Fairy Tale Characters Research Articles

КъуийцIыкIу и образыр адыгэ эпосым къызэрыхэщыр

The article examines the image of Kuytsuk in the narrative (novelistic, magical, heroic tales, nart tales, historical and heroic epic) genres of Adyg folklore. Special attention is paid to identifying the signs that determine his social origin, personal qualities, and actions. Based on this, it is noted that this hero does not always have the same characteristic. When determining the typology of this character, the established scientific principle is used – by what means the hero achieves the goal. There are two types of image – Kuytsuk, who achieves a fabulous goal due to his physical strength, and Kuytsuk, who achieves the goal with cunning and intelligence. The study of the problem of establishing the characteristics of this image also occupied a significant place in the work depending on the folklore genre in which it is presented. As it appears from the material considered, despite all the similarity of the description of appearance, in different genres of Adyg folklore, the image of Kuytsuk has its own pronounced characteristic features. A fairy–tale char-acter can be a typical "low hero" - inconspicuous and even funny to others, but a hero, in fact. In other cases, it is a hero of a laughing or satirical plan. In the heroic epic, he is represented as a fig-ure symbolizing the logical conclusion of the genre, parodying the images of classic heroes-bogatyrs. The research is based on the opinions of Russian folklorists who were directly involved in the study of a typologically similar character in the folklore of other peoples.

Graph-theoretical Approach to the Analysis of the Variability of Russian Fairy Tales

The paper considers the graph-theoretical approachused to analyze Russian folk fairy tales.Such a formal structuredescription of the analyzed folklore texts is based on the patterns outlined by V. Ya. Propp in a number of his works and in his famous book “Morphology of a Fairy Tale”, in particular. This allows systematization and analysis of the key events occurring in texts. The vertices of the graph-theoretical model represent the fairy talecharacters being classified into certain fixed groups, while the edges indicate meetings between the characters, accompanied by the actions significant for the fairy tale plot. Using the example of the text «Tereshechka» from the collection by A. M. Afanasyev, it is shown how the model is built and the numerical graphcharacteristics are calculated. For this purpose, the tools of the «Folklore» information system are also used. By means of this program, you can not only store textcollections and their graph-theoretical models, but also create formal structures, perform their visualization, aggregation and comparisonautomatically. Discriminant analysis showed that according to formal parameters it is possible to identify the plot of a fairy tale about a brave fellow, rejuvenating apples and living water. The Wilks' Lambda coefficient value is 0.0275781 (less than 0.05), which indicates the good quality of the classifier. Based on this, it should be concluded that graph-based mathematical modelscan be used to systematize and compare the plots of Russian folk tales. This opens up prospects for studying both the fairy talevariability and identifying the most significant and typical plots for a certain geographical area or time period.

Transformation of the Archetype: A Return to Fairy Tale

The paper is devoted to the study of archetypal images in the genre of literary fairy tales. Any author's work has a certain set of archetypal images that have their own special national meaning. Each image has its own specific functions that embody artistic, emotional, psychological, social and philosophical tasks. These tasks form the author's final vision when choosing a particular image. One of such bright and frequent images in folklore studies, which transferred to the literary fairy tale is the image of a young neophyte, a boy or a girl. A boy often personified in the image of a bald - Tazsha, which has been successfully transformed into the genre of a literary fairy tale. In the same way, the images of animals, which are the first characters in fairy tales as a whole, and the analogue of their visions have often been and still are indicative. Also, the article discusses the genre features of the folklore fairy tale, which have preserved and left their mark on modern fairy tale texts. The author's thinking operates with the collective consciousness, reflected in archetypal images and motifs, and the consciousness of the reader, reflecting cognitive dissonance. The methodology of the research involves the continuity of scientific approaches, as well as the use of traditional and innovative methods of literary analysis: content analysis, comparative typological method, mythopoetics and psychoanalysis.

