M, " Children's literature", 1988
In the audio book "Japanese folk tales" all the fairy tales included in the third volume of "Fairy Tales of the Peoples of Asia", publishing house "Children's Literature", 1988 are voiced: Crane feathers, How a centipede was sent for a doctor, What the birds told about, A monkey with a cut off tail, A monkey and a crab, Like a hare in the sea swam, Badger and the magic fan, Pine on the right, cone on the left, Strawberries under the snow, There is no fertilizer better than stones, The magic cauldron, How the pine tree repaid the kindness, The skillful weaver, Long-nosed monsters, The Scarecrow and the rooster, The pitcher man, The unlucky rogue, Grateful statues, Carpenter and cat, Box of lies, Letters from Bimbogami, Living umbrella, Poor rich, Wormwood - a cure for all misfortunes, How a girl turned into a bull, Stupid Saburo, Hole in shoji, The man who did not know how to open an umbrella, A long, long tale.
Centuries pass, generations change, but interest in the fairy tale does not dry up. The voice of the storyteller still sounds just as enticing, and the listeners listen to him just as captivated. Listening to fairy tales, both adults and children relax after a noisy day. In Japan they say about a fairy tale: “If you tell it during the day, the mice will laugh.”
The main thing in a fairy tale is fiction. The heroes of a fairy tale live and act in some special, fairy-tale world and time. Therefore, in Japanese fairy tales there are often such beginnings, for example: “In ancient times, ancient times,” “It was a long time ago,” which take us to fairy world, preparing to listen to fairy tales.
Fairy tales reveal uniqueness national character, life, clothing, customs different nations. They necessarily reflect the world in which the people who created them live. And first of all the surrounding nature. In the Japanese fairy tale “Strawberries under the Snow,” a girl walks through a snowy forest and falls knee-deep into snowdrifts.” Such a picture cannot be found in the fairy tales of the peoples of the tropical part of Asia.
In Japanese fairy tales, along with real animals, there are also imaginary ones. Fairy tales are populated by mythical creatures - evil and good spirits. They either harm the hero, or, conversely, come to his aid. So, Japanese tengu are not scary at all, but rather funny. “They had amazing noses: they could be made small - very small, the size of a button, or they could be stretched out and thrown over the mountains,” says the fairy tale “Long-Nosed Monsters.” All these creatures invented by man naturally appear in fairy tales and become part of fairy-tale fiction. This is also the role of deities like Bimbogami - Japanese god Poverty (fairy tale "Letters from Bimbogami").
In many of the fairy tales in our audiobook, you will feel a mocking attitude towards monkeys: they apparently reminded the storytellers of fussy and unlucky people. Monkeys appear unattractive in the Japanese fairy tale “The Monkey with the Cropped Tail.” Pay attention to tales about animal werewolves, which can take on different guises. These tales appeared relatively late.
It is interesting that in Japanese fairy tales, objects, especially old ones that have been in use for a long time, can turn into badgers, which, to the considerable surprise of the characters, is what happens in the fairy tale “The Magic Cauldron”. The fairy tale, of course, turns into a funny joke. It must be said that the badger is everyone's favorite among the Japanese. “Here in Japan, even small children know that badgers are masters of performing all sorts of tricks and can transform into anyone,” says the fairy tale “The Badger and the Magic Fan.” Images of playful badgers are extremely popular on the Japanese Islands, and, perhaps, only here badgers enjoy such a good reputation.
However, I know that you guys listen very carefully and also read fairy tales, that is, fairy tales in which supernatural forces, magical objects, and wonderful helpers are necessarily at work. For example, " old grandfather with a white beard" comes to the aid of the poor stepdaughter from the Japanese fairy tale "Strawberries under the Snow".
Sometimes in fairy tale the giver, that is, the character who bestows benefits on the hero, turns out to be a tree. Thus, in the Japanese fairy tale “How the Pine Tree Repaid the Kindness,” the tree speaks and literally showers the glorious woodcutter with golden rain for his kindness. The pine tree, which turns green in summer and winter, is especially revered by the Japanese - as a symbol of powerful vital forces.
The literature of every nation has its roots in oral folk art. The most ancient Japanese literary monuments are closely connected with folklore. If we look at the medieval Japanese novel, we will see that the writers drew motifs, plots and images from folk tales. In the 11th century, a huge collection of “Ancient Tales” was created in Japan, amounting to thirty-one volumes. It included fairy tales and various funny stories. Storytellers inspired not only writers and poets, but also literary scholars with their wonderful stories.
So, we open for you the door to the world of Japanese fairy tales, a world of miracles, mysterious transformations and adventures, folk wisdom and kindness.
"Crane Feathers" is a Japanese folk audio tale from the series "Tales of the Peoples of the World" (Volume 3, "Tales of the Peoples of Asia"). A magical audio fairy tale with the transformation of a crane into a girl, and a girl into a crane. About a greedy and unceremonious merchant, about two weak old men in a mountain village. “They were very sad that they didn’t have children...” One day an old man...
“How a centipede was sent for a doctor” is a Japanese folk audio tale from the series “Tales of the Peoples of the World” - volume 3 of “Tales of the Peoples of Asia”. A fairy tale about animals, in which the main role was given by the storyteller to a centipede, which cannot get itself together soon. The cicada had a headache. They decided to send for a doctor and chose a centipede because “...it has legs...
“What the Birds Told About” is a Japanese folk audio tale from the series “Tales of the Peoples of the World” - volume 3 of “Tales of the Peoples of Asia”. A magical fairy tale in which the storyteller’s flight of fancy allows the poorest old man to live by “...gathering brushwood in the mountains and selling it at the market...”; with the help of a magic cap, take a more status position and...
