Russian Fairy Tales — 28 - Chapter 4 - Magic and Witchcraft - Part 6 - The Warlock

In one of the skazkas a malignant witch is destroyed by a benignant female power.

It had been predicted that a certain baby princess would begin flying about the world as soon as she was fifteen.

So her parents shut her up in a building in which she never saw the light of day, nor the face of a man.

For it was illuminated by artificial means, and none but women had access to it.

But one day, when her nurses and _Mamzeli_ had gone to a feast at the palace, she found a door unlocked, and made her way into the sunlight.

After this her attendants were obliged to allow her to go where she wished, when her parents were away.

As she went roaming about the palace she came to a cage "in which a _Zhar-Ptitsa_,[369] lay [as if] dead."

This bird, her guardians told her, slept soundly all day, but at night her papa flew about on it.

Farther on she came to a veiled portrait.

When the veil was lifted, she cried in astonishment "Can such beauty be?"

and determined to fly on the _Zhar-Ptitsa_ to the original of the picture.

So at night she sought the _Zhar-Ptitsa_, which was sitting up and flapping its wings, and asked whether she might fly abroad on its back.

The bird consented and bore her far away.

Three times it carried her to the room of the prince whose portrait she had so much admired.

On the first and second occasion he remained asleep during her visit, having been plunged into a magic slumber by the _Zhar-Ptitsa_.

But during her third visit he awoke, "and he and she wept and wept, and exchanged betrothal rings."

So long did they remain talking that, before the _Zhar-Ptitsa_ and his rider could get back, "the day began to dawn--the bird sank lower and lower and fell to the ground."

Then the princess, thinking it was really dead, buried it in the earth--having first cut off its wings, and "attached them to herself so as to walk more lightly."

After various adventures she comes to a land of mourning.

"Why are you so mournful?"

she asks.

"Because our king's son has gone out of his mind," is the reply.

"He eats a man every night."

Thereupon she goes to the king and obtains leave to watch the prince by night.

As the clock strikes twelve the prince, who is laden with chains, makes a rush at her; but the wings of the _Zhar-Ptitsa_ rustle around her, and he sits down again.

This takes place three times, after which the light goes out.

She leaves the room in search of the means of rekindling it, sees a glimmer in the distance, and sets off with a lantern in search of it.

Presently she finds an old witch who is sitting before a fire, above which seethes a cauldron.

"What have you got there?"

she asks.

"When this cauldron seethes," replies the witch, "within it does the heart of Prince Ivan rage madly."

Pretending to be merely getting a light, the Princess contrives to splash the seething liquid over the witch, who immediately falls dead.

Then she looks into the cauldron, and there, in truth, she sees the Prince's heart.

When she returns to his room he has recovered his senses.

"Thank you for bringing a light," he says.

"Why am I in chains?"

"Thus and thus," says she.

"You went out of your mind and ate people."

Whereat he wonders greatly.

[370] The _Zhar-Ptitsa_, or Fire-Bird, which plays so important a part in this story, is worthy of special notice.

Its name is sufficient to show its close connection with flame or light,[371] and its appearance corresponds with its designation.

Its feathers blaze with silvery or golden sheen, its eyes shine like crystal, it dwells in a golden cage.

In the depth of the night it flies into a garden, and lights it up as brightly as could a thousand burning fires.

A single feather from its tail illuminates a dark room.

It feeds upon golden apples which have the power of bestowing youth and beauty, or according to a Croatian version, on magic-grasses.

Its song, according to Bohemian legends, heals the sick and restores sight to the blind.

We have already seen that, as the Phoenix, of which it seems to be a Slavonic counterpart, dies in the flame from which it springs again into life, so the _Zhar-Ptitsa_ sinks into a death-like slumber when the day dawns, to awake to fresh life after the sunset.

One of the skazkas[372] about the _Zhar-Ptitsa_ closely resembles the well-known German tale of the Golden Bird.

[373] But it is a "Chap-book" story, and therefore of doubtful origin.

King Vuislaf has an apple-tree which bears golden fruits.

These are stolen by a _Zhar-Ptitsa_ which flies every night into the garden, so he orders his sons to keep watch there by turns.

The elder brothers cannot keep awake, and see nothing; but the youngest of the three, Prince Ivan, though he fails to capture the bird, secures one of its tail-feathers.

After a time he leaves his home and goes forth in search of the bird.