Ded Moroz (Father Frost) as a social construct of childhood and society

The article proposes to expand the understanding of the fairy-tale wizard Ded Moroz (Father Frost) as a myth and cultural and symbolic image using sociological approaches. As an analysis methodology, the concept of social construction of reality was applied, which made it possible to characterize the social construct «Ded Moroz (Father Frost)», which performs numerous social functions for the adult population and additional, specific for children. The main functions include participation in the formation of national identity, traditions, political distinction, economic, educational, educational, socializing, additionally described as an incentive in projective research methods. Arguments are presented to prove that Ded Moroz (Father Frost) is not only an attribute of the cultural heritage of Russia, but also unites numerous ideas, social practices of children and the organization of the child's daily space, promotes the socialization of the modern young generation, participates in the intergenerational transmission of values and identity. The subjects and mechanisms of constructing processes, levels and possibilities of application in the periodization of childhood are highlighted. With the help of a representative empirical study of 2023 estimates by young people of the eventfulness of their childhood, including the situation of loss of faith in Ded Moroz (Father Frost) (average age 9.1 years), conclusions were drawn about social factors of stability and variability of the age of debunking the myth of the reality of the fairy-tale hero. Some hypotheses have been proposed for further research, including the new role of a «social worker and social defender» for Ded Moroz (Father Frost), the artificial lengthening of the period of trust in the fairy-tale character by the children themselves in order to receive gifts and entertainment.

THE CATEGORY OF THE “OTHER” IN THE AXIOLOGY OF CONTEMPORARY LITERARY FAIRY TALES OF KAZAKHSTAN

The article examines various aspects of the discourse of the "Other" through the lens of psychoanalytic, decolonial, and ecological theories. The leitmotif mythologem of the initiation and the accompanying archetypal dichotomy of "self/other" in the literary fairy tale implies the actualization of the discourse of the "Other." The encounter with the "Other" represents a fundamental ethical event for each individual. Understanding being begins with ethical responsibility towards the "Other." The "Other" is also essential for the self-knowledge of the subject (successful completion of the initiation stage). Moreover, the "Other" plays a key role in the formation of the human subject through the symbolic order of language and culture. The main focus is on analyzing the motif of encountering otherness, which is key to understanding the ethical and existential transformation of fairy tale characters. The study integrates multidisciplinary perspectives, including Lacanian psychoanalytic theory, decolonial literary studies, feminist literary criticism, and ecological philosophy. Lacan's theory defines the "Other" as central to subjectivity; the decolonial approach explores the suppression of marginalized voices, while feminist criticism deconstructs patriarchal norms defining women as the "Other." Ecophilosophy extends the category of the "Other" to natural phenomena, reflecting a pantheistic worldview where all living beings have value. The authors conclude that contemporary Kazakh literary fairy tales demonstrate the deconstruction of traditional negative hierarchies through integrating ecological sensitivity and anti-power discourse. These categories emphasize a shift from an object paradigm to a subject paradigm, recognizing nature and people as active subjects of being. Thus, the Kazakh literary fairy tale, by actualizing the discourse of the "Other," significantly contributes to forming a contemporary axiological worldview, promoting a critical rethinking of negative hierarchies. This allows overcoming various forms of oppression and inequality, contributing to creating a just and inclusive society.

О киносериале «Трудно быть мужчиной», его герое и некоторых особенностях японской культурной традиции (новая редакция)

This article is an attempt to analyze the content of the longest Japanese movie series “It’s Tough Being a Man”. The fifty-episode film, spanning over 50 years, was directed by the distinguished Japanese filmmaker Yoji Yamada, who also wrote the screenplay for the series. The article examines the circumstances of the film creation, its compositional, genre, and conceptual features, as well as its connection to Japan’s social history and the development of Japanese cinema. Characteristics of the main characters of the film are provided, the reasons for the popularity of the movie series are explored, along with its cinematic language and style, and its relationship with American cinema and Japanese artistic tradition. The image of Kuruma Torajiro (the main character of the film) is compared with the image of Superman in American movies, as well as with the images of the Russian fool (including fairy-tale characters), and with the character of Prince Myshkin from Fyodor Dostoevsky’s novel “The Idiot”. The author of this article concludes that Yoji Yamada’s work has become a significant cultural event of Japan in the last third of the 20th century and is still of great importance.

