Vladimir Propp

One of the Starting points for this project was the work of Vladimir Propp a literary theorist who applied Russian formalist principles to the study of narrative structure.

Instead of analysing language he analysed all the Russian fairy tales that were available to him and broke their structures down into analysable elements. These elements he called narratemes and after looking at all possible combinations of characters and events he concluded that there were thirty-one generic narratemes in the Russian folk tale. Though not all are present in every tale each tale is made up of a combination of some of them, and , where they appear, they appear in an analysable sequence . The sequence runs as follows.

The story is set, the time place and characters introduced and then;

1.A member of a family leaves home (the hero is introduced);

2.An interdiction is addressed to the hero ('don't go there', 'go to this place');

3.The interdiction is violated (villain enters the tale);

4.The villain makes an attempt at reconnaissance (either villain tries to find the children/jewels etc; or intended victim questions the villain);

5.The villain gains information about the victim;

6.The villain attempts to deceive the victim to take possession of victim or victim's belongings (trickery; villain disguised, tries to win confidence of victim);

7.Victim taken in by deception, unwittingly helping the enemy;

8.Villain causes harm/injury to family member (by abduction, theft of magical agent, spoiling crops, plunders in other forms, causes a disappearance, expels someone, casts spell on someone, substitutes child etc, comits murder, imprisons/detains someone, threatens forced marriage, provides nightly torments); Alternatively, a member of family lacks something or desires something (magical potion etc);

9.Misfortune or lack is made known, (hero is dispatched, hears call for help etc/ alternative is that victimised hero is sent away, freed from imprisonment);

10.Seeker agrees to, or decides upon counter-action;

11.Hero leaves home;

12.Hero is tested, interrogated, attacked etc, preparing the way for his/her receiving magical agent or helper (donor);

13.Hero reacts to actions of future donor (withstands/fails the test, frees captive, reconciles disputants, performs service, uses adversary's powers against them);

14.Hero acquires use of a magical agent (directly transferred, located, purchased, prepared, spontaneously appears, eaten/drunk, help offered by other characters);

15.Hero is transferred, delivered or led to whereabouts of an object of the search;

16.Hero and villain join in direct combat;

17.Hero is branded (wounded/marked, receives ring or scarf);

18.Villain is defeated (killed in combat, defeated in contest, killed while asleep, banished);

19.Initial misfortune or lack is resolved (object of search distributed, spell broken, slain person revivied, captive freed);

20.Hero returns;

21.Hero is pursued (pursuer tries to kill, eat, undermine the hero);

22.Hero is rescued from pursuit (obstacles delay pursuer, hero hides or is hidden, hero transforms unrecognisably, hero saved from attempt on his/her life);

23.Hero unrecognised, arrives home or in another country;

24.False hero presents unfounded claims;

25.Difficult task proposed to the hero (trial by ordeal, riddles, test of strength/endurance, other tasks);

26.Task is resolved;

27.Hero is recognised (by mark, brand, or thing given to him/her);

28.False hero or villain is exposed;

29.Hero is given a new appearance (is made whole, handsome, new garments etc);

30.Villain is punished;

31.Hero marries and ascends the throne (is rewarded/promoted).

 

For further information, look at:

Propp,Vladimir Morphology of the Folktale (Austin and London, University of Texas Press : 1968)