Hello one and all!
The Snow Maiden (or Snegurochka) is one of the most popular Russian folktales. In Russia it had been adapted into a play in 1873, a ballet adaptation in 1878, an animated film in 1952 and then a live-action movie in 1969. It taps into emotions that are universal, and because of that a wide variety of people can feel for its characters.
The Snow Maiden
Once upon a time there lived a peasant named Ivan with his wife Masha, in a distant Russian village. Each day they sat by the door of their little wooden hut, and looked out at the children frolicking about, whom they always viewed with a pang of sadness because they were unable to conceive.
One specific winter day they sat in their usual spot, looking on as the kids spilled out of their houses and began to form snowmen all around their house.
A thought occurred to Ivan. He said to Masha, "Why don't we go out and build a snowman?"
"Yes, it could be fun," she said. "Maybe we should rather build a child out of the snow, though."
The old couple laughed at how silly their plan was, but nonetheless, they still started to build the small figure out of snow.
One passerby stopped when he noticed Ivan and Masha in the snow. "What are you two up to in this cold?"
"This is our snow-child!" Masha proclaimed.
The passerby could only chuckle, and went on his way.
The couple constructed the features of the child with care - two holes served as eyes, a small line was intended to be the mouth and even a dainty chin was carved.
"Oh, so beautiful," said Ivan while he inspected his work.
The old man's warm breath blew over the snow sculpture; the cheeks that had been ivory became rosy, and where there were only dark pits before, aquamarine eyes sprang forth that sparkled like gems.
Ivan jumped back and crossed himself several times as he saw what happened.
"Oh look," Masha said as she trembled, "we've received a real child!"
The old woman rushed forward and embraced the small infant, all the while tears flowed down her cheeks.
The old couple were overjoyed that they, at last, they had a child, and called her Snegurochka . The child seemed to grow each day, and girls from across the village came to play with their daughter, which filled their hut with laughter and life. Through the course of that winter she grew to be as tall as a thirteen year old girl; her skin as pale as snow, her hair was the colour of straw and her eyes were like two sapphires.
When Spring came Snegurochka, who had always been full of cheer, grew despondent.
"What is the matter, my child?" Masha asked the maiden.
The girl stared into the middle distance and said, "Nothing. I mustn't complain."
While the snow melted and the world around them was draped in an emerald coat, the pale girl became quieter than ever before. She would only sit in the shade and hang her feet in cool springs while she daydreamed.
The season for the summer feast came around once again and a great number of young girls gathered at Snegurochka's house, to beg her to join them outside.
Masha relented and said to her daughter, "Fine, fine! Go and have fun, my sweet child, but be careful."
The girls played in the forest, made garlands of flowers and danced with Snegurochka.
After sunset they lit a mighty fire and said to Snegurochka, "Follow us as we jump over the bonfire."
One by one they flew and landed on the other side of the blaze, but behind them they heard a cry filled with anguish, When they twirled around they could not find a sign of Snegurochka, and the group of girls split into parties and scoured the forest but alas, the pale girl was nowhere to be found.
"She may have returned home after she found our games too boring," one of the girls said.
The youths returned to Snegurochka's house, but no, she wasn't there either.
Weeks turned into months, months into years, and still no sign of the girl could be found. On still nights Masha could be heard wandering in the forest, crying out, "My Snegurochka! Where are you my child?!"
The disappearance of the girl remained a mystery though and soon people were forced to move on with their lives. The truth was though, when the maiden had jumped over the fire the intense heat melted her away, and in an instant she became a white cloud, which looked over her former parents until their dying day.
Thank you for reading!
The Snow Maiden (or Snegurochka) is one of the most popular Russian folktales. In Russia it had been adapted into a play in 1873, a ballet adaptation in 1878, an animated film in 1952 and then a live-action movie in 1969. It taps into emotions that are universal, and because of that a wide variety of people can feel for its characters.
The Snow Maiden
Once upon a time there lived a peasant named Ivan with his wife Masha, in a distant Russian village. Each day they sat by the door of their little wooden hut, and looked out at the children frolicking about, whom they always viewed with a pang of sadness because they were unable to conceive.
One specific winter day they sat in their usual spot, looking on as the kids spilled out of their houses and began to form snowmen all around their house.
A thought occurred to Ivan. He said to Masha, "Why don't we go out and build a snowman?"
"Yes, it could be fun," she said. "Maybe we should rather build a child out of the snow, though."
The old couple laughed at how silly their plan was, but nonetheless, they still started to build the small figure out of snow.
One passerby stopped when he noticed Ivan and Masha in the snow. "What are you two up to in this cold?"
"This is our snow-child!" Masha proclaimed.
The passerby could only chuckle, and went on his way.
The couple constructed the features of the child with care - two holes served as eyes, a small line was intended to be the mouth and even a dainty chin was carved.
"Oh, so beautiful," said Ivan while he inspected his work.
The old man's warm breath blew over the snow sculpture; the cheeks that had been ivory became rosy, and where there were only dark pits before, aquamarine eyes sprang forth that sparkled like gems.
Ivan jumped back and crossed himself several times as he saw what happened.
"Oh look," Masha said as she trembled, "we've received a real child!"
The old woman rushed forward and embraced the small infant, all the while tears flowed down her cheeks.
 |
| Snow Maiden (1899) by Victor Vasnetsov. |
The old couple were overjoyed that they, at last, they had a child, and called her Snegurochka . The child seemed to grow each day, and girls from across the village came to play with their daughter, which filled their hut with laughter and life. Through the course of that winter she grew to be as tall as a thirteen year old girl; her skin as pale as snow, her hair was the colour of straw and her eyes were like two sapphires.
When Spring came Snegurochka, who had always been full of cheer, grew despondent.
"What is the matter, my child?" Masha asked the maiden.
The girl stared into the middle distance and said, "Nothing. I mustn't complain."
While the snow melted and the world around them was draped in an emerald coat, the pale girl became quieter than ever before. She would only sit in the shade and hang her feet in cool springs while she daydreamed.
 |
| Still from the 1952 film "The Snow Maiden". |
The season for the summer feast came around once again and a great number of young girls gathered at Snegurochka's house, to beg her to join them outside.
Masha relented and said to her daughter, "Fine, fine! Go and have fun, my sweet child, but be careful."
The girls played in the forest, made garlands of flowers and danced with Snegurochka.
After sunset they lit a mighty fire and said to Snegurochka, "Follow us as we jump over the bonfire."
One by one they flew and landed on the other side of the blaze, but behind them they heard a cry filled with anguish, When they twirled around they could not find a sign of Snegurochka, and the group of girls split into parties and scoured the forest but alas, the pale girl was nowhere to be found.
"She may have returned home after she found our games too boring," one of the girls said.
The youths returned to Snegurochka's house, but no, she wasn't there either.
Weeks turned into months, months into years, and still no sign of the girl could be found. On still nights Masha could be heard wandering in the forest, crying out, "My Snegurochka! Where are you my child?!"
The disappearance of the girl remained a mystery though and soon people were forced to move on with their lives. The truth was though, when the maiden had jumped over the fire the intense heat melted her away, and in an instant she became a white cloud, which looked over her former parents until their dying day.
 |
| Statue of the Snow Maiden in Kostroma, Russia. |
Thank you for reading!
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