History Gomelskogo the pied Piper, as well as stories of Tristan and Isolde, Prince hamlet or doctor Faustus, destined seems to remain for centuries, although it is neither love nor detective intrigue, and greedy citizens and overly vengeful musician, it seems, should not make more people slightest sympathy. Yet the shadow of the white cloak of Piper no-no and will be shown on the pages of some modern books. Because DIN-Lenskoe history is a mystery. And this secret today we will try to solve.

THE CHILDREN'S CRUSADE

But first, let's remember the legend. In the bins of a small town in Lower Saxony (Germany) hosted the rat. Wandering musician promises to save the city from this scourge. In fact, hearing the sound of his whistle, rats follow the musician as enchanted themselves to drown themselves in the river Weser. However, the citizens do not want to pay musician promised reward. Then he with his magical music leads out of town all children. On their fate different versions of the legends say different. Children may also drowned in the river. Perhaps the musician took them into the bowels of the mountain Koppelberg. Just, if you believe the plaque installed in Gameline, perished that day 130 children.

Horrible story, isn't it? And a good hint for those who likes to delay salary. But why poets, prose writers and readers of all ages find in this legend the special charm?

German ballads derive from the legend simple and unambiguous moral: Human greed is poison, Shoubushi gomelskich guys.

For Goethe Piper was one of the demons deceiving, equally dangerous for rodents, and for children's and women's hearts.

Marina Tsvetaeva saw in the legend of the history of the struggle of the musician-the Creator and ordinary people-bourgeoisie.

In the poem of J. Brodsky or Strugatsky's novel "the Ugly swans" care of children is a consequence of the inevitable, eternal break with the fathers ' generation. (And, as we shall see, these last authors proved the closest to the truth.)

And here are a few more historic, but also absolutely unreal versions.

In the spring 1212 from at-Rhine Germany, thousands of children have set out, with the goal to adults example of the crusaders to reach the Holy Sepulchre. Their leader was a ten year old boy Niklas. From 20 thousand issued in the way to Italy reached only 7 thousand. In Brindisi, despite the categorical prohibition of the Bishop, a suspect, that the father Nicklas wants to sell children pirates, they boarded the ship. The Bishop was right: the young crusaders really sold in slavery - the truth, Niklas with his father died.

In June, in the village of Clue (near The North of France) with the same sermon delivered a 12 year old boy by the name of Etienne. Attempts by king Philip II to prevent the campaign had no success. Etienne gathered about 30 thousand children. In Marseille two businessman - Hugo Ferrous and Guillaume Porcus - put them on ships and also sold the Saracens. Eight years later traitors hung in Sicily Frederick II.

The story is absolutely true. But how it was knit with the rats and the greed of Gomeldrev? In addition, fantasy storytellers more prone to exaggeration, and not to the understatement. So 20 thousand children and hike around Europe was unlikely to turn into a 130 children and short March from the city to the coast nearest river. And finally, legends relate the events in Gameline to 1376 or 1378 (about the causes of such an exact date we'll talk later). It turns out that Crusade and gumilinsky tragedy shared by more than one hundred years.

Some historians see the legend echo hikes recruiters in the southern German cities with the aim of recruiting young people for resettlement on vacant land in Moravia, the Czech Republic and even farther in Romania (Emigratie).

One of the destinations was Harlingen in the Czech Republic. In 1284 there moved 130 people-all of them adults. Objections against this version is essentially the same. It is unclear how and why the legend appeared rats. Here, incidentally, is also featured to the number 130, but, as already mentioned, we are talking about adults. And again does not match Dating.

And most important, none of the versions cannot solve the question: what is extraordinary attractive force of the legend of the pied Piper. What is the meaning invested in the story of the people who wrote it?

CHRONICLES OF STARVATION

Let's start from the beginning. Which meant medieval people's invasion of rats?

Marina Tsvetaeva in the "pied Piper" we read: Perepolneny warehouses rice

A consequence of the rat.

And as it was in reality?

Contact remarkable monographs Jacques Le Goff "Civilization of the medieval West." "The medieval West is first of all the universe hunger, says French historian. - Haunted his fear of famine, and all too often the hunger".

As an example, Le Goff quotes account Raoul Glaber, monks of Cluny (1032 year). Here's what he wrote monk: "This punishing infertility originated in the East. It devastated Greece, reached Italy, passed on from there Gaul, crossed this country and crossed to the peoples of England. Because the product shortage was struck by the whole nation, the giants and people of the middle States was shared with the poor pale infirmity of hunger. Robbery of those in power had to cease to universal need. The famine began devastating thing, and it was feared that disappear almost the whole human race. The atmospheric conditions were so bad that it was impossible to choose a suitable day for sowing. But mainly because of the flood, there was no way to remove the bread. Long rains soaked the whole earth moisture to the extent that within three years it was impossible to hold the furrow, which is able to receive the seed. And in the time of harvest of wild herbs and pernicious weeds cover fields. Well, if muid seeds gave a network of harvest, and he barely got a handful of grain.

If on occasion and been able to find in selling something of the products, the seller can request any price. When they had eaten and wild beasts, and of birds insatiable hunger forced people to choose carrion and do such things, and what to say scary. Some, in order to avoid death, spruce forest roots and grass. Terror seizes me, when I go to the story about the perversions that prevailed then in the human race.

