Not long ago, in the comments to my article “Learning to tell fairy tales,” Olga, the owner of the blog “Little Things in Life,” asked a question about what could be considered a fairy tale. Indeed, what can we call fairy tales? Is presence required? magical power and fictional characters in fairy tales? I had never asked this question before and called all my mother’s inventions fairy tales. I thought that a fairy tale was a story with fictional characters and events. Well, what is it really? And what do philologists say about this?
In order to give definition of the term "fairy tale" I turned to explanatory dictionaries. Since the word "fairy tale" is used in Russian in different meanings, I decided not to consider its interpretation in colloquial and figurative meaning.
This is how the meaning of this word is defined in my favorite explanatory dictionary I.V. Dalia. Fairy tale- a fictional story, an unprecedented, even unrealistic story or legend. According to Efremova’s explanatory dictionary fairy tale a) a narrative work of oral folk art about fictitious persons and events b) a literary work of this nature. In Ozhegov we find the following explanation Fairy tale - a narrative, usually folk-poetic work about fictional persons and events, mainly involving magical, fantastic forces. But the most succinct explanation seemed to me from modern explanatory dictionary, publishing house "Big Soviet Encyclopedia": fairy tale– one of the main genres of folklore, epic, mainly prose work magical, adventurous or everyday character with a fictional attitude.
What conclusions can be drawn from this? The authors of all dictionaries agree that the most important difference between a fairy tale is that the events and characters in it are fictitious, the participation of magical and fantastic forces is possible, but not necessary. For comparison, you can give the meaning of the word true story: 1) What happened in reality actually happened. 2) A story about a real event, incident (Efremova’s dictionary).
I think that there is no doubt left that all those stories about animals with human qualities, children talking with their toys, the sun going to bed in the evening, which mothers and grandmothers tell their children, can safely be called fairy tales. In fact, I believe that anyone can intuitively distinguish a fairy tale from similar ones. folk genres and in order to invent and tell kind, smart, fairy tales you don't need to know scientific definition this term.
While reading about fairy tales, I noticed the fact that the word "fairy tale" in the meaning that we give it, exists in only two European languages: Russian and German. For example, in Greek fairy tales are myths, and modern word“paramisi” (παραμύθι) is translated from ancient Greek as “consolation” (thanks to my husband for the clarification). In English, the word “tale” means any story at all.
In Russian, the word “fairy tale” acquired modern meaning quite late, only from the 17th century. Until this time, this was supposedly the meaning of the word fable. It is interesting that previously a fairy tale was a written word that had the force of a document. Perhaps this was so far from the truth that soon the word "fairy tale" took on a different meaning. What immediately comes to mind is: “Don’t tell me fairy tales!”
By the way, there are several different classifications fairy tales I am close to the one that divides fairy tales into folklore and literary. Folklore tales have many genres: tales about animals, fairy tales, everyday tales, legendary tales, etc.
It seems to me that it doesn’t matter who you are: a professional storyteller or a mother storyteller, there are no limits for your imagination. The main thing is to love children, for whom fairy tales are mostly written, to write or tell them with pleasure, and then thousands and thousands of new fairy tales will be born. And in every fairy tale, even the not entirely magical ones, in my opinion, there lives a piece of magic and kindness.
Gradually, the literary fairy tale became a full-fledged direction fiction. Today this genre is universal; it reflects the phenomena of the surrounding reality, its problems, achievements, successes and failures. At the same time, the connection with folklore remained the same, inextricable. So, let's try to figure out what a literary fairy tale is.
Definition
First, let's give a definition: a fairy tale is a folk-poetic narrative work that tells about fictional events and characters. Often involving fantastic and magical phenomena.
Now let’s find out what a literary fairy tale is.
This is a genre of storytelling with a fantastic or magical plot that takes place in real or magical world, in which both real and fictional characters can act. The author can raise moral, social, aesthetic problems history and modernity.
The definitions are similar, but in the second, concerning a literary fairy tale, there is a certain specification and clarification. They relate to the types of characters and space, as well as the author and the problems of the work.
Features of a literary fairy tale
Now let's list the main features of a literary fairy tale:
- Reflects the aesthetics and worldview of its era.
