My Krabat's blog

A small fanblog about everything related to Krabat

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Kantorka is Death, and Krabat's fate is no different from that of the other journeymen. Well, maybe she took a more personal interest in him than in the others... or maybe not. How do we know that the others didn't have the same affair with Death?

Krabat was secretive until the very end, so how do we know that the others weren't secretive too? Maybe for a dying man on New Year's Eve, it always looks like this - his girlfriend comes, wraps him in a white shawl, and takes him away.

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The first meeting with the Master...

If you don't know the context, you might assume that they are good friends or father and son. They are in danger, and the older one is protecting the younger one. Lol.

It seems that it's time to introduce a new tag, "The Master likes to touch Krabat."

He's good. He is VERY good. He is one of the best Masters in the movie and theatre.

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If we accept that Pumphutt and Jirko are one and the same person, then the Master must recognize him and not believe or accept him, because it's too late... And that's actually cool. So many years have passed, and you've already come to terms with the loss and built a new life (as much as you can), the natural reaction is to try to close the door, because you can't start over, only destroy what you have...

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I've once again watched this amazing production. It's like watching it for the first time...

The story takes place during the Thirty Years' War, as in the original legend.

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The eternal question: did the master betray Jirko, or did Jirko betray the master? On the one hand, Irko sold himself to the Turks (I will definitely cover this topic in my ff), but on the other hand... It's damn Jirko! A butterfly fluttering through life - for him, everything was a game...

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The difference between "disciple" and "my disciple" makes me shudder.

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In fantasy literature, magical books, or grimoires, are often found. They are considered to be manuals on magic, but at the same time, they indicate the boundaries that cannot be crossed.

Magical books have existed since ancient times, when spells against demons were carved on wooden or stone walls. Magical books are used in magical rituals: they are pre-written texts that indicate what needs to be done.

Their use in magical and superstitious practices has been particularly mentioned since the 18th century, a period when rational principles became more widespread and magical knowledge was considered outdated.

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Information about the existence of water mills dates back to the 16th century. The right to establish mills was granted to the ruler in the form of a so-called mill regal.

In the late Middle Ages, when the first water mills were established in the region, this right was granted by the princes to both the clergy and the laity, along with the provision of land-based income. The miller group consisted of permanent owners of mills who relied on their privileges and gifts to maintain their position. In comparison with other villagers, they occupied a high social position and were not considered peasants.

The mills of this group were particularly numerous in the royal estates. The records regarding the income received by the mills for grinding grain are very interesting. The group of mills discussed here kept the so-called third measure for themselves. This amounted to 1/3 of the income from the grinding fee, which was equal to 1/16 of the grain.

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On the right bank of the middle Elbe opposite Magdeburg was the territory of the Marzane (850). The Hevelli, Sprewane, and Marzane were separated from the Sorbian tribes to their south by the wooded and uninhabited hills of the Fläming and other forests.

The first reference to the Sorbs (Surbi), dated 630 or 631 (see above), does not locate them, but in the eighth and ninth centuries there are several sources which place them close to the Rivers Elbe, Saale, and Mulde. It is significant that Thietmar (975-1018), who describes the Spree landscape later associated with the Sorbs, does not record the name Sorabi (or anything like it).

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In folk customs, fire is considered to be "alive" or "holy" and is lit in the old-fashioned way, using sticks, flint, quartz, and a flintlock. Steel plates are often found in Slavic burial sites dating back to the 6th and 7th centuries.

Fire was held in high esteem in the home. Ukrainian women would sweep the hearth with a clean broom, bless the fire, and provide it with food and drink in the form of logs and a cup of water, which they would place near the hearth.

They made sure that the fire in the house never went out. When moving to a new house, the fire was also carried with them: in "White Russia" and the Balkans, the owner of the house carried it in a special vessel and used it to light the fire in the new house.

The fire in the hearth played an important role in various rituals. For example, at weddings. It was believed to have cleansing and healing properties, and it protected against demons, so sacrifices were made to it: dough, lard, grain, and other foods. No one was allowed to spit on it or play with it. It could only be extinguished with bread and salt.

