Nature and people in Russian fairy tales are interesting facts on the topic. Tales about nature - a storehouse of goodness and wisdom Folk tales in which nature helps the hero

Fairy tales are filled with metaphors and images. You just need to be able to understand them. But most often we can only guess what is behind these images. Probably thanks to this, fairy tales preserve what was originally inherent in them. Every famous fairy tale has several levels or layers of knowledge about the structure of the world and man, about the foundations of life, deeply hidden and not immediately revealed. There is not a single random empty word or event in a fairy tale. Everything is harmonious and harmonious. And it will take a very long time for people to reveal the secrets of fairy tales.

The importance of Nature in the worldview can hardly be overestimated. In epics, fairy tales, and ritual songs, Nature is given the most important place. It is difficult to imagine the action of these works outside of it. Nature here is not just a beautiful decoration, it is spiritualized and takes an active part in what is happening. Animals, plants, elements (bear, wolf, drake, pike, mouse, snake, eagle, raven, falcon, cow, birch tree (in the fairy tale “Vasilisa the Beautiful”), apple tree (in the fairy tales “Geese-Swans”, “Little Khavroshechka” "), the river (in the fairy tale "Geese-Swans")), as well as the very goal of the difficult journey (rejuvenating apples, Living Water, Firebird) are manifestations magical nature. Man is inseparable from Nature, its brainchild, the harmony of man and nature is the basis of existence.

BIRDShttp://russian7.ru/post/7-ptic-russkoj-mifologii/

Alkonost

The wonderful bird Alkonost, or Halcyon, with a female appearance and similar to a kingfisher, lives either on the banks of the Euphrates, or on the island of Buyan, or in the ancient Slavic paradise of Iria. Fabulous beauty the creature lays its eggs on seabed, at the edge of the sea, and for seven days until the chicks are born, according to legend, the weather is calm and windless. Alkonost is a bird of goodness and sadness. It does not pose any danger to humans, but on the contrary, it mourns those killed on the field after the battle. And Alkonost’s singing, similar to love itself, is so beautiful that whoever hears it can forget everything in the world.

Sirin

Another bird of paradise - Sirina, reminiscent of the ancient Greek Sirens - is usually attributed to dark forces. Outwardly, she is very similar to Alkonost and is his frequent companion. However, despite the fact that, unlike Alkonost, Sirin sings songs of Joy, promising soon-to-come bliss, his singing is destructive for people, because after hearing it, you can lose your mind. From head to waist Sirin is a woman of incomparable beauty, and from the waist she is a bird. She is a messenger of dark, hostile forces calling a person to the other world.

Gamayun

Gamayun is one of the sacred birds of the Slavs. Along with the birds Sirin and Alkonost, she is often represented as living in the branches of the World Tree. The bird Gamayun descends to people only to report something important; she is also assigned the role of a storyteller, since Gamayun knows about everything that was, is and even will be. Gamayun bird is a prophetic bird.

Stratim bird

The mysterious and gigantic Stratim-bird, also known as the Straphil-bird, is the archetype of the progenitor, the mother of all birds. She lives on the sea-ocean and holds the whole white world under her right wing. Stratim personified the most terrible and permissive forces of nature. She will flap her wing - the sea will become agitated, she will scream - a storm will rise, and if she flies - she will cover White light... Ships will sink in the sea, the deepest abysses will open up, cities and forests will disappear under water. According to legend, this is the ancestor of all birds, the personification of the primitive power of nature that surrounded defenseless man in ancient times.

Firebird

The most famous and late bird in the world of Russian folk fantasy is the Firebird, which has adopted some properties of many other fairy-tale birds. Her golden feathers are capable of shining in the darkness and amaze human vision, but at the same time, the Firebird returns the ability to see to the blind, and her singing heals the sick. At the same time, when she sings, pearls fall from her beak. The Firebird feeds on golden apples, which give her eternal youth, beauty and immortality. Perhaps that is why fairy-tale heroes hunted for her, and musicians and artists sang her in their works.

In East Slavic mythology, a wonderful bird. Perhaps her image is associated with the image of the radiant sun god; she is created by the popular imagination from ideas about heavenly fire-flame, and her radiance is as blinding to the eyes as the sun or lightning. After this bird, which brings great happiness to the hero who masters at least one of its feathers, fairy-tale good fellows set off one after another on an unknown path.

Finist Yasny Sokol

The appearance of another bird in Russian fairy tales is also associated with the Phoenix bird. famous character- Finista Yasny Sokol. A bird that personifies the bright beginning in human existence. He was held in high esteem in Russian songs and fairy tales. He was called nothing less than “young and clear falcon,” honoring handsome, good fellows with the same name. Falcon eyes - keen eyes: “You can’t hide from a hawk’s eye!” - people say. Fairy-tale heroes turn into falcons in order to instantly overcome unimaginable distances, suddenly strike the enemy, and appear unnoticed in front of the red maiden. It is not for nothing that one of the most mysterious and charming heroes of Russian fairy tales is called Finist the Clear Falcon. In his name there is a clear reference to the undying phoenix.

