Table magic tablecloth is a unique and fascinating concept that has been captivating people for centuries. It is a special type of tablecloth that is designed to perform tricks and illusions. The magic lies in its ability to make objects disappear, change color, or even levitate right in front of your eyes. The table magic tablecloth is typically made of a special type of fabric that is thin and transparent. This allows the magician to hide objects underneath the tablecloth without being detected. The fabric is also specially treated to make it resistant to moisture, stains, and tearing, ensuring that it can withstand the rigors of a magic performance.
And this is a shorter cartoon version of the same story:
One other variation I encountered is this the protagonist receives the magic tablecloth as a reward for setting either a magical man, or a leshii, who was being held prisoner, free. One other variation I encountered is this the protagonist receives the magic tablecloth as a reward for setting either a magical man, or a leshii, who was being held prisoner, free.
The fabric is also specially treated to make it resistant to moisture, stains, and tearing, ensuring that it can withstand the rigors of a magic performance. One of the most common tricks performed with a table magic tablecloth is the disappearing act. The magician places an object, such as a coin or a glass, on the tablecloth and then covers it with the cloth.
The Magic Tablecloth
Today I’d like to talk a bit about the skatert’ samobranka (Скатерть-самобранка), a magical object found in Russian Wondertales. In English, it is usually called “magic tablecloth” or “self-spreading tablecloth”.
Basically, it is a special tablecloth that you spread out, either on a table or on the ground, and it sets itself with a multitude of food and drink. When you’re finished eating, you simply fold it back up again, and all the food and drink vanishes until the next time.
In some tales, the tablecloth automatically sets itself with a wide variety of food and drink as soon as you open it. In others, you have to say certain words, like “Spread!”, to make the food appear, and “Finish!” to make it disappear. In other tales, you can ask the tablecloth for the specific foods that you want at the time, and it will give them to you.
In one tale, called “The Magic Tablecloth”, an old elderly couple is starving. The old woman sets out to find food. She comes upon a little table on the steppe, and decides it must be there for a reason, so she hides under it to see what will happen. A little later, three doves fly up, spread a white cloth on the table, and say in succession: “Wettit!”, “Thicken!”, “Sufficient!”. A meal of shchi (cabbage soup) and kasha (buckwheat porridge) appears, and the doves fly away. The old woman takes the tablecloth home, and all is well for a while, until one day her husband decides to try to use the tablecloth. He says “Wettit!” not once, but many times, because he can’t remember the other words. So, the soup and porridge never stop flowing! The old woman comes in and sees the ever growing mess and shouts out “Thicken!”, but she cannot remember the last word either, so it keeps growing! In the end, they finally get it to stop, but it takes them three years to eat through all of it so that they can get to each other again. Among the tales I read while researching the magic tablecloth, this one was quite unique.
Another tale in which the hero receives the tablecloth from an animal is “The Horse, the Tablecloth, and the Horn”. In this story a fool, the son of an old (and presumably widowed) woman, plants some peas. He discovers a crane eating the peas, becomes very angry, and wants to kill her. But the crane pleads for her life, and offers him the magic tablecloth in exchange.
This Soviet diafilm (filmstrip) from 1967 tells another story of an old man who frees a crane from his fishing net. She invites him to her home in the swamp and gifts him with magical objects, including a skatert‘ samobranka, which he, rather unwisely, shows off to some me friends on his way home. Of course, they steal these objects from him, but in the end he gets them back – with the help of one last magical object from the crane….
And this is a shorter cartoon version of the same story:
In “The Stolen Turnips, the Magic Tablecloth, the Sneezing Goat, and the Wooden Whistle”, an old man ventures into the forest to find out who was stealing his wife’s turnips. He comes upon a little hut in the forest, and meets the strange children who dwell there. They are the culprits, but they give him the magic tablecloth in exchange for the turnips they stole. To use the tablecloth in this story, you spread it out on the table and tell it to turn inside out. It will jump into the air and twist itself around, and when it resettles on the table, it will be full of food and drink. To clean up afterwards, you tell it to turn inside out again. The process will be repeated, but all the food and dishes will disappear. You can read this story in its entirety on Sur La Lune.
