What is the beginning in a fairy tale? The meaning of the word beginning in the dictionary of literary terms

20.10.2019

Arts and entertainment

What is the beginning? The beginning of the epic

February 19, 2016

Today we will look at what a beginning is. Different dictionaries give slightly different meanings. We will look at the basic definitions. The beginning is also typical for epics. We'll tell you when it's appropriate.

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To understand what a beginning is, let’s turn to the “Terminological Dictionary” of N. Yu. Rusov. This source defines the term we are interested in as a stable formula with which folklore works begin. It is necessary to separately consider what the beginning of the epic is. We are talking about its beginning. Moreover, in an epic, the chorus may precede the fragment that interests us. Now let's talk about such a work as a fairy tale. She also often has an intro like this. It may be preceded by a saying. However, this phenomenon does not always occur.

Formula

Now, to understand what a beginning is, let’s turn to the Literary Encyclopedia. According to this source, we are talking about introducing the epic using some traditional formula. Part of it has to do with storytelling. This is the main difference between the beginning and the beginning or joke. They have no such connection. The fragment we are interested in is intertwined with the narrative geographically, chronologically or in some other way. Example: “Once upon a time in the glorious city of Kyiv.”

Folk art

Now let’s turn to the “Dictionary of Literary Terms” for help. According to this source, the beginning is a verbal stable formula with which epics, fairy tales, and other works related to oral folk art begin. An example would be the following options: “Once upon a time,” “In the thirtieth state,” “It was in Murom.” A similar definition is also given by the publication “Pedagogical Speech Science: Dictionary-Reference Book”. The beginning is the initial part of a certain text, which has a special communicative function (purpose). This part is determined by the author based on the idea, theme and purpose of the work. Also important in this case are the interests and capabilities of the addressee. Now you know what the beginning is.

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The question “What words begin with?”, he will most likely name the phrase “Once upon a time...”. Indeed, this is the most common beginning of Russian folk songs. Someone else will definitely remember: “In a certain kingdom, in a certain state...” or “In the thirtieth kingdom, in the thirtieth state...” - and he will also be right.

Some fairy tales begin with the common word "one day." And in others, as, for example, in “The Three Kingdoms - Copper, Silver and Gold,” time is described as if more specifically, but still very vague, like a fairy tale: “In that ancient time, when the world was filled with goblins, witches and mermaids “When the rivers flowed with milk, the banks were jelly, and fried partridges flew across the fields...”

Russian folk tales from everyday life, more like jokes, do without traditional beginnings. For example, “One man had a grumpy wife...” or “Two brothers lived in the same village.”

Similar beginnings can be found not only in Russian folk tales, but also in fairy tales of other peoples.

What are all these sayings talking about? Everything is very simple. The listener or reader is immediately brought into action and finds out with whom, where and at what time the fabulous events will take place. And is waiting for the continuation. It is also important that these phrases are rhythmically constructed in such a way as to create a certain melodiousness.

The beginnings of author's fairy tales

At A.S. Pushkin’s “The Tale of the Golden Cockerel” brings together two fairy-tale beginnings:
“Nowhere, in the distant kingdom,
In the thirtieth state,
Once upon a time there lived a glorious king Dadon.”

Many fairy tales do not begin with traditional phrases. For example, the first line in Andersen’s fairy tale “Flint” is: “A soldier was walking along the road: one-two! one-two!”

Or here’s an example of the beginning of Astrid Lindgren’s fairy tales: “In the city of Stockholm, on the most ordinary street, in the most ordinary house, lives the most ordinary Swedish family named Svanteson.” (“Baby and Carlson”) “On the night Roni was supposed to be born, thunder rumbled.” (“Roni is the daughter of a robber”)

But even here it can be seen that fairy tales begin either with the introduction of a hero, or with a designation of the scene of action, or talk about time.

It is very rare to find fairy tales, the beginning of which is devoted to lengthy descriptions. Usually the beginnings are quite dynamic.

