The Warlock

The Warlock

THE WARLOCK.[375]

There was once a Moujik, and he had three married sons.

He lived a long while, and was looked upon by the village as a

Koldun [or wizard]. When he was about to die, he gave orders

that his sons' wives should keep watch over him [after his death]

for three nights, taking one night apiece; that his body should

be placed in the outer chamber,[376] and that his sons' wives

should spin wool to make him a caftan. He ordered, moreover,

that no cross should be placed upon him, and that none should

be worn by his daughters-in-law.

Well, that same night the eldest daughter-in-law took her

seat beside him with some grey wool, and began spinning.

Midnight arrives. Says the father-in-law from his coffin:

"Daughter-in-law, art thou there?"

She was terribly frightened, but answered, "I am." "Art

thou sitting?" "I sit." "Dost thou spin?" "I spin." "Grey

wool?" "Grey." "For a caftan?" "For a caftan."

He made a movement towards her. Then a second time he

asked again--

"Daughter-in-law, art thou there?"

"I am." "Art thou sitting?" "I sit." "Dost thou spin?"

"I spin." "Grey wool?" "Grey." "For a caftan?" "For a

caftan."

She shrank into the corner. He moved again, came a couple

of yards nearer her.

A third time he made a movement. She offered up no

prayer. He strangled her, and then lay down again in his coffin.

His sons removed her body, and next evening, in obedience

to his paternal behest, they sent another of his daughters-in-law

to keep watch. To her just the same thing happened: he

strangled her as he had done the first one.

But the third was sharper than the other two. She declared

she had taken off her cross, but in reality she kept it on. She

took her seat and spun, but said prayers to herself all the while.

Midnight arrives. Says her father-in-law from his coffin--

"Daughter-in-law, art thou there?"

"I am," she replies. "Art thou sitting?" "I sit." "Dost

thou spin?" "I spin." "Grey wool?" "Grey." "For a

caftan?" "For a caftan."

Just the same took place a second time. The third time, just

as he was going to rush at her, she laid the cross upon him. He

fell down and died. She looked into the coffin; there lay ever

so much money. The father-in-law wanted to take it away with

him, or, at all events, that only some one who could outdo him in

cunning should get it.[377]

In one of the least intelligible of the West Highland tales, there is

a scene which somewhat resembles the "lykewake" in this skazka. It is

called "The Girl and the Dead Man," and relates, among other strange

things, how a youngest sister took service in a house where a corpse

lay. "She sat to watch the dead man, and she was sewing; in the middle

of night he rose up, and screwed up a grin. 'If thou dost not lie down

properly, I will give thee the one leathering with a stick.' He lay

down. At the end of a while, he rose on one elbow, and screwed up a

grin; and the third time he rose and screwed up a grin. When he rose

the third time, she struck him a lounder of the stick; the stick stuck

to the dead man, and the hand stuck to the stick, and out they were."

Eventually "she got a peck of gold and a peck of silver, and the

vessel of cordial" and returned home.[378]

The obscurity of the Celtic tale forms a striking contrast to the

lucidity of the Slavonic. The Russian peasant likes a clear statement

of facts; the Highlander seems, like Coleridge's Scotch admirer, to

find a pleasure in seeing "an idea looming out of the mist."

FOOTNOTES:

[296] About which, see Professor Wilson's note on Somadeva's story of

the "Origin of Pátaliputra," "Essays," i. p. 168-9, with Dr. Rost's

reference to L. Deslongchamps, "Essai sur les Fables Indiennes,"

Paris, 1838, p. 35 and Grässe, "Sagenkreise des Mittelalters,"

Leipsig, 1842, p. 191. See also the numerous references given by

Grimm, KM. iii. pp. 168-9.

[297] As well as in all the mythologies. For the magic draught of the

fairy-story appears to be closely connected with the Greek ambrosia,

the Vedic soma or amrita, the Zend haoma.

[298] A water, "Das Wasser des Lebens," in two German stories (Grimm,

Nos. 92 and 97, and iii. p. 178), and in many Greek tales (Hahn, Nos.

