[313] _Silnaya voda_ or potent water, and _bezsilnaya voda_, or impotent water (_sila_ = strength). [314] _Palitsa_ = a cudgel, etc. In the variant of the story quoted in the preceding section the prince seized Vikhor by the right little finger, _mizinets_. _Palets_ meant a finger. The similarity of the two words may have led to a confusion of ideas. [315] Afanasief, vii. pp. 97-103. [316] Muir's "Sanskrit Texts," v. p. 258 and p. 94. See, also Mannhardt's "Germ. Mythen," pp. 96-97. [317] Being as destructive as the poison which was created during the churning of the Amrita. [318] Afanasief, v. No. 35. [319] In the original he is generally designated as _Katòma--dyàd'ka, dubovaya shàpka_, "Katòma-governor, oaken-hat." Not being able to preserve the assonance, I have dropped the greater part of his title. [320] _Bogodanny_ (_bog_ = God; _dat'_, _davat'_ = to give). One of the Russian equivalents for our hideous "father-in-law" is "god-given father" (_bogodanny otets_), and for "mother-in-law," _bogodanny mat'_ or "God-given mother." (Dahl.) [321] Four lines are omitted here. See A. de Gubernatis, "Zool. Mythology," i. 181, where a solar explanation of the whole story will be found. [322] These ejaculations belong to the story-teller. [323] Literally, "Seemed to her as small as a lamb." [324] _Kolòdez_, a word connected with _kolòda_ a log, trough, &c. [325] Afanasief, viii. No. 23 _a_. [326] To this episode a striking parallel is offered by that of Gunther's wedding night in the "Nibelungenlied," in which Brynhild flings her husband Gunther across the room, kneels on his chest, and finally binds him hand and foot, and suspends him from a nail till daybreak. The next night Siegfried takes his place, and wrestles with the mighty maiden. After a long struggle he flings her on the floor and forces her to submit. Then he leaves the room and Gunther returns. A summary of the story will be found in the "Tales of the Teutonic Lands," by G. W. Cox and E. H. Jones, pp. 94-5. [327] Khudyakof, i. No. 19. pp. 73-7. [328] Erlenvein, No. 19, pp. 95-7. For a Little-Russian version see Kulish, ii. pp. 59-82. [329] Afanasief, vi. No. 26. From the Kursk Government. [330] _Prashchurui._ [331] The sentence in italics is a good specimen of the _priskazka_, or preface. [332] _Gramota_ = γράμματα whence comes _gràmotey_, able to read and write = γραμματικός. [333] Vanya and Vanyusha are diminutives of Ivan (John), answering to our Johnny; Vanka is another, more like our Jack. [334] Literally "with a Solovei-like whistle." The word _solovei_ generally means a nightingale, but it was also the name of a mythical hero, a robber whose voice or whistle had the power of killing those who heard it. [335] _Chmoknuel_, smacked. [336] See Barsof's rich collection of North-Russian funeral poetry, entitled "Prichitaniya Syevernago Kraya," Moscow, 1872. Also the "Songs of the Russian People," pp. 334-345. [337] Miss Frere's "Old Deccan Days," pp. 3, 4.