K76B. Serpent Son. 11.15.19.-.24.26.-.33.37.38.

The son or adopter of the spouses is a snake. He turns into a person, usually marrying a high-status girl.

Zulu, Tsonga, Isanzu, Sandave, Sicilians, Italians (Umbria, Campania, Abruzzo, Basilicata), Maltese, Corsicans, San Cristobal, Western Samoa, Bellona, Kirati, Tibetans, Arakans, Ancient India (Panchatantra), Kashmiris, Assamese, Bengalis, Timor, Koreans, Chinese (Guangdong, Hubei, Zhejiang), Albanians, Serbs, Bulgarians, Hungarians, Moldovans, Greeks, Poles, Western Ukrainians (Podolia ), oriental (?) Ukrainians (Kiev), Kalmyks, Rutulans, Georgians, Armenians, Kurds, Persians, Swedes, Karelians, Lutsies, Maris, Bashkirs, Kazakhs, Udege, Japanese.

Bantu-speaking Africa. Zulu [the chief's wife gives birth, the other takes the child in her arms, he dies immediately; so three times; the fourth time a snake son Mamba is born; the rival gives birth to a boy Nsimba; all girls want to marry N. he takes Nhlamvu-yobuhlala; her sister Nhlamwu-yetusi chooses M., although N. would like to take her; Nhlamvu-yetushi gets used to M., pulls his snakeskin off him, he turns out to be handsome; his mother hid it in the skin of a snake so that his rival does not kill him; for a while M. pulls his skin again when he goes out to people, then appears as a human being, triumphs]: Snegirev 1937:172-178; tsonga [in The river has almost no water, but Timba always brings a vessel full of clean water; says she is getting married; her fiancé is a serpent, the owner of the river; he sends her father cattle as a ransom and tells T. nothing do not be afraid; the river is filled with water; T. finds himself in the house at the bottom and then back on the ground, the serpent turns into a mighty leader; the sorcerer turned him into a snake for a while until he finds a girl who is not I would be afraid to go with him; now he must conquer the kingdom; they come to the possession of Volha-Volha, who orders to kill all black newborns; only copper-colored skin remain; former snakes kill BB, rivers fill with water]: Bouthill, Drake 1908, No. 8-9:80-114; isanza [woman rejects various animal suitors, marries Elephant; he turns out to be human; she carries him in lunch field; on the way, the Serpent invites her to have sex, eats part of the food; the woman explains to her husband that she has met a relative; so every day; one person sees it, says to her husband; they summoned the Snake with that song , whom the woman summoned him, was killed; his wife brings a vessel full of food for the first time; the husband says he took out antelope meat; when his wife ate, he explains that she ate her lover; she gives birth to snakes; husband kills five, the sixth hides; six months later he goes out, calls the Elephant his father, asks for a bow; asks him to find a bride; five sisters refuse, the youngest sixth marries the Snake; at night he turns into a human being; the mother advises her daughter to throw snakeskin into the fire; the husband receives human clothes from his mother; the sisters' husbands are surprised at their new son-in-law; the sisters lead the youngest to buy firewood, pushed into the well; the eldest took the place of the youngest in front of her husband; the firewood collector hears a voice from the well; parents pull out and treat the youngest daughter; the father kills the eldest with an ax]: Kohl-Larsen, Allensbach 1937, No. 47:61-66.

Sudan - East Africa. Sandave [every time a woman gives birth not to a child, but a big snake, throws it into the grass; she raised the latter; the serpent hunts, brings game to her mother; says that it was in vain that she killed his brothers and sisters; a girl came, took a snake as her husband; the mother saw: the son threw off his snakeskin and sleeps with his wife like a man; the mother threw her skin into the fire, the son remained human]: Arnold 1984:194-196.

Southern Europe. Sicilians [a childless queen wants a child, even a snake (scursuni is a black venomous snake); gives birth to a snake son; he grows up, sends a mother for a bride; a weaver gives her daughter; at night Prince Skurtsuni comes out of snakeskin; when he learns that the bride is the daughter of a weaver, he climbs back into the skin, bites the girl to death; the same with the locksmith's daughter; the stepmother of the shoemaker's daughter wants to get rid of her, sends the wife is a snake; but the girl says that she is a rich princess; gives birth to a child, hides it from her parents; the queen hears a lullaby, the daughter confesses; the serpent says that his skin should be burned at the same time how to put his wife's woven clothes on him; it succeeds; the wife admits that she is not a princess, but that doesn't matter]: Gonzenbach 2004a [1870], No. 19:123-129; Italians (Naples) [childless peasant Sees a snake and laments the absence of a son; the serpent offers himself as a son; the serpent grew up and told his father to marry him a princess; the king demands that all the fruits in his garden be golden; the serpent fulfills; Let the fence and land of the park become gems - the same; the golden palace is the same; the serpent received Princess Grannonia; in marriage he threw off his snakeskin; the king and queen peeked, threw skin at fire; the young man became a dove, hit the glass and got hurt; the fox to the princess: we must anoint the wounds with the blood of the birds that told about the snake prince; the fox brought a bottle of bird blood, but ran away, because she was also needed blood; G. persuaded her not to be afraid, killed her, took her blood; when she came to the prince's country, made him healthy again; G. opened up to a prince who did not recognize her at first; wedding]: Basile 2018:199-207; Italians (Umbria, Campania, Abruzzo, Basilicata): Cirese, Serafini 1975, No. 433:103; Maltese [queen gives birth to a snake; stepdaughter is told to feed him; on the advice of a late mother, on whose grave the girl sheds tears, she puts a cup of sweetened milk on her chest; the snake has grown up, demands a wife; several newlyweds are strangled; the stepdaughter remains alive and disagrees with the prince; at night he was made human; teaches that you can't light lights and make noise in the city for three days; the wife burns seven snake skins, which he successively drops]: Mifsud-Chircop 1978, No. 433b: 119-121; Corsicans [A childless woman finally gave birth, but her son is a snake; when he grew up, she asks him to marry; the mother brings the poor girl, the son tells her to be taken back; the richer is the same; from a good family; the wife is happy: at night, the husband becomes handsome; warns that if the wife talks, she will have to wear out her iron shoes and fill the vessel with tears before she sees him again; the mother asks her daughter-in-law and that confesses; the husband has disappeared; the old woman gives his wife a snake walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts; they contain a golden spindle, a tow, a spinning wheel; the wife buys them from his new wife for three nights; in the third, the husband does not drink a sleepy potion, gets to know his wife; all is well]: Massignon 1984, No. 86:190-191.

