Northern fairy tales: detailed analysis of features

Northern fairy tales are an international historical treasure. They reflect the development of the culture of ancient civilizations. Fairy tales of northern peoples have many distinctive features. Despite the fact that it is almost impossible to accurately name the date of their appearance, they continue to have a serious impact on modern culture.

General information

Northern fairy tales, in what form they existed for a thousand years, began to appear somewhere in the 5th century AD. Folk folklore is closely intertwined with ancient mythology and religion. Before the advent of Christianity in the north reigned pagans. Faith was so strong that even after the proclamation of Christianity, two religions existed in parallel. After the emergence of confrontations, pagans actually went underground, but continued to perform rituals and ordinances. Therefore in many fairy tales there are creatures and people who played a role in northern mythology. The moral of fairy tales often indicated the severity of life and the importance of choice. Very strong were the epic notes. In folklore, a lot of space is given to battles and heroes who fell in battle.

The complexity of research and the structuring of fairy tales of the north lies in their antiquity. They were invented long before the distribution of the written language. Before the adoption of Christianity, people also believed in various myths. Therefore, it is difficult to distinguish one from another.

The structure of the world

Northern fairy tales almost always describe events, starting from the pagan worldview. All heroes, locations, objects take their place in the complex hierarchy of northern folklore. Above all are as-gods. They created the world and breathed life into it. They live in Asgard - the heavenly kingdom. Only godly people go there. In Asgard there is a castle Valhalla, where the souls of fallen soldiers are sent. In fairy tales, various soldiers are often mentioned, who go to certain death for the sake of a higher goal. And they fight only with mythical creatures and never with other people. From this it follows that one of the promises of northern fairy tales is an explanation of the senselessness of worldly vanity and problems. That people a priori are not enemies to each other and that in the world after death there is no difference, for whom you fought or which flag held.

Gods

One of the famous fairy tales describes the battle of several gods with dark forces. Initially, various monsters like dwarfs and giants are sent by ship to seize new lands. After fierce battles, one of the gods - Loki - turns out to be devoted to his own son. He turned into a wolf and chained him to the rock. Above his father hung a snake, which emits poison on the god. To prevent this from happening, the girl Sigyun vowed to keep the cup over Loki forever. Many early northern tales that were designed for children do not have the traditional features of children's folklore. For example, the fetters of Loki are made from the guts of his first son. After several centuries, such terrible details begin to drop (guts are replaced by chains and the like).

Mythical people

An important component is played by various mythical peoples and creatures. For example, elves and gnomes. They care about nature and help people. A significant part of the fairy tales impels us to love the world around us. For example, a small boy trampled on a young tree planted by elves. For this they came to him at night. In ancient versions, they took him to hell or broke his hands. In today's interpretations, punishment is milder. Among the dwarves there are also evil ones who constantly struggle with other beings. In fairy tales, the main characters of which are children, trolls often appear. These creatures are described by huge, stupid, cannibals. After a collision with them, the children try to avoid a monstrous fate. Wit and resourcefulness helps them in this. To deceive stupid trolls, children use various tricks. The most famous fairy tale of this kind is the bridge. A group of children (among whom there is necessarily a girl and several guys), crossing the river, came across a troll who was going to eat them. Using deceit, they deceived the giant and passed him.

Influence on modern culture

Fairy tales of the northern region had a huge impact not only on the modern folklore of these peoples, but also on the world culture in general. Many beings and personalities became widely used in fantasy works of writers of the 20th century. One of the most striking examples is the trilogy "The Lord of the Rings", written by Tolkien. It describes such creatures as orcs, trolls, elves. All of them have a great similarity with the same characters in the ancient tales of the peoples of the north. Influence was rendered on many branches of modern creativity. Through the writers, images penetrated into the cinema that arose in the 20th century.

Distinctive features of northern fairy tales

Tales of the Nords have many features that distinguish them among the folklore of other peoples. One of the main differences is the secondary role of magic. Mythical creatures have almost no special abilities. In the plot of fairy tales the main role is played by moral and strong-willed qualities, while the various supernatural abilities are just their reflection. Also northern fairy tales have a number of cruel moments. Actors often die, and death is described in some detail, up to the demonstration of circumstances (tearing to pieces, burning alive, and so on). The main characters often have great physical strength, but to achieve a positive outcome help mainly cunning and ingenuity. Northern folk tales will please the representatives of the Slavic nationalities.