The Messed Up Origins™ of Voldemort | Slavic Folklore Explained - Jon Solo

[@JonSolo]

Sooo what are your thoughts on more Harry Potter content? 👀 There is a TON of folklore and mythology in that universe for us to dissect and I think it could make for a really interesting series. Let me know your thoughts and if you have any recommendations! (❍ᴥ❍ʋ)⁣

[@kizi180]

Mooorrree

[@rethundralegna4138]

YES, PLEASE!!!! 😍

[@madelinerock6951]

Veela are based on Slavic folklore I think, Mermaids (freshwater and saltwater), Merlin, King Arthur… the Wizarding world is filled with amazing stories to explore

[@DanielVCOliveira]

More, always

[@HistoryRats]

I absolutely love the idea!!

[@twil004]

I always thought Voldemort was the Dungeons and Dragons equivalent of a Lich. An evil wizard who becomes immortal by putting their soul in an object. I assume they got it from folklore as well.

[@Vermbraunt]

Same here, tbh Koschei does sound like the orgin of liches

[@dominicyelin]

A lot of things we sometime assume are folklore were actually created by dungeons and dragons and lotr etc. I think a lich falls into that category though I would agree that d&d probably took their inspiration from this story.

[@dominicyelin]

For example sauron is technically also a lich yet we don't see the word in those books. I think jk Rowling invented the word horcrux and yet that will likely become the word for it in the same way orc is now a word for something. Its a mix.

[@littlearies3862]

@@dominicyelin Fun fact: lich has been used for at least a century to mean "corpse" whether animated or inanimate. It wasn't until Dungeons & Dragons' 1976 booklet Greyhawk that lich was used in the way we typically see it. Before that, they were just considered sorcerers.

[@Rundra]

I'm like 85% sure Koschei is likely one of the prime inspirations for the modern fantasy Lich.

[@justsomeferalminor]

I love when a folk tale protagonist literally just watches as their companion/s does everything for them bc they helped them once.

[@andymk8951]

Aristocrats need a justification of where life style

[@eddiejeffrys1985]

If your partner is the o.g. giga Chad Bulat there is nothing you can do yo help him.

[@speedylinguine]

The story just… kept going. From the girl getting kidnapped to a bunch of prey helping them and then Bulot (I probably spelled it wrong) had to kill a bunch of animals and then he was turned to stone because he told them why he did it and then the rescued him by sacrificing kids and then the kids came back… folklore is crazy

[@matthewdhewlett]

I get the feeling that it started out as a serialized bedtime story. The parents making up the story only intended to keep going until the kids fell asleep. But then the following night, the kids of course remembered everything, and demanded to hear the next part. So the parents obliged, and kept making up more and more, night after night, until the story got too complicated and the parents just said, "...and then everyone died. THE END. Now shut up and go to bed already!"

[@ginnyjollykidd]

@@matthewdhewlett 😂😂😂😂 Oh, yes! The fascination of kids with their parents' creativity and wanting more!

[@ginnyjollykidd]

And that is personified in the title of one of my favorite books of German stories for kids: _Baba, Sagt der Maxl, Du Muß Mir eine Geschichte Erzählen_ or _Baba, Said Little Max, You Must Tell Me a Story_ 😊😊😊

[@michaelpacinus242]

Dude, chill

[@LuckyStone888]

Absolutely spectacular storytelling. I think the number 3 has a special significance. 3 travelers, 3 children, 3 pets, a lot of use for the number 3 in this story.

[@VenusVenom369]

3 is a number used in a lot of older stories 3 little pigs with 3 different houses, 3 towers full of straw to be spun into gold, 3 days to guess Rumplestiltskins name It's just a good story telling number if multiple small things are to happen cause it's not too short for a tale to tell not too long for a short story that's teaching a lesson you might say it's just right (Goldilocks which also has 3 of everything and goes through 3 scenarios)

[@LuckyStone888]

@@VenusVenom369 Yes, this is all true, but are any of those Slavic folktales? More to the point, why is 3? Several stories use the number 3 BUT WHY?????

[@hinddawn145]

I read somewhere that the number 3 was usually used because it was seen holy. It’s used multiple times in methodology, rituals etc

[@LuckyStone888]

@@hinddawn145 OK yes, this is true, In Christianity 3 is seen as the blessed Trinity Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, But how does Christianity influence this folktale?