Swan Princess

The graceful Princess, half swan, half beautiful girl, has become not so much a character in the mythology of folk tales, but a widespread image in Russian art. The wonderful swan bird, living on the shore of the blue-blue sea, first flew into Pushkin’s “The Tale of Tsar Saltan”, then into Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera of the same name, and then forever remained in Vrubel’s most famous masterpiece. A feminine creature capable of turning into a beautiful girl and again into a swan. She has special beauty and charm. In folk tales, this creature is given seductive and prophetic power. According to their ancient, original meaning, they are personifications of spring, rain clouds; together with the bringing down of legends about heavenly sources to the earth, the swans-virgins become daughters of the Ocean-Sea and inhabitants of earthly waters (seas, rivers, lakes and springs). Thus they become related to mermaids. Virgo swans are given prophetic character and wisdom; they perform difficult, supernatural tasks and force nature itself to obey them. The name "swan" used in popular speech for the most part in the feminine gender, it actually means: white (light, shiny); such a fundamental meaning of it was subsequently renewed by the constant epithet: white swan.

Crow

Prophet bird. Most often it brings bad news. This is personified by the fact that for many folk legends he brings water, living and dead. The raven lives for three hundred years because it feeds on carrion. In some legends, the raven is the grandson of Stribog, that is, one of the winds, and carries a storm. People are afraid of the raven because they believe that this prophetic bird brings misfortune.

Cuckoo

A bird associated with the feminine and maiden principles in the Slavic folk consciousness. This prophetic bird, heralding the onset of spring, the beginning of thunderstorms and rains, determining longitude human life and the terms of marriage unions, the Slavs dedicated to the goddess of spring and the joy of renewal. By her voice, the farmer judges the future harvest: if she crows at sunrise and on a green tree (that is, when the forests are already covered with leaves), then the year will be fruitful, and if she crows at night and on a bare tree, there will be famine and pestilence. Whoever hears the cuckoo for the first time on an empty stomach will real year promises misfortune; such a person should not feed the cattle, or else starve them all winter. In ancient times it was represented as a cuckoo human soul. There was a rite of baptism of the cuckoo, which was carried out when the dead were remembered. Women and girls gathered in the forest, made a stuffed bird from scraps and flowers and planted it on a branch, and neck crosses were hung above it. You can instead find a grass called cuckoo grass, and, having pulled it out by the roots, dress it in a shirt, then put it on the ground and place two arches above it crosswise, covering them with scarves and hanging them on both sides along the cross. This is called baptizing the cuckoo or worshiping.

Eagle

For all Slavic peoples, the king bird is the personification of proud power and freedom. The Thunder God most often incarnated in him. Popular Russian legends attribute to the eagle the ability to devour a whole bull and three ovens of bread at once, and to drink a whole tub of honey in one spirit. But these same legends depict him as a heroic bird, breaking centuries-old oak trees into small pieces with his mighty chest. The king bird, in his formidable anger, can emit fire from his sharp beak, incinerating entire cities. The appearance of a soaring eagle over an army served as an omen of victory - and not only among the ancient Slavs. According to an old belief, every eagle has an eagle stone, or fire stone, hidden in its nest, which protects against all diseases.

Rooster

In the popular consciousness, he exists as the embodiment of fire. In the old days, the Slavs dedicated it to Sventovid and recognized it as the best propitiatory sacrifice to the god of fire - Svarog. In peasant life, it is also believed that a rooster protects against fires. That is why they place a wooden or iron rooster on the ridge of the roof. “To let the red rooster fly” means to set something on fire. Old people claim that when a fire starts from lightning, a fiery rooster descends from the sky directly onto the roof. If there is already a rooster on the roof, then the fire will not take root on it. His nicknames were “Glasim the Tsar”, “Budimir the Tsar”, he represented in his native Rus' an invariably correct clock, allowing one to find out the time at night. "The rooster crows - it means evil spirits The dark time has come! - they say among the people who firmly believe that from evening until “the first rooster” every incarnation of the devil is supposed to roam the earth. “The rooster is crowing - the sky is ringing for matins!” - say the pious elders, confident in the correctness of the legend: they say, as soon as the roosters stop crowing, the whole world will end. Another rooster, the “golden comb cockerel” of Russian fairy tales, appears to the popular imagination as sitting on the vault of heaven and not afraid of either fire or water. If you throw it into a well, it will drink all the water at once; If it gets into the fire, it will drown all the flames.

Owl, owls and eagle owl

Bird of wisdom. Its existence is full of mysteries for humans. The fact that she is a night reveler already says a lot. According to popular beliefs, she guards treasures. The owl is the goblin's advisor and is called in fairy tales and sayings an owl-widow, a wise little head, a forest lady. Always and everywhere, the concept of wisdom has been combined with the idea of ​​it. The eagle owl is the “owl’s brother-in-law,” the forest owner’s constant companion, and the owls are his messengers.

Woodpecker

The woodpecker returned the stolen things to the old man and the old woman by the fox. For the woodpecker's good deed, the old woman sewed him beautiful clothes from suede. She put a colorful cap on his head.
The old man was a skilled blacksmith. He forged a strong steel beak and sharp claws. And he gave all this to the woodpecker. Since then, the woodpecker has been wearing clothes sewn for him by his grandmother. It gets its food using the steel beak given to it by its grandfather. He has good, strong claws. The woodpecker lives in the trees, and therefore does not come across the fox.

