The meaning of the lyrics of the song "A song-tale about evil spirits" (Pesnya-skazka o nechisti) the performer of the song "Vladimir Vysotsky"

In Murom's forests, dark and deep,

Where mysteries and dangers sleep,

Foul creatures roam in ghastly crowds,

And fill the travelers' hearts with shrouds:

They howl and moan, a mournful sound,

As if from graves beneath the ground,

And nightingales, if such there be,

Are robbers in their cruelty.

It's scary, oh so scary!

In bogs enchanted, witches dwell,

With tickling spells they cast their spell,

They'll make you laugh till hiccups rise,

Then drag you down beneath the skies.

On foot or horseback, all the same,

They'll catch you in their wicked game,

And wood-goblins, with haunting tread,

Through the shadowy forest spread.

It's scary, oh so scary!

And peasants, merchants, warriors bold,

Have ventured into that forest old,

Some drunk with mead, some filled with pride,

Into the tangled depths they ride.

For reason lost, or no reason at all,

They vanished, answering no one's call,

As if the earth had swallowed them whole,

Leaving behind an empty soul.

It's scary, oh so scary!

From distant lands, a wicked horde,

Where evil dwells and hell is poured,

Where demons fierce, with hungry eyes,

On one another would feed and rise,

To share their skills in wicked deeds,

And plant the seeds of fear and weeds,

They came to Murom's forests deep,

Their evil knowledge to keep.

It's scary, oh so scary!

The Nightingale, the robber's chief,

Prepared for them a gruesome feast,

Three-Headed Serpent, with a grin,

And his servant, the Vampire thin,

Drank potions from a skull so grim,

And feasted on toadstools, limb by limb,

They danced on graves, a ghastly sight,

Blaspheming through the day and night.

It's scary, oh so scary!

The Serpent climbed a towering tree,

And swayed it with a mighty plea:

"Bring forth, O Robber, maidens fair,

To entertain us with their flair!

Let goblins dance and sing with glee,

Or I will curse you all, you see!"

It's scary, oh so scary!

Like angered bears, they roared and growled,

"For years, we've patiently allowed

Your presence here, but now we've had

Enough! We're witches, good or bad!

We're patriots! And you, you dare

To threaten us and touch our hair?!"

It's scary, oh so scary!

The Nightingale, with cunning wit,

Was not so easily outwit,

He whistled loud, a piercing call:

"You foreign fiend, you've had your brawl!

Begone from here, and don't return,

And take your Vampire, let him burn!"

It's scary, oh so scary!

...And now the old folks tell the tale,

Of how the creatures met their wail,

They fought and clashed, a fearsome sight,

Until they vanished into the night.

The reign of terror finally ceased,

And people walked in peace, released

From fear and dread, they ventured far,

For gone were the creatures, near and far.

And it’s not scary at all!

В заповедных и дремучих,

страшных Муромских лесах

Всяка нечисть бродит тучей

и в проезжих сеет страх:

Воет воем, что твои упокойники,

Если есть там соловьи - то разбойники.

Страшно, аж жуть!

В заколдованных болотах

там кикиморы живут, -

Защекочут до икоты

и на дно уволокут.

Будь ты пеший, будь ты конный -

заграбастают,

А уж лешие - так по лесу и шастают.

Страшно, аж жуть!

А мужик, купец и воин -

попадал в дремучий лес, -

Кто зачем: кто с перепою,

а кто сдуру в чащу лез.

По причине пропадали, без причины ли, -

Только всех их и видали - словно сгинули.

Страшно, аж жуть!

Из заморского из лесу

где и вовсе сущий ад,

Где такие злые бесы -

чуть друг друга не едят, -

Чтоб творить им совместное зло потом,

Поделиться приехали опытом.

Страшно, аж жуть!

Соловей-разбойник главный

им устроил буйный пир,

А от них был Змей трехглавый

и слуга его - Вампир, -

Пили зелье в черепах, ели бульники,

Танцевали на гробах, богохульники!

Страшно, аж жуть!

Змей Горыныч взмыл на дерево,

ну - раскачивать его:

"Выводи, Разбойник, девок, -

пусть покажут кой-чего!

Пусть нам лешие попляшут, попоют!

А не то я, матерь вашу, всех сгною!"

Страшно, аж жуть!

Все взревели, как медведи:

"Натерпелись - сколько лет!

Ведьмы мы али не ведьмы,

Патриоты али нет?!

Налил бельма, ишь ты, клещ, - отоварился!

А еще на наших женщин позарился!.."

Страшно, аж жуть!

Соловей-разбойник тоже

был не только лыком шит, -

Гикнул, свистнул, крикнул: "Рожа,

ты, заморский, паразит!

Убирайся без боя, уматывай

И Вампира с собою прихватывай!"

Страшно, аж жуть!

...А теперь седые люди

помнят прежние дела:

Билась нечисть грудью в груди

и друг друга извела, -

Прекратилося навек безобразие -

Ходит в лес человек безбоязненно,

И не страшно ничуть!

In his song-tale "About the Evil Spirits," Vladimir Vysotsky paints a vivid picture of a mythological world inhabited by typical characters of Russian folklore. The Murom forest becomes a gathering place for all these evil spirits, who frighten passers-by, lure travelers into swamps, and are responsible for the disappearance of people.

However, the humorous tone of the narrative lowers the degree of fear, turning it into "scary, even creepy" - a phrase repeated like a refrain and becoming comical.

The plot twists with the appearance of foreign evil spirits who intend to share their experience and establish their own order. The culmination is the feast scene, where Zmey Gorynych, the main antagonist, demands entertainment and insults local witches, calling them unpatriotic.

As a result, the confrontation between "our" and "foreign" evil spirits results in a grandiose battle, described metaphorically: "The evil spirits fought breast to breast and destroyed each other."

The ending is optimistic: evil is punished, the "outrage" has stopped, and now a person can walk into the forest "fearlessly."

Thus, Vysotsky's song is a satire disguised as a folk tale. He ridicules xenophobia, the arbitrariness of power (in the image of Zmey Gorynych), and human vices that are hidden under the mask of fairy-tale characters.