The magic of the fairy tale "Sivka-burka, prophetic kaurka"

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

In Russian folk tales, the main characters are often helped by animals with unusual and even magical qualities. This speaks of the close connection of our ancestors with nature, faith in its power and justice. A striking example is the tale of the magical horse Sivka Burka. A seemingly simple plot about how a prophetic kaurka appears in the life of the protagonist and changes it for the better. It reveals the deep meaning of human interaction with the forces of nature and gives an idea of the knowledge of the structure of the universe, which the Slavs had. To better understand our ancestors and understand their ideas, for starters, it’s worth remembering a fairy tale.

Summary: "Sivka-burka, prophetic kaurka"

The tale has several options for the development of events. Recall the two most famous.

A farmer had three sons. The elders were cunning and prudent, so the kind and disinterested younger brother Ivan was considered stupid. He got a black job, and the resting place is not the best - behind the stove. One day, the father called his sons to him and said that his time had come to die. The parent's only dying request was that, withinthree nights, in turn, each of the sons came to his grave and brought bread. The older brothers were frightened, so they cheated and shifted the frightening duty to the younger. Three nights after the death of his father, Ivan carried bread to the grave of the deceased, thus fulfilling his request. For courage and obedience, he was rewarded. The father rose from the grave and told Ivan the magic words with which he can call the magic horse for help: "Sivka-burka, prophetic kaurka, stand in front of me, like a leaf in front of grass!"

In another version of the tale, a peasant asks his sons to find the one who tramples the wheat field at night. Seniors treat the assignment carelessly. Only the youngest son manages to catch the night troublemaker. It turned out to be a magical horse. In exchange for freedom, the prophetic kaurka tells the main character magic words.

Happy Ending

The further plot is the same. The king decides to marry his only daughter, but the beautiful princess sets a condition. She agrees to become the wife of a daring young man who can jump on his horse to the window in her high tower and kiss her sugar lips. Many fellows tried to achieve their cherished goal, but only got crippled. The main character also decided to try his luck. Despite many obstacles and ridicule of the brothers, Ivanushka manages to prove his prowess. The prophetic kaurka helps him fulfill the condition and win the heart of the princess. Half the kingdom in addition is also a good reward for hard work and patience.

Chiefhero

As in many other fairy tales, the main character named Ivan was the third and youngest son in the family. The role of the main acting character is assigned to him not by chance, because, according to custom, it was with the youngest son that the parents lived out their lives. Consequently, along with an equal share of the inheritance, he received all the hardships of caring for the elderly. But, as often happens, the younger one was deceived, and he got only problems. In fairy tales, the intervention of magical powers helped justice prevail, and everyone got what they deserved.

Magic horse

Listening to fairy tales, children learned to appreciate truly valuable human qualities; kindness, love for others, courage, selflessness, generosity and honesty. After all, it was for them that the universe in the person of such magical animals as the Sivka-burka horse, the prophetic kaurka, rewarded the heroes. The fact that the horse is magical, says his name, consisting of the name of three suits; gray, brown and brown. This combination is not accidental. Our ancestors believed in the unity and interaction of the three worlds. Rule - the heavenly, divine world of light. Reality is our material world. Nav - the dark world of spirits. Brown suit (reddish hue), symbolizing the sun, corresponds to the world of Rule. The brown suit (brown tones) indicates the earthly world of Reveal. The gray suit (gray or silver color) looks like moonlight and symbolizes the world of Navi. The word "prophetic" in the name of the horse Sivka-burka - prophetic kaurka - also indicates its supernatural origin. It means possessing secret, magical knowledge.

Thus, in an allegorical form, the tale tells that people who live in good conscience are favored by the three worlds. Which make up one universe, subject to the general law of justice.