Apples are the fruit of life, fairy tales and legends. Speech development. Bilingualism: Apple in fairy tales What does apple trees mean in fairy tales

The bright, transparent depths of the folk language reflect more than just the nature of the native country,
but also the whole history of the spiritual life of the people.

The image of an apple in literature

• Introduction

Who among us doesn’t like or hasn’t read fairy tales? They are liked not only by children, but also by adults, since in wonderful fairy-tale events you can see a lot from our real life, you can find answers to some important questions, you can simply forget about problems and imagine yourself in an amazing world full of miracles, secrets and magic , and understand that the fairy tale is very close, it is nearby. Fairy-tale heroes (Ivan the Fool, the Golden Fish, Baba Yaga, Tsarevna-Nesmeyana, etc.) are so familiar to us from childhood that they have become common nouns: we say “thin like Koschey the Immortal”, “lazy like Emelya”, “greedy like old woman from A.S. Pushkin’s fairy tale.”

The language of fairy tales is so bright, expressive, and imaginative! Despite its apparent simplicity, understandable even to small children, everything in fairy tales is not accidental, everything has a special meaning and keeps a secret.

I decided to look into this secret and try to reveal it. My research is devoted to a little-studied fairy-tale image - an apple. Bullseye " liquid, young, golden...", rejuvenating apples: "... If a person eats an apple, he will instantly become younger...», « whoever catches the apple will be the groom for the princess», «… roll the apple and follow it, it will lead you where you need to go..." But sometimes this apple is different: “... picked an apple, ate it, and at the same moment horns grew on his head…», «… The princess bit into the apple and died immediately…»

Why is it the apple, and not another fruit, that is most often found in fairy tales? What is behind this symbol? Is this image accidental or not? Maybe he plays some special role in the lives and destinies of the heroes? Where are its roots? Is there a sequel?

I think that my research is interesting not only to me, it has certain significance.

• Since the image of an apple has not been studied enough, this study will help determine its meaning and significance.

• The results of the work can be used by both teachers and students in literature lessons when studying fairy tales and myths.

• In addition, the study can be continued when analyzing modern literary works.

Novelty of the research

Starting point of the study

Myths (5), fairy tales (35), works of classics in which this image is mentioned were analyzed (V. A. Zhukovsky “The Tale of Ivan Tsarevich and the Gray Wolf”, A. S. Pushkin “The Tale of the Dead Princess and the seven heroes”, N. A. Nekrasov “Who Lives Well in Rus'”)

Purpose of the study

Hypothesis

Research stages:

Materials used in the research process:

• Dictionaries

• Journal "Chemistry and Life"

• Texts of myths, fairy tales, works of classics.

• Reproductions of paintings

• Nightingale T. G. Rejuvenating apples from the distant kingdom. // Literature lessons.

II. Main part

• The image of an apple in mythology

I began my research by reading myths.

The apple has long been included in the myths of the peoples of the world, and this suggests that it, like the egg, is connected with the worldview of ancient man. Ancient people, indeed, put a certain meaning into this image. The almost ideal round shape was associated with ideas about the world, the Universe, and space; golden delicate color, “blush” of an apple - with beauty, health and youth; smooth satiny skin that hides the juicy fruit - with mystery and richness; sweetness and aroma - with pleasure and enjoyment.

It is not surprising that many peoples saw the apple as an extraordinary fruit - the fruit of the tree of life. And the tree of life in the myths of almost all peoples is at the same time the world tree, that is, the axis of the world, the Universe... It is here, under the world tree, that human destinies are decided, under it the gods gather for great councils, people come here for advice and knowledge, here they seek immortality and health. And such a tree in myths was most often an apple tree. And even if it is not an apple tree, then the fruits of the tree of the world are always apples.

“...On the edge of the world, near the banks of the Ocean River, the ancient Greeks placed a wonderful garden with golden apples that belonged to the goddess Hera. Golden apples give eternal youth, and therefore Hera entrusted them to the dragon Ladon and the nymph sisters Hesperides to guard them. Hercules managed to steal these wonderful apples - this was his twelfth labor. And although Eurystheus gave the apple to the hero, and Hercules, in turn, to Athena, they again returned to the Hesperides, for these beautiful fruits should always remain in the treasured garden. Eternity and immortality are the lot of the gods.” ( Hercules in the service of Eurystheus. Feat 12 - “Apples of the Hesperides”)

Only the souls of the righteous and heroes ended up in the extraordinary apple orchards of the ancient Greek paradise.