Japanese folk audio tale with a chain plot "Monkey with a Cropped Tail" from the series "Tales of the Peoples of the World", Volume III "Tales of the Peoples of Asia". “Once upon a time there was a monkey, small and stupid... Suddenly the branch under it broke off, and the monkey fell into a thorny bush, and a long sharp thorn stuck into its tail... Just at that time I was walking through the forest...
Japanese folk audio tale about animals "The Monkey and the Crab" from the series "Tales of the Peoples of the World", volume III "Tales of the Peoples of Asia", read by Nadezhda Prokma. The monkey and the crab were friends, but the monkey was constantly playing tricks on the crab. She ate the rice ball and ate delicious peaches from its own tree, and threw down an unripe, green, hard peach to the crab...
“How a hare swam across the sea” is a Japanese folk audio tale from the series “Tales of the Peoples of the World” - volume 3 of “Tales of the Peoples of Asia”. A fairy tale is a story about the obviously impossible. Audio tale "How a hare swam across the sea" - a fairy tale about animals. In it actors are the hare and the sharks. "Once upon a time there lived a hare, and he had cherished wish- swim across the sea to...
“The Badger and the Magic Fan” is a Japanese folk audio fairy tale from the series “Fairy Tales of the Peoples of the World” - volume 3 of “Fairy Tales of the Peoples of Asia”. Popular mythical creatures Tengu in Japanese folklore are more funny than scary. "In ancient times, there lived in Japan demons with long noses. They were called tengu. Tengu had magic fans: if you slap them on the nose...
Japanese folk magic audio tale "The cone on the right and the cone on the left" from the series "Tales of the Peoples of the World", volume III "Tales of the Peoples of Asia". Once upon a time, there lived an old man in the village of Asano. His name was Goemon. On right cheek he had a lump sticking out like a good apple. One day he went into the forest on the mountain to chop some wood for himself. Suddenly a thunderstorm began. The old man ran to...
“Strawberries under the Snow” is a magical Japanese folk audio tale, very similar to the fairy tale by S.Ya. Marshak "Twelve Months" “This happened a long, long time ago. There lived a widow in a certain village. And she had two daughters: the eldest, O-Tiyo, a step-daughter, O-Hana, her own. Native daughter walked around in elegant dresses, and the stepdaughter - in rags... The stepdaughter and water...
Japanese folk audio tale "There is no fertilizer like stones" in which the main characters are a peasant named Heiroku and the old badger Gombe. Badger Gombe loved to play tricks on Heiroku. His jokes were far from harmless. So Heiroku decided to outsmart Gombe. Once Gonbe came to Heiroku and asked him: “What are you most afraid of...
The Japanese folk audio fairy tale "The Magic Cauldron" reflects the uniqueness of the Japanese national character, way of life and customs. Main character fairy tales "The Magic Cauldron" - the badger cauldron Bumbuku has no difficulties, but easily speaks human language. The fairy tale "The Magic Cauldron" is about a werewolf animal. In relatively later fairy tales...
“How the pine tree repaid the kindness” is a Japanese folk magic audio tale from the series “Tales of the Peoples of the World” - volume 3 of “Tales of the Peoples of Asia.” The fairy tale contains a clear edifying character, it specifies: this is good, this is bad. The pine tree, which turns green in summer and winter, is especially revered by the Japanese - as a symbol of powerful vital forces. In the audio tale "How...
"The Skillful Weaver" is a Japanese folk audio tale from the series "Tales of the Peoples of the World" - volume 3 of "Tales of the Peoples of Japan". Magical audio fairy tale "The Skillful Weaver" about the origin of words, about the confrontation between good and evil forces: a peasant, a spider, the Sunny Elder (a kind, wonderful helper) and a snake. "...The spider thanked the Solar Elder for...
Japanese folk magic audio tale "Long-Nosed Monsters" about fantastic creatures of Japanese fairy tales - funny tengu. Tengu are not scary at all, but rather funny. “They had amazing noses: they could be made small, the size of a button, or they could be stretched out and thrown over the mountains.” Blue and red monster tengu...
Japanese folk audio tale "The Scarecrow and the Rooster" from the series "Tales of the Peoples of the World", volume III "Tales of the Peoples of Asia", read by Nadezhda Prokma. “In ancient times, there was a village at the foot of the mountain, and in that village there lived very hardworking people - from early morning until late evening they worked in the fields. But then a disaster happened: out of nowhere...
"The Jug Man" is a Japanese folk audio tale from the series "Tales of the Peoples of the World" - volume 3 of "Tales of the Peoples of Asia". A magical audio tale in which a seemingly ordinary object, a clay jug, turns out to be magical. The pitcher man seems to be a bad character, but he played a positive role in the life of the lazy Tarot, taught him intelligence -...
Japanese folk magic audio tale about travel - "The Unlucky Rotozey" from the series "Tales of the People of the World", volume III "Tales of the Peoples of Asia". There lived a poor widow in the city of Osaka, and she had a son named Torayan - the first timid person in the world who always gets into trouble. The dishes fell out of his hands. The wallet itself, without the help of a thief, disappeared...
"Grateful Statues" is a Japanese folk audio fairy tale about great power simple human kindness. “An old man and an old woman lived in a mountain village, they lived poorly... The old man wandered around the city all day, but never sold a single hat... The old man wandered home, gloomy thoughts assailing him (he really wanted to try rice for the New Year... .
“The Carpenter and the Cat” is a Japanese folk audio tale from the series “Tales of the Peoples of the World, Volume 3 - “Tales of the Peoples of Asia.” The everyday tale “The Carpenter and the Cat,” which might not have been a fairy tale, could have actually happened. great affection between animal and person. "...The owner loved his cat, every morning when he left for work, he left...
