Fairy tale (and its difference from epic). What is the difference between an epic, a short story and a folk tale?

Bylina- special song epic genre, which developed in Russian folklore at the turn of the 10th-11th centuries. As in a folk tale, the epic contains ethnic elements of everyday life and myth-making, but its distinctive feature is not an entertaining or moralizing plot on which the fairy-tale narrative is based, but a description of historically significant events that embodied the popular idea of ​​heroic strength and valor.

IN fairy tale the characters lost their direct connection with real heroes and acquired an abstract meaning, expressed in the confrontation between good and evil. The plot of fairy tales is fiction, created as a transformation of reality into a wonderful image associated with the mystical ideas of a certain ethnic group about the world around us.

The epic specifies heroes who played an important role in historical events or became famous among their fellow tribesmen for their special merits and military merits.

The style of narration in fairy tales and epics is also significantly different. The content of the tale is conveyed in ordinary narrative style, close to colloquial speech. Epic poems are performed with a solemn recitative to string accompaniment, thanks to which the narrator is able to preserve the rhythm of syllabic-tonic verse inherent in the epic text.

Means characteristic of epics artistic expression also differ from the traditional tropes used in the tale. Hyperbole, repetition of stable phrases, intensification of synonymous words, abundance of epithets, antithesis - all these form-building techniques are used in epics to emphasize solemnity and preserve storyline. For example, situations of the same type in the heroic epics of the Kyiv cycle are repeated three times; "valiant strength" "glorious" hero Ilya Muromets resists deceit “the kingdom of the filthy”; V Novgorod epics Vasily Buslaevich has incredible strength, and Sadko is able to sink to the bottom of the sea and come out unscathed.

Fairy tales were created as instructive and entertaining stories at the same time. They were told among family members and could have an ending with the subtext: “The fairy tale is a lie, but there is a hint in it - a lesson for good fellows.”

Epics glorified heroic heroes. They were performed in front of large crowds of people, in squares and near city walls.

Bylina about beautiful Vasilisa Mikulishnu

Conclusions website

1. The epic is a folk epic song, and the fairy tale belongs to the small narrative epic genres.
2. The plot of fairy tales is fiction, epics always have historical background and a real prototype of the hero.
3. Used in the fairy tale conversational style narration, the epic is performed in recitative.
4. Fairy tale - prose works oral folk art, the epic has a poetic meter.
5. The main technique of the epic is hyperbole, repetition, fixed formulas and figures of speech.

The epic and fairy tale are folklore genres, in contrast to the story, which is a strictly literary genre. This means that neither an epic nor a fairy tale has an author as such. The author in this case is considered to be consciousness; This is a kind of generalized image of the author. The author invariably accompanies the story. For example, Chekhov’s “The Bishop” or Edgar Allan Poe’s story “The Masque of the Red Death”.

The story and tale are epic. The epic, despite the epic plot, still does not lose touch with the lyrics, since it is presented in poetic form.

The time depicted in the epic is always the past. The story allows the plot to be placed at any time. The space of a fairy tale is timeless and universal.

The hero of the epic is a hero. But this is a collective image, it captures the appearance of the entire people. The heroes of a fairy tale are also collective images. This may be evidenced by the absence of any precise indication of the time and place (chronotope) of the action that is described. In addition, the names of the heroes “wander” from the fairy tale to, the names of the heroes of fairy tales about animals are accompanied constant epithets. That is, the heroes of the fairy tale are simply transported popular consciousness from one plot space to another. The hero of the story is unique (mostly), an episode from his specific life becomes plot-forming.

The epic reflects certain historical events and even heroes (mainly the figure of the prince), but with a predominant share of fiction, because, despite the seemingly historical background, this component real story people are being rethought. Here the epic partially intersects with the story, which can also be reflected real facts(both modern and distant in time), familiar to the author. Otherwise, the story, being a genre of literature as special type art is fiction, another reality, intersecting, of course, with reality, but rather weakly (otherwise the essence of art as a type of activity disappears). In this, a fairy tale is adjacent to it, which represents unreality in pure form and which is opposed to the epic, which allows “reality” into itself.

