Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors

Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors is a novel by Ukrainian writer Mykhailo Kotsiubynsky written in 1911 about his stay in the Hutsul region. The work described the love of Ivan and Marichka, two Hutsuls from rival families, which ends tragically for both. It focuses on aspects of Hutsul life and incorporates elements of folklore. In 1960, a ballet with music by Vitaly Kyreiko was staged based on the book. In 1964, a film adaptation of the novel by Sergei Parajanov was screened. Plot Two children, Ivan and Marichka, live in a village near the Cheremosh river. Because of his solitude and curiosity about witchcraft and evil spirits, Ivan's mother believed him to be a changeling, a fairy left in place of a stolen human child. On his seventh birthday, Ivan hears a strange sound, despite being all alone. He later learns about the long-standing rivalry between the Paliychuk and Gutenyuk families, and witnesses an assassination attempt on his father, who succumbs to his wounds a few days later. In retaliation, Ivan attacks Marichka, who is the daughter of the killer, and throws her hair ribbons into the river. However, over time, the two forget about the incident. Ivan and Marichka begin taking care of their families' grazing sheep together and eventually fall in love by the age of thirteen. However, since the death of Ivan's father, the economy has been in steep decline. The young man now goes to work in the meadow in the summer, shepherding sheep, milking them, and making bundz and bryndza.