure. Nothing disturbing in that at all...
But reading the tales again today being a grown up (or at least a bit more than back in the good old days...) I can't get over the fact that I ... well and basically all of the children who grew up in the russian culture were raised with these stories.
I don't want to start mentioning some of the biggest issues that I have with these tales concerning the treating of female characters, because sure, this was another time and that's why we can't expect any equality. But should we really still be reading such books to our children nowadays without some deep reflexion on what's going on there? Maybe these are good to start discussing today's rolemodels with the kids at an early age already.
In most of the tales I can't even detect any kind of moral or anything except for something like "Don't worry, if anything bad should happen to you, some living object or animal will help you out so that you don't have to overcome your problems on your own" or "Stealing is totally ok if someone else told you to do it" or "If you want to kill an animal and it tells you not to, it means something awful is gonna happen to you very soon and that animal will come in handy to help you out, so you better don't kill it now". Or that you always, aaalways should carry some mertwaja and zhiwaja woda with you, because there is actually a very high chance on being brutally chopped into pieces and of course you want to be resurrected and think that you just have been dreaming for a while.
To say something positive about this edition, the illustrations are lovely and will give you all the russian feels that you long for while you read these folk tales.
September 20, 2017
Three and a half stars.
A short book - just five stories - with beautiful illustrations by Ivan Bilibin.
I learned, to no surprise, stepsisters are evil in Russian fairy tales too.
No doubt you've read phrases which reappear in familiar fairy tales; Once upon a time, They lived happily ever after, etc. Here you'll read in many of the stories; "the morning is wiser than the evening" and long journeys described as "...she walked and walked, whether for a short time or a long time, the telling is easy but the journey is not soon done."
You'll also read about difficult quests, help from characters the hero/heroine has shown kindness, hero's who are told "whatever you do, don't do X" and of course they do X.
In one story a rider asks his horse if it can overtake the people they are pursuing and the horse replies, "Thou mayest strew a measure of flax seed, wait til it is ripe, and pic, clean and card it. Thou mayest spin thread, weave cloth, sew a garment, and wear the garment into shreds, and even then I should be able to overtake them."
In another a father tasks the wives of his three recently married sons to each weave a carpet. He doesn't hold back when he tells each son what he thinks of the handiwork of each wife.
- carpet made by the wife of the eldest son: "Take this to the stables. It will do to cover my poorest horse when it is raining"
- carpet made by the wife of the second son: "Put this in the hall; it may do, perhaps, to wipe my boots upon in bad weather."
Needless to say the carpet woven by the wife of the youngest son is the winner, "...the Tsar ordered that it be kept with the greatest care, to be put on his own table on the most solemn feast days."
Baba Yaga appears in a couple of the stories, do what she says or she'll eat you.
I wasn't fond of the transfer of this book to an electronic format. There's no table of contents, you can't highlight text, search for or lookup a word and on my Paperwhite the text sometimes overflowed the illustrated border framing the page.
A short book - just five stories - with beautiful illustrations by Ivan Bilibin.
I learned, to no surprise, stepsisters are evil in Russian fairy tales too.
No doubt you've read phrases which reappear in familiar fairy tales; Once upon a time, They lived happily ever after, etc. Here you'll read in many of the stories; "the morning is wiser than the evening" and long journeys described as "...she walked and walked, whether for a short time or a long time, the telling is easy but the journey is not soon done."
You'll also read about difficult quests, help from characters the hero/heroine has shown kindness, hero's who are told "whatever you do, don't do X" and of course they do X.
In one story a rider asks his horse if it can overtake the people they are pursuing and the horse replies, "Thou mayest strew a measure of flax seed, wait til it is ripe, and pic, clean and card it. Thou mayest spin thread, weave cloth, sew a garment, and wear the garment into shreds, and even then I should be able to overtake them."
In another a father tasks the wives of his three recently married sons to each weave a carpet. He doesn't hold back when he tells each son what he thinks of the handiwork of each wife.
- carpet made by the wife of the eldest son: "Take this to the stables. It will do to cover my poorest horse when it is raining"
- carpet made by the wife of the second son: "Put this in the hall; it may do, perhaps, to wipe my boots upon in bad weather."
