Tsar'-devitsa again

[Paul B. Gallagher]

Robert Chandler wrote:

> Dear Paul, and all,
>
> Paul Gallagher writes,
>
>> Russian morality (then or now, I'm not sure) must be very different
>> from mine if it considers sex with a sleeping woman "honorable."
>> What am I missing here? We would call it "rape" and send the guy to
>> jail.
>>
> I would have thought it went without saying that Russian morality as
> reflected in narodnye skazki is hugely different from your own -
> probably more different than any of us can imagine.

Well, perhaps I'm naïve.

Sure, I'm accustomed to folk tales having fantastic and magical elements 
such as animals capable of speech and reason, or kisses that transform 
frogs into princes, but there's still a heavy dose of verisimilitude -- 
murder is still wrong, and theft is still wrong, and so forth, unless 
certain exceptions apply. I also realize that women have not always been 
held in such high esteem as they are today, but even in settings where 
abuses are permitted I haven't often seen those abuses characterized as 
great honors or feats of gallantry. The characters usually know they're 
getting away with something illicit, and sometimes have to pay the price 
for it.

-- 
War doesn't determine who's right, just who's left.
--
Paul B. Gallagher
pbg translations, inc.
"Russian Translations That Read Like Originals"
http://pbg-translations.com

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