Department of Education of the Yustinsky District Administration municipality
Municipal government educational institution
"Harbin average comprehensive school»
Regional correspondence competition “My small homeland: nature, culture, ethnicity"
Nomination "Humanitarian-ecological research"
The image of a wolf in Kalmyk and Russian folk tales.
Angarikov Angrik Alekseevich,
7th grade student of MKOU "Harbin Secondary School" of Yustinsky district
Supervisor: Angarikova Bain Anatolyevna, teacher of Russian language and literature MCOU "Harbin Secondary School" of Yustinsky district
Kharba, 2015.
Content:
Introduction. 2.
1.1. Relevance of the topic.
1.2. Area of study, object of study.
1.3. Goals and objectives of the study.
1.4. Stages of research. Research methods.
1.5. Literature review
Main part. 4.
2.Theoretical research. Tales about animals. 4.
3. Practical research:
3.1. The image of a wolf in fairy tales about animals. 8.
3.2. Comparative analysis of the image of the wolf in Kalmyk and Russian folk tales about animals 10.
Conclusion 12.
Bibliography. 13.
Introduction
“The fairy tale is a lie, but there is a hint in it! A lesson to good fellows."
A.S. Pushkin. "The Tale of the Golden Cockerel"
Fairy tale - amazing world, where real and fictional events and characters are intricately intertwined , there is its own unusual poetics, the beauty of the language, and there is certainly a moral that is hidden or obvious in the fairy tale.
Getting acquainted with fairy tales, we notice that Kalmyk and Russian fairy tales are very similar. What do fairy tales have in common? different nations? How are they different? I had questions that I wanted to find answers to.
The study is devoted to the analysis and comparison of the image of the wolf in fairy tales about animals - Russian folk and Kalmyk folk tales. The fulfillment of this goal began with an acquaintance with the history of fairy tales: defining the genre, collecting and studying fairy tales, and their classification.
I've done my research purpose which was a comparison of the image of a wolf in Russian folk and Kalmyk folk tales about animals
Object of study- the image of a wolf in folk tales about animals.
Subject of study– general and distinctive features the image of a wolf in Russian folk and Kalmyk folk tales about animals.
Research objectives:
Learn about the history of folk tales.
Analyze the features of folk tales about animals.
To establish common and distinctive features of the image of a wolf in Russian and Kalmyk folk tales about animals.
Working methods:
Studying literary sources on the problem.
Search method.
Comparison of two fairy tales (analogy, contrast, generalization).
Analysis of results.
Project work plan:
Choosing a topic, drawing up a work plan
Working with literature, searching for information on the issue
Reading fairy tales.
Comparison of the plot, composition and language features of the Russian folk tale “Beasts in the Pit” and the Kalmyk folk tale “ Leopard, wolf, fox and camel»
Comparison and analysis of results, description.
Literature review:
In the textbooks for schools Moiseev A.I., Moiseeva N.I. “History and culture of the Kalmyk people (XVII - XVIII centuries)” and V.T. Sarangov “Kalmyk folk poetry: Fairy tales” reveals the form of existence, the structure of the Kalmyk fairy tale
The book by V. Ya. Propp (1895-1970), the greatest folklorist of the 20th century, “Russian Fairy Tale” is a kind of textbook on fairy tales, a popular encyclopedia of fairy tales. The final work on the fairy tale includes a set of information about the collection, study, structure and development, form of existence of all types of Russian fairy tales.
For comparison, a Russian folk tale is taken “Beasts in the Pit” from the collection “Russian folk tales” (compilation and introductory article by Anikin V.P.) and a Kalmyk folk tale “ Leopard, wolf, fox and camel ” from book « Kalmyk fairy tales about animals. Mouse and camel. Translation from Kalmyk" (compiled by V.D. Badmaeva)
Practical value of the work: the results of the study can be used in the study of Russian and Kalmyk folklore.
The work consists of an introduction, main part, conclusion and list of references. The introduction indicates the goals and objectives of the study and justifies the relevance of the chosen topic. The main part examines the image of the wolf in fairy tales of the peoples of the world as a whole, examines the images of the wolf in Russian and Kalmyk folk tales, and identifies similar features and characteristics of the wolf in the fairy tales of different peoples. In conclusion, conclusions are given based on the material studied.
Main part.
2. Features of fairy tales about animals.
In the “Big Explanatory Dictionary of the Modern Russian Language” D.N. Ushakova fairy tale defined as a narrative work of oral folk art about fictitious events. We love fairy tales since childhood, they warm the heart, awaken the mind and imagination. Fairy tales are filled with incredible events, fantastic adventures; in fairy tales, animals and birds speak and act like people, they reason, deceive, quarrel and make friends. A fairy tale is the soul of the people, embodied in words, the richest source of folk wisdom.
Modern science distinguishes the following genres of fairy tales:
1) about animals;
2) magical;
3) novelistic;
4) legendary;
5) fairy tales-parodies;
6) children's fairy tales.
In Kalmyk folklore, researchers note four main fairy tale genres: a) magical, b) heroic, c) everyday, d) fairy tales about animals.
V.Ya. Propp gives the following definition of animal tales: “By animal tales we mean those tales in which the animal is the main object or subject of the story. On this basis, tales about animals can be distinguished from others, where animals play only a supporting role and are not the heroes of the story.”
Tales about animals are called those in which the characters are wild animals, less often domestic animals. These tales arose in an era when the main occupations forced a person to often encounter animals, i.e. in the era of hunting and cattle breeding. In this era, fighting animals was very dangerous due to poor human weapons; man seemed weak to himself compared to a number of predatory animals; on the contrary, many animals must have seemed unusually powerful to him. Under the influence of an animistic worldview, people attributed human properties to animals, even in exaggerated proportions: the cry of an animal or bird was incomprehensible to humans, but human speech was understandable to animals and birds; the beast and the bird know more than man and understand the aspirations of man. During this era, a belief arose in the possibility of turning into a beast and back. The growth of human power should have gradually weakened these views and beliefs, and this should have been reflected in the content of fairy tales about animals.
At first, simple stories were formed about animals and birds and fish, about their relationships with each other and with humans. Later, with the development of artistic thinking, the stories turned into fairy tales. The genre was formed long time, was enriched with plots, types of characters, developing certain structural features.
The identification of similar features in animals and humans (speech - cry, behavior - habits) served as the basis for combining their qualities with human qualities in the images of animals: animals speak and behave like people. V.Ya. Propp wrote: “The power of artistic realism is so great that we do not notice that, despite the subtly noticed properties of animals, animals in fairy tales often do not act like animals at all and their actions are not consistent with their nature. The animal epic is widely reflected human life, with her passions, greed, greed, deceit, stupidity and cunning and at the same time with friendship, loyalty, gratitude, i.e. a wide range of human feelings and characters, as well as a realistic depiction of human life, in particular, peasant life.” This combination also led to the typification of the characters of animals, which became the embodiment of certain qualities: the fox - cunning, the wolf - stupidity and greed, the bear - gullibility, the hare - cowardice. So fairy tales acquired an allegorical meaning: animals began to mean people of certain characters. But there is hardly any reason to believe that in all fairy tales human traits are depicted in animal images. The uniqueness of the image of an animal in fairy tales lies precisely in the fact that the human features in it never completely supplant the animal features.
