# Verlioka

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You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Russian. (October 2018) Click [show] for important translation instructions. Machine translation, like DeepL or Google Translate, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must follow the LLM translation guideline, revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the English Wikipedia. Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article. You must provide copyright attribution in the edit summary accompanying your translation by providing an interlanguage link to the source of your translation. A model attribution edit summary is Content in this edit is translated from the existing Russian Wikipedia article at [[:ru:Верлиока]]; see its history for attribution. You may also add the template {{Translated|ru|Верлиока}} to the talk page. For more guidance, see Wikipedia:Translation.

***Verlioka*** ([Russian](/source/Russian_language): «Верлиока») or ***Wyrlook*** ([Ukrainian](/source/Ukrainian_language): «Вирлоок»)[1] is an East Slavic [fairy tale](/source/Fairy_tale) collected by [Alexander Afanasyev](/source/Alexander_Afanasyev) in *[Narodnye russkie skazki](/source/Narodnye_russkie_skazki)* (1855–63). It is classified in the [Aarne-Thompson-Uther Index](/source/Aarne-Thompson-Uther_Index) as tale type ATU 210*, "Verlioka".[2]

## Synopsis

Once there was an elderly couple who had two grandchildren, whom they loved. One day, the grandpa ordered his granddaughter to shoo away the sparrows to protect the crops. Verlioka finds her there and kills her. The grandpa wonders why his granddaughter hasn't come back and sends his youngest grandchild to find her. Verlioka kills her too. Grandpa then sends the grandmother to bring the girls back but Verlioka kills her. After a while, the grandfather goes out to find his family, learns they are dead, and sets out to kill the monster. Along the way, he is joined by talking animals and objects, who attack the monster in his home.[3]

## Etymology

The [Ukrainian language](/source/Ukrainian_language) has an adjective "вирлоокий" ('vyrlookyi'), meaning "with bulging eyes"; noun "вирло", plural "вирла" ('bulging eyes'). The name has cognates with other Slavic languages: [Belarusian](/source/Belarusian_language): вірлавокi, [romanized](/source/Romanization_of_Belarusian): *virlavoki* ('with bulging eyes'), [Serbian](/source/Serbian_language): врљоока, [romanized](/source/Romanization_of_Serbian): *vrljooka* ('with a damaged eye'), dialectal [Smolensk](/source/Smolensk) [Russian](/source/Russian_language): верлиокий, [romanized](/source/Romanization_of_Russian): *verliokiy*, [lit.](/source/Literal_translation) 'strabismic, crossy-eyed'; 'turning their eyes in all directions').[4] This may reflect [Proto-Slavic](/source/Proto-Slavic) **vьrl-* ('to turn, to spin') + **oko* ('eye').[5]

## Analysis

According to [Alexander Afanasyev](/source/Alexander_Afanasyev)'s note, the tale was collected by Nikolay Tikhorski in "Southern Russia". According to the [East Slavic](/source/East_Slavic_languages) Folktale Classification ([Russian](/source/Russian_language): СУС, [romanized](/source/Romanization_of_Russian): *SUS*), there are 3 Russian, 7 Ukrainian, and 1 Belarusian variant.[6] Notemakers [Lev Barag](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lev_Barag&action=edit&redlink=1) [[ru](https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%91%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B3,_%D0%9B%D0%B5%D0%B2_%D0%93%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B3%D0%BE%D1%80%D1%8C%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87)] and N. V. Novikov theorize that the typical Ukrainian ending «Вот вам сказка, а мне бубликов вязка» ([Ukrainian](/source/Ukrainian_language): Ось вам казка, а мені бубликів в'язка, "Here's a tale for you, and a bunch of donuts for me"; in Bain's translation "So there's a skazha for you－and I deserve a cake or two also."), as well as usage of the [vocative case](/source/Vocative_case) («А вы, добродею, знаете Верлиоку?») possibly suggest that the tale was written in or near Ukraine.[7]

American professor Jack Haney suggested that the tale is "primarily" [East Slavic](/source/East_Slavic_languages),[8] while German folklorist [Hans-Jörg Uther](/source/Hans-J%C3%B6rg_Uther) argues that the tale type appears to be "mainly documented in Russia".[9]

## Variants

[Alexander Afanasyev](/source/Alexander_Afanasyev)'s fairy tale collection has a variant.[10]

[Robert Nisbet Bain](/source/Robert_Nisbet_Bain) included a retelling of the story in *Russian Fairy Tales*, a translation of [Nikolai Polevoy](/source/Nikolai_Polevoy)'s work.[11][12]