[@VenusVenom369]

@@LuckyStone888 ... I told you why because it's not too short not too long, it's just right I don't know enough Foreign tales to say whether it doesn't appear in Slavic tales but I know they happen in more than just the English tales It's fairly prominent in the Norse tales more so as a story telling rule than a visual number representation The one's that come to mind are when tests are given

[@anitatereszczuk3967]

That's probably a nitpick, but it bothers me a lot. As a Slavic person, I always get very uncomfortable when the word "Slavic" kinda becomes a synonym for "Russian". Yeah, you are probably most familiar with their versions, but the truth is that a lot of Slavic tribes believed in similar monsters, but named them differently. I'd love it if you could cover something outside of Russian folklore. For example, take a look at the Slavic creation myth in which Perun and Wales try to reach out for a grain of sand to create land. You will very quickly realise how similar our old beliefs were to Nordic ones. Or read on our funky demons like Strzyga, Zmora, Dziwożona or even Warewolves

[@eileen8787]

The interesting thing about this is that many of the current countries and regions were all intermingling and weren’t even countries as we know them today when a lot of these folklore tales were created or circling around. Pronunciations and variations of the story would change as they spread to different areas, but Slavic is a general term if I’m not mistaken for that region in Europe? Which I can understand him using, considering this story is clearly not ONLY a Russian story but a story to many different Slavic people, but he could only use one name for the main villain, even if he has multiple names. I feel like this is his way of including as many people who share this folklore as he can. If he were to just say, it’s a Russian folklore, he would be leaving out everyone who also has this folklore. And the cool thing about the Nordic folklore, is that it likely originated there, because the Vikings came to what was called Kieven Rus (modern day Belarus, Ukraine, and part of Russia) in the mid 9th century or even earlier and likely brought with them their folklore that then was spread and changed and made into different variations but a similar story. However this is just one theory as to why the folklore is so similar, I’m not stating it as fact. It’s just super interesting to me figuring out where stories/cultures/traditions come from, how they spread, etc.

[@romansochacki7678]

@@eileen8787 actually "Slavic" is a large cultural and language group (ethnolinguistic group) not too much different to how the Celts once were in Europe. Their are similarities and also huge differences between different Slavic people. For example, Poles are very different from Russians and have been for a very long time (like over a thousand years) despite both being Slavic. But "Baba Jaga" in particular is generally Slavic. I remember growing up with "Baba Jaga" as a little kid just like how the "Buggyman" was for most other kids and we are totally Polish with virtually no Russian influences. It does get very frustrating when Slavic or just Eastern European is always equated to be Russian.

[@glorygloryholeallelujah]

“Tribes” might be the reason for most oversight. As mentioned in many stories (even in this one) most people aren’t intentionally excluding or ignoring stories/oral history from sources outside of the most “well-known”. The first known written/documented sources of legends, 99.9% of the time becomes the most known/credited with the “creation” of it. I’m not saying that’s a “good/bad” thing, or that it’s the “right/wrong” thing…it’s just that “tangible proof” is the method our species knows and uses, to turn theories, into provable “facts”. But as we all know-it’s definitely NOT a system without flaws… So, if you know of written/documented sources of these stories that predate any of the ones he talks about-please start posting those sources/references EVERYWHERE! We’ll find a way to get it to him and I’m sure he would happily start the process of “correcting the current accepted history” of these legend/s. 🤷‍♀️

[@tanjahorvatserbiaoldslavsh4685]

I am from Serbia ( ex Tito's Yugoslavia, Balkan peninsula, Europe ). I am - 1/2 Serbian, 1/4 Croatian and 1/4 Hungarian. I know which nations are descendants of Old Slavs but his nation doesn't know the history of his own nation let alone the history of Balkan nations.

[@romansochacki7678]

@@tanjahorvatserbiaoldslavsh4685 I'm native Polish and history major lol.

[@marbed28]

Idk if you’ve answered this yet- but are we going to get more “Messed up Murders” soon? Or ever? The 2 videos you made are just about my favorite videos from you and I’m just curious

[@houselightkell]

As in cover real life killers??

[@JonSolo]

Ay thanks a lot for saying that! I would love to do more Messed Up Murders content and I've always planned to bring it back at some point. KZbin tends to punish channels whose content gets too graphic, but I think it'd be great to relaunch the series in podcast form. What are your thoughts? Would you miss the visuals to accompany the story or would you be just as happy listening to a Messed Up Murders Podcast?

[@DanielVCOliveira]

@@JonSolo I speak only for myself, but I like the visuals more. Maybe soften the blow with stylized art? Or, like, pink blood instead of red

[@tyty12345678910]

@@JonSolo I legit just want to hear more from you it’s not too many content creators like you and I would just like to know what free stuff you have available, me being poor and all lol

[@sorcerersapprentice]

@@DanielVCOliveira While I that is a cool idea, I don't think it would do much to negate the problem. KZbin is sensitive to any mention of that sorta content, even just saying certain words. But I think releasing it as a podcast form would be a decent alternative in until KZbin gets its act together.

[@DoubleDealingDisarray]

I do remember hearing about J. K. Rowling studying information about witchcraft and Latin specifically for the books. I thought it was pretty cool and managed to read all the books. Though, I can't remember most of the stories for some reason. But it's the same with Narnia for me, so I just shrug and watch videos like yours to help me recall information. Love the video! Keep up the great work!

[@lisemzarate4029]

A couple more minor similarities, in one moment in the H.P books, An invisibility spell is used that Harry describes as having an egg smashed on his head and the contents spilling over his entire body, making him invisible, also the fact that the "fake" horcruxe is hidden on an island, albeit in a cave, also the elf, Kreatures loyalty to Regulus reminds me of these heros friendship, Rowling's talent for research is astounding, all of these similarities are absolutely related, if not intentional , I think so many readers had such similar mental images because she pulled from and expanded on so many folk and fairey tales, we all collectively imagined the story in a similar way. The fact that she wrote more "wizarding tales"(Beedle the Bard) shows she was not anywhere close to running out of ideas.

