| “ | Mothers... Mothers ask that their children be well-fed and alive. They need nothing more. They forget about themselves... I don't even have anything to conjure up for the New Year's tree. | „ |
| ~ Sergei Ivanovich Morozov in "The True Story of Ded Moroz" |
| “ | Ded Moroz exists! At least as long as people believe in him. | „ |
| ~ "The True Story of Ded Moroz" |
Sergei Ivanovich Morozov, better known as Ded Moroz, is the main fairytale character of the New Year holiday, the East Slavic version of the Christmas gift-giver. Originally, in Slavic mythology, he was the personification of winter frosts. The creation of the canonical image of Ded Moroz as an essential character of the New Year, rather than Christmas, holiday occurred during the Soviet era and dates back to the late 1930s, when the New Year's tree was reinstated after several years of prohibition.
Appearance[]
Ded Moroz is depicted as an old man in a colored (light blue, blue, red or white) fur coat, with a long white beard and a staff in his hand, wearing felt boots. Unlike Santa Claus, who is always depicted as fat, Ded Moroz's body type is not specified, but it is possible that he is also fat, just taller. His distinctive feature is his rosy nose, which is often emphasized in children's poems and books.
Personality[]
Initially, Ded Moroz was simply the god of winter and frost. He froze those who disobeyed him to death, but even then he bestowed gifts on those who were kind to him. Later, the image of a stern old man began to soften and gradually evolved into the modern version – friendly and cheerful. Ded Moroz is a very kind, honest, and generous hero.
In folk tales of the 18th and 19th centuries, Ded Moroz is portrayed as a wise and strong old man, capable of cruelly punishing (freezing) a person, but more often defending the country, nature, family, and children. Moroz the Bogatyr and Moroz the Voivode – these are how Ded Moroz was seen at the turn of the 20th centuries; he became a welcome guest in every home.
History[]
Russian Empire and Soviet Union[]
Ded Moroz in Odoevsky's fairy tale.
Ded Moroz first appeared in literature in 1840, in the fairy tale "Moroz Ivanovich" by the Russian mystic writer V.F. Odoevsky. In it, a kindly, gray-haired old man lives in an ice house, and when a hard-working girl comes to him, he bestows gifts upon her, but when a lazy girl comes to him, he teaches her a lesson. Essentially, this was a literary adaptation of the Russian folk tale "Morozko," in which the freezing of the lazy old woman's daughter is replaced by the instructive gift of an icicle.
Soon, the figure of the literary Moroz Ivanovich merged with the image of Saint Nicholas in the Orthodox tradition. The same thing happened as in neighboring European countries, where Santa Claus, that is, Saint Nicholas (and his ilk), "absorbed" elements of pre-Christian mythological beliefs.
Greeting card from the 1910s.
After the October events of 1917, Ded Moroz, identified with Saint Nicholas, was consigned to oblivion as a "religious element" in the context of the anti-religious campaign. It was only in late 1935, when P. P. Postyshev, a member of the Presidium of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR, published an article in the newspaper Pravda proposing a children's holiday with a New Year's tree, that talk of Ded Moroz's return began.
He reappeared, reinvented, during the New Year's celebrations of 1936, and the following year, Snegurochka joined him. Ded Moroz appeared before the citizens of the Soviet Union as a cheerful old man with a long white beard, wearing felt boots, a winter hat, and a red or blue floor-length fur coat. He commanded the lighting of the lights on the tree, thus marking the change of year. Ded Moroz also presented gifts to children from a large sack, but only to those who "ate well and listened to their mother." Often, receiving a gift required reciting a short poem.
Initially, Ded Moroz, in addition to the Snow Maiden, was accompanied by the New Year Boy, who seemed to replace the Old Year and serve as its successor. However, by the late Soviet era, this image had practically disappeared from the New Year's holiday ceremonies. Apparently, the need for young successors had disappeared.
Modern Russia[]
In Russia, Ded Moroz has never been directly associated with either Saint Nicholas or Saint Basil. The origins of the image must be sought in ancient times. At that time, the territory of what is now the Russian North was inhabited by various Indo-European tribes. Their pagan beliefs emphasized the god Varuna, ruler of cold, chaos, the starry sky, and both terrestrial and celestial waters. Over time, the legends surrounding this deity were transformed. The name Varuna was replaced by the more easily pronounced name Uranus, but the essence of the image—the ruler of space, cold, and water, capable of rewarding and punishing people—remained unchanged.
