marycatelli: (Golden Hair)
marycatelli ([personal profile] marycatelli) wrote2014-06-24 10:17 pm
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Russian Wonder Tales

Russian Wonder Tales by Post Wheeler

A collection of twelve Russian tales.

Koshchei is explicitly labeled a wizard and Baba Yaga gets little bits explaining who she is in some. I think he did not expect audiences with any familiarity.

"Vasilissa the Beautiful" being packed off to Baba Yaga's hut for fire and "Maria Morevna" are those I was most familiar with -- even though I knew the later as "The Death of Koshchei The Deathless."  Both interesting tales to read again.

Others are tales of types I've read before. Not all. "Schmat-Razum" combines a number of motifs, like the bird-maiden bride (though here he gives back the cloak at once), and the tsar inflicting tasks on his hapless underling, in a form I've not see outside this one.  Others, like "Tsar Saltan" have local takes on fairy tales familiar to those who've read a lot of them.

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