The modest and quiet Scandinavian goddess Idunn is the owner of a magical basket filled with apples of youth. She treats the gods with them and they are full of strength and blooming beauty. The basket is never empty. The apples of youth are the envy of the giants, and one day they stole the basket. But the apples still had to be returned ( Scandinavian myths).

The apple tree and apple in many myths are associated with paradise or the Garden of Eden. The old name of the apple tree “silver bough” comes from the belief that apples grow on silvery branches and have the properties of immortality. In addition, they believe that apples can feed the souls of the dead.

IN Bible The apple becomes a symbol of the fall of mankind, and it is depicted in the hands of Adam or Eve. The apple was a forbidden fruit, but Eve not only picked the apple and tried it herself, but also gave it to Adam. The consequence was expulsion from paradise to Earth and the entire long and difficult journey of humanity. Thus, the apple played a fatal role here.

Let us also recall the apple of discord from ancient myths. The goddess of discord Eris, offended by the gods, stole one of the apples of the Hesperides (giving immortality). And with the inscription “To the most beautiful” she threw it at the wedding feast. Hera, Athena and Aphrodite began to argue, each claiming this apple. A quarrel broke out about who owns the apple. This dispute was resolved by the shepherd, Prince Paris, by awarding the apple to Aphrodite, which subsequently served as the cause of the long, bloody Trojan War, in which many glorious warriors died. ( Trojan cycle. "Pelius and Thetis")

Thus, we can distinguish the following meanings of the image of an apple in myths:

• apple - a symbol of eternal youth and immortality;
• apple - a symbol of discord, the fall, or a symbol that determines the life of a hero;
• apple tree - tree of life, knowledge.

Confirmation of these conclusions can also be found in works of painting. On canvases and frescoes, artists often depicted heavenly apple orchards (V. Titian “Adam and Eve”, P. Rubens “Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden”, etc.), the apple on many canvases is a symbol of the Fall (J. Gossaert “The Fall” ), often an apple next to the infant Christ (F. Bellini “Madonna and Child”, etc.). The study of paintings can become a continuation of the study of the meaning of a given image.

• The image of an apple in fairy tales

The next huge layer of the people's literary heritage is fairy tales. It is in fairy tales that all aspirations and hopes are reflected; it is in fairy tales that one can judge a culture.

Not only Russian folk tales, but also tales of the peoples of the world were subjected to research. And it is quite obvious that the optimistic and bright nature of the apple, laid down by myths (immortality, health, beauty, wealth), was continued in folk tales, where the apple appears primarily as the fruit of life and immortality.

Many nations often repeat the motif of the long-awaited birth of a child thanks to an eaten apple, as for example in Italian fairy tale "The Apple and the Peel". ... The nobleman’s family had no children for a long time. One day he met a wizard on the street.

“- Signor wizard, what should we do? We really want a son.

The wizard handed him an apple and said:

Give this apple to your wife, and in exactly nine months she will give birth to a wonderful boy.”

The prediction came true, but two boys appeared: “one belongs to the noble lady who ate the peeled apple, and the other belongs to the servant who ate the peel. The maid is as ruddy as an apple peel, and the lady is as pale as a peeled apple.”

IN Georgian fairy tale “Ivan the Dawn”"The river brings apples as a gift to a childless family: " As soon as she filled the jug to the top, she saw that the river was carrying three apples. She liked the apples, she reached for them, took them out and took them home. She gave one to her husband, ate the other herself, and shared the third equally with her husband.”. And then three sons were born to her.

Very often in fairy tales, an apple is not only a symbol of the beginning of life, but also of health and youth.

In Russian folk tales there is an interesting plot about rejuvenating apples: “The king was very old and his eyes were poor, but he heard that far away, in the thirtieth kingdom, there is a garden with rejuvenating apples and a well with living water...” (« The Tale of Rejuvenating Apples and Living Water").

We also see rejuvenating apples, which help you look younger and get rid of illness, in other fairy tales. “(Solntsev’s sister) let him go home to visit and gave him a brush, a comb and two rejuvenating apples for the journey: no matter how old a person is, if he eats an apple, he will instantly become younger.”(Russian folk tale "The Witch and the Sun's Sister"). “...As soon as she tasted these apples, she instantly recovered and jumped out of bed.” (German fairy tale "The Vulture Bird"). “The children took the eyeballs, brought them to their mother, put them on the eye sockets, and the mother received her sight.” (Georgian fairy tale “Five Brothers and a Sister”).

