Footnotes:

[296] About which, see Professor Wilson’s note on Somadeva’s story of the “Origin of Pátaliputra,” “Essays,” i. p. 168-9, with Dr. Rost’s reference to L. Deslongchamps, “Essai sur les Fables Indiennes,” Paris, 1838, p. 35 and Grässe, “Sagenkreise des Mittelalters,” Leipsig, 1842, p. 191. See also the numerous references given by Grimm, KM. iii. pp. 168-9.

[297] As well as in all the mythologies. For the magic draught of the fairy-story appears to be closely connected with the Greek ambrosia, the Vedic soma or amrita, the Zend haoma.

[298] A water, “Das Wasser des Lebens,” in two German stories (Grimm, Nos. 92 and 97, and iii. p. 178), and in many Greek tales (Hahn, Nos. 32, 37, &c.). An oil or ointment in the Norse tale (Asbjörnsen and Moe, No. 35, Dasent, No. 3). A balsam in Gaelic tales, in which a “Vessel of Balsam” often occurs. According to Mr. Campbell (“West Highland Tales,” i. p. 218), “Ballan Iocshlaint, teat, of ichor, of health, seems to be the meaning of the words.” The juice squeezed from the leaves of a tree in a modern Indian tale (“Old Deccan Days,” p. 139).

[299] The mythical bird Garuda, the Indian original of the Roc of the Arabian Nights, was similarly connected with the Amrita. See the story of Garuda and the Nágas in Brockhaus’s translation of the “Kathásaritságara,” ii. pp. 98-105. On the Vedic falcon which brings the Soma down to earth, see Kuhn’s “Herabkunft des Feuers,” pp. 138-142.

[300] In the Russian periodical, “Otechestvennuiya Zapiski,” vol. 43 (for 1830) pp. 252-6.

[301] Schiefners’s translation, 1852, pp. 80, 81.

[302] In that attributed to Sivadása, tale 2 (Lassen’s “Anthologia Sanscritica,” pp. 16-19), and in the “Kathásaritságara,” chap. lxxvi. See Brockhaus’s summary in the “Berichte der phil. hist. Classe der Kön. Sächs. Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften,” December 3, 1853, pp. 194-5.

[303] The “Baitál-Pachísí,” translated by Ghulam Mohammad Munshi, Bombay 1868, pp. 23-24.

[304] B. G. Babington’s translation of “The Vedàla Cadai,” p. 32. contained in the “Miscellaneous Translations” of the Oriental Translation Fund, 1831, vol. i. pt. iv pp. 32 and 67.

[305] Afanasief, P.V.S. ii. 551.

[306] Afanasief, viii. p. 205.

[307] Afanasief, vii. No. 5 b.

[308] Afanasief, vii. No. 5 a. For the Zhar-Ptitsa, see infra, p. 285.

[309] Afanasief, vi. p. 249. For a number of interesting legends, collected from the most distant parts of the world, about grinding mountains and crashing cliffs, &c., see Tylor’s “Primitive Culture,” pp. 313-16. After quoting three mythic descriptions found among the Karens, the Algonquins, and the Aztecs, Mr. Tylor remarks, “On the suggestion of this group of solar conceptions and that of Maui’s death, we may perhaps explain as derived from a broken-down fancy of solar-myth, that famous episode of Greek legend, where the good ship Argo passed between the Symplêgades, those two huge cliffs that opened and closed again with swift and violent collision.”

Several of the Modern Greek stories are very like the skazka mentioned above. In one of these (Hahn, ii. p. 234), a Lamia guards the water of life (ἀϐάνατο νερὸ) which flows within a rock; in another (ii. p. 280) a mountain opens at midday, and several springs are disclosed, each of which cries “Draw from me!” but the only one which is life-giving is that to which a bee flies.

[310] Wenzig, p. 148.

[311] Afanasief, P.V.S. ii. 353.

[312] See above, p. 233.

[313] Silnaya voda or potent water, and bezsilnaya voda, or impotent water (sila = strength).

