page_title: The Bear and the Nightingale
section_title: Background
hierarchical_section_title: The Bear and the Nightingale / Background
caption_attribution_description: English: Bannik near a bucket of water (ouchat) Français&#160;: Bannik assis à côté d'un seau d'eau servant aux ablutions (ouchat)
context_page_description: The Bear and the Nightingale is a historical fantasy novel written by Katherine Arden. It is Arden's debut novel, and the first novel in the Winternight trilogy. The Bear and the Nightingale is set in medieval Russia and incorporates elements of Russian folklore. The central character is a young girl, Vasya Petrovna, who is able to communicate with mythological creatures, at a time when Orthodox Christianity is attempting to stamp out all belief in such beings.
context_section_description: The Bear and the Nightingale is Arden's debut novel and was published in January 2017 by Del Rey Books. Arden completed her diploma in French and Russian literature before moving to Hawaii for 6 months while writing her novel. Her fascination with Russian literature and history prompted her to write a novel that was set in medieval Russia. According to Arden, her appeal with this subject stems from a young age. In an interview with CNET she revealed that she had read Russian fairytales as a child.
  The novel tackles issues such as gender and women's roles. Being set in medieval Russia, Arden challenges these issues in her novel and this is noted in her interview with BookPage as Ping states, “Vasya is a truly compelling heroine. She is strong enough to embrace her differences, but she still reads as a woman of her time”. Arden confirms this and explains her difficulty in balancing what she believed was right and what her character believed was right in medieval Russia.
  Arden also weaves a mix of Russian folklore and Slavic mythology into the narrative. She tells the tale of the intertwining but conflicting beliefs of tradition and religion by incorporating characters such as the ambitious priest, Konstantin Nikonovich and enchanting fairy-tale creatures. Vasya is used as a medium to explore the interactions between these opposing philosophies. These creatures include:
  Domovoy: the household spirit who lives within the boundaries of the household. In the novel, the domovoi is depicted as the guardian of the home, placated with food offerings in return for protection.
  Rusalka: a water spirit that can be found around lakes. They come in the form of women and their aim is mainly to entice men. In the novel, the rusalka is the first creature to warn Vasya of the priest's danger to the way of life of the villagers.
  Leshy: forest spirits who hide in tall grass and enjoy playing tricks on people wading through forests.
  Bannik: bathhouse spirits. The bannik in the bathhouse where Anna Ivanovna lived before marrying Pyotr would scare her so much she would refuse to bathe for weeks at a time until she was forced by her stepmother.
  Dvorovoi: the household yard spirit. The dvorovoi spend their time in the stables and yards of houses. The dvorovoi play a significant role in the novel by warning Vasya of their fleeting time left due to the depleting offerings left by the villagers.
  Vodianoy: a male water spirit. They are vengeful creatures who enjoy drowning people. They are typically considered the male version of rusalkas.
  When asked why she incorporated so many myths and legends into her novel Arden responded, “Slavic paganism never really disappeared from the Russian countryside after the arrival of Christianity; rather they coexisted, with some friction, for centuries. I was fascinated by the tensions inherent in such a system”.
caption: Illustration of a bannik by Ivan Bilibin.
exif: {}