In fairy tales about animals, animal figures are realistic; they differ sharply from the fantastic firebird of fairy tales: such a bird does not exist in reality, but the fox, wolf, bear, hare, crane are taken from real life.
However, it should be emphasized that the main semantic aspect of fairy tales about animals is moral. In moral terms, two main ideas of animal fairy tales can be distinguished: the glorification of camaraderie, thanks to which the weak defeat the evil and strong, and the glorification of victory itself, which brings moral satisfaction to the listeners.
The structure of animal tales is quite simple. The most notable feature of the structure of this type of tale is the stringing of episodes. The meeting of animals with each other is very characteristic of the development of action. Perhaps only in fairy tales about animals is the composition distinguished by such pronounced functionality. All parts of the plot are structured in such a way as to reveal the essence of phenomena with utmost speed in a short episode and convey the nature of the relationships between the characters.
Each hero has his own individual character and only him inherent features. Characteristics of animals in a fairy tale includes several distinct characters, personifying strength and cunning, anger and brute force.
The national features of a fairy tale are determined by the folklore traditions of the people. Animals are reflected in fairy tales and vegetable world the country where these tales appeared. Animals - the heroes of fairy tales - in their speech and behavior resemble the people of the country where these fairy tales exist. And it cannot be otherwise, since a fairy tale has always been a reflection folk life, a mirror of the people's consciousness.
2.1. Russian fairy tales about animals
Animal Tales- one of oldest species Russian fairy tales. The animal world in fairy tales is perceived as an allegorical image of the human. Animals personify the real carriers of human vices in everyday life (greed, stupidity, cowardice, boasting, trickery, cruelty, flattery, hypocrisy, etc.).
V.Ya. Propp in his book “Russian Fairy Tale” (Chapter 6 “Tales of Animals”) identifies six groups of tales about animals:
1) tales about wild animals;
2) tales about wild and domestic animals;
3) tales about humans and wild animals;
4) tales about domestic animals;
5) tales about birds, fish, etc.;
6) tales about other animals, plants, etc.
Allegory is manifested in the characterization of the characters: the depiction of the habits of animals and the peculiarities of their behavior resembles the depiction of human behavior and introduces critical principles into the narrative, which are expressed in the use of various techniques of satirical and humorous depiction of reality.
The humor is based on the reproduction of absurd situations in which the characters find themselves (a wolf puts its tail into an ice hole and believes that it will catch a fish).
The language of fairy tales is figurative, reproducing everyday speech, some fairy tales consist entirely of dialogues ("The Fox and the Black Grouse", "The Bean Seed"). In them, dialogue dominates the narrative. They move the action, reveal situations, show the state of the characters. The text includes small songs ("Kolobok", "Goat-dereza"). Fairy tales about animals are characterized by bright optimism: the weak always come out of difficult situations.
The composition of fairy tales is simple, based on the repetition of situations. The plot of the fairy tales unfolds rapidly ("The Bean Seed", "Beasts in the Pit"). Tales about animals are highly artistic, their images are expressive.
2.2. Kalmyk tales about animals.
Kalmyk tales about animals are simple in plot, uncomplicated in composition and small in volume. Wild animals and animals act in them - wolves, foxes, leopards, lions, elephants, hares; domestic animals - rams, camels, goats; birds - sparrows, crows, peacocks, roosters, owls; rodents - gophers, mice; The most common insect is the mosquito.
These tales are allegorical: khans, noyons, and zaisangs were bred under the guise of predators. In the image of a leopard, a lion, a wolf, stupid, ruthless people are depicted, in the image of a fox - deceivers, cunning, liars, in the image of an elephant and a camel - strong, but lazy and not loving to work. It is absolutely clear that these tales condemn bad, unjust deeds and negative actions of representatives of the exploiting class that are incompatible with popular morality. In the image of birds, obviously, innocent people were depicted, who, due to their naivety, fell into the networks of deceivers, oppressors, and various oppressors in the class society of that time.
Fairy tales written in the Kalmyk language provide an opportunity to get acquainted with traditions, culture and oral traditions. For example, Buryat fairy tales, in which the main characters are animals, teach the reader to distinguish the good, bright principle from the evil, to empathize and help the weak, and to believe in justice. Wait for the happy completion of the tests.
The entire plot of the fairy tale is built on the constant clash of good and evil. The power of evil is softened by humor, which occupies a significant place in fairy tales. Evil heroes are constantly ridiculed and often find themselves in ridiculous, comical situations. Usually the fairy tale ends with the victory of good. Evil is punishable.
The peoples of the world live on one planet, develop according to general laws stories. Each people has its own path and its own destiny, its own language and living conditions. In the similarity of historical folk life we should look for the answer to the question of what are the reasons for the similarity and closeness of fairy tales of peoples living on different continents.
Speaking about fairy tales of different peoples with similar plots, it is necessary to note three cases:
1. Fairy tales are formed among some people, and then move to other countries, but they are influenced by their own folklore traditions(beginnings, motives), adapt to local customs.
2. There are similar tales that arise independently of each other in different countries due to the commonality of life, psychology, conditions and laws of the socio-historical development of peoples.
3. Fairy tales can also be transmitted through a book.
3. The image of a wolf in folk tales
Who is cold in winter b an evil one will give birth in the forest, hungry?
Wolf - beast of prey, common in the northern hemisphere of planet Earth. The wolf looks quite ferocious and terrifying. The wolf is a traditional hero of folk tales and epics of most peoples of the world. In our minds the image of a wolf is endowed for the most part negative characteristics:
You are cold snow beasts.
Your losses are incalculable...
The night will split with terrible crying.
That's it, no one can help me.
A mad howl will freeze under the windows -
These snow wolves came for me.
V. Butusov “Snow Wolves”
IN " Etymological dictionary schoolchild" G.N. Sycheva the word "wolf" is defined as a common Slavic, Indo-European character. There is an opinion that the name "wolf" is derived from the verb drag, i.e. "drag". The wolf is a predatory animal, it often drags away and drags away livestock. Therefore, literally - “dragging” (livestock).
The word “wolf” is widely used in both literal and figurative meanings, for example: don’t go into the wolf’s mouth – when communicating with someone, expose yourself to danger and trouble. But nevertheless, the wolf symbolizes freedom, independence in the animal world, and fearlessness. In nature, a wolf is a dangerous, predatory, intelligent, resourceful animal that evokes fear and respect.
3.1.1. The image of a wolf in Russian fairy tales about animals.
In Russian fairy tales There is an image of a wise wolf, a wolf who helps the heroes of fairy tales. In such fairy tales, the wolf appears as an unknown force, a kind of sorcerer (gives advice to Ivan the prince), a healer (heals illnesses), for example, in the fairy tale “Ivan the prince and the gray wolf.” The wolf represents mysterious powers endowed with enormous knowledge.
