This item is only available for download by members of the University of Illinois community. Students, faculty, and staff at the U of I may log in with your NetID and password to view the item. If you are trying to access an Illinois-restricted dissertation or thesis, you can request a copy through your library's Inter-Library Loan office or purchase a copy directly from ProQuest.
Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/2142/21805
Description
Title
The role of animals in Russian folk tales
Author(s)
Young, Grace Halstead
Issue Date
1996
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Bristol, Evelyn
Department of Study
Slavic Languages and Literatures
Discipline
Slavic Languages and Literatures
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Literature, Slavic and East European
Folklore
Language
eng
Abstract
Traces of Slavic pagan cosmology are preserved to a great extent in folklore. The pagan philosophy regarding animals stood in strong contrast to the Christian one. To the pagan the world was made up of a myriad of natural forces sharing powers and characteristics in common, whereas the Christian saw the world as neatly divided into two separate realms, that of man and that of God. The contrasting views are also juxtaposed in written folk literature and oral folklore. Written works are, as is to be expected, imbued much more with the Christian philosophy--that is, literate society was closer to the monasteries, while the illiterate peasantry kept many pagan ideas in their traditional folklore. Animals as divinities in pagan times are seen quite clearly in a lot of folk traditions and fairy tales. Animals are depicted in a positive light as man's friends and helpers; as beautiful treasures formed of gold, silver, and precious stones; as superior to man in their magic power; a benevolent force is often seen in the dragon, evil and fearsome in Western folklore. There is, however, another side to the respect for animals shown in these stories--the awe of what animals could do to man as well as for him. They are sometimes shown as evil spirits or heralds of evil. The emphasis, however, in oral folklore, even in religious fairy tales, is on the positive, whereas in written tradition animals are most often seen as either inferior or wicked.
Use this login method if you
don't
have an
@illinois.edu
email address.
(Oops, I do have one)
IDEALS migrated to a new platform on June 23, 2022. If you created
your account prior to this date, you will have to reset your password
using the forgot-password link below.
