Customer Reviews

Russian Myths (Legendary Past)

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If you are looking for a lot of information on Russian myths and/or folk beliefs, this extremely slender and overpriced volume is not the place to turn. (As an alternative, you might try Russian Folk Belief by Linda Ivanits, which, while a bit too scholarly in tone for easy digestion, is still full of valuable bits of information. In particular, I appreciate how she places beliefs and mythology in the context of both time and place, as these folk beliefs change over time.) The mythology in Russian Myths, while fine for what it is, can be found in other places as well--with more stories. However, as I was looking for reference material related to the region's folk beliefs, this was fairly useless to me.

As someone who has been avidly studying Slavic folklore and myth for four years, I found this book disappointing. It may be a good place to start, but there are many books out there which contain much more information. Some of what the book contains, I would consider downright misinformation:

For instance, the author actually denies that the folklore about St.Elijah has any non-Christian influence, even though countless folklorists have submitted evidence of this. Granted, St. Elijah brought fire down from the sky as a miracle in the Old Testament, but in Slavic folklore, St.Elijah is *literally* up in the sky causing each thunderstorm, battling the devil with stone arrows. He is wrathful, and ruins the crops of peasants who don't honor him. In Serbia, he also throws lightning-spitting golden apples, and in Bulgaria shoots arrows at dragons who with-hold rain from the earth. The Russian peasants actually used to call Saint icons "Bogi" (Gods). Yet she claims there is nothing at all extra-Biblical about St.Elijah in Slavic folklore. This author clearly is all about intact mythology, and cannot be bothered to comb through folklore.


Much better books would be Forests of the Vampire (Slavic Myth and Mankind). Bulgarian folk customs by Mercia MacDermott, and Songs of the Russian People for anyone interested in Slavic myth and folklore.

This is a very good book for those who like folklore: everything is in concentrated form, well-illustrated, rather easy to read in comparison with most research books. Logical, clear, very useful in Russian Folklore Course.

Really just as much about Russian Pagan beliefs, Gods, folklore and folk custom as much as any Russian mythological system. Its a short and basic book but is also full of nice illustrations. This seems to me like a very good introductory book for someone studying this books subject matter. I look forward to reading more about the Slavic interpretations of the Indo-European Gods in the future.