The story about the healing properties of apples is very popular in fairy tales.

But in German fairy tale "The White Snake" The golden apple from the tree of life also gives love: “They divided the apple of life and ate it together: and her heart was filled with love for him, they lived in serene happiness until they were very old.”

The ability of an apple to evoke love is also reflected in the folk tradition of decorating brides with apple tree flowers.

We encounter the ancient custom of throwing apples as a symbol and sign of love for each other in fairy tales of many peoples of the world. “The fool galloped and flew up the mountain. He threw the diamond apple into the princess's lap..." (Latvian fairy tale “The Princess on the Glass Mountain”). “The princess came out and threw a golden apple to the knights...” (German fairy tale "Iron Hans"). “The princess brought golden apples in a basket: “Whoever catches it will be the groom!” - she said" (French fairy tale "The Magic Whistle and the Golden Apples").

In some fairy tales, the apple is not thrown, it must be snatched by force from the betrothed.

“Whoever rides to the top of Crystal Mountain three times on horseback and snatches the golden apple from the hands of the king’s daughter three times, the king gives her as his wife...”

In Slavic fairy tales, the plot also changes slightly: the apple is not thrown or pulled out, but is also presented to the betrothed.

“I saw fresh apples in the garden and began to touch the girls: “Girls, beauties, the one of you who brings me an apple will marry me.”

And in a touching Russian fairy tale "Bezruchka" the unfortunate heroine, having tasted the golden apple, became the owner's bride.

An interesting detail is related to the gardens where golden apples grow. In myths, wonderful apple trees grow either at the edge of the earth or in the afterlife and belong to gods or supernatural beings (remember: “...at the edge of the world, along the banks of the Ocean River...”, the garden is guarded by the dragon Ladon and the Hesperides...). In fairy tales, apple trees are close to the human world and their owners are kings, who act as guardians of a magical, sacred tree. The kings themselves sometimes don’t even eat apples. This is a symbol of wealth. “The king valued the apple tree as if it were his own eyes, and he did not pick the apples himself, nor did he give them to others.” (Georgian fairy tale "Pashkunji"). “In that garden there grew a tree on which there were golden apples. When the apples were ripe, they were counted..." (German fairy tale "The Golden Bird").

And since wealth and prosperity are connected with the innermost dreams and aspirations of the people, the description of apples is always vivid and poetic: “And that apple tree was not an ordinary one: in the morning the leaves blossomed, at noon the branches were covered with color, every other day the fruits were full, and they were so sweet, tasty and juicy - you could swallow your tongue.” (Moldavian fairy tale “Leisya, light, ahead, darkness, creep behind”)

That's why apples are often stolen. This motif is also popular in folk tales.

Most often, birds become mysterious apple thieves. “...He (the prince) sees that the Firebird has sat on the apple tree and is pecking at the golden apples.” (Russian fairy tale "Ivan Tsarevich and the Gray Wolf"). Sometimes monsters or snakes become apple thieves, as in Romanian fairy tale “The Hero Pryslya and the Golden Apples.” Sometimes the birds that fly to the apple tree are enchanted princesses. And often, one of them becomes the prince’s bride, leaving him an apple as collateral ( Bulgarian fairy tale “Golden apples and nine peahens”). Sometimes a feather lost from an apple tree by the Firebird opens up a world of amazing adventures, where the hero manages to get all the blessings of life: a horse, wealth, a beauty, etc. ( Russian fairy tale “Ivan Tsarevich and the Gray Wolf”, German fairy tale “The Golden Bird”).

Thus, the apple tree with golden fruits again acts as the tree of fate (the tree of life - in myths), on which well-being, love, the birth of people, life, and perhaps punishment depend.

The image of an apple tree and its fruit as a fortune teller is also interesting in fairy tales. “An apple rolls on a saucer, poured on a silver saucer, and on the saucer all the cities are visible one after another, ships on the seas and shelves in the fields...” (Russian fairy tale “The Tale of the Silver Saucer and the Filled Apple”). This ability of the apple again recalls its connection with both the tree of knowledge and the tree of life.

