Epics are a poetic heroic epic of ancient Rus', reflecting the events of the historical life of the Russian people, mainly in the 11th-16th centuries. The name is common among the people: antiquities, old men, old women. In scientific and popular science literature until the 40s of the XIX century. they were more often called: heroic tales. The term epic came into general use in the second half of the 19th century. V.F. Miller, and after him other scientists, believed that this term was first introduced by an amateur folklore collector in the 30s and 40s of the 19th century. I. P. Sakharov, who used the expression “Words about Igor’s Campaign” (see “Start songs based on the epics of this time ...”). The latest searches of Soviet researchers have shown that the terms "epic" and "reality" as the names of ancient Russian epic songs were used by writers and researchers of the 18th - early 19th centuries. In some areas, these names are also found in the vernacular.
ORIGIN OF EPIC
In folklore, there are different views on the time of occurrence of epics. Some researchers (V. F. Miller, B. and Yu. Sokolov, and others) believe that the genre of epics developed in the conditions of Kievan Rus, simultaneously describing events, and subsequently received only development.
Other scientists (M. E. Khalaisky, S. K. Shambinago, and others) argued that epics were mainly created in Muscovite Rus'.
Recently, an interesting theory has been put forward, which claims that epics were mainly formed in the Middle Ages, after the fall of Kievan Rus, as heroic songs, united by the image of the capital city of Kyiv and Kyiv Prince Vladimir. According to this theory, epics were composed as songs about the past, and not about the present. The “epic time” of epics is the era of the Kievan state, depicted in epics as a time when people performed feats and restored justice; this epic time was opposed to modernity with its separate policy of princes and the Tatar yoke in Rus'.
Undoubtedly, it should be recognized that bylina by origin are epic songs of feudal Rus'. As a special genre, they received their initial development in the process of creating the Old Russian state. Epics go through several stages in their development, corresponding to historical reality and reflecting it. Continuing the traditions of the epic creativity of the East Slavic tribes, from which the Kiev state was formed several centuries later, the historical epic of the pre-Mongolian period of Rus', as can be judged from the texts that have come down to us, represented the sum of individual songs glorifying the power and greatness of the Kyiv state. During the Tatar yoke, the concept of Kievan Rus arises as an epic time of epics, and a cyclization of the epic is outlined, educating the patriotic feelings and aspirations of the people; at the same time, the main image of the Russian epic becomes the image of a hero, uniting all the best forces of the state for a crushing rebuff to the enemy. In the same period, the development of ancient Russian cities as important state and cultural centers leads to the epos highlighting the social and family life of Rus', its ideological and cultural life. Both of these periods were the heyday of the past epic. And although we do not have records of epics made before the 17th century, the stability of the content and form of the Old Russian epic allows us to consider the main composition of epics as folk art of medieval Rus'.
In the conditions of the Moscow state and after the reforms of the time of Peter the Great, the genre of epics continues to live and develop, but basically reflects the same historical events as in previously created works. New texts of epics appear in most cases as retellings of stories and fairy tales. Epics in Muscovite Rus', of course, did not remain unchanged; they introduced the features of modern social and political struggle, culture and way of life; they were conceived as works that speak of the present, although they told about past times.
CLASSIFICATION OF EPIC
By their nature, epics are divided into heroic ones, the main theme of which is the fight against an external enemy and the defense of Rus', and short stories, describing mainly the social and family life of the medieval Russian state.
Due to the fact that the main blows of the enemy fell on the southern Russian principalities and northeastern Rus', the heroic themes of heroic epics telling about the defense of the motherland from the enemy are concentrated around Kyiv. This is the so-called Kyiv cycle of epics.
Galician-Volyn epics adjoin the Kyiv cycle of epics, the main characters of which are Ilya Muromets, Dobryia Nikitich and Alyosha Popovich. The difference between the Galician-Volyn epics and the Kyiv ones is that they usually tell about the struggle with the enemy attacking from the west (see epics about Prince Roman).
Novelistic epics, as a rule, speak about the life of Novgorod and its people. The originality of the Novgorod epics is due to the historical fate of Novgorod. It is known that Novgorod and Novgorod land were placed in a special position in relation to the Tatar yoke. Novgorod lands, especially the outlying lands of the Russian North, suffered to a lesser extent from the Tatar yoke. It is quite clear that the theme of family and social life for the Novgorod lands was common even at the time of the Tatar invasion. The most famous are the epics of the Novgorod cycle about Sadko and Vasily Buslaev.
The content of the article
BYLINA- folklore epic song, a genre characteristic of the Russian tradition. The basis of the plot of the epic is some heroic event, or a remarkable episode of Russian history (hence the popular name of the epic - "old", "old", implying that the action in question took place in the past). The term "epic" was introduced into scientific use in the 40s of the 19th century. folklorist I.P. Sakharov (1807–1863).
Means of artistic expression.
