From myth to tale: a transformation of the supernatural characters in the scandinavian folklore

Authors

  • Nina G. Shpakouskaya Belarusian State University, 4 Niezaliežnasci Avenue, Minsk 220030, Belarus

Keywords:

Scandinavian fairy tales, Scandinavian mythology, Poetic Edda, Scandinavian folklore, giant, troll, dwarf, elf

Abstract

Scandinavian fairy tales are analyzed in this article in order to define a difference between how the supernatural characters (giants, trolls, elves and dwarfs) are described in the Scandinavian fairy tales and the Norse mythology. During the analysis, it is argued that a difference among various supernatural characters vanishes to large extent in fairy tales. It is concluded that a transformation of the mythological creatures into the fairy ones is based primarily on extension of their connotation by adding a metaphorical meaning aimed at expression of social contradictions.

Author Biography

  • Nina G. Shpakouskaya, Belarusian State University, 4 Niezaliežnasci Avenue, Minsk 220030, Belarus

    senior lecturer at the department of Germanic languages, faculty of international relations

References

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Published

2019-02-28

Issue

No. 1 (2018): Journal of the Belarusian State University. Philology

Section

Literary Research

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How to Cite

[1]
Shpakouskaya, N.G. 2019. From myth to tale: a transformation of the supernatural characters in the scandinavian folklore. Journal of the Belarusian State University. Philology. 1 (Feb. 2019), 21–24.