The Sea Tsar (Russian: Морской царь, sometimes inverted for emphasis: царь морской) is a character in East Slavic folktales and bylinas, the tsar of the sea realms. The best known examples are bylinas about Sadko and fairy tales about Vasilisa the Wise, such as The Sea Tsar and Vasilisa the Wise. Vsevolod Miller suggested that the image of the Sea Tsar was influenced by the Finnish god Ahti, known for the pomors (Russian seashore dwellers of the Russian North). Also Miller doubted that the image of Sea Tsar in these fairy tales reflects old East Slavic pagan beliefs and is probably based on the tales of itinerary storytellers. The Sea Tsar should not be confused with the water spirit, vodyanoy.[1]
- ^ . Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary (in Russian). 1906.