Needless to say the carpet woven by the wife of the youngest son is the winner, "...the Tsar ordered that it be kept with the greatest care, to be put on his own table on the most solemn feast days."
Baba Yaga appears in a couple of the stories, do what she says or she'll eat you.
I wasn't fond of the transfer of this book to an electronic format. There's no table of contents, you can't highlight text, search for or lookup a word and on my Paperwhite the text sometimes overflowed the illustrated border framing the page.
October 3, 2020
The animated film Anastasia was my first foray into Russian history, and it's been an interest for me ever since. Not enough to actually pick up non-fiction books, I think I'm more interested in the folklore and the nostalgia for a past (is it possible to be nostalgic about something you've never experienced?).
Anyway, along came Leigh Bardugo and her Grishaverse, and Ravka was clearly influenced by the same Russian folklore that I've always felt a pull towards, and I can't wait to read her next book. I've also read Katherine Arden's Winter Night Trilogy, which I enjoyed. Across these books, certain things and persons kept cropping up, especially the Firebird.
So I decided to learn more and go straight to the source. I found this small (only 80 pages) book with 4 fairytales in them. It's a great introduction to Russian fairy tales, and it was really fun to see where the mentioned authors have taken something and spun their own take on it.
What I take with me:
- the Baba Yaga character and her house with chicken legs
- crows seem to have a pretty high standard in Russia?
- this standard of telling (it came up every time a character had to travel a long distance) "She walked and walked, whether for a short time or a long time, the telling is easy, but the journey is not soon done"
- the saying "the morning is wiser than the evening", which I really like.
Also a fun little thing: in one of the stories the guy kept messing up, despite being given clear instructions by the wolf helping him and I was like, why does the wolf/helper in fairy tales never say "you're an idiot", and then the next line was the wolf saying "thou art a foolish youth", and I think that's as close as we're gonna get 😂
Anyway, along came Leigh Bardugo and her Grishaverse, and Ravka was clearly influenced by the same Russian folklore that I've always felt a pull towards, and I can't wait to read her next book. I've also read Katherine Arden's Winter Night Trilogy, which I enjoyed. Across these books, certain things and persons kept cropping up, especially the Firebird.
So I decided to learn more and go straight to the source. I found this small (only 80 pages) book with 4 fairytales in them. It's a great introduction to Russian fairy tales, and it was really fun to see where the mentioned authors have taken something and spun their own take on it.
What I take with me:
- the Baba Yaga character and her house with chicken legs
- crows seem to have a pretty high standard in Russia?
- this standard of telling (it came up every time a character had to travel a long distance) "She walked and walked, whether for a short time or a long time, the telling is easy, but the journey is not soon done"
- the saying "the morning is wiser than the evening", which I really like.
Also a fun little thing: in one of the stories the guy kept messing up, despite being given clear instructions by the wolf helping him and I was like, why does the wolf/helper in fairy tales never say "you're an idiot", and then the next line was the wolf saying "thou art a foolish youth", and I think that's as close as we're gonna get 😂
December 17, 2017
Cuentos no tan de hadas en algunos casos sino mas bien con toques un poco oscuros. Ya empezando con el clásico había tres hermanos y/o hermanas y donde el mas joven resulta ser siempre el que logra todo y se queda con todo. En el caso de ellos es el mas valiente etc, y en el caso de ellas la mas bonita etc, (me pregunto porque siempre es el mas chico/a y no el de en medio o el mayor para variar, pero en fin), los animales tienen un rol importante y una intensa participación en algunos cuentos ya que ayudan al protagonista muchaas veces por algún favor o por buena voluntad, hay también brujas en la forma de Baba Yaga un personaje que me pareció muy interesante que aunque perverso (se come a la gente) no siempre es tan malvado, a veces ayuda o te envía con sus hermanas curiosamente iguales a ella para que lo hagan, mostrando facetas opuesta entre si, a diferencia de la clásicas brujas en donde puede haber una mala y otra buena, Baba Yaga parece contener un poco de ambas siendo sabia y dando consejos o bien cruel y matando.
