Myth and folktales

36
The structure of tales about Kresnik can be classified into seven principal 
episodes:
 - Kresnik was born and lived in the castle (on the glass mountain, in the ninth 
kingdom, in the Bear’s castle). His mother carried him for nine years, and the 
child had to be baptized ten or nine times. He was recognized as a kresnik by his 
horse hooves or other marks on his body (Pajek 1882: 579–580; Slekovec 1895: 
24–25; Šašelj 1906: 215–216). 
 - Kresnik rode with his brother Trot in the golden carriage through the sky, and 
was attacked by the Snake, whom he conquered in one-on-one combat (Pohorski 
1858).
 - Kresnik owned many cows and other riches. One day, a dragon stole his wealth 
and locked it in a crag. Kresnik found his cattle with the help of his four-eyed 
dog or a magic plant that could open cliffs; then he conquered the dragon, and 
reclaimed his wealth (Pohorski 1858).
 - Kresnik was greatly tempted to acquire the Snake Queen’s beautiful crown. The 
crown would bring plenty of money to the person who owned it. Kresnik gets 
hold of some strong horses and makes the corridor from his to the snake’s castle. 
He plays cards with the Snake Queen for her crown. When the Queen notices 
Kresnik fighting the dragon, Jože Karlovšek, 1955, Archive ISN ZRC SAZU

---

37
the theft of her crown she raises such a hue and cry that a multitude of gigan-
tic snakes rush from everywhere. Kresnik escapes with the help of his horses 
through the corridor to his castle (Mulec 1858: 253–254).
 - Kresnik fell in love with the beautiful daughter of the Snake Queen. Since he 
could not otherwise enter the Queen’s palace, he turned himself into a dwarf. As 
he reached the courtyard, everybody started to laugh and mock him. At night, 
he turned into a handsome prince and took the princess with him (Pohorski 
1859; Pajek 1884: 57; Kelemina 1930: 1/III).
 - Consequently, the Snake King dispatched a dragon to Kresnik’s castle. In the 
castle, a beautiful princess named Vesina was living. The dragon spent six 
months watching over her. On St. George’s Day, the handsome Count Kresnik 
appeared with a bright sword and positioned himself over the snake. After he 
had conquered the snake, golden wheat started to fall onto the ground. Kresnik 
took Vesina for his wife, and his country was wealthy (Trstenjak 1870).
 - Kresnik’s wife noticed one day that Kresnik was away during the night. When 
she finally saw him on the roof, she called him by his name, and Kresnik fell 
down and killed himself. (Pajek 1882: 581).
One well-known legend describing Kresnik’s adventures is the legend of Kresnik 
of Vurberg castle. Documented as early as in the 1840s, it was first published in its 
entirety by Matej Slekovec in 1895. This legend contains most of the cited episodes, 
except the second and the third episode. Under the pseudonym “Fr. Pohorski”, 
Davorin Trstenjak published a folktale from Pohorje in Novice in 1858. 
Kresnik had a brother named Trot. One day, the brothers were flying in a 
golden carriage to a feast given by the Babylonian Snake Queen. During the 
ride, it started to thunder fiercely. Although the Snake Queen had always 
fawned over Kresnik, in reality she couldn’t stand him. So she dispatched a 
snake that had mighty wings like an eagle. The snake appeared from the fog, 
attacked Kresnik, and tried to slaughter him. But Trot cut its head off with a 
golden axe. As the snake flickered its tail into the clouds, the clouds produced 
an immense downpour of rain, almost drowning Kresnik and Trot. But the 
swift hooves of Kresnik’s horses, fast as lightning, managed to save their master 
from the flood (Pohorski 1858: 347; Kelemina 1930: no. 202).
The image of Kresnik or Perun driving through the sky in a golden carriage has 
connected Perun in the time of Christianization with St. Elias. 
Davorin Trstenjak also published a folktale in which Kresnik rescues the cows 
from the cave in the mountain:

---

38
People from Pohorje say that Kresnik owned many cows and was milking 
them. Their milk was so fragrant that the white snake repeatedly hid in the 
stable and sucked it from their udders. Kresnik was grazing his cows by 
himself, usually in the mountains. When he once fell asleep a brigand stole 
all his cows. Try as he might, Kresnik could not find them. But he owned a 
four-eyed dog, which he dispatched to look for the cows around the moun-
tain range. The dog quickly smelled the cows hidden in the cave of a mighty 
mountain. He ran home to Kresnik, who was sitting in a large castle, and 
told his master that he had found the cows. Flying as a bird, Kresnik soared 
across the mountains and knocked on the door. But the giant, who was half 
human and half dragon, did not release the cows until Kresnik slaughtered 
him with a bolt of lightning (Pohorski 1858: 374).
The rescuing of the princess and killing the large snake is the key episode in the 
cycle of Kresnik’s legends and at the same time this is also the principal Slavic myth, 
reconstructed by Ivanov and Toporov (1974). One of the legends about Kresnik kill-
ing the snake and rescuing the princess was recorded in Steiermark, Austria (Eng: 
Styria, Slo. Štajerska) in 1870:
[…] A snake was crossing the River Drava. It was so large that it stemmed 
the river’s flow as it was creeping across. Folks say that the Drava flooded the 
entire Ptujsko Field and ran among hills planted with vines; one can still see 
the dry, winding riverbed. The snake crawled toward a mighty castle where 
its enormous body, its tail in its mouth, coiled around it. In this castle was 
imprisoned a beautiful princess by the name of Vesina. For six months,  Vesina 
had been kept imprisoned in the castle by the snake. Then, on St. George’s 
Day, the handsome Count Krsnik came along. He positioned himself over the 
St. Eliah, beehive painting, 19
th
 century, Archive SEM

---