Aided by a wolf, he reaches the garden in which the _Zhar-Ptitsa_ lives, and succeeds in taking it out of its golden cage.

But trying, in spite of the wolf's warning, to carry off the cage itself, an alarm is sounded, and he is taken prisoner.

After various other adventures he is killed by his envious brothers, but of course all comes right in the end.

In a version of the story which comes from the Bukovina, one of the incidents is detailed at greater length than in either the German or the Russian tale.

When the hero has been killed by his brothers, and they have carried off the _Zhar-Ptitsa_, and their victim's golden steed, and his betrothed princess--as long as he lies dead, the princess remains mute and mournful, the horse refuses to eat, the bird is silent, and its cage is lustreless.

But as soon as he comes back to life, the princess regains her spirits, and the horse its appetite.

The _Zhar-Ptitsa_ recommences its magic song, and its cage flashes anew like fire.

In another skazka[374] a sportsman finds in a forest "a golden feather of the _Zhar-Ptitsa_; like fire does the feather shine!"

Against the advice of his "heroic steed," he picks up the feather and takes it to the king, who sends him in search of the bird itself.

Then he has wheat scattered on the ground, and at dawn he hides behind a tree near it.

"Presently the forest begins to roar, the sea rises in waves, and the _Zhar-Ptitsa_ flies up, lights upon the ground and begins to peck the wheat."

Then the "heroic steed" gallops up, sets its hoof upon the bird's wing, and presses it to the ground, so that the shooter is able to bind it with cords, and take it to the king.

In a variant of the story the bird is captured by means of a trap--a cage in which "pearls large and small" have been strewed.

* * * * * I had intended to say something about the various golden haired or golden-horned animals which figure in the Skazkas, but it will be sufficient for the present to refer to the notices of them which occur in Prof. de Gubernatis's "Zoological Mythology."

And now I will bring this chapter to a close with the following weird story of THE WARLOCK.

[375] There was once a Moujik, and he had three married sons.

He lived a long while, and was looked upon by the village as a _Koldun_ [or wizard].

When he was about to die, he gave orders that his sons' wives should keep watch over him [after his death] for three nights, taking one night apiece; that his body should be placed in the outer chamber,[376] and that his sons' wives should spin wool to make him a caftan.

He ordered, moreover, that no cross should be placed upon him, and that none should be worn by his daughters-in-law.

Well, that same night the eldest daughter-in-law took her seat beside him with some grey wool, and began spinning.

Midnight arrives.

Says the father-in-law from his coffin: "Daughter-in-law, art thou there?"

She was terribly frightened, but answered, "I am."

"Art thou sitting?"

"I sit."

"Dost thou spin?"

"I spin."

"Grey wool?"

"Grey."

"For a caftan?"

"For a caftan."

He made a movement towards her.

Then a second time he asked again-- "Daughter-in-law, art thou there?"

"I am."

"Art thou sitting?"

"I sit."

"Dost thou spin?"

"I spin."

"Grey wool?"

"Grey."

"For a caftan?"

"For a caftan."

She shrank into the corner.

He moved again, came a couple of yards nearer her.

A third time he made a movement.

She offered up no prayer.

He strangled her, and then lay down again in his coffin.

His sons removed her body, and next evening, in obedience to his paternal behest, they sent another of his daughters-in-law to keep watch.

To her just the same thing happened: he strangled her as he had done the first one.

But the third was sharper than the other two.

She declared she had taken off her cross, but in reality she kept it on.

She took her seat and spun, but said prayers to herself all the while.

Midnight arrives.

Says her father-in-law from his coffin-- "Daughter-in-law, art thou there?"

"I am," she replies.

"Art thou sitting?"

"I sit."

"Dost thou spin?"

"I spin."

"Grey wool?"

"Grey."

"For a caftan?"

"For a caftan."

Just the same took place a second time.

The third time, just as he was going to rush at her, she laid the cross upon him.

He fell down and died.

She looked into the coffin; there lay ever so much money.

The father-in-law wanted to take it away with him, or, at all events, that only some one who could outdo him in cunning should get it.

[377] In one of the least intelligible of the West Highland tales, there is a scene which somewhat resembles the "lykewake" in this skazka.

It is called "The Girl and the Dead Man," and relates, among other strange things, how a youngest sister took service in a house where a corpse lay.

"She sat to watch the dead man, and she was sewing; in the middle of night he rose up, and screwed up a grin.