[@Eagle3302PL]

That's what makes Harry Potter so good, the similarities to real folklore make it feel grounded, as these are concepts that humans have some inherent appeal towards. Also it fits in very well with setting the story in our real world.

[@unavoidablycanadian397]

That story does strike quite the resemblance to Harry Potter. JK Rowling probably knew about that story but she also studied all stories. Harry Potter is a classic heros tale and it fits well with Kose's story. I've never heard of this as story. it's very dark and mystical and I love those qualities. I like the podcast style but miss seeing more art. very cool upload

[@JonSolo]

Hey thanks for the feedback!! This episode was kind of an experiment because this story in particular didn't have much public domain art to supplement and I wanted to see if it would still be as engaging with sound effects and mood-appropriate music. I would really like to start a storytelling series with a similar style (just so I can explore some less mainstream folklore and myths), but right now I have NO plans to cut back on the art I use for the main Messed Up Origins episodes though :) Thanks for watching!

[@catherinealekseyenko9317]

there are variations of the tale where Koschei's death is on the tip of a needle that is in the egg, - in the duck - in the hare - in the chest - on the oak, and the oak sometimes is just growing at the edge of the world instead of an island

[@keturahspencer]

I've suspected that Voldemort was inspired by Kochei for years. Glad to see in not the only one who picked up on this.

[@jason389re]

No he was inspired by Adolf Hitler the author said so herself

[@yehorparkhomenko3354]

@@jason389re could've been both lol, inspirations come from many sources

[@Eagle3302PL]

@@jason389re Nazis were famously into occult shit, Hitler himself believed a bunch of weird magical shit, it;s very possible he himself was inspired by something like Kochei.

[@ChelseaChfy-ex1po]

@jason389re Adolf Hitler was closer to Grindelwald

[@madelinerock6951]

IVE NEVER WANTED TO SEE ANYTHING MORE UNEXPECTED IN MY LIFE THAN THIS!! Thank you! 💜💚

[@alarin612]

I was not surprised because this whole schtick is very similar to a Lich's phylactery in D&D. Always thought Voldemort's story because it's kind of like, "Here's the first Lich, before anyone even knew what to call it, and here's the magic community freaking out about it." Really interesting to learn that it goes back even further.

[@ceilingsintheireyes6288]

Wow, im a huge Potterhead and a lover of folklore and even study Classics (albeit obviously that tends to mean Greek and Roman) and I had no idea about this tale. Brilliantly retold as always dude. I agree, due to the amount of striking similarities, I think it would be stranger if Rowling HADNT heard this and been inspired by it. Bit like Tolkien taking the magic ring that makes you invisible from folklore (along with elves and dwarves and all manner of other things). But it shows how great it is that stories inspire new stories even after centuries.

[@adrianne7882]

I used to like harry potter until she came out being trans-phobic and against the lgbtq community.

[@robblumenberg5965]

Koschei the Deathless also inspired the Lich from Dungeons and Dragons.

[@adamblakeley2592]

I absolutely love the story of Koschei the Deathless. That character needs to be used more.

[@mindwipe8788]

I’m surprised that Bulat the Brave isn’t given the backstory of being a demigod as a way of explaining his Herculean feats of strength.

[@ziziorens348]

Bulat would be a Bogatyr' (which Google Translate tells me is translated as just a "hero"). There's quite a lot of Bogatyr's in Russian folklore (and, I'm sure, in other slavic stories as well). They're all described as having incredible strength and also having quite the smarts to them, often outsmarting the villains of the stories instead of just crushing them with unstoppable power. Like, for example, one of the Bogatyr's is described cleaving, like, a dozen men with a log as if it was as sharp as a sword. Surprisingly, in none of the stories they're in any way connected to the gods or even the numerous benevolent spirits in terms of bloodline. Although one of them needed the connection to Mother Earth for his strength, can't quite remember the name though. Also, "Bulat" is often a type of steel, specifically - Damascus, in a lot of stories I've read in my childhood the heroes were described wielding a bulat steel sword.

[@Stuflox]

An interesting fact, but before the mass baptism of ancient Russia took place, Baba Yaga and Koschei the Deathless were considered not such terrible people. With some heavy propaganda the church changed the impression of the people of ancient Russia that Koschei and Baba Yaga are villains who kidnap and eat children or kidnap brides, but in the most ancient legends of Slavic folklore, Koschei was interpreted an immortal rider on a black horse who protected Russia from intruders and guarded the road to the underworld so that mortals didn't get trapped there forever by mistake. Baba Yaga, on the other hand, was considered a beautiful woman and a powerful healer who, with the help of her potions, healed those in need. She was also called "Baba" not because she was strictly an old woman (Russian word for "Grandmother" which is "Babushka" is often considered to be a synonym of the word "Baba", which it technically is, but also isn't) but because among the common people the word "Woman" was more often interpreted as a less formal expression of this word which was "Baba". Also, a lot of Koshchei's atrocities actually sound very similar to another Slavic villain: the Serpent Gorynych, a three-headed dragon who also stole brides and was overall a terrible being. I suggest you to read more about it, because its stories and legends sometimes often intertwine or even replace the stories about Koshchei. In general, many ancient Slavic creatures were initially considered good, but then the church turned them all into terrible monsters in order to intimidate the impressionable people.

