Chapter II. MYTHOLOGICAL, part 16 · page 21 2 3101[168] Toeppen's "Aberglauben aus Masuren," p. 146.102[169] Miss Frere's "Old Deccan Days," p. 63.103[170] "Kathasaritsagara," vii. ch. xxxix.104Translated by Wilson, "Essays," ii.105 106Cf.107Brockhaus in the previously quoted "Berichte," 1861, p. 225-9.108For other forms, see R. Koehler in "Orient and Occident," vol. ii. p. 112.109[171] See, however, Mr. Campbell's remarks on this subject, in "Tales of the West Highlands," i. pp. lxxvii-lxxxi.110[172] Afanasief, viii.111No. 6.112[173] See the third tale, of the "Siddhi Kuer," Juelg's "Kalm.113Maerchen," pp.11417-19.115[174] Schleicher's "Litauische Maerchen," No. 39.116(I have given an analysis of the story in the "Songs of the Russian People," p. 101.)117In the variant of the story in No. 38, the comrades are the hero Martin, a smith, and a tailor.118Their supernatural foe is a small gnome with a very long beard.119He closely resembles the German "Erdmaenneken" (Grimm, No. 91), and the "Maennchen," in "Der starke Hans" (Grimm, No. 166.)120[175] Hahn, No. 11.121Schleicher, No. 20, &c., &c.122[176] Wenzig, No. 2.123[177] "Tales of the West Highlands," ii. p. 15.124Mr. Campbell says "I believe such a mode of torture can be traced amongst the Scandinavians, who once owned the Western Islands."125But the Gaelic "Binding of the Three Smalls," is unknown to the Skazkas.126[178] Erlenvein, No. 3.127[179] Afanasief, vii.128No. 30.129[180] Khudyakof, No. 97.130[181] Khudyakof, No. 14.131Erlenvein, No. 9.132[182] Afanasief, iv.133No. 44.134[183] The first _krasavitsa_ or beauty.135[184] _Chulanchik.136_ The _chulan_ is a kind of closet, generally used as a storeroom for provisions, &c.137[185] _Prigovarivaya_, the word generally used to express the action of a person who utters a charm accompanied by a gesture of the hand or finger.138[186] Became a _nevyesta_, a word meaning "a marriageable maiden," or "a betrothed girl," or "a bride."139[187] _Ishbushka_, a little _izba_ or cottage.140[188] "Phu, Phu! there is a Russian smell!" the equivalent of our own "Fee, faw, fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman!"141[189] _Luchina_, a deal splinter used instead of a candle.142[190] _Chernushka_, a sort of wild pea.143[191] _Krasnoe solnuischko_, red (or fair) dear-sun.144[192] Equivalent to saying "she liked to wash her dirty linen at home."145[193] I break off the narrative at this point, because what follows is inferior in dramatic interest, and I am afraid of diminishing the reader's admiration for one of the best folk-tales I know.146But I give an epitome of the remainder within brackets and in small type.147[194] From the Poltava Government.148Afanasief, vi.149No. 28 _b_.150[195] Grimm, No. 65.151The Wallachian and Lithuanian forms resemble the German (Schott, No. 3.152Schleicher, No. 7).153In all of them, the heroine is a princess, who runs away from an unnatural father.154In one of the Modern Greek versions (Hahn, No. 27), she sinks into the earth.155For references to seven other forms of the story, see Grimm, _KM.156_, iii. p. 116.157In one Russian variant (Khudyakof, No. 54), she hides in a secret drawer, constructed for the purpose in a bedstead; in another (Afanasief, vi.158No. 28 _a_), her father, not recognising her in the pig-skin dress, spits at her, and turns her out of the house.159In a third, which is of a very repulsive character (ibid. vii.160No. 29), the father kills his daughter.161[196] Afanasief, vi.162No. 18.163[197] The Russian word is _zakukovali_, _i.e._, "They began to cuckoo."164The resemblance between the word _kukla_, a puppet, and the name and cry of the cuckoo (_Kukushka_) may be merely accidental, but that bird has a marked mythological character.165See the account of the rite called "the Christening of the Cuckoos," in "Songs of the Russian people," p. 215.166[198] Very like these puppets are the images which reply for the sleeping prince in the opening scene of "De beiden Kuenigeskinner" (Grimm, No. 113).167A doll plays an important part in one of Straparola's stories (Night v. Fable 2).168Professor de Gubernatis identifies the Russian puppet with "the moon, the Vedic Raka, very small, but very intelligent, enclosed in the wooden dress, in the forest of night," "Zoological Mythology," i. 207-8.169[199] Afanasief, ii.170No. 31.171[200] Khudyakof, No. 55.172[201] Ibid., No. 83.173[202] Wojcicki's "Polnische Volkssagen," &c. Lewestam's translation, iii.174No. 8.175[203] The germ of all these repulsive stories about incestuous unions, proposed but not carried out, was probably a nature myth akin to that alluded to in the passage of the Rigveda containing the dialogue between Yama and Yami--"where she (the night) implores her brother (the day) to make her his wife, and where he declines her offer because, as he says, 'they have called it sin that a brother should marry his sister.'"176Max Mueller, "Lectures," sixth edition, ii.177 178[204] Afanasief, vii.179No. 18.180[205] Her name _Vyed'ma_ comes from a Slavonic root _ved_, answering to the Sanskrit _vid_--from which springs an immense family of words having reference to knowledge.181_Vyed'ma_ and _witch_ are in fact cousins who, though very distantly related, closely resemble each other both in appearance and in character.182[206] Afanasief, i. No. 4 _a_.183From the Voroneje Government.184[207] Ivashko and Ivashechko, are caressing diminutives of Ivan.185[208] "Some storytellers," says Afanasief, "substitute the word snake (_zmei_) in the Skazka for that of witch (_vyed'ma_)."186[209] Diminutive of Elena.187[210] _Gusi--lebedi_, geese--swans.188[211] Afanasief, i. No. 4.189[212] Kulish, ii.190 191[213] Khudyakof, No. 53.192[214] Ibid.193No. 52.194[215] The demonism of Ceylon "represents demons as having _human_ fathers and mothers, and as being born in the ordinary course of nature.195Though born of human parents, all their qualities are different from those of men.196They leave their parents sometime after their birth, but before doing so, they generally take care to try their demoniac powers on them." "197Demonology and Witchcraft in Ceylon," by Dandris de Silva Gooneratne Modliar. "198Journal of Ceylon Branch of Royal Asiatic Society," 1865-6, p. 17.199[216] Afanasief, vi.200No. 57.1 2 3← previousChapter II. 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