# Sorrow — Russian Folktales character guide

> Sorrow in Russian Folktales by A. N. Afanasyev.

**Role:** supporting

**First appearance:** 0068-sorrow

## Snapshot

A personified weight of grief that fastens onto a man and refuses to let go until he finds a way to outwit it.

## Who they are

Sorrow moves through the tale as a clinging, almost physical companion, attaching itself to a man's days and turning ordinary life into endurance. Its power lies not in violence but in persistence: it waits, follows, and wears down. The story's tension comes from watching whether human cleverness can outlast a force that never tires, making Sorrow feel less like a monster than a fate that must be negotiated.

## In the story

### [Sorrow](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/russian_folktales_se/chapters/sorrow)

A personified entity that attaches itself to the poor peasant, drives him to drink, and later is trapped and drowned.

### [Midnight Dance. General Notes to This Story](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/russian_folktales_se/chapters/midnight-dance-general-notes-to-this-story)

Described as an ancient hag who pursues mankind, with pale face, low stature, hare's blood in her veins, and poppy-red cheeks; she entices men to drink away their sorrow and can be cheated into nonexistence.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/russian_folktales_se/characters/sorrow
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/russian_folktales_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/russian_folktales_se/characters