[@IEthereaI]

In Macedonian baba means grandma and we here in the south call her Baba Roga, rog which in macedonian means horn so translated Horny Grandma haha Some say Baba Yaga and Baba Roga were probably evil witch sisters...

[@dps9390]

As a dnd Game Master and Player who really loves how you call vold a scorrcer, as wizards are mages that learn magic through intense studies but scorrcers use magic that they were born with.

[@Alyenbird]

These terms did not have these meanings prior to the publishing of Dungeons and Dragons. Basically Gary Gygax simply decided to classify magic users that way for the sake of gameplay. He didn't pay much attention to how the words were used previously. Pre-D&D: A sorcerer was pretty much any evil, magical person. I've seen the term used as an insult in old fairy tales. A wizard was pretty much any powerful magic using man (the root word for wizard is the same as that for wise). They could be good or evil, and their magic could be from any source, including from themselves or from a demon pact, without them ceasing to be called a wizard. A warlock was basically any evil wizard. An enchanter was not someone who infused magic into objects, but a person who sang or spoke their magic into being (the word enchanter shares a root with the word chant). Someone could be both a wizard and an enchanter, and which term was used depended on what they were doing for the story's hero. Due to the massive popularity of D&D these words came to take on their modern meanings, and you see them used the D&D specific way in all kinds of other media, but that doesn't mean John is using the words wrong.

[@dps9390]

@@Alyenbird umm those terms are younger than your saying, as from understand it wasn't until 2nd adnd. Until a expansion book added scorrcer. though scorrcer may have also been added to 1e adnd. Originally there was two magic classes magic user and priest In true 1e.

[@dps9390]

@@Alyenbird and aside from that I was specifically referring to Voldiomote (which from my understanding was created in modern times).

[@PolinaLee94]

Oh yeah, there's an old polish folk tale that states that basilisk (Vasilisk is closer to original name) is an evil step mother. Step mother tried to kill the step daughter by cutting her head with a heavy chest lid, but Girl was saved by her mom's spirit, that lived in a tree. So when Step mother saw that step daughter came back to live, she got so angry it turned her into a snake with deadly stare.

[@ilovefish9458]

Ralph Fiennes is the best part about this character... But I like an excuse to talk about him! Thank you for your facinating videos!

[@frytaf9495]

Slavic lullabies can be so messed up, one has scared me for my whole childhood, "Był sobie król", it goes like there was a king, page and queen, and in 2 verse they were eaten. In 3 verse they say that "oh don't worry child they were made from marcepan" YOU MADE ME BELIEVE THEY WERE EATEN ALIVE FOR A WHOLE REFRAIN, I GOT INVESTED IN THOSE CHARACTERS IN 1 VERSE what's wrong with you! Besides the whole "they were sweets all along" always felt added on to the end bc children wouldn't stop crying

[@V.R.CoryArt]

I knew about Koschei but didn't know he was the inspiration for Voldemort, very interesting!

[@HistoryRats]

Oh...my...goddess!! From Disney to folk lore to Harry Potter...my life I'd now complete.

[@chrisdunker54]

The last part you spoke of, warding off death and the consequence of revealing the truth as well as the means to reverse the curse, was all covered in a recent show on Netflix called "A Tale Dark And Grimm".

[@ZeniJocasta]

I was just thinking of this! As he explained that last part, I thought 'wait this sounds familiar, didn't Netlfix do this recently?" Was having a hard time remembering the title of the series, so thanks for that!

[@chrisdunker54]

@@ZeniJocasta You're welcome. I'm just glad I could help.

[@jamessirot854]

The last section is very similar to the Grimms fairy tale "Faithful John". John was turned to stone also after reveling why he did 3 crazy things. The king in the story had to chop off his kids' heads to bring him back. In the end, John put their heads back and the kids were alive again.

[@Alyenbird]

There's multiple stories where a marvelous servant learns three secrets that will turn him to stone if told. The secrets vary enormously, but each secret is something that will harm his master or his master's new wife if not stopped, but that will anger him when stopped. In all these stories, the servant tells the secrets after his angry master has arranged for his execution. Then the master mourns over the statue and is told he can bring the servant back to life if he sacrifices his children. The version with the most messed up kid restoration has the servant put the children's heads back on, smear the wounds with their blood, and the children come back to life with thin red rings around their necks showing where their heads were severed. The version I can remember the title of right now is "Faithful John" but I don't remember if that's the version with the red neck scars. I'm pretty sure it IS the version where the final secret is that the new bride will die if no one sucks three drops of blood from her left breast. So yeah, it's super messed up and you should do a video on it!