Russian folklorist D.K. Zelenin listed a variant as the ninety-sixth story in his collection.[13]

Two Russian versions were collected from one informant in Belozerye.[14]

“Довгомудыкъ," ("Dovgomudyik") is a Ukrainian variant.[15]

Another Ukrainian variant appears as the twenty-sixth story in a collection.[16]

A Belarusian variant was published by V.N. Dobrovolsky.[17]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Капица Ф. С. Тайны славянских богов. - М.: РИПОЛ классик, 2007. - 416 с.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Uther, Hans-Jörg (2004). *The Types of International Folktales: Animal tales, tales of magic, religious tales, and realistic tales, with an introduction*. Suomalainen Tiedeakatemia, Academia Scientiarum Fennica. p. 133. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-951-41-0956-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-951-41-0956-0).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Haney, Jack (2015). *The Complete Folktales of A. N. Afanas'ev*. University Press of Mississippi. pp. 469–473. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-62846-093-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-62846-093-3).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Словарь русских народных говоров. Т.4. — **С. 147**

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Етимологічний словник украïнськоï мови/А-Г. — Киïв: [Наукова думка](https://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9D%D0%B0%D1%83%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B0_%D0%B4%D1%83%D0%BC%D0%BA%D0%B0), 1982. — **С. 380, 634**

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Barag, Lev. "Сравнительный указатель сюжетов. Восточнославянская сказка". Leningrad: НАУКА, 1979. p. 86.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Народные русские сказки А.Н. Афанасьева в трех томах. Том II. Москва: Издательство «Наука», 1985. С. 451.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Haney, Jack V. (2015). *The Complete Folktales of A. N. Afanas'ev, Volume II: Black Art and the Neo-Ancestral Impulse*. University Press of Mississippi. pp. 552–553. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-4968-0278-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-4968-0278-1). [Project MUSE](/source/Project_Muse) [book 42506](https://muse.jhu.edu/book/42506).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Uther, Hans-Jörg (2004). *The Types of International Folktales: A Classification and Bibliography, Based on the System of Antti Aarne and Stith Thompson*. Suomalainen Tiedeakatemia, Academia Scientiarum Fennica. p. 133. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-951-41-0963-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-951-41-0963-8).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Haney, Jack (2015). *The Complete Folktales of A. N. Afanas'ev*. University Press of Mississippi. pp. 469–473. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-62846-093-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-62846-093-3).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["Russian Fairytales"](https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/russian-fairytales-1915). *The Public Domain Review*. Retrieved 19 January 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** Полевой, Пётр Николаевич (1874). *Народные русские сказки в изложении П. Полевого*. Санкт-Петербург: Типография и литография А. Траншеля. pp. 91–95.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** Zelenin, D.K. [*Great Russian Fairy Tales of the Vyatka Province*](https://www.prlib.ru/en/node/333559#v=d&z=3&n=5&i=1848226_doc1_639B2713-1975-4881-B52C-49B783AA9888.tiff&y=658.5&x=571). Administrative Department of the President of the Russian Federation. Retrieved 17 February 2024. {{[cite book](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_book)}}: |website= ignored ([help](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:CS1_errors#periodical_ignored))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** Ilyina, E. N. (2023). ["Tale of Verlioka in Speech Culture of Belozerye and in Repertoire of Language Personality"](https://www.nauka-dialog.ru/jour/article/view/4403). *Научный диалог*. **12** (2): 220–236. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.24224/2227-1295-2023-12-2-220-236](https://doi.org/10.24224%2F2227-1295-2023-12-2-220-236). Retrieved 17 February 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** Manzhura, Ivan (1890). [*Fairy Tales, Proverbs, etc., Recorded in the Yekaterinoslav and Kharkov Provinces*](https://archive.org/details/20200408_20200408_1223/page/n5/mode/2up). Kharkov: Tip. K.Schasni. p. 1. Retrieved 17 February 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** Chubinsky, P.P. [*Proceedings of the Ethnographic and Statistical Expedition in the West-Russian Territory*](https://www.prlib.ru/en/item/941335#v=d&z=3&n=5&i=15142570_doc1.tiff&y=1118.375&x=562). Administrative Department of the President of the Russian Federation. Retrieved 17 February 2024. {{[cite book](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_book)}}: |website= ignored ([help](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:CS1_errors#periodical_ignored))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** Dobrovolsky, V.N. (1891). [*Smolensk Ethnographic Collection. Part I.*](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/%D0%A1%D0%BC%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%81%D0%BA%D1%96%D0%B9_%D1%8D%D1%82%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B3%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%84%D0%B8%D1%87%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%BA%D1%96%D0%B9_%D1%81%D0%B1%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BA%D1%8A._%D0%A7%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%82%D1%8C_I.pdf) (PDF). St. Petersburg: Russian Geographical Society. pp. 152–153. Retrieved 17 February 2024.

