Oleksa dovbush: An alternative mythical biography of the ukrainian hero based on Jewish sources

This paper analyzes the alternative biography of Oleksa Dovbush, a Ukrainian Robin Hood, according to Jewish folklore and its reflection in Jewish literature. During the transformational process Dovbush's image undergoes marked changes. He may be likened to an animal, as is typical for the image of the other, or he may be deprived of magical power and of anti-Semitic attitudes and may repent before a pious Jew. This is a typical example of the cross-cultural migration of plots and images.