Bylichka is a genre of oral folk art. This is a small, but extremely emotional story about a direct meeting with the inhabitants of the other world or about the feeling of their invisible presence and various kinds of impacts on a person. The main function of this genre is considered to be the proof or confirmation of a particular belief.
Origin history
Eastern Slavs believed that pagan deities were an integral part of their daily life. In the field and at home, in the river and in the forest, in the bathhouse, in the stable, they accompanied the existence of man. They were next to him from birth to the time of burial, and then were responsible for him in the afterlife, other world. All the innumerable representatives of evil spirits: house and bath-houses, goblin and water, kikimors and mermaids were an inseparable part of the life of the people and the traditional pagan culture of Russia, so these images passed into Russian folklore, including tales, traditions. An important component for the development of the genre was the cult of nature, which was of great importance in the formation and development of culture, social and state system of Russia. The habitat of representatives of lower demonology was the forest, water, swamp, cemetery, field, mill, house and bathhouse, and the time of their increased activity was dark time of the day (twilight, night). This is a typical chronotope of most past stories.
Genre development
Little stories and ex-ests became objects of close attention of scientists at the beginning of the XIX century. During this period, a huge number of texts were recorded, which were published not by separate collections, but together with texts of fairy tales, epics, etc. At this time, there was a tendency for the former to be called "former", "former". Many folklorists began to use the term as a synonym for the concepts of “legend”, “tradition”, “formerness”. But the little fable is a distinctive and unique direction of folklore, which, due to the specifics of the genre (the use of traditional motifs, characters associated with the supernatural and reliance on the personal experience of the narrator) is close to ex-fairy tale, legend, legend.
Specificity
The little dog has significant differences from the legend and general tendencies with the former because it does not appeal to traditions, but tells a story from the modern period of life, which occurred either directly with the narrator, or with his relatives, acquaintances or friends of acquaintances (which is noted much more often) . So, the hallmark of the genre should be considered installation on the reality of the described incident. Often, the narrative describes repeated events that, quite possibly, can happen to the listener. Bylachka is not an explanation of some reality, but rather a warning or a simple idle narrative about the incident of a collision with a supernatural.
The foundation
Actual cases that can be interpreted in the light of the prevailing mythological beliefs and ideas can be the basis of the fables. These include stories that mothers intentionally scare children about - evil spirits abducting children, ghosts-cannibals, etc. In the modern world, a little fable is rather a horror story.
Classification and Functioning
Fables are classified according to their content. Sections are allocated according to the main characters - mythological characters. For example, tales can tell:
- about the spirits of nature: goblin, field mushroom, noon, watery, mermaids;
- about domestic spirits: brownie, sheepskin, bath-house, goumennik;
- about a snake, a line or about the damned.
Presented demonic mythological creatures brought to the surface hidden fears and desires of the layman, with their appearance, the picture of the world and the man himself were mythologized.
Still bull-calves are called ancestors of fairy tales. Sam E.M. Meletinsky called them "the ancestor of a fairy tale." Sometimes some plots of the genre are taken as the basis for a work of art: N.V. “Viy” can serve as an example. Gogol. Or mystical traditions are included in the structure of the text, as S.I. did Turgenev in the story "Bezhin meadow." Fables, like any folklore product, combine Christian and pre-Christian. Pagan superstitious representations of the ancient Slavs reflect the characters and their actions, and the system of amulets in most cases uses the Christian. Faith, a pectoral cross, a sign of the cross, prayer, holy water, a church candle, a ringing of a bell - all this, according to the firm conviction of their ancestors, drives away evil spirits.