For example, one of the most beloved Russian children's poets, Korney Ivanovich Chukovsky, without any introduction, immediately, as if on the run, introduces the reader into the thick of fairy-tale events. “The blanket ran away, the sheet flew away, and the pillow jumped away from me like a frog.” (“Moidodyr”) “The sieve gallops through the fields, and the trough through the meadows.” (“Fedorino’s grief”)

A good beginning in a fairy tale is important. The mood with which the listener or reader will immerse themselves in the story depends on it.

People get acquainted with them from childhood. The main function of fairy tales is educational, because they teach kindness, selflessness, and altruism.

The history of Russian folklore includes a large number of fairy tales. Many of them exist in several versions.

Fairy tale and its genre varieties

Fairy tales can be different. The main classification divides them as follows:

1. A tale about animals. The main characters and actors are animals. In Russian literature, every animal is an allegory of some human quality. For example, the fox represents cunning, the hare - cowardice, etc.

2. A fairy tale. It has a rather complex composition. The beginning of such a fairy tale, as a rule, is the beginning. In a fairy tale, this is an indispensable condition that expresses morality, the main thought and idea.

3. Novelistic fairy tale. A hero is a person who does amazing things. Only if in fairy tales the hero is helped by magical objects or unusual animals, then in short stories the character uses only his mind.

4. Everyday fairy tale. It talks about a person's life in an ordinary world without magic.

Each fairy tale begins differently. The beginnings of Russian fairy tales deserve great attention, however, before considering them, it is necessary to become familiar with the structural elements of a traditional fairy tale.

Fairy tale structure

The fairy tale begins with the beginning. After it, the main events begin. The hero finds himself in an unusual situation. Then in the fairy tale there are twists and turns - actions. The characters intersect with each other. The most crucial moment comes - the climax. After the climax there is a decline in events, and subsequently there is a denouement.

This is the structure of an ordinary story.

A little about the beginning

The beginning of a fairy tale is the beginning of the fairy tale. It can be short (consist of one sentence), or it can be a whole paragraph long. The opening introduces the reader to a fairy tale story. He gives initial information about the characters, for example, “once upon a time there was a peasant.”

The beginning of a fairy tale is a small digression that sets the tone of the story. The main goals of the initiative:

1. Attract the attention of listeners. The beginnings of Russian folk tales can be a proverb or a saying. The reader or listener becomes interested in how this fairy tale is connected with the sentence indicated in the beginning.

2. Set the tone for the story. The beginning often determines the genre of the work. Russian classics also used a similar technique, for example, Saltykov-Shchedrin begins the fairy tale “The Wise Minnow” with the words: “Once upon a time there was a minnow.”

Thus, the beginning is the main structural unit of a fairy tale, which sets the reader up to read the work and determines the genre's originality.

Beginnings in Russian fairy tales

It is difficult to find a person who could not remember at least one beginning. In a fairy tale, this is the main part, so it is difficult to do without it.

Most fairy tales begin with the words “once upon a time...”, “once upon a time...”. The peculiarity of this beginning is the repeated repetition of words with the same root.

No less famous are the beginnings of Russian folk tales, beginning with the words “in a certain kingdom, in a certain state...”. A similar beginning is “in the distant kingdom, in the thirtieth state...”. Such introductions are typical of fairy tales.

Sometimes fairy tales open with sayings with the word “beginning,” for example, “the beginning is the beauty of the matter” or “every business has a beginning, every tale has a beginning.” After this introduction, the story itself begins.

Thus, we can draw the following conclusion: the beginning is a special beginning of a fairy tale, characteristic of works of Russian folklore. It can act either as an element of the composition of a fairy tale, or carry a certain semantic load.

BEGINNING

A stable verbal formula with which fairy tales, epics and other works of oral folk art begin: “In a certain kingdom, the thirtieth state, once upon a time ...” (fairy tales); “As it was in the city and in Murom...”; “How Vladimir, the prince of Stolnya-Kyiv // Got angry with the old Cossack Ilya Muromets, // Put him in a deep cellar, // Deep in a cold one...” (epic Z.). The purpose of the sign largely coincides with the function of exposition (see exposition) in a work of art: it can indicate the time and place of what is happening, name the characters, and prepare for the perception of the plot of the story. Z. should not be confused with a saying (see saying) or an epic chant.

Dictionary of literary terms. 2012