Over the course of many centuries, peculiar techniques have been developed that are characteristic of the poetics of the epic, as well as the way they are performed. In ancient times, it is believed that storytellers played along on the harp; later epics were performed in recitative. Epics are characterized by a special purely tonic epic verse (which is based on the commensurability of lines by the number of stresses, which achieves rhythmic uniformity). Although the storytellers used only a few melodies when performing epics, they enriched the singing with a variety of intonations, and also changed the timbre of the voice.
The emphatically solemn style of presentation of the epic, which tells about heroic and often tragic events, determined the need to slow down the action (retardation). For this, a technique such as repetition is used, and not only individual words are repeated: ... this braid, braid, …from far away, marvelous marvelous(repetitions are tautological), but also the injection of synonyms: fight, tribute-duties, (repetitions are synomimic), often the end of one line is the beginning of another: And they came to holy Rus', / To holy Rus' and near Kyiv city ..., three-time repetitions of entire episodes are not uncommon, with increased effect, and some descriptions are extremely detailed. The epic is also characterized by the presence of “common places”, when describing situations of the same type, certain formulaic expressions are used: in this way (with extreme detail) saddling a horse is depicted: Ai Dobrynya goes out into the wide yard, / He bridles the saddle of a good horse, / After all, he imposes a bridle on the saddle, / After all, he imposes sweatshirts on sweatshirts, / After all, he imposes felts on felts, / He is a Cherkasy saddle on the top. / And he tightened the girths tightly, / And the girths of the overseas sholka, / And the overseas sholpan sholka, / Glorious copper buckles would be from Kazan, / Studs of damask-iron Siberian, / Not beautiful basses, brothers, valiant, / And for the fortification, it was heroic. The "common places" also include a description of a feast (for the most part, at Prince Vladimir), a feast, a heroic ride on a greyhound horse. A folk narrator could combine such stable formulas at his own will.
The language of epics is characterized by hyperbole, with the help of which the narrator emphasizes the character traits or appearance of the characters worthy of special mention. Another technique determines the listener's attitude to the epic - an epithet (a powerful, holy Russian, glorious hero and a filthy, evil enemy), and stable epithets are often found (violent head, hot blood, frisky legs, combustible tears). Suffixes also play a similar role: everything related to heroes was mentioned in diminutive forms (hat, little head, little thought, Alyoshenka, Vasenka Buslaevich, Dobrynushka, etc.), but negative characters were called Ugryumish, Ignatish, Tsar Batuish, Ugarish filthy. Considerable place is occupied by assonances (repetition of vowel sounds) and alliteration (repetition of consonants), additional organizing elements of the verse.
Epics, as a rule, are three-part: a sing-along (usually not directly related to the content), the function of which is to prepare for listening to the song; beginning (within its limits, the action unfolds); ending.
It should be noted that certain artistic techniques used in the epic are determined by its theme (for example, antithesis is typical for heroic epics).
The narrator's gaze never turns to the past or the future, but follows the hero from event to event, although the distance between them can vary from a few days to several years.
Plots of epics.
The number of epic stories, despite the many recorded versions of the same epic, is very limited: there are about 100 of them. There are epics based on matchmaking or the struggle of the hero for his wife ( Sadko, Mikhailo Potyk, Ivan Godinovich, Danube, Kozarin, Nightingale Budimirovich and later - Alyosha Popovich and Elena Petrovichna, Hoten Bludovich); fighting monsters Dobrynya and the snake, Alyosha and Tugarin, Ilya and Idolishche, Ilya and the Nightingale the Robber); fight against foreign invaders, including: repelling Tatar raids ( Ilya's quarrel with Vladimir, Ilya and Kalin, ), wars with Lithuanians ( Bylina about the arrival of Lithuanians).
Stand apart are satirical epics or epics-parodies ( Duke Stepanovich, Competition with Churila).
The main epic heroes.
Representatives of the Russian "mythological school" divided the heroes of epics into "senior" and "junior" heroes. In their opinion, the “elders” (Svyatogor, Danube, Volkh, Potyka) were the personification of elemental forces, epics about them in a peculiar way reflected the mythological views that existed in Ancient Rus'. The “younger” heroes (Ilya Muromets, Alyosha Popovich, Dobrynya Nikitich) are ordinary mortals, heroes of a new historical era, and therefore are endowed with mythological features to a minimal extent. Despite the fact that serious objections were subsequently raised against such a classification, such a division is still found in the scientific literature.
The images of heroes are the national standard of courage, justice, patriotism and strength (it was not for nothing that one of the first Russian aircraft, which had an exceptional carrying capacity for those times, was called the creators of "Ilya Muromets").
Svyatogor
refers to the oldest and most popular epic heroes. His very name indicates a connection with nature. He is great in stature and mighty, his earth bears with difficulty. This image was born in the pre-Kiev era, but subsequently underwent changes. Only two plots have come down to us, initially associated with Svyatogor (the rest arose later and are fragmentary): the plot about the discovery of Svyatogor's bag, which belonged, as specified in some versions, to another epic hero, Mikula Selyaninovich. The bag turns out to be so heavy that the bogatyr cannot lift it; The second story tells about the death of Svyatogor, who meets a coffin on the way with the inscription: “Whoever is destined to lie in a coffin will lie in it,” and decides to try his luck. As soon as Svyatogor lies down, the lid of the coffin jumps up by itself and the hero cannot move it. Before his death, Svyatogor passes on his power to Ilya Muromets, thus the hero of antiquity passes the baton to the new hero of the epic that comes to the fore.