Wolf in fairy tales about animals already performs with evil traits: he is angry, greedy, gluttonous, but stupid and slow-witted. In ancient cultures, the image of a wolf was associated with death, so in fairy tales this animal character often eats someone (“The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats”) or disrupts the quiet life of animals (“”). But in the end
A. Pushkin wrote: “The fairy tale is a lie, but there is a hint in it.” The social prototype of the wolf is quite clear. The people knew many scoundrels and criminals from whom they had a hard time. The tale of how a wolf slaughtered a pig (“The Pig and the Wolf”) depicts in the image of a wolf a cruel and unforgiving master who exacted money from the peasants for poisoning.
Good fairy-tale characters in Russian fairy tales always deceive or defeat the wolf: the wolf devours the kids and dies (“The Wolf and the Goat”), fattens a hungry dog in order to eat it, and is left without a tail (“The Wolf the Fool”).
More often than other animals, the wolf is deceived and cruelly laughed at by the fox.ButVRussian fairy tale, we can feel sympathy and sympathy expressed towards the wolf, even if he was “remained a fool” (“The Tale of the Little Fox-Sister and the Wolf”, “How the Fox Sewed a Fur Coat for the Wolf”, “For the Lapotok - a Chicken, for the Chicken” - little goose”, “Fox-midwife”, “Beasts in the pit”). The way the Fox deceives the Wolf actually speaks only in favor of the latter - yes, he is too naive and simple-minded (although in nature this is not the case), because he takes the trickster Fox at his word. Neither give nor take - a simple village peasant.
3.1.2. Wolf in Kalmyk fairy tales.
Many have a wolf Mongolian peoples was considered ancient and one of the main totems. The Kalmyks have an ethnic subdivision called “chonos” (“wolves”): “iki chonos” (big wolves) and “baga chonos” (small wolves). The people have preserved a legend about the origin of this clan, the action of which takes place “in pre-Chinggis Khan Mongolia, when tribes and clans lived separately.” The plot of this legend is not new. Romulus and Remus from Roman mythology were also suckled by a she-wolf. The legend about the origin of the Chonos clan was literary processed and used in the novel people's writer Kalmykia Alexey Badmaev “Zulturgan - steppe grass”, written in the Soviet years.
In fairy tales about animals The wolf is strong, but stupid, narrow-minded and often fooled.
An angry, greedy, gluttonous wolf in the fairy tale “The Mouse Brothers,” but the mice in the fairy tale were able to defeat the terrible beast. stupid and slow-witted. In the fairy tale “The Elephant and the Wolf,” the wolf tries to deceive the simple-minded and cowardly elephant, but in the end he himself dies.
The wolf is often depicted as stupid and slow-witted. The fox makes fun of the wolf and deceives him, but the wolf deceives her again every time: “The wolf and the fox”, “The cunning fox”, “The fox, the wolf and the bear”, “The wolf, the fox and the hare”, “Leopard, wolf, fox and camel."
Fairy tales about animals were created not only for the edification of little ones. Many of them use funny fiction and jokes to ridicule vices. The wolf is often the embodiment of stupidity. His stupidity is the stupidity of a cruel and greedy beast.
From the fairy tales discussed above, we can make conclusion, that the wolf is often stupid, but this is not his main feature: he is cruel, ferocious, angry, greedy - these are his main qualities. But such qualities are never encouraged in fairy tales, so the wolf always gets what he deserves.
3.2. Comparison of Russian and Kalmyk folk tales
Our task is to compare Russian folk and Kalmyk folk tales . For example, let's compare the Russian folk tale “Beasts in the Pit” and Kalmyk folk tale “ Leopard, wolf, fox and camel ” .
Comparison of Russian and Kalmyk folk tales.
Elements of a fairy tale
Russian folk tale "Beasts in the Pit"
Kalmyk folk tale “Leopard, Wolf, Fox and Camel”
Scene
Animals fell into the pit.
Time of action
Winter came
Characters fairy tales
cockerel and hen, hare, wolf, fox and bear
Leopard, wolf, fox and camel
Animal actions
They talk and think.
They think and talk.
Problems that heroes solve
Everyone wants to get out of the hole, and need to satisfy your hunger
Food supplies have run out and need to satisfy your hunger
Initiation
Once upon a time there lived a cockerel and a hen.
That was a long time ago. There lived four brothers: a leopard, a wolf, a fox and a camel.
The beginning
Here comes the hail. The hen got scared, the cockerel and the hen ran.
Climax
The fox tricked others into eating someone.
The fox ate part of the camel's meat and blamed it on the wolf. Leopard killed him, but he himself died
Denouement
The fox ate everyone and, with the help of the bird, got out of the hole.
The fox ate the camel's meat, deceived all the animals and lived happily ever after.
Dialogue that drives action.
Animals talk to each other. The fox sings songs that lead to the death of someone
Animals talk to each other. The fox is always the first to start a conversation and deceives others.
Repetition of situations and words
1) They ran, they ran. A hare meets them:
- Where are you running, cockerel?
- Ay, don't ask me, ask the chicken!
2) And the fox sang:
- Bear-bear is a good name...
Kura-okurava is a bad name!
Here we ate the chicken.
The fox ate the tripe.
What are you doing? The leopard will check and kill us,” the wolf screamed at us.
The camel was stupid, and stupid people don’t have a rumen (omentum).
Artistic means of language: suffixation
Cockerel, chicken, little bear, titmouse.
Conclusions.
The wolf is widely represented in fairy tales of different nations.
In fairy tales, the wolf can play both a major and a secondary role, but this does not change the image of the wolf.
In the traditions of both peoples, the wolf is shown as a cruel but stupid animal.
Most often, in the fairy tales of both peoples, the wolf is deceived by the fox.
In Kalmyk fairy tales there is practically no clash between wild and domestic animals.
The Russian fairy tale, although the plot and characters are externally similar to the Kalmyk fairy tale, is more lively, bright, and imaginative. It contains more epithets, onomatopoeia, and songs. This is due to the ancient tradition of telling fairy tales to music and its theatricalization.
Conclusion
Fairy tales are the most ancient creations human spirit. The fairy tale is one of the popular and favorite genres in folklore and literature.
We didn’t know how to walk yet, but we had already heard fairy tales from our mothers and grandmothers. Having matured, we will read and study them for a long time. And while reading, we always immerse ourselves in their fantastic, magical and at the same time so alive and real world. Each fairy-tale image comes to life vividly in the imagination. And this is no coincidence, a fairy tale is a perfect work folk spirit, honed over centuries or even millennia.
Absolutely everyone understands the fairy tale. It seamlessly crosses all linguistic boundaries, from one people to another, and remains alive for thousands of years.
The form of a fairy tale, compact, capacious, and the manner of telling a fairy tale, unedifying, so simple in appearance, usually illuminated by the soft smile of the narrator, allows you to convey not only the most characteristic qualities of a person, but also to capture his deepest, most hidden features and in a publicly accessible form for anyone show the listener or reader what is good and what is bad. A fairy tale is the soul of the people, eternally seeking truth and justice, love and happiness, embodied in words.
