Description
The Russian Garland, Being Russian Folk Tales: Translated from a Collection of Chapbooks Made in Moscow. Edited by Robert Steele. Illustrated by J. R. De Rosciszewski.
Enter the magical world of old Russia, where enchanted forests, brave heroes, magical birds, and timeless adventures unfold in a rich tapestry of Slavic folklore.
Translated from a remarkable collection of Russian chapbooks gathered in Moscow, this volume preserves the rich diversity of nineteenth-century Russian folk tradition. Readers will encounter princes and princesses, epic heroes, clever fools, and humble villagers in a rich collection of fairy tales and legendary adventures that have delighted audiences for generations.
The collection includes stories rooted in Russian epic alongside tales shaped by German and Eastern influences, offering a fascinating glimpse into the many strands of Russia’s storytelling heritage. Memorable tales such as The Mild Man and His Cantankerous Wife, The Story of the Most Wonderful and Noble Self-Playing Harp, The Seven Brothers Simeon, and the adventures of Iliya of Murom showcase the remarkable variety and enduring appeal of these traditional stories.
As editor Robert Steele observes, these tales are filled with the distinctive expressions and storytelling patterns that give Russian folklore its unmistakable character—from journeys through “thrice nine lands to the thirtieth country” to the recurring theme of the youngest succeeding where his elders fail.
Beautifully illustrated by J. R. De Rosciszewski, this carefully restored edition invites modern readers to discover the imagination, humor, and enduring wisdom of one of the world’s great storytelling traditions.
About the editor: Robert Steele (1860–1944) was a British scholar best known for editing the sixteen-volume Opera hactenus inedita Rogeri Bacon. An early disciple of arts and crafts pioneer William Morris, Steele devoted much of his career to the study of medieval manuscripts. His research took him to libraries throughout Europe and beyond, including Russia, where he became one of the first scholars to collect and translate the many peasant chapbooks preserved in the Moscow archives.
About the illustrator: Jan Junosza de Rosciszewski (1885–1956), better known as Tom Titt, was born in Warsaw, Poland, and moved to England as a young man to study art. His illustrations appeared widely in the leading London magazines of the post-Victorian era, and he later became the theatrical caricaturist for The Tatler.