Japanese folk household audio fairy tale-anecdote "The Box of Lies" from the series "Fairy Tales of the Peoples of the World", volume III "Fairy Tales of the Peoples of Asia". "Once upon a time there lived a poor man, Great master compose fables. One day a rich man called him and said: -... I bet you can’t deceive me. Well, if you cheat, you will get ten gold. - Thank you very much, -...
Japanese folk audio tale "Letters from Bimbogami" from the series "Tales of the Peoples of the World", volume III "Tales of the Peoples of Asia". Read by Nadezhda Prokma. A long time ago, just before the New Year, a poor man did a big cleaning in his house. Suddenly he sees Bimbogami, the god of Poverty, sleeping in the far corner, resting comfortably, curled up. The poor man began to drive away Bimbogami...
Japanese folk audio tale "The Living Umbrella" from the series "Tales of the Peoples of the World", volume III "Tales of the Peoples of Asia". Read by Nadezhda Prokma. In ancient times, master Hikoichi was famous throughout the area - no one knew how to make umbrellas better than him. And one umbrella Hikoichi had was special. As soon as it starts to rain, it will open by itself; when the rain stops, the umbrella will open by itself...
“The Poor Rich” is a Japanese folk audio fairy tale, a parable from the series “Tales of the Peoples of the World” - volume 3 of “Tales of the Peoples of Asia”. “A poor man and a rich man lived in the same village. The rich man had a lot of money. One day the rich man called the poor man to his place. The poor man thought: “No way, he decided to give me a gift.” That’s why he’s calling.” He came and said: “What a blessing it is to have so many...
Japanese folk household audio tale "Wormwood - a remedy for all misfortunes" from the series "Tales of the Peoples of the World", volume III "Tales of the Peoples of Asia". In ancient times, there lived a peasant. And he firmly believed in the magical properties of wormwood. One night a thief climbed into his room, pulled out a small jar of money from under his pillow and ran. But the peasant woke up and ran...
Japanese folk audio fairy tale "How a girl turned into a bull" from the series "Tales of the Peoples of the World", Volume III "Tales of the Peoples of Asia". “An old man and an old woman lived in a village, and they had a daughter of unprecedented beauty. Once a young prince was hunting in those forests. It began to rain, and the prince decided to wait it out with the old man and the old woman. He entered and was speechless - never...
Japanese folk audio fairy tale "Stupid Saburo" from the series "Tales of the Peoples of the World", volume III "Tales of the Peoples of Asia", read by Nadezhda Prokma. “Once upon a time there lived in a village a boy named Saburo. He was so stupid that his neighbors nicknamed him Stupid Saburo. If they entrust him with one task, he will somehow do it, and if he is assigned two things, he will confuse everything. Always...
Japanese folk everyday satirical, funny audio fairy tale-anecdote "Hole in Shoji" from the series "Tales of the Peoples of the World", volume III "Tales of the Peoples of Asia". “Once on the very eve of the New Year, a rice merchant knocked on a poor man’s house: “Good evening!” “Who’s there?” “It’s me, the rice merchant. Today is the last day of the year, it’s time for you to repay your debts!” “Ah! Merchant...
Japanese folk household audio tale "The Man Who Didn't Know How to Open an Umbrella", from the series "Tales of the Peoples of the World", Volume III "Tales of the Peoples of Asia". Once upon a time there lived a man who had never seen an umbrella in his life. He went for a walk. Suddenly it rains. They offered him an umbrella to protect him from the rain. And in Japan the words “open your umbrella” and “shut up...
Japanese folk boring audio tale "The Long, Long Tale" from the series "Tales of the Peoples of the World", Volume III "Tales of the Peoples of Asia". “In the old days, in the distant past, there lived one sovereign prince. More than anything in the world, he loved to listen to fairy tales... But no one could please the prince... And the prince ordered to announce everywhere: “Who will come up with such a long tale, What...
Japanese folk audio tale "The Abbot and the Attendant", which includes two independent audio tales. They are united by two main characters: the stingy abbot of the temple of the village of Chitosa and his resourceful servant. In the first audio tale, the greedy abbot, having received honey from parishioners, did not even treat his servant, but hid the honey in a secluded place, although...
Audio dictionary of difficult words for Japanese folk tales, taken from Notes to Volume III of "Tales of the Peoples of Asia", published in 1988. Cicada is an insect; Large cicadas (up to 6 cm long) with wide wings live in warm countries. Cicadas make a loud, characteristic noise. Camphor tree is an evergreen tree from the family...
Lyudmila Rybakova
"Legends and Tales Ancient Japan" Literary and educational project for older preschoolers during the Year of Japan in Russia
Legends and tales of Ancient Japan." Literary and educational project for older preschoolers during the “Year of Japan in Russia.”
Native Japanese religion Shinto- worship of objects and phenomena of the surrounding world not out of fear of a formidable element, but out of a feeling of gratitude to nature for the fact that, despite its anger, it is more often affectionate and generous. It was the Shinto faith that instilled in the Japanese a sensitivity to nature: admiring the cherry blossoms, seeing the beauty of a stone, rushing to watch the sunset and full moon, to see the world through the eyes of a poet.
The culture of any people is closely intertwined with its epic, going far into the past. Just as the Romans took the Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece as a basis, remaking them in their own way, so the Japanese liked the Myths and Legends Ancient China. But, naturally, Chinese gods and heroes acquired their own face in Japan, new names and a softer, more flexible character. China brought to Japan Buddhism– a complex philosophy: today is the consequence of yesterday and the cause of tomorrow...