«Русская душа» как модус русского менталитета: семантический подход

In the article the concept of "Russian soul" is considered as a modus of Russian mentality. Soul as a personal category in combination with the characteristic "Russian" has subjective qualities. It is shown that the semantic method is an important part of the strategies for studying the mental characteristics of the Russian soul. The method allows us to identify its essential properties through the analysis of words and expressions that have become entrenched in the language of "folk culture" to denote habitualized, familiar behavioral patterns and social practices of the bearers of "Russianness." Semantic groups associated with the concept of "Russian soul" include alternative characteristics inherent in the Russian character, which is explained by its inherent inconsistency. The main ambivalent meanings invested in the expression "Russian soul" are highlighted. It is shown that the main drawback of the semantic approach to the analysis of the Russian mentality and its manifestations is the detachment from reality. Although the semantic method has great potential, it cannot be considered universal and sufficient for revealing the content of mental characteristics by analyzing the conceptual sphere of Russian culture due to its inherent subjective and formal nature. Subjectivity is expressed in the fact that in the process of studying individual meanings and determining the frequency of word use, it is impossible to take into account all terms that are close in meaning, united by a dominant idea, but differ in nuances. The insufficiency of the semantic method for studying the "Russian soul" as a modus of Russian mentality is due to the peculiarities of the use of typification techniques in it and can be compensated for by using a prototypical approach, in which specific subjects – historical figures, literary, mythological, or fairy-tale characters, folk heroes, etc. – act as prototypical bearers of "Russianness," thanks to which a consensus of ideas about the "Russian soul" is formed in the national community, ensuring the "recognition" of its manifestations.

Narrative Space and Transtextual Dialogues in Emma Donoghue’s 'Kissing the Witch'

This article aims to introduce a critical reading of the narrative space of Kissing the Witch: Old Tales in New Skins by the Irish author Emma Donoghue. In this collection of rewritten fairy tales, Donoghue not only thematically reimagines the popular classical fairy tales penned by Grimms, Beaumont, Perrault and Andersen, she also makes the protagonist/narrator of each story the narratee of the next one, allowing for a dialogue between diverse figures from oral and written tradition across cultures. The narrative strategy and framing technique deployed by Donoghue enables a transtextual space of gathering where previously objectified and focalized female characters of canonical tales engage in dialogue through storytelling. The possibilities offered by this transtextual agency of rewriting will be explored from a narratological perspective, paying particular attention to gender-informed politics of reimagining canonical narratives. As examples of “rewriting as displacement”, according to Doležel’s categorization, the tales in Kissing the Witch create story-worlds that affirm transgression and flow against all forms of stabilizing and restricting mechanisms of normativity. Talking back to the canon and literary convention through first-person narratives of classical fairy tale characters, the collection offers an unsettling example of the liberating potential of storytelling against ossified and ossifying power mechanisms.

Մակդիրը որպես իսպանական հրաշապատում հեքիաթի պատկերավորման համակարգի անքակտելի մաս

The article discusses the epithet as an inseparable part of the artistic-figurative system of Spanish fantasy fairy tales, by means of which certain features of the linguistic thinking of the people are expressed. The analysis categorizes epithets and epithetical phrases into groups, such as epithets describing the place of actions of fairy tale characters, epithets describing characters’ appearances and states of mind, epithets describing natural scenery, etc. In Spanish fantasy fairy tales, epithets are filled with vivid imagery, deep emotionality, and expressiveness, and they hold great cognitive and aesthetic value. The study found that the descriptive fixed epithets are characteristic of the pictorial structure of these tales. They reveal the character of the heroes with their emotional tones and the narrator's subjective assessments of the fairy tale world.