ANIMALShttp://www.proto-slavic.ru/slavonic-myths/marvel-animals.htm

Miracle of the Sea

A monster living in the depths of the sea, sometimes personified by a pike or other incredible fish. To ancient man, the cloud seemed like a pike - a giant that swallowed the beautiful luminary of the day. Having swallowed it, the monster cannot find a place for itself due to the heat that burns all its insides; it rushes from side to side, bursts with fire, flows with burning tears and, finally, in complete exhaustion, throws the full sun into the open space, disappearing from the brightened sky-sea.

gold fish

In Slavic legends there is a wonderful fish that gives birth to fabulous heroes. So, for example, it is said that there once lived in this world one queen who had no children, and she only wanted one happiness on earth - she asked and begged God for a son. She had a prophetic dream that to do this, she had to throw a blue silk net into the blue sea and eat the first fish taken out of the net. The queen told this dream to her henchmen and ordered them to cast the net: only one fish was caught, and even that one was not an ordinary one, but a golden one. They fried it, served it to the queen for lunch, and she began to eat it and praise it. The leftovers left after the queen were eaten by the cook; I finished eating, washed the dishes, and took the slops out to my beloved black cow. And then the Tsarina’s dream came true - on the same day three sons were born into the world: Ivan the Tsarevich, Ivan the Cook and Ivan the Cow’s Son. Time passed and passed; They grew up, they all became young men, they became mighty heroes.

Fairy pike

The Russian storyteller-folk sometimes gives the pike such supernatural, all-encompassing power that all who see the manifestation of this latter are amazed. When such a miraculous fish falls into the hands, it doesn’t matter - be it Ivan the Tsarevich or Emelya the Fool - it betrays the usual muteness of its sister-brother and begins to proclaim in a human voice: “Let me go into the water, I’ll be useful to you!” - speaks. She teaches to pronounce, whenever her help is needed, the words: “According to my request, at pike command! Every desire connected with these magic words, will not come true slowly. Soon the fairy tale is told, but not soon the deed is done; But these words have sunk deep into the people’s memory; to this day, every now and then you can hear the saying - “at the command of a pike” - referring to everything that happens with amazing speed.

With any, even the most ordinary pike-fish, it is associated with popular imagination and such a natural phenomenon as a violent whirlwind tearing the straw from the roofs: “The pike waved its tail - it licked the roof, it bent the forest to the damp ground!” - he says. A sharp scythe and a crooked sickle, cutting off grass-formers at the root, also evoke in the imagination of the eloquent people a comparison with the voracious predator of the kingdom of fish: “The pike-grabber (scythe) with its tail (blade) blinked - the forests (grasses) fell, the mountains (horns) stood up !”, “The pike (sickle) will hide, the whole forest (field) will wither!”

Wolf

In the most ancient period, when the main occupation of people was hunting, they believed that wild animals were their ancestors. The Slavs considered them powerful deities who should be respected, worshiped and in no way disturbed. The wolf has always been one of the most powerful and dangerous animals in the forests where the Slavs lived, so its cult was widespread and preserved long time. The wolf was considered a powerful protector of the tribe, a devourer of evil spirits, but only if the tribe gave it proper honors as its patron, ancestor. The pagan priest, who performed protective rites, dressed in wolf skin.

The wolf is undoubtedly endowed with extraordinary abilities. On the one hand, he is the personification of a dark cloud obscuring the sun, and darkness in general. On the other hand, the image of a wolf is known, helping the hero of Slavic fairy tales, the prince, in many of his enterprises: he flies faster than the wind, carries the gray prince on his back from one side of the world to the other, helps him get the wonderful Firebird, the golden-maned horse and the beauty of all the beauties - Tsar Maiden. This fabulous wolf speaks in a human voice and is gifted with extraordinary wisdom.

Hare

The hare is an animal that was often found in the forests where the Slavs lived. They knew the habits of this animal very well and associated with it such qualities as weakness and timidity. The name of the white cowardly animal in winter, gray in autumn, and red in summer was Oblique. The hare is not only the embodiment of cowardice, but also the personification of speed.

Horse

The horse is perhaps the closest and most important animal to humans. Since ancient times, he served people and was perceived as a friend and wise helper. This is no coincidence, because life without a horse is unthinkable in the conditions where they lived Slavic tribes. Deifying all visible and invisible nature, people gave special properties to this animal. It was believed that the sun gallops across the sky on a golden horse during the day and on a black one at night. Therefore, the change from day to night seemed to the imagination of the pagans as a running race between two horses. Also, in all Slavic legends, the dark force seems to ride on a black horse, and the white one on a white one.

According to popular mysteries, the sound of thunder was represented by the neighing of heavenly horses. Folk tales they mention whirlwind horses, cloud horses; both are endowed with wings.

With the advent of folk tales, epic epic, whose main characters are heroes, the horse takes on a new meaning. It is difficult to imagine the hero of epics without his kind, faithful, greyhound (fast) horse, so fused and akin are these two images.

Later, folk fantasy gave birth to little wizard a hunchbacked horse with the power to fly in the blink of an eye with its rider to the distant kingdom, to the thirtieth state. The owner of such a humpbacked horse gets whatever he wants.

Many signs associated with this constant companion of man exist in Rus': a horse neighs - for good, stomps - towards the road, draws in road air with its nostrils - the house is close, snorts on the way - for a good meeting (or for rain). If the horse stumbles when leaving the yard, it is better to turn back so that no harm comes of it; unharnesses the road - disaster will be inevitable. The plowman's servant-friend the horse remains faithful to him even after his death!

Cat

An animal very beloved by the people. Without this small but faithful animal, not a single farm could exist, since the cat eats mice, which in other years eat entire crops in barns. Sorcerers bewitched cats to people’s homes with spells “from the mouse eater.” There is an old belief that a cat is so tenacious that only the ninth death can kill it to death.