- Borrowing characters, images, plots, features of language and poetics from folk tales.
- A combination of fiction and reality.
- Grotesque world.
- There is a game beginning.
- The desire to psychologize heroes.
- The author's position is clearly expressed.
- Social assessment of what is happening.
Folk and literary tale
What is a literary fairy tale, how does it differ from a folk fairy tale? The author's fairy tale is considered a genre that has absorbed folklore and literary principles. It grew out of folklore, transforming and changing its genre differences. We can say that the folk tale has evolved into a literary one.
A literary fairy tale goes through a number of stages as it moves away from the original source - the fairy tale. We list them in order of increasing distance:
- A simple recording of folk tales.
- Processing recordings of folk tales.
- Retelling of a fairy tale by the author.
- In the author's fairy tale, the internal form differs from the folk one, and folklore elements vary depending on the writer's intentions.
- Parodies and stylizations - their tasks are related to pedagogical orientation.
- A literary fairy tale is as far removed from common folklore plots and images as possible. The speech and style of such a tale are closer to the literary tradition.
How do folk traditions of literary fairy tales manifest themselves?
What is a literary fairy tale? These, as we have already said, are combinations of literary and folklore. Therefore, in order to answer the question, let’s determine what folk heritage the literary fairy tale inherited.
Writers usually take folklore stories as a basis. For example:
- magical origin or birth of the main character;
- the stepmother's dislike for her stepdaughter;
- the hero's trials are necessarily moral in nature;
- rescued animals that become the hero’s assistants, etc.
Writers also exploit fairy-tale images-characters endowed with certain functions. For example:
- The ideal hero.
- The ideal hero's assistant.
- The one who sends the hero on his journey.
- Giver of a magical thing.
- The one who harms the ideal hero and prevents you from completing the assignment.
- A stolen person or thing.
- A false hero is one who tries to take credit for the exploits of others.
Space and time fairy world are often built according to the laws of folklore. This is a fantastic, uncertain place, and time either slows down or speeds up, it is also magical and does not lend itself to the laws of reality. For example: Buyan Island; distant kingdom, thirtieth state; whether long or short; The tale is told quickly, but the deed is not done quickly.
Trying to bring their tales closer to folk tales, writers resort to the use of folk poetic speech: epithets, triple repetitions, vernacular, proverbs, sayings, etc.
By turning to folk traditions, we were able to answer what a literary fairy tale is in its connection with folklore. Let us now consider another component of our fairy tale - the literary one, and try to understand what separates it from the folk heritage.
What is a literary fairy tale and how does it differ from a folk tale?
Examples and comparisons of literary and folk tales allow us to highlight a number of their differences.
A literary fairy tale is distinguished by its depiction. The author tries to describe the area and events in detail, to make the characters closer to reality, so that the reader believes in what is happening as much as possible.
Thus, what is a literary fairy tale if not the psychologism of the heroes? The writer is trying to explore inner world character, to depict experiences. Thus, Pushkin in “Tsar Saltan,” depicting the hero’s meeting with his wife and son, describes: “A zealous spirit began to beat within him... the spirit in him became busy, the king burst into tears.” You won't find this in folklore.
Ershov, Pushkin, Odoevsky and other fairy tale writers endow their characters with full-fledged character. These are not just heroes typical of folklore, these are full-fledged living people with their own aspirations, experiences, and contradictions. Even the little devil in “The Tale of Balda” is endowed by Pushkin with a naive, childish character.
What else is different about a literary fairy tale?
What is a literary fairy tale? The answers to this question can be found in the specifications literary work. Namely, in vivid expression author's position. In a fairy tale, it manifests itself through assessments and attitudes to what is happening, from which it is easy to guess which of the characters the author sympathizes with and which he dislikes or ridicules. So, describing the priest, his fears and natural greed, Pushkin ridicules this.
A literary fairy tale will always reflect the author's view of the world, his idea of life and ideas. We will see the writer, his aspirations, values, spiritual world, desires. In a folk tale, only the ideals and values of the entire people can be reflected; the personality of the narrator in it will be erased.