Culture-specific items in the source and target literary texts: Classification of translation strategies

The study deals with the representation of culture-specific items in Jojo Moyes' novels 'Me Before You', and 'After You' and their rendering in Ukrainian translations. The article specifies the role of culture-specific vocabulary as a means that adds necessary socio-cultural details to the setting making the above mentioned novels facts of the English-language (mainly British and American) culture. The research proves that numerous in number are the following groups of culture-specific items: toponyms; types of food, drinks and places to eat; anthroponyms naming famous people, film and fairy tale characters; companies, brands and organisations; mass media. Low in number are items designating education phenomena, persons’ titles and nominations, measurement, dwelling, sports, events, toys, and currency. The research also employs the notions of translation strategy and distinguishes between domesticating and foreignising ones used in order to render culture-specific lexis in a literary translation. Translation techniques of transference (direct borrowing, transcoding, transcoded substitution) and calque are viewed as components of foreignising strategies, whereas generalisation, descriptive periphrasis, cultural equivalent alone or accompanied by a footnote are viewed as implementation of domesticating ones. The study demonstrates that translation techniques representing domesticating and foreignising strategies can be combined in order to preserve their balance in the target text.

Образная основа сказочной формулы в структуре фольклорного текста (на материале русских, словацких и чешских сказок и их переводов)

The article presents a comparative analysis of fairy-tale texts from the perspective of their structural, semantic, pragmatic, as well as linguistic and cultural features. Verbal and semiotic code of fairy tales has been reconstructed on the basis of their bidirectional translation (translation of Folk Russian Tales by A. Afanasiev into Slovak and Czech and, vice versa, Slovak and Czech fairy tales translation into Russian). The article considers fairy formulas, namely, initial, middle and final ones proceeding from the archetypal structure, value and semantic dominants, as well as concepts of folklore texts (transformations and variants of plots and allomotives, typology of images and names of fairy-tale characters through the lens of V. Propp, S. Neklyudov, E. Novik and others’ views). The units under scrutiny are described both in terms of their equivalence, figurative structure, and possible translation transformations, as well as ways of transferring culture-specific elements and pragmes into foreign cultural folklore and semiotic space. The approach applied in the article presupposes cultural and semantic reconstruction of the predominant conceptual spheres actualized in fairy tales, particularly the ones of giving, the Way, 'us' and 'them', happy end and marriage (Russian motif of wedding feast), oppositions of the living and the dead, functions of fairy-tale loci, such as emptiness, chaos and cosmogonic representations associated with them. Moreover, the research analyzes modal, temporal, and syntactic characteristics of fairy-tale formulas, lexical and semantic substitutions, as well as compensations and equivalents in the target text.

A planar graph as a topological model of a traditional fairy tale

Abstract The primary objective of this study was to propose a functional discrete mathematical model for analyzing folklore fairy tales. Within this model, characters are denoted as vertices, and explicit instances of communication – both verbal and non-verbal – within the text are depicted as edges. Upon examining a corpus of Eastern Slavic fairy tales in comparison to Chukchi fairy tales, unforeseen outcomes emerged. Notably, the constructed models seem to evade establishing certain connections between characters. Consequently, instances where the interactions among fairy tale characters would result in a non-planar graph structure are notably absent. To put it differently, the models refrain from incorporating sub-graphs delineated by the Kuratowski theorem governing planar graphs, specifically the minimal non-planar graphs Κ5 and Κ3,3. Remarkably, even in more extensive texts featuring a larger cast of characters, connections that would yield a non-planar graph pattern are consistently avoided. This leads to the formulation of a hypothesis positing that traditional folk tales adhere to a “planar narrative” design – an identifiable narrative variant characterized by inherent limitations in complexity. This design, in turn, appears deeply entrenched within the societal framework of the cultures that produced these folk narratives.