[@HeatherNickless-vt8zr]

I think that last part about Ivan's kids' fate might have been transpired into what happens to Hansel and Gretel in the later part of the prologue of "A Tale Dark and Grimm": The Book was a string of at least 5 or 6 of "The Brothers Grimm" rolled into one story, including that story about the young prince and a cursed golden haired princess (who are now the mother and father of the twin girl and boy in the prologue of their story and "The Seven Ravens".

[@сесилияалександрова]

That was awesome, but I was hoping we'd get more stories about Koschei, since he is kind of like the leprechaun of Slavic folklore.

[@JonSolo]

there'll be more Koschei stories in the future :) We'll do a whole episode on him eventually!

[@SlapstickGenius23]

I do think that Koschei the Immortal has a grain of truth; as its villain protagonist is based on a feared Mongol invader also named Koschei.

[@сесилияалександрова]

@@SlapstickGenius23 Where can I read about this guy?

[@mateuszbanaszak4671]

Little language thing : "Koschei" better "Kościej" means something around "skeleton"/"made of bones"/"looking like skeleton". Word "Kościej" is often used for name of slavic demons/monsters who's somewhat look like bones. One demon bearing this name (where other versions of his name are "Matoha" or "Bobo") i remember was violent goat like creatore who's work was to make sure Witches (while theyr meeting on Bald Mountain) were not gonna cause harm to Innocent people.

[@christianmarshal6117]

The part where they threw a ring a large container as they were on their way to and destroy an object tethering a destructive evil entity that struck fear into the hearts of all the creatures in the world reminded me of the Lord of the Rings so I think Tolkien might’ve taken some inspiration from that old story as well.

[@xspyroid]

Koschei's goose chase (haha) for his "soul" was also featured in Jim Henson's Storyteller... sort of. Instead of a sorcerer it was a troll, the princess was some boy and the soul was a heart. It ends with the boy handing the heart to his brother, threatening the troll they'd break it, and instead bro broke two hearts that day.

[@ЖорикВартанов-е3ь]

The comparison is not very suitable. It's as if I pointed to white, and said, "it's black like gray."😆

[@katiegustafson6765]

Some useless info: chickens have a "multi use" organ called a cloaca. This is the ending of the digestive system for both the bladder and intestines. The females also lay eggs through this opening and roosters have a bump there that fertilizes the females' egg. Fun fact: Cloaca is the Roman goddess of sewers! Lol

[@Logitah]

Also in Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere, one of the characters keeps their life inside an egg. It becomes very significant later in the book.

[@punicagranatum]

Coming from the middle east, my father always told me this story! This was a strange experience to hear my childhood night-time story in English!

[@TheNetymags]

I love your videos! How did you come to love this kind of research? You get so in depth. Much respect!

[@lindalinde3456]

Mythology gets more interesting as deeper you dig

[@ninjaunicorn575]

There is a medieval German story with a very similar ending. The story is from the 13th century. It was written by Konrad von Würzburg, the title is "Engelhardt" it and tells the story of a dude called Engelhardt and his best friend and lookalike Dietrich in 6500 verses. Engelhardt sets out to become squire for a danish king. On the way he meets Dietrich, who looks exactly like him. They become friends and go to said danish kings castle to become squires. The king has a beautiful daughter called Engeltrud. Engelhardt really likes her. One day Dietrichs dad day and he has to go take over his throne. Engelhardt and Engeltrud get closer and her cousin Ritschier eventually catches them in the garden, seemingly making out. He tells the king and Engelhardt swears nothing happened and Ritschier eventually challenges him to a duel/ordral. Engelhardt is afraid of loosing so he hits up Dietrich to help him out and switch places. Dietrich agreed and they change places. Dietrich wins the duel and cuts off his right hand. Engelhardt and Dietrich switch back in time for Engelhardt to marry Engeltrud. They get 2 children and Dietrich gets sick with Lepra. He goes into exil on an island and Engelhardt finds out that the only way to heal him is to sacrifice his kids and smear their blood on Dietrich. He does that and Dietrich is healed and Engelhardt finds out that his kids are alive and sleeping in their bed. There is even an older french story that this is based on called Amis et Amiles

[@fireflymiesumae]

Damn

[@cathygrandstaff1957]

There’s also a British story I read as a kid about a dragon that had hidden its heart in a box or a gem so as long as the heart was safe the dragon could never be killed. From what I remember it has a similar story arc. The dragon kidnaps a princess, as British dragons are wont to do, and a bunch of knights and younger sons go after it to slay the dragon, retrieve the princess and get betrothed to her as a reward, but because the dragon is immortal he bests all of them. Finally one of the princes manages to sneak past the dragon and talk to the princess, she can’t leave because the dragon has her caged up but she butters the dragon up by saying how remarkable it is that he was able to defeat all those brave warriors and the dragon brags that it’s hidden it’s heart away so nobody can kill it. It also brags about where it’s heart is hidden because why not, all the knights are dead and the princess is caged up. So then knowing where the heart is the remaining prince finds its location, stabs it and the dragon dies.