The cat was the companion of sorcerers among all peoples. Popular superstition ascribes extraordinary power to her eyes, which see in the dark, drawn from the mysterious world. A three-haired cat, according to our plowmen, brings happiness to the house where it lives; a seven-haired cat is an even surer guarantee family well-being. According to Russian fairy tales, the cat is almost the smartest animal. She tells the tales herself and knows how to avert her eyes no worse than a meticulous healer. The Bayun cat was endowed with a voice that could be heard seven miles away, and could be seen seven miles away; As he purrs, he will cast upon whomever he wants an enchanted sleep, which you cannot distinguish, without knowing it, from death.

Little fox-sister (aka godfox)

An amazing beast, its bad and good qualities. Undoubtedly, this is a predator that causes harm on the farm. On the other hand, a person who had to fight for survival in the conditions of cruel nature was impressed by her cunning and evasiveness, the ability to get out of a difficult situation not with brute force, but with the help of a resourceful mind. They call her a gossip, Patrikeevna. She will “lead seven wolves,” no matter how the dog guards the yard from her, and she will get herself some chicken.

Fox is bright female image in the animal world, the companion and embodiment of Mokosha - the goddess of fate and harvest. The Slavs revered the fox for its cunning, resourcefulness and ingenuity, and affectionately called it godfather and sister. Due to its red color, the Fox was compared to fire, and also to a thundercloud due to the brown tint of its fur coat. In Siberia, the pre-dawn twilight, when the sun's rays painted the sky dark orange, was called fox darkness. But the fox was also associated with the winter cold, illnesses and illnesses caused by the cold. The fox owes this relationship to Mara, the goddess of winter, possibly the incarnation of Mokosh. Fox time is the beginning and middle of winter. Colors - red, red, brown.

Bear

The worship of the bear dates back to the most ancient pagan times, when people lived in unity with the animal world among forests, in thickets and conquered living space for themselves in a brutal struggle with nature. The owner of the pagan forest was the bear - the most powerful animal. He was considered a protector from all evil and a patron of fertility. The myth of the Bear - the owner of the forest, a powerful deity - has been preserved in Russian fairy tales, where the heroine ends up in his house deep in the forest, becomes his wife, and their son Bear's Ear turns into a mighty hero, winner of monsters.

For quite a long time the bear was revered as sacred, and even much later, hunters still did not dare to pronounce the word “bear” and called him either Mikhail Potapych, or Toptygin, or simply Mishka. He is gentle and even kind in his own way - in a bearish way - if you don’t touch him; but the hunters who come out to him with an ax and a spear are completely in vain to rely on his kindness: he knows how to be more formidable than the formidable governor - and at any moment he will turn from a “club-footed bear” into a ferocious forest monster.

The dog is the symbol of the year 2018.

There is no such person who will not agree with the saying: “A dog is for a man.” true friend! The life of nature has developed so that the dog is the most close relative the wolf - became his enemy and, from ancient times, man’s protector from him. She protects and protects the owner's goods. When a wolf hears a dog barking, he tries to walk around: the gray one knows that these guards have sharp teeth, and an amazing sense of smell. The eloquent plowman said a lot of catchphrases about his faithful watchman friend, and they all unanimously speak about a dog’s affection, a dog’s sense of smell, and a dog’s unpretentiousness. By the barking of a dog, a traveler who has lost his way recognizes where human habitation is nearby. Red girls also use it to make Christmas wishes: “Bark, bark, little dog, where is my betrothed!” Many signs are associated with the dog’s disposition, which is well known to the village man.

Dragon

Description of the Serpent Gorynych, from ancient fairy tales: “A dimensional cloud flew in and covered the red Yarilo. A great wind rose, and the dimensional Serpent Gorynych (three-headed) flew into the cloud. He broke the huts, scattered the haystacks, carried away all the people and livestock.” The image of “snake” means round and long, like a snake. “Gorynych” - because it is as tall as a mountain. In this description we are talking about such natural phenomenon like a tornado. The Serpent Gorynych can be three-headed (i.e., 3 funnels come out of the cloud), or nine-headed, etc.

In other ancient Russian fairy tales, a constant feature of the Serpent Gorynych is his connection with fire: “A fierce serpent flies, scorches with fire, threatens with death,” “Then the serpent emitted a fiery flame from itself, wants to burn the prince.” His constant threat: “I will burn your kingdom (i.e., body) with fire and scatter it with ashes.” In Russian folk tales, the Serpent symbolizes uncontrolled animal instincts and is the guardian of the border between Reality and Navy (the physical and other worlds). The border itself is described as a river of fire; there is a bridge across it, which can be crossed by the one who defeats the snake, that is, defeats all his animal elements.

PLANTS

The image of a tree in our minds is perceived as a symbol of life. Indeed, it is difficult to find a more visible way of life than in the plant world, in particular among trees, especially those whose life span is much longer than that of man, and also those that bear fruit for decades and bear a large variety of fruits or remain green all year round. For Slavic peoples this is oak, birch, aspen, willow, as well as evergreen and fruit trees. Hence the veneration of trees and their use in ritual and medicinal practices aimed at imparting to man the vital energy of plants. IN traditional culture The image of a tree is one of the most capacious for embodying the idea of ​​the eternal cycle of life - a fundamental idea for world perception.

Apple

Apple is a symbol of youth and immortality: The apple is not only the most popular, democratic and beloved fruit in the world, but also incredibly healing. Therefore, in many fairy tales, an apple is a symbol of youth and immortality, and golden ruddy skin is a symbol of beauty and health. In Russian folk tales, the plot about the healing properties of apples is very popular: “The king was very outdated and poor in eyes, but he heard that far away, in the thirtieth kingdom, there is a garden with rejuvenating apples and a well with living water...” (“The Tale of Rejuvenating Apples” and living water"). We find rejuvenating apples that help get rid of illness in many other fairy tales. “(Solntseva’s sister) let him go home to visit and gave him a brush, a comb and two rejuvenating apples for the journey: no matter how old a person is, if he eats an apple, he will instantly become younger” (Russian folk tale “The Witch and the Solntseva’s Sister”). “...As soon as she tasted these apples, she instantly recovered and jumped out of bed” (German fairy tale “The Vulture Bird”). “The children took eyeballs, brought them to the mother, applied them to the eye sockets, and the mother regained her sight” (Georgian fairy tale “Five Brothers and a Sister”).

