The Snow Maiden, or Snegurochka (Russian: Снегурочка), is a character in Russian fairy tales.
In one story, she is the daughter of Spring and Frost, who yearns for the companionship of mortal humans. She grows to like a shepherd named Lel, but her heart is unable to know love. Her mother takes pity and gives her this ability, but as soon as she falls in love, her heart warms up and she melts.
This version of the story was made into a play by Alexandr Ostrovsky, with incidental music by Tchaikovsky.
Other Versions
In 1878 the composer Léon Minkus and the Balletmaster Marius Petipa staged a ballet adaptation of Snegurochka titled The Daughter of the Snows for the Tsar's Imperial Ballet. The tale was also adapted into an opera by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov known as The Snow Maiden. The story itself was adapted into two Soviet films: an animated film in 1952 with some of Rimsky-Korsakov's music, also called The Snow Maiden, and a live-action film in 1969 directed by Pavel Kadochnikov, with music by Vladislav Kladnitsky. Ruth Sanderson retold the story in the picture book The Snow Princess, in which falling in love does not immediately kill the princess, but turns her into a mortal human, who will die.
In a different version, such as the one collected by Louis Leger in Contes Populaires Slaves, an old couple make a girl out of snow, who turns into a living being. She grows up quickly. A group of girls invite her for a walk in the woods, after which they make a small fire and take turns leaping over it; in some variants, this is on St. John's Day, and a St. John's Day tradition. When Snegurochka's turn comes, she starts to jump, but only gets halfway before evaporating into a small cloud. Andrew Lang included this in The Pink Fairy Book.
Nowadays she is known as the granddaughter and helper of Ded Moroz/Did Moroz the 'Russian/Ukrainan Santa'.
Additional information on
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Snow_Maiden
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Ostrovsky
3 comments:
I think that it's kind of sad what happens to the Snow Maiden when she finally is able to know what love is, her heart warming up and melting her away. Was Snegurochka even able to cherish her new feeling, love, with the shepherd she grew to like, Lel? So the Snow Maiden didn't turn human even though she received the feeling of love? Who is Spring and what relationship does he or she have with Frost? This story about the Snow Maiden, Snegurochka, reminds me of a story I've read about a boy who doesn't know what feelings are or what colors are, The Giver by Lois Lowry. The version of the Snow Maiden by Louis Leger reminds me of the song Frosty The Snowman by Walter "Jack" Rollins and Steve Nelson, instead of an old couple making a girl out of snow and then coming to life, it was a group of children who made a snowman and later on found a magical hat which they put on the snowman and later on came to life. Instead of jumping over a fire and melting while jumping over the fire like Snegurochka did in Louis Leger's version, Frosty The Snowman just melted because winter was ending and because the sun was beginning to melt Frosty away. Did the old couple who created the girl out of snow ever found out that she had evaporated into a cloud and if they did, were they sad to find out what had happened to her?
I agree with andres, because the Snowmaiden never knew about love, and when she did she melted. Figureing out what love is for the first time is unbeliveable, and dieing right after is sad. Is this like the spirt of love? Thats a interesting legend but sad tho.
Thanks for your comments.
You are quite right, the story is sad, but it teaches to value the every moment of our life and to be responsible for our deeds and those we have created.
We consider your comparison of the stories rather interesting.
Sincerely,
Larysa Stepanenko.
Post a Comment