The Tale of Vasilisa. The Heroine's Journey, the Skull-Groom, and the Wonderful Transformation

A guide to the archetypes and symbols that hide behind the images of Vasilisa, the mysterious horsemen, the skull with burning eyes, and Baba Yaga.

Vasilisa the Beautiful is the very girl with the skull-lantern from the famous Bilibin illustration. She... has become the most recognizable fairy tale heroine of our time.

In this book, Vasilisa's journey is explored from two perspectives. Firstly, according to the theory of V. Y. Propp, with numerous parallels in folklore and folk customs. Secondly, from the perspective of Jungian psychology and the theory of archetypes: the death of the 'good mother,' encounters in the dark forest, challenges from Yaga, respect for the Mystery, liberation from the power of the Shadow. In this context, the plot and images of the tale turn out to be a reflection of the processes occurring in the human psyche.

Folklorist and psychologist Vladimir Ryabov invites us to look deeply into the tale and see in it a universal story of inner transformation. To discover what this story can tell about ourselves.