It’s been quite a few months since we’ve talked about animals on Slavic Saturday, but that’s about to change. We’ve discussed horses, birds, and cats before, and today, we’re going to dive into the role of the fox (one of my personal favorites) in Slavic mythology and folklore.
(June 2021 Updated) Note: If you enjoy Slavic mythology, check out A Dagger in the Winds, the first book in my Slavic fantasy series called The Frostmarked Chronicles. You can also join my monthly newsletter for updates and free novellas (such as the prequel, The Rider in the Night) set in the world of the series.
The early Slavs often had a similar perception of the fox that is still popular in modern culture across the world today. No matter the species, foxes were seen as sly and cunning tricksters. They use this skill often to deceive protagonists, and this makes them often villains in folk tales. Among the Slavs, though, the fox has positive roles as well.
When tricksters are mentioned in Slavic mythology, it’s impossible not to mention Weles (Veles), god of the lowlands, underworld, serpents, and cattle. Like the fox, Weles is often incorrectly perceived as evil, stealing Perun‘s cattle as well as his son, Jaryło. The god serves a crucial role, though, and so does the fox, serving as the symbol of mind over brute strength.
However, it is not Weles who is connected to the fox but his wife – Dziewanna (Devana), goddess of the wilds and hunt. I tell the full story of her revolt against Perun’s rule in the post dedicated to her, but Dziewanna’s rebellious spirit while lacking the strength of her father makes the connection between her and the fox interesting. In the story, she fails to fight Perun directly and instead transforms into various creatures to outwit him. She succeeds for a while, but her cunning is not enough in the end. Still, her relation to the fox stands along with her as one of rebellion against the classic order.
Folklore from various Slavic regions tell stories of the fox as well.
One famous tale is the one of Kolobok (Kołaczyk, Koblížek, or Pampúšik among other regions). The story is the Slavic version effectively of the Germanic tale “The Gingerbread Man,” originating in Ukraine and appearing throughout every Slavic country. In it, Kolobok, who is a round pancake-like bun, comes to life and flees in hopes of surviving. But many animals hope to eat him. Each time, he distracts them with a song:
“I was scraped from the flour-box
And swept from the bin
And baked in the oven
And cooled on the sill.
I ran away from Grandpa,
I ran away from Grandma,
And I’ll run away from you, this minute I will!”
Then he flees until the next animal spots him. Kolobok’s singing works against the rabbit, wolf, and bear, but when he encounters the fox, he earns himself an encore:
“Sing some more, please, don’t stop!” the Fox said. “Hop onto my tongue, I can hear you better.”
Kolobok does as the fox says, and, well, you can assume the rest. Does this tale make the fox evil or simply the smartest? The tale doesn’t tell us, but we do know the fox is fed while his counterparts are not.
Another story is that of “The Wolf and the Fox,” originating from Russia. There are a few different versions of the tale, but in each, the fox struggles to catch food, so it tricks a man into believing it is dead. When he throws the fox onto his cart with his fish, hoping to have a nice pelt for his wife, the fox steals the fish for itself. A wolf then threatens the fox, demanding the fish, but the fox pretends to teach the wolf how to fish. It tells the wolf to put its tail in the water and wait for the fish to bite, but instead, the wolf’s tail freezes, allowing the fox to escape. Later, when the people of the village attack the still frozen wolf, the fox attempts to eat the now unguarded chickens. In some tales, the fox survives and continues to outwit the wolf, but in others, the fox is punished for its theft as its tricks run out. A cute 1950s video of this tale can be seen here.
So what is there to learn from the fox and its role in Slavic myth? There are multiple possible interpretations, but the most important one is that while wit can be more important that brawn, how it is used is just as crucial. Misusing it can get you punished, as Dziewanna was for her revolt against Perun and the fox is (often) during its trickery against the wolf, but using it well can reap great rewards, as it does for the fox in Kolobok’s tale.
In my own stories, the fox will play an important part through its connection to Dziewanna and, later, other characters as well. Through quickness and determination, the foxes in the series will make a major impact, but as the fairy tales say, even the fox has its limits.
That’s all for this week’s Slavic Saturday. Be sure to keep a lookout for more posts next week, and if you haven’t seen the full series of posts, be sure to check them out.
*As always just a quick disclaimer. Slavic mythology is broad and not written in many if any primary sources, so there’s a variety of interpretations. The interpretations I’m using here are from the sources I’ve found to be reliable and as well as some creative freedom for my book series.