Send message to Author

Paper short abstract:

The speech will be an attempt to answer the questions how the narrator of the Polish and East Slavic folk magic tale defines the ambiguous status of its hero, called fool, and what are the textual and non-textual possibilities of interpreting his position.

Paper long abstract:

The speech will be an attempt to answer the questions how the narrator of folk magical fairy tales defines the ambiguous status of their hero, called fool, and what are the textual and non-textual possibilities of interpreting his position. The stories contain numerous examples of him being treated with contempt by his closest relatives and their failure to meet his basic life needs. Apparently, the fool provides reasons for such treatment. He is lazy and lethargic, does not observe hygiene, performs work inappropriate for his age and physical aptitude. In the context of the functioning of a rural family, the hero is thus an unproductive individual, a "parasite", and his marginalization is the result of his failure to meet rural socio-cultural standards. Nevertheless, the hero's constant contact with the stove and the abundance of time he spends there are intriguing. In fact, it does not help to keep the body clean nor lead an active lifestyle. However, the practical functions of the appliance are not important, but its magical-symbolic properties. After all, the attributes of the fool are ash and soot, used in traditional culture as ritual props in situations where participants are led through the phase of ritual death. Considering the dangers, to which the hero is exposed in the decisive stage of the development of the tale's action, his uncertain status can be read as a precondition for his qualitatively different existence. However, do the marriage and coronation give his life an unambiguous dimension? This provokes further research.