[62], In a Latvian tale, translated into Russian as " " ("The Bride of the Snake") and into English as The Sea Snake's Bride, three girls run to the beach to play in the water. [112], Folklorist Terrence Hansen, in his catalogue of Latin American folktales, identified two tale types wherein a girl meets an enchanted fish and is taught magic to summon fish (in one type) or to bring fresh water (in the other). A female naga is called a Nagi, or a Nagini. Egl the Queen of Serpents is one of the best-known Lithuanian fairy tales with many references to the Baltic mythology. A dangerous, seductive, and beautiful woman, examples of the femme fatale abound in Greek myths. The girl is wreathing a flower garland that is swept off by the wind and falls on the sea. Salomja Nris, a Lithuanian poet, wrote a poem called Egl ali karalien (1940), which is based on the motifs of the tale. Volume 3: Russian Wondertales 1 - Tales of Heroes and Villains, https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/neskazochnaya-proza-velizhskogo-rayona-smolenskoy-oblasti-obschee-i-osobennoe-v-lokalnoy-traditsii, : , , , , Typenverzeichnis der bulgarischen Volksmrchen, Children Born from Eggs: African Magic Tales: Texts and Discussions, Types of the Folktale in the Arab World: A Demographically Oriented Tale-Type Index, Some Day Been Dey (RLE Folklore): West African Pidgin Folktales, Review of Loreto Todd, Some Day Been Dey: West African Pidgin Folktales, https://repository.upenn.edu/nelc_papers/109, Litteratura dos negros: contos, cantigas e parbolas, https://doi.org/10.1524/slaw.1998.43.1.94, Oxford India Short Introductions Series: Kashmir, "Egl ali karalien": pasakos topografijos paiekos, EGLS PASAKOS VARIANTAI XIX A. ANTROJE PUSJE, Wdrwki po guberni augustowskiej w celu naukowym odbyte, The Tricolour Sun: Latvian Lyrics in English Versions, an Essay on Latvian Poetry, and Critical Commentaries, Le mari-couleuvre ou Pourquoi le coucou coucoule, "IF YOU KILL A SNAKE THE SUN WILL CRY". Legends have it that she was rejected by her father Shiva and husband Jagatkru, and hated by her stepmother, Chandi, who scooped out one of Manasa's eyes. He then announces a contest to all prospective suitors: to guess the material of his daughter's shoes. After the birth of their first child, the abducted wife sings it a lullaby about her past, which enrages the water goblin. 4, 2011, pp. At first, she is hesitant and afraid, but relents and, after seeing that the snake can change into a handsome man, accepts him wholeheartedly. Stryczyska-Hodyl, Ewa. They live together and have three sons. His eyes were glowing red. In Sumerian and Old-Babylonian literary tradition the snake was a wise creature and an granted miraculous herbs for eternal youth and immortality. 81-82. It is an instinctive fear. In: Astramskait, Daiva (1993). The man explains he was taken by the genie race when he was little, but eventually became their leader, and the girl has nothing to fear. She warns her daughter not to go to the lake but the daughter is drawn to the lake anyway. The girl returns to the beach with an armed man and sings the song of invocation. and takes it out on Alcmene instead of on Zeus - Hera sends two snakes to the cradles: baby heracles strangles both snakes - Heracles is brought up with the best and then learned . Sauka, Leonardas, sudarymas, rengjas [com, cre]. . [111], In a Kazakh variant, " " ("Beautiful Mirzhan and the Ruler of the Underwater Khanate"), Mirzhan, the beautiful only daughter of an old woman, is bathing in the water with some friends. Three weeks later, the snake comes to get his bride in a grand golden carriage. Watch Extra Mythology ad-free on Nebula! 133-142. [48] Altogether, the variants collected outside Lithuania and Latvia, from 11 countries, amount to 106 versions. ("How did the cuckoo appear? . The reunion of mother and daughter is very emotional and they eventually hug despite daughter's promise. [106], In a tale from the Tatar people titled "" ("Zuhra"), an old couple try to have a child, but none of their children survive, until they have a girl they name Zuhra. In this variant, The Water Snake or Ujak, an old woman's daughter went to bathe with other girls in the pond. However, when the time comes, the sky darkens and a retinue of snakes, jinns and peris come to Zuhra's house in their master's name. This formula is learned by others, who draw the serpentine being out of its hideout to kill it. She returns home to her family with dresses and money to give her sisters, and to wait for her husband to fetch her. In Hindu mythology, snakes have been depicted as both powerful and feared creatures, often