As you already know, a fairy tale is a prosaic or poetic work of folklore or folklore . Mostly fairy tales are designed for children. Ask any child: "Write the names of Russian folk tales." Most likely, he will fulfill this request with pleasure and joy. But, of course, there are fairy tales for an adult audience.
The names of Russian folk tales become familiar to many from early childhood, when parents tell their children these magical stories at night. Then - a kindergarten, where teachers and nannies can also continue the tradition. And at school, some such works are included in the program for the study of Russian literature. So, we can say that a fairy tale has been with us all our life: in adulthood, we already read fairy tales to our children and grandchildren.
General classification
Russian fairy tales have a fairly clear classification, invented by literary scholars for a more complete study and comprehension. The largest division: into folklore and author’s, literary works.
A folklore tale is passed from mouth to mouth (at least earlier it was before the mass appearance of books). Its author is collective, his name is people. The plots of such folklore are based on fiction and are present in the folk art of all countries of the world.
Literary (author's) tale belongs to the pen of a particular author. It can be created based on folk art, or a revised or original plot can be used. A striking example of the author’s fairy tales in verses is the creation of Pushkin, the greatest storyteller who created extravaganza of images and plots in his works based on folk sources and even on the names of Russian folk tales themselves (compare “On the Priest and His Worker Balda”, “On the Fisherman and fish ").
Classification of folk tales
These works of the Russian people, in turn, are divided into fairy tales about animals, magical, everyday, legendary, bothersome and others (they include here anecdotes and fables). Some research scholars believe that myths that have lost the original meaning of faith and their sacred and practical ritual application are at the heart of folk tales. And in a fabulous work, fiction and artistry of the plot come to the fore. In this they primarily differ from the epics. And folklore tales are characterized by anonymity, orality and collectivity.
Household Russian folk tales
Their names from childhood, as they say, are well known. Household tales occupy a significant place in folk art. What is characteristic of them? They tell stories, usually from everyday life (as opposed to magical ones, for example). The heroes of the works are real characters: husband, wife, soldier, master, pop, merchant, worker and others. The plots are also not intricate and tell the story of fooling a rich gentleman or teaching a stupid and negligent wife.
Thus, a domestic fairy tale is a work of oral folk art on a domestic theme. Here are just some of the names of Russian folk tales of this nature: “Porridge (or soup) from the ax”, “Pop and the worker”, “The master and the dog”, “The gentleman and the man”, “The funeral of the goat”, “The fool and the birch”, “ Pot". So, everyone knows a fairy tale about a savvy soldier who cooks porridge from an ax, that is, as if from nothing, but at the same time asks to bring him a lot of different products, so that the dish comes out cheesier.
Russian folk fairy tales
We also remember their names from childhood. The general atmosphere of magic and all kinds of miracles is a characteristic feature of this type. Plunging into it, each child is brought up on the global principles of the struggle between good and evil (ultimately the victory of the former over the latter), and with great ease perceives the system of existing universal human morality.
The magic characters present in fairy tales: Koschey the Immortal, Baba Yaga, Leshiy and Vodiany - sometimes good, sometimes evil. They help or prevent the main character from carrying out his plan with the help of various magic items. The names of Russian folk tales about magic for children of different ages: “Sivka-Burka”, “Marya Morevna”, “Vasilisa the Beautiful”, “Ivan the Tsarevich and the Gray Wolf”, “The Princess Frog”, “The Scarlet Flower”, “Sister Alyonushka and brother Ivanushka ”and many others.