32, 37, &c.). An oil or ointment in the Norse tale (Asbjörnsen and

Moe, No. 35, Dasent, No. 3). A balsam in Gaelic tales, in which a

"Vessel of Balsam" often occurs. According to Mr. Campbell ("West

Highland Tales," i. p. 218), "Ballan Iocshlaint, teat, of ichor, of

health, seems to be the meaning of the words." The juice squeezed from

the leaves of a tree in a modern Indian tale ("Old Deccan Days," p.

139).

[299] The mythical bird Garuda, the Indian original of the Roc of the

Arabian Nights, was similarly connected with the Amrita. See the story

of Garuda and the Nágas in Brockhaus's translation of the

"Kathásaritságara," ii. pp. 98-105. On the Vedic falcon which brings

the Soma down to earth, see Kuhn's "Herabkunft des Feuers," pp.

138-142.

[300] In the Russian periodical, "Otechestvennuiya Zapiski," vol. 43

(for 1830) pp. 252-6.

[301] Schiefners's translation, 1852, pp. 80, 81.

[302] In that attributed to Sivadása, tale 2 (Lassen's "Anthologia

Sanscritica," pp. 16-19), and in the "Kathásaritságara," chap. lxxvi.

See Brockhaus's summary in the "Berichte der phil. hist. Classe der

Kön. Sächs. Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften," December 3, 1853, pp.

194-5.

[303] The "Baitál-Pachísí," translated by Ghulam Mohammad Munshi,

Bombay 1868, pp. 23-24.

[304] B. G. Babington's translation of "The Vedàla Cadai," p. 32.

contained in the "Miscellaneous Translations" of the Oriental

Translation Fund, 1831, vol. i. pt. iv pp. 32 and 67.

[305] Afanasief, P.V.S. ii. 551.

[306] Afanasief, viii. p. 205.

[307] Afanasief, vii. No. 5 b.

[308] Afanasief, vii. No. 5 a. For the Zhar-Ptitsa, see infra, p.

[309] Afanasief, vi. p. 249. For a number of interesting legends,

collected from the most distant parts of the world, about grinding

mountains and crashing cliffs, &c., see Tylor's "Primitive Culture,"

pp. 313-16. After quoting three mythic descriptions found among the

Karens, the Algonquins, and the Aztecs, Mr. Tylor remarks, "On the

suggestion of this group of solar conceptions and that of Maui's

death, we may perhaps explain as derived from a broken-down fancy of

solar-myth, that famous episode of Greek legend, where the good ship

Argo passed between the Symplêgades, those two huge cliffs that opened

and closed again with swift and violent collision."

Several of the Modern Greek stories are very like the skazka mentioned

above. In one of these (Hahn, ii. p. 234), a Lamia guards the water of

life (ἀϐάνατο νερὸ) which flows within a rock; in another (ii. p.

280. a mountain opens at midday, and several springs are disclosed,

each of which cries "Draw from me!" but the only one which is

life-giving is that to which a bee flies.

[310] Wenzig, p. 148.

[311] Afanasief, P.V.S. ii. 353.

[312] See above, p. 233.

[313] Silnaya voda or potent water, and bezsilnaya voda, or

impotent water (sila = strength).

[314] Palitsa = a cudgel, etc. In the variant of the story quoted in

the preceding section the prince seized Vikhor by the right little

finger, mizinets. Palets meant a finger. The similarity of the two

words may have led to a confusion of ideas.

[315] Afanasief, vii. pp. 97-103.

[316] Muir's "Sanskrit Texts," v. p. 258 and p. 94. See, also

Mannhardt's "Germ. Mythen," pp. 96-97.

[317] Being as destructive as the poison which was created during the

churning of the Amrita.

[318] Afanasief, v. No. 35.

[319] In the original he is generally designated as _Katòma--dyàd'ka,

dubovaya shàpka_, "Katòma-governor, oaken-hat." Not being able to

preserve the assonance, I have dropped the greater part of his title.

[320] Bogodanny (bog = God; dat', davat' = to give). One of

the Russian equivalents for our hideous "father-in-law" is "god-given

father" (bogodanny otets), and for "mother-in-law," bogodanny mat'

or "God-given mother." (Dahl.)

[321] Four lines are omitted here. See A. de Gubernatis, "Zool.

Mythology," i. 181, where a solar explanation of the whole story will

be found.