Melanesia. San Cristobal (Ugi island near the main island) [a woman finds a short fat snake, brought it home; the snake cries, the woman offers "her son" all kinds of food; when asked, not Whether he wants a wife, he says what he wants; she and her husband buy the eldest of two sisters for their son; that snake does not like it, she sticks him in the water with a stick; parents return her, buy the youngest one; she treats the snake well; the snake removes the skin, becomes human, catches fish; each time answers what someone has brought; parents spy, burn the skin; seeing the handsome husband of the younger sister, the elder asks them to make her even a maid, but they refuse; the eldest hangs up]: Coombe 197:242-244.

Micronesia-Polynesia. Western Samoa [Tafitofau and his wife Ongofau had a snake; grew up, filled the entire hut; the daughter of a poor woman married him; brought him in a basket to the shore; the serpent became a young man, wife At first she rejected him, thinking he was not her husband; the couple were happy]: Permyakov 1970, No. 156:389-391; Bellona: Elbert, Monberg 1965, No. 51 [a woman gave birth to a snake; asked Sina to cook for him food basket; S. threw the snake's food, left; the snake's mother cut it into pieces, a man arose from them; S. sent a mouse to find out what the noise was, she came back, said that this man was handsome; S. went to where he was metal darts with her brothers, became his wife; her husband did not allow her to look for insects on half of his head; when he fell asleep, S. saw that there was snakeskin, ran away; the husband woke up to see that S. was not there, threw himself into the sea, became a snake], 51A [about (51)]: 144-145, 146-148.

Tibet is the Northeast of India. Tibetans [spouses are childless and quarreling; a snake crawled into her husband's bag; crawled home and then became a boy named Tsarong; grew up quickly, but most of the time was in the form of a snake; tells his father to marry him the royal daughter; filled the spring with a huge stone; as soon as the king agreed, the stone rolled back; C. richly endowed everyone in the palace, Princess Drolma moved to the old people's house; they went to the fair, where they saw a young man on a white horse; a woman told her daughter-in-law that it was her husband; she burned snakeskin; Ts.: you broke the curse; everything is fine]: Komissarov 1997:52-55; kirati [poor the old woman went to the forest, and there was a serpent in her shoulder basket; she tried to drive him away, kill him, he told him to take him home; in her absence, someone cooks, she realizes that it is a snake; he says who will follow the princess's wife; tells me to close his eyes until he climbs to the top of the mountain; the old woman opens her eyes earlier, the serpent is immediately next to her again; the second time she crawls over the mountain; the palace crawls into a mortar, calls the king; only the youngest and most beautiful of the five daughters finds out where the voice comes from; the king refuses to give the serpent his daughter; then he cries - the rain causes flooding; the king promises but refuses her words; the serpent laughs, the drought hits the kingdom; the king agrees to give his daughter; only the youngest agrees; the king tells her to throw a piece of iron, an iron stick at the serpent's head on the way; the serpent: why do you throw your spindle; pin; the old woman and the princess liked each other at home; the snake creates a palace; the princess and the old woman go to the party; decide to return unnoticed; the old woman sees that the snake has taken off leather, became a prince; the princess grabs it, the old woman wants to burn her skin; the prince tells me not to do this; jewelry falls out of the skin, then courtiers, servants, and people come out; with luxurious gifts the spouses come to the princess's father; the older sister tries on the younger sister's clothes and jewelry, asks what to give the child, if he wants to eat, cow dung; what to do if he gets dirty, call the dog; persuades his father to stay and her husband to leave; he realizes that his wife will be killed but cannot do anything; the older sister accompanies the youngest in the waterless area; she rushes at the lake drink, her eldest drowns her; in her guise she comes home; the old woman understood the deception only when the imaginary daughter-in-law gave the child manure, etc.; the husband went to the lake, caught and burned his wife's corpse; a bird arrives from the lake, turns to the baby; the husband realizes that this is a transformed wife; the next day he caught her with bird glue, put her in a cage; the imaginary wife killed and fried the bird, said that she fed her son; husband killed the child, locked himself in his room, began to conjure; opened the chest with his wife and son alive; sent the liar to her father]: Heunemann 1980, No. 1:19-33.

Burma - Indochina. The Arakan people [after living many lives in heaven, the celestial is punished: he must live as a snake on a fig tree for three months; the laundress and his wife have daughters Shwê Kyên and Dwê Pyâ; mother I washed under a fig tree, jokingly said: I'll give the DP if you throw off my figs; the snake called them to their house; at the fork she regretted her words, asked the stump to remain silent, gave him a fig; the same with an anthill; the stump answered the snake that he did not see anything, but the serpent saw a fig and understood everything, I had to say it; the same anthill; the serpent wrapped around the woman's hand, the mother told DP to go with the snake; once the zmnya was summoned to a meeting of gods; the wife found empty skin, decided that her husband was dead; in order not to make a fuss, the skin was burned; the serpent appeared when it felt the fire; remained human; the Virgin herself gave the former snake a wand that fulfilled wishes ; warned that snake blood should not touch him, otherwise he would become a snake again; the SC became jealous of DP, pushed her into the river and took its place; she was caught and brought to the nest by an eagle, where she gave birth to a son; The snake prince heard voices, took his wife and child, giving the eagle a lot of fish for it; put his wife in a chest and gave it to his imaginary wife who came out to meet him; when he opened it, the SC was disgraced; asked the father to and she got a snake as her husband; in bed, the boa constrictor began to swallow HK; the father refused to come to the rescue; DP begged the prince to kill the boa constrictor, who cut him, but a drop of blood fell on him, he became a snake himself and crawled into forest; DP followed him; {'to be continued, 'but it's not in the next issue}]: Houghton 1893b, No. 1:98-102.