From the material studied, it is clear that the goals and objectives set for us were solved, and we received answers to all the questions that interested us. In our work, we compared Russian folk and Kalmyk folk tales about animals and saw that they have a lot in common, since the peoples of the world live on the same planet and develop according to the general laws of history. But fairy tales at the same time demonstrate the national originality of the folklore of each people. And animals - the heroes of fairy tales - resemble both in their speech and behavior the people of the country where these fairy tales exist. It cannot be otherwise, since fairy tales have always been a reflection of people's life.
As long as humanity exists, it needs a dream, and, therefore, it cannot do without a fairy tale that inspires, gives hope, amuses and consoles.
Literature:
History and culture of the Kalmyk people (XVII - XVIII centuries): textbook for educational institutions / Moiseev A.I., Moiseeva N.I. – Elista: Kalmyk book publishing house, – 2002. P. 151-163.
Kalmyk folk poetry: Fairy tales: Tutorial/ V.T. Sarangov; Kalm. State University; Elista, –1998. pp. 3-11.
3. Mouse and camel. Kalmyk tales about animals. Translation from Kalm.: collection. Comp.
V.D. Badmaeva. – Elista: AU RK “Publishing House “Gerel”, - 2012.
Propp V.Ya. Russian fairy tale.
Russian folk tales. Compilation and introductory article by Anikin V.P. – Moscow: Pravda Publishing House, 1990
“A philosopher, legislator, historian - anyone who wants to understand their people to the end must take a closer look at their songs, proverbs, fairy tales, as well as their sayings, individual expressions and words. Behind a word there is always its meaning, behind the literal meaning there is a secret, allegorical meaning, under the strange colorful robe of a fairy tale lies the history and religion of peoples and nations,” the Italian folklorist Giuseppe Pitre (1843 – 1916) insightfully admonished everyone.
Today we are increasingly turning to Russian folk tales, trying to find the hidden truth in them, that magical little ball that will lead us to the distant kingdom, where our dreams will come true and everything will be fine.
Not only magical things help the hero on his journey, but also animals and plants. In our work we will try to understand not only symbolic meaning these images, but also in their structure. In my research work I will use the concept of totem. This concept taken from the language North American Indians, was introduced into scientific circulation in the 19th century. “Totem” is translated as “his clan” and means clan affiliation, but not by family ties, but by unification of oneself and a kind of tribe with some animal, plant, element (for example, water, wind, lightning) or object (for example, a stone). Despite the apparent non-Russian nature of the concept of “totem”, it is consonant with the most Russian words “father”, “fatherland”, “stepfather”, etc.
What are totems for and why did they appear? Every person needs to distinguish himself from others. How to emphasize your uniqueness and originality at the level of clan, tribe, ethnic group? This is where the tradition of distinguishing by totems developed, linking itself with inextricable ties to the world of living and inanimate nature. In this interconnected system, the totem was assigned the role of a talisman: it guarded, protected a person, helped him in difficult situations. In turn, all totemic animals and plants are taboo: what was considered
2 totem, it was impossible to kill, offend, or eat. The totem was worshiped, sacrifices were made to it, it was glorified and depicted by everyone accessible ways. In Ancient Rome, the most exotic totem was the woodpecker, and the most famous was the wolf (Capitolian she-wolf, who fed Romulus and Remus).
Greek mythology is especially rich in the transformations of gods and heroes into animals, plants and some inanimate objects (stones, rocks, stars). Ovid wrote 15 books on this topic, combined into the famous “Metamorphoses”. Zeus turns into a bull; Helios - into a lion, boar, panther; Athena - into a deer, etc.
Among the Russian people, echoes of totemism have been preserved mainly in ritual folklore, associated with the veneration and glorification of trees, birds, animals, in fairy tales - especially about animals. This is clearly evidenced by the positive human traits that the people endowed with fabulous animals, as well as the protective functions that they perform (the primary purpose of the totem is to help everyone who is in a socially related relationship with it). Convincing confirmation of the totem-kinship relationship between animals and people in the vulgar can be at least the well-known nickname of the fox - Little Chanterelle-Sister (aka Kuma-Fox). Whose sister and godfather is she to?
Not a wolf, not a hare, not a bear, but you and me, or rather our distant ancestors!
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. For the red color
3 the fox was compared to fire, and also to a thundercloud because of 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 an incarnation of Mokosh.
Fox time is the beginning and middle of winter. Colors - red, red, brown.
Proverbs and signs:
The fox is always fuller than the wolf
To pass by a fox is by cunning
Whoever entered the rank of fox will rule as a wolf
If the fox had not arrived in time, the sheep would have eaten the wolf!
The fox also counts chickens in a dream
The fox crossed the road, bad luck.
Hearing a fox bark is unlucky.
Animals - the main characters of Russian folk tales - are usually masculine: bull, horse, wolf, bear. Hare, rooster, cat, ram, etc. But there are, of course, animals too female: goat, frog, mouse, chicken. However, all of them, neither in popularity nor in importance, can be compared with Lisa Patrikeevna - the bearer of both the best and worst qualities of the entire female tribe, and to a certain extent - an exponent of the very essence of female nature.
The fox is the heroine of mainly everyday fairy tales. Here she lies on the road with glassy eyes. She was numb, the man decided, he kicked her and she wouldn’t wake up. The man was delighted, took the fox, put it in a cart with fish, covered it with matting: “The old woman will have a collar for her fur coat,” and started the horse from its place, he himself went ahead. The fox threw all the fish out of the cart and left. The man realized that the fox was dead. It's too late. Nothing to do.
The fox is true to herself everywhere in fairy tales. Her cunning is conveyed in the proverb: “When you look for a fox in front, then she is behind.” She is resourceful and lies recklessly until the time when it is no longer possible to lie, but even in this case she indulges in the most incredible invention. The fox thinks only about his own benefit. If the deal does not promise her acquisitions, she will not sacrifice anything of hers. The fox is vindictive and vindictive. Having collected the fish thrown on the road, the fox began to have lunch. The wolf runs: “Hello, gossip, bread and salt!” - “I eat mine, and you stay away.” Why would a fox give a treat to a wolf? Let him catch it himself. The fox instantly has an epiphany: “You, little kuman, go to the river, lower your tail into the hole - the fish attaches itself to the tail, but look, sit longer, otherwise you won’t catch it. Sit and say: “Catch, fish, both small and large!” Catch, little fish, both small and great!
The proposal is absurd, wild, and the stranger it is, the more readily one believes in it. The wolf obeyed. Lisa volunteered to help. She is worried: as long as there is no thaw, as long as it is a frosty night. He walks around the wolf and says:
Make it clear, make it clear, there are stars in the sky,
Freeze, freeze, wolf's tail!
“I’m trying to catch the fish,” she explains to the wolf, who does not understand all her words. The wolf sat the whole night at the ice hole. His tail froze. The women came to the river for water and saw a wolf and began to beat it with rockers. The wolf was eager and eager - he tore off his tail and took off running.
After this, it would seem that the fox should be afraid of meeting her godfather. The wolf is angry with her: “That’s how you teach, godfather, how to fish!”