May 23, 2019
The first story, Vasilisa the Beautiful 4/5 stars. It has the character of Baba Yaga in it. Since I first came across this figure in a storybook from my childhood, I have felt a thrill to read stories with her in it. The very name is powerful and her creepy house on chicken legs always sparked my imagination. Baba Yaga, a sort of grandmother in the forest but with a very sinister twist. Red Riding Hood would be better off with the wolf than visiting this particular old lady. There is something primitive and primordial about Russian tales that attract whilst also making afraid.
2. Maria Morevna. 4.5 stars. A longer story than the first with a lot more characters. There is a lot of superstition and symbolism in Russian belief and the number 3 occurred over and over in this story.
3. The Feather of Finist the Falcon. 3.5 stars
4. The Frog Tsarevna. 3 stars.
5. Tsarevich Ivan, the Firebird and the Grey Wolf. 5 stars.
Read these stories along with my daughter. The pictures are done by a famous Russian illustrator, Ivan Yakovlevich Bilibin.
2. Maria Morevna. 4.5 stars. A longer story than the first with a lot more characters. There is a lot of superstition and symbolism in Russian belief and the number 3 occurred over and over in this story.
3. The Feather of Finist the Falcon. 3.5 stars
4. The Frog Tsarevna. 3 stars.
5. Tsarevich Ivan, the Firebird and the Grey Wolf. 5 stars.
Read these stories along with my daughter. The pictures are done by a famous Russian illustrator, Ivan Yakovlevich Bilibin.
December 3, 2020
Then the doll's eyes began to shine like two stars, and it became alive. It ate a little and said : "Do not fear little Vasilia. Go where thou has been sent. While I am with thee, no harm shall come to thee from the old witch." So Vasilia put the doll back into her pocket, crossed herself and started out into the dark, wild forest.
My favorite fairy tale archetype is the old witch living in the woods, so when I learned about the Baba Yaga, a figure of Russian fairy tales who lives in a chicken legged hut with her victims' skulls perched on pikes outside her house, I knew I had to read more.
This book is gorgeously illustrated and to my delight, Baba Yaga pokes her nose in almost every hero's story, at times as a benevolent ally, other times as a cunning enemy. The tales are wild, but even having read only five, you will begin to notice some repetitive motifs that prevent any element of surprise, though that is par for the course for most old fairy tales, and it does not make them any less enjoyable.
My favorite fairy tale archetype is the old witch living in the woods, so when I learned about the Baba Yaga, a figure of Russian fairy tales who lives in a chicken legged hut with her victims' skulls perched on pikes outside her house, I knew I had to read more.
This book is gorgeously illustrated and to my delight, Baba Yaga pokes her nose in almost every hero's story, at times as a benevolent ally, other times as a cunning enemy. The tales are wild, but even having read only five, you will begin to notice some repetitive motifs that prevent any element of surprise, though that is par for the course for most old fairy tales, and it does not make them any less enjoyable.
May 7, 2016
As with other folklores, this also uses the reprice use of numbers, phrases and characters.
The number three is observed in each story, playing a vital part, as almost plot device must occur three times before completion.
The character Baba Yaga, is seen in majority of the stories, which is the equivalent of the Western rendition of the "witch" or as they call it in indo languages as "daini".
If someone is told not to do something, he/she will most definitely do it which sometimes make the characters a little annoying.
All of the stories involve Tsars and tsarevitches. Ivan is seen as the most favourable name, for that character is always the hero.
Overall, a worthy read to jog your nostalgia of childhood fairy tales but only if you prevent yourself from critically analysing the story and the characters.
The number three is observed in each story, playing a vital part, as almost plot device must occur three times before completion.
The character Baba Yaga, is seen in majority of the stories, which is the equivalent of the Western rendition of the "witch" or as they call it in indo languages as "daini".
If someone is told not to do something, he/she will most definitely do it which sometimes make the characters a little annoying.
All of the stories involve Tsars and tsarevitches. Ivan is seen as the most favourable name, for that character is always the hero.