South Asia. Ancient India (Panchatantra) [the girl married a snake with the consent of others; at night he turned into a man, explained that he was a real husband; Serpent's father, a brahman, threw a snake's body into the fire in the morning showed his son to people]: Syrkin 1962:175-176; Kashmiris {apparently the same source text in different publications}: Knowles 1888 [The brahman has an absurd wife; he decided to leave home, but by the spring in his A snake crawled the bag and he decided to take the bag to his wife - let the snake bite her; however, the snake became a beautiful boy and the brahmana and his wife no longer quarreled; the young man grew up, his name was Nágray, he must to swim in clear water; for this purpose, a snake penetrates the fence of the Raja Garden; Raja Hímál's daughter saw him and fell in love; told her father to marry her N.; N. appeared with a wealthy retinue, built a palace; but his naked wives wanted him back; one persuaded H. to check which caste her husband was from; to do this, he must dive into the source; he did it and the nagas dragged him back into their world; H. built the caravanserai and began to feed the poor there; a beggar and his daughter told how he saw the king and his army at the spring at night; then the army returned to the spring, and the king lamented his fate; H. ordered take her to this spring; hugged N.; he turned her into a pebble, took her into the world of the naked; the naked wives told her to warm the milk for the snakes; but H. accidentally knocked on the vessel while the milk was still hot; snakes they drank and died; the naked killed her; the hermit asked Narayana to revive her; N. crawled in the form of a snake to H. while she was sleeping in the hermit's house, and his son killed the snake, not knowing that it was N.; N.'s body was burned and H. the widow burned down with him; the hermit hears two birds talking, Shiva and Parvati took their form: the ashes must be thrown into the spring, N. and H. will come to life; and so it happened; N. and H. began to live near the spring]: 491-504 ; Sadhu 2002, No. 8 [Poor Brahmana Soda Ram has an absurd wife; when he saw a snake crawl into his bag, he brought the bag to his wife hoping that the snake would bite her; but the snake did not bite him, but turned into a boy Nagrail; he grew up, entered Princess Himal's garden like a snake, became a young man again, swam in her pool; H. fell in love, told her father to marry her N.; N. created a palace and appeared in luxurious clothes; his snake wives they want to bring him back to the lower world; one sold H. flowers, but N. understood the trick; another said that N. was from the lower caste; to check, you had to bathe him in milk; the brahmana would sink to the bottom, and the paver the streets will pop up; N.'s wife grabs N. by her hair, when it's too late, only a piece of hair remains in her hand, his snake wives took him away; one person sees the inhabitants of the lower world coming to the shore of the forest pond feasting, N. among them; brings H. there; she refuses to leave N.; he turned her into a pebble, brought her to the lower world; the wives promised not to touch H.; she was allowed to boil milk; she knocked over a vessel of boiling milk; the snakes decided that their name was, scalded to death; the wives bit H. to death; N. embalmed the body, left it on the shore; the holy man revived her, brought her to him; his son wants to marry her; N. crawled like a snake, her son, knowing nothing, killed her; H. went to N.'s funeral pyre; the saint heard two birds talking: the ashes must be thrown into the pond, the dead will be reborn; so it happened, everything is fine]: 23-26; Assamese [two wives, the eldest lover, both have daughters; Champavati is the youngest's daughter; a voice answers her from the forest; her father promises to pass her off as someone in the forest; this is a boa constrictor; C. returns the morning after the wedding with lots of ornaments; the eldest wife tells her husband to pass her daughter off as a boa constrictor; at night he swallowed the bride; father and stepmother want to kill C., but the boa constrictor swallowed them too, took the wife and her mother to their palace; mother died, the beggar persuaded C. to burn snakeskin; the husband feels the fire, but C. rubbed it with oil; then the beggar persuades her to ask her husband to open his mouth wide: she will see the whole world there; husband: you want me or the world? C.: the world; she sees the world, but her husband leaves her for 6 years; that beggar is the servant of his demonic mother; his ring will protect C.; the demoness sends C. to another demoness with a letter asking him to kill C.; the son killed demonic mother]: Goswami 1960:91-93; Bengalis [the king is concerned about the absence of an heir; fearing a rival, Rani says she is pregnant; but she found out in a dream that the future son will die right away, as soon as the king looked at him; the king moved Rani to a separate palace, and Rani let him hear the baby, whom the maid had just given birth to; later agreed with the teacher whom the king had sent to teach imaginary son; when the imaginary prince was scheduled to marry, Rani placed a wax figure in the palanquin; at a stop on the way to the bride's house, a snake crawled into the palanquin and revived the figure; when he saw the prince, the father hugged him; after the wedding, the princess asks her mother-in-law to tell her about her husband, but she advises to ask him himself; the prince asks his wife not to insist - the less she knows, the better; begins to turn into a snake; the princess insists that the prince became a cobra, disappeared into the water; the princess decided not to return, came to the poor woman; the king believes that her son is missing because he looked at him; while at this time, the poor woman's house in the evenings, snakes began to crawl, lay down at the princess's feet; she fell ill; the snake crawled into the room, threw off his snakeskin and became human; at that time the king came to spy, threw his skin into the fire; everyone is happy]: Devi 1915:20-28; Sinhalese [spouses bring pumpkin, covered it with pots, it shook, python in a pumpkin; marry his wife; six sisters refuse, the youngest seventh agrees; says she has nowhere lie down, the python consistently releases the seven beds on which she lay; the girl does everything wrong (she sprinkles rice not into the pot, but outside, etc.); by doing so she provokes the python, he explains how to do it; everyone goes to the temple with her husbands; python takes off his skin, comes in the guise of a man, his wife recognizes him, runs home, burns his skin; now the older sisters want him to be husbands, the youngest drives them; the oldest asks the father bring her another python from her husband; at night he eats her]: Parker 1914b, No. 163:401-405 (translated to Volkhonsky, Solntseva 1985, No. 62:127-130).

Malaysia-Indonesia. Timor {Austronesians?} [the princess gives birth to a monkey son; he saves ants, a cat, a dog, a snake from the river; the snake tells her father to ask only a snake's tail as a reward; the youngest daughter of another leader agrees to marry the Monkey, more precisely, move to his mother's house; mother-in-law and daughter-in-law go to a party, see an unknown handsome man; return home earlier, find, burn monkey skin; the young man is glad to be freed from witchcraft; the wife's envious sisters steal the snake tail, the source of the young man's magical abilities; ants, rat, cat, find and return it; the dog takes it away, brings it; the young man wants to punish the cat, reward the dog; the cat tells us what's going on; since then cats have been kept in the house and dogs only in the yard]: Correia 1973:147-153.