From the Christianization of Rus' to the present day, Ded Moroz and Saint Nicholas have coexisted. Even though they were deeply religious Orthodox Christians, the people of Rus' passed down the traditions of the pagan period from generation to generation for over 1,500 years (notable examples include Maslenitsa and the holiday of Ivan Kupala). One of these traditions involved appeasing Ded Moroz to protect the family, harvest, and livestock from destruction. The ritual involved inviting Ded Moroz to a feast of specially prepared oatmeal jelly. The eldest male family member was entrusted with performing the ritual. Furthermore, the ancient Slavic epics contained numerous tales and legends about Ded Moroz—a strong, powerful, yet fair old man, master of snowy fields and forests, who brought cold, snow, and blizzards to the land. He was called by various names: Moroz, Morozko, and, more often, by his patronymic name: Moroz Ivanovich, Moroz Vasilyevich.
An important aspect of the image of Ded Moroz is his connection to the family's ancestors. Until the 18th century, the name "Ded" (Grandfather) was taboo in Russia, meaning forbidden to use, as it meant "deceased ancestor." The eldest male member of the family was addressed as "Ded" or "Dedko", and only after his death was he called "Ded." Some researchers suggest that in pagan rituals and legends, Ded Moroz was associated with all deceased male ancestors of the family, and communication with Ded Moroz was a kind of accountability to the memory of the ancestors. The favor of the "winter ruler" was perceived as the ancestors' approval of everything the family did.
In 1999, Veliky Ustyug was officially designated the birthplace of Ded Moroz. Later, Snegurochka also received her birthplace, turning out to be a native of Kostroma. While the latter can be explained by the fact that A.N. Ostrovsky wrote the play "Snegurochka" nearby in 1873, the designation of Veliky Ustyug as Ded Moroz's birthplace is unclear.
The emergence of the Frost mage in Veliky Ustyug as a driver of the region's successful development gave impetus to the rapid spread of numerous regional and national Ded Morozs and other winter fairytale characters across Russia. Each region is developing its own winter heroes, each with its own regional or national characteristics. The living history of the Veliky Ustyug Ded Moroz serves as a model for the development of new projects.
A unique canonical framework is formed, within which the existence of each new winter (and other) character is organized:
1. A legend about the winter mage is created, which is most often modern folklore. Sometimes we even know the authors.
2. A residence for the mage (estate, manor, fiefdom, estate) is built.
3. The mage always celebrates his birthday.
4. The new Ded Moroz must have his own holiday-festival, to which he invites other representatives of the fairytale community. A certain hierarchy of fairytale characters is emerging. The Veliky Ustyug Ded Moroz (GrandDed Moroz) occupies a dominant position among his fellow professional colleagues. His authority is unquestionable. Other mages are his younger brothers.
In Veliky Ustyug, the emergence of national and regional competitors was quickly addressed. To distinguish their mage, local creatives bestowed upon him the resounding title "Russian." If you think that Veliky Ustyug is currently home to just one Ded Moroz, you're mistaken. It should be called the Russian Ded Moroz. That's the only way to describe it.
We'll list several recognizable Ded Morozs and other characters from the fairytale community. Kysh Babay from Tatarstan, Tol Babay from Udmurtia, Yamal Iri from the far north, Karelian Frost Pakkaine, Chyskhaan from Yakutia, Baikal Ded Moroz, Moroz Dobrodeevich from Sosnovy Bor, Vyatka Ded Moroz, Maiden Blizzard from Vyatka Polyany, Arkhangelsk Snowman, Mother Winter from Yarensk and many other winter and seasonal fairy tale characters.
Magical Abilities[]
Ded Moroz is described as a very powerful magician. In Russian, the words "magician" and "sorcerer" are emphasized, so Ded Moroz uses only light magic, avoiding dark magic. His magic is capable of basic feats, such as telekinesis, teleportation, and manipulation of physical objects, but his main ability is the control of cold and frost. He can also warm a frozen person without changing the weather or surroundings. Ded Moroz can move quickly; he can travel around the world in 29 seconds.
Weaknesses[]
The cartoon "Ded Moroz and Summer" shows that he can be active outside of his home only in winter; in summer, he can melt due to lack of cold, but it is unknown whether this applies to other media featuring him.
Trivia[]
- Dmitry Mansurov's books mention Ded Moroz, and it turns out he hails from the planet Nemesis. He is also revealed to be the father of the Snow Queen (Snezhana).
Gallery[]
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