Silver Hoof
| "Silver Hoof" | |
|---|---|
| Author | Pavel Bazhov |
| Original title | "Серебряное копытце" |
| Translator | Alan Moray Williams (first), Eve Manning, et al. |
| Country | Soviet Union |
| Language | Russian |
| Series | The Malachite Casket collection (list of stories) |
| Genre(s) | skaz (fairy tale) |
| Published in | Uralsky Sovremennik |
| Publication type | anthology |
| Publisher | Sverdlovsk Publishing House |
| Media type | |
| Publication date | 1938 |
| Published in English | 1944 |
"Silver Hoof" (Russian: Серебряное копытце, tr. Serebrjanoe kopyttse, lit. "Small Silver Hoof") is a fairy tale short story written by Pavel Bazhov, based on the folklore of the Ural region of Siberia. It was first published in Uralsky Sovremennik in 1938, and later included in the The Malachite Casket collection. In this fairy tale, the characters meet the legendary zoomorphic creature from the Ural folklore called Silver Hoof. In 1944 the story was translated from Russian into English by Alan Moray Williams and published by Hutchinson. In the 1950s another translation was made by Eve Manning. It was included in James Riordan's collection of stories The Mistress of the Copper Mountain: Tales from the Urals, published in 1974 by Frederick Muller Ltd. Riordan heard the tales from a headteacher when he was bedridden in Sverdlovsk. After returning to England he rewrote the tales from memory, checking them against Bazhov's book. He preferred not to call himself "translator", he believed that "communicator" was more appropriate.
Bazhov's stories are based on the oral lore of the miners and gold prospectors. The character of Silver Hoof is based on the Ural legends. Bazhov mentioned that he had heard tales about the mythical creature Silver Deer, also known as the elk Golden Horns and the goat Silver Hoof. The exact origin of the creature is unknown, but deer have significant roles in the mythology of various peoples located all over the world. In the folklore tales, the goat/deer can be either friendly or harmful. Golden or silver deer/elk became popular at the Urals in the 18th century. According to the Bashkir folklore, dreaming about a goat is a good omen. The Finno-Ugric peoples prayed to the Elk. The depictions of the animal were found among Permian bronze casts. While the character of Silver Hoof is in fact based on the legends, the actual storyline was penned by Bazhov.
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