An apple is a symbol of wisdom, knowledge of life:“An apple rolls on a saucer, poured on a silver saucer, and on the saucer all the cities are visible one after another, ships on the seas and shelves in the fields, and the height of the mountains, and the beauty of the skies.” These are words from "The Tale of the Silver Saucer and poured apple", here the apple plays the role of a fortune teller, as it knows about everything that is happening in the world. An apple can lead you to the right place: “The wife gave him an apple and said: “Roll this apple and follow it, it will lead you where you need to...” (Georgian fairy tale “Daughter of the Sun”); an apple can feed and cheer, as in the Ukrainian fairy tale “Ivan the Tsarevich and the Red Maiden”; it can become a magical talisman that revives a treasure (the Bulgarian fairy tale “Death to the Fates”). It is the apple in many fairy tales that helps the heroes learn something new, secret. It becomes an assistant to the goodies.

The apple is the fruit of life and love:The almost perfect round shape was associated with ideas about the world and space. Many peoples saw the apple as an extraordinary fruit - the fruit of the tree of life. It is under such a tree that the gods gather for great councils; they come here with knowledge. Translated from Romance languages, apple means “fruit of paradise.” Apples were given as gifts for weddings and christenings. An apple is the fruit of the tree of life, so in fairy tales it can predict the fate of heroes. IN German fairy tale"White Snake" Golden Apple from the tree of life gives love to the heroes: “They divided the apple of life and ate it together: and her heart was filled with love for him, they lived in serene happiness until their very old age.”

Fern

Everyone knows this legend, which tells about Midsummer's Day (the pagan holiday of Ivan Kupala, previously, before the baptism of Rus', was celebrated on the day of the summer solstice (i.e., the longest daylight day of the year), now it is celebrated on July 7 on the day of the Nativity of John the Baptist, i.e. . astronomical correspondence to the pagan holiday is now lost). So, according to legend, it was at midnight on Ivan Kupala that a bright fiery fern flower bloomed, so bright that it was impossible to look at it, and the earth opened up, displaying all the treasures and treasures. An invisible hand tears it off, and the human hand has almost never managed to do this. Whoever manages to pick this flower will gain the power to command everyone.

Whoever wants to get the color of a fern must go to the forest on the eve of the bright holiday of Kupala......Then everything secret and hidden will be known and accessible...

Blooming Sally

It is connected with the ancient Russian word “tea” (not a drink!), which meant: most likely, perhaps, in all likelihood, etc. In a Russian village there lived a guy Ivan. He was very fond of red shirts; he used to put on a shirt, go out to the outskirts and walk along the edge of the forest, for a walk. The villagers, seeing the bright red color among the greenery, said: “Yes, it’s Ivan, tea, walking.” They got so used to it that they didn’t even notice that Ivan was gone from the village, and they began to say to the scarlet flowers that suddenly appeared near the outskirts, “Yes, it’s Ivan, tea!”

NATURAL ELEMENTS

Earth, water, fire and air

Since ancient times, man has respected the forces of nature, on which the well-being of his life largely depended. Our ancestors perceived natural elements as alive. They were worshiped and sacrificed, people turned to them with requests and expected help from them. Archaic ideas about the relationship between the forces of nature and people are reflected not only in rituals, prohibitions, regulations, but also in folklore works different genres: fairy tales, epics, traditions, legends, mythological stories, conspiracies, proverbs, sayings. In various texts one can often find calls for help from natural elements, endowed, according to legend, with unusual power. These are requests that concern not only economic activity a farmer, but also requests for a cure for illness or misfortune, for the arrangement of personal destiny.

Self-assembled tablecloth

In the image of a self-assembled tablecloth in a fairy tale, Nature herself appears with the most useful food for humans, which grew ITSELF in Eden Gardens, Prophetic Forests and Flowering Meadows – forest and garden berries, fruits, nuts and herbs.

Egg

In the most ancient cosmogony, the world egg is golden. In ancient cultures, the egg also personified the Sun as the source of spring rebirth and the creative forces of nature. In Russian fairy tales, according to some folklore researchers, the Sun takes on the zoomorphic image of the Firebird, which is abducted by the forces of Darkness or Winter in the form of a sorcerer or king-sorcerer; however, the Firebird manages to lay a golden egg - the source of subsequent life, light and warmth.

Fairy tales are one of the main types of oral folk poetry. “The word “fairy tale” is used to describe moral stories about animals and full of miracles fairy tales, and intricate adventure stories, and satirical jokes. Each of these types of oral folk prose has its own distinctive features: their content, their themes, their own system of images, their own language... These tales differ not only thematically, but in the entire character of their images, compositional features, artistic techniques... in their entire style.”

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Nature and people in Russian fairy tales

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Vityaz O.M.

Fairy tales are one of the main types of oral folk poetry. “The word “fairy tale” is used to describe moralizing stories about animals, fairy tales full of miracles, intricate adventurous stories, and satirical anecdotes. Each of these types of oral folk prose has its own distinctive features: its own content, its own themes, its own system of images, its own language... These tales differ not only thematically, but in the entire character of their images, compositional features, artistic techniques... in their entire style.”

