фольклоризм

This article is the first attempt to do a complex analysis of A.A. Fet’s libretto “Dnieper Mermaids”. Fet’s text proves to be of folklore origin when comparing and contrasting this text with those by O.M. Somov, V.A. Zhukovsky, A.S. Pushkin, M.Y. Lermontov, N.V. Gogol. The main difference of Fet’s text from his predecessors’ is the elaborate system of demonistic characters (the mermaid family, the dead fiance, water goblin, wood goblin) derived from Slavonic mythological poetic images, wide range of folklore prose material and culture.

In the history of culture and literature, women have always played an important role. Numerous myths, folklore and literary works show the importance of female characters in the content, functional and artistic solution of various problems. In recent decades, attention to the “women’s issue” has certainly increased: representatives of various scientific disciplines are trying to identify the essence of the phenomenon of “true femininity”. In popular literature, a new type of heroine is being formed – a girl undergoing her own set of challenges (quest).