Russian Folktales · Character

The Stepmother

A cruel stepmother who mistreats her stepchildren.

minor

First appearance: Vasilísa the Fair

The Stepmother shows up with force in The Dun Cow. The page is where that presence becomes real.

A witch who hates Márya, sends her to the heath, orders the dun cow slain, and later turns Márya into a goose.

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In The Dun Cow: A witch who hates Márya, sends her to the heath, orders the dun cow slain, and later turns Márya into a goose. Later, in The Tale of the Silver Saucer and the Crystal Apple: The mother of the three…

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See The Stepmother in Vasilísa the Fair

Character Web

30 connections

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Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Magical and domestic antagonists
Immortal villains and warrior women
Protagonist
Divine and mortal figures

+25 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This is the story's dramatic climax because the Wise Woman’s imitation of the parents’ call introduces the fir…

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In the story

The Stepmother appears across 9 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

The Dun Cow
A witch who hates Márya, sends her to the heath, orders the dun cow slain, and later turns Márya into a goose.
The Tale of the Silver Saucer and the Crystal Apple
The mother of the three daughters, who blesses the marriage at the end.
The Miraculous Hen
The mother who orders her children killed for their livers and brains, but is later revealed and punished by being chopped up.
Vasilísa the Fair
The cruel stepmother who envies Vasilísa's beauty and sends her into the forest to be destroyed by Bába Yagá.
The Quarrelsome Wife
The squint-eyed, domineering wife who forces her husband to do women's work.
Donotknow
Iván's stepmother who tries to poison him with the help of a soothsayer, but is later punished.
The Singing-Tree and the Speaking-Bird
The two elder sisters who act as midwives, deceive the king, and are later executed.
The Enchanted Tsarévich
Not present; the envious sisters act in a similar role, tricking the maiden into staying late.
The Legless Knight and the Blind Knight
Not present in this chapter; included as placeholder only.

Chapter companion notes

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See The Stepmother in Vasilísa the Fair

See The Stepmother in The Dun Cow