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Russian Folk-Tales and the Life They Reflect

From the introduction to Russian Fairy Tales, by William Ralston Shedden Ralston

This reader is taken from the introductory chapter of William Ralston Shedden Ralston's Russian Fairy Tales: A Choice Collection of Muscovite Folk-lore, first published in 1873. Ralston (1828–1889) was a British scholar and folklorist who worked at the British Museum and became one of the foremost English authorities on Russian literature and folklore. In this introduction he argues that folk-tales, once dismissed as mere nursery entertainment, deserve serious scholarly attention as repositories of ancient myth and as windows into the life and character of the people who tell them. His analysis blends literary criticism, anthropology, and comparative mythology. This text reflects its era; a few period terms have been modernised. Ralston's work was pioneering in bringing Russian folklore to an English-speaking audience and remains valuable both for its content and as an example of nineteenth-century folklore scholarship.

Band

Red · Complex language and analysisTypical starting range: ages 15–17

Length

long · about 1069 words in 4 sections · 2 pictures

Source

Russian Fairy Tales: A Choice Collection of Muscovite Folk-lore, William Ralston Shedden Ralston

First published

see the About page in the reader

Regions

Canada · United States

Included formats

• · Web reader and PDF
• · EPUB for e-readers
• · Home-print sheet
• · Folded booklet
• · Binder edition (8.5 × 11)
• · Worksheet
• · Quick Check (10 questions) with answer key
• · Read-aloud script
• · Teacher’s Edition (members)

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