The fox managed to visit the hut, ate dough from a kneading bowl from one woman and smeared herself in it. “Oh, kumanek! You don’t have a tail, but your head is intact, but they smashed my head: look at the brain - it’s come out!” And the wolf believed her, took pity on her, and sat her down: “The beaten one carries the unbeaten one.”
The tale depicts the triumph of the fox. She revels in revenge, feels complete superiority over her gullible and stupid godfather. How much resourcefulness she has and how much vengeful feeling she has! Both are so often found in people with a practical, resourceful mind, overwhelmed by petty passions. And the wolf is good! Envy and stupidity destroy him. This way you can lose your skin. For all its simplicity, the fairy tale with psychological truth conveys in these animals the traits of people, the peculiarities of their characters and behavior.
Of course, storytellers could tell about human vices without resorting to fantastic fiction, but how insipid this story would become! He would not have conveyed to us even a small part of the caustic, deep meaning that the satirical narrative contains.
The fairy tale tells us that the hero’s selfish invention, no matter how implausible and incredible it may seem (catch fish with the tail!), will always find a greedy fool who will believe it. Stupidity and gullibility are as endless as cunning and calculation. When they meet, everything is possible: you can fish with your tail, you can lose your head, you can feel sorry for the one who almost ruined you. Is the Wolf always stupid and funny in fairy tales? What is the attitude of our distant ancestors to this image?
6 The wolf is one of the central and widespread mythological figures of world folklore and one of the oldest totems of the Russian people. The duality (duality) of this fairy-tale image is clear. On the one side. The wolf is a bloodthirsty predator that attacks livestock and people; on the other hand, he is a faithful assistant and even a relative of fairy-tale heroes.
This is evidenced by some wedding customs that persisted in Rus' until the twentieth century. Thus, in the northwestern regions of Russia (in particular in Pskov), it was customary to call the groom’s groom’s representative a wolf, and the groom’s relatives in songs called the bride a she-wolf; She also did not remain in debt and in the traditional lamentation called the groom’s brothers gray wolves.
Cultural historian Edward Tylor (1832 – 1917) in his classic work “ Primitive culture" drew attention to the fact that the famous Russian fairy tale "The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats" contains fragments and mythologies of the ancient cosmic worldview, when the "wolf" was understood as the dark forces of chaos that absorbed the sun, moon and wandering celestial bodies during eclipses (so in the old days the seven planets observable with the naked eye were called) in their fairy-tale-symbolic guise, and there were “little goats” that were swallowed by the “wolf” and then (voluntarily or by force) released into the wild.
Among the Russians, traces of such an ancient identification are found, among other things, in an archaic riddle-proverb, where the dark night is identified with a wolf: “The wolf [dark night] came - all the people fell silent; the clear falcon [sun] flew up - all the people left!” Traces of such an ancient cosmic worldview and beliefs are found even in the simple children's game "Geese-Swans and the Wolf", where the latter personifies dark night, trying to overtake and absorb bright sunny days - swan geese.
The belief about wolf people was widespread throughout Eastern Europe. Herodotus in his “History” wrote about the Neuroi, a people who lived on the territory of present-day Belarus and, according to scientists, were undoubtedly associated with the Slavs. Herodotus relayed the stories of the Greeks and Scythians that “every year every neuros becomes a wolf for a few days, and then again takes on its previous appearance.” Isn’t this belief reflected in “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign”, which tells how Prince Vseslav “himself barked at night.”
The tale of Ivan Tsarevich and the gray wolf also preserved the meaning of the ancient mythical belief quite well. Folklorists classify it as a type of fairy tale. In the form in which we know it, it really is fairy tale.
The son is guarding his father's garden. The firebird pecks apples in it, the hero wants to catch it; he is looking for a golden-maned horse and getting himself a bride in distant lands - fairy tales love such plot points. At the same time, the fairy tale was influenced by ancient beliefs about animals. In the fairy tale, there is a werewolf. At times he takes on the appearance of a man and even a horse. The gray wolf faithfully serves the hero. Where does this arrangement come from? The wolf explains to Ivan Tsarevich: “Because I tore your horse to pieces. Then I will serve you faithfully.”
If we see the remnants of totemism in the beliefs about werewolves, then it is understandable why a fairy-tale wolf, having harmed a wolf or harmed a person, considers himself obligated to compensate for the damage with faithful service. Family ties were considered sacred and violation of them was punishable. When actions went against ancestral morals, they demanded the most exact compensation. The wolf ate the horse. He himself serves the hero as a horse, he takes upon himself the responsibility of helping a person voluntarily, without coercion: and for him, family ties are sacred. The logic of primitive thinking here is undeniable. True, we do not know what specific form the ancient stories about wolves had, but it is quite possible that the fairy-tale situation we have taken is in some connection with them.
In popular beliefs, the wolf, like the bear, appears as an animal in whose honor holidays were held. They did not call him by his real name, fearing that he himself would be called out by doing so. A hostile and dangerous creature, the wolf evoked respect and fear.
From experience, people knew that the wolf is a predatory, cunning, intelligent, resourceful, and evil creature. Meanwhile, in fairy tales the wolf is a stupid, always hungry, always beaten animal.
The ingenuous fairy tale “Kolobok” encodes information about the competition between the totems of the hare, wolf, bear and victorious fox for the right to be the keeper of the traditions of the cult of the sun-Kolo, personified by Kolobok, identical to the ancient luminary both in name and in ritual functions (he is eaten, as on Maslenitsa eat pancakes symbolizing the sun).
And in the equally popular fairy tale “Teremok”, the former totemic struggle for “living space” is reflected: overpopulation of the “teremok” is resolved by displacing the totems of the Mouse, Frog, Hare, Fox and Wolf with a stronger contender for “living space” - the Bear clan.
Observations by ethnographers convince us that the bear was considered by people as a patron. They believed that a bear could lead a lost person out of the forest.
Numerous Belarusian beliefs speak about the patron bear. There was a custom to invite a safecracker and a bear into your home. The bear was placed in the red corner, under the icon, generously treated with honey, cheese, butter, and after the treat, they were led through all the nooks and crannies of the house and into the barn. They believed that the bear exorcised evil spirits. In other cases, the bear stepped over the patient or even stepped on him. It was as if the healing power of the beast was at work. This power supposedly freed people from witchcraft.
Bear - Beast Velesov
Bear - witch, black beast, forester, breaker, shaggy, bear, forest king. Hunters distinguish three breeds of bear: the large carnivore - the vulture, the medium - the fescue and the smallest - the ant.
The bear was the most revered Slavic animal. It’s not for nothing that Russian people are still compared to bears. According to legend, the bear was the incarnation of the god Veles, also very ancient god, the image of which has been preserved since the Stone Age. Images of bears can also be found on the walls of caves primitive man and on the coats of arms of many cities. Cave bears have long been neighbors of people; the Slavs considered them their ancestors (in addition to some other totem animals). The bear was considered the owner of the forest, the guardian of its wealth. It is possible that the bear's paws raised to the sky and its threatening stance were adopted by people in their dances and rituals.
