Beloved Name facts for kids

"Beloved Name" or "That Dear Name" (Russian: Дорогое имячко, tr. Dorogoe imjachko, meaning "The Dear Name") is a special kind of folk tale from the Ural region of Siberia. It's called a skaz, which means it's told in a way that sounds like someone is speaking directly to you, like an old storyteller. This story was collected and rewritten by the famous Russian author Pavel Bazhov.

The tale was first printed in a magazine called Krasnaya Nov in 1936. Later that same year, it was part of a collection called Prerevolutionary Folklore of the Urals. It then became a well-known story in Bazhov's famous book, The Malachite Casket.

"Beloved Name" describes how the first Cossacks arrived in the Ural Mountains. They met a group of "Old People" who lived there. These Old People didn't understand how valuable gold was. The Cossacks decided they wanted to take over the lands of the Old People. A mysterious female creature from Ural folklore, known as the Azov Girl (Russian: Азовка, tr. Azovka), is also a key part of the story.

The story was translated into English several times. Alan Moray Williams translated it in 1944, and Eve Manning translated it in the 1950s. The composer Alexey Muravlev even created a symphonic poem called Mount Azov in 1949, based on this tale. The story is told by an imaginary old man named Grandpa Slyshko (Russian: Дед Слышко, tr. Ded Slyshko, meaning "Old Man Listenhere").

When Was "Beloved Name" Published?

This skaz was first published in 1936. It appeared in the 11th issue of the Krasnaya Nov literary magazine. Two other stories by Bazhov, "The Mistress of the Copper Mountain" and "The Great Snake", were also in the same issue.

These early tales were very close to the original folk stories of the Ural miners. They were soon included in a book called Prerevolutionary Folklore of the Urals. Later, on January 28, 1939, "Beloved Name" became part of the popular The Malachite Casket collection.

The story was first translated into English in 1944 by Alan Moray Williams. It was published in a collection called The Malachite Casket: Tales from the Urals. Another English translation was made by Eve Manning in the 1950s.

What Is the Story About?

The tale begins with the "Old People" living peacefully in the mountains. They don't know that gold is valuable. Their children play with shiny gemstones. Hunters even use gold nuggets to hunt animals. They only mine a little copper to make tools like axes and cooking pots. Mostly, they live by hunting, beekeeping, and fishing.

The story describes them:

They weren't Russians and they weren't Tatars, but how they were named and what was their faith and belief no one knows. They lived there in the forest. They were the Old People. They hadn't any houses or outbuildings like bath-house or shed, none of that at all, and they didn't live in a village. They lived in the hills.

One day, a famous leader named Yermak Timofeyevich arrives in the area with his Cossacks. The Cossacks bring weapons and scare the Old People. The Old People hide in a cave inside Mount Azov. The Cossacks are not friendly; they cause trouble and decide to take the Old People's land and gold.

One Cossack tries to stop his group, but he gets hurt. He goes to Mount Azov to warn the Old People. The elder's daughter, a tall and beautiful girl, tries to help him get better. The Cossack stays in the cave, eats their food, and learns their language. He starts to like the girl, but he doesn't feel any better.

He tells the Old People to bury their gold. He also advises them to collect all their gemstones and hide them inside Mount Azov. They start gathering the gold nuggets and gemstones and carrying them into the mountain. Other Old People stand guard on a hill called Dumnaya.

Unfortunately, news about the gold spreads. More and more Cossack groups arrive. The Old People ask the wounded Cossack for advice. He is dying on top of Dumnaya, with the girl by his side. They talk for three days.

Finally, the Old People decide to leave the area. They offer to take the Cossack with them, but he refuses. He explains that he feels death is near. The girl, who has fallen in love with him, decides to stay with him. The man tells her:

A time will come in our land where there will be no more merchants or Tsar, and even their names will be forgotten. Folks hereabouts will grow tall and strong, and one of these will [...] loudly call your dear name. When that day comes, bury me in the ground and go to him with a brave gay heart. For he will be your mate. And when that day comes, let them take all the gold, if indeed those folks have use for it.

Then he dies. At that moment, Mount Azov "closes," trapping the girl inside. The story ends by saying that the Cossack's body is still in the cave with the treasures. The beautiful girl is also there, always crying and never getting older. People who try to enter the cave or guess the girl's name always fail.

Who Were the Old People?

Many believe the tale of the Old People comes from Finno-Ugric groups. These were likely the first people to live in the Ural Mountains. When Russians arrived, some of these groups moved towards the Baltic Sea. Others blended into the new culture, sharing their folk stories.

According to Alexander Vernikov, these Finno-Ugric "ancient" people were not greedy or warlike. They were believed to be strong giants who lived by hunting and fishing. This belief was very common among the people of the Urals.

Who Is the Azov Girl?

The skaz features a female character from local folk tales called Azovka, or Devka Azovka (meaning "the Azov girl"). She is named after Mount Azov. In the folk stories of the Ural Mountains in Russia, she is a girl who lives inside Mount Azov. Many tales, over 20, have been collected about her. She is one of the few folk characters still remembered in the region.

Even though the actual folk tales about Azovka are different, they share some common ideas. They often mention a cave inside Mount Azov with hidden treasures. Few people have found it, and no one could get the treasures. These treasures are said to belong to the Tatars, the Bashkirs, or "the Old People."

Most people believe Azovka is an enchanted girl. She might have been taken by the Tatars or be a cursed Tatar princess. She lives inside the cave or mountain and is often heard crying. People believed she was left to guard some treasures.

One tale says that if someone finds her cave and their name is the same as hers, her curse will be lifted. Another story says she ran away from a landlord who wanted to marry her and hid in the cave. Yet another tale says "the Old People" left her to guard their treasures. She was sometimes seen as their queen or the elder's daughter.

Some stories say a spirit lives in the mountain with her and scares people away. People were afraid to go near Mount Azov. They thought Azovka could enchant someone and make them get lost. In many folk tales, the Mistress of the Copper Mountain and Azovka are seen as the same character. The Mistress might have become more famous later, in the same areas where Azovka was known before.