Sredni Vashtar
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sredni Vashtar is a short story written by Saki (Hector Hugh Munro) between 1900 and 1914 and initially published in his book Beasts and Super-Beasts. It has been adapted into a short film and a TV drama.
The story concerns a 10-year-old boy called Conradin, who lives with his strict cousin and guardian, Mrs. De Ropp. Conradin rebels against her and invents a new religion for himself, which centres around idolising a polecat-ferret he calls Sredni Vashtar; a vengeful, merciless god. Conradin keeps the polecat hidden in a cage in the garden shed, and worships the idol in secret. The story comes to a climax when his cousin sets out to discover his god.
The method of Conradin's worship contains Hindu elements.
The TV version contains these pointers to India:
- Mrs. De Ropp says that Conradin's parents died "from being in a hot country", i.e. probably from native diseases.
- The introductory sequence includes Indian-style decoration.
The original story has no direct references to Conradin's parents or to Hinduism.
As to what may have inspired Saki to choose the name:
- Sredniy is a Russian adjective meaning "middle". Saki worked as a foreign correspondent in Russia and also wrote a book on "The Rise of the Russian Empire", so most likely will have had contact with the Russian language, although it is unclear what significance this may have.
- In Sanskrit, shreyas = "welfare, blessing", shraddhā = "believe", vasha (neut.) = "power".
- In Hindi, Sherni means Tigress. Vastar is a region of India with hills and forests. Sherni Vastar in Hindi means The Tigress of Vastar region. Saki had strong connections with India.
The name Conradin is an unusual one, the author appears to have taken it from a 13th century king.
[edit] Adaptations
The story was adapted by the author Richard Adams and the composer Robert Steadman into an opera.
Surprisingly, this story inspired film directors of the Czech Republic three times: Vaclav Bedrich made a cartoon film in 1980, Martin Faltyn made a graduating featuring movie in 1981 (graduating VGIK) and in 1995 also Pavel Marek made this story like a graduating film on FAMU.
This story was also adapted to American television and aired on a ghost anthology series called Great Ghost Tales, in the summer of 1961. It was also adapted with two other Saki stories in a 2007 broadcast on BBC4 titled 'Who Killed Mrs De Ropp?'
[edit] References in pop culture
The name "Sredni Vashtar" plays an important role in Raymond Postgate's 1940 mystery novel Verdict of Twelve.
The Burning Season, the 2003 studio album by the Gothic Rock band Faith and The Muse, features a song titled "Sredni Vashtar."
The Seattle punk band Steel Tigers of Death also has a song titled "Sredni Vashtar." The lyrics reference the story, including the chorus, "Srendi Vashtar, do one thing for me! Sredni Vashtar, kill!"
There was a track called "Shredni Vashtar" [sic] on Wevie Stonder's 2002 album Drawing on Other People's Heads. Part way through a woman's voice says the chant of Condarin's "threatened idol": "Sredni Vashtar went forth. His thoughts were red thoughts, and his teeth were white. His enemies called for peace, but he brought them death. Sredni Vashtar the Beautiful."
The story is referenced in Stephen Fry's novel The Liar.