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Krabat hurled a fireball, which the master stopped, and then he grinned again—wide, triumphant, enjoying the pain he was causing. And then his blade slid across the slender neck of the girl, who still wanted to say something, her lips moving, her voice rasping, her eyes fixed on Krabat, as he screamed, howled, cursed God and the devil, and the whole world...

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A very-very scary Master. To be honest, he's much scarier than the miller in Zeman's movie...

But I'm really into him. Although it was already obvious, lol

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Until recently, I was wondering why wasn't there  a film adaptation of "Krabat" in the USSR?

It turns out that there was. More precisely, it wasn't a film adaptation, but a television play. It was made in Leningrad.

However, it wasn't exactly based on "Krabat." The screenwriter took the characters of Master and the Koraktor from this book and moved them to the city of Oylenberg, where the Little Ghost resides. This resulted in a fun mix of two Preussler books.

The master is still a sorcerer-warlock, but he's no longer a miller; he's a diamond cutter. And an alchemist. 

Instead of a mill, he has a castle where the Ghost lives, and a diamond mine where journeymen boys work hard. However, there are only two of them, Andrusch and Juro. It doesn't matter why they're not called Krabat and Juro; only their names remain from Preussler's characters.

The guys work hard from morning to night - they have a contract with the master. If necessary, the Master replaces the deceased journeyman with another, and this prolongs his life.

But to a greater extent, his life is prolonged by the war, which has been going on for three hundred years. And the Master, manipulating the weak-willed elector, forces him to continue and continue this very war.…

What did I like here? First of all, no women. No love, no Kantorka. Secondly, the Master/Elector theme is revealed. And how it's revealed! The fact that it's not the Master who comes to the Elector for a "consultation," but the Elector who comes to the Master, is significant. It's the Master who sponsors the Elector, not the other way around. And the way he speaks to him... In one scene, the Master contemptuously refers to the Elector as a "wood-lice." He has the power to crush him, and the Elector knows it.

And thirdly... Thirdly, this Master has his own Lyschko. His name is Lothar, and he is both a servant and a disciple, and apparently a lover of the Master. They have an amazing dynamic. Like Lyschko, Lothar idolizes the Master, but at the same time, he is terrified of him. He tries to emulate the Master, but... the poor guy stutters, and his attempts are quite comical (although I felt very sorry for him at those moments). 

The journeymen are only afraid of him because of the Master, and Lothar knows it, and he constantly takes out his anger and insecurities on them. And... that's where the pain comes in. Because the Master treats him like shit. Poor Lothar understands everything perfectly, and he quietly dies of love from afar, until, of course, the Master needs... well, you get the idea. Well, the Master is human. The master is a man, after all, and great sorcerers-warlocks-alchemists have the same physiology. In short, he also needs to relax somehow. And it's in moments like these that Lothar truly blooms...

There's the mise-en-scène near the end, when everything goes to hell, and the Master, who's trying to pretend he's in full control, turns to Lothar, pats him on the cheek, and asks—not orders—asks him to cover his back. 

“It's all right,” he reassures Lothar. And he repeats, “It's all right.” 

Would he have said that if their relationship was just master/servant, or even teacher/student? Hell no. 

“Everything is fine” in the language of a diamond cutter means something like this: “Everything is going to hell, and we’re probably going to die. But you are valuable to me. I know about your feelings, and I am grateful for them.” 

 This is almost a response to unconditional love. And it is worth a lot. 

And poor Lothar just melts. Oh, the way he looks at his Master at that moment! He's not just ready to cover his back, he's ready to give his life for him right now!

And now, the finale... The Master dies in the mine, his castle immediately catches fire (a direct reference to the Mill, for which I am very grateful), and poor Lothar looks at the fire, and... there are so many emotions on his face! 

“Master...” he whispers in confusion, and you can see that he is ready to throw himself into the fire, but then he falls dead.

Damn it, the relationship between the Master and Lothar is the reason why you should watch this play a glass on one side and a  slash-fanfic-writer song on the other. It's not even a song, but an aria.    

 Overall, the performance is very good. It has a lot of meaning, allusions, and subtexts, and there's plenty to see besides Master/Lothar. However, this was to be expected, as the acting and scriptwriting schools in the USSR were very strong.

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Poor Lyschko is having a nightmare sent upon him by the damned Juro