[314] Palitsa = a cudgel, etc. In the variant of the story quoted in the preceding section the prince seized Vikhor by the right little finger, mizinets. Palets meant a finger. The similarity of the two words may have led to a confusion of ideas.

[315] Afanasief, vii. pp. 97-103.

[316] Muir’s “Sanskrit Texts,” v. p. 258 and p. 94. See, also Mannhardt’s “Germ. Mythen,” pp. 96-97.

[317] Being as destructive as the poison which was created during the churning of the Amrita.

[318] Afanasief, v. No. 35.

[319] In the original he is generally designated as Katòma—dyàd’ka, dubovaya shàpka, “Katòma-governor, oaken-hat.” Not being able to preserve the assonance, I have dropped the greater part of his title.

[320] Bogodanny (bog = God; dat’, davat’ = to give). One of the Russian equivalents for our hideous “father-in-law” is “god-given father” (bogodanny otets), and for “mother-in-law,” bogodanny mat’ or “God-given mother.” (Dahl.)

[321] Four lines are omitted here. See A. de Gubernatis, “Zool. Mythology,” i. 181, where a solar explanation of the whole story will be found.

[322] These ejaculations belong to the story-teller.

[323] Literally, “Seemed to her as small as a lamb.”

[324] Kolòdez, a word connected with kolòda a log, trough, &c.

[325] Afanasief, viii. No. 23 a.

[326] To this episode a striking parallel is offered by that of Gunther’s wedding night in the “Nibelungenlied,” in which Brynhild flings her husband Gunther across the room, kneels on his chest, and finally binds him hand and foot, and suspends him from a nail till daybreak. The next night Siegfried takes his place, and wrestles with the mighty maiden. After a long struggle he flings her on the floor and forces her to submit. Then he leaves the room and Gunther returns. A summary of the story will be found in the “Tales of the Teutonic Lands,” by G. W. Cox and E. H. Jones, pp. 94-5.

[327] Khudyakof, i. No. 19. pp. 73-7.

[328] Erlenvein, No. 19, pp. 95-7. For a Little-Russian version see Kulish, ii. pp. 59-82.

[329] Afanasief, vi. No. 26. From the Kursk Government.

[330] Prashchurui.

[331] The sentence in italics is a good specimen of the priskazka, or preface.

[332] Gramota = γράμματα whence comes gràmotey, able to read and write = γραμματικός.

[333] Vanya and Vanyusha are diminutives of Ivan (John), answering to our Johnny; Vanka is another, more like our Jack.

[334] Literally “with a Solovei-like whistle.” The word solovei generally means a nightingale, but it was also the name of a mythical hero, a robber whose voice or whistle had the power of killing those who heard it.

[335] Chmoknuel, smacked.

[336] See Barsof’s rich collection of North-Russian funeral poetry, entitled “Prichitaniya Syevernago Kraya,” Moscow, 1872. Also the “Songs of the Russian People,” pp. 334-345.

[337] Miss Frere’s “Old Deccan Days,” pp. 3, 4.

[338] Grimm, KM. No. 21.

[339] Afanasief, vi. No. 54.

[340] Ona krava shto yoy ye bila mati, Vuk Karajich, p. 158. In the German translation (p. 188) Wie dies nun die Kuh sah, die einst seine Mutter gewesen war.

[341] Afanasief, ii. p. 254.

[342] Cherez dvyenadtsat’ stekol. Steklo means a glass, or a pane of glass.

[343] Afanasief, ii. p. 269.

[344] Khudyakof, No. 50.

[345] Afanasief, iii. p. 25.

[346] Dasent’s “Norse Tales,” No. 40. Asbjörnsen and Moe, No. 37. “Grimsborken.”

[347] Dasent, No. 13. Asbjörnsen and Moe, No. 51. “Jomfruen paa Glasberget.”

[348] Campbell’s “West-Highland Tales,” iii. pp. 265, 266.

[349] Miss Frere’s “Old Deccan Days,” pp. 31, 73, 95, 135.

[350] “Völsunga Saga,” translated by E. Magnússon and W. Morris, pp. 95-6.