Epic and fairy tale represent different types folk art. We have repeatedly had occasion to verify that epic has properties that immediately distinguish it from all other types folk poetry, including from fairy tales. Fairy tales and epics cover different areas folk culture, meet different aesthetic needs. Better than many others, V. G. Belinsky defined the difference between a fairy tale and an epic. Belinsky writes: “There is a big difference between a poem or rhapsode and between a fairy tale. In the poem, the poet seems to respect his subject, puts it above himself and wants to arouse reverence for it in others; in a fairy tale, the poet is on his own: his goal is to occupy idle attention, dispel boredom, and amuse others. Hence there is a big difference in the tone of both types of works: in the first - importance, passion, sometimes rising to pathos, lack of irony, and even more so - vulgar jokes; at the basis of the second, a ulterior thought is always noticeable; it is noticeable that the narrator himself does not believe what he is telling and internally laughs at own story. This especially applies to Russian fairy tales.”

This definition of Belinsky should be considered extremely subtle and insightful. A fairy tale is defined by the fact that its aesthetics is based on fiction, deliberately emphasized as fiction. This is the beauty of a fairy tale. M. Gorky emphasized its significance as a “fiction”. The people themselves define this with the saying: “A fairy tale is a twist, a song is a story.” The events occurring in the fairy tale are not believed to be real, and they are never presented as reality. From this stems good-natured humor, light mockery, which, as Belinsky noted, is so characteristic of Russian fairy tales. This, of course, does not mean that the fairy tale is divorced from reality. In it, fiction, precisely as fiction, is determined by historical reality, and the task of the fairy tale researcher is to establish this connection. The humor and mockery inherent in the fairy tale make it an excellent means of satire.

In the epic, the attitude towards the depicted is different. If you ask a singer whether he believes in what he sings about, most singers will answer with unshakable confidence in the reality of the events being sung. "The song is true." The very word “bylina” betrays this attitude, as well as the word “old times”, which people use to designate epics and which means that everything that is sung about really happened, albeit in ancient times.

True, the researcher cannot completely trust all the testimony of the singers. When collectors or researchers ask a performer whether he believes in the reality of the events being sung, the question is posed incorrectly. The performer believes in the vital and artistic truth of what he is performing, in the fact that the song does not lie. This is what he expresses with the words - “everything was as it was sung.”

For this reason, a fairy tale preserves prehistoric antiquity better than an epic; it is more archaic. What is no longer possible as reality is possible as an interesting fiction. Therefore, for example, in the epic the snake is replaced by the historical enemies of Rus', but this does not happen in the fairy tale. For the same reason, the most ancient totemic ideas (animal spouse, talismans, etc.) are preserved in fairy tales; in the epic these ideas disappear.

But Belinsky emphasizes another difference between a fairy tale and an epic: the difference in content. In the epic, the poet “reveres the subject of his songs.” The epic expresses the highest ideals of the people and seeks to convey these ideals to listeners: the singer “wants to arouse reverence in others.”

We have already seen above that the ideological content of the epic is the blood connection of a person with his homeland, service to it. In a fairy tale, especially a fairy tale, the content may be different. If in the epic the hero beats the snake and thereby saves Kyiv from disaster, then fairy tale hero defeats the snake in order to marry the girl he freed.

The events of classical epics always take place in Rus'. The events of a fairy tale can be localized “in a certain kingdom”, “in a certain state”. And although ultimately the events of the Russian fairy tale also occur in Rus', this is not what is emphasized in it. Ideological content fairy tales are the moral character of the Russian person, his life and everyday ideals, his struggle not only with the enemies of his homeland, but with evil in all its forms. Artistic incarnations This evil is served by both the most fantastic creatures, such as witches, koschei, snakes, and the most realistic ones, like the priest, the landowner and the tsar. But the fight against evil, the fight for truth, justice, also constitutes the content of the epic, although basically fairy tales and epics cover different types of struggle. It follows from this that, despite all the differences between a fairy tale and an epic, there can be a closeness between them, a rapprochement can occur among the people, and this explains that among the epics of the Russian epic there are those that are characterized by a fairy-tale coloring, which have a fairy-tale character.

