Images of the fairy tale "Snow Maiden" in fine arts, literature, folklore

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Snow Maiden is a unique, unusually interesting character in her own way. She is a kind hero of New Year's mythology.

As a character, she is reflected in the fine arts, literature, cinema, music. And the images of the fairy tale "The Snow Maiden" in painting became the personification of the external image of the girl.

Snegurochka: the origin of the heroine

Only Russian New Year's mythology has a positive female hero in its composition. Despite its uniqueness, its origin is shrouded in mystery. There are three most popular theories that are not only unrelated, but also contradict each other.

Images of the fairy tale "The Snow Maiden" in the visual arts clearly describe all three theories.

The young companion of Santa Claus is credited with various family ties. She andthe daughter of the Big Spruce, who appeared out of nowhere: climbed out from under a spreading spruce branch. She is the daughter of Frost and Spring. Also, her appearance is associated with childless old people who, at sunset, thought about children. Ivan and Marya made a little girl out of the snow, and this is how the Snow Maiden was born.

Snow-made girl

V. I. Dal wrote that in Russia snowmen, snowmen and bullfinches were called birds (birds) that wintered in the forests. In addition, he noted that these are "blocks made of snow." According to V. I. Dahl, these morons had the image of a man.

It is noteworthy that Dahl's words generally characterize all the images of the fairy tale "The Snow Maiden" in the visual arts.

The image of a girl molded from the snow by old people appeared after the baptism of Russia.

"The Snow Maiden" is Ostrovsky's fairy tale, she is the most popular reflection of the character we are considering. However, the work is not single and unique.

The Russian folk tale "The Snow Maiden" shows us a heroine who was born from direct contact with a stove: a grandmother and a grandfather…

V. I. Dal in his fairy tale "Girl Snow Maiden" presents the birth of the heroine in this way:

Mythologized image of frozen winter waters

Zharnikova SV, ethnologist, believes that the image of the Snow Maiden found its first reflection in the god Varuna. Svetlana Vasilievna explains it simply: the Snow Maiden is a faithful companion of Santa Claus, and he originates in the time of Varun. That's whyZharnikova suggests that the Snow Maiden is the embodiment of frozen (winter) waters. Her traditional attire is also consistent with her origins: white robes combined with silver ornaments.

Snow Maiden - the prototype of Kostroma

Some researchers associate our heroine with the Slavic burial rite of Kostroma.

What do the images of Kostroma and the Snow Maiden have in common? Seasonality and external image (in one of the interpretations).

Kostroma is portrayed as a young woman in snow-white robes, she holds an oak branch in her hands. Most often shown surrounded by many people (round dance).

It is this face of Kostroma that makes her related to the Snow Maiden. However, the straw effigy of a woman (the second image of Kostroma) also has much in common with the snow maiden. It is believed that the games end with the burning of an effigy: this means that winter is over - spring is coming. The Snow Maiden ends her annual cycle in the same way: she melts by jumping over the fire.

What else do Snegurochka and Kostroma have in common? Kostroma is not only a female folklore image, but also the city of the Central Federal District of Russia, which is the birthplace of the granddaughter of Santa Claus.

Fairy tale-play by Ostrovsky A. N. "Snow Maiden"

The Shchelykovo estate, located in the Kostroma region, is the small homeland of the playwright who wrote the work The Snow Maiden.

The fairy tale of Ostrovsky Alexander Nikolaevich "The Snow Maiden" reveals the image of a girl from a slightly different side,than works of Russian folklore.

Ostrovsky tests his heroine:

• not understood by others (residents of Sloboda);
• Bobyl and Bobylikha, unlike the grandfather and grandmother from the folk tale, do not love their daughter, but use her, pursuing only one goal: profit.

Ostrovsky puts the girl to the test: she goes through mental anguish.

Images of the fairy tale "The Snow Maiden" in fine arts

"Spring Tale" by A. N. Ostrovsky came to life and acquired its melodiousness thanks to the composer, whose name is N. Rimsky-Korsakov.

After the first reading of the play, the composer was not inspired by its drama, but already in the winter of 1879 he thought about creating the opera The Snow Maiden.

For the first time on the stage, the opera "The Snow Maiden" was presented to a large audience on January 29, 1882.

Here the images of the fairy tale "The Snow Maiden" in fine arts begin their journey.

V. M. Vasnetsov. It was he who performed the scenery for the opera N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov's The Snow Maiden staged at the Bolshoi Theatre.

Inspired by the opera, Viktor Mikhailovich not only created the scenery for the production, but also became the author of a separate work: the painting The Snow Maiden (1899).

Vasnetsov is not the only artist who brought to life the images of the fairy tale "The Snow Maiden". Sketches of costumes and scenery belong to N. K. Roerich. He four timeswas engaged in the design of the play "The Snow Maiden".

The first versions of the design (1908 and 1912) N. K. Roerich's works carried the viewer into the world of ancient pre-Christian Russia, when paganism reigned in society and recklessly believed in fairy tales. And the production of 1921 was distinguished by a more modern (for those years) vision of the plot.

To create the image of the Snow Maiden, M. A. Vrubel.

V. M. Vasnetsov, N. K. Roerich, M. A. Vrubel - painters, thanks to whom the Snow Maiden "found" her snowy image: a radiant white long sundress, a headband on her hair (summer image); light snowy vestment, girdled with ermine fur, a short fur coat.

The image of a snow girl was captured on their canvases by artists: Alexander Shabalin, Vasily Perov, Ilya Glazunov, Konstantin Korovin.

V. M. Vasnetsov - images of the fairy tale "The Snow Maiden"

V. M. Vasnetsov. He used motifs of Russian embroideries, wood painting, making the scenery of the royal chambers.

Viktor Mikhailovich created the image of the Snow Maiden, consisting of a sundress and a hoop on her head. It is noteworthy that the artist himself was engaged in painting the girl's attire. Many parts of the scenery also belong to his brush. Later, art historians will say that V. M. Vasnetsov became a full co-author of the play.