'If thou dost not lie down properly, I will give thee the one leathering with a stick.'

He lay down.

At the end of a while, he rose on one elbow, and screwed up a grin; and the third time he rose and screwed up a grin.

When he rose the third time, she struck him a lounder of the stick; the stick stuck to the dead man, and the hand stuck to the stick, and out they were."

Eventually "she got a peck of gold and a peck of silver, and the vessel of cordial" and returned home.

[378] The obscurity of the Celtic tale forms a striking contrast to the lucidity of the Slavonic.

The Russian peasant likes a clear statement of facts; the Highlander seems, like Coleridge's Scotch admirer, to find a pleasure in seeing "an idea looming out of the mist."

FOOTNOTES:

[296] About which, see Professor Wilson's note on Somadeva's story of the "Origin of Pataliputra," "Essays," i. p. 168-9, with Dr. Rost's reference to L. Deslongchamps, "Essai sur les Fables Indiennes," Paris, 1838, p. 35 and Graesse, "Sagenkreise des Mittelalters," Leipsig, 1842, p. 191. See also the numerous references given by Grimm, _KM.

_ iii.

pp. 168-9. [297] As well as in all the mythologies.

For the magic draught of the fairy-story appears to be closely connected with the Greek _ambrosia_, the Vedic _soma_ or _amrita_, the Zend _haoma_.

[298] A water, "Das Wasser des Lebens," in two German stories (Grimm, Nos.

92 and 97, and iii.

p. 178), and in many Greek tales (Hahn, Nos.

32, 37, &c. ).

An oil or ointment in the Norse tale (Asbjoernsen and Moe, No. 35, Dasent, No. 3).

A balsam in Gaelic tales, in which a "Vessel of Balsam" often occurs.

According to Mr. Campbell ("West Highland Tales," i. p. 218), "Ballan Iocshlaint, teat, of ichor, of health, seems to be the meaning of the words."

The juice squeezed from the leaves of a tree in a modern Indian tale ("Old Deccan Days," p. 139).

[299] The mythical bird Garuda, the Indian original of the Roc of the Arabian Nights, was similarly connected with the Amrita.

See the story of Garuda and the Nagas in Brockhaus's translation of the "Kathasaritsagara," ii.

pp. 98-105. On the Vedic falcon which brings the Soma down to earth, see Kuhn's "Herabkunft des Feuers," pp. 138-142. [300] In the Russian periodical, "Otechestvennuiya Zapiski," vol. 43 (for 1830) pp. 252-6. [301] Schiefners's translation, 1852, pp. 80, 81. [302] In that attributed to Sivadasa, tale 2 (Lassen's "Anthologia Sanscritica," pp. 16-19), and in the "Kathasaritsagara," chap.

lxxvi.

See Brockhaus's summary in the "Berichte der phil.

hist.

Classe der Koen.

Saechs.

Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften," December 3, 1853, pp. 194-5. [303] The "Baital-Pachisi," translated by Ghulam Mohammad Munshi, Bombay 1868, pp. 23-24. [304] B.

G.

Babington's translation of "The Vedala Cadai," p. 32. contained in the "Miscellaneous Translations" of the Oriental Translation Fund, 1831, vol. i.

pt.

iv pp. 32 and 67. [305] Afanasief, _P.

V. S.

_ ii.

551. [306] Afanasief, viii.

p. 205. [307] Afanasief, vii.

No. 5 _b_.

[308] Afanasief, vii.

No. 5 _a_.

For the _Zhar-Ptitsa_, see infra, p. 285. [309] Afanasief, vi.

p. 249. For a number of interesting legends, collected from the most distant parts of the world, about grinding mountains and crashing cliffs, &c. , see Tylor's "Primitive Culture," pp. 313-16. After quoting three mythic descriptions found among the Karens, the Algonquins, and the Aztecs, Mr. Tylor remarks, "On the suggestion of this group of solar conceptions and that of Maui's death, we may perhaps explain as derived from a broken-down fancy of solar-myth, that famous episode of Greek legend, where the good ship Argo passed between the Symplegades, those two huge cliffs that opened and closed again with swift and violent collision."

Several of the Modern Greek stories are very like the skazka mentioned above.

In one of these (Hahn, ii.

p. 234), a Lamia guards the water of life (+abanato nero+) which flows within a rock; in another (ii.

p. 280) a mountain opens at midday, and several springs are disclosed, each of which cries "Draw from me!"

but the only one which is life-giving is that to which a bee flies.