So, what is a literary fairy tale in its classical sense? This is a fusion of the author's originality and folk traditions.
Origins of the literary fairy tale
The roots of literary fairy tales go back to ancient times. There is a recorded Egyptian tale of two brothers dating back to the 13th century. BC e. The epic also contains references to fairy tales, for example, in the Babylonian cycle about Gilgamesh, among the Assyrians - in the legends about Ahikar, in Greek - the Iliad and the Odyssey.
During the Middle Ages, the literary fairy tale was used by the church, turning it into a parable. This tradition survived until the 19th century.
The Renaissance brought elements of fairy tales into the short story, using them to create satirical and didactic elements.
The emergence of a literary fairy tale
But only in the 18th century. literary fairy tale has become independent artistic genre, largely due to the passion for romanticism folk traditions. At this time, in order to answer the question of what a literary fairy tale is, examples would have to be taken from Charles Perrault and A. Galland in Europe and from M. Chulkov in Russia.
In the 19th century The popularity of literary fairy tales is increasing. Goethe, Chamisso, Tieck, Edgar Poe, Hoffmann, Andersen turn to this genre. Russian literature of this period is also rich in fairy tales. These are V. Zhukovsky, A. Pushkin, N. Gogol, A. Tolstoy and others.
Tales of Pushkin
What is a literary fairy tale? The definition we gave above is perfectly illustrated by the fairy tales of A.S. Pushkin. Initially, they were not intended for children, but quickly found themselves in a circle children's reading. The names of these fairy tales have been known to us since childhood:
- "The Tale of Tsar Saltan".
- "The Tale of the Priest and His Worker Balda."
- "The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish".
- "The Tale of dead princess and about 7 heroes."
- "The Tale of the Golden Cockerel."
All these tales have a plot connection with folk tales. Thus, “The Tale of Balda” is reminiscent of the folk tale “The Farmhand Shabarsh.” “About the Fisherman and the Fish” - “The Greedy Old Woman”, the recording of which was presented to the poet by V. I. Dal, famous collector folklore “The Tale of Saltan” is close to the fairy tale “About Wonderful Children.” Pushkin saw inexhaustible themes and subjects for literature in folk art. Thus, the poet’s fairy tales, better than any definition, can answer the question of what a literary fairy tale is.
Let's consider one of Pushkin's fairy tales. The essence of this tale is a satire on church ministers who deceive the people. Human qualities are also ridiculed: stupidity, greed and hypocrisy. Out of greed, the priest decides to hire a servant for a pittance who will do the hard work. Stupidity forces him to agree to Balda's proposal. But as the reckoning approaches, deceit and malice awaken in the priest - he decides to destroy the worker.
In this tale, as in others, Pushkin creates psychologically perfect characters. The author endows each with character and personal characteristics. And the language, although poetic, is as close as possible to the folk language. Pushkin always sought to move away from pretentious literary verse to something lighter, more flexible, and freer. He managed to find all these qualities in folk art.
Thus, a literary fairy tale has rich history development, is a unique fusion of folklore and original works and continues to develop to this day.
I offer several definitions of a fairy tale, taken from different sources:
- 1. “A fictional story, an unprecedented and even impossible story, a legend” (V. Dal. Dictionary living Great Russian language. M., 1994. T.4. P.170).
- 2. “A narrative, ordinary folk-poetic work about fictional persons and events, mainly with the participation of magical, fantastic forces” (S. Ozhegov. Dictionary of the Russian Language. M., 1986. P.625).
- 3. “A narrative work of oral folk art about fictitious events, sometimes with the participation of magical fantastic forces (Dictionary of the Russian Language. M., 1988. T. IV. P. 102).
- 4. "One of the main genres of oral folk poetry, epic, predominantly prose piece of art magical, adventurous or everyday character with a focus on fiction" (Literary encyclopedic Dictionary. M., 1988. P.383).
- 5. “A short instructive, often optimistic story, including truth and fiction” (S.K. Nartova-Bochaver. 1996).