« Japanese fairy tales“This is a bridge thrown into the depths of distant antiquity, and anyone who crosses this magical bridge will know in what labors, pains and joys present-day Japan was born.” Vera Markova.
Japanese fairy tales were created by a people always ready for a difficult and persistent struggle with the forces of nature in their island country, where narrow strips of fertile land are sandwiched by mountains that turn into a raging ocean.
Through Torii Gate - the national symbol of Japan, bringing good luck and prosperity, we find ourselves in the world of legends, fairy tales and customs. Do not forget to bow 2 times and clap your hands 2 times.
On February 16, Japan celebrated the New Year, the symbol of which is Kadomatsu bouquet, where bamboo is a symbol of growth, a pine branch is wealth, berries are taste and prosperity.
Seven Gods of Happiness look after the fair distribution among people of seven goods: long life, material prosperity, honesty, satisfaction with life, fame, wisdom and strength.
Among them Goddess Benzaiten – patroness of happiness, art and water. She plays the music of happiness on the shamisen instrument (similar to a lute)
In every home, and this tradition is already 300 years old, where there is a girl, they are sure to display them for the New Year. "Steps with dolls". These dolls are not played with. People admire them and talk to them. This ladder is passed down by inheritance, but if there are no girls in the family, or the family has ceased, the ladder is sold or given to the temple.
Here Imperial Palace. For centuries, no mortal dared to see the face of the emperor. But I felt his power and power.
Every girl is preparing to become a wife, and among the dolls "Husband and wife".
"Jizo" - Since the 17th century, Patron of children and travelers. It is depicted as a child, often placed along roads and as a memory of a deceased child, decorated with a hat and scarf.
Often in Japanese fairy tales, a childless mother or an old husband and wife ask for a child, and it is sent to them. "Momotaro" - The mother found the boy in the peach tree. She raised him as a brave defender who vowed to do everything to make his mother’s old age happy. Momotaro defeated the evil demons, thereby freeing the neighboring island. This legendary hero is given to all boys under 5 years old.
And this "Issumboshi" . The mother asked to send her at least the smallest son, “at least as big as a fingernail.” So he remained very small, and his parents kicked him out. Instead of a sword, he inherited sewing needle. He was small, but brave and smart.
freed the prince's daughter from the devils who attacked her, who lost their "Magic mallet" and, having knocked it, Issumboshi “began to grow, turning into a stately, handsome young man.”
"Sonny Snail". The husband and wife asked, “It doesn’t matter what the child is, whether it’s as tall as a frog or as small as a snail.” He was born “whatever he is, but his own son is a snail.” Even though my son is small, he found how to help his family... And even mutual love, got a rich man's daughter as his wife. And the girl’s love returned him to the appearance of a beautiful young man.
"Kosan - pheasant girl" . And this is the most terrible fairy tale, not for children, and it will not add joy to adults either. The mother asked her daughter for at least a little devil... and gave birth. The bottom line: do not marry girls born under an ominous star, otherwise they will eat you and leave no bones. Yes and remember that dreams come true, think about what you ask for …
"Kitsune" Fox - werewolf. In fairy tales and legends, the fox has great knowledge, long life and various abilities. Often the fox takes the form of a seductive beauty, a wise wife or an old man. In Japanese fairy tales, the image of a bad and a good fox merges and it is for the Japanese the most noble animal. In temples you can see statues and images of foxes on the walls and on tablets on which prayers and wishes are written.
The older the fox, the more tails it has. And it takes a fox 100 years to grow one tail. You can recognize a werewolf fox by seeing the ones coming out from under the dress. many tails.
"God of the Mountain and Rice Field" -protected and looked after the harvest, was kind to people. One day, seeing his image in the river, he was afraid of his ugliness and ran away from people. Crops are dying and people are starving. They came up with: caught in the lake okojo fish, There’s nothing worse in the world than her—horror, and that’s all. Show God the mountains! Oh, and he was glad that there was something uglier than him in the world. This is how people now live in harmony with the God of the Mountain. Okojo – “stargazer fish”, - will bring good luck to the house and protect from evil spirits.
"Sombutsu" - Good God of Rain, lives in the mountains. People ask for rain, but he sleeps and does not hear. Throw a stone, wake up, it will rain.
“Youkai. Werewolf Beetle" Protects the forest from uninvited guests. Doesn't cause harm, but to its own appearance, constantly increasing in size, scares and asks to leave the forest.
"Blue Spider-Werewolf" just like his brother, the beetle protects the forest from uninvited guests and loves to play with people and play with people. However, with cunning you can defeat him.
"Tengu" - a winged dog with a long red nose, flies with the help of a fan. Good heroes fan helps to be happy, and the evil ones will be punished by it. He protects the forest, helps the weak in martial arts, loves cleanliness, fools travelers in the mountains, scaring them with deafening laughter. According to popular belief, evil people can turn into Tengu.
"Hautaku" -Lion with thorns, with eyes on his back. A good man and a protector in trouble. It is worn like an amulet.
“Yuki-Onna. Snow Woman" . Having fallen in love beautiful woman When their white flakes appeared, the young man got married and noticed that she was afraid of the heat, and recognized a werewolf in her. In Japanese fairy tales, As soon as a werewolf is figured out by someone, he immediately disappears
"Rokuro-kubi" - another fairy-tale girl. During the day - beautiful, ordinary, and at night “a werewolf with a long neck,” she went out for a walk in order to find out something, spy on something, or simply scare her, getting pleasure from it.
Sometimes, the body was left at home, and the head and neck took part in the evening pranks. Scared everyone.