Russian fairy tales are usually divided into the following types: about animals, magical and everyday. The plot is the main feature of a fairy tale, in which dream and reality are contrasted. In a fairy tale, a different, special, mysterious world. It features extraordinary fantastic heroes, good and truth defeat darkness, evil and lies. “This is a world where Ivan Tsarevich rushes through the dark forest on a gray wolf, where the deceived Alyonushka suffers, where Vasilisa the Beautiful brings scorching fire from Baba Yaga, where the brave hero finds the death of Kashchei the Immortal”...

Many fairy tales begin with a saying - a humorous joke that is not related to the plot. The purpose of the saying is to attract the attention of listeners. It is followed by a beginning that begins the story. It transports listeners to fairy world, denotes the time and place of action, setting, characters. The fairy tale ends with an ending. The narrative develops sequentially, the action is given in dynamics. The structure of the tale reproduces dramatically tense situations.

Among the most famous Russian fairy tales are the following works: “Kolobok”, “The Magic Ring”, “Geese-Swans”, “The Frog Princess”, “The Little Humpbacked Horse”, “Sister Alyonushka and Brother Ivanushka”, “Goat-Dereza” , “The Golden Cockerel”, tales about Baba Yaga (“Baba Yaga and the Little Man”, “Baba Yaga”, “Baba Yaga and the Zhihar” and others), “Morozko”, “Finist - the Clear Falcon”, “Sivka -Burka”, At the behest of the pike”, “Masha and the Bears”, “Little Khavroshechka”, “The Tale of Ivan the Tsarevich, the Firebird and the Gray Wolf” and others.

The hero of a fairy tale is courageous and fearless. He overcomes all obstacles in his path, wins victories, and wins his happiness. And if at the beginning of the fairy tale he can act as Ivan the Fool, Emelya the Fool, then at the end he certainly turns into the handsome and well done Ivan Tsarevich. A.M. drew attention to this at one time. Gorky: “The hero of folklore is a “fool”, despised even by his father and brothers, always turns out to be smarter than them, always the winner of all everyday adversities.”

A positive hero always gets help from others fairy tale characters. So, in the fairy tale “Three Kingdoms” the hero is chosen into the world with the help of a wonderful bird. In other fairy tales, both Sivka-Burka and Gray wolf, and Elena the Beautiful. Even such characters as Morozko and Baba Yaga help the heroes for their hard work and good manners. All this expresses popular ideas about human morality and morality.

Next to the main characters in a fairy tale there are always wonderful helpers: Gray Wolf, Sivka-Burka, Obedalo, Opivalo, Dubynya and Usynya, etc. They have wonderful means: a flying carpet, walking boots, a self-assembled tablecloth, an invisible hat. Images of positive heroes in fairy tales, helpers and wonderful objects express people's dreams.

The images of female heroines of fairy tales in the popular imagination are unusually beautiful. They say about them: “Neither to tell in a fairy tale, nor to describe with a pen.” They are wise, possess witchcraft powers, have remarkable intelligence and resourcefulness (Elena the Beautiful, Vasilisa the Wise, Marya Morevna).

Opponents of goodies - dark forces, terrible monsters (Kashchei the Immortal, Baba Yaga, Dashing One-Eyed, Serpent Gorynych). They are cruel, treacherous and greedy. This is how the people’s idea of ​​violence and evil is expressed. Their appearance sets off the image positive hero, his feat. Storytellers spared no expense in color to emphasize the struggle between the light and dark principles.

Nature in a fairy tale reveals an organic connection with the hero - and this unity is of a fantastic nature. So, if the hero feels bad, then changes occur in nature that indicate this; if the hero has overcome all the adversities, then nature triumphs with him: “While he was not in the kingdom, all the trees in the garden stood with dry tops; and when he appeared, they immediately came to life and began to bloom.”

The nature of nature is associated not only with the characteristics of fairy-tale time, but also of fairy-tale space. Like all components of a fairy tale, its space is also unusual. In a fairy tale, the hero, without any hint of inconvenience or inadequacy, can be in the water, in the air, and even visiting the “Sun”.

At first glance, nature may be quite “realistic”; its fantastic essence is not immediately revealed. For example, “... he sees a wonderful palace, an oak tree stands near the palace, a falcon sits on a clear oak tree.” The fantastic nature of this “earthly” landscape is revealed at the moment when “the falcon flew from the oak tree, hit the ground, turned around good fellow" “I walked and walked and found myself near a large lake. Suddenly the lake split into two sides - a dry road opened between the waters.” A real lake suddenly undergoes a completely fantastic change

The surprise factor also contributes to the wonderful atmosphere. Nature can arise suddenly, as a result of a magical skill: “After Vasilisa the Wise went to dance with Ivan Tsarevich, she waved her left hand - a lake became, waved her right - and white swans swam across the water; the king and guests were amazed.” Nature is magical by its very origin. “I waved my right hand - forests and waters became, I waved my left hand - they began to fly different birds. Everyone was amazed. I danced and nothing happened.”

Fairy tale "Geese - swans"

The idea is clearly visible in the fairy tale: man and nature can understand each other, man helps nature, and she, in turn, pays him kindly and helps him out in difficult situations.

The river hides the girl and her brother under its bank, the apple tree covers it with branches and leaves, the bud also hides the children.

Why are they so kind?

Because the girl responded to their requests: she loaded the stove with firewood; pulled out a stone from the river that was blocking its flow; shook the apple tree, which was having a hard time keeping the apple harvest.