- 6. “An abstracted form of local legend, presented in a more condensed and crystallized form. The original form of folk tales are local legends, parapsychological stories and stories of miracles that arise in the form of ordinary hallucinations due to the invasion of archetypal contents from the collective unconscious” (M.A. von Franz 1998. pp. 28-29).
The authors of almost all interpretations define a fairy tale as a type of oral narrative with fantastic fiction. The connection with myth and legends pointed out by M.L. Von Franz, takes the fairy tale beyond the simple fantastic story. A fairy tale is not only a poetic invention or a game of fantasy; through content, language, plots and images it reflects cultural values its creator.
Any fairy tale is focused on a social and pedagogical effect: it teaches, encourages activity and even heals. In other words, the potential of a fairy tale is much richer than its ideological and artistic significance. From a socio-pedagogical point of view, the socializing, creative, holographic, valeological-therapeutic, cultural-ethnic, verbal-figurative functions of a fairy tale are important.
- 1. Socializing function - introducing new generations to the universal and ethnic experience accumulated in the international world of fairy tales.
- 2. Creative function - the ability to identify, form, develop and implement creative potential personality, his figurative and abstract thinking.
- 3. The holographic function manifests itself in three main forms: the ability of a fairy tale to reveal the big in the small; the ability to imagine the universe in three-dimensional spatial and temporal dimensions (sky - earth - underworld; past - present - future); the ability of a fairy tale to actualize all human senses, to be the basis for the creation of all types, genres, types of aesthetic creativity.
- 4. Developmental - therapeutic function - education healthy image life, protecting a person from harmful hobbies and addictions.
- 5. Cultural-ethnic function - familiarization with historical experience different nations, ethnic culture: life, language, traditions, attributes.
- 6. Lexico-figurative function - the formation of a person’s linguistic culture, mastery of polysemy and artistic and figurative richness of speech.
It is impossible to say exactly when fairy tales appeared, but we can confidently say that this happened before the advent of writing. Proof of this is the numerous finds of fairy tales in the most ancient manuscript sources. Based on known data, it can be argued that initially fairy tales passed from mouth to mouth. Thus, not only conservation took place, but also evolution. Each narrator conveyed the meaning of the tale in contemporary words. However, the allegorical meaning had to remain alone.
Naturally, folk tales had their own author, but over the years and distances this lost its meaning and was forgotten. So the story, retold several times, lost its authorship. And the plot for a fairy tale could be anything: from a difficult journey to an ordinary everyday situation. Also, all animate and inanimate objects could act as heroes: trees, mountains, animals and birds, people and deities.
The word "fairy tale" in its modern sense appeared only in the 17th century. Before this they said “fable” or “fable” (from the word “bayat” - to tell).
Fairy tale - very popular genre oral folk art, epic, prose, plot genre. It is not sung like a song, but told. The subject of the story is unusual, surprising, and often mysterious and strange events: the action has an adventurous character. The plot is distinguished by its multi-episode nature, completeness, dramatic tension, clarity and dynamic development of action. The fairy tale is distinguished by its strict form, the obligatory nature of certain moments, and also traditional beginnings and endings. The beginning takes listeners into the world of a fairy tale from reality, and the ending brings them back. She jokingly emphasizes that the fairy tale is fiction.
The fairy tale differs from other prose genres in its more developed aesthetic side. The aesthetic principle manifests itself in idealization goodies, and in the vivid depiction of the “fairy-tale world” and the romantic coloring of events.
Fairy tales have been known in Rus' since ancient times. IN ancient writing there are plots, motifs and images reminiscent of fairy tales. Telling fairy tales is an old Russian custom. Even in ancient times, the performance of fairy tales was available to everyone: men, women, children, and adults. There were people who cherished and developed their fabulous heritage. They have always been respected by the people.
In the 18th century, several collections of fairy tales appeared, which included works with characteristic compositional and stylistic fairy-tale features: "The Tale of the Gypsy"; "The Tale of the Thief Timashka."
The all-Russian collection by A.N. was of great importance. Afanasyev "Folk Russian Tales" (1855 - 1965): it includes fairy tales that existed in many parts of Russia. Most of them were recorded for A.N. Afanasyev and his closest correspondents, of whom it is necessary to note V.I. Dalia.
