Reading Diary Week 14, continued: Russian Folktales

The Witch Girl really confused me! Was it the daughter that lived in the cottage? I got confused when she was ill and her arm was cut off after the Cossack cut off the witch's arm. Or was death punishing the daughter? 
I thought it was very brave of the Cossack to cut off the arm of Death. I'm curious if the Russians believe you can defeat and avoid death, since that happened in the story? This is something I would like to research. 

The Russian Princess was also a really weird story! The fact that the Princess could take off her head was really strange. I couldn't tell if the story meant her actual head or like a headpiece. From how it sounded, it sounds like it was her whole head. Then, she was so mad at the priest's son for seeing her and telling everyone what he saw- I guess it was supposed to be a secret? 

The Cossack

I think its interesting how in each story, the family is so quick to betray one of their own. In The Russian Princess, the King decided to drive a stake into her heart so that she would die and stop torturing the priests' son. In The Witch Girl, the father rewarded the Cossack for drowning the witch, which evidently was his daughter. I feel like in English and American stories, the families always protect their own. I would like to research family dynamics in Russia to see if these stories are incorporating an accurate portrayal of how families relate to each other. 

The Two Friends made me very sad! SinceI would be the bride, I know I would be very disappointed if my fiancee disappeared into a grave with his old, dead friend and did not make it to my wedding. Why did the friend ask the man to drink with him? Did he not know that a hundred years would pass with each drink? What if I suddenly walked out of my house or something and three hundred years had passed? 

This story reminded me of my storytelling since a supernatural being defies the laws of death and has the power to communicate with those still living. This is basically what happens in my storytelling. The only difference is that the spirits that I write about are often helpful to those still living. Maybe for my last story, I could write about one that makes life more complicated for those living? I had never thought about doing this; it is something to consider.

Note for storytelling: 
Moujik= Russian peasant 
Cossack= member of the Southern part of Russia. They are known for their horsemanship and military skills. 

Bibliography: Russian Fairy Tales: A Choice Collection of Muscovite Folklore by W.R.S. Ralston (1887).