"Moon Maiden Kaguya-hime." This is the oldest surviving Japanese Legend. Kaguya is sent to Earth for her bad deeds on the moon. Living on Earth, she was the most beautiful, hardworking daughter, many wooed her. But the time has come to return to the moon, to my family. As a souvenir, Kuguya gives a drink of immortality, which is considered the most high mountain, and they light it, and this flame does not go out to this day. That's why they called this peak “Mountain of Immortality” - Fuji!
"Wasp, Mortar and Chestnut" - the most short tale about devoted and faithful friendship. Avenge a friend.
"Rat"- the only hero in fairy tales who is always just evil and nasty.
"Mice and Mouse Paradise" - good creatures who return good for good.
"Inugami" - a dog, the most devoted to both man and the positive hero in a fairy tale. They have intelligence at the human level, protect and recognize demons.
"Tanuki" -The raccoon in fairy tales is the most cheerful, sometimes stupid, reckless. Its main advantage: to eat well, to be naughty. In fairy tales, Tanuki loves to listen and read poetry. And, hearing the music, he hits his stomach with such force, like a drum, that he kills himself. Loves to turn into a teapot, thereby bringing profit to the owner. In Japan, Tanuki is associated with prosperity, cheerful disposition and happiness.
"Neko" - the cat is the most revered and controversial fairy tale image in Japan. Cats are loved and feared. Temples, legends, fairy tales, and souvenirs are dedicated to them. But if the cat is a werewolf and you don't expose it, it could be a demon. "Maneki-neko" with a waving paw, is the most famous cat in the world, she is more than four hundred years old. "The cat invites good luck, prosperity and happiness"
Maneki-neko, who lived in the monastery, saved the life of Prince Naokata, who hid from a thunderstorm under a tree, beckoning him with her paw. The prince managed to leave the tree before it burned down. He found shelter in the monastery and to this day the prince’s descendants maintain this monastery. And Maneki-neko is a symbol financial well-being and good luck.
"Weather Spirit"
"Spirit of the Trees" (little green men)
“Kogati-Mochi – Japanese bun” - sweets made from sticky rice. (In the fairy tale “In the Mouse Hole,” Kolobok led the old man into the mouse hole.)
"Ikebana-mochi"
"Boy on a Carp" .5 May – Boys' Day. On this day they are given a toy fish - carp. Carp is able to swim against the current, which means it will bring strength, health and courage.
"Day of the Dolls" . March 3 – Girls' Day. Vintage Kokeshi dolls.
Modern anime dolls.
"Doruma" - New Year's tumbler doll. This is a very old wish-granting deity doll. There are no pupils in her eyes. Having made a wish, they draw one pupil and leave it there until the wish comes true. If it is fulfilled, they draw a second pupil, and if not, Doruma is taken to the temple, and there they burn him, and buy a new toy.
"Totoro" modern hero in the cartoons of Hayao Miyazaki. This is the “brownie” of the forest.
All these fairy-tale characters helped us interestingly introduce to children the images and plots of Legends and fairy tales of Ancient Japan. Thanks to the artists: Lyudmila Sivchenko, Lada Repina, Yana Boevaya, the fairy tale heroes presented at the exhibition in the Izmailovo Kremlin in Moscow made Japanese fairy tales even more vivid and understandable for children, and for us, adults!
We thank our colleagues for your attention!
The snow is falling quietly. Large white flakes silently fall to the ground. The humpbacked bridge across the mountain river is no longer visible; the branches of the old pine tree are bent under the weight of the snow. It seems the world has stopped. He is enveloped in silence and cold... But no. The coals are flickering merrily in the brazier, and you can move even closer to the hearth, feel the warmth of the hot New Year's fire and, with bated breath, listen and listen to fairy tales... The storyteller's voice gets further and further, he calls invitingly to follow him. And now you are already there, where a prankish badger watches for a traveler on a mountain path, where the daughter of the Sea King awaits a beautiful young man in the depths of water, where the foolish Saburo is punished for his clumsiness, and two foolish frogs from Osaka and Kyoto again and again go to long journey...
Funny and sad, crafty and edifying, Japanese fairy tales are the soul and conscience of the people, the source of their inspiration and the measure of their cultural achievements.
Since ancient times in Japan, fairy tales have been passed down from mouth to mouth as the priceless heritage of ancestors, as the most important sacred relic. After all, it is not without reason that fairy tales were told in Japan both within the family circle, and with large crowds of people on holidays, and during the performance of the most significant rituals associated with the magic of fertility.
Time has made its own adjustments to ancient traditions. And Japanese folklore experienced a continuous process of renewal and transformation. The realities of modern times were firmly integrated into the everyday life of Japanese fairy tales, and primordial concepts often faded into the background. It can be said that the tales known from modern records captured the life and customs of Japan during the period of late feudalism, but at the same time retained the features of earlier eras. IN modern times signs of modernity naturally and firmly invaded the everyday life of Japanese fairy tales. And no one is surprised that the fox fools the driver by turning into an oncoming train, and the crafty badger is chatting on the phone.
The geographical position of Japan as an island state, its history as a country almost closed to outside world during the 17th–19th centuries, contributed to the creation of a unique cultural reserve on the Japanese Islands. However, today we can say with regret that the ritual culture, song and narrative folklore, which has nourished the traditional life of the Japanese since ancient times, is in danger of oblivion. Dominance popular culture, the urbanization of society, the rapid change of schools and trends in art have confronted not only Japan, but also many other countries of the world with the need to protect and preserve an invaluable cultural property - folk art.