China - Korea. Koreans: Shkurkin 1941 [two options; a snake is born in the family; asks his parents to marry him; the older, middle sisters refuse, the youngest agrees; diving into oil, millet, ash, etc. snakes turns into a young man; sisters who refuse him scold each other]: 127-134; Choi 1979, No. 200 [a woman has given birth to a snake son; he wants to marry a rich man's daughter; the eldest and middle reject him, the youngest agrees; at night, he removes snakeskin, tells his wife not to show others, not to burn; sisters burn out of envy; the husband disappears, the wife goes in search; plows for the man, washes for the woman, they show the way; in In the Dragon Kingdom, her husband has two wives; he will take the one who 1) brings three eyebrows to a live tiger (two wives bring cats, earthly wife receives real tiger mothers): 2) bring grapes in winter; safe return of the spouses; var.: The snake son tells the mother to marry the minister's daughter, otherwise he threatens to return to her bosom with a knife and burning smut; after returning home, the spouses fly away on a crane to heaven]: 57; Chinese: Eberhard 1937, No. 31 (Guangdong, Hubei, Zhejiang, Sichuan, Shandong) [Serpent (Dragon, Wolf, Spirit, etc.; snakes only in Guangdong, Hubei and Zhejiang) makes a person give him a daughter; only the youngest agrees, is happy and rich; the other pushes her into a well, takes her place; the youngest turns into a bird, is killed, eaten; the husband likes the meat, the wife does not; the youngest turns into wood or bamboo, the eldest tells it to be cut down; eventually the eldest is executed or commits suicide]: 47-52; Fielde 1893 (Guangdong) [the man has three daughters; he went to collect flowers for them; snakes: why Are you tearing flowers in my garden? let go for promising to give him one of his daughters; the eldest, middle, refused, the youngest agreed; a wasp flew in, told her to go, her sisters kicked her out; the next day two wasps, every day a wasp more, the youngest had to go; there was a palace; she got used to the boa constrictor; drought came, she went to get water, and when she came, the boa constrictor was dying of thirst; she threw it into the water, the spell broke, he became handsome; together with her husband daughter visited her parents' home]: 45-51.

The Balkans. Albanians: Samoilov 1958 [After 9 years of infertile marriage, the couple has a snake son; the father learns from a healer that his scream means a desire to marry the queen; he orders to pave the way gold, let trees around the edges; The serpent gives land, an apple, must be dried out, thrown on the road, everything appears; at night after the wedding, he takes off his snakeskin, turns into a young man; mother throws her skin into the fire; son shouts that she burned his soul, that there will be two grandchildren left, one will bring them happiness, the other misfortune to their neighbors (text ends)]: 221-225; Serkova 1989 [a childless old woman finds a snake, raises like a son; he tells him to marry him the king's daughter; the old woman is lowered down the stairs twice, the Serpent heals her with a magic ring; for the third time, the king demands to build a palace overnight, lay the road with velvet, and appear with retinue; The serpent gets a wife, sheds his snakeskin at night, says his name is Speite, forbids talking about his transformation; the wife tells his mother, S. disappears; the wife goes looking for him, wearing iron shoes, comes to the mother of the Sun, she first hides her from her son, the Sun promises not to eat what has come, refers her to the Moon, she refers her to the Wind, who says that S. kidnapped the monster, carries her overseas; there is a monster brings his wife S. to his palace; S. throws a ring into the jug, the wife finds out that her husband is nearby; the monster demands that his wife Sh. 1) the house be swept in places, not in some places, 2) fill two cauldrons with tears (Sh. advises to fill it with salt water); S. pretends to be a woodcutter and a carpenter, tells the monster that he makes a coffin for the deceased S., asks him to try it on, bobs up, burns; S. and his wife return to forever people]: 21-31; Serbs [the queen asks God for a son, even a snake; 22 years later, the serpent asked him to marry any girl; his parents offered him to choose himself; he pointed to the poor girl; my wife is soon pregnant; my mother-in-law persuaded her to confess: at night, snakes become handsome; mother-in-law advised me to take the skin at night and give it to her through the window; burned her skin; husband: you will see me when you foot iron shoes and an iron staff; and you can give birth when I forgive you; my wife has been pregnant for three years; went in search; came to the mother of the Sun Girl; she hid her; the Sun feels the human spirit; the Sun sent by the Month; the mother of the Sun gave a golden spinning wheel; the same; the Month sent to the Wind; the mother of the Month gave a golden hen with chickens; Wind: your husband is king in another kingdom, married; the mother of the Wind gave golden loom; Wind: lay out your gifts in front of the palace; gives them to the queen three nights in turn with her husband; she gives her husband a sleepy potion; on the third night, the servant told the king, who quietly poured out the potion; the wife gave birth to a boy with golden hands and hair; all three of them returned to their country]: Karadzic 1854, No. 10:81-89 (=Eschker 1992, No. 4:34-40); Bulgarians: Daskalova-Perkovska et al. 1994, № 425A [childless elderly spouses find and raise a snake (smok, pumpkin) as a son, or a childless woman asks for a child, gives birth to a snake (smok, puppy, pumpkin); the son grows up, demands a wife princess, carries out the king's difficult assignments (to build a palace, road, bridge, church overnight); at night, the groom appears to be a handsome bride; the bride burns the animal's skin or reveals the groom's secret ; the magical husband disappears; the (pregnant) wife goes to look for him, wearing iron shoes; along the way, three old women (mothers of the Sun, Month, Wind) give advice and gifts (golden apple, chicken with chickens, spinning wheel- self-hardy); for them she gets the right to spend one night with her husband; he recognizes her, marriage is restored]: 145-146; Stoynev 2006 [a childless woman asks God to give birth to at least a snake; a snake was born, grew up, asked the king's daughter Denitsa as his wife; on the wedding night, his mother saw through the keyhole that the serpent had become a young man; St. Peter and St. Maria, and Denitsa served them; the bride became Denitsa, her fiancé became the Evening Star (Yunak)]: 141; Hungarians: Ortutai 1974, No. 2 [the childless queen agrees to give birth to even a snake; and gives birth; the snake has grown, tells him to marry the queen; at night he is handsome, during the day he is a snake; the witch advises to burn his skin; the husband disappears, leaving a nut rod; when he turns green and bears fruit, then go look for him; the wife does not will be relieved of the burden until her husband hugs her again; the wife comes to the old woman, she sends her to her middle sister, the middle sister to the eldest; their sons Month, Sun, Wind; each gives a gold spindle, a forearm, ball; The wind carries to the castle; for three items, the wife buys three nights with her husband from the local queen; she sprinkles sleeping pills into the wine twice, and the third time the servant did not put it; the wife immediately gave birth to twins; the local queen was torn apart by horses]: 72-92; Dégh 1990 (synopsis of Hungarian versions) [the royal couple (living in a castle) are childless, want a child, even if it is a snake; sometimes a son is born in the form of the snake because of the witchcraft of a witch; the serpent grows up and demands that the princess be married to him; two express their disgust, are killed by a snake; the third is good; at night the serpent turns into a prince; the wife is pregnant; the village the witch or mother-in-law advises to burn the snake skin; the prince grieves that his wife did not wait for the spell to expire, disappears; the wife will find it when she plants wheat seeds and chestnuts, irrigates them with her with tears, she will bake bread and a cake from ripe chestnuts; it will take 7 years and she will travel for another 7 years in search of her husband; her husband girds her with an iron hoop: she will not be born until he touches her with his hand belly; wife: no one will wash the blood stains on your shirt but me; some sisters feel sorry for the girl, their sons Sun, Month and Wind show her the way; she gets a golden spindle, a spinning rod and yarn; her husband is married to another princess, hunts all day; the girl is hired as a laundress; for three gold items she buys 3 nights with a prince, but the first days he is intoxicated with sleeping pills and she can't get to him ; on the third evening, the servant tells him what he saw and heard, the prince pouring out wine; the wife gives birth to a gold-haired boy or twins; they are 7 years old, they are playing in the couple's bedroom; the new wife (and her mother -witch) punished; the old key found is better than the new one]: 49-50; Jones, Kropf 1889 [the poor man has 12 children; he went to the forest for firewood; a snake crawled out of the stump, he brought it home; during the meal, the serpent also asks him pour soup; then go to the cellar to buy bread; the man knows that the cellar is empty, but he still goes; there is a lot of food and treasures; the serpent asks to marry him a princess; the king demands a bag the size of a man filled with gold; the king gave his daughter, but told her to live with the snake in the chicken coop; the serpent became human because the spell broke; after becoming a dove, he flew to his parents; returned to his wife; everything is fine]: 282-287; Moldovans [a childless old woman asks her husband to find her a baby; he brings a snake, the snake grows; gets the name Stan Polozan; tells him to study; the old man asks to save his goat from the wolf, SP killed wolf; the old man indicates who teaches wisdom; when the father goes for his son a year later, let him go to him; but the old man forgot to go in; could not identify his son among three pigeons; dogs; in the third year he remembered; the old man teaches to identify his son among three horses - the middle one, he will immediately turn into a young man; on the way home, he tells him to sell him to the boyar when he turns into a greyhound dog; next time he turned into a horse and ordered him to sell without a bridle; the daughter of an innkeeper, whose purchase was being washed, let go of the horse, which flew away as a dove, the boyar chased the falcon; the pigeon turned into a wheat field, the falcon into a reaper; the wheat became a loaf, that ended up in the oven; the falcon became a poker, pulled out a loaf; the loaf crumbled in poppy seeds, the poker became a lark, began to bite the seeds; the poppy became a cat, swallowed the lark, one feather left, became a wolf; the cat jumped a golden ring on the finger of the innkeeper's daughter; she screamed, people with axes drove the wolf away; the ring turned into a boy; when he entered his parents' home, he became a snake again; the girl ordered to throw off the snakeskin, the SP did so; the skin thrown out of the window grew a palace; wedding]: Botezat 1971:300-304; Greeks (Asia Minor) [the old woman's son went to the mountains for firewood, a snake She ordered him to be taken, filled the jug with gold; asked the princess to be married to him; the king demanded that a palace be created; the serpent created and became human after the wedding]: Dawkins 1916:555.