While seemingly good-natured and clumsy, the bear is actually very strong, cruel and quick to kill. Hunters who risked going out with a spear to hunt a bear were called “inveterate” in Rus', that is, going to certain death. Unlike the predator wolf, the bear is omnivorous and does not disdain honey, raspberries and other sweet berries. For his passion for destroying the hives of wild bees, he received his nickname - Med-ved (who knows honey). His true name is ber, this is evidenced by the name of the bear's dwelling - den (ber's lair). By the way, the den was considered one of the passages to the Underworld, and its owner was the guard of the Navya kingdom. The bear climbs into its den with the onset of winter, and comes out with the first warm days of spring. On the days of winter confrontation (Kolyad), the bear turned over in its den, marking the turning of the annual wheel.
Just like the wolf, the bear could be a werewolf. Only, as a rule, the bear turned into a man, while with the wolf the opposite was the case. This feature suggests that people encountered the bear earlier and considered it their main ancestor, that is, man descended from the bear through the ritual of werewolf, and only then learned to take the form of a wolf, hare and other animals.
The time of the bear is the end of winter. Colors - brown, black
Proverbs and signs:
The bear is strong, but he lies in the swamp
A bear is not given the courage of a wolf, and a wolf is not given the strength of a bear.
The bear was wrong for eating the cow, and the cow was wrong for going into the forest.
Don't sell the skins without killing the bear
Two bears do not live in the same den
The bear is happy that he didn’t get caught by the shooter, and the shooter is happy that he didn’t get caught by the bear
A bear in a den turns over on the other side, winter meets summer (about Candlemas, celebrated on February 15).
The human type embodied in the bear is partly similar to that reproduced in the image of the wolf. It is not for nothing that the wolf often replaces the bear in fairy tales. These are the numerous versions of the fairy tales “The Man, the Bear and the Fox”, “The Bear, the Dog and the Cat”, etc. However, the similarity of the images is only partial. In the minds of any person familiar with fairy tales, the bear is an animal of the highest rank. He is the most powerful forest animal. When in fairy tales one animal replaces another, the bear is in the position of the strongest. This is the tale about the little mansion, the animals in the pit, and others.
One must think that this position of the bear on the animal hierarchy is explained in its own way by its connection with those traditional pre-story mythological legends in which the bear occupied the most important place as the owner of forest lands. Perhaps, over time, the bear began to be seen as the embodiment of the sovereign, the ruler of the district. Fairy tales emphasized enormous strength bear He crushes everything that comes under his feet. The fragile little mansion, a house in which a variety of animals lived peacefully, could not withstand its weight. Isn't this half-forgotten fairy tale a half-forgotten allegory? The world-community experienced pressure from princes and patrimonial lords: the masters decided to impose tribute on more people, and in case of disobedience they punished all disobedient people. “I’m oppressive to everyone,” the bear says about himself.
And in the final part of his research work I would like to pay attention to my favorite fairy-tale image - Sivka-Burka.
And I'll start at grandma's
I ask for a fairy tale;
And my grandmother will start for me
Tell a fairy tale:
Like Ivan Tsarevich
He caught the firebird
How can he get a bride?
The gray wolf got it
Ivan Surikov
Horses flying and galloping to the skies are favorite images of Russian and Slavic folklore.
Since childhood, mesmerizing lines have been etched in my memory, coming down from time immemorial and sounding like spells:
“The horse is running - the earth is trembling, smoke is pouring out of its ears, flames are burning from its nostrils.”
“Sivka-Burka, Prophetic Kaurka, stand before me like a leaf before the grass!”
“Get into your right ear, out of your left, and you will become such a handsome man as the world has never seen.”
Cosmic reflections appear in stories about horses galloping to the sky, and in stories about heroes born from a horse. So in famous fairy tale about Ivan-Kobylnikov's son, recorded in Siberia at the beginning of the twentieth century, the hero's companions and assistants are Ivan-Solntsev's son and Ivan-Mesyatsev's son.
In Russian folklore and the popular worldview, other things are associated with the consubstantiality of the horse and the sun. famous images and names. Thus, the fairytale horse Sivka-Burka (or in the fairy tales of other peoples - the Sun Horse, the Sun Horse), without a doubt, personifies daylight. His name also dates back to Proto-Indo-European beliefs (goddess Siwa "god Shiva").
In one of the most capacious in terms of mythological encoding, the tales about Vasilisa the Wise (the Beautiful) reveal the most ancient ideas of the Russian people about the change of day and night as cosmic riders: A clear day - “itself is white, dressed in white, the horse under it is white and the harness on the horse is white” ; The sun is red - the rider is “red himself, dressed in red and on a red horse.” The night is dark - again the horseman: he himself is black, dressed in all black and on a black horse.”
Numerous and varied images of solar horses are found in Russian ornaments, carvings, and utensils. Horse heads, mounted on the edge of the roofs, symbolize the sun chariot (in detailed scenes of embroidery, paintings and carvings, these horses are usually depicted together with the sun).
In the composition of a Russian hut, horses rushing into the sky seem to carry the entire house into space. The sun is present here in various decorations - it is inseparable from this flight, moreover, it is like a model of a solar chariot drawn by wooden horses.
The connection of the horse with the cult of fertility is obvious in calendar rites and customs. The custom of dressing up as a filly or horse on Christmastide is preserved, bringing light, work in the field, and a new time - New Year. IN distant times When laying the foundation of a house, a ritual of burying a horse's head took place, giving a connection with deceased ancestors. Among family rituals the horse played a special role in the wedding ceremony: the horse was given as a ransom for the bride, the horse and mare were tied in the entryway, where the newlyweds spent their first wedding night.
A horse was buried with its owner in pagan times; a fallen horse was buried with honors, like a devoted warrior.
The sensitive and devoted animal gave rise to many fortune-telling and beliefs. If a horse stumbles on its left leg, it means trouble. During Christmas fortune telling the horses were blindfolded, sat on her, where she went, the girl would go to get married. When sending off to war or recruiting, if the horse flinches, this is considered a bad sign. A horse neighs - for good, stomps towards the road, draws in air through its nostrils - for arriving home, snorts for a good meeting or for rain. Horse skull is scary for evil spirits, that’s why many horse skulls used to be hung on fences in villages. A collar removed from a horse and water not drunk by the horse are considered healing.
Almost all magic functions twin horse are successfully combined in the classic literary fairy tale “The Little Humpbacked Horse” by Pyotr Petrovich Ershov, who carefully and meticulously used images of Russian folklore.
Two unprecedented horses with golden manes, their mother, a magical mare, who rushed Ivanushka to the skies, and, finally, the wonderful Humpbacked Horse, carrying his master even further, to the heavenly bodies.
Modern Russian word“horse” is an abbreviation of the Old Russian word “komon”. “The Komoni are laughing at Sula” - a memorable phrase from “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign.” This root is preserved in the Old Russian words “orat” - “plow”, “oral” - “plow”, “oratay” - “plowman”.
The history of totems - Russian and world - is an inexhaustible storehouse of knowledge about the distant past. The past must be preserved and remembered. The totemic past did not disappear without a trace. It lives in modern symbols, state and class heraldry, rituals, traditions, and, finally, in many surnames, names of rivers, lakes, ancient cities, villages and simply protected places. I want to know a lot, but these are the topics of my next research.
