Folktales have long been a cherished part of Ukrainian cultural heritage, passed down through generations and offering glimpses into the values, beliefs, and experiences of the people. One such tale that has endured the test of time is the story of Kotyhoroshko, a young hero whose extraordinary strength and courage lead him on a remarkable journey to rescue his siblings and claim his rightful place.The name Kotyhoroshko has deep roots in the history of peas (pea – ‘horoh’ (Ukrainian), a staple crop cultivated since ancient times by various cultures across Eastern Asia, the Mediterranean, and Black Sea regions. Peas were revered for their life-giving properties in agricultural societies, symbolizing abundance, fertility, and prosperity. Among the Slavic traditions, peas held significant importance in Christmas celebrations and marriage rituals associated with the blessings of children.
The tale of Kotyhoroshko has endured as a beloved and influential part of Ukrainian folklore, resonating with generations of readers and listeners. Beyond its captivating narrative, the story holds deep cultural significance, reflecting the values, beliefs, and aspirations of the Ukrainian people.
One of the central themes of the tale is the importance of family and the unwavering bond between siblings. Kotyhoroshko's determination to rescue his brothers and sister, even in the face of overwhelming odds, speaks to the Ukrainian cultural emphasis on kinship and the responsibility to protect one's own. This theme of familial loyalty is a recurring motif in Ukrainian folktales, underscoring the high value placed on the family unit within the nation's cultural fabric.
The story of Kotyhoroshko also celebrates the virtues of courage, resourcefulness, and perseverance. The young hero's ability to overcome obstacles, confront his enemies, and ultimately triumph through his own ingenuity and strength of character resonates with the Ukrainian people's historical experience of adversity and resilience. This narrative of the individual's triumph over adversity has become a source of national pride and inspiration, reinforcing the belief in the power of the human spirit to overcome even the most daunting challenges.
The Tale of Kotyhoroshko
Once upon a time, there lived a man with six sons and one daughter. One day, the sons went out to plow the fields, and they told their sister to bring them their lunch. The sister asked where they would be plowing, and the brothers replied that they would be plowing a furrow all the way from the house to the field, so she should just follow that furrow.
The brothers set out, and a dragon that lived in the forest above the field pulled the furrow the brothers had made and replaced it with his own. When the sister went to bring the brothers their lunch, she followed the new furrow and ended up at the dragon's palace. The dragon captured her there.
When the brothers returned home in the evening and the sister did not come back with their lunch, the mother realized she must be lost. The brothers set out to search for her, following the furrow, and they too ended up at the dragon's palace. The dragon challenged them to a fight on an iron threshing floor, and one by one, he defeated them and threw them into a deep, dark dungeon.
Meanwhile, the parents were waiting and waiting for their sons to return, but they never did. One day, the mother was doing laundry by the river when she swallowed a pea-sized ball that was rolling along the path. Soon after, she gave birth to a son, whom they named Kotyhoroshko.
Kotyhoroshko grew quickly, and one day while he and his father were digging a well, they uncovered a large stone. The father went to get help to remove it, and while he was gone, Kotyhoroshko lifted the stone and tossed it aside. When the other villagers saw his great strength, they were frightened and wanted to kill him, but Kotyhoroshko simply caught the stone and tossed it back up.
They continued digging and uncovered a large piece of iron, which Kotyhoroshko took and had a blacksmith forge into a massive mace. Kotyhoroshko then told his parents about his missing siblings and insisted on going to find them. His parents tried to dissuade him, but he was determined. He had the blacksmith make him an even larger mace, and then he lay down to sleep for twelve days.
After the second mace was forged, Kotyhoroshko set out, taking a bag of bread and dried biscuits with him. He followed the old furrow into the forest and came upon a grand palace. Inside, he found his sister Olenka, who told him that his six brothers had gone to try to rescue her and had been captured by the dragon and thrown into a deep dungeon.
Just then, the dragon returned home and sensed a human presence. He challenged Kotyhoroshko to a fight on the iron threshing floor. Kotyhoroshko agreed, and they fought fiercely. The dragon struck Kotyhoroshko, driving him into the floor up to his ankles, but Kotyhoroshko wrenched his feet free and struck the dragon, driving him in up to his knees. They exchanged blows, with Kotyhoroshko driving the dragon deeper and deeper into the floor until he finally killed him.
