"Kariji oczi, czorniji browy..." Folklor a stereotypowy portret Ukraińca

Abstract

Kariyi otschi, tschorniyi brovy… Folklore and stereotypical portrait of the Ukrainians

In consideration of the thesis that native folklore remains one of the key points of reference in creation of the Ukrainian national identity, this paper is an analysis of how the features of appearance of folk characters have become a part of stereotypical portrait of the Ukrainians. An attempt has been made to reconstruct the “ideal looks” characteristic of Ukrainian folk art based on the selected fixed epithets present in folklore. Subsequently, the way of kariyi otschi, tschorniyi brovy from folklore concepts to national symbols has been analysed based on the selected fragments of poetry and prose, representative of respective trends in the Ukrainian literature in the 19th century.