In Maria Morevna the woman is the warrior and the man must rescue her

Evidence

So Ivan had to set out to win back his warrior-wife — and the tale becomes his long, hard quest. He sought help from his three sisters’ husbands (who were a falcon, an eagle, and a raven in human form), and from the witch Baba Yaga he won a magic horse by passing her tests. … The Russians tell it with relish — for here it is the WOMAN who is the great warrior and ruler, and the man who must quest to rescue HER — , A Year of World Stories, 13755

Categorization

• XREF: The gender-flipped rescue plot contrasts with the standard quest pattern seen throughout this same book’s other chapters.