The folklore heritage of the Japanese is enormous. There are especially numerous works of narrative folklore, varied in form and content. Characteristic feature Japanese fairy tales and legends is their difference both in the historically established form of existence and in the degree modern perception; They seem to be divided into three large groups. The most enduring and stable are the so-called “great fairy tales.” They are known to everyone. Without these fairy tales, not a single child’s childhood is unthinkable; more than one generation of Japanese has been brought up on their morality. There is even a unique term for these fairy tales in Japanese folklore - dare de mo shitte iru hanashi (“fairy tales that everyone knows”). And such of them as “Momota-ro”, “Cut Tongue Sparrow”, “Mount Katikati”, “Grandfather Hanasaka” (in this collection called “Ashes, Fly, Fly!”) and “Uri-hime and Amanojaku” rightfully entered the world treasury of fairy tales.
A remarkable feature of the existence of Japanese fairy tales is that over the centuries, each region, city, town or village has formed its own idea of the fairy tale, its plot and characters. The tales of each prefecture of Japan are a kind of folklore world with its own laws and canons. And therefore, the tales of Osaka, splashing with enthusiasm and slyness, can never be confused with the refined romantic tales of Kyoto, and the simple-minded tales of the southern Ryukyu Islands with the harsh and strict tales of the northern island of Hokkaido.
And finally, among Japanese fairy tales there is a significant group of local fairy tales, which could conditionally be called temple fairy tales, since they are often known only in a small village or temple. Their peculiarity lies in the fact that, despite the preservation of the external fairy-tale form (i.e., the recognition that the action takes place in some unknown place with rather abstract characters), these tales are deeply tied to the locality that gave birth to them. The story of a were-badger necessarily associates the listener with the badger that is believed to live in the temple grove, and the old man and woman are the same ones who once lived at the foot of the nearby mountain.
The rest of the genres of Japanese narrative folklore are divided according to the same principle: legends, tales, blades of grass, etc.
Japanese fairy tales are diverse not only in the form of existence and perception, but also in genre. The modern genre division of fairy tales, adopted in Japanese folklore, bears the features of ancient differentiations narrative works. It is based on a meaningful understanding of the text. Tales about fools, klutzes, cunning people and deceivers are usually combined into the genre of varai-banasi (“ funny stories"). The genre of o-bake-banashi (“stories about werewolves”) includes all scary tales: about ghosts, mysterious disappearances, night incidents on a mountain road or in an abandoned temple. The genre of fusagi-banashi (“about what is unusual”) includes stories about various miracles - good and not so good, but always striking in their originality and emotional depth. A number of fairy tales are also combined into the genre of chie no aru hanashi (“about what is smart”). These are a kind of didactic fairy tales, parables, often with a transparently expressed morality. In their content, they are very close to fairy tales belonging to the genre of dobutsu no hanashi (“stories about animals”). In didactic Japanese fairy tales, numerous twists and turns most often occur with animals. Thus, in Japanese folklore, both animal tales and didactic tales most clearly express universal morality: do not be greedy, do not be envious, do not be evil.
One can highlight the popular tonari no jisan no hanashi (“stories about neighbors”). Diverse in plot and social orientation, fairy tales about neighbors represent a complex of everyday narratives, sometimes developing into folk stories.
All kinds of fairy tales and jokes are also popular in Japan, known as keishiki-banashi (literally “fairy tales by appearance only”), for example the so-called nagai hanashi (“long stories”), in which chestnuts falling from a tree or jumping in the frog's water until the listener shouts, "That's enough!" Fairy tales and jokes also include mijikai hanashi (“ short stories"), in essence - boring fairy tales, which sometimes cooled the ardor of annoying listeners, endlessly demanding new and new stories. In Nagasaki Prefecture, for example, there was such a form of self-defense of the storyteller: “In the old days it was like that. A-an. There were many ducks swimming on the lake. Then the hunter came. A-an. He took aim with his gun. A-an. Should I tell you more or not tell you?” - "Tell!" - “Pon! He fired and all the ducks flew away. The fairy tale is over."
In the Japanese folklore tradition, all of the listed types of fairy tales are united by a single term - “mukashi-banashi”, which literally means “stories of old.”
Apparently, the definition of fairy tales as mukashi-banashi is a truly folk phenomenon and quite ancient, in contrast to other terms denoting genres of Japanese folklore, since it has retained the original Japanese phonetic sound (unlike, for example, the term “legend” - “ densetsu", the origin of which is related to the Chinese term "chuanshuo", which has a similar meaning).
Japanese fairy tales, which are also called “tales of old,” have a special oriental flavor. It could be completely short stories or long narratives. But the wisdom of a nation with a thousand-year history is felt in everything.
Genres of Japanese fairy tales
Children's fairy tales Japan is conventionally divided by genre into several groups:
funny fairy tales, where the main characters are rogues and cunning;
stories about werewolves - all scary works;
about the unusual - what we are more accustomed to calling fairy tales;
about smart people - tales and parables that have their own morals;
fiction about animals, where the main characters are representatives of the animal world;
stories about neighbors - often humorous, similar to short stories;
fairy tales-joke - such only in name, can consist of two sentences or the plot is repeated many times.
Japanese fairy tales for children differ significantly geographical location. For example, in Osaka the perky and crafty ones prevail, the residents of Kyoto say romantic stories, more like legends, on the island of Hokkaido - strict and even harsh.
Important features of the plots
A feature of the fairy tales of the Japanese people is their endless respect and prudent attitude towards the world of animals and plants. The best heroes live in close cooperation with the surrounding nature.
Holidays often occupy a large place in the narrative. This could be a description of the celebration itself, various games, legends dedicated to a great date and so on.
In any fairy-tale plot, it is necessary to early childhood the idea is laid down about the need for respect for the older generation, respect for their advice. Any help to others is positively assessed. Wonderland fairy-tale Japan in an easy, instructive form helps the younger generation enter adulthood with the necessary ideas about good and evil.
The best Japanese fairy tales in Russian are a real gift for the older generation, who would like to see their daughters and sons in the future as kind and sympathetic people.
