Formation of Female Blends in Russian Folktales

Abstract

This article is devoted to the study of blend formation in Russian folktales. It aims at the study of heroines’ origin and the revelation of Slavic traditions that gave rise to folktale plots. The research is built on the conceptual integration theory by G. Fauconnier and M. Turner. Images of folktale heroines are analyzed as blends yielded by separate input spaces; these input spaces in their turn are united by the generic space that is presented by cultural peculiarities and customs. Depending on types of input spaces all folktale blends were divided into three groups: anthropomorphic, zoomorphic and artefactual. The result of the research shows that Russian folktales appeared due to interaction of imagination and everyday experience by means of exaggeration and rethinking. The decodation of the tale context with the help of the blending theory reveals the origin of heroines’ images and helps to understand the mindset of Russian people.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n6s5p11