Central Europe. Poles [(many records); as a result of a rash wish or spell, a snake son is born in the family; at night he takes on a human form; the girl promises to marry him or promises to give her father (as payment for a flower picked for her); a girl removes the spell from her snake husband (dwarf, bear, wolf, donkey, boar, hedgehog, toad, bird) - burns skin, cuts off her head, etc.; because the fact that the skin was burned ahead of time (because of the machinations of his wife's sisters, etc.), the husband disappears; when going in search, the wife must wear out her iron shoes; receives magic objects from the old woman; from winds and stars finds out where to go, climbs a glass mountain; buys three nights with her husband for three valuable items, returns him]: Krzyżanowski 1947, No. 325:70-71; Ukrainians (Podolia) [grandfather and woman went to the forest to buy firewood; sat down to eat, picking up the crumbs; they brought him home; a year later he tells him to marry the princess; the king suggests that the groom jump up to the princess sitting on the third floor and take she has a sign; I went to the forest, chipped in well done, sat on a horse, got a ring (? signal) princesses; the king threw a signal into the sea - let him get it; he got it from the bottom; the princess agrees; after a while the king calls the young to a feast; he has already thrown off his skin, came to the feast; the princess quietly returned home and burned her skin; the husband ran, hit his wife in the face, blood sprayed on his shirt; left, saying that he was no longer her husband; the wife went in search; on the way she bought a gold tow from a woman, the other has a reel, the third has a golden hen with chickens; the girls ask if she will wipe the blood off their owner's shirt; it was easily erased; hired to herd geese; she began to spin a golden tow in sight; the new wife bought for permission to spend one night with her husband; gave him sleeping pills; the same the next day (reel); on the third night (hen with chickens), the wife pricked her husband with a needle in the finger, he woke up ; the couple began to live happily, and the other wife was expelled]: Levchenko 1928, No. 481:326-328; Eastern (?) Ukrainians (western in Kiev) [healers tell the childless queen to catch and cook pike, eat her head; a year later, the queen gave birth to a snake; he immediately spoke; ordered the tsar to leave him in the stone house and through a month to marry; in a month it has become long; no girl agrees to go for a snake; the woman has 12 daughters, the youngest is single; when he found out that the youngest wanted to marry, the king summoned her and she agreed, but told her to give her 12 dresses, shirts, shoes; she is led to a snake; he demands to throw off her dress, she demands to throw off her skin; when the girl is left in her last shirt, she has shed her last skin and became human; she threw snakeskins into the fire; the serpent tells her parents not to tell her parents that he has become human; she said her husband is gone; she went to look for him; the mother of the Wind hides her from her son, who senses the spirit, but tells her to give it to the girl silver apple; came to the mother of the Month; the same (The Month tells me to give a golden apple); the mother of the Sun (the same, gives a diamond apple; her husband already has a different wife; we must take the form of an old woman, put a silver one an apple on a handkerchief and play with it; the girl sells it to his new wife overnight with her husband, but she put him to sleep; the same on the second day (the golden apple); on the third night the husband only pretended to be asleep; the new wife was smashed horses to pieces]: Rudchenko 1859, No. 43:81-85.