It's winter, and from the cloudy sky
Beautiful flowers fall to the ground...
What's there behind the clouds?
Hasn't it come again
Spring replacing the cold weather?
Kiyohara no Fukayabu
How are fairy tales born? This amazing form of creativity arises equally among all peoples. Their external form depends on the “place of birth” and is determined by the special spirit of each people. But there is only one reason for creating a fairy tale - this is the universal human desire to “crack through the tough nut” of the world around us, to understand it, and, if we cannot get to the bottom of the truth, then to endow this world with our own “decoding”. And here the most amazing quality comes into play, inherent in man, is a fantasy that blurs the lines between living and nonliving; between man and the rest of the animal world; between the visible and the invisible. The space begins to live a special life and interact: nature speaks to man and shares its secrets with him, fears come to life, miraculous transformations occur, boundaries disappear and everything becomes possible.
Today we are talking about Japanese fairy tales - funny and sad, crafty and edifying, as befits fairy tales that reflect the soul and conscience of the people, the priceless heritage of their ancestors, and ancient traditions. But that’s why they are fairy tales, because time is not a hindrance for them: the modern world is invading the fabric of fairy tales, and no one is surprised that a fox fools the driver by turning into an oncoming train, and a cunning badger is chatting on the phone.
Three groups of Japanese fairy tales
A characteristic feature of Japanese fairy tales and legends is their difference in historical form and in the degree of modern perception. They are divided into three large groups. The most enduring are the so-called “great fairy tales.” They are known to everyone. Without these fairy tales, not a single child’s childhood is unthinkable; more than one generation of Japanese has been brought up on their morality. There is even a unique term for them in modern Japanese folklore - Dare de mo shitte iru hanashi(“fairy tales that everyone knows”). Many of them have entered the world treasury of fairy tales.
Their peculiarity can be considered that over the centuries, each region, city, town or village has formed its own idea of a fairy tale, its plot and characters. The tales of each prefecture of Japan are a kind of folklore world with its own laws and canons. And therefore, the tales of Osaka, splashing with enthusiasm and slyness, can never be confused with the refined romantic tales of Kyoto, and the simple-minded tales of the southern Ryukyu Islands with the harsh and strict tales of the northern island of Hokkaido.
And finally, among Japanese fairy tales there is a significant group of local fairy tales, which could conditionally be called temple fairy tales, since they are often known only in a small village or temple. They are deeply attached to the area that gave birth to them. The story of a were-badger necessarily associates the listener with the badger that is believed to live in the temple grove, and the old man and woman are the same ones who once lived at the foot of the nearby mountain.
Japanese fairy tales are varied in genre.
Tales about fools, klutzes, cunning people and deceivers are usually combined into the genre varai-banasi(“funny fairy tales”). To genre o-bake-banashi(“stories about werewolves”) include all scary tales: about ghosts, mysterious disappearances, night incidents on a mountain road or in an abandoned temple. Genre fusagi-banashi(“about what is unusual”) includes stories about various miracles - good and not so good, but always striking in their originality and emotional depth. A number of fairy tales are combined into a genre chie no aru hanashi(“about what is smart”). These are a kind of didactic fairy tales, parables, often with a transparently expressed morality. They are close to the genre dobutsu no hanashi(“stories about animals”). You can highlight popular tonari no jisan no hanashi(“stories about neighbors”).
Also popular in Japan are all kinds of fairy tales and jokes, known as keishiki-banashi(“fairy tales only in appearance”), for example, the so-called Nagai Khanasi(“long stories”), in which chestnuts falling from a tree or frogs jumping into water can be monotonously counted until the listener shouts: “Enough!” Fairy tales and jokes include mijikai hanashi(“short stories”), essentially these are boring fairy tales, which cooled the ardor of annoying listeners who demanded more and more stories. In Nagasaki Prefecture, for example, there was such a form of self-defense of the storyteller: “In the old days it was like that. A-ai. There were many ducks swimming on the lake. Then the hunter came. A-ai. He took aim with his gun. A-ai. Should I tell you more or not tell you?” - "Tell!" - “Pon! He fired, all the ducks flew away. The fairy tale is over."
All of the listed types of fairy tales are united by a single term - “ mukashi-banashi", which literally means "tales of old."
How to tell Japanese tales
Despite the closeness of fairy tales and legends, both genres in Japan originally developed independently, and the differences between them were felt from the very first words of the story. The fairy tale always had a traditional beginning: “In the old days” ( "mukasi") or "Once upon a time" (" mukasi-o-mukashi"). Next, it was necessary to tell about the place of what was happening, most often vague: “in one place...” (“ aru tokoro ni...") or "in a certain village.." (" aru mura ni..."), and then a short explanation followed: at the foot of the mountain or on the seashore... And this immediately set the listener in a certain fairy-tale mood.
If the action takes place on the seashore, then the adventures of the heroes will necessarily be associated with sea spirits, underwater kingdoms, kind or treacherous inhabitants sea elements; if the village is somewhere in the mountains, then we will probably talk about incidents in a rice field, on a mountain path or in a bamboo grove.
The Japanese fairy tale and legend also differed in their ending. The fairy tale, as a rule, had a happy ending: good defeats evil, virtue is rewarded, greed and stupidity are mercilessly punished.
Japanese fairy tales have also been enriched due to oral creativity other peoples of Japan: the tales of the Ainu people, now living on the northern island of Hokkaido, and the Ryukyusans - the original inhabitants of the southern part of the country - the Ryukyu Archipelago.
