Oboroten'

Fri Mar 11 11:37:54 UTC 2011

Lycanthrope (λυκἀνθρωπος) is simply Greek for wolf-man (λὐκος+ἄνθρωπος).  The belief in shifting between human and animal form is widespread among European peoples (and beyond), including the ancient Greeks: it was reported long before Ovid by Herodotus (Hist.IV.105), though he says he doesn't believe it!

The myth of Lycaon, though, at least as recounted by Ovid (Metamorphoses i.163-239), is a different matter altogether, as here it is not a question of alternating between the two shapes, but of a single, definitive transformation inflicted by the god as a punishment (for impiety rather than cruelty).

Incidentally, though "shape-shifter" may have science fiction connotations for those that read that sort of thing, its mythological/folkloric connotations are equally valid, and of greater antiquity.  Andrew Lang was writing in 1887 "He was also, like Odin, a 'shape-shifter'" (quoted in OED), and we can push it back further, to 1820, when Proteus is called a shape-shifter in F. Macirone, A Few Specimens of the Ars Logica Copleiana (a political satire, no less!).

----- Pôvodná správa -----
Od: "Ivan S. Eubanks" <ieubanks at PUSHKINIANA.ORG>
Komu: SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu
Odoslané: štvrtok, 10. marec 2011 22:21:54
Predmet: Re: [SEELANGS] Oboroten'

Lycanthrope is a fairly common (to my ear) English synonym for 
"shapeshifter," and etymologically it ties specifically to werewolves, 
as it is derived from Lykaon, the first human (non-divine) shapeshifter 
(according to Ovid).  Lykaon was such cruel, cannibalistic king that he 
was afflicted with his condition by the gods.  Reference to Lykaon can 
also be found in Plato and, although I can't recall which ones off the 
top of my head, in other Greek sources as well.  In short, a lycanthrope 
is specifically an accursed human who transforms into an animal, as 
opposed to deities (such as Zeus) who can transform into whatever shape 
they please (e.g. a bull, a swan, etc.) for whatever purpose they please 
(i.e. seduction, disguise).

Ivan S. Eubanks
/Pushkin Review / ?????????? ???????/ <http://www.pushkiniana.org>

On 3/10/2011 1:57 PM, Edythe Haber wrote:
> Dear SEELANGtsy,
>
> Thank you all for your answers.  I certainly learned a lot about various metamorphosing creatures in different cultures, but I'm still not sure a I totally satisfactory solution.  Shape-shifters sounds a little too sci fi to me and doesn't seem to fit into emigre Russian discourse of the 1930s.  It also doesn't sound quite creepy enough.  And some of the other suggestions from various cultures, as well as more scientific-scholarly terms, don't seem to me the equivalent to a common word like oboroten'.  The "were" suggestion was interesting, but I'm not sure it would be readily intelligible.  Josh, although the term is applied to Russian emigres, on the symbolic level it is associated with the uncanny, diabolical, e.g.:  "Takie siuda d'iavoly ponaekhali -- priamo oborotni."  So -- I might stick to werewolf, or maybe changeling with a note.
>
> Since I have all of your ears, or more accurately, eyes, I have a totally unrelated question.  I can't seem to be able to type in Cyrillic in Microsoft Outlook, although I think I was able to in the past.  I do the Shift-Alt toggle that works everywhere, else, but I get an entirely different set of (Latin) symbols.  Messages in Cyrillic from others come through fine.  Can anyone help?  Thank you.
>
> Gratefully,
> Edie Haber
>
> ________________________________
>
> From: SEELANGS: Slavic&  East European Languages and Literatures list on behalf of Josh Wilson
> Sent: Wed 3/9/2011 1:11 PM
> To: SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu
> Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] NY Times on Avant-Garde Russian Art Collection in Nukuz, Uzbekistan
>
>
>
> "Shape-shifter" generally implies that the thing is able to shift between
> species - a bit more dramatic than shifting identity as the description
> seems to imply.
>
> Without seeing more context, my instinct would be to go with something maybe
> along the lines of just "shifters." "Metamorph," as Paul Gallagher suggests,
> might also be appropriate, especially if your audience might know their Star
> Trek. :)
>
>
>
> Josh Wilson
> Assistant Director
> The School of Russian and Asian Studies
> Editor in Chief
> Vestnik, The Journal of Russian and Asian Studies
> SRAS.org
> jwilson at sras.org
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: SEELANGS: Slavic&  East European Languages and Literatures list
> [mailto:SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu] On Behalf Of Stefani, Sara Marie
> Sent: Wednesday, March 09, 2011 8:46 PM
> To: SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu
> Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] NY Times on Avant-Garde Russian Art Collection in
> Nukuz, Uzbekistan
>
> shape-shifter?
>
> ________________________________________
> From: SEELANGS: Slavic&  East European Languages and Literatures list
> [SEELANGS at BAMA.UA.EDU] on behalf of Edythe Haber [Edythe.Haber at UMB.EDU]
> Sent: Wednesday, March 09, 2011 11:53 AM
> To: SEELANGS at BAMA.UA.EDU
> Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] NY Times on Avant-Garde Russian Art Collection in
> Nukuz, Uzbekistan
>
> Dear SEELANGtsy,
>
> I am having trouble finding the English equivalent for the word oboroten'.
> Russian-English dictionaries I have consulted translate it as werewolf, but
> that clearly does not fit the context of the text I'm working on:  a 1938
> play by Teffi, in which emigres are called oborotni, since they keep
> changing identities -- their names, nationalities, professions, etc.
> Ozhegov defines the word as:  "chelovek, sposobnyi prevrashchat'sia v
> kogo-chto-n. s pomoshch'iu volshebstva" -- in other words,  not only into
> wolves.  I can't seem to come up with an English word denoting this.  I'd
> much appreciate your help.
>
> Thanks,
> Edie Haber
>
> ________________________________
>
> From: SEELANGS: Slavic&  East European Languages and Literatures list on
> behalf of Benjamin Rifkin
> Sent: Tue 3/8/2011 9:48 AM
> To: SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu
> Subject: [SEELANGS] NY Times on Avant-Garde Russian Art Collection in Nukuz,
> Uzbekistan
>
>
>
> Dear SEELANGers:
>
> This article may be of interest to many in our community:
>
> http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/08/arts/design/desert-of-forbidden-art-igor-s
> avitsky-collection-in-nukus.html?_r=1
>
> Best wishes to all,
>
> Ben Rifkin
> The College of New Jersey
>
>
>
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