IN late XIX- At the beginning of the 20th century, a number of collections of fairy tales appeared. They gave an idea of the distribution of works of this genre, its state, and put forward new principles of collecting and publishing. The first such collection was the book by D.N. Sadovnikov "Tales and legends of the Samara region" (1884). It contained 124 works, and 72 were recorded from only one storyteller A. Novopoltsev. Following this, rich collections of fairy tales appeared: “Northern Tales”, “Great Russian Tales of the Perm Province” (1914). The texts are accompanied by explanations and indexes.
After October revolution the collection of fairy tales took on organized forms: it was conducted by scientific institutes and higher educational establishments. They continue this work today.
In Russian fairy tales, wealth never had its own value, and the rich were never a kind, honest and decent person. Wealth had meaning as a means to achieve other goals and lost this meaning when the most important life values have been achieved. In this regard, wealth in Russian fairy tales was never earned through labor: it came by chance (with the help of fairy-tale assistants - Sivka-Burka, the Little Humpbacked Horse...) and often left by chance.
The images of Russian fairy tales are transparent and contradictory. Any attempts to use the image fairy tale hero How the image of a person leads researchers to the idea of the existence of a contradiction in a folk tale - the victory of the hero-fool, the “low hero”. This contradiction is overcome if we consider the simplicity of the “fool” as a symbol of everything that is alien to Christian morality and its condemnation: greed, cunning, self-interest. The simplicity of the hero helps him to believe in a miracle, to surrender to its magic, because only under this condition is the power of the miraculous possible.
Another important feature of folk spiritual life is reflected in folk tales - conciliarity. Labor acts not as a duty, but as a holiday. Conciliarity - the unity of action, thought, feeling - in Russian fairy tales opposes selfishness, greed, everything that makes life gray, boring, prosaic. All Russian fairy tales, embodying the joy of work, end with the same saying: “Here, out of joy, they all started dancing together...”.
Others are also reflected in the tale moral values people: kindness, like pity for the weak, which triumphs over selfishness and manifests itself in the ability to give the last to another and give one’s life for another; suffering as a motive for virtuous actions and deeds; victory of spiritual strength over physical strength. The embodiment of these values makes the meaning of the fairy tale the deepest, as opposed to the naivety of its purpose. The affirmation of the victory of good over evil, order over chaos determines the meaning of the life cycle of living things. The meaning of life is difficult to express in words; it can be felt in oneself or not, and then it is very simple.
Thus, the wisdom and value of a fairy tale is that it reflects, reveals and allows you to experience the meaning of the most important universal human values And life meaning generally.
From point of view everyday meaning the fairy tale is naive, from the point of view of life's meaning - deep and inexhaustible.
A literary fairy tale (author's fairy tale, writer's fairy tale) is a literary epic genre in prose or verse, based on tradition folk tale. The literary fairy tale has its roots in the folk tale; folklore fairy tales were often sources of copyright.
Writers and storytellers C. Perrault and H. K. Andersen recalled that the stories they conveyed in their fairy tales were heard by them from the people. A.S. Pushkin wrote down folk tales, and they formed the basis of his fairy tale cycle. The fairytale traditions of the native Russian North were reflected in the work of 20th century writers S.G. Pisakhov and B.V. Shergin.
Folk tale
The folk tale is included in literary story also in Ancient Rus', and in Europe comes to life in the genre of medieval chivalric romance. The 18th century introduces readers to the author's retellings and adaptations of folk tales.
In the 19th century, the literary fairy tale itself as a genre arose and then reached its maturity - in Europe in the works of Perrault and Andersen, as well as E.T.A. Hoffmann and V. Gauf, in Russia - V.A. Zhukovsky, P.P. Ershov, Pushkin, V.I. Dahl (he first introduced the fairy tale form of narration into the literary fairy tale, the image of the storyteller-intermediary between the writer and the reader), A. Pogorelsky, V.F. Odoevsky, M.E. Saltykov Shchedrin, N.S. .Leskova, L.N. Tolstoy and others.