Caucasus - Asia Minor. Kalmyks [the old man brought wormwood for fuel, a snake was in the wormwood; grew up quickly, ordered the khan's daughter to be married; the old man came to the khan on a yellow-striped bull; they put a brand on the bull, an old man they tore him apart; the Serpent revived him, sent him again; the khan orders to build a golden door-to-door bridge, on the sides there is a bush with fruits, both houses have poplar to the stars; by morning everything is ready, the khan gave his daughter; husband, leaving the snakeskin to his wife, became a swan, flew to frolic with Hormust-Tengri's daughters; the wife hid the skin in her hair; the sister-in-law began to burn it, forced her to give her skin, burned it; the husband flew in uniform swan, said that he must now fly to the place where heaven and earth merged; the wife went there, taking two iron staffs, two (pairs?) iron sandals; the bird taught them to enter the iron palace, hug their husband; they had a son, they came to see the khan, the husband tortured the sister-in-law to death]: Basangova 2002:114-117; Rutultsy [saint The horn replies to the childless spouses that they once killed a snake and the snake mother condemned them to childlessness; they ask for at least a child in snake form; the spring promises a girl who will become at night turn into a snake; the spring promises to leave her human if someone loves her; she goes to someone else's wedding, an unknown young man tells her that he will marry her, even if she is a snake; she goes beyond he does not turn into a snake anymore]: Khalidova 2012, No. 110:138-139; Georgians [in old age, a childless woman gives birth to a snake; he orders to marry the king's daughter; he agrees if the groom guesses riddles asked by the neighboring aggressor king: 1) who is the mother in the herd and who is the children, 2) cut a thousand cubits of skin out of the pestle, 3) open the water in the waterless land; snake answers: after three days of thirst for a mare- the mother will be the first to light at the watering hole, 2) let the king send samples of leather carved from the pistil, 3) the water will flow if the oak is dug; after the wedding, the snakes become handsome; the king runs in, grabs snakeskin, the groom she flies away like a dove; by the sea the bride still caresses him, but he does not give it at all, remains a bird]: Kurdovanidze 1998 (1), No. 49:196-199; Armenians: Harutyunyan 2007 [the king sees a snake with snakes; complains to God that even a despicable snake has children but he does not; a son is born, half a snake; the king orders him to be thrown into a hole outside the city, on the advice of wise men, to feed girls; a daughter who lived with her stepmother The poor man had a dream that he should take jugs of milk, a knife, wrap himself in buffalo skin, go down to the hole; the snake tells her to get out of the buffalo's skin three times, she tells her to get out of the snake's skin; the junoa is out, a girl bathed him in milk; wedding]: 39-40; Khachatryants 1933 (Ararat Valley) [=Ganalanyan 1965:49-53; a brief retelling in Russel 2004b: 633-634; the king sees a snake playing with snakes, wants a child for himself; his wife gives birth to a snake, the king raises him, he turns into a vishapa, he is fed girls; the girl Arevakhat greets him, he turns into a young man, marries A.; she tells how her stepmother told him her hair was knocked; the spinning wheel fell into a crack in the rock; the old woman asked whose canopy was cleaner, whose head was cleaner, told her to wake up when the yellow water poured, not to wake up until it was black, red; dipped in yellow, at A. golden hair; she hides it under the skin of a ram; stepmother's daughter discovers golden curls; drops the spinning wheel; replies that her mother's head is cleaner than the canopy, not the old woman; she tells her to wake her up when the black one flows head; the girl turned black; the stepdaughter was expelled, but then the king's servants found her]: 143-149; Nazinyan 2014 [the old man brought firewood from the forest, there was a serpent in them; demanded that the king's daughter be married to him; the king demands Build a palace overnight, then a garden, a carpet from the palace to the palace, invisible musicians; every time the serpent tells the old man to go to the forest, shout into the hole "Big Khatun, Little Khatun, Habrmani wants this and that"; after the wedding of snakes, he becomes man H. at night, tells his wife not to let it slip; participates incognito in races; in response to the ridicule of the sisters, the wife says, H. falls, tells him to trample in 7 years iron bast shoes and a steel staff, then she will find it; disappears; H. is at the mercy of a witch, she wants to marry him off her daughter; the wife, having passed through an earthen, glass, copper fortress, reaches gold, her her bast shoes and staff are worn off; she throws her ring into the maid's jug, H. finds it; the witch asks her to stroke her feet and fall asleep in her legs; H. tells me to put a deck instead of herself, at night the witch gives with her foot; the witch tells me to bring fluff for the pillows, H. advises to ask the birds to drop their fluff; H. and his wife run away, the witch's daughter is chasing, they turn into a mill and a miller; a vegetable garden with a gardener; the third time the witch runs by herself, H. tells his wife to throw the comb, forests appear; H. turns his wife into a twig, herself into a snake wrapped around a branch; the witch found them, but took pity and let them go; H. s the princess is celebrating a new wedding in a new palace]: 106-116; the Kurds [the shepherd had a snake son; demanded that the father marry the daughter of the padishah; fulfills his conditions (bring a caravan of camels, build a palace, spread a carpet); at night she sheds snakeskin, turns into a handsome man; mother-in-law spies, throws his skin into the fire, the son-in-law flies away like a bird, the wife will find him if she hears about forty dervishes; A young man tells how he visited a sliding rock, where another young man poured water to forty dervishes; the wife finds her husband, reunites with him]: Jalil 1989, No. 16:203-207.

