Three questions/requests

[Francoise Rosset]

My ignorance shows, I'm afraid. Any help on any of these here would be
appreciated.
Feel free to write off-list at: frosset at wheatonma.edu.

(1) One of my students asked about the Russian version of Ovid's
"Metamorphosis." I assumed he meant Kafka's version, not a Russian one,
esp. since he says it has to do with beetles.
But am I missing something obvious here?  Besides some odd human
regressions in "The Cave," and perhaps some of Sadur's stories, is there
something we consider a Russian version of "Metamorphosis"?

(2) Can someone point me to a good source that *identifies* the "hex"
signs carved at the very edge of the long wooden eaves on Russian izbas
and churches? I've been looking, but haven't found anything except for a
reasonable description of the "gromovoj znak," which I now think I can
recognize. I can differentiate the other designs, I just don't know which
elements they evoke/invoke/protect against.

3) Students who took both the folklore and the lit class noticed
the coincidence between Gogol' and one of the devil's names "Gogol'"
(Ivanits' *Folk Belief,* Ch. 3 identifies the origin of the devil's
name from "gogol'" the duck. Presumably that is also the origin of the
surname).
I have not found anything that discusses this in relation to Gogol's name.
Again, what am I missing?
-- Was Gogol' aware of this ... I gather his knowledge of folk-lore was
purely second-hand?
-- Would Gogol' or any educated Russians or Ukrainians be aware of this
tidbit of popular belief?
-- Does anyone know when the Devil came to be called "Gogol"? I see why,
but do we know when?
-- Has this been addressed substantively anywhere in the literature on
Gogol?

Thank you so much,
-FR


Francoise Rosset                          phone:  (508) 286-3696
Russian and Russian Studies               fax:    (508) 286-3640
Wheaton College                           e-mail: frosset at wheatonma.edu
Norton, Massachusetts 02766

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