Japanese fairy tale as an instrument of good
The Japanese fairy tale is deeply poetic. Poetry and fairy tales have always been revered in Japan as an instrument of goodness and justice, capable of taming the hearts of people and the rage of the elements. Those heroes of fairy tales who are endowed with the great gift of poetry always evoke respect, love and compassion. The one who creates cannot be the source of evil... And therefore the bride, who knows how to compose a beautiful poem to the point, gains the upper hand over her envious rivals. The badger stealthily steals scrolls with poems from someone else's house and selflessly recites them in a clearing illuminated by the moonlight. And the robber nicknamed the Red Octopus ascends the scaffold, giving people his last gift, simple and majestic - poetry.
Art lives in Japanese fairy tales. The statue of the goddess becomes the wife of the poor man. The black raven, flapping its wings, leaves the piece of canvas forever.
The fairy tale also has its own melodic pattern: in it you can hear the rumble of thunder and the rustling of autumn leaves, the sound of spring rain and the crackling of bamboo stalks in the New Year's fire, the grumbling of an old crab and the purring of a cat. Descriptions of numerous holidays and rituals are woven into the plots of fairy tales.
The Japanese fairy tale loves witty wordplay, riddles as a test of the mind, funny use of consonances: the peasant Jinsiro decided to ask the magic mallet for storerooms, full of rice (« kome-kura"), but he faltered, so blind dwarfs fell out of the bag (" ko-mekura»).
The heroes of fairy tales are looking for answers to eternal questions, trying to discover the world around them. The wanderers cross many mountains one after another, amazed at their number. The earthworms in the Ryukyu fairy tale cry bitterly, deciding that in the whole universe they are alone on their small island.
Transformation of Buddhist deities
In this regard, one cannot help but mention the influence of Buddhism (which began to spread in the 6th century), thanks to which a new pantheon of gods was formed in Japanese fairy tales.
Buddhist deities in fairy tales existed in two forms. These were well-known deities who were worshiped everywhere, and at the same time, some of them continued to exist at the local level, gradually becoming purely local deities in the perception of the Japanese.
This was the case, for example, with the god Jizo (Skt. Ksitigarbha). Known in China as the Bodhisattva who relieves suffering and danger, in Japan Jizo gained particular popularity as the patron of children and travelers. According to legend, Jizo does many good deeds: he saves from fire ( Hikeshi Jizo), helps in field work ( Taue Jizo), guarantees longevity ( Emmei Jizo).
Scary tales
The “evil spirits” of Japanese fairy tales are strictly differentiated according to their habitat and dominion: some of them belonged to the mountain, forest “evil spirits,” and the other to the water element. The most common demon of forests and mountains is tengu. According to legends, he lives in deep thickets and lives on the tallest trees.
This is not a person, not a bird, not an animal - it has a red face, a long nose, and wings on its back. Tengu can, if he wants, send madness to a person, his power is terrible, and if the traveler does not have ingenuity and intelligence, the mountain tengu will certainly faint him. The demon's most remarkable wealth is his magic fan. It has a special power: if you slap your nose with the right side of the fan, your nose will grow until it reaches the clouds; If you slap it with your left hand, your nose will become small again. Over time, the magical tengu fan becomes a kind of moral criterion fairy-tale heroes: with the help of a fan, the good ones will definitely become happy, the evil ones will be punished by it.
Werewolves occupy a special place in fairy tales. Birds, animals and various objects - wallets and teapots, worn shoes and brooms - have the ability to transform. But since ancient times, foxes have been considered the most unsurpassed masters of transformations ( kitsune) and badgers ( tanuki).
The tricks of the fox and badger were often crafty and harmless, but sometimes a real insidious demon was hidden behind the outwardly cute animal. The fox most often took the form of a young girl and appeared on a mountain path in front of a belated traveler. Woe to those who do not immediately recognize the tricks of the sly fox.
The badger turned into all sorts of household utensils, for example, into a pot for boiling water.
Such a badger was a kind of brownie, sometimes capricious, and then there was no life in the house, but sometimes economical and thrifty.
It happened that badgers turned into bouquets of chrysanthemums and little girls. There are many tales about how foxes and badgers helped people, about how by marrying a fox you can find happiness, and by making friends with a badger you can become rich.
Virtue in Japanese fairy tales
A significant place is occupied by tales about maiden birds: the crane, the nightingale, the swan. These heroines are endowed with mercy and kindness, capable of coming to the rescue and sacrificing themselves. Bird maidens are not only constant beauties, but also bearers of the highest virtues.
Equally complex and ambiguous are the images of those heroes whose birth is associated with plants: the brave Momotaro is born from a peach, the captivating Uri-hime is born from a melon.
Fishermen and sailors had their own beliefs. Each ship had its own guardian spirit, called in most fairy tales " funadama"("ship treasure"), " fune no kami"("ship deity") or " fune no tamasiya"("soul of the ship"). Of course, evil spirits also live in the depths of the sea.
In Japanese fairy tales, the idea of community is strong: a village or a tribal community. Survive in the fight against beautiful but harsh nature Japanese Islands It is possible only together: to plow the land on the spurs of the mountains and irrigate the rice fields. Loyalty to the community, the ability to sacrifice oneself for the sake of others is a duty and the ultimate dream.
True, in the tales of the late Middle Ages, when the Japanese community was no longer united, but was split into rich and poor, even within the same family, confrontation appeared.
Poverty is terrible: a poor man goes to the mountains to ask the wolf to eat him. Labor is revered in the fairy tale, but no one expects wealth from it. It is either an incredible accident or a predestination of fate.
Life in the magical world is a constant struggle between light and dark, good and evil. This is a constant choice, a search for a path for the hero, a test of his moral essence and the truth of his aspirations.
What Japanese fairy tales have you read? Are there any of your favorites? Write about it in the comments!