"ognevitsa" from "Nezhivoi zver'" by Teffi

[Robert Chandler]

Dear Will, and all,

Thank you very much indeed.  It is always a privilege to be able to draw on the collective knowledge of SEELANGS - but your fund of knowledge, Will, is unusually deep.  Thank you!

All the best,

Robert

On 15 Oct 2012, at 00:03, William Ryan <wfr at SAS.AC.UK> wrote:

> PS I should have been a bit more specific - Katya IS looking at the stove but is associating it with a fiery demoness.
> 
> Will
> 
> On 14/10/2012 23:26, William Ryan wrote:
>> Robert,
>> 
>> I would suggest that "ognevitsa" is not a stove, but is indeed an Old Russian word for fever or rash, and that "ognevitsa-pechkina dochka" is a compound folklore demonic name. This fits the context of the frightened child's imaginings. Ognevitsa (more commonly Ogneia, Ognennaia in recorded charms) is the personification of a variety of illnesses associated with fire or heat, some times in the plural "sestry ognevitsy". It may be one of the many names of the 12 demonic fevers in Russian folklore and magic charms; these are collectively called  triasavitsy, and also the Daughters of Herod. For the doublet name compare "baba yaga - kostianaia noga". The triasavitsy occur mostly in the complex of magic prayer-spells and uncanonical icons associated with St Sisinnii. I know of no other occurrences of this particular word association (ognevitsa-stove-daughter), but it appears that sets of 12 rag dolls representing the 12 triasavitsy could be found hanging on the stove of Russian houses, presumably with an apotropaic function. There is a set of these dolls in the Ethnographic Museum in St Petersburg but I have not found any other museum example, or any description in the literature. I published a photograph of the dolls in my Bathhouse at Midnight, p. 442.
>> 
>> Will Ryan
>> 
>> On 14/10/2012 06:55, Robert Chandler wrote:
>>> Dear all,
>>> 
>>> This is from a rather frightening story about a marriage break-up, told from the perspective of a small girl.  Clearly, 'ognevitsa' here means a small stove.  But I would like to know more about the word.  The only dictionary meaning I can find is "likhoradka".  Is little Katya simply using the wrong word?  Or is this a colloquial or dialect usage that isn't widely known?
>>> 
>>> В детской перед обедом углы делались темнее, точно шевелились. А в углу трещала огневица — печкина дочка, щелкала заслонкой, скалила красные зубы и жрала дрова. Подходить к ней нельзя было: она злющая, укусила раз Катю за палец. Больше не подманит.
>>> 
>>> All the best,
>>> 
>>> Robert
>>> 
>>> Robert Chandler, 42 Milson Road, London, W14 OLD
>>> 
>>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
>>> Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
>>>  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
>>>                    http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
>>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
>>> 
>> 
>> 
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
>> options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
>>                  http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> 
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
> options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
>                  http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------




Robert Chandler, 42 Milson Road, London, W14 OLD

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
                    http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------