Alas! On the mountain! The thing unheard forever and ever: a fierce hunger forced people to devour human flesh. Who was stronger, kidnapped traveler, dismembered body, cooked and ate. Many of those who hunger drove from one place to another, found in the way of shelter, but at night with his throat slit went in food hospitable owners..."

Mor from hunger continued in the XIII century. Read the Chronicles.

1221-1222 years: "In Poland three years in a row Lily torrential rains and floods occurred, which resulted in dvuhletki hunger, and many died."

1223 year: "there Were strong frosts, which destroyed crops, why was followed by the great famine in all of France".

In the same year: "Very severe famine in Livonia - so much so that people ate each other and abducted from the gallows corpses thieves, to devour them."

1263 year: "Very strong hunger in Moravia and Austria. Many died, ate roots and bark of trees."

1277 year: "In Austria, Illyria and Carinthia was such a severe famine that people eat cats, dogs, horses and corpses".

One of the causes of such disasters could easily become our tailed friends. For example, the Basel chronicle noted under 1271 year: "Rats destroy grain, strong hunger."

Note that a special danger threatened at this time. Evidenced by the same Raul Glaber: "Children showed any fruit or eggs, and then they were taken to a remote place, where they killed and ate".

Thus, the story of the pied Piper gets quite different shades. Becomes so clear meticulous Dating authors legends: the date of such disasters are remembered for centuries. Musician of the employee becomes the Savior of the city, and the ingratitude of citizens is especially black. And finally, if we for a moment suppose (and the reasons for this assumption we will be added soon)that children do not die in the waters of the river or in the depths of the mountains, the meaning of the story is totally flipped. Piper takes children from the Madding city, saved from a terrible death...

Yet some issues remain. Why the city saved from rats it musician? Where did he come from? Far away the children?

VERSION OF PROPP

The ultimate answer to all these questions we suddenly find in the work of the Russian ethnographer Vladimir Yakovlevich Propp "the Historical roots of the magic tale". We will be talking about the ceremony of consecration of a teenager in the secret knowledge of the tribe, its transformation from a child into an adult.

Analyzing the tale "Tricky science", Propp leads it is not just the story of a young man, cast into the teaching and returned experienced craftsman, but the signs of a very ancient rite is more ancient than the validity of the XIX century, when the tale was first recorded. "Teacher, which gets a boy - a very old man, a sorcerer, a devil, sage. Sometimes it is from the grave, if to say, "Oh". It is, if you sit on a stump. This is grandpa pointer. From these examples you can see that the teacher is out of the woods, lives in another Kingdom, and takes away from the parents of children in the forest for three years (one year, seven years)".

What can learn a young man from Lugovogo grandfather? For example, he learns to turn around in animals or understand birds: "they Gave him to study in different languages-to one-sage al, too knowledgeable person, so that in every way they knew - bird will sing, the horse will target, the sheep will tablet. Well, the word that everyone knew!" Another young person learns to witchcraft: "give it to me to conjure", "give to study bird language". About how, how is training, storytellers almost always silent. Nothing can they be said about housing teachers.

It is obvious that we are dealing with a rite of passage, a part of the rituals of many primitive tribes. "At the dedication, writes Propp, - young men entered on all mythical representation, rites, rituals and practices of the tribe. The researchers are of the opinion that they presented here is some secret science, that is, that they acquire knowledge. Indeed, they tell the myths of the tribe. One eyewitness said that "they sat quietly and studied in the elderly, it was like school".

However, the point still is not that. It is not knowledge, but the ability, not in the knowledge of the imaginary world of nature and in the impact on him. It is this aspect of the case is well reflected tale "Tricky science", where, as noted, the hero learns to turn into animals, it has become a skill, not knowledge.

This education or training is essential character of empowerment around the world. In Australia (New South Wales) old men teach young to play local games, sing songs tribe and to dance some corobor-ri, who were forbidden to women and to the uninitiated. They were introduced also in sacred tradition (stories) of the tribe and its science.

These views and dances were not spectacles. They were magical influence on the nature. Dedicated studied all the dances and songs, very carefully and for a long time. The slightest error could be fatal, could spoil the whole ceremony.

Heroes of Russian fairy tales bring from forest teachers do not dance they bring a magical abilities. But the dance was an expression or a way to use these abilities. Dance tale lost, we only forest, the teacher and the magical ability. But in the tales of other types, you can find some traces and dances.

Dances were performed under music and musical instruments was considered sacred, forbidden. The house, which made the dedication and where dedicate some time lived, were sometimes called the house of flutes. The sound of these flutes was considered a voice of the spirit. If it be borne in mind, it becomes clear why the hero in a forest hut so often finds gusli-samogudy, pipes, violin and so on..."

If we go back to the legend of the pied Piper, you will easily see that in front of us like half tales "Tricky science. The legend goes back to the Neolithic and leads us to the basics, which increased the whole human civilization. We hear the story about how the Teacher holding the magic flute, away from the city of children who came time to pass an initiation.

It is clear that this diversion of part of the population, and first of all by the boys was seen as a disaster. They still do not know what great blessings are waiting for them ahead. But while the act of withdrawal and was seen as a hostile act, it demanded a public opinion. Later when the ceremony was disappearing, public opinion has changed.

Probably for more than a thousand years of history, a happy ending tale was lost, and she joined a very real memories gomelskich citizens about the famine caused by rats. And the main character has evolved from a wise forest elders and Savior children vengeful killer.