The fairy tale shows that there are dark forces (Baba Yaga) and some representatives of nature (Geese-swans) serve them.

What happened to brother Vanechka?

What difficulties arose on Mashenka’s way when she ran to look for and save Vanya?

Who did she help and how?

Why did Mashenka manage to return home with her brother? - Who helped her and how?

How should we treat nature?

What good and useful things do we get from nature?

Fairy tale "Nyurochka - little girl"

Questions to ask children:

What time of year is shown in the fairy tale? (Autumn)

Why did they go into the forest? (Pick mushrooms and berries)

What edible mushrooms will children need to collect? (Boletus, redheads, saffron milk caps, etc.)

What berries? (Blueberries, blueberries, lingonberries)

Why did the girl get lost in the forest? (I couldn’t find the path because of the fallen leaves)

Who did she get to?

What animals came to the girl’s aid? (Sheep, rams, cows, calf)

Conclusion: in Russian folk tales, animals can also come to the rescue. It is dangerous for children to go alone into the forest; they can get lost. The animals and the girl can talk to each other.

Fairy tale "Ivanushka - Glinushka"

In Russian folk tales there are stories in which childless people make figurines of girls and boys from scraps natural material(snow, clay, wood, etc.). The desire to have children is so great that its energy helps an inanimate figure come to life and turn into a child. Fairy tales in which a hero born in this way acts are of particular interest. Such tales help to comprehend main feature green nature - the ability to reproduce itself. All categories of living nature (plants, animals, bacteria, fungi) reproduce and produce offspring.

Man is no exception, so childless people are oppressed by melancholy.

These tales are important for environmental education, because... confirm the idea: on Earth, in order to preserve life (the biosphere), all living things must leave behind offspring. If a certain species of plants or animals produces few offspring, it may become extinct - disappear from the face of the Earth. One of the fairy tales “Ivanushka - Glinushka”.

Thus, the nature of a fairy tale, like all its components, serves as one of effective means creating fantasticness, “magic” as the most important genre characteristic. Although fairy tales are poetic fiction, the national spirit is manifested in them with exceptional depth and strength. We can safely say that fairy tales are a true encyclopedia of the life of every nation. They carry centuries-old ideals and reflect folk image life in all its diversity and versatility. At the same time, fairy tales embody many common features, which are inherent to humanity and man. A fairy tale remains a fairy tale, it does not deceive, it enchants and captivates.

Resources used:

1. alenkiicvetohek11.narod.ru/altynbaeva_z.sh..docx
2. http://detsad107.ru/page/88

Svetlana Zabolotnyaya
Love for nature - entry through a fairy tale

Love for nature - entry through a fairy tale.

Fairy tales- the most ancient educational system. A new direction has appeared in modern psychology fairy tale tolerance(treatment fairy tales) . Clarissa Pinkola Estes in her books "Runner with the Wolves" writes: « Fairy tales are medicine. They have healing power without forcing us to do, be, act - just listen to them. IN fairy tales contain means, allowing you to correct or revive any lost spiritual spring... fairy tales have instructions who help us get through through life's thorns1»…

Psychotherapeutic effect fairy tales is that that it helps a person to open his internal source strength, realize your potential. After all, in every fairy tale Along with the problem, the ways to solve it are already laid down. Our task is to bring children to fairy tale lessons , teach us to think, answering the question of what it teaches us fairy tale. The presence of magic in fairy tale

gives us the opportunity to make it an effective means of influencing children.

T. D. Zinkevich - Evstigneeva gives this definition magic: "Magic (good magic)- this is a person’s ability to creatively change himself, develop, maintain a special creative state in himself, and form positive mental images. An important condition for good magic is a creative value system and moral immunity. Magic is often invisible to the eye, but felt by the heart. Witchcraft (evil magic)- this is a destructive change in oneself, another, objects in the surrounding world; manifestation of unformed moral immunity and value system2.”

In legends, traditions and legends ancient Slavs also talk a lot about magical peoples and creatures: “Once upon a time people inhabited the earth together with other peoples...” In the mountains and caves live gnomes who know the secrets of the mountains. There are also people in the forest orders: Plodich watches the fruits in the forest, Tsvetich watches the flowers, Gribych watches the mushrooms, Pchelich watches the bees, Yagodinich watches the berries. Each tree, bush, plant has its own spirit - a mermaid or drud. The merman is the master of the waters, and women's perfume waters - waterworts, mermaids, Mavkas. All nature our ancestors endowed us with a soul; even the elements themselves personified living beings. The earth was imagined as a living woman who groans in pain during a storm; gets angry, causing earthquakes; gives birth to earthly creatures. Fairy tales about rejuvenating apples show us with what respect our ancestors treated trees, believing in their supernatural abilities. Continuation of the topic about magical creatures can be found in fairy tales so in modern literature. IN fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", "Little Men", G. H. Andersen "Thumbelina", D. Swift "Gulliver's travels", Sofia Prokofieva "Snow White and the Little Elf", Astrid Lindgren "The Elf and the Handkerchief",Crystal Vogl "Floral tales of elves and fairies» , V fairy tales P. P. Bazhova.

To form careful attitude to the world around us, we need to bring the child to understand that Magic world opens up to a person with a sensitive and kind hearted, with a pure soul, using the example of many fairy tales. The child will no longer want to pollute the water in which mermaids, nymphs, and undines live. You won’t want to pollute the air, since sylphs live there and bring good dreams. You won’t want to play with fire, knowing that a salamander lives in every flame. You won’t want to pick flowers or break trees because spirits live in them nature. Many spirits, being once kind, because of the barbaric attitude towards nature became evil and no longer help a person as in old times. In a word, an idea "alive nature» gives us enormous opportunities for personal development.

