A comparison of the Russian folk epos - the 'byliny' (sing. 'bylina') - with the fairy tales reveals similarities in structure and content. Such similarities can be explained by an independent development from a common source, by cross-penetration of motifs between the two genres, or by evolution of one genre from the other. A detailed comparison of examples from both genres, based entirely on intrinsic evidence, indicates that the bylina evolved from the fairy tale.
Author(s): Alex E. Alexander
Series: Slavistic Printings and Reprintings, 281
Publisher: Mouton
Year: 1973
Language: English
Pages: 162
City: The Hague
I. The Russian Folk Epos and the Fairy Tale 7
Introduction 7
Selection of Texts and Sources 9
Relevance of Conclusions 11
II. The Epos and the Fairy Tale in Russian Literary Criticism 13
Early Studies 13
Mythological School 18
Comparative School 19
Historical School 20
Soviet Studies 21
III. The Hero's Miraculous Birth and Endowment 25
The Fairy Tale 25
The 'Bylina' 31
IV. The New Aesthetics of the Epos 43
Portrayal of the Adversary 43
The Portrayal of the Hero 52
V. History and the 'Byliny' 61
Historical Basis for the 'Byliny' 61
Fairy-Tale Basis for the 'Byliny' 67
VI. The 'Bylina': A Fairy-Tale History of Kievan Rus' 86
The Epic Space 86
The Epic Time 90
Fairy-Tale Action in Kievan Rus' 96
Ideology in the Epos 97
VII. The Demise of the Epic Hero 105
Popularity of the Variants of the 'Byliny' 105
Demise of the Epic Hero 106
VIII. Summary and Conclusions 121
Bibliography 129
Appendix: Russian Texts of Translated 'Bylina' Fragments 134
General Index 158
