COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE FOLKLORE PLOT “THREE STOLEN PRINCESSES”: RUSSIAN AND SELKUP FAIRY TALES DATA
DOI: 10.23951/1609-624X-2017-6-128-134
The article is devoted to the problem of folklore plot representation. The author analyzes the plot “three stolen princesses”. The above mentioned plot is regarded to be one of the most ancient and frequent not only in folklore but also in the world literature. The description of this plot according the Aarne-Thompson classification is the following: the hero is of supernatural origin and strengths, with two extraordinary companions he comes to a house in the woods, the hero follows the monster through a hole into the lower world, he conquers several monsters and rescues three maidens, he presents a ring and marries one of the princesses. The peculiarities of this plot representation are analyzed in Russian folk tales and Selkup fairy tales. In most Russian folk tales all episodes of the plot are described: the hero travels from place to place, fights with monsters and finally finds his bride whom he marries. On the contrary, in Selkup fairy tales this plot is usually shown in a simplified form. Alongside with “three stolen princesses” plot several other plots are represented in Selkup fairy tales: “magic runaway” plot, “magic ring/object” plot, “a dragon slayer” plot, etc. Complex composition and mixture of different plots is a characteristic feature of Selkup prose folklore. The author comes to the conclusion that Selkup folklore is a complex linguistic phenomenon influenced by folklore traditions of neighbouring ethnic groups. Comparative folklore studies provide important information about plot origin and ancient ethnic worldviews.
Keywords: folklore, “three stolen princesses” plot, composition, motive, episode, character, Russian folk tales, Selkup fairy tales
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Issue: 6, 2017
Series of issue: Issue 6
Rubric: COMPARATIVE STUDIES
Pages: 128 — 134
Downloads: 984