Living understanding of power nature– is a fundamental factor in the formation of environmental consciousness.

Ecological consciousness is public consciousness which reflects a person’s relationship with nature in the dynamics of their development. Revealing environmental contradictions, it directs thought to the search for optimal ways to interact with nature.

In my queue, environmental consciousness contributes to the mastery of ecological culture. Conscious actions aimed at rational environmental management, improvement and conservation environment- this is an indicator of formation ecological culture. The foundation for the formation of environmental consciousness is laid in preschool childhood. Therefore it is necessary, starting from early age, teach children to meaningfully perceive objects nature, develop children's powers of observation. Observation is the leading method of environmental education and the basis of sensory cognition nature.

You can learn a lot from the flight of cranes...

Clarissa Pinkola Estess writes: “...Flashes of lightning told me about sudden death and the fleeting nature of life... The mother wolf killed her mortally wounded cub, this taught me cruel compassion and the inevitability of death coming to the dying. Fluffy caterpillars fell from the branches and returned to the top, teaching me lessons in determination..."

By observing objects of the plant and animal kingdom, children should discover for themselves the idea of ​​​​what treasures lie within man himself.

To portray bright world nature for the youngest readers, many writers turned to such a genre of literature as a fairy tale. Even in many folk tales the main actors natural phenomena appear, forest, frost, snow, water, plants. These Russian fairy tales about nature are very fascinating and educational, they talk about the change of seasons, the sun, the month, and various animals. It is worth remembering the most famous of them: “Winter Hut of Animals”, “Sister Fox and the Gray Wolf”, “Mitten”, “Teremok”, “Kolobok”. Tales about nature were also written by many Russians and it is worth noting such authors as K. Paustovsky, K. Ushinsky, V. Bianki, D. Mamin-Sibiryak, M. Prishvin, N. Sladkov, I. Sokolov-Mikitov, E. Permyak. Fairy tales about nature teach children to love the world around them, to be attentive and observant.

The magic of the surrounding world in the fairy tales of D. Ushinsky

Russian writer D. Ushinsky, as if talented artist, wrote fairy tales about natural phenomena, different seasons. Children from these small works They will learn about how the stream roars, clouds float and birds sing. The writer’s most famous fairy tales are: “The Raven and the Magpie”, “The Woodpecker”, “The Goose and the Crane”, “The Horse”, “Bishka”, “The Wind and the Sun”, as well as a huge number of stories. Ushinsky skillfully uses animals and nature to reveal to young readers concepts such as greed, nobility, betrayal, stubbornness, and cunning. These fairy tales are very kind, they are recommended to be read to children before bed. Ushinsky's books are very well illustrated.

Creations of D. Mamin-Sibiryak for children

Man and nature are a very pressing problem for modern world. Mamin-Sibiryak devoted many works to this topic, but especially the collection “Alyonushka’s Tales” should be highlighted. The writer himself raised and cared for his sick daughter, and this interesting collection was intended for her. In these fairy tales, children will get acquainted with Komar Komarovich, Ruff Ershovich, Shaggy Misha, and the Brave Hare. From these entertaining works, children will learn about the life of animals, insects, birds, fish, and plants. Almost everyone is familiar with the very touching cartoon from childhood, based on the fairy tale of the same name by Mamin-Sibiryak “The Gray Neck”.

M. Prishvin and nature

Prishvin's short tales about nature are very kind and fascinating, telling about the habits of forest inhabitants, the greatness and beauty of their native places. Little readers will learn about the rustling of leaves, forest smells, and the babbling of a stream. All these stories end well and evoke in readers a feeling of empathy for their smaller brothers and a desire to help them. The most famous stories: “Pantry of the Sun”, “Khromka”, “Hedgehog”.

Tales of V. Bianchi

Russian fairy tales and stories about plants and animals are presented by another wonderful writer - Vitaly Bianki. His fairy tales teach children to unravel the mysteries of the lives of birds and animals. Many of them are intended for the youngest readers: “The Fox and the Mouse”, “The Little Cuckoo”, “The Golden Heart”, “The Orange Neck”, “The First Hunt” and many others. Bianchi knew how to observe the life of nature through the eyes of children. Some of his tales about nature are endowed with tragedy or humor, they contain lyrical reflection and poetry.

Forest tales by Nikolai Sladkov

Nikolai Ivanovich Sladkov wrote more than 60 books, and he was the author of the radio program “News from the Forest.” The heroes of his books are kind, funny little animals. Each story is very sweet and kind, tells about funny habits and Little readers will learn from them that animals can also worry and grieve, as they store food for the winter. Sladkov's favorite fairy tales: "Forest Rustle", "Badger and the Bear", "Polite Jackdaw", "Hare Round Dance", "Desperate Hare".

Storehouse of fairy tales by E. Permyak

Fairy tales about nature were composed by the famous playwright and writer Evgeniy Andreevich Permyak. They are representatives of the golden fund. These small works teach children to be hardworking, honest, responsible, to believe in themselves and their strengths. It is necessary to highlight the most famous fairy tales of Evgeniy Andreevich: “Birch Grove”, “Currant”, “How Fire Married Water”, “The First Fish”, “About the Hasty Tit and the Patient Tit”, “The Ugly Christmas Tree”. Permyak's books were very colorfully illustrated by the most famous Russian artists.