associated with divinity, and are believed to have a significant impact on humans. Lamia is a devastatingly beautiful monster, part woman and part serpent. In Greek mythology, the Gorgons were snake-women whose gazes would turn people to stone; they had serpents for hair, long claws, sharp teeth and scales covering their bodies. However, a cadre of black snakes begins to slither out of the river to their house. Three years pass, and the girl has been living in a splendid underwater castle, but begins to long for home. Instead of seeing a serpent or a grass snake on the seashore, Egl meets her bridegroom ilvinas, who appears to be a handsome man - the Grass Snake Prince. The girl navely reveals the command to her sister, who goes to the shore of the lake, summons Yaku and kills him. " - " [NON-FAIRY PROZE OF VELIZHSKY REGION IN SMOLENSK DISTRICT - GENERAL AND SPECIAL IN LOCAL TRADITION]. Greek Mythology. [104], In a tale from the Mari people titled " " ("Blind Love"), some sisters go to bathe in the water. lekonyt, Jrat. Zobarskas, Stepas. Melville) . Her sons change into water and she returns to her human family. [114], Scholar Hasan El-Shamy lists 2 variants of the tale type found in Algeria, under the previous name of the type. Many were a mix of animal and human characteristics, but none were more prolific and older than Wadjet. The next morning, Zuhra says her goodbyes to her mother and goes back to the lake. A mother tells her young daughter of a dream she had about clothing her daughter in white robes swirling like foaming water and with pearls of tears hiding deep distress around her neck. 8 Tu Er ShenChinese Mythology. The princess is given to the snake as wife and goes with the animal to its home. [110], The tale is also said to be "very popular" in the Pomeranian region. [55], The tale type is recognized as being "most at home in the Balto-Slavic regions". Egl bears four children (three sons (uolas (Oak), Uosis (Ash) and Beras (Birch)) and one youngest daughter Drebul (Aspen)). Some time later, a "troop" of snakes came to the maiden's house to force her to fulfill her promise. Afraid to utter any word, the Black Snake then assures her it will come back when she is eighteen, and slithers back into the lake. The storm ends with a loud crash that stirs up the mother and her daughter. He also claimed that this narrative was "a common African variation on the Cupid and Psyche theme". All of Medusa's siblings were monsters by birth and, even though she was not, she had the misfortune of being turned . The poem is about a water goblin who is sitting on a poplar by his lake, singing to the moon and sewing clothes for his wedding soon to come. The girl begins to cry and becomes a birch tree, her two elder daughters birch bark and the youngest a trembling leaf. Hopi Indians and dan cing ritual with s nakes, American Indians al . Bellerophon provides a lesson in the proper relationship between a mortal hero and the gods. The princess bears the snake man three daughters and goes to visit her family. The girl and her mother board up the doors and windows and wait for a sudden storm to pass. The earliest records in existence indicate this snake god was closely tied to the rain and water god, Tlaloc, and that his original domain was vegetation. This told that Isis was the daughter of the earth god Geb and the sky goddess Nut and the sister of the deities Osiris, Seth, and Nephthys.Married to Osiris, king of Egypt, Isis was a queen who supported her husband and taught the women of Egypt how to weave, bake, and brew beer. A snake slithers from beneath the well, goes to the king's court, and guesses the right answer. On a warm summer evening all three girls decided to go swimming. The animal makes her promise to marry him in exchange for the dress. When evening falls the mother forbids her daughter to go even when the bells are ringing. Years pass, and the girl is missing life on the land. [75], Tale type 425M is known in Finland as Uuza Vedenkuningas ("Uuza the King of Waters"), according to the Finnish Folktale Catalogue, established by scholar Pirkko-Liisa Rausmaa. Leningrad: , 1979. p. 132. Its main head supported 100 snake heads, which made different animal noises. Magic Tales That End Badly. [78], Professor Jack V. Haney stated that variants of type 425M appear "frequently recorded among the Russians", but "less frequently by Belarusians and Ukrainians". First, his sons are threatened and beaten with the scourge by their uncles, in attempt to make them disclose how to summon their father; however, they remain silent and do not betray him. [60], In Latvia the tale is known as alio nuotaka or Zalka lgava ("The Grass-Snake's Wife"). [123], In the 19th century, Polish writer Aleksander Poujaski published a study on the Augustw region, and suggested that two places, a lake named Jeglwek and a village named Jegliniec (where a Lithuanian fortress was previously located), were connected to the name Egle. [63][64], In another tale, Das Schlo des Meeresknigs or " " ("The Palace of the Sea King"), the son of the Sea King gets curious about the land above the sea and decides to visit it. Le projet du Dictionnaire de motifs et de contes-types tiologiques chez les slaves orientaux. Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mythological queens. [70], In an Estonian tale titled Ussi naine or Ussi naene ("The Snake's Wife"), the maiden bathes with her sisters by the sea, the snake refuses to return her clothes, the heroine gives birth to daughters that become different tree species at the end of the tale. A snake was likewise kept at the shrine of Apollo where it was tended to by a naked virgin. In: . "" ": ". She becomes the mother of twins (a girl and a boy). She is worshipped by many in India, particularly in Bengal . Folktale Type 425-M: A Study in Oicotype and Folk Belief, Les contes du peuple lituanien dans la littrature contemporaine, English translation of the tale (following Salomja Neris' version), A version of the tale from Suwalski, Poland, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Egl_the_Queen_of_Serpents&oldid=1150329812, Eugenijus muida Egl ali karalien: gyvybs ir mirties domenas. From the theodical foundation myth of Pandora, the first human woman to be created by Hephaestus, beautiful women prove disastrous for the men they seduce . [43], Although it can be considered a tale type developed in the Baltic area, since most of the variants have been recorded there,[44][45][b] variants are reported by scholar Leonardas Sauka to have been collected in nearby countries: 23 variants in Estonia (near Lake Peipus);[47] 150 Lithuanian versions; 89 Latvian versions; 28 from Russia; 22 from Belarus; 6 in Ukraine; 3 from Poland; 2 from Bulgaria. She made humans one at a time with clay. A ballet Egl ali karalien by Eduardas Balsys and numerous plays have been staged in various Lithuanian theaters, for the first time in 1960, directed by Juozas Gustaitis. Three years passed and she returned to her mother's house with two little children, a boy and a girl. The other girls flee in fear, while Mirzhan runs to the shore to get her clothes, but a snake sits on them. The Nagas ( Sanskrit: , romanized : Nga) [1] are a divine, or semi-divine, race of half-human, half- serpent beings that reside in the netherworld ( Patala ), and can occasionally take human or part-human form, or are so depicted in art. In: Litwa: staroytne dzieje, ustawy, jzyk, wiara, obyczaje, pieni, przysowia, podania itd, Mitteilungen Der Litauischen Literarischen Gesellschaft, https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/k-rekonstruktsii-praslavyanskoy-mifologii, Egl ali karalien: slibino ir mergels motyvo kilm, "Comparative phylogenetic analyses uncover the ancient roots of Indo-European folktales", The Complete Russian Folktale: Russian Wondertales, Ukeikimai, magikos formuls ir vard problema balt "ali karaliens" variantuose, https://doi-org.wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/10.1515/9783112611289-086, Powiat sokalski pod wzgldem geograficznym, etnograficznym, historycznym i ekonomicznym, Szkice folklorystyczne: Wok legendy i zagadki. Masha marries the snake and returns from the sea to her mother's house with her two children. , no. Numerology is also evident in the tale, such as twelve sons, three daughters, three days, three tricks, three weeks of feast, nine years under the oath of marriage, three tasks given to Egl by her husband to fulfill and nine days of visits. The youngest being named Egle. In: [VARVARA DOBROVOLSKAYA]. In: "It may be called a Baltic version of Aarne [type] 425". She is known by many names including Buto, Uatchit, Uadjet, and Edjo to name a few (McDevitt). Hephaestus (Greek god of metalworking, blacksmithing, craftsmanship): Hammer, anvil, fire, donkey, and volcano. In: This page was last edited on 17 April 2023, at 14:40. The deepest part of the underworld, that is, and Mictlntcutli was in charge. The god of the sea has a handy dispensary of useful medicines, too, especially those which can guarantee a long life. URL: , . muida, Eugenijus. Hecate often carries a torch in her connection with the night. [19], The tale has become the object of scholarly interest of ethnologist Jonas Balys[lt]. Speaking in a human voice, the grass snake