Folktales and Fairytales in the Popular culture of Czech Republic PDF PDF

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Folktales and Fairytales in the Popular culture of the Czech Republic...

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Folktales and Fairytales in the Popular culture of the Czech Republic

Review of literature In International Business At the Department of Business Administration University of Applied Sciences Amberg-Weiden

Chair: Business Administration, esp. Intercultural competences CZ & SVK

Date of Submission:

June 26, 2020

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Abstract To fully understand the essence of the Czech popular culture it is important to analyze several interrelate factor that influences and make an impact in the behavior or common characteristics of the country. However, in this opportunity, the emphasis of this analysis relies on Folktales and Fairytales. More than a few questions would be answered as, why the tales are relevant? Why are they still so popular thought the people? Which is the main target of the folktales and which values, in them express, are still conserved by the society? In the review of the tales, can be found objects that form part of the common believes and their reaction to different situations in life. The nation’s spirit is reflected in this relates and in the way in which they are told from generations. The selection of the following tales was made from the three of the more important recollections of tales from Czech, which are Czechoslovak Fairy Tales (1919), The Key of Gold: 23 Czech Folk Tales (1917) and The Shoemaker's Apron: A Second Book of Czechoslovak Fairy Tales and Folk Tales (1920). From the Czechoslovak Fairy Tales (1919) the story “The devil with the three golden hairs”, from The Key of Gold: 23 Czech Folk Tales (1917) the tale “The twelve months” and from The Shoemaker's Apron: A Second Book of Czechoslovak Fairy Tales and Folk Tales (1920) the folktale “Clever Manka”. For the analysis was also used the famous movie “Three Wishes for Cinderella” from 1973 made in Czech.

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Czech culture has had since the begin a multicultural influence due to its unique geographic position. Therefore, their national cultural traditions have extended influences from the rest of the European continent. A variation of the Czech tale can be also found in different countries of the territory, sometimes with different names, details, and language, but in content, they share values and ideas that characterize the mentality of the persons of the region. In the book of Parker Fillmore ‘’The Shoemaker's Apron: A Second Book of Czechoslovak Fairy Tales and Folk Tales’’, he mentions some comparison made by Grimm, for example: •

The White Snake (Zlatovlaska)

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A Gullible World (The Shrewd Farmer)

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The Devil's Little Brother-in-Law (Bearskin)

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The Shoemaker's Apron (Brother Jolly)

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The farmer’s Shrewd Daughter (Clever Manka)

Through the analysis of stories, specific values are always mention, morality as a principal element of every Czech tales. In Clever Manka a tale from ‘’The Shoemaker's Apron: A Second Book of Czechoslovak Fairy Tales and Folk Tales’’. Manka is the wife of the burgomaster of the town, she is a very strong and clever woman. However, she always follows the rules imply to her until she considered that it is inappropriate. Manka follows her heart in every decision she made. As a reflection, morality is a strong element in this tale. A perfect example that women can be clever and make a smart move, pursuing what they consider right. This role of women, as a strong figure in the family, is commonly found in Czech Fairy Tales. Even though, the circumstances in which the county was at the moment were not ideal for this hard posture. It must be considered that Czech was by the moment followed by a communistera that disapproves that women do males activities and be strong on their own. So, fairytales were also a kind of protesting and consequently hold in Czech hearts and way of living.

