About the book: 2004 / This book is the result of many years of research undertaken by the author in the field of Russian mythology. The work was carried out at the intersection of various disciplines: folkloristics, literary criticism, linguistics, ethnography, art history, history, with the involvement of mythological aspects of folk botany, medicine, geography. Finding typological parallels, the author widely draws on mythologies formed in the traditions of other peoples of the world. Through a comprehensive analysis, the origins and polysemanticism of images identified in tales, byvalshchina, legends, beliefs, and in works of other genres and varieties of folklore, not only verbal, but also visual, are revealed. Reconstructed during the research process, these characters appeared as former pagan deities (brownies, goblins, water creatures, etc.), and sorcerers and sorcerers - as the heirs of the ancient magician-priests. Among the mythological characters are also people who happened to undertake a search for the hidden city (usually Kitezh) or “distant lands” (for example, Belovodye). The image of a person at the crossroads of the worlds has undergone a transformation in the light of Christian doctrine. Comparing everyday affairs and actions with the doctrine of retribution, the people developed moral and ethical ideals and religious and philosophical views on what is happening in society and the universe, defining the meaning of existence. The book contains rich illustrative material.