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Russian Legend of Creation by W.R.S. Ralston 1914
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There is a class of popular tales, that devoted to subjects in some way connected with religion, and it is to this that we now propose to call the reader's attention. The skazka, or tale, and the piesna, or song, date from prehistoric and heathenish times, but the legenda, or serious legend, and the stikh, or religious poem, have, in most cases, been composed since the introduction of Christianity into Russia. Sometimes, however, the influence of the older form of belief is clearly perceptible in them, their incongruous nature showing that they were moulded or modified during that period in which the Russians were styled by their old annalist a “two-faithed” people. In accordance with the teaching of the Church, the pagan skazka sometimes passed into the Christian legenda, and the piesna into the stikh; but the utterances of these proselytes were not always either as orthodox or as edifying as might have been desired. For a specimen of the confused ideas they inculcated with respect to sacred history, we may refer to the legend of Just Noah.
Originally, it says, the garden of Eden was placed under the care of a blind man and a man without hands. But the Devil came and induced them to rob the apple-tree which was there, telling the handless man to shake it, and the blind man to feel about for the fallen fruit. Then the Lord came and turned them both out of Paradise, and afterwards created Just Noah, “that there might be justice in the world.” And the Dog was set to watch over Noah, and to prevent anyone from seeing him. But the Devil came and insisted on looking at Noah, saying to the Dog, which had been created without hair, “I will give you a warm coat; the winters will come, the frost will set in, but you will not then want a house to live in.” So the Dog received its coat, and let the Devil look at Noah. Then the Devil spat over Noah, who became “blue, and green, and miserable—a sight to look at.” On that account the Dog was cursed, and forbidden ever to enter a church—a prohibition which holds good to the present day. The legend goes on to relate how Eve was created from one of Noah's ribs, and how she induced him to taste forbidden fruit, and how he and she were in consequence driven out of Paradise; how, afterwards, the Lord told Noah that in three years a great flood would take place, and commanded him to make an ark. Noah obeyed, and worked hard for two years and a half, at the end of which time the ark was finished. The Devil was completely puzzled, but at last he went to Eve, who was also very curious to know what her husband was doing, and told her how to act. So when Noah came back from his work, and asked for something to drink, she gave him strong kwass (traditional Slavic fermented beverage commonly made from rye bread), and he became garrulous, and told her what he was engaged upon. The next morning, when he went to look at his work, he found that the Devil had knocked it to pieces. So he had to begin all over again. When it was finished the flood came, and the Devil was very anxious to get into the ark. This he knew he could not do unless Noah should happen to swear. So he again enlisted Eve's services, and induced her to be so late in embarking, that Noah lost his temper, and swore. Immediately the Devil jumped on board, in the form of a Mouse. Getting into a dark corner he gnawed and gnawed until he had made a hole in the timbers. The ark must have foundered, had it not been for the hedgehog, which stuffed up the leak with its head—on which account it is honored by the people in Russia to this day—and ultimately the whole party, the Devil included, came safely to dry land.
For a list of all of my books on disks and ebooks (PDF and Amazon) click here
There is a class of popular tales, that devoted to subjects in some way connected with religion, and it is to this that we now propose to call the reader's attention. The skazka, or tale, and the piesna, or song, date from prehistoric and heathenish times, but the legenda, or serious legend, and the stikh, or religious poem, have, in most cases, been composed since the introduction of Christianity into Russia. Sometimes, however, the influence of the older form of belief is clearly perceptible in them, their incongruous nature showing that they were moulded or modified during that period in which the Russians were styled by their old annalist a “two-faithed” people. In accordance with the teaching of the Church, the pagan skazka sometimes passed into the Christian legenda, and the piesna into the stikh; but the utterances of these proselytes were not always either as orthodox or as edifying as might have been desired. For a specimen of the confused ideas they inculcated with respect to sacred history, we may refer to the legend of Just Noah.
Originally, it says, the garden of Eden was placed under the care of a blind man and a man without hands. But the Devil came and induced them to rob the apple-tree which was there, telling the handless man to shake it, and the blind man to feel about for the fallen fruit. Then the Lord came and turned them both out of Paradise, and afterwards created Just Noah, “that there might be justice in the world.” And the Dog was set to watch over Noah, and to prevent anyone from seeing him. But the Devil came and insisted on looking at Noah, saying to the Dog, which had been created without hair, “I will give you a warm coat; the winters will come, the frost will set in, but you will not then want a house to live in.” So the Dog received its coat, and let the Devil look at Noah. Then the Devil spat over Noah, who became “blue, and green, and miserable—a sight to look at.” On that account the Dog was cursed, and forbidden ever to enter a church—a prohibition which holds good to the present day. The legend goes on to relate how Eve was created from one of Noah's ribs, and how she induced him to taste forbidden fruit, and how he and she were in consequence driven out of Paradise; how, afterwards, the Lord told Noah that in three years a great flood would take place, and commanded him to make an ark. Noah obeyed, and worked hard for two years and a half, at the end of which time the ark was finished. The Devil was completely puzzled, but at last he went to Eve, who was also very curious to know what her husband was doing, and told her how to act. So when Noah came back from his work, and asked for something to drink, she gave him strong kwass (traditional Slavic fermented beverage commonly made from rye bread), and he became garrulous, and told her what he was engaged upon. The next morning, when he went to look at his work, he found that the Devil had knocked it to pieces. So he had to begin all over again. When it was finished the flood came, and the Devil was very anxious to get into the ark. This he knew he could not do unless Noah should happen to swear. So he again enlisted Eve's services, and induced her to be so late in embarking, that Noah lost his temper, and swore. Immediately the Devil jumped on board, in the form of a Mouse. Getting into a dark corner he gnawed and gnawed until he had made a hole in the timbers. The ark must have foundered, had it not been for the hedgehog, which stuffed up the leak with its head—on which account it is honored by the people in Russia to this day—and ultimately the whole party, the Devil included, came safely to dry land.
For a list of all of my books on disks and ebooks (PDF and Amazon) click here
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