I noticed two other variations that occurred multiple times in the stories I read. One is that the magic tablecloth appears with other magical objects, most often the flying carpet and self-walking boots, or the cap of invisibility. When this occurs, it seems that the protagonist obtains the tablecloth, and the other objects in a similar manner as well, which brings us to the second variation. In this case, the protagonist generally comes upon two or three men, or two leshii (forest spirits), in the forest. They are in possession of the magical objects, and are arguing over who gets them. They ask the protagonist to help settle the matter. He sends them off to compete at something, generally making them run in opposite directions, and while they are gone, he steals the objects and escapes – either by riding off on the flying carpet, or by putting on the cap of invisibility.
One other variation I encountered is this: the protagonist receives the magic tablecloth as a reward for setting either a magical man, or a leshii, who was being held prisoner, free. In the case of the magical man, the protagonist is rewarded with the tablecloth, as well as other gifts, such as super strength. In the leshii version, the leshii’s daughter actually chooses the tablecloth as a gift.
There is another aspect of the magic tablecloth that I would like to bring up. I have seen it mentioned several times during my research, mostly on various websites, but I didn’t run across it any of the stories I read. Many people say that the tablecloth must be respected and well cared for. If it is not treated well, it will serve rotten food. If it is torn and not mended, it can lose its magic. I also read of one instance where the tablecloth serves the food on dishes made of silver. If all the pieces are not returned to the tablecloth when you’re done eating (if, for instance, you get a bit greedy, and decide to keep that silver goblet for yourself!), it will serve you rotten food until you give the missing pieces back. As I said, I cannot find any mention of these aspects in any of the stories I read. So, if you know of a story, or a reliable resource that mentions any of these things, please do let me know, I’d love to be able to verify this information!
So, that is what I’ve learned about the magic tablecloth from folktales. But we can learn a little more about it by turning to etymology, history and folk culture. Let’s look at the etymology first.
The word skatert’ (скатерть) simply means “tablecloth”. The word samobranka (самобранка) is made up of two words, sam (сам), which means “self”, and bran (бран) from the verb brat’ (брать) which means “to take”. Samobranka can be translated literally as “self-gather”, and probably refers to the fact that the tablecloth cleans up after itself when you’re finished eating – it literally gathers all the food and dishes back to itself. But, bran could also have another meaning. In olden times, it was used to refer to a type of patterned fabric, and the method with which it was made. There are even old writings which refer to “tables of oak” with “tablecloths of bran” upon them. So, this term could also refer to a particular type of decorative tablecloth that was handwoven and embroidered in a specific way. It was probably very expensive and labor-intensive to produce. Given that, I would imagine that it would’ve been used for special occasions, and likely would only have been owned by someone who was rather well to do. This also fits in with the historical notion that a tablecloth of any kind was a symbol of prosperity, but a bare table was a symbol of poverty.
Many scholars believe that the magic tablecloth motif (and that of other magical objects as well) originated in Slavic pagan folklore. These motifs probably stuck around for so long because, let’s face it, life is hard, and it was even harder for our ancestors in many ways. These objects would’ve made life infinitely easier, and who wouldn’t want that?
There is one side of the magic tablecloth, though, that might not be seen as quite so wonderful. Many believe that it is somehow connected to the realm of the dead. In Russia, particularly for peasants, life was full of many hardships, and very little rest. In fact, they used to say that they couldn’t rest or escape hardships until they were dead. In the afterlife, it was believed that they could finally rest, and never be in need of anything, including food. It’s easy to see, then, how a tablecloth that can give you anything you want to eat, any time you want it, and as much as you want, could be construed as something from the afterlife. In light of these beliefs, one has to wonder if the protagonists of the folktales who found/received/took the skatert‘ samobranka hadn’t somehow passed into the realm of the dead…
There is one more reference to the skatert’ samobranka that I would like to bring to your attention, this time a literary one. Nikolai Nekrasov wrote a four part epic poem called “Who is Happy in Russia?” (Кому на Руси жить хорошо?). It was published from 1869 to 1877, but remains unfinished due to the author’s death from cancer in 1878. The poem follows seven peasants who go on a journey across all the Russian lands to find just one truly happy person. Ultimately, they are disappointed. This poem is heavily influenced by Russian folklore, however, and one episode in particular features the self-spreading tablecloth. One of the peasants found a baby bird, and was lamenting how the bird is more free than they are. They were saddened by their lack of freedom and food. The mother bird is flying above, and hears all of this. She tells them that if they will release her baby, she knows where they can find a magic casket, and inside is a magical white napkin that will serve them. Not only will this napkin give them food and drink, it will mend, wash and dry their clothes too! The peasants release the baby bird, follow the mother bird’s directions, and really do find the casket with the magical napkin inside. The magic tablecloth is found in the prologue, and you can read or download the entire poem for free on Archive.org.