ARCHETYPAL IMAGES OF A LITERARY FAIRY TALE

The paper is devoted to the study of archetypal images in the genre of literary fairy tales. Any au-thor’s work has a certain set of archetypal images that have their own special national meaning. Each image has its own specific functions that embody artistic, emotional, psychological, social and philo-sophical tasks. These tasks form the author’s final vision when choosing a particular image. One of such bright and frequent images in Kazakh folklore studies is the image of a young neophyte, a boy or a girl. A boy often personified in the image of a bald – Tazsha, which has been successfully transformed into the genre of a literary fairy tale. In the same way, the images of animals, which are the first characters in fairy tales as a whole, and the analogue of their visions have often been and still are indicative. An example of the analysis was the works of Guldana Mukhtarbekkyzy Tazsha bala: kundi kaitaru (Boy Tazsha: the return of the sun), Zaure Torekhanova Amina Turan in the country of nomads and Alibek Baibol Orman-dagy zhiyn (Meeting in the forest). To reveal the author’s intention and function of images, the method of post-Freudian analysis, the method of cognitive literary criticism, as well as the statistical method used to identify the frequency of images are used.

Autistic spectrum disorder and fairy tales: A case study

Introduction: Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder identified by atypical behavioral manifestations, which may present a restricted repertoire of interests and activities and poor communication and social interaction. Its etiology remains unknown and is present in more than 500,000 people throughout Brazil. In this article, there is a brief literature review for the basis of the autistic spectrum disorder and its finding in the patient regarding her wonder about the fairytale princess. Case Report: JAD, 17 years old, is a student without comorbidities. She had been diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Cognitive Deficit, and Epilepsy. At 14 months, she started convulsive crises that were difficult to control, about four episodes daily. About ten months ago, an obsession with a specific fairy tale character (Snow White) began. She put herself in the character’s place and suffered from “supposedly” not receiving visits from the entire group that made up the fairy tale. She had severe cognitive delay and disjointed reasoning. She was spoken very little, did not make long sentences. It presented alterations in neuroimaging. Conclusion: After understanding the definition of the disorder, which involves a change in neurodevelopment, whether in the brain anatomy or due to a deficiency in the neuronal circuit, it is noted that even though the diagnosis is clinical, in some cases—including the reported case—the diagnosis imaging can also help to understand possible behavioral changes due to an anatomical abnormality.

NUMERICAL QUANTIFICATION IN THE FOLKLORE LANGUAGE: THE EXPERIENCE OF COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

The article is devoted to the comparative description of numerical quantification in the folklore languagewithin the framework of linguocentric, textocentric, anthropocentric approaches. Folklore numerals – the numbersof the first ten, since they make up the initial series of natural numbers, are compared on the material of Kazakh andRussian magic, folk tales. The article analyzes the numbers of various contexts with the use of the numerals one,two, three, which express various quantifications and sacred meanings that go back to the foundations of the universeand the mythopoetic tradition. Differences in the expression of quantitative meanings indicate the uniqueness of thefolklore picture of the world, an integral part of which are numbers that act as a quantitative parameter in determiningthe qualitative structure of the world. Special attention is paid to the expression of space-time values in which eventsunfold and the actions of fairy-tale characters take place. The authors come to the conclusion that folklore numeralsrepresent a single microsystem, which is subordinated to a common poetic system and consists of single numerals,counting, associative series. Numbers in oral folk art are mainly either a proper definition, including an epithet, oran integral component of complex definitional constructions. Quantification as a quantitative characteristic of realitydetermines the uniqueness and multiplicity of calculable objects.