Iran - Central Asia. Persians [=Rosenfeld 1958:103-111; the dervish gives pomegranate to be eaten by the Shah's childless wife and the apple is the vizier's wife; the vizier gives pomegranate to his wife, she gives birth to daughter Bibi-Mehrnegar (B.), the Shah's wife - a son in the form of a black snake named Mirza Ustu-Humar (M.); the Shah orders the vizier to give his daughter for his son; at night, the serpent sheds his skin and becomes a young man; at the request of his father-in-law B. burns the skin when he learns that it is will burn in a fire from garlic husks and onions; M. says she will not find it before she wears out seven iron dresses, pairs of shoes, staffs, chews seven boxes of chewing gum; on the way she meets seven divas, throws each a box; throws a ring into a jug that the maid carries for M.; she pours water into M.'s palm, he recognizes the ring; to prevent his aunt from eating B., M. disguises it under the maid; opens it, taking a promise from the divas not to kill B.; the aunt demands 1) sweep the yard with a broom covered with pearls so that no one falls (M. fulfills); 2) water the yard with a sieve (same); 3) take the "play-dance" box to her aunt's brother, bring him "grab and plant"; on the way she opens the box, cannot put the dancers back; burns the hair, M. comes, puts it back, tells them to do it all contrary to the aunt's order; accordingly, B. throws straw to the horse, bones to the dog, calls the hole with mud and blood honey, opens the closed door, closes the open door, greets everyone, leaves one box, grabs another one, runs, doors, etc. refuse to detain her; M. marries her aunt's daughter, cuts off her head at night, B. says goodbye to all objects, forgets about the stone (a measure of weight); B. and M. run, the stone wakes up the aunt, she pursues; the fugitives throw 1) reed (reed thickets), 2) a needle (needle forest), 3) salt (salt marsh), 4) sea foam (sea); the aunt asks how they crossed; M. replies that stones; she steps on flakes of foam, sinks]: Ottomans 1958:15-24; Persians [a childless woodcutter wants to kill a snake, which promises to become his son Sabzkab ("green caftan"); orders to marry the ruler's daughter Shakarhava ("sweet wish"); he requires 70 bags of jewelry, etc., S. sends, receives his wife, takes off his snakeskin at night; warns her not to burn; otherwise, in order to return him, you will have to wear out 7 iron dresses, shoes, staffs; Sister S. came, threw her skin into the fire; S. goes in search; meets women, girls, everyone says that their father S. went to S. and disappeared, they would killed her; one girl carries water to S., S. throws a ring into the jug; S. meets Sh., tells him to venerate his diva mother's chest; mother-in-law tells him to pour tears on the floor (S. performs); wash the black bag white (dip it in water when white water flows); bring a sieve from her diva sister, she must tear Sh.; S.: there are bones in front of the horse, straw in front of the dog, must be shifted; put cotton wool in each the bell on the door; S. grabbed the sieve and ran away; at the wedding of the divas, S. and S. put hot candles in their arms, but they did not throw the candles; at night S. killed the bride and groom, ran with Sh. S. became a broom, S. became a rope; uncle (garden and gardener); father (mill and miller); mother (cypress and dragon); S. killed his mother, everything is fine]: Osmanov 1987:301-306; Romaskevich 1934a, No. 32 (Shiraz) []: 145-153.

Baltoscandia. Swedes [the man had seven fur coats; in the summer he took off one, and when he returned home, decided to wear it again, sent his eldest daughter to pick up the fur coat left outside; a snake lay on the fur coat, told him to sit on it and she refused to go; same with her middle daughter; the youngest agreed; they arrived in town, they were given a luxurious room, the snake wanted to lie next to the girl, but she told her to lie under the bed; the maid she brought the girl a dress like the moon; in the next city, the same dress as stars; in the third city, the girl allowed the snake to lie next to her, the snake became a prince; the maid brought another star dress; the king and the queen came in, recognized the son who was bewitched; wedding]: Stier 1971, No. 34:138-141; Karelians [the elderly have a son, the second head is a snake; a widow is nearby, she has three daughters; the son demands one of they were married; they brought the eldest, he ate her at night; the same with the middle one; the youngest ordered the blacksmith three iron bars and a hundred iron snares; before going to bed, she put a snare under every door and each with a window; began to beat the snakehead with twigs; he called demons, they climbed through windows and doors, died in snare; when all the bars were broken, the serpent turned into a dog; the wife refused to lie down with the dog, the husband became handsome; said he would be a dog during the day, a man at night; the wife broke the ban, told her parents everything; the dog husband ran away; the wife goes in search; her mother tells her to order three pairs of shoes, three staff, three swirls, all made of iron; shoes, staffs, swirls (they must be kept in your mouth) must be worn out; if you find your aunt (i.e. widow's sister), she will tell you what to do; aunt says that the husband is now married Suoyatar; she has three barns of linen and wool, she will ask her to spin, if she fails in two weeks, she will eat it; her aunt gives a pipe: girls will come to her sound, do the work; as a reward, ask S. for a night with her husband; it is necessary go to bed in the bathhouse, put five chicken eggs in the heater, run away; S. will answer eggs; girls spin at night, husband sees his wife, they negotiate; eggs answer S. until late in the morning; when she finally rushed in pursuit, the wife drew a line on the ground, she turned into a sword, cut off S.'s legs]: Onegin 2010, No. 24:260-264; Lutsie (1893) [old people are childless, they have found a white snake, at night she turns into a beautiful young man, and during the day she turns into a snake again; asks to marry him a princess; the old man went to the king; king: you will receive it if you come not full and not hungry; not naked or dressed; son: sip oatmeal; wrap yourself in a net; king: come in a horse-drawn carriage; create a palace, the road to my palace is covered with velvet, silver along the edges and golden apple trees with silver and golden apples; the church is made of wax, they serve in it, the candles light up themselves; the snake son does everything; the evening after the wedding, the serpent turned into a young man; the princess's sisters threw snakeskin into the fire; husband: now look for me with three pairs of iron shoes; also three iron hats, three iron beans in your pocket; go to my sister, she will teach me further; the one in the room that turns on a chicken leg; turned the girl into a needle, hid it on her chest; an old devil came, the hostess said that he was the one who was flying around the world; in the morning she gave me a gold spinning wheel, silver spindle; sent it to her second sister (all the same, gave a precious handkerchief); the third (still the same) gave an embroidered tablecloth and gave a ball to follow; tyn around the apple orchard, only for one stake the head is not yet planted; the damn daughter bought a spinning wheel with a spindle overnight with her husband, but gave him a sleepy potion; the same second night (handkerchief); on the third he quietly poured the potion; the husband killed the devil with iron with a rod, took the precious items, he and his wife run to her older sister, her head is cut off; he revives her with dead and alive vodka; the same with her middle and younger sisters; yudas are chasing, her husband left tablecloth, it became a lake of fire, the youths could not cross; everyone got home, they still live]: Annom et al. 2018:84-89; Lutsie (West 1893; the informant knew a fairy tale from her grandmother who said only in Lutsi dialect) [childless parents ask for a child even the size of a snake; a land man was born; came to a family with three daughters; marries the eldest, she does not want to; snake: if you don't go, no one at all he would take it; at a serpent feast, he crawled to the bride's knees, she threw him off and pressed him down with her foot; on the wedding night he cut her throat; the same with her middle sister; the younger snake covered him with an apron; at night he became a young man, and in the afternoon a serpent again; created an island with a city in the middle of the sea, came with his wife to live there; they have three sons; the wife wants to visit her relatives; her husband put her and her children in a boat, she will come by herself; the wife should not Let him not tell his brothers about her husband and children; they returned safely; but when they went to visit their relatives again, the youngest boy told his mother's brother everything; he called the snake in the same words as his wife called, he came, he cut off his head; when the woman came, there was no one; the youngest boy confessed; the mother turned into a birch tree, the eldest son into cambium, the middle son into birch bark, and the youngest into butterflies, that flutter on the bark]: Annom et al. 2018:202-205.