Literary tale of Russian writers of the Silver Age
The literary fairy tale has become a favorite genre of Russian writers Silver Age: “demonological” tales by A.M. Remizov, fairy tales-parables by M.A. Kuzmin, fairy tales-short stories by F. Sologub, humorous “soldier’s” tales by S. Cherny, lyrical poems-fairy tales by M.I. Tsvetaeva. Among the authors literary fairy tales- A.N. Tolstoy, P.P. Bazhov, A.P. Platonov, K.G. Paustovsky, E.L. Shvarts, K.I. Chukovsky, S.Ya. Marshak, V.M. Shukshin, S .V.Mikhalkov, V.V.Bianki, N.N.Nosov, L.I.Lagin, K.Bulychev, E.N.Uspensky.
Literary tales of foreign writers
From literary fairy tales foreign writers the most famous are the tales of O. Wilde, J. Rodari, A. Milne, A. Lindgren, R. Bradbury, R. Bach, J. Crews. The miraculous, both in folk and literary fairy tales, is not an end in itself, not a way to surprise the reader, but a means of creating an ideal fairy-tale world where nobility, kindness, and selflessness prevail.
By analogy with the classification of folk tales, among literary tales one can distinguish tales about animals, magic, everyday life, and adventure; by pathos - heroic, lyrical, humorous, satirical, philosophical, psychological tales; by proximity to others literary genres- fairy tales-poems, fairy tales-short stories, fairy tales-stories, fairy tales-parables, fairy tales-plays, fairy tales-parodies, science fiction fairy tales, tales of the absurd, etc.
What is a "Fairy Tale"? How to spell this word correctly. Concept and interpretation.
Fairy tale SKA?ZKA - the oldest folk genre narrative literature, predominantly of a fantastic nature, with the purpose of moralizing or entertaining. Fairy tales reveal the character of the people, their wisdom and high moral qualities. The most common types of stories are fairy tales about animals, based on the personification of animals, fish, birds, and fairy tales, telling about extraordinary events and adventures. Often, folk fantasy seemed to predict the appearance in reality of wonderful things, later invented by human genius (in Russian fairy tales, a flying carpet is an airplane, a wonderful mirror is a television and a radar). In addition to animals and magical symbols, people also create socio-political symbols: such, for example, is the Russian folk tale of Ersha Ershovich, Shchetinnikov’s son. The Arabic poems “A Thousand and One Nights” are widely known in world literature. Fairy tale genre- very difficult and therefore there are few fairy tale writers in world literature - H. Andersen, V. Hauff, the Brothers Grimm, C. Perrault, whose fairy tales are intended primarily for children. For adults in the genre of S., E. T. A. Hoffman, E. Poe, O. Wilde wrote, in Russia - M. Gorky, M. Saltykov-Shchedrin (political S.), and in Soviet time- P. Bazhov. Among the poetic stories known are the folk story "The Fool", the fairy tales of A. Pushkin ("The Tale of Tsar Saltan...", "The Tale of the Golden Cockerel", etc.) and the famous "The Little Humpbacked Horse" by P. Ershov, where they are used folk motifs; fairy tales by V. Zhukovsky; political S. (“The Jumping Horse” by S. Basov-Verkhoyantsev and others).
Fairy tale- one of the main genres of oral folk poetry, epic, mainly... Great Soviet Encyclopedia
Fairy tale- TALE, fairy tales, w. 1. A narrative work of oral folk art about fictional characters... Ushakov’s Explanatory Dictionary
Fairy tale- and. 1. A narrative work of oral folk art about fictitious persons and events. /... Efremova's Explanatory Dictionary
Fairy tale- TALE, one of the genres of folklore: an epic, mostly prosaic work about animals or... Modern encyclopedia
Fairy tale- FAIRY TALE - one of the main genres of folklore, an epic, predominantly prosaic work of... Large encyclopedic dictionary
Fairy tale- fairy tale noun, f., used. often Morphology: (no) what? fairy tales, why? fairy tale, (see) what? sk?zk... Dmitriev's Explanatory Dictionary
Fairy tale- scarlet tale (Balmont); fragrant (Nadson); inspired (Fofanov); magical (K.R.); thoughtful...