repeatedly agrees to go away only after Egl pledges herself to him in exchange for him leaving her clothes. [119][d] Indian scholarship states that the tale exists in the oral repertoire of the region, with multiple renditions appearing in both Persian and Kashmiri in the 18th and 19th centuries. Fand is a Celtic sea goddess also known as Queen of the Fairies and wife of Manannn. As the water engulfs her she is abducted by the water goblin. The third time, he gets his bride and takes her to his underwater kingdom. the dance, live snakes were handled and at the end of the dance the snakes were released into the fields to guarantee good crops. " " . She summons her husband three times, but he does not respond. #1 Late Night. Shocked, upset, hesitant (how can she, a person, marry a grass snake? [3] 170-171. [36], Other interpretations focus on the intergroup marriage aspect of the story: Egle's family (brothers) would then represent male relatives fighting against a male from another family or clan to rescue their only sister, by torturing their nephews and niece (the fruits of this "spurious" union). [35] By using the magical incantation to summon the snake bridegroom, Egle builds a bridge between her world and the aquatic one (or an underground, chthonic realm). The girl obeys and a human prince appears. (2016). [3], gl is a popular female name in Lithuania. Or Cupid the Serpent and the Morning Star?" Jegle goes to the lake to meet Zaltis, who is in human form, and takes her to his underwater palace. . "), a mother finds a louse in her house, fattens it and make a pair of shoes for her daughter. Human suitors test their skills. German scholar Rainer Eckert also described both stories as having a "surprising correspondence". He explains she disenchanted him and he will make her his wife as the "Queen of the Seas" ("du wirst fortan Knigin des Meeres sein"), in his palace in the middle of the sea. Thereafter she turns her sons into strong trees - an oak, an ash and a birch. However, the princess's younger brother mimics her voice and tricks the snake into coming out of the water, only to be beheaded by the princess's brothers. A woman appears from the lake, becomes an old man and enters the court. Its mythological background has been an interest of Lithuanian and foreign researchers of Indo-European mythology. The serpent frequently appears in myths and legends. She guesses correctly and takes the girl as daughter-in-law and wife for her son. Category:Mythological queens Queens regnant and Queens consort depicted in mythology . However, he is rescued by a mysterious man with greenish hair who introduces himself as Zaltis, the King of the Lakes. known as slayer . In: Bleckwenn, Helga (Hg.). Hearing of the incident, the goddess Athena got infuriated and turned Medusa's hair into snakes. [15] As such, some versions avert the tragic ending by following the narrative of other tale types, like ATU 425A and ATU 425C. [67], The tale type is reported from Southern Estonia, "especially in the Setu region". Three years pass, and the snake's human wife has given birth to a boy and a girl. Barag, Lev. [3] [4] [5] Camasb gets stuck in a cave after he tries to steal honey with a few friends, his friends leave him alone in the cave. She is the sister of Vasuki, king of Nagas and wife of sage Jagatkaru. After nine days, Egl arrives at the seashore and calls her husband, but unfortunately only the foams of blood return from the sea. As soon as he emerges from the lake, the brothers jump out of the hiding spot and beat the husband to death. Afterwards, returning to the shore to get dressed, she found a serpent in her clothes. The brothers go to the lake, summon the snake with the song and kill him as soon as he appears. Years into their marriage, the snake takes off the snakeskin to become a man, and they have three daughters. They terrorized anyone who had the misfortune to see them. One of the main characters in this fairy tale is a grass snake (Lithuanian: altys), but because it seems to inhabit the sea-adjacent lagoon (Lithuanian: marios), the word may actually refer either to a mythical aquatic snake or a European eel (Anguilla anguilla). [105], In a tale attributed to the Chuvash people, " " ("About the girl and the snake"), three sisters run to the shore to play and bathe in the water. On the third year, the girl herself visits her family with her children, then returns to the water. Sauka, Leonardas. [24], Researcher Galina Kabakova cites that most variants feature a serpent husband: a snake, a boa, a winged serpent, even a Hydra-like dragon. 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