Volovyk A. Symbols of Border in Folktales and Ways of their Translation

Abstract

Being one of the vital categories for all living beings on earth, space determines the boundaries for all humans in general as well as for an individual in particular. To define such boundaries, people employ a specific code that consists of the symbols of space. The latter are distinctly manifested in one of the most archaic forms of oral folk literature, the genre of folktale, which is imbued with the elements of the mythological worldview of primitive people, their mentality and mode of existence.

One of the groups of symbols that foreground the symbolism of space in folktales is the symbols of border. They designate the boundary between ‘our’ and ‘their’ space in folktales as well as in daily life. Despite relatively extended research in the field of folktale symbols, there are few studies devoted to the issue of conveying the symbols of border into the target language. The goals of the article include the highlighting of the ways of rendering the symbols of border taken from English and Ukrainian folktales and the assessment of the adequacy of their reproduction in the target language. According to the results of the research, it can be concluded that due to its universal character, the symbols of border are easily rendered into the receiving linguocultures. However, an adequate reproduction of the symbols of border requires the identification of their role in a certain folktale text, and, consequently, the importance of their rendering into the target language. Moreover, it is essential to note, that elimination or change of the symbols of border may cause the violation of the integrity of the symbolic picture of the folktale and at the same time lead to the inadequate perception of the text by the receiving culture.