[322] These ejaculations belong to the story-teller.

[323] Literally, "Seemed to her as small as a lamb."

[324] Kolòdez, a word connected with kolòda a log, trough, &c.

[325] Afanasief, viii. No. 23 a.

[326] To this episode a striking parallel is offered by that of

Gunther's wedding night in the "Nibelungenlied," in which Brynhild

flings her husband Gunther across the room, kneels on his chest, and

finally binds him hand and foot, and suspends him from a nail till

daybreak. The next night Siegfried takes his place, and wrestles with

the mighty maiden. After a long struggle he flings her on the floor

and forces her to submit. Then he leaves the room and Gunther returns.

A summary of the story will be found in the "Tales of the Teutonic

Lands," by G. W. Cox and E. H. Jones, pp. 94-5.

[327] Khudyakof, i. No. 19. pp. 73-7.

[328] Erlenvein, No. 19, pp. 95-7. For a Little-Russian version see

Kulish, ii. pp. 59-82.

[329] Afanasief, vi. No. 26. From the Kursk Government.

[330] Prashchurui.

[331] The sentence in italics is a good specimen of the priskazka,

or preface.

[332] Gramota = γράμματα whence comes gràmotey, able to read and

write = γραμματικός.

[333] Vanya and Vanyusha are diminutives of Ivan (John), answering to

our Johnny; Vanka is another, more like our Jack.

[334] Literally "with a Solovei-like whistle." The word solovei

generally means a nightingale, but it was also the name of a mythical

hero, a robber whose voice or whistle had the power of killing those

who heard it.

[335] Chmoknuel, smacked.

[336] See Barsof's rich collection of North-Russian funeral poetry,

entitled "Prichitaniya Syevernago Kraya," Moscow, 1872. Also the

"Songs of the Russian People," pp. 334-345.

[337] Miss Frere's "Old Deccan Days," pp. 3, 4.

[338] Grimm, KM. No. 21.

[339] Afanasief, vi. No. 54.

[340] Ona krava shto yoy ye bila mati, Vuk Karajich, p. 158. In the

German translation (p. 188) _Wie dies nun die Kuh sah, die einst seine

Mutter gewesen war_.

[341] Afanasief, ii. p. 254.

[342] Cherez dvyenadtsat' stekol. Steklo means a glass, or a pane

of glass.

[343] Afanasief, ii. p. 269.

[344] Khudyakof, No. 50.

[345] Afanasief, iii. p. 25.

[346] Dasent's "Norse Tales," No. 40. Asbjörnsen and Moe, No. 37.

"Grimsborken."

[347] Dasent, No. 13. Asbjörnsen and Moe, No. 51. "Jomfruen paa

Glasberget."

[348] Campbell's "West-Highland Tales," iii. pp. 265, 266.

[349] Miss Frere's "Old Deccan Days," pp. 31, 73, 95, 135.

[350] "Völsunga Saga," translated by E. Magnússon and W. Morris, pp.

95-6.

[351] Afanasief, vi. No. 32. From the Novgorod Government. A

"chap-book" version of this story will be found in Dietrich's

collection (pp. 152-68 of the English translation); also in

Keightley's "Tales and Popular Fictions."

[352] Nijnie, lower. Thus Nijny Novgorod is the lower (down the

Volga) Novgorod. (Dahl.)

[353] Kukova, a stick or cudgel, one end of which is bent and

rounded like a ball.

[354] Tak de ego ne vzat'.

[355] There are numerous variants of this story among the Skazkas. In

one of these (Afanasief, vii. No. 31) the man on whom the pike has

bestowed supernatural power uses it to turn a Maiden princess into a

mother. This renders the story wholly in accordance with (1) the

Modern Greek tale of "The Half Man," (Hahn, No. 8) in which the magic

formula runs, "according to the first word of God and the second of

the fish shall such and such a thing be done!" (2) The Neapolitan

story of "Pervonto" (Basile's "Pentamerone," No. 3) who obtains his

magic power from three youths whom he screens from the sun as they lie

asleep one hot day, and who turn out to be sons of a fairy. Afanasief

compares the story also with the German tale of "The Little Grey

Mannikin," in the "Zeitschrift für Deutsche Mythologie," &c., i. pp.

