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Subject: Fwd: RE: Meaning of "Enchanter"

Jansy -

No, for native Russian ear, "volshebnik" [or f. "volshebnitsa") can be both good or evil (just like English "witch").
It is the most "generic" of several existing synonyms.
However: without a good or evil designation it has a definite positive meaning, and almost no negativity. This probably is due to the adjective "volshebnyi" has a very strong positive meaning, "marvelous", "magnificent".

Another, much more rare word, "charodei", has to my ear more of negative tone ("chary" = enchantment), with the adjective ""zacharovannyi" ("enchanted"). But "charodeika" is rather an metaphoric/ironic word, not used as a soreceress or enchantress. "Chary" or more common "ocharovanie" is also often used metaphorically, very often in classical romantic songs ("Ya vnov' pred toboyu stoyu ocharovan" = Again, enchanted, I stand before you").

Also a more folksy "koldun" (or [koldunya"], which is rather a "sorcerer (-ess)", will be mostly evil, practcally a black magician.
In adjectives this meaning is lessened, i.e. enchanted castle will be "zacharovannyi zamok" which is almost the same as "zakoldovannyi zamok" or just "volshebnyi zamok".

The ancient word "kudesnik", I think, has not been used since Pushkin; again, feminine "kudesnitsa" is used metaphorically just as "charodeika".

Victor Fet

-----Original Message-----
From: Vladimir Nabokov Forum on behalf of Donald B. Johnson
Sent: Wed 4/20/2005 1:34 PM
To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
Subject: Fwd: Meaning of "Enchanter"

----- Forwarded message from jansy@aetern.us -----
    Date: Tue, 19 Apr 2005 14:57:24 -0300
    From: Jansy Berndt de Souza Mello <jansy@aetern.us>
Reply-To: Jansy Berndt de Souza Mello <jansy@aetern.us>
Subject: Meaning of "Enchanter"
      To:

Dear Don ( now in NY ) and List

A special question for those who have already felt misgivings about how the "enchanters" are seen by VN.
Although I knew that the character in the pre-Lolita story "The Enchanter" was far from winsome and magical, I always considered the meaning of "enchanter" as suggestive of positive qualities.
I had in mind, particularly, VN´s own description of the qualities found in a good writer who had to be, first of all, an enchanter.
Now, while reading VN´s Lectures on Don Quixote I came across the word "enchanter" used only negatively in association with "mystification and cruelty". The enchanters were those that practiced and enjoyed torturing someone, mainly by causing extreme mental pain.
I doubt that VN referred to this kind of "enchantment" when speaking about the charms of nymphet Lolita ( although she was a deceiver i.e also an "enchanter" in the second sense of the word ) or even when describing the play about "The enchanted hunters" or...as the principal talent in a good writer.

Is there a clear double meaning in the Russian word that may escape the intuitive first grasp of those that don´t speak Russian?

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