Folk Legend

Folk Legend 

(in Russian, skazanie), in folklore, a historical or legendary narrative work.

Folk legends may be traditional accounts or legends. In ancient literatures the term is applied to historical or fictional prose works. In modern literature, folk legends may also be in verse form. To a greater or lesser degree, literary folk legends utilize traditional folkloric imagery and style. Examples are the Sanskrit Ocean of the Streams of Story by Somadeva, the Old Russian Legend of the City of Kitezh, the Alexandria, known among various peoples, and, in modern literature, V. M. Garshin’s “The Tale of the Proud Aggei” and B. V. Shergin’s Grandfather’s Tales.

REFERENCES

Komarovich, V. L. Kitezhskaia legenda: Opyt izucheniia mestnykh legend. Moscow-Leningrad, 1936.
Shambinago, S. Povesti o Mamaevom poboishche. St. Petersburg, 1906.
Speranskii, M. N. “Skazanie ob Indeiskom tsarstve.” Izvestiia po russkomu iazyku i slovesnosti AN SSSR, 1930, vol. 3, book 2.
Prozaicheskie zhanry fol’klora narodov SSSR. Minsk, 1974.
Heilfurth, G., and I. M. Greverus. Bergbau und Bergmann in der deutschsprachigen Sagenüberlieferung Mitteleuropas, vol. 1. Marburg, 1967.

V. P. ANIKIN