The degree of closeness between an epic and a fairy tale can vary. The epics we examined, especially the early ones, like the songs about Sadko or Potyka, to some extent also had a fairy-tale character. But there is a group of epics that are even closer to a fairy tale than the epics we have already discussed. What makes them similar to fairy tales is that the tone of most of them is half-joking, slightly ironic. In the epics we examined, the idea of ​​the Kyiv state triumphed, Kievan Rus; in the epics of the group under consideration the question does not arise this way. In them, Kievan Rus is not threatened by either snakes, Tugarin, or Idolishche; the heroes are not in danger from various enchantresses. There are no witches in Rus' anymore, and they don’t penetrate there. But such “poisoners” still exist in distant countries, where, for example, Gleb Volodyevich travels. In the epics of this group it is often allowed difficult questions of a family and personal nature, as in the epic about Ilya Muromets and his son, about Stavr Godinovich and his wife, etc. In them, as in a fairy tale, the hero shows his high moral qualities, his resourcefulness, strength and courage. From its closeness to the fairy tale, the epic acquires an entertaining character. Fulfilling it provided a break from the hard labor of peasants and brought a stream of festivity and sometimes fun into a difficult life. But even in these cases, the epic did not serve as entertainment for entertainment. It expresses popular thought and morality, popular assessment of human characters and actions.

All this shows that such epics, although they are beautiful in artistically, still not typical for the actual heroic epic. Of these, only one is distinguished by its severity and monumentality: this is an epic about the battle between Ilya and his son. Of all the intermediate epics, it is closest to heroic songs proper, although it is no less close to fairy tales. The fairy-tale character of the others is more pronounced. All this gives the researcher of the heroic epic the right to consider them in less detail than the heroic epics themselves.

Epic tales of a fairy-tale nature are less subject to change than actual heroic epics.

Due to the indicated properties of the epics of this group, dating them, even in the conventional sense in which it is stated above, is very difficult. In the vast majority of cases, the plots of such epics are very ancient. Often they go back to the communal-tribal system. Stories such as the plot of a husband at his wife’s wedding (“Dobrynya and Alyosha”), a fight between a father and his son (“Ilya and Sokolnik”) are among the oldest Russian stories. This gives the right to assert that they were present in Russian folk poetry already at the very beginning of the formation of Kievan Rus. The same can be said about other epic fairy tales. All of them are extremely ancient and in this respect belong to the early Russian epics. Their processing and some details date back to a later time, which must be established in each case separately. But all this does not shake the assertion about the early formation of these epics in the repertoire of Russian epic. Along with these early fairy-tale epics, there are a number of later epics fabulous content, which, in fact, are no longer so much epics as fairy tales in epic metric form.

Popular genres of folklore include fairy tales and epics. Despite the fact that they are very similar, these genres each have their own specifics and were written with for various purposes. Let's consider the similarities and differences between fairy tales and epics.

A brief introduction to the fairy tale genre

Fairy tales are among the popular genres of Russian folklore. First, fairy tales about animals appeared, then magical and social ones. In what specific features genre?

• The events described in it were perceived as fiction.
• The purpose of writing is instructive, less often entertaining.
• The form of presentation is prose.

Most often, fairy tales were passed on “by word of mouth,” which is why they do not have specific authors. Each narrator could forget something or, on the contrary, add something, so the texts had many variations.

Description of epics as a genre

Another interesting one folk genre- epic, epic song, the main characters were heroes, princes and other defenders common people. Their opponents were often endowed with powerful strength. Thus, the Serpent Gorynych, a three-headed monster spewing fire from its insatiable mouths, captured entire villages of Russians.

Let us briefly highlight the key features of the genre:

• A poetic form of storytelling, most often texts were written in tonic verse with an even number of stresses (2-4).
• The presence of a clear structure: chorus - beginning - exposition - ending.
• Heroes often had real prototypes or were perceived by the popular consciousness as the embodiment of evil.

In general, this genre was loved by the Russian people, because in the texts good always prevailed over evil.

Common features

Let's look at the similarities and differences between fairy tales and epics. First of all, let's highlight common features, inherent in both genres:

• No attribution.
• Initially, there was only an oral form of presentation.
• Use of traditional wording and templates.
• They reflected the features of life and everyday life of the people of their era.

These are the main similarities between fairy tales and epics. The differences will be described below. Also note that both genres used images fantastic characters who most often embodied evil (the Serpent Gorynych in epics, Baba Yaga and Koschey in fairy tales).

Differences

Considering the similarities and differences between fairy tales and epics, we note that they were created for different purposes:

• A fairy tale is for instructing and entertaining listeners.
• Epic - for chanting the exploits of heroes.

Further, speaking about the similarities and differences between epics and fairy tales, it should be noted that different characters acted in them. At first glance, both of them are objects of fiction. However, in fairy tales, heroes were initially perceived as imaginary. In epics, they often had a real historical basis and embodied the ideal qualities of people's defenders.