[@alexhulea2735]

in another version of Marea Morevna, Koschey doesn't die from the kick, but is left in a death-like state, chopped to pieces, put in a barrel weighted down with rocks and thrown into the sea. just like he had done to the hero earlier in the story :3. stories containing Koschey also introduce The Water of Life (that can resurrect someone IF their body is whole) and The Water of Death (that heals all wounds on a dead body, most often used in conjunction with the Water of Life). these concepts also heavily influenced Romanian folk/fairy tales. though we have Saints Friday and Sunday (usually with a third sister whose name eludes me: the names make a lot more sense in romanian ) instead of Baba Yaga to help the heroes

[@CrawfordPrime]

Correct me if I’m wrong, but Koschei is basically a real folktale example of the Lich trope in fantasy heavily prevalent in DND. Idk if there are any others like him but I absolutely love that fact

[@queendsheena1]

Never knew Voldemort's origin related to Slavic folklore. Thanks for this amazing video.

[@coolelve333]

Saw the Title, Had to get a drink and now its time to watch.

[@IdleLancer]

Knight's Wyrde. Has a similar villian in it with it's life trapped in an egg on an island. Also, Taran Wanderer has a magician who trapped his life in his little finger, cut it off and hid it in the bole of a huge tree.

[@leonardowesselka4124]

So this Koschei guy probably also inspired the concept of liches in D&D

[@sheenshah5253]

Here in Pakistan we grew up listening to to specific folk story abt how a wozard abducts the princes and takes her to his black castle on the Black mountain. Now king announces whoever brings her back will be married to the princess and get the kingdom. So this one prince/shepherd/poor boy gets to the wizard and somehow he learns the wizard's life is hidden in Parrot. So the hero kills of the parrot and the wozard dies and they get their happily ever aftet. So the horocrux idea was very familiar for us.

[@lubzanaafrin9844]

Now that you explained the connection, I can tell for a fact that we have very similar versions of this story in Bangladeshi Folklore. The similarities are shockingly close!

[@faerytaee]

I listen to your videos whenever im bedridden from sickness and i get sick a lot, they really help me get my mind off my problems. Thank you so much for everything!❤️😊🥰

[@dechha1981]

Reminds me of an episode of Jim Henson’s The Storyteller. (that miniseries alone will probably give you plenty of things to work with, by the way) A boy basically becomes a giant’s slave, and the giant lies about wear his heart is 2 times, the boy “cleans” where the heart is, and his heart is actually located in an egg in a duck in a well in an island etc.

[@dungeonlink4205]

The other version of koschei the deathless I prefer is iven accidentally release him from his prison and the hero has to go on a journey to rescue his wife from koschei. Good video

[@deannacallahan2579]

I know J.K. had to have been inspired by Alice Through the Looking Glass from the protagonist having to cross to the other side of a giant chessboard in order to reach their goal. That's exactly what Alice had to do & Harry Potter had to do the same in the Sorcerer's Stone.

[@kaidraws9800]

It would be cool if you talked about Maya and The Three (mc and villains) origins since it's inspired by the Aztecs

[@MrFredGrave]

Seven is the Number of Magic so it's pretty common to find this number in stories and tales where magic is involved.

[@Jokes_on_D]

Bulat the brave is the real MVP I need more back story on this dude! 🙌🏾

[@friday26th]

The part about Jack and Ivan is funny considering Jack was sometimes used as a diminutive version of John and both John and Ivan are local variations of the same Hebrew name. Yohanan. A very common name in Christian societies.

[@baubojan4862]

I first read about Koschei in the novels of James Branch Cabell but never followed up by reading any folktales. This video makes up for that. Thank you.

[@Glitzypink123]

Thank you for these videos on mythology, folklore and messed up origins, this is really interesting. I've learnt something new.

[@Schoolhousefilms121]

Fun fact Ivan (I believe) is the slavic version of john, Jack is an alternative version of John. So john seems to be in most folk tales I guess.

[@Ili-v4z]

John and Ivan both come from Ioan

[@cosmicdoggo9296]

My name is Ivan

[@seaopalthemeren]

The second part of the story reminds me of Faithful John and also the new netflixx series called a "Tale Dark and Grimm"!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOST MY MIND WHEN I WAS SEEN THE DOTS IN MY HEAD and also loved the mention of "Ivan and his magic little pony", LOVE that story...

[@Heather90]

Also, Rowling DEFINITELY used “The Monkey’s Paw” as inspiration for The Tale of the Three Brothers.

[@zach415]

This would honestly make for a great dnd campaign. Also “your hair is long but your brains are short” is a great insult

[@nikkgardiner8026]

I'm not sure if it's already been mentioned or not, but Koschei the Deathless is also the root of the origin of Vecna, a name all D&D enthusiasts will recognise.