Overall, a worthy read to jog your nostalgia of childhood fairy tales but only if you prevent yourself from critically analysing the story and the characters.
August 16, 2013
Picked this up as background reading for a tabletop RPG campaign and also to have around for when my nieces show up and I need to read them stories about wolves eating horses and brothers cutting each other into pieces.
Anyway, the fairy tales are well selected and cover the more important concepts of Russian folklore (although one of the tales about the bogatyr would've been rad) and the language is full of excellent folkloric callbacks that are well translated.
The main selling point for this book, though, is the absolutely FANTASTIC illustration, compiled from Ivan Bilibin's oeuvre. Worth picking up if you don't know anything about Russian folklore or if you're into ridiculously good illustrations.
Anyway, the fairy tales are well selected and cover the more important concepts of Russian folklore (although one of the tales about the bogatyr would've been rad) and the language is full of excellent folkloric callbacks that are well translated.
The main selling point for this book, though, is the absolutely FANTASTIC illustration, compiled from Ivan Bilibin's oeuvre. Worth picking up if you don't know anything about Russian folklore or if you're into ridiculously good illustrations.
February 10, 2021
A beautiful collection of five of the most celebrated Russian fairytales or skazki. The overlap with the Brothers Grimm is apparent, but it is the peculiar phrasing (or English translations of Russian idioms) - and the extensive challenges which the tsarevitches and tsarevnas must face - which make these stories utterly charming. Vasilisa the Beautiful and Maria Morevna (aka the Death of Koschei the Immortal) are the best ones because of the prominence of Baba Yaga! She is such a fantastic multi-faceted character and you never really know if she is a cannibal witch or benevolent fairy godmother. Special shout out to her hut on chicken legs.
March 2, 2022
Strange and wonderful, with unexpected recurring story elements (such as Baba Yaga, birds that turn into men, and heroes traveling across nine by nine kingdoms to atone for some mistake) that build unity across the stories. Each story captures the soul of a fairy tale, where the virtuous hero (often chosen by the narrative as the youngest of three siblings) is rewarded and the nasty, jealous antagonists (e.g., two older siblings) are punished. The hero must outwit powerful forces (e.g., Baba Yaga) to reach their goal. This book was a delight to read, and the illustrations were also beautiful.
April 22, 2015
The art is great, but I feel like these are the bare bones of the fairy tales. I'm not asking for revisionism or expansion, exactly, but even cartoon adaptation add certain scenes to make the story make more sense. These are just the templates someone would memorize and then built upon in oral retellings. Also, seriously, blackmail and political intrigue and magical shape shifting wolves. I need to know more about that wolf.
August 12, 2016
I vividly remember having read this story of Finist the falcon as a child . I really like the setting of the fairy tales with Tsars, Tsardoms , beautiful illustrations also the typical log cabins with hen legs ..baba yagas ,skulls and all that mysterious magic .. which can be used if you had the courage to patiently pursue it .. It paints beautiful pictures of enchanting scenes in the minds eye .. The illustrations are also very artsy.
December 27, 2017
Though this is an extremely short edition of Afanasyev's fairy tale collection, neither containing some of his most famous fables, like "Ilya Muromets and the Dragon" or "The Wise Girl", nor depicting Bilibin's later works, this book is still a valuable possession, simply for what it is. It includes 7 abridged fables beside several stunning illustrations.
The fables I detest wholeheartedly, but they're useful for learning Russian, and no one can deny the beauty of Bilibin's artwork.
The fables I detest wholeheartedly, but they're useful for learning Russian, and no one can deny the beauty of Bilibin's artwork.
July 20, 2020
This collection of Russian Fairy Tales, few as they are, are wonderfully told and illustrated stories that are best left out of an impressionable child's hands and best left in the hands of folklorist for the ideas this pre-20th-century translation tries to tell with its stories.
I'd argue that it's interesting over anything else, even if the sample size is a little small to draw any sweeping conclusions about life in Russia before the Soviet Union.
I'd argue that it's interesting over anything else, even if the sample size is a little small to draw any sweeping conclusions about life in Russia before the Soviet Union.
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