[310] Wenzig, p. 148. [311] Afanasief, _P.

V. S.

_ ii.

353. [312] See above, p. 233. [313] _Silnaya voda_ or potent water, and _bezsilnaya voda_, or impotent water (_sila_ = strength).

[314] _Palitsa_ = a cudgel, etc. In the variant of the story quoted in the preceding section the prince seized Vikhor by the right little finger, _mizinets_.

_Palets_ meant a finger.

The similarity of the two words may have led to a confusion of ideas.

[315] Afanasief, vii.

pp. 97-103. [316] Muir's "Sanskrit Texts," v. p. 258 and p. 94. See, also Mannhardt's "Germ.

Mythen," pp. 96-97. [317] Being as destructive as the poison which was created during the churning of the Amrita.

[318] Afanasief, v. No. 35. [319] In the original he is generally designated as _Katoma--dyad'ka, dubovaya shapka_, "Katoma-governor, oaken-hat."

Not being able to preserve the assonance, I have dropped the greater part of his title.

[320] _Bogodanny_ (_bog_ = God; _dat'_, _davat'_ = to give).

One of the Russian equivalents for our hideous "father-in-law" is "god-given father" (_bogodanny otets_), and for "mother-in-law," _bogodanny mat'_ or "God-given mother."

(Dahl.

) [321] Four lines are omitted here.

See A. de Gubernatis, "Zool.

Mythology," i. 181, where a solar explanation of the whole story will be found.

[322] These ejaculations belong to the story-teller.

[323] Literally, "Seemed to her as small as a lamb."

[324] _Kolodez_, a word connected with _koloda_ a log, trough, &c. [325] Afanasief, viii.

No. 23 _a_.

[326] To this episode a striking parallel is offered by that of Gunther's wedding night in the "Nibelungenlied," in which Brynhild flings her husband Gunther across the room, kneels on his chest, and finally binds him hand and foot, and suspends him from a nail till daybreak.

The next night Siegfried takes his place, and wrestles with the mighty maiden.

After a long struggle he flings her on the floor and forces her to submit.

Then he leaves the room and Gunther returns.

A summary of the story will be found in the "Tales of the Teutonic Lands," by G. W.

Cox and E. H.

Jones, pp. 94-5. [327] Khudyakof, i. No. 19. pp. 73-7. [328] Erlenvein, No. 19, pp. 95-7. For a Little-Russian version see Kulish, ii.

pp. 59-82. [329] Afanasief, vi.

No. 26. From the Kursk Government.

[330] _Prashchurui.

_ [331] The sentence in italics is a good specimen of the _priskazka_, or preface.

[332] _Gramota_ = +grammata+ whence comes _gramotey_, able to read and write = +grammatikos+.

[333] Vanya and Vanyusha are diminutives of Ivan (John), answering to our Johnny; Vanka is another, more like our Jack.

[334] Literally "with a Solovei-like whistle."

The word _solovei_ generally means a nightingale, but it was also the name of a mythical hero, a robber whose voice or whistle had the power of killing those who heard it.

[335] _Chmoknuel_, smacked.

[336] See Barsof's rich collection of North-Russian funeral poetry, entitled "Prichitaniya Syevernago Kraya," Moscow, 1872. Also the "Songs of the Russian People," pp. 334-345. [337] Miss Frere's "Old Deccan Days," pp. 3, 4. [338] Grimm, _KM.

_ No. 21. [339] Afanasief, vi.

No. 54. [340] _Ona krava shto yoy ye bila mati_, Vuk Karajich, p. 158. In the German translation (p. 188) _Wie dies nun die Kuh sah, die einst seine Mutter gewesen war_.

[341] Afanasief, ii.

p. 254. [342] _Cherez dvyenadtsat' stekol.

_ _Steklo_ means a glass, or a pane of glass.

[343] Afanasief, ii.

p. 269. [344] Khudyakof, No. 50. [345] Afanasief, iii.

p. 25. [346] Dasent's "Norse Tales," No. 40. Asbjoernsen and Moe, No. 37. "Grimsborken."

[347] Dasent, No. 13. Asbjoernsen and Moe, No. 51. "Jomfruen paa Glasberget."