The Story of the Three Main Characters in Magical Fairy Tales about Humans in Animal Forms

The Story of the Three Main Characters in Magical Fairy Tales about Humans in Animal Forms

Rabbit, Rabbit: Analysing the Hare/Rabbit Characters in Ukrainian and English Fairy Tales

Artistic images of animal characters in beast stories studied through the prism of national mentality reveal specific animal-human concepts rooted in the readers’ mindsets. This essay focuses on the hare/rabbit as a popular character in animal tales, with an attempt to enhance intercultural relations in the Ukrainian/English world by explaining the peculiarities of the surrounding reality present in beast stories. The paper discloses similar and distinctive characteristics of animal stories on two levels, that is, by contrasting the author’s literary tale with the folk-tale, and by studying the collective image of hare in Ukrainian folk-tales against the background of Peter Rabbit from Beatrix Potter’s stories. The research does not dwell on the zoological peculiarities of the chosen animals or the Aesop fables, but highlights the psychological characteristics of the animals under study in the context of their “national identities”. The work results in disclosing a deep connection between games and animal tales; since both the storyteller’s and the audience’s mental work is based on the game-like perception of the virtual world of the story. The literary images of the hare/rabbit in Ukrainian and British tales differ radically. Ukrainian animals are presented as meek and subdued creatures relying on outside help and rarely (ranking sixth amongst animal protagonists) becoming the leading characters. In contrast, British bunnies are energetic and boisterous, trying their best to overcome any difficulties. The authors explain this fact by references to differences in the historical development of the two cultures under analysis.

‘Telling tales’: Communicating UK energy research through fairy tale characters

Storytelling is gaining traction in the field of energy and social science research. It supports collective agenda setting, embraces complexity, and represents one way to tackle the ‘wicked problems’ of climate change. It is particularly important given the commonly opaque nature of social science outputs, and the urgency in which responses to climate change are now required. Responding to these challenges and recognising the value of storytelling, we present three ‘telling tales’ in this paper. Each takes inspiration from a well-known fairy tale character (i.e., mermaids, vampires, and witches) to translate energy and social science research in the empirical contexts of electricity generation, sustainable travel, and plastic pollution in the UK. We draw on these fairy tale characters as a part of arguing that UK policy reflects a fixation with renewables, excessive caution concerning car ownership and use, and a reductive approach to plastics. In response, we consider some alternative approaches, each aimed at delivering transformational adaptation, premised on demand reduction. We aim, more broadly, to inspire others to tell their own convincing tales to communicate research findings beyond academic circles and to help bring about change.

Fairy Tales, Roles and Script

The article analyzes the possibilities of using fairy tales, myths, legends in working with the life script. The possibilities of such work are presented on the example of using methodology Life scripts in fairy-tale roles, developed by the author. It is a method of working with clients. The fairy tale as a tool of psychological work gives us the opportunity to explore elements of clients life script in a gentle way and reduce clients resistance. This method allows us to structure our work with life scripts through acquaintance with a fairy-tale character and reveals the key script elements for both the psychologist and the client.

Consumers' body image expressions: Reflection of a Snow White or an Evil Queen.

The aim of this paper is to explore how minimal-self impacts the body image, projecting it as a reflection of one's approach toward their health and mental well-being. The study takes qualitative data from two countries India and Germany and draws on a qualitative study of 20 individuals who are involved in some kind of physical activity for a long time. This paper examines the body image perspectives from Grimms Brothers fairytale characters showcasing fit and healthy perspectives on Snow White side and projected and superfluous perspectives on Evil Queen side. The study also provides a model deciphering the rationale for both the reflections. The body image projection from Snow White perspectives (success & dedication, self-esteem, bodybuilding, and cosmetic surgery) relates to positive reflection of oneself with focus on fitness, discipline, and mental rejuvenation in life. Notably, Evil Queen perspectives (unrealistic makeover, dark side of social media, gain an edge over others, and mental benchmarking with fair skin) reveal these facets as motivators to equip their body as means of physical non-verbal communication assets. Analysis shows that there is no clear white or black view of health and fitness projection via body image but it's a gray line that gives wholesome fitness either a holistic mental peace or a competitive or success-oriented approach.