[@ЖорикВартанов-е3ь]

I don't want to disappoint you, but Koschei (Кощей), this name comes from the word koschun (кощун), that is, the one who does koschunstvo (кощунство) that is, desecrates shrines.

[@ChelseaChfy-ex1po]

@user-pc2kn2jm5k and Voldemort did that with Dumbledores tomb to get the elder wand😲

[@DanielVCOliveira]

About HP content, more, yes, please. And how about a video about that crazy fairy tale classification system you use sometimes? I bet that'd be interesting, I have no idea of how to go about classifying fairy tales, of all things

[@duragsenpai9598]

I think this is the first folklore story I’ve heard that had an actual happy ending

[@maggiesheartlove2734]

Koschei the deathless?! I LOVE THIS DUDE!!!!😻

[@EBThisThat]

I honestly would love to see you tackle more lore behind the Harry Potter series. Have you ever considered looking into Nicholas Flammel and sorcerer's stones/philosopher's stones as well as alchemy ? True story. Apparently Flammel was an actual person but as far as source material goes on him there isn't a lot of information out there (believe me, I've looked, and I've also read Scott's Alchymyst series, which is one of my absolute favorites, even to this day). All scholars can say about him is that he mysteriously disappeared and oddly, there hasn't been a body found yet. Sort of makes you wonder if Flammel is truly a modern Enoch.

[@barbarahouk1983]

You are so appreciated by me and others. I am glad you found your niche in life. I am glad I found you.

[@Wolfy39565]

i swear you are getting cooler and cooler with every new episode. i learn so much. thank u

[@frhrutklllwppw124]

That's an amazing story telling! Thank you! As a Russian, it was so fascinating to hear this in English :)

[@marythemirage]

There are also many versions of Koschey's story in which there is a needle in the egg. And sometimes the children are resuscitated with the water of life, which appears in other stories as well. Oh, and in the tale 'Ivan and the Grey Wolf' the Grey Wolf basically has the same function as Bulat, but maybe there is less murder in that one :D

[@erikohman2294]

Interesting stuff! I have heard the name "Vasilissa" exactly once, and that was when reaing a book of old folktales. Seems to be popular in that context.

[@keionrichards6437]

I love you're videos! They always throw a twist in my childhood memories. Can we get mythical creatures explained please?

[@joshuacritchfield3564]

I think you should look at the Netflix series "A Tale Dark and Grimm." It's based on a book by Roald Dahl. It blends a lot of the classic fairy tales together.

[@PandaMonium92827]

Knd of indirectly reminds me of the RuGarou in bayou folklore. You can't kill it or else it will possess you, and the cycle keeps going until someone either tries bloodletting or banishing the creature via exorcism.

[@dreliq981]

Bulad killing all those creatures reminded me of the Netflix show. I think its called Grimm or something, and there's a wizard who did a lot of weird things in order to save the princess for his friend. But then he turned to stone. It definitely was different because the kids were saved by a magic thread but one of them went to hell so the wizard had to go save him.

[@danielmapp4522]

You have forgotten about Sauron. Sauron used the Ring in the same matter of the Horecrux. It anchored his soul to the plain of the living even when his living body was destroyed. It was said it was a living emblem of the Dark Lord's will and his essence until it was destroyed in the chasm of Mount Doom. The Elves also referred to Sauron as a dreadful sorcerer that that the princess Melian had to rescue the hero Beren from. Voldemort definitely took indirect inspiration from Sauron the fallen Maia. Keep up the good work brother! Love your content! You would make a good history professor!

[@shizachan8421]

To be honest, the way the Horcruxes are described as somewhat sentient cursed objects which attempt to corrupt those who bear them seem to be pretty ripped off from the One Ring. Its also crazy how Sauron, written by a catholic man born in the 19th century, is kind of a more morally complex villain than Voldemort.

[@kaitstanley5424]

Great episode as always!! Loving the podcast so far!! Can't wait for next week's episode!!

[@lyndsycarson8302]

I felt like i heard this story before when i was obsessed with babayaga fairy tales. Wasn’t there a prince Ivan and a worrier Queen Maria and koshay stole her from the middle of a battle after her and Ivan were married, and one of them had sisters married to wizards and baba gave him a super fast horse to rescue her? Something like that but that’s my favorite Russian Fairytale very similar to this one; The Death of The Deathless. And i had to stop to google and then search youtube and for sure it was on the channel a year or so ago lol I’ve also read and watched documentaries etc about Folklore from various countries. Jon solo tells all very tales 10000x’s better than any Historical documentary with boring scholars🤷🏻‍♀️

[@jbear3478]

Some evil wizard dude steals his girlfriend and he tricks yaga and steals her magic horse

[@IEthereaI]

Finally I love our slavic folklore ! 👋 from Macedonia 🇲🇰

[@lafregaste]

There's another story from Hungary that follows the same idea of a soul hidden inside many animals. It also has a kidnapped princess, so maybe she was inspired by that one or both. And if there's two similar there might be ever more

[@randomufujoshi4283]

The beautiful bride and loyal guy that was found along, the loyal guy turning into stone after killing the prince favorite things remind me of a brothers grim version of Hansel and gretel

[@jobsonsalomo7199]

This chanel is literally the only reason I come on youtube. Informative and entertaining everytime

[@selenedm999]

Your videos are always so entertaining AND educational. Thank you for always bringing a smile to my face, especially with doggies!

