Endnotes

  1. Vodyanóy. ↩

  2. Lěši. ↩

  3. Egóri. ↩

  4. V. Bezsónov, Kalěki Perekhózhie ↩

  5. Hut. ↩

  6. Hut. ↩

  7. The Mayor. ↩

  8. Hut. ↩

  9. Hut. ↩

  10. Ten kopeks. ↩

  11. Fur mantle. ↩

  12. Grandmother. ↩

  13. Another variant, “the Fearsome Swan.” ↩

  14. Little Father. ↩

  15. Hut. ↩

  16. This is a simple instance of the prískazka or preface to a story. ↩

  17. A sazhén is seven feet. ↩

  18. Benjamin. ↩

  19. Father. ↩

  20. The Devil in this story is the popular myth of the water-god or spirit, The Vodyanóy. ↩

  21. Countesses. ↩

  22. Village priest. ↩

  23. Death is feminine in Russian. ↩

  24. Ilyá Múromets is one of the heroes of the Bylíny: his great feat is the slaying of the Nightingale Robber. This tale may be eponymous of geography; Svyatogór (Svyáty Góry, Sacred Mountains) Múrom is on the river Oka, in the Province of Vladímir, one of the oldest cities in Russia; the village of Karachárovo is not far off. ↩

  25. Affectionate term for old servant, equivalent to uncle. ↩

  26. The word means velvet. ↩

  27. Hut. ↩

  28. Cf. Dante, “Inferno” ↩

    Fitti nel limo dicon; ‘Tristi fummo.
    Nel dolce mondo che dal sol s’allegra.⁠ ⁠…
    Or c’attristiam’ nella belletta negra.

  29. This is a prose version of a bylína: Alyósha Popóvich is one of the Kíev cycle. ↩

  30. The strong man, the Serpent’s son. ↩

  31. Hut. ↩

  32. Koról’ king: hence princess. ↩

  33. I have taken this story as it stands. There are obvious gaps I have not ventured to fill up. ↩

  34. A mythical city, very probably derived from Θύλε. ↩

  35. Earls. ↩

  36. Diminutive of Iván; so too Ványa. ↩

  37. Hut. ↩

  38. A bold flier. ↩

  39. Bandy-legged. ↩

  40. Sitting behind the stove. ↩

  41. Ídolishche, i.e. Big idol. ↩

  42. Θεόφιλος. ↩

  43. An equivalent to the Bába Yagá. ↩

  44. Father. ↩

  45. Hut. ↩

  46. Hut. ↩

  47. A mock patronymic for the Bull. ↩

  48. v. note 24. ↩

  49. A great forest in Central Russia, once impenetrable and always legendary. ↩

  50. Grandmother. ↩

  51. Father. ↩

  52. Father. ↩

  53. Hut. ↩

  54. Hut. ↩

  55. Hut. ↩

  56. Shovels are used to insert loaves and pots deep into the oven. ↩

  57. “n” and “k” to be sounded distinct as in pin-case. ↩

  58. Uncle: term of affection. ↩

  59. Princesses. ↩

  60. Earls. ↩

  61. Hut. ↩

  62. The Caspian. ↩

  63. Kazán was the last stronghold of the Tatars. It was stormed in 1549. ↩

  64. Cf. English rough, German rauh, etc. ↩

  65. In which the n and k are to be sounded separately as in pin-case. ↩

  66. Rybnikov, I, 336. ↩