Fiabe e leggende slovene

The aim of this book is to provide at least a brief introduction to the rich heritage afforded by Slovenian folk narrative, a heritage which is little known and hitherto almost inaccessible to Italian readers. The introductory section provides a rapid overview of certain questions – both general and specifically Slovenian - which underlie the study of fairy tales and legends, a vast field which has attracted the attention of countless scholars over the centuries. Here, clarification has been sought of the principal themes and narrative structures to be found in the works under consideration, while at the same time seeking to identify their origins and to place them in a broader, European and universal cultural context. There follows a selection of fifty short folktales, classified into legends and ballads: aetiological tales, stories featuring fantastic creatures, tales of animals and finally fairy tales in the strict sense of the word. Among the archetypal characters to be found are King Matthias, whose benevolent reign ensured a “Golden Age” for his subjects, the enchantingly beautiful Vida – the incarnation of the topos of nostalgia, the men-dogs of Hun legend. There are the fantastic creatures which evoke the picturesque Slovenian countryside: the dwarves to be found in mines, water genies, the vile which recall fairies and also wood nymphs. And yet more: the vampire-like védomtsi, the White Queens, the rojenice – goddesses of destiny and, of course, witches.