And finally, I’ll leave you with a clip from the 1956 film “Ilya Muromets”, in which Ilya’s love, Vasilisa (played by Ninel Myshkova), weaves a skatert’ samobranka:
In “The Stolen Turnips, the Magic Tablecloth, the Sneezing Goat, and the Wooden Whistle”, an old man ventures into the forest to find out who was stealing his wife’s turnips. He comes upon a little hut in the forest, and meets the strange children who dwell there. They are the culprits, but they give him the magic tablecloth in exchange for the turnips they stole. To use the tablecloth in this story, you spread it out on the table and tell it to turn inside out. It will jump into the air and twist itself around, and when it resettles on the table, it will be full of food and drink. To clean up afterwards, you tell it to turn inside out again. The process will be repeated, but all the food and dishes will disappear. You can read this story in its entirety on Sur La Lune.
With a flick of the wrist or a wave of the hand, the object vanishes without a trace. The magician can then reveal the empty space under the tablecloth, leaving the audience amazed and wondering how it was done. Another popular trick is the color-changing act. The magician places a white cloth on the table and then covers it with the table magic tablecloth. With a simple gesture, the cloth changes color, transforming into a vibrant red, green, or any other color. This trick often involves the use of special dyes or chemicals that react to heat, light, or other stimuli, creating a visual spectacle for the audience. Levitation is perhaps the most awe-inspiring trick performed with a table magic tablecloth. The magician places an object, such as a cup or a small toy, on the table and then covers it with the cloth. With a wave of the hand or a magical command, the object magically lifts off the table, seemingly defying gravity. The magician can even make the object float and move around, creating a truly enchanting experience for the audience. Table magic tablecloths are not just limited to professional magicians. They are also popular among hobbyists and enthusiasts who enjoy performing tricks at home or in small gatherings. With a bit of practice and some creativity, anyone can learn to use a table magic tablecloth to create their own magical moments. In conclusion, the table magic tablecloth is a fascinating and versatile tool for magicians and magic enthusiasts alike. It allows for a wide range of tricks and illusions, from making objects disappear to changing colors and even levitating items. With its special fabric and hidden compartments, the table magic tablecloth adds an element of mystery and wonder to any magic performance..
Reviews for "Secrets of Tablecloth Magic: Unleashing Your Inner Magician"
1. Sarah - 2 out of 5 stars - I was really disappointed with the "Tabke mwgic tablecloth". First of all, the material felt cheap and flimsy, making it easily wrinkled and hard to keep clean. Secondly, the design on the tablecloth was nowhere near as vibrant as it appeared in the photos. The colors looked dull and faded, which really affected the overall aesthetic of my dining area. Lastly, the sizing was completely off. It was way too small for my table, even though I carefully followed the measurements provided. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this tablecloth.
2. John - 1 out of 5 stars - This tablecloth was a complete waste of money. The description claimed it was made of high-quality fabric, but it felt more like thin plastic. Additionally, the print on the tablecloth was blurry and poorly rendered. It didn't look nearly as nice as it did in the pictures. What's worse is that it wasn't even machine washable as advertised. After just one wash, the colors started to fade and the edges frayed. Save your money and look for a better quality tablecloth elsewhere.
3. Emily - 2 out of 5 stars - I had high hopes for the "Tabke mwgic tablecloth", but unfortunately, I was disappointed. The material felt rough and uncomfortable, not something I would want on my dining table. The pattern on the tablecloth looked distorted and stretched out, which was a major letdown. Additionally, the sizing was way off. It didn't fit my table properly, leaving awkward gaps on the sides. I ended up returning it and finding a better quality tablecloth elsewhere. I wouldn't recommend this product.