Volga - Perm. Marie [the wife of a poor Tatar gave birth to a snake; a snake son tells his father to marry the daughter of a rich man; he beats the poor man for the first time, then cuts to pieces, burns; the serpent resurrects the father every time; the daughter of a rich man proposes to demand 41 from the groom a savrasuya mare, a palace, a garden with birds; the serpent climbs into a hole, tells his father to pull it all out of there; on the wedding night, the serpent turns into a handsome man; the wife's sisters burn snakeskin, the groom disappears; one hunter sees a house on the lake shore, a bird flies there to drink milk, sings about what happened; the wife comes to the house, throws her ring into the milk, the husband finds human appearance, returns to his wife]: Chetkarev 1948:58-63; Bashkirs: [the tsar drove the old people to live in the forest; the old woman gave birth to a snake; he grew up quickly, asking his father to marry the royal daughter; an old man cut to pieces, the serpent revived him; the vizier suggests telling the groom to build a golden bridge overnight; the serpent takes the princess, sheds her snakeskin, tells anyone not to tell anyone that he is human; the wife burned her skin, The princess went in search, her ship sank, she came to the girl, who turned her into a dog; to the other into a cow, to the third into a human again; gives a letter to the mother of fairies, teaches her what to do, but with the condition that she will become a second wife; the mother of fairies gives butter and cheese that never runs out; the princess picked up the wounded quail, began to fight the golden eagle, the quail rolled out the golden eagle's egg, the princess I broke it, the doors of the palace immediately opened, and my husband met him; he returned home, lives with two wives]: Barag 1989, No. 23:128-132.

Turkestan. Kazakhs [the old woman says she is pregnant, asks her husband to bring her dragon meat; he finds a yellow dragon killed by a black dragon, the old woman eats a dragon, gives birth to a snake son named Shakhimardan; he asks Nursula, Babakhan's daughter, to be married to him; Khan orders him to be chopped into pieces twice, S. revives him; then the Shah orders him to bring so many horses to fill the city; S. gives his father a diamond sword, tells his father cut off the head of a black snake, horses came out of his hole; the khan gives his daughter, who sheds his skin, turns into a handsome man; tells his wife to hide her skin; others spied, tried to take the skin away, S. snatched it out, he flew away like a swallow, told him to look for him until his iron hat and staff wear out; in the desert, N. comes to the daughter of Padishah Gulistan Marzhan, kidnapped by the Black Giant; she learns from her husband that the swallow flew to the city of Mertik, where demons reside; N. finds Sh.; he brings her and M. to their parents in the form of a bird, restores sight to the blind khan, lives with his wife]: Tursunov 1983:217-224.

Amur - Sakhalin. The Udege people [the old woman sends her husband to fish; he does not want to, but goes; the serpent wraps around him, tells him to take him with his son; crawls to live with them; tells him to find a wife; the old man swims downstream; in the house four girls, only the fourth, a maid, I agree; for three years the serpent brings game, but does not live with the girl as a wife; she is going to hang herself, but first hits a snake with a stick; the skin falls off, she hides it; instead the snake comes handsome; three other girls tickle the Snake's wife to confess where the skin is, the skin burns; the husband burns, rushes into the fire, leaving his wife a knife; if you stick the beast in the trail, the beast dies; taking son, she goes to look for her husband; wants to be stabbed, her husband's spirit tells her to climb the vine into heaven; the old man (he is the master of heaven) and the old woman accept her; the old man tells her husband to be identified among 20 identical; the old woman teaches Hit his son, his father will cry; the old man puts the couple on a horse, sends him home to the ground]: Nikolaeva et al. 2003, No. 12:86-90.

Japan. The Japanese [the prince's maid washed clothes in the river; the serpent from the river told her to give the prince a letter demanding that one of her daughters be married to him; the youngest Otohime agreed; the serpent ordered him to cut it skin, a young man came out; said that he was the son of a dragon, Prince Boopas, must go to heaven with his father for 7 days; if he was not 21 days old, he would never return; left the casket, did not order him to open it; if go to the witch by the oak tree, ask her for a ladle, with its help you can go up to heaven; O.'s sisters beg her to open the box, steam comes out of it; the husband does not return, O. finds a ladle, goes up to heaven, asks for directions from various stars; Boopas hides his wife from his father, who finds her, gives tasks, her husband helps to complete; 1) drive a thousand oxen into stalls; 2) carry a thousand coca of rice (ants carry); 3) spend the night in a house with centipedes; the dragon agrees to leave O. Boopas's wife, but allows him to meet once a month; O. hears that once a year; the dragon creates a river - Milky The path; O. (Tkachikh's star) meets Volopas on the seventh day of the seventh month]: Borovkov 1937 (trans. N.I. Conrad): 149-161.