[@alexandriacollins7119]

Actually Tom Riddle Sr. abandoned his wife and son *Before* his son was even born.

[@pulsefel9210]

im reminded of the runescape character who goes by that name. youre forced to fight him during a quest and have to kill him 3 or 4 times before allowing him to kill you. the later reveal of just who he was is an interesting one.

[@docmccrimmon4489]

I first heard of Koschei through Doctor Who (the Doctor’s childhood frienemy’s childhood name), and looked him up out of curiosity. But I never realised or thought of the association between him and Voldemort. Those are interesting parallels.

[@kamikaze00007]

I think the part with the kids is actually originally a part of the story. Given the narrative style focuses on mental trickery, it's possible that the dark lord's sisters actually cursed the three with a cruel trick that can only be broken if they commit to it. First, they force the guy to kill the animals to save his friend, but seal his lips so that the prince is emotionally hurt and be forced to kill his friend. And then, the curse isn't over yet, because it follows through with forcing the couple to kill their children in exchange to save the friend's life. This is especially cruel because most couple would probably give up at that point, and then it might turn out that they are living with kids who are part of the cursed illusion. Unfortunately for the evil sisters, the couple makes the sacrifce of their own flesh and blood and the friend is brought back to life. The illusion is broken because they win the unsaid bet, and their true kids are revealed to them.

[@BlackVeganTravels]

The Netflix series "A Tale Dark and Grimm" also borrowed it's inciting incident from this story and worked it in with other fairy tales. It's interesting to know the full tale!

[@adrianne7882]

I remember listing to a story just like this only a different version. The prince had been given a painting (I believe) of a beautiful princess. He took his honorable companion and boarded a ship to fetch her. On the way back the companion had to kill different animals because if he did not then the prince and princess would be killed. I know one was a (black) winged horse that would have flown them high into the air before dropping them. After the third animal the prince sentenced him to death. The companion then told him the reasons for why he killed the animals. The animals were to kill them because the prince took the princess. Upon the companion telling them why he, turned to stone. Years later they were able to bring him back to life.

[@alexman378]

You mention the Baba Yaga. Judging by everything you’ve said, Koschei would’ve been a better nickname for John Wick.

[@mitchryan257]

I think they messed up. The movie said “Baba Yaga” is the boogeyman in Russian. Baba Yaga is possibly the world’s most famous witch, while “Babayka” means boogeyman in Russian.

[@cristopherj1324]

Love what your bringing to the channel, the logo looks amazing and I can't wait for more of the podcast. 😉💜

[@benceszilagyi8442]

Interesting. I'm Hungarian, we have a similar folktale. It's titled "The skyscraper tree" (Égig érő fa) (not the same as Jack and the magic beanstalk...!) Here, a 3 headed dragon kidnaps a princes and tooks up on a very hight tree, and the little swine-herd boy went after them. He offered his labor to a dragon, who gave him the task to feed his horses, except one, the smallest and weakest, and even if it asks for something, never gave it to him. But the boy was good hearted, so he took care of the horse, and the horse told him to make a big fire. After the fire, the horse ate the coal and ashes and turned into a 7 legged stalion. Meanwhile the princes used the same methold to learn that the dragon has a similar weaknes: he has a great forest, within a small lake, where in every noon a great bear goes to drink. In the bear, there's a hare, in the hare, there's a match box, and in it, there are 7 wapses, and those are his lifeforce. From that it's very simple, the boy slayed the dragon with this methold and took the princess down from the tree, he gaind her hand in marriage and the crown.... The other end of your story is a separate story here. It exists, just has nothing to to wuth this one 😃

[@jamesnielson7060]

Place of keeping, assistants gained along the way and how they helped is similar to the story of the Heartless Giant from Germanic folklore.

[@Sarah420Hippie]

I love that the end of the story is the basic plotline of "A Tale Dark and Grim" on Netflix. Its a wonderful messed up origin of Hansel and Gretel

[@MG-xr9dt]

Yaaaayyy! I’ve been unknowingly waiting for this! Thank you

[@Quintzal]

This was the most messed up of the messed up origins I've listened to. Nice work! The character also reminds me of the Lich from Dungeons & Dragons, which also traps its soul in an object and hides it away.

[@gianbrentelloren7498]

Holy Crap I’ve been waiting for this episode thank you

[@pucknorris3473]

Yo you help me get my kids ready for bed bro your content is priceless...

[@CantStayAway]

This is SO COOL!!!!! I never knew the story about Koschei the Deathless. You always give us legends and characters I've never heard of and they're so interesting and I LOVE IT!!!

[@marvelousmistermaple]

I just found this channel after having a rough last few days. Thank you dude for all you do! Your videos are brilliantly narrated and edited! New favorite KZbinr!