Koshchei (Russian:Коще́й,romanized:Koshchey,IPA:[kɐˈɕːej]), alsoKashchei (Russian:Каще́й,romanized:Kashchey,IPA:[kɐˈɕːej]), often given the epithet "the Immortal", or "the Deathless" (Russian:Бессме́ртный), is an archetypal male antagonist inRussian folklore.
The most common feature of tales involving Koschei is a spell which prevents him from being killed. He hides "his death" inside nested objects to protect it. For example, his death may be hidden in a needle that is hidden inside an egg, the egg is in a duck, the duck is in a hare, the hare is in a chest, the chest is buried or chained up on a faraway island ofBuyan. Usually he takes the role of a malevolent rival figure, who competes for (or entraps) a male hero's love interest.
The origin of the tales is unknown. The archetype may contain elements derived from the 12th-century paganCuman-Kipchak (Polovtsian) leaderKhan Konchak, who is recorded inThe Tale of Igor's Campaign; over time a balanced view of the non-Christian Cuman Khan may have been distorted orcaricatured by Christian Slavic writers.
By at least the 18th century, and likely earlier, Koschei's legend had been appearing in Slavic tales.[1] For a long period, no connection was made with any historical character.[2]
The origin of the tale may be related to the Polovtsian (Cuman) leaderKhan Konchak, who dates from the 12th century.[n 1] InThe Tale of Igor's Campaign Konchak is referred to as a koshey (slave).[n 2][3] Konchak is thought to have come/returned from Georgia (theCaucasus) to thesteppe c. 1126–1130; by c.1172 he is described in Kievan Rus' chronicles as a leader of the Polovtsi, and as taking part in an uprising. There is not enough information to reconstruct further details of Konchak's appearance or nature from historical sources; though unusual features or abnormalities were usually recorded (often as epithets) by chroniclers, none are recorded for Konchak.[4]
The legendary love of gold of Koschei is speculated to be a distorted record of Konchak's role as the keeper of the Kosh's resources.[5]
Koschei's epithet "the immortal" may be a reference to Konchak's longevity. He is last recorded in Russian chronicles during the 1203 capture of Kiev, if the record is correct this gives Konchak an unusually long life – possibly over 100 years – for the time this would have been over six generations.[6]
Koschei's life-protecting spell may be derived from traditional Turkic amulets, which were egg-shaped and often contained arrowheads (cf. the needle in Koschei's egg).[7]
It is thought that many of the negative aspects of Koschei's character are distortions of a more nuanced relationship of Khan Konchak with the Christian Slavs, such as his rescuing of Prince Igor from captivity, or the marriage between Igor's son and Konchak's daughter. Konchak, as a pagan, could have been demonised over time as a stereotypical villain.[8]
In theExplanatory Dictionary of the Living Great Russian Language ofVladimir Dahl, the nameKashchei is derived from the verb "kastit" – to harm, to dirty: "probably from the word "kastit", but remade into koshchei, from 'bone', meaning a man exhausted by excessive thinness". ("Bone" here is in Russianкостьkost'.) Vasmer notes that the wordkoshchei has two meanings that have different etymologies: "thin, skinny person, walking skeleton" or "miser" – the origin of the word "bone"). Old Russian "youth, boy, captive, slave" from the Turkickošči "slave", in turn fromkoš "camp".
Koschei, as the name of the hero of a fairy tale and as a designation for a skinny person, Max Vasmer in his dictionary considers the original Slavic word (homonym) and associates with the word bone (common Slavic *kostь), that is, it is an adjective formkoštіі (nominative adjective in the nominative case singular), declining according to the type "God".
