Viy | Viy

At a glance:

Author: Nikolai Gogol
First Published: 1835
Type of Plot: Folktale
Time of Work: The eighteenth or early nineteenth century
Setting: In and near Kiev
Principal Characters: Khoma Brut, Khaliava, Tiberiy Gorobets, The “Vedma,”, The “Sotnik,”, Yevtukh, Spirid, Dorosh, Viy
Genres: Short fiction, Folklore
Subjects: Folkloric or magical people, Sex or sexuality, Supernatural, Religion, Ethnic groups, Symbolism, Witches or witchcraft, Devils or demons

In “Viy,” a description of student life in the seminary of the Bratsk Monastery in Kiev is followed by an introduction to three students who are hiking home for the summer. They are the philosopher, Khoma Brut, the theologian, Khaliava, and the rhetorician, Tiberiy Gorobets. The three students lose their way in the dark and are unable to find the road. Being hungry and afraid of wolves, they ask for lodging at the first farmyard they come on. An old woman at first refuses to take them in, saying that she fears “such great hulking fellows.” The three students...

Viy | Viy

At a glance:

The Story

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