[351] Afanasief, vi. No. 32. From the Novgorod Government. A “chap-book” version of this story will be found in Dietrich’s collection (pp. 152-68 of the English translation); also in Keightley’s “Tales and Popular Fictions.”

[352] Nijnie, lower. Thus Nijny Novgorod is the lower (down the Volga) Novgorod. (Dahl.)

[353] Kukova, a stick or cudgel, one end of which is bent and rounded like a ball.

[354] Tak de ego ne vzat’.

[355] There are numerous variants of this story among the Skazkas. In one of these (Afanasief, vii. No. 31) the man on whom the pike has bestowed supernatural power uses it to turn a Maiden princess into a mother. This renders the story wholly in accordance with (1) the Modern Greek tale of “The Half Man,” (Hahn, No. 8) in which the magic formula runs, “according to the first word of God and the second of the fish shall such and such a thing be done!” (2) The Neapolitan story of “Pervonto” (Basile’s “Pentamerone,” No. 3) who obtains his magic power from three youths whom he screens from the sun as they lie asleep one hot day, and who turn out to be sons of a fairy. Afanasief compares the story also with the German tale of “The Little Grey Mannikin,” in the “Zeitschrift für Deutsche Mythologie,” &c., i. pp. 38-40. The incident of wishes being fulfilled by a fish occurs in many stories, as in that of “The Fisherman,” in the “Arabian Nights,” “The Fisherman and his Wife,” in Grimm (KM., No. 19). A number of stories about the Pike are referred to by A. de Gubernatis (“Zoolog. Mythology,” ii. 337-9).

[356] Quoted by Afanasief from Siemienski’s “Podania,” Posen, 1845, p. 42.

[357] “Songs of the Russian People,” pp. 387-427.

[358] Afanasief, vii. No. 36 a. This story has no special title in the original.

[359] The rural police. Sotnick = centurion, from sto = 100. Desyatnik is a word of the same kind from desyat = 10.

[360] A Ponomar is a kind of sacristan.

[361] “Der Werwolf, Beitrag zur Sagengeschichte,” Stuttgart, 1862. For Russian ideas on the subject see “Songs of the Russian people,” pp. 403-9.

[362] “Polnische Volkssagen” (translated by Lewestam), p. 61.

[363] Brockhaus’s “Mährchensammlung des Somadeva Bhatta,” ii. p. 24.

[364] Afanasief, vii. No. 36 b. This story, also, is without special title.

[365] In Mr. Hain Friswell’s collection of “Ghost Stories,” 1858.

[366] Afanasief, vii. No. 36 c. Also without special title.

[367] The Russian skovoroda is a sort of stew-pan, of great size, without a handle.

[368] From Professor Brockhaus’s summary in the “Berichte der phil. hist. Classe der Königl. Sächs. Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften,” 1861, pp. 215, 16.

[369] For an account of this mythological bird, see the note on next page. Ornithologically, the Zhar-ptitsa is the Cassowary.

[370] Khudyakof, No. 110. From the Nijegorod Government.

[371] Zhar = glowing heat, as of a furnace; zhar-ptitsa = the glow-bird. Its name among the Czekhs and Slovaks is Ptak Ohnivák. The heathens Slavonians are said to have worshipped Ogon or Agon, Fire, the counterpart of the Vedic Agni. Agon is still the ordinary Russian word for fire, the equivalent of the Latin ignis.

[372] Afanasief, vii. No. 11. See also the notes in viii. p. 620, etc.

[373] Grimm’s KM., No. 57. See the notes in Bd. iii. p. 98.

[374] Afanasief, vii. No. 12.

[375] Khudyakof, No. 104. From the Orel Government.

[376] The kholodnaya izba—the “cold izba,” as opposed to the “warm izba” or living room.

[377] The etymology of the word koldun is still, I believe, a moot point. The discovery of the money in the warlock’s coffin seems an improbable incident. In the original version of the story the wizard may, perhaps, have turned into a heap of gold (see above, p. 231, on “Gold-men”).

[378] Campbell, No. 13, vol. i. p. 215.