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The Russian
oral tradition has developed in various forms, including fairytales,
sayings, proverbs, riddles, catch phrases, tongue twisters, ditties,
and children’s games. Russian children are exposed to folklore
shortly after birth, as they listen to their first fairytales and
nursery rhymes. They learn how fairytale characters come victorious
in desperate situations, and how good always wins in the end and
evil is defeated. They are captivated by the story’s twists and
turns and the characters’ miraculous transformations, when a frog
suddenly sheds its skin and turns into a beautiful princess, or when
a simple peasant lad crawls in the right ear of a magic horse and
then crawls out of its left ear looking like a prince. |
One of the
best-known traditional positive characters in Russian fairytales is
Ivan the Fool. He is considered by some to be the key to the
understanding of the national mentality of Russians. Ivan seems to
be the complete opposite of a hero: with plain appearance and simple
tastes, he looks like a fool and is often lazy and passive. But at
critical moments he acts quickly and decisively, always overcoming
all obstacles and outwitting his opponents. His main strength is his
kindness and generosity that his selfish and evil opponents take for
the signs of weakness and stupidity. They soon discover to their
peril that his simple appearance conceals courage and
resourcefulness.
In other common types of fairytales - animal tales -
birds and beasts, such as the wolf, the bear, the fox, the crane,
the rooster and others, display human characteristics with all human
shortcomings and weaknesses. These, largely satirical, stories
ridicule stupidity, self-interest, arrogance, and other flaws of
human nature.
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