The next similarity and difference between the fairy tale and the epic is in the plot of the text. In the epic, feats were sung, some historical events that were important for the entire people, which were not in fairy-tale texts. The latter were often dedicated to a specific character and his fate.

Comparison example

To further understand the similarities and differences between fairy tales and epics, let’s compare two texts - “Ilya Muromets and the Nightingale the Robber” and “Marya Morevna”. Both works are very interesting and have fascinating story, familiarity with which will be useful for both children and adults.

The first sign that distinguishes the texts catches the eye: a fairy tale is told in prose, an epic - in a special verse.

Next, we will consider other similarities and differences between fairy tales and epics. At the beginning of the texts there is an indication of the location of the action. “In a certain kingdom, in a certain state” - this is how “Marya Morevna” begins; the formula for the genre is traditional and devoid of specifics. And “Ilya Muromets and the Nightingale the Robber” directly speaks of where the events unfold - the city of Chernigov.

The following similarities and differences between fairy tales and epics are the main characters. It seems that both of them - Ivan Tsarevich and the hero Ilya - are brave, decisive and courageous, but Ilya’s main goal is a selfless feat for the sake of saving his native people, and Ivan, with all his positive qualities still acts in his own interests - wanting to regain his lost wife.

Features of presentation

Considering the similarities and differences between epics and fairy tales as genres of Russian folklore, it should be noted that both of them used stable expressions that pass from text to text:

• “The fairy tale will soon be told, but the deed will not be done soon.”
• “Black and black”, “let the gray beast not prowl.”

Their use not only created a special poetics, but also helped to remember rather voluminous works.

Constant epithets were also often used: “ good fellow", "heroic strongwoman", "straight path".

The similarities and differences between fairy tales and epics indicate that these are different folklore genres, but have many common features.

Fairy tales, epics. Probably everyone, even a very small population, has them. IN Ancient Rus', for example, is of paramount importance in oral creativity people have fairy tales and epics. Similarities and differences between the forms are certainly found, although both are initially perceived as oral works, the author of which is the people. What's the difference? Let's find out!

Fairy tale and epic. Similarities and differences

According to the classification of researchers, they cover and contain various areas of culture and differ in the aesthetics of needs and perceptions. Let's look at the similarities and differences in more detail.

Definition by V. G. Belinsky

Russian classic literary criticism very subtly defined in his statements and epics the similarities and differences of these forms in literature. In the poem (epic), the author seems to express respect for the subject of the description. He always places it on some kind of high pedestal and wants to awaken in his listeners the same reverence. In a fairy tale, the poet’s goal is to occupy the attention of the reader or listener, to amuse, entertain. So, in the first case we have the importance of the narrative, the absence of irony and jokes, and sometimes pathos. In the second, the narrator internally laughs at his story, as if not believing what he is talking about, which is especially typical for many Russian fairy tales.

What is the difference?

The similarities and differences between fairy tales and epics can be identified at several key points. The fairy tale is mostly based on fiction. The epic has a completely different display. The very name “epic” reveals the author’s attitude towards what is being described as realities. That is, this is what happened, but in ancient times immemorial (one more characteristic popular name such works are antiquity, that is, what existed in ancient times).

Where do the events take place?

In classical epics, actions almost always take place in Rus'. In a fairy tale, events can take place in a certain kingdom, the thirtieth state (but this is not necessary).

Similarities

The fairy tale reflects the appearance of Russian people from a moral point of view, their way of life and ideals, the fight against evil in all its manifestations: real and fantastic. Considering such forms of oral folk art as fairy tales and epics, the similarities and differences between them, it must be said that the theme of the fight against evil unites both literary forms, although sometimes different types are implied. and justice, their restoration is the main idea of ​​many epics and fairy tales. Despite all the differences between the works, a rapprochement can occur among the people. This can also explain the fact that among the epics there are works that have a fairy-tale coloring and character. But some epics come even closer to fairy tales in their essence, since they have an ironic or comic tone of narration, where, due to their proximity to a fairy tale, the epic already acquires an entertaining character. But even at the same time, epics of this kind (rather atypical for Russian epic) were not purely entertaining in their genre. They expressed morality and popular thought, an assessment of the actions and characters of the characters.

Epic and fairy tale: similarities and differences. Table

To better understand the topic under discussion, a small table can be provided.

It shows the main similarities and differences literary forms folk art.