Tradition and Modernity in the Work of Komi Storytellers (SUS 502 “Copper Forehead”)
The strong connection between the Komi and Russian fairy tale traditions has been noted repeatedly, yet research on this issue is clearly insufficient. In this article the author attempts to define the interaction of fairy tales of these neighboring peoples which belong to different linguistic families but which have closely related cultural traditions. Its specific focus is fairy tale SUS number 502 “Copper Forehead.” It examines five Komi variants of the fairy tale that contain all of the significant elements of this plot type. Examination of the Komi material challenges the idea that the laws governing folktales are stable. With the fading of folkloric traditions, there have been changes in fairy tales’ most stable components, their plot and compositional structure. Komi storytellers have introduced changes that transform Komi fairy tales in the direction of “novelization,” turning them to some extent into oral tales of adventure and fantasy. Traditional stories are reinterpreted primarily due to contamination, including bringing folklore tales closer to those from Russian books. At the same time, these normal changes by no means indicate the complete destruction of Komi folklore’s deep traditional basis. The study also demonstrates that Komi storytellers have had a clear notion of traditional fairy-tale patterns and made wide use of them, which has largely contributed to the preservation of the fairy tale as a genre.