The role of animals in Russian folk art is extremely large and varied. Almost all fairy tales feature some kind of animal. Among them are fox, bear, wolf, hare, hedgehog, magpie and others. With these well known bright characters adults tell their children about what is good and what is bad. The first fairy tales in history appeared long before the invention of books and writing and were passed on from mouth to mouth, from generation to generation. That's why they are called folk. Let's look at the most popular animals that appear in fairy tales and compare how much their “fairytale” characteristics coincide with their descriptions in real life.
“Fox-sister”, “Fox is beautiful when talking”, “Fox Patrikeevna”, Lisafya, Fox-godmother - this is how the Fox is affectionately called in Russian folk tales. This red-haired cheat is certainly an all-time favorite character. And invariably she is cunning, smart, quick-witted, calculating, vindictive and insidious. So, only she was able to outwit and eat poor Kolobok, deceive a stupid wolf whose tail was frozen to the ice hole, and even deceive a man by pretending to be dead. The main idea of these fairy tales is to tell children that what is important in life is not strength, but cunning. Despite this, the fox is still a negative character. In some fairy tales, peaceful animals who have suffered from this red-haired cheat have to work very hard to outwit and teach the Fox herself a lesson.
But is the fox really that cunning and smart? German zoologist Alfred Brehm, in his book “The Life of Animals,” argues that the cunning of the fox in Russian fairy tales is greatly exaggerated, but the intelligence of the wolf, on the contrary, is underestimated. Otherwise, the real common fox is in many ways similar to the “fairytale” one: red fur, a beautiful fluffy tail, the fox often hunts a hare or visits nearby chicken coops.
“Bear Clubfoot”, “Mikhail Potapych” or simply Mishka in its popularity does not lag behind the Fox. This character is often presented in fairy tales as lazy, fat and clumsy. Big and clubfooted, he is slow, stupid and dangerous. Often he threatens the weak with his strength, but in the end he always loses, because it is not strength that is important, but speed, dexterity and intelligence - this is the meaning of fairy tales involving Mishka. The most popular fairy tales are “The Three Bears”, “Masha and the Bear”, “Tops and Roots”. However, in real life, the brown bear is not as slow as one might assume. He can run very fast and, moreover, is not particularly stupid. Otherwise, his “fairytale” image has many similarities with him: he is indeed big, dangerous and a little club-footed: when walking, his toes look a little inward, and his heels look outward.
photo 1
“Runaway Bunny”, “Cowardly Bunny” or “Slant” is also a very common hero of Russian fairy tales. His main trait is cowardice. In some fairy tales, the Hare is presented as a cowardly, but at the same time boastful, cocky and stupid hero, and in some, on the contrary, as a moderately cautious and intelligent forest animal.
For example, in the fairy tale “The Boastful Bunny” or “Fear has Big Eyes,” the cowardice of the Hare is ridiculed, main idea these fairy tales - you must always be brave. At the same time, in the fairy tale “Zayushkina’s Hut”, the Bunny appears before us as a positive character who needs support and protection.
In real life, the hare, like its “fairytale” character, is long-eared, fast, agile, careful and attentive. Thanks to the special position of the eyes, the hare can look not only forward, but also backward. During the chase, the hare may “squint” its eye to calculate the distance to its pursuer. For this ability, the hare was nicknamed Oblique. Main enemy the hare, as in fairy tales, is a fox.
“The gray wolf - chucked his teeth”, “The wolf-wolf - grabbed from under the bush”, “The wolf-fool” is presented in most cases as a negative character, stupid, angry, hungry and dangerous. But, in most cases, he is so stupid that in the end he is left with nothing. For example, “the tale of the Fox and the Wolf” or “The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats.” In these fairy tales, the wolf is the embodiment of evil, and the main message for children is that good always triumphs over evil. However, in some fairy tales the wolf appears before us as a wise and faithful friend of man, ready to always come to the rescue; an example of this is the fairy tale “Ivan Tsarevich, the Firebird and the Gray Wolf.”
In real life, a wolf can indeed be extremely dangerous. He is often hungry and wanders through the forest in search of food. But his intelligence is extremely underrated. The wolf is an intelligent and organized animal; a clear structure and discipline can be seen in the wolf pack. Wolves create incredible things strong couples, their alliances are strong, and the wolves themselves are the real personification of loyalty and love for each other. A tamed wolf can indeed become a faithful and devoted friend for a person.
The Prickly Hedgehog has long appeared before us in the image of a kind, smart old man, wise in life. Despite his small stature and small legs, he always emerges victorious thanks to his extraordinary intelligence and cunning. So, for example, in the fairy tale “The Hare and the Hedgehog,” the hedgehog outwitted and killed the poor Hare, with whom they allegedly ran a race, and in the fairy tale “The Magic Wand,” the Hedgehog taught the Hare various life wisdom, explaining that for survival it is necessary first just think with your head.
In real life, the Hedgehog is not distinguished by his outstanding intelligence, but he is not stupid either. When in danger, the hedgehog curls up into a thorny ball, which makes it inaccessible to predators, as stated in fairy tales.
The gray wolf occupied almost the entire territory of Eurasia, the Arabian Peninsula and Indochina 200 years ago.
In addition, the animals lived in North America. But today these predators are no longer in the United States, and in Europe they are found only in Russia and northern Spain. In Asia, the gray wolf is also found, but not everywhere: in Turkey, Mongolia, Central Asia and in China. But in Canada, Siberia and Alaska there are quite a lot of these animals.
The “gray” species consists of 30 subspecies. Predators living in the northern regions are much larger than their southern counterparts. Canadian individuals grow to 140-160 centimeters, and in height they reach 85 centimeters. The length of the tail reaches 30-50 centimeters. They weigh at least 38 kilograms, the average weight is 55 kilograms. European brothers weigh no more than 40 kilograms, and Gray wolves those living in Turkey weigh 25 kilograms, representatives living in Pakistan and Iran weigh even less - 13 kilograms. Males are approximately 15% larger than females.
Appearance of a gray wolf
The gray wolf has fluffy and dense fur. From severe frosts, predators are warmed by a short undercoat, which resembles fluff in its structure.
The wool is coarse and long, it also serves as protection from the cold, and it does not get wet. The longest hair grows on the neck and in front of the back. The length of hair on these parts of the body reaches 110-130 millimeters. The ears are framed with short and elastic fur. The same fur is found on the paws. The length of the hair on the back of the back and sides does not exceed 70 millimeters. The fur is so warm that these predators practically do not feel the frost of 40 degrees.
When a gray wolf buries its muzzle into the ground, its warm breath prevents frost from forming on the hairs. The southern inhabitants have much less and coarser fur than the northerners.
The color has a large number of shades. Gray wolves living in Alaska are light in color, sometimes dark beige. Taiga wolves have gray-brown skin.
Predators living in the Mongolian steppes and Central Asia have a light red color. In some areas, completely black or dark brown predators live. But the most common color is dark gray. Wolves with such fur are found in the south and north. There is no difference between the color of females and males.
