Marya Morevna, the Wondrous Queen: Part 1

09/17/20 • -1 min

Prince Ivan has lost his parents, and now must take care of his three sisters. After marrying them off to an eagle, a falcon, and a raven, he sets out to find a wife for himself. He finds one in the great warrior-queen Marya Morevna. But he also finds more than he bargained for. And it just might lead to him being chopped into pieces . . . In the analysis section, Nicholas Kotar leads us through J.R.R. Tolkien's excellent essay "On Fairy Stories," exploring why now, more than ever, we need the consolation and enchantment provided by old tales.

Previous Episode

The Tale of Prince Ivan and the Grey Wolf

In this classic tale, a king and his sons are disturbed by a thief who steals their magical apples, then disappears without a trace. The first two sons fail to catch him, but the third does, but in the process he enters a strange and magical world of shapeshifters and magical creatures, where every action can lead to wealth and prosperity, or his own sudden death. In the analysis section, fantasy author and Orthodox deacon Nicholas Kotar explains why, according to Russian philosopher Ivan Ilyin, fairy tales are indispensable for not only personal growth, but spiritual development as well.

Next Episode

Marya Morevna, the Wondrous Queen: Part 2

Prince Ivan has come back to life after Koschei the Deathless chops him into pieces. But he still has not rescued his wife, Marya Morevna. To do so, he'll have to brave everyone's favorite villainess, Baba Yaga herself. But if he's not careful, he'll lose his head a second time! In the analysis section, Nicholas Kotar concludes his exploration of Tolkien's "On Fairy Stories" by examining why escapism isn't as bad as some people say it is, and how good fairy tales are actually closer to scripture than you might expect.