Scary Tales

Vladimir Dahl (1801—1872) is primarily known as the author of the fundamental "Explanatory Dictionary of the Living Great Russian Language," but his research in Russian folklore is no less important for Russian culture. The confrontations between man and evil forces hold a special place in Dahl's work. He repeatedly turned to this theme and did so so skillfully that it even inspired admiration in Nikolai Gogol! This book collects the scariest stories from Russian folklore about evil spirits: brownies and mermaids, witches and healers, werewolves and sea dwellers, treasures and ghosts, frenzies and conspiracies, divination and curses — all of this is reflected in the fairy tales, epics, and parables of Russia, which can be collectively termed as "scary."