v t e Russian fairy tales Key articles Skazka Bylina Folklore of Russia Alexander Afanasyev Alexander Pushkin Tales in Narodnye russkie skazki collected by Afanasyev "Koschei the Immortal" "Vasilisa the Beautiful" "Vasilisa the Priest's Daughter" "Father Frost" "Sister Alenushka and Brother Ivanushka" "The Frog Princess" "Vasilii the Unlucky" "The White Duck" "The Princess Who Never Smiled" "The Wicked Sisters" "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" "The Magic Swan Geese" "The Feather of Finist the Falcon" "Tsarevitch Ivan, the Firebird and the Gray Wolf" "The Bold Knight, the Apples of Youth, and the Water of Life" "Go I Know Not Whither and Fetch I Know Not What" "The Golden Slipper" "The Firebird and Princess Vasilisa" "The Wise Little Girl" "The Armless Maiden" "The Gigantic Turnip" "Storm-Bogatyr, Ivan the Cow's Son" "Emelya the Simpleton/At the Pike's Behest" "The Fiend" "The Lute Player" "The Language of the Birds" "The Maiden Tsar" "The Sea Tsar and Vasilisa the Wise" "The Norka" "Dawn, Midnight and Twilight" "Verlioka" "Sivko-Burko" "Donotknow" Tales by Pushkin "Ruslan and Ludmila" "The Tale of Tsar Saltan" "The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish" "The Tale of the Golden Cockerel" Other "The Little Humpbacked Horse" "The Scarlet Flower" "The Snow Maiden" "The Hairy Man" "King Kojata" "The Tale About Baba-Yaga" "The Wonderful Birch" "The Girl as Soldier" "Green-Vanka"

v t e Slavic mythology and religion Deities Chernobog and BelobogH ChernoglavF Dazhbog DevanaH Dyi [ru]H Diviya [ru; uz]H Khors KresnikH Lada mythology MoranaH Mokosh PizamarHH YariloH HennilH KyiH Lel and PolelH Niya Perun PodagaF Porenut Porevit Prove [ru] or ProneF RadegastH Rod Rugiaevit PereplutH PerperunaH Simargl Stribog Pogoda [ru; cs; fr]H Zelu [cs]H Svarog Svarozhits Svetovit Triglav Veles Yarovit ZhivaF Zorya ŻywieH Personifications Dola Karna and Zhelya [ru]H Koliada Mat Zemlya Moryana Rod Rozhanitsy Zorya Pseudo-deities Chislobog Chur Dana [ru] Dzidzileyla Flins Krodo Kupala Lada Lelya [ru] Pogvizd [ru] Troyan [ru] Uslad Vesna Voloska Yesha Priesthood and cult Vedmak Volkhv Zhrets Legendary heroes and peoples Alyosha Popovich Burislav Chud Damned Jerina Đerzelez Alija Dobrynya Nikitich Hrnjica Brothers Ilya Muromets Ivan Tsarevich Jugović brothers Kyi, Shchek and Khoryv Lech, Czech, and Rus Libuše Mikula Selyaninovich Mila Gojsalić Milan Toplica Miloš Obilić Misizla Mustay-Bey of Lika Nikita the Tanner Popiel Prince Marko Sadko Solovey-Razboynik Svyatogor Vasilisa the Beautiful Volga Svyatoslavich Legendary creatures Unclean dead Vila Drekavac Kikimora Mavka Upiór Place spirits Bannik Bolotnik Cornflower Wraith Domovoy Dvorovoy Lady Midday Leshy Boruta Mistress of the Copper Mountain Moryana Ovinnik Polevik Vodyanoy Shubin Water spirits Entities Ala Alkonost Baba Yaga Babay Baš Čelik Bauk Berehynia Bies Black Arab Błędnica Blud Boginki Bukavac Chernava Chuhaister Cikavac Chort Čuma Dukljan Dziwożona Fern flower-Chervona Ruta Firebird Gagana Gamayun Indrik Ispolin Karzełek Koshchei Krsnik Likho Likhoradka Mare Meduza Molfar Nav Nocnitsa Płanetnik Povitrulya Psoglav Raróg Rahmans Raskovnik Rozhanitsy Rusalka Samodiva Sea Tsar Sirin Shishiga Skrzak Strzyga Stuhać Stricha Sudice Tintilinić Topielec Ved Vesna Zduhać Zmey Werewolf White-Eyed Chud Ritual figures Baba Marta German Dodola and Perperuna Koliada Kupala Kostroma Marzanna Maslenitsa Jarilo Mythological places Alatyr Bald Mountain Buyan Faraway Tsardom Oponskoye Kingdom Kitezh Lukomorye Vyraj Objects Axe of Perun Sword Kladenets Beliefs Creation myths First humans in Slavic mythology Superstition in Russia Serbian folk astronomy Folklore Czech Russian Serbian Ukrainian Polish Literature Bosniak epic poetry Bylina Russian fairy tale Serbian epic poetry Ukrainian fairy tale Christianization Moravia (830s) Bulgaria (860s) Bohemia (880s) Poland (960s) Kievan Rus' (980s) Pomerania (1120s–60s) Bogomilism Folk practices Apocryphal prayer Zagovory Egg decoration Martenitsa Folk cults (also including Ossetian) Ognyena Maria Paraskeva of Iconium Paraskeva Friday Nicholas the Wonderworker Veles Ilya the Prophet Uacilla George the Victorious Dazhbog Uastyrdzhi Saint Anastasia Saint Nedelya Saint Vlasius Veles Maslenitsa Saint Peter Donbettyr Saint Theodore Tutyr Saint Eustace Apsat Revivalist organizations God-Building Slavic Native Faith Authentism Bazhovism Ivanovism Kandybaism Levashovism Peterburgian Vedism Ringing Cedars' Anastasianism Slavic-Hill Rodnovery Sylenkoism Vseyasvetnaya Gramota Ynglism Roerichism Russian Zoroastrianism In popular culture Fantasy Film Related topics Book of Veles Slavic Native Faith's calendars and holidays Notes: H historicity of the deity is dubious; F functions of the deity are unclear.