Kotyhoroshko then went to the dungeons and freed his brothers, who were barely alive. He gathered them, his sister, and all the dragon's gold and silver, and they set out for home. But on the way, the brothers, jealous of Kotyhoroshko's success in defeating the dragon, decided to betray him. While he slept under an oak tree, they tied him tightly to the tree trunk with ropes. When Kotyhoroshko awoke, he simply uprooted the entire tree and carried it on his shoulders.
As he walked, Kotyhoroshko came upon a man named Vernyhora, who was pushing mountains apart to clear a path. Kotyhoroshko greeted him and asked where he was going, and Vernyhora replied that he was searching for happiness. Kotyhoroshko decided to join him.
They continued on and encountered a man named Vernydub, who was uprooting trees to clear the way. Again, Kotyhoroshko asked where he was going, and Vernydub said he too was searching for happiness, so Kotyhoroshko joined him as well.
The three men then came upon a man with enormous mustaches, Krutyvus, who was parting a river with a wave of his hand so he could cross. Once more, Kotyhoroshko asked where he was going, and Krutyvus said he was searching for happiness, so Kotyhoroshko joined him too.
The four men came to a large forest and found a small hut. They decided to spend the night there. The next day, Kotyhoroshko told Vernyhora to stay and cook the meals while the other three went hunting.
While Vernyhora was napping, a small old man with a beard that trailed a yard on the ground came to the door. Vernyhora refused to let him in or help him across the threshold, so the old man grabbed Vernyhora by the hair and hung him on a hook on the wall. The old man then ate all the food Vernyhora had prepared and left, taking a strip of skin from Vernyhora's back.
When the other three returned, Vernyhora told them what had happened. The next day, Kotyhoroshko had Vernydub stay behind to cook, and the same thing occurred. The old man came, bullied Vernydub, ate the food, and left with a strip of skin from Vernydub's back.
On the third day, it was Krutyvus's turn to stay behind, and the same thing happened to him.
When it was Kotyhoroshko's turn to stay, the old man came again. This time, Kotyhoroshko welcomed him in, but when the old man tried to grab his hair, Kotyhoroshko seized his beard, dragged him to an oak tree, split the tree, and wedged the old man's beard into the split, trapping him there.
Kotyhoroshko then called the other three, and they set out to find the old man for he was vanished with the oak dragged out when they came. They followed the trail where the oak tree had been dragged and came to a deep pit. Kotyhoroshko told the others to lower him into the pit, and they did so using ropes they had woven.
At the bottom of the pit, Kotyhoroshko found a grand palace shining with gold and precious stones. As he explored the palace, a beautiful princess came running to him, warning him that the old man, who had kidnapped her, would kill him. But Kotyhoroshko was undaunted.
He found the old man trying to free his beard from the oak tree. They fought fiercely, and Kotyhoroshko killed the old man with his mace. He then gathered up three sacks full of the palace's gold and precious stones, tied them to the ropes, and had the others pull them up. Finally, he tied the princess to the ropes and had her pulled up as well.
But when it was Kotyhoroshko's turn to be pulled up, his companions, jealous, decided to let him fall to his death. They cut the ropes, and Kotyhoroshko would have fallen back down into the pit. However, he had anticipated their treachery and had tied a heavy stone to the ropes instead of himself.
Kotyhoroshko then set out on his own again, carrying the stone. As he walked, dark clouds gathered, and a heavy rain and hail began to fall. Kotyhoroshko took shelter under an oak tree and found a nest of griffon chicks. He covered them with his coat to protect them from the storm.
When the mother griffon returned and saw her chicks safe, she was grateful. She offered to carry Kotyhoroshko to the other world, the world above. Kotyhoroshko agreed, and they set off, with the griffon occasionally turning her head so Kotyhoroshko could feed her pieces of meat or give her sips of water from the jugs they had brought.
As they neared the upper world, the griffon's food and water ran out. Kotyhoroshko then cut off a piece of his own calf muscle and fed it to the griffon. The griffon was horrified when she realized what he had done, but she quickly retrieved some healing water and poured it on the wound, restoring Kotyhoroshko's leg.
The griffon then returned Kotyhoroshko to the upper world, and he set out to find his brothers. He discovered that they had gone to the kingdom of the princess he had rescued, and were fighting over who would marry her, since her father the king had promised her hand in marriage to whichever of them defeated the dragon.
When Kotyhoroshko arrived, his brothers were terrified that he would kill them for their betrayal. But Kotyhoroshko forgave them, and then he married the princess himself, and all they lived happily together.