An apple can lead to the right place: “His wife gave him an apple and said: “Roll this apple and follow him, it will lead you where you need to…” (Georgian fairy tale “Daughter of the Sun”); an apple can feed and cheer, as in

Ukrainian fairy tale “Ivan Tsarevich and the Red Maiden”, can become a magical talisman that revives a treasure ( Bulgarian fairy tale “Death to the Fates”).

But an apple and an apple tree can also bring trouble: grief, illness, death (in myths this is the apple of discord, the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil).

“Ivanushka picked an apple, and at that very moment horns grew on his head...”

Thus, if we try to generalize the meanings that the apple tree and apples carry in fairy tales, we can distinguish two main ones:

• life and youth;
• a dangerous temptation.

We highlighted these meanings in myths.

• The image of an apple in literature

The “apple tree” image is inevitably reflected in literary fairy tales, since its roots are in folklore and mythology. All these are reflections of one thing - worldview.

Remember, in A.S. Pushkin’s "The Tale of the Dead Princess and the Seven Knights":

“And to the princess a liquid,

Young, golden

The apple is flying straight...

Full of ripe juice,

So fresh and so fragrant

So ruddy and golden

It’s like it’s filled with honey!

You can see the seeds right through..."

How juicy and appetizing the insidious apple is described, which one so wants to try, which is what the gullible princess did - and died. Why did our favorite poet choose an apple to carry out the evil plans of his stepmother? Of course, Pushkin knew that the apple is a philosophical image, a symbol of temptation. The apple in his tale is traditionally folkloric, it is the fruit of the tree of knowledge.

The image of an apple is also found in creativity V. A. Zhukovsky (“The Tale of Ivan Tsarevich and the Gray Wolf”).

“...Sitting on an apple tree, the Firebird

I got down to business and picked it up

About a dozen apples..."

Again we have before us the image of an apple and a feather lost from the apple tree by the Firebird, which opens the hero to a world of adventure, helping him obtain the blessings of life: wealth, a beautiful bride. The apple tree here again acts as a tree of fate, on which well-being and love depend.

Russian folk traditions associated with the apple tree and apples are widely reflected in Russian literature ( N. A. Nekrasov. Poem “Who Lives Well in Rus'”):

“It’s been twenty years since Demushka

Turf blanket

Covered - it’s all a pity from the heart!

I pray for him, in the mouth of an apple

I don’t take it to the Savior.”

The author recalls the ritual associated with the apple Savior, which begins in mid-August. It was from the day of the Savior that it was allowed to eat garden apples. There was a belief that whoever eats an apple before the Savior, his dead children will not receive an apple in heaven. On this day, tables with fruits were placed around churches, which, after being blessed by the priest, were donated to the poor. This is where the saying comes from: “On the second day, even a beggar will eat an apple.”

All of the above shows that the popularity of the image of an apple in literature in Russia is not accidental.

Or maybe the popularity of the apple depends on its beneficial properties. It is believed that the apple is a symbol of health and restoration of vitality. We find an explanation for this in the encyclopedic dictionary. “Apple - (botan.) - a juicy, usually multi-seeded, indehiscent plant fruit.” “Apple peel contains up to 30% waxes, and the wax contains ursolic acid. This substance has an active biological effect, stimulates the heart, exhibits antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties."(magazine "Chemistry and Life", 1981, No. 12).

Thus, in most myths and fairy tales, the apple has properties that were valued by people, therefore:

• apple - a symbol of eternal youth and immortality (rejuvenating properties);

• apple - the fruit of the tree of life, the tree of knowledge (influences the fate of heroes, a symbol of the beginning of life, a symbol of prosperity).

But it also happens like this:

• apple - a symbol of temptation, the fall;

• apple - portends danger;

• The apple is the fruit of the tree of fate.

The study confirmed the hypothesis that the frequent occurrence of this image in myths, folk tales and even literary tales is not accidental. This symbol, rooted in the history of the people, is filled with the deepest philosophical and human meaning; it is a reflection of the worldview and culture of the people, their wisdom. It is no coincidence that the image of an apple is preserved in folk traditions and culture today.

« An apple a day - no need for a doctor» ( English proverb).

« The apple bush does not live empty» ( Russian proverb)

« The apple seed knows its time» ( Russian proverb).

A wonderful pouring apple from the distant kingdom, which is hidden not far and wide, but in our memory and soul, continues to give us life-giving juices that awaken imagination, curiosity... Well, that’s why it’s rejuvenating, that’s why it’s the fruit of the tree of knowledge...