v t e Aarne–Thompson–Uther Index Animal tales 2 15 20C 41 52 65 68A 85 91 101 103 105 112 113A 122E 123 (The Wolf and the Seven Young Goats, The Goat and Her Three Kids) 124 130 (Town Musicians of Bremen, Jack and His Comrades) 151 155 156 171 173 178A 210 (Herr Korbes, The Pack of Ragamuffins) 210* 212 212A 236 (The Magpie's Nest, The Crumbs on the Table) 248 275 Tales of magic 300 301 301A 301B 302B 303 (The Twins, The Three Princes and their Beasts) 304 306 307 310 (Persinette, Petrosinella, Rapunzel) 311 312 313 313A (The Water Nixie, Foundling-Bird) 314 316 318 321 325 326 327 327A 327B (Molly Whuppie, Hop-o'-My-Thumb) 328 330A 331 (The Spirit in the Bottle, The Fisherman and the Jinni) 332 333 334 360 361 363 365 (Djákninn á Myrká, Lenore) 369 400 401 401A 402 403 404 (Biancabella and the Snake, The Enchanted Maiden) 405 407 408 410 (The Glass Coffin, Sleeping Beauty) 412 425 425A 425B 425C 425D 425E 425M 425N 426 430 431 432 433 433B 433C (The Story of the Hamadryad, The Origin of the Sirenia) 434* 440 (The Frog Prince, The Well of the World's End) 441 (The Pig King, Hans My Hedgehog) 442 450 451 451A 459 461 462 (The Witch in the Stone Boat, The Son of Seven Mothers) 465 (The Wife from the Dragon Palace, The Snail Bride, Go I Know Not Whither and Fetch I Know Not What) 475 476 480 500 501 502 503 505 507 507B 510 510A 510B 511 511A 513 513A (How Six Made Their Way in the World, The Six Servants) 514 516 (Father Roquelaure, Trusty John) 530 531 533 540 545B 550 551 552A 554 555 560 (Gyeonmyo jaengju, Jack and His Golden Snuff-Box) 561 562 (The Princess and the Tin Box, The Blue Light) 563 565 566 (Fortunatus, Little Muck) 571 575 585 650A 652 653 671 673 675 700 (Tom Thumb, Thumbling) 705A 706 706D 707 708 709 709A 710 711 712 713 714 715 720 (The Rose-Tree, The Juniper Tree) 729 Religious tales 750A 769 779 (The Star Money, The Ear of Corn) 780 812 828 Realistic tales 850 851 870 875 900 922A 934A 952 955 980B 987 Anecdotes and jokes 1281 1350 1415 1430 1451 1452 1510 1651

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Verlioka](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verlioka) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verlioka?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.