38-40. The incident of wishes being fulfilled by a fish occurs in many

stories, as in that of "The Fisherman," in the "Arabian Nights," "The

Fisherman and his Wife," in Grimm (KM., No. 19). A number of stories

about the Pike are referred to by A. de Gubernatis ("Zoolog.

Mythology," ii. 337-9).

[356] Quoted by Afanasief from Siemienski's "Podania," Posen, 1845, p.

[357] "Songs of the Russian People," pp. 387-427.

[358] Afanasief, vii. No. 36 a. This story has no special title in

the original.

[359] The rural police. Sotnick = centurion, from sto = 100.

Desyatnik is a word of the same kind from desyat = 10.

[360] A Ponomar is a kind of sacristan.

[361] "Der Werwolf, Beitrag zur Sagengeschichte," Stuttgart, 1862. For

Russian ideas on the subject see "Songs of the Russian people," pp.

403-9.

[362] "Polnische Volkssagen" (translated by Lewestam), p. 61.

[363] Brockhaus's "Mährchensammlung des Somadeva Bhatta," ii. p. 24.

[364] Afanasief, vii. No. 36 b. This story, also, is without special

title.

[365] In Mr. Hain Friswell's collection of "Ghost Stories," 1858.

[366] Afanasief, vii. No. 36 c. Also without special title.

[367] The Russian skovoroda is a sort of stew-pan, of great size,

without a handle.

[368] From Professor Brockhaus's summary in the "Berichte der phil.

hist. Classe der Königl. Sächs. Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften,"

1861, pp. 215, 16.

[369] For an account of this mythological bird, see the note on next

page. Ornithologically, the Zhar-ptitsa is the Cassowary.

[370] Khudyakof, No. 110. From the Nijegorod Government.

[371] Zhar = glowing heat, as of a furnace; zhar-ptitsa = the

glow-bird. Its name among the Czekhs and Slovaks is Ptak Ohnivák.

The heathens Slavonians are said to have worshipped Ogon or Agon,

Fire, the counterpart of the Vedic Agni. Agon is still the ordinary

Russian word for fire, the equivalent of the Latin ignis.

[372] Afanasief, vii. No. 11. See also the notes in viii. p. 620, etc.

[373] Grimm's KM., No. 57. See the notes in Bd. iii. p. 98.

[374] Afanasief, vii. No. 12.

[375] Khudyakof, No. 104. From the Orel Government.

[376] The kholodnaya izba--the "cold izba," as opposed to the "warm

izba" or living room.

[377] The etymology of the word koldun is still, I believe, a moot

point. The discovery of the money in the warlock's coffin seems an

improbable incident. In the original version of the story the wizard

may, perhaps, have turned into a heap of gold (see above, p. 231, on

"Gold-men").

[378] Campbell, No. 13, vol. i. p. 215.

CHAPTER V.

GHOST STORIES.

The Russian peasants have very confused ideas about the local

habitation of the disembodied spirit, after its former tenement has

been laid in the grave. They seem, from the language of their funeral

songs, sometimes to regard the departed spirit as residing in the

coffin which holds the body from which it has been severed, sometimes

to imagine that it hovers around the building which used to be its

home, or flies abroad on the wings of the winds. In the food and money

and other necessaries of existence still placed in the coffin with the

corpse, may be seen traces of an old belief in a journey which the

soul was forced to undertake after the death of the body; in the

pomniki or feasts in memory of the dead, celebrated at certain short

intervals after a death, and also on its anniversary, may be clearly

recognized the remains of a faith in the continued residence of the

dead in the spot where they had been buried, and in their subjection

to some physical sufferings, their capacity for certain animal

enjoyments. The two beliefs run side by side with each other,

sometimes clashing and producing strange results--all the more strange

when they show signs of an attempt having been made to reconcile them

with Christian ideas.[379]

Of a heavenly or upper-world home of departed spirits, neither the

songs nor the stories of the people, so far as I am aware, make

mention. But that there is a country beyond the sky, inhabited by

supernatural beings of magic power and unbounded wealth, is stated in

a number of tales of the well-known "Jack and the Beanstalk" type. Of

these the following may be taken as a specimen.