Russian Folk Lyrics

by Roberta Reeder (Editor)

Overview

Propp's essay in Russian Folk Lyrics extends beyond the formalistic analysis of folklore outlined in his classic The Morphology of the Folktale. In this study, newly translated by Roberta Reeder, Propp considers the Russian folk lyric in the social and historical context in which it was produced.

Reeder supplements Propp's theoretical presentation with a comprehensive anthology of examples. Some songs were imitated by or appear in the works of Russia's major writers, such as Pushkin and Nekrasov. Here we find the customs of Russian peasant life expressed through the ritual of song. Whether the songs are about love, labor, or children's games; whether they are sad, humorous, or satiric in tone, Russian folk lyrics are rich in metaphor and symbolic meaning. In addition to the editor's notes to the text and songs, Reeder supplies a bibliography of Propp's sources as well as an extensive selected bibliography.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780253207494
Publisher:	Indiana University Press
Publication date:	02/22/1993
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	190
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

ROBERTA REEDER, Research Fellow at the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute, is editor of the Slavic and East European Newsletter for the American Folklore Society. She has edited a volume of Akhmatova's complete works.

Table of Contents

Preface
Editor's Introduction

The Russian Folk Lyric by V.Ja. Propp
Editor's Notes to The Russian Folk Lyric

Peasant Songs

Ritual Songs of the Agricultural Calendar
Songs of Peasant Slavery
Vocal Songs about Love
Xorovod, Game, and Dance Songs about Love
Wedding Songs
Vocal Songs about Family Life
Xorovod, Game, and Dance Songs about Family Life
Joking and Satirical Vocal Songs: Xorovod,
Game, and Dance Songs
Children's Songs
Barge Hauler Songs
Robber Songs
Soldier Songs
Songs of Prison, Penal Servitude, and Exile

Worker Songs

Propp's Sources of Folk Lyrics
Selected Bibliography
Index