Behavior and nutrition of the gray wolf
Gray wolves know how to dig holes, but they do not like this activity, so they often make a den in thickets or crevices between rocks. These predators live in steppes and forest-steppe areas. They enter the forest extremely rarely.
The diet mainly consists of ungulates: roe deer, saigas. In the southern regions, gray wolves hunt antelope. Pets can also fall prey to these predators.
The gray wolf is a dangerous predator and an excellent hunter. Gray wolves attack people quite often. These animals engage in cannibalism. They also eat carrion. They enjoy hunting arctic foxes, foxes and rodents. Predators do not refuse wild fruits and berries. A gray wolf can go without food for 2 weeks.
Listen to the voice of the gray wolf
These animals have excellent physical characteristics. While running, they can accelerate to 65 kilometers per hour. But at this pace they can run no more than 20 minutes. In search of food, these hunters travel up to 60 kilometers.
Gray wolves hunt large animals in packs, with some waiting in ambush, while others chase prey into it. If the chase continues for a long time, then the predators replace each other. This indicates that gray wolves have high intelligence.
Representatives of the family live in flocks, the number of which reaches 40 individuals. This society is controlled by a dominant couple. After the couple, on the hierarchical step are her close relatives, mostly young individuals who have not reached sexual maturity. The next step is occupied by wolves who have joined the pack. Children are at the lowest level.
Basically, the dominant female is responsible for procreation. Upon reaching sexual maturity, young animals leave the flock and form their own family. Marriages are never formed between brothers and sisters. Gray wolves look for partners on the side.
Reproduction and lifespan
These animals are monogamous, they form pairs for life. There are fewer females than males, so it is easier for females to find a partner. Females come into estrus at the end of winter, and pregnancy lasts 2.5 months. The female gives birth to 5-6 babies, but there can be significantly more of them in the litter, 14-16. Newborn puppies are deaf and blind, they weigh no more than 400-500 grams. 2 weeks after birth, their eyes open, and a month later their teeth erupt.
At 1.5 months, wolf cubs stand confidently on their feet. The mother does not leave her puppies for 2 months. At this time, the male is engaged in obtaining food. He makes a sacrifice, the female eats it, and regurgitates food for the babies. Puppies begin to eat solid food at one month of age. Puppies grow quickly and at the 5th month of life they catch up with their parents in size. In females, puberty occurs at 2 years, and in males 1 year later. The lifespan of these predators is about 15 years.
The law of the genre.
Someone must be kind, someone cunning, someone weak. The wolf got the role of the main villain of Russian fairy tales. This is a predatory animal with large fangs, which in those ancient times were in large numbers, and no one else is suitable for this role. People have always been afraid of wolves and have given it a corresponding place in folklore
Well, why always? The wolf once helped Ivan Tsarevich. Not entirely voluntary unselfishly, but honestly. In the tower is a completely non-evil character, even suffering with the whole team from a clumsy bear. Yes, in most fairy tales the wolf is completely unkind, but in real life it is a fairly strong, aggressive, intelligent animal.
Everything is explained quite simply. Just like human actors, images of animals have their own types. The bunny is a coward, the fox is cunning, but the wolf got to be evil.
His color, his lifestyle as an avid predator served as such a stereotypical image.
Moreover, he is stronger than other animals.
Don't forget about the grin). Those are still teeth.
Fairy tales should teach that there is not only good in the world, but also evil.
The wolf is an evil character who hunts good heroes like piglets or Little Riding Hood.
Thanks to the wolf, children understand that they shouldn’t talk to strangers
And that the house must be reliable
So the wolf is angry - because it’s just necessary.
And what’s important is that the wolf actually plays a very key role in fairy tales
If there weren't a wolf, there wouldn't be most of the fairy tales that have survived to this day.
Because fairy tales were mostly made up ordinary people, who lived on the land and had a farm, kept cattle. A wolf, if he had such an opportunity, sometimes will kill a lamb, or carry away a chicken. It is clear that a loss for a person is not good, which is why a wolf a priori could not be good.
But often in fairy tales the wolf appears to us not as evil, but as stupid, driven. A striking example- fairy tale Little Fox and the Wolf.
I also remember the cartoon Once upon a time there was a dog. Remember how the wolf sang a song under the table? I can't remember anything bad about him.
It turns out that in fairy tales with equals (dogs, foxes) he is quite adequate, sometimes even kind.
However, in relation to a person, the wolf could also be portrayed positively: let us remember the fairy tale Ivan Tsarevich and the Gray Wolf.
It is quite difficult to agree with this conclusion. There are a lot of fairy tales in the world. And not everyone sees the wolf as an evil hero.
If we remember the fairy tale about Ivan the Tsarevich, then the Wolf served his master kindly and truly, helping him in many ways. There he is presented to us as a very noble animal.
And in the cartoon Well, wait a minute! The wolf is not evil, but only evokes sympathy. After all, it is in the nature of a wolf that it should chase a hare, since the latter is its food. But in the cartoon he only gets into stupid situations and evokes sympathy.
In the fairy tale Teremok, all the animals lived together in the little teremok until a bear came, causing the mitten - the teremok - to crack.
So, everything is relative in this world.
And each fairy tale about a wolf presents this hero to us differently.
I beg to differ with you that the wolf in fairy tales ALWAYS wicked. Wolf character DUAL.
In a fairy tale Ivan Tsarevich and the Grey Wolf not at all evil, and Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin in the poem Ruslan and Ludmila:
And what a charming wolf in cartoons Once upon a time there was a dog
And Wolf and calf
In a fairy tale Fox-sister and wolf In general, he is a naive simpleton and a victim of the Fox’s treachery, he trustingly stuck his tail into the hole, and the words freezing, freezing, wolf’s tail and beaten unbeaten luck, familiar from childhood, evoke pity for this stupid wolf.
This is the style of the genre! Otherwise the fairy tale will be boring!
Most Russian folk tales show the wolf as bad and evil, negative hero. This idea of the wolf probably developed from nature. It is human nature to be afraid of the wolf; it is considered evil and aggressive. But he is a predator, so he has to be like that.
But Russian folklore is diverse. In it you can also find a kind, good wolf (there are much fewer of them than about the evil one). For example, about a wolf who raised a chicken or a bull.
Yes, because even in real life he is rarely kind. A wolf is a wolf, as they say. Such is his wolf's fate.
Some people, of course, may say: Oh, no. If the wolf is full, and if he doesn’t guard his lair, and if that, and if that, then he won’t touch him. Well, I do not mind. Let them walk through the wolf places, test them for their amazing kindness, then tell us how things were. 🙂
In other words, humans have long associated the wolf with danger, with aggressiveness, in a word - with evil. in a broad sense. Therefore, absolutely the same thing happens in fairy tales. Because fairy tales are written by people.
Please note: it is not lions in fairy tales that are evil, not tigers (although they are also predators), but wolves. So, there was a reason to write like that. Wolves sometimes chewed up all the peasants' livestock. Why love them, gray creatures?
Because he was demonized in connection with general Christianization. IN ancient Rome The she-wolf fed Romulus and Remus. And then the Vates’ tales changed. And for the Greek Aesop, the wolf was no longer very smart, but cunning.