[348] Campbell's "West-Highland Tales," iii.

pp. 265, 266. [349] Miss Frere's "Old Deccan Days," pp. 31, 73, 95, 135. [350] "Voelsunga Saga," translated by E. Magnusson and W. Morris, pp. 95-6. [351] Afanasief, vi.

No. 32. From the Novgorod Government.

A

"chap-book" version of this story will be found in Dietrich's collection (pp. 152-68 of the English translation); also in Keightley's "Tales and Popular Fictions."

[352] _Nijnie_, lower.

Thus Nijny Novgorod is the lower (down the Volga) Novgorod.

(Dahl.

) [353] _Kukova_, a stick or cudgel, one end of which is bent and rounded like a ball.

[354] _Tak de ego ne vzat'.

_ [355] There are numerous variants of this story among the Skazkas.

In one of these (Afanasief, vii.

No. 31) the man on whom the pike has bestowed supernatural power uses it to turn a Maiden princess into a mother.

This renders the story wholly in accordance with (1) the Modern Greek tale of "The Half Man," (Hahn, No. 8) in which the magic formula runs, "according to the first word of God and the second of the fish shall such and such a thing be done!"

(2) The Neapolitan story of "Pervonto" (Basile's "Pentamerone," No. 3) who obtains his magic power from three youths whom he screens from the sun as they lie asleep one hot day, and who turn out to be sons of a fairy.

Afanasief compares the story also with the German tale of "The Little Grey Mannikin," in the "Zeitschrift fuer Deutsche Mythologie," &c. , i. pp. 38-40. The incident of wishes being fulfilled by a fish occurs in many stories, as in that of "The Fisherman," in the "Arabian Nights," "The Fisherman and his Wife," in Grimm (_KM.

_, No. 19).

A number of stories about the Pike are referred to by A. de Gubernatis ("Zoolog.

Mythology," ii.

337-9).

[356] Quoted by Afanasief from Siemienski's "Podania," Posen, 1845, p. 42. [357] "Songs of the Russian People," pp. 387-427. [358] Afanasief, vii.

No. 36 _a_.

This story has no special title in the original.

[359] The rural police.

_Sotnick_ = centurion, from _sto_ = 100. _Desyatnik_ is a word of the same kind from _desyat_ = 10. [360] A Ponomar is a kind of sacristan.

[361] "Der Werwolf, Beitrag zur Sagengeschichte," Stuttgart, 1862. For Russian ideas on the subject see "Songs of the Russian people," pp. 403-9. [362] "Polnische Volkssagen" (translated by Lewestam), p. 61. [363] Brockhaus's "Maehrchensammlung des Somadeva Bhatta," ii.

p. 24. [364] Afanasief, vii.

No. 36 _b_.

This story, also, is without special title.

[365] In Mr. Hain Friswell's collection of "Ghost Stories," 1858. [366] Afanasief, vii.

No. 36 _c_.

Also without special title.

[367] The Russian _skovoroda_ is a sort of stew-pan, of great size, without a handle.

[368] From Professor Brockhaus's summary in the "Berichte der phil.

hist.

Classe der Koenigl.

Saechs.

Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften," 1861, pp. 215, 16. [369] For an account of this mythological bird, see the note on next page.

Ornithologically, the _Zhar-ptitsa_ is the Cassowary.

[370] Khudyakof, No. 110. From the Nijegorod Government.

[371] _Zhar_ = glowing heat, as of a furnace; _zhar-ptitsa_ = the glow-bird.

Its name among the Czekhs and Slovaks is _Ptak Ohnivak_.

The heathens Slavonians are said to have worshipped Ogon or Agon, Fire, the counterpart of the Vedic Agni.

_Agon_ is still the ordinary Russian word for fire, the equivalent of the Latin _ignis_.

[372] Afanasief, vii.

No. 11. See also the notes in viii.

p. 620, etc. [373] Grimm's _KM.

_, No. 57. See the notes in Bd.

iii.

p. 98. [374] Afanasief, vii.

No. 12. [375] Khudyakof, No. 104. From the Orel Government.

[376] The _kholodnaya izba_--the "cold izba," as opposed to the "warm izba" or living room.

[377] The etymology of the word _koldun_ is still, I believe, a moot point.

The discovery of the money in the warlock's coffin seems an improbable incident.

In the original version of the story the wizard may, perhaps, have turned into a heap of gold (see above, p. 231, on "Gold-men").

[378] Campbell, No. 13, vol. i.

p. 215. CHAPTER V.