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Czech folktales were a strong reminder to girls and women that they can be strong, clever, and still be women. Another beautiful example of this posture is shown in the famous movie based on a fairy tale, “three hazelnuts/ gifts for Cinderella”, a movie made in 1973 which tells a version of Cinderella, in which she is never brought down. She does not care that the people in the town think wrong about her because she likes to hunt or to defy the prince, or wear hunter’s costumes to ride horses. She is shown sometimes even stronger and more skilled than the prince himself. In an interview the Czech Radio made to Vojtěch Rynda (film critic for the daily Lidové noviny) he said “Basically, she became an icon. She was barely 17 at the time, so it was a combination of her youth and tenderness and her appeal was a combination of both her beauty and the ability to compete with the prince”. This was a great reminder to women that no matter the outside situation there is always placed to be a princess as you are and not as the actual society implies it. Both tales mentioned above were not only a morality lesson for the big group of Czech fairytales lovers but also was a colorful humoristic form of escapism from reality. Adult viewers want something that reminds them that happy ending happens, and children want something they can laugh about and understand. Humor was also the main element in several histories, it was not all about justice and morality. In the “three hazelnuts/ gifts for Cinderella” is also found when her stepsister falls into the muck. Every tale has its charming way to be a tale, but it is almost sure that the end everything will work out. In the folktales of “The devil with the three golden hairs”, it can be one more the morality seen. A poor boy, born to become a prince and the evil king that decide at any cost prevents the love between her daughter and him, sending him to the devil with an impossible task. As the kid’s return with richness, the king could not hold himself of possessing everything in his way to the devil. In this history, the moral of sending no man to the devil and the cosmic justice that rely on the king, retell the idea that you give what you received. Another story that settles this morality is “The twelve months”, a very popular history in

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Czech fairytales collection. These tell the history of a mother with two girls, one of hers and one stepdaughter. The stepdaughter is openly abused by her mother and sister and send during winter to achieve impossible tasks. Nevertheless, this respectful girl comes into the winter wood to obey her sister’s desires. In her way into the forest, he stood with twelve months, that see their humility and decide to help her accomplish the unbearable wishes. At the end of the history, the stubborn sister, decide to look herself for the magic place from which all her desires come true. And as expected she disturb the twelve months with her irrational wishes and they give her as a punish an insufferable winter, that whether she or her mother can survive. The lesson carried in this history follows the same leads over and over, the right wining over the wrong, and the evil getting the punishment that takes the main characters to a happy ever after.

Conclusion In the analysis of the folktales, they all keep the same ideas and encouraging justice. Similarities between most of them can be easily found. The villains being greedy and disrespectful, always searching for more riches than they have. Several attempts to obtain what they want at every price. But also, is noticing the strong posture of the women and the family and the reveal of following what your head and your heart tells you that is right. As for the target of the Fairytales, they keep simple storytelling easy to understand for every kid, but they manage to have a witty way to catch ground up audiences as well. The tales are also telling in many cases to keep the youths safe from getting to dangerous places (as the winter forest and the devil house to take their hair) or with the purpose to go along with what they consider good instead of wrong. In any case, these great histories evolve in the heart of every Czech kid and adult. The moral identity, the humor, and the irreparable desire of a happy ending, together with the magic in

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which these tales were made, were the main influences to follow them till nowadays. Move by a protestant power to make them their own, Fairy Tales are a very important part of the popular identity. They can be found in the city, their big number of castles and, definitely in every Czech heart.

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References •

fairy tales (N.d.). Czechoslovak Fairy Tales, Folk Tales and Fables. https://fairytalez.com/region/czechoslovak/

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Fillmore, P. (2010). The Shoemaker's Apron: A Second Book of Czechoslovak Fairy Tales and Folk Tales. HARCOURT, BRACE AND COMPANY. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/52596/52596-h/52596-h.htm

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Haase, D. (2008). The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Folktales and Fairy Tales, Greenwood press. https://books.google.de/books?id=w9KEk9wQPjkC&pg=PA285&dq=fairytales+czec h+republic&hl=es&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwid-M_Ak7pAhVHyaQKHWzRA5sQ6AEIKDAA#v=onepage&q=fairytales%20czech%20repu blic&f=false

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The golden Scales (n.d.). Czechoslovak Tales. http://oaks.nvg.org/czechfolktales.html

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Velinger, J. (2008). Film and TV fairytales – an essential part of Czech Christmas. https://english.radio.cz/film-and-tv-fairytales-essential-part-czech-christmas-8588935

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Annexes Question to be answer in this seminar paper • • • •

What is the message behind the tales?? What is the target group of the tales? Which are the most common values? Why are the tales so popular in CZ?...