Numerous variant names and spellings have been given to Koschei; these includeKashchei,Koshchai,Kashshei,Kovshei,Kosh,Kashch,Kashel,Kostei,Kostsei,Kashshui,Kozel,Koz'olok,Korachun,Korchun bessmertnyi,Kot bezsmertnyi,Kot Bezmertnyi,Kostii bezdushnyi; inbylinas he also appears asKoshcheiushko,Koshcheg,Koshcherishcho,Koshchui,Koshel.[9]
The termKoshey appears in Slavic chronicles as early as the 12th century to refer to an officer or official during a military campaign. Similar terms include the UkrainianКошовий (Koshovyi) for the head of the 'Kish' (military)[10] (see alsoKish otaman). InOld Russian 'Kosh' means a camp, while inBelarusian a similar term means 'to camp' and inTurkic languages a similar term means 'a wanderer'.[11] The use as a personal name is recorded as early as the 15th century on Novogrodianbirch bark manuscripts.[12]
InThe Tale of Igor's Campaign a similar sounding term is used, recorded being inscribed on coins, deriving from the Turkic for 'captive' or 'slave'. The same term also appears in theIpatiev Chronicle, meaning 'captive'.[13] A second mention of the term is made inThe Tale of Igor's Campaign when Igor is captured by the Polovtsi; this event is recorded as a riddle: "And here Prince Igor exchanged his golden saddle of a prince for the saddle of a Koshey (slave)."[14]
Nikolai Novikov also suggested the etymological origin ofkoshchii meaning "youth" or "boy" or "captive", "slave", or "servant". The interpretation of "captive" is interesting because Koschei appears initially as a captive in some tales.[12]
Koschei is a common villain in east-Slavic folk tales. Often tales involving him are of the type AT 302 "The Giant Without A Heart" (seeAarne–Thompson classification systems). He also appears in tales resembling type AT 313 "The Magic Flight".[15]
He usually functions as the antagonist or rival to a hero.[16] Common themes are love and rivalry.[17]
The typical feature in tales about Koschei is his protection against death (AT 302). To kill him you must find his death which is hidden inside an egg. The egg is hidden inside various animals, and which are then protected by containers or in remote places.[18]
In other tales, Koschei can cast a sleep spell that can be broken by playing an enchantedgusli. Depending on the tale he has different characteristics: he may ride a three- or seven-legged horse; may have tusks or fangs; and may possess a variety of different magic objects (like cloaks and rings) that a hero is sent to obtain; or he may have other magic powers.[19] In one tale he has eyelids so heavy he requires servants to lift them[19] (cf. the CelticBalor orYsbaddaden, or Serbian Vy).
The parallel female figure,Baba Yaga, as a rule does not appear in the same tale with Koschei, though exceptions exists where both appear together as a married couple, or as siblings.[15] Sometimes, Baba Yaga appears in tales along with Koschei as an old woman figure, such as his mother or aunt.[20]
In the tale, also known as "The Death of Koschei the Deathless",Ivan Tsarevitch encounters Koschei chained in the dungeon of Marya Morevna (Ivan's wife). He releases and revives Koschei, but Koschei abducts Marya. Ivan tries to rescue Marya several times, but Koschei's horse is too fast and he easily catches up with the escaping lovers. Each time Koschei's magical horse informs him that he could carry out several activities first and still catch up. After the third unsuccessful escape, Koschei cuts up Ivan and puts his body parts in a barrel which he throws into the sea. However, water of life revives Ivan. He then seeks outBaba Yaga to ask her for a horse swifter than Koshei's. After undergoing several trials he steals a horse and finally successfully rescues Marya.[21]
Tsar Bel-Belianin's wife the Tzaritza is abducted by Koschei (the wizard). The Tsar's three sons attempt to rescue her. The first two fail to reach the wizard's palace, but the third, Petr, succeeds. He reaches the Tzaritza, conceals himself, and learns how the wizard hides his life. Initially he lies, but the third time he reveals it is in an egg, in a duck, in a hare, that nests in a hollow log, that floats in a pond, found in a forest on the island ofBouyan. Petr seeks the egg, freeing animals along the way – on coming to Bouyan the freed animals help him catch the wizard's creatures and obtain the egg. He returns to the wizard's domain and kills him by squeezing the egg – every action on the egg is mirrored on the wizard's body.[22]
In "The Snake Princess" (Russian"Царевна-змея"), Koschei turns a princess who does not want to marry him into a snake.
Koschei hears of three beauties in a kingdom. He kills two and wounds a third, puts the kingdom to sleep (petrifies), and abducts the princesses. Ivan Sosnovich (RussianИван Соснович) learns of Koschei's weakness: an egg in a box hidden under a mountain, so he digs up the whole mountain, finds the egg box and smashes it, and rescues the princess.
The SerbianBaš Čelik (Head of Steel); Hungarian 'Lead-Headed Monk'; and Slovak 'Iron Monk' also all hide their weakness inside a nested series of animals.[12]
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Koshchei is mentioned as a miser in the prologuePushkin'sRuslan and Ludmila which describes wonders of the fairy-tale land ofLukomorye: "Там царь Кащей над златом чахнет" (There tsar Kashchei is languishing over gold).
Media related toKoschei at Wikimedia Commons