Anti-Fairy Tales in the Works by Vladimir Vysotsky and Robert Rozhdestvensky: Genesis and Artistic Findings

Abstract

The author explores, for the first time, Vladimir Vysotsky’s anti-fairy tales (“The Fairy Tale Song about Evil Spirits”, “There is no more Lukomorye”, “Verses of Evil Spirits”) and Robert Rozhdestvensky (“The Tale of the Blacksmith who Stole a Horse”, “The Monologue of the King of Animals”) in a comparative aspect. These texts have common foundations with folklore genres (myth, bylichka (folkloric account), byvalschina (true story), fairy tale) and literary fairy tale. The purpose of the article is to disclose the artistic features and the genesis of the anti- fairy talesby Vysotsky and Rozhdestvensky. It is revealed that the roots of folklore works go back into the mythological layers of Russian national culture associated with the development of artistic consciousness of people of prehistoric times. The myths that reflected a person’s idea of the world were of a religious nature and did not cause doubt as long as they were believed in. After the belief in animate gods disappeared, myths began to be perceived as fiction and become a bylichka (folkloric account), byvalschina (true story), fairy tale, etc. It is concluded that the anti-fairy tale is based on the attributes of a fairy-tale model, which are used by the authors of works to identify the imperfections of the real world, to ridicule it. One of the means of creating comic effects in the studied anti- fairy tales is hyperbole. In turn, hyperbolization reveals the ideological intent of the works, enhancing their aesthetic and authorial sound. Bearing the traditions of folklore genres (myth, bylichka (folkloric account), byvalschina (true story), fairy tales, etc.) and literary fairy tales, the anti-fairy tales by Vysotsky and Rozhdestvensky help the reader to create a contrast between the fabulous idea of the world and the imperfect world of reality.

Keywords:

anti-fairy tale, myth, bylichka (folkloric account), byvalschina (true story), folk tale, literary fairy tale, fairy-tale model, author’s sound