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Black-and-white illustrations. Text in Russian. ... Read more

Product Description
CONTENTS.CHAPTER I.INTRODUCTORY. PAGE.The Folk-tale in general, and the Skazka in particular--Relationof Russian Popular Tales to Russian Life--Stories aboutCourtship, Death, Burial and Wailings for the Dead--...CHAPTER II.MYTHOLOGICAL._Principal Incarnations of Evil._On the "Mythical Skazkas"--Male embodiments of Evil: 1. TheSnake as the Stealer of Daylight; 2. Norka the Beast, Lord ofthe Lower World; 3. Koshchei the Deathless, The Stealer of FairPrincesses--his connexion with Punchkin and "the Giant who had noHeart in his Body"--Excursus on Bluebeard's Chamber; 4. The WaterKing or Subaqueous Demon--Female Embodiments of Evil...CHAPTER III.MYTHOLOGICAL._Miscellaneous Impersonations._One-eyed Likho, a story of the Polyphemus Cycle--Woe, the PoorMan's Companion--Friday, Wednesday, and Sunday personifiedas Female Spirits--The Léshy or Wood-Demon--Legends aboutRivers--Frost as a Wooer of Maidens--The Whirlwind personified asa species of Snake or Demon--Morfei and Oh, two supernaturalbeings CHAPTER IV.MAGIC AND WITCHCRAFT.The Waters of Life and Death, and of Strength and Weakness--Aidgiven to Children by Dead Parents--Magic Horses, Fish, &c.--Storiesabout Brides won by a Leap, &c.--Stories about Wizards andWitches--...CHAPTER V.GHOST STORIES.Slavonic Ideas about the Dead--On Heaven and Hell--On theJack and the Beanstalk Story--Harmless Ghosts--The Rip vanWinkle Story--the attachment of Ghosts to their Shrouds andCoffin-Lids--...CHAPTER VI.LEGENDS.1. _Saints, &c._Legends connected with the Dog, the Izba, the Creation of Man,the Rye, the Snake, Ox, Sole, &c.; with Birds, the Peewit,Sparrow, Swallow, &c.--Legends about SS. Nicholas, Andrew,George, Kasian, &c. 2. _Demons, &c._Part played by Demons in the Skazkas--On "Hasty Words," andParental Curses; their power to subject persons to demoniacalpossession--The dulness of Demons; Stories about Tricks playedupon them--... ... Read more