Ilya Muromets,
undoubtedly the most popular hero of epics, the mighty hero. Epos does not know him young, he is an old man with a gray beard. Oddly enough, Ilya Muromets appeared later than his epic younger comrades Dobrynya Nikitich and Alyosha Popovich. His homeland is the city of Murom, the village of Karacharovo.
The peasant son, the sick Ilya, "sat on the stove for 30 years and three years." One day wanderers came to the house, “passable kaliks”. They healed Ilya, endowing him with heroic strength. From now on, he is a hero who is destined to serve the city of Kyiv and Prince Vladimir. On the way to Kyiv, Ilya defeats the Nightingale the Robber, puts him in "toroks" and takes him to the prince's court. Of the other exploits of Ilya, it is worth mentioning his victory over Idolishche, which laid siege to Kyiv and forbade begging and commemorating God's name. Here Elijah acts as a defender of the faith.
His relationship with Prince Vladimir is not smooth. The peasant hero does not meet with due respect at the court of the prince, he is bypassed with gifts, he is not put in a place of honor at the feast. The rebellious hero is imprisoned in the cellar for seven years and is doomed to starvation. Only an attack on the city of the Tatars, led by Tsar Kalin, forces the prince to ask for help from Ilya. He gathers heroes and enters the battle. The defeated enemy flees, vowing never to return to Rus'.
Nikitich
- a popular hero of the epics of the Kyiv cycle. This snake fighter was born in Ryazan. He is the most polite and well-mannered of the Russian heroes, it is not for nothing that Dobrynya always acts as an ambassador and negotiator in difficult situations. The main epics associated with the name of Dobrynia: Dobrynya and the snake, Dobrynya and Vasily Kazemirovich, The battle of Dobrynya with the Danube, Dobrynya and Marina, Dobrynya and Alyosha.
Alyosha Popovich
– originally from Rostov, he is the son of a cathedral priest, the youngest of the famous trinity of heroes. He is bold, cunning, frivolous, prone to fun and jokes. Scientists belonging to the historical school believed that this epic hero originated from Alexander Popovich, who died in the Battle of Kalka, however, D.S. Likhachev showed that the reverse process actually took place, the name of the fictional hero penetrated into the annals. The most famous feat of Alyosha Popovich is his victory over Tugarin Zmeevich. The hero Alyosha does not always behave in a worthy manner, he is often arrogant, boastful. Among the epics about him - Alyosha Popovich and Tugarin, Alyosha Popovich and sister Petrovich.
Sadko
is also one of the oldest heroes, in addition, he is perhaps the most famous hero of the epics of the Novgorod cycle. The ancient story about Sadko, which tells how the hero wooed the daughter of the sea king, subsequently became more complicated, surprisingly realistic details appeared concerning the life of ancient Novgorod.
The bylina about Sadko is divided into three relatively independent parts. In the first, the harpist Sadko, who impressed the king of the sea with the skill of his game, receives advice from him on how to get rich. From that moment on, Sadko was no longer a poor musician, but a merchant, a rich guest. In the next song, Sadko bets with Novgorod merchants that he will be able to buy all the goods of Novgorod. In some versions of the epic, Sadko wins, in some, on the contrary, he is defeated, but in any case he leaves the city because of the intolerant attitude of the merchants towards him. The last song tells about Sadko's journey through the sea, during which the sea king calls him to him in order to marry his daughter and leave him in the underwater kingdom. But Sadko, having abandoned the beautiful princesses, marries Chernavushka the mermaid, who personifies the Novgorod river, and she takes him to his native shores. Sadko returns to his "earthly wife", leaving the daughter of the sea king. V.Ya.Propp points out that the epic about Sadko is the only one in the Russian epic where the hero goes to the other world (underwater kingdom) and marries an otherworldly creature. These two motifs testify to the antiquity of both the plot and the hero.
Vasily Buslaev.
Two epics are known about this indomitable and violent citizen of Veliky Novgorod. In his rebellion against everyone and everything, he does not pursue any goal, except for the desire to run amok and show off. The son of a Novgorod widow, a wealthy citizen, Vasily from childhood showed his unbridled temper in fights with peers. Growing up, he gathered a squad to compete with all of Veliky Novgorod. The battle ends with the complete victory of Vasily. The second epic is dedicated to the death of Vasily Buslaev. Having traveled to Jerusalem with his retinue, Vasily mocks the dead head he met, despite the ban, bathes naked in Jericho and neglects the requirement inscribed on the stone he found (you cannot jump over the stone along). Vasily, due to the indomitability of his nature, begins to jump and jump over it, catches his foot on a stone and breaks his head. This character, in which the unbridled passions of Russian nature are embodied, was M. Gorky's favorite hero. The writer carefully accumulated materials about him, cherishing the idea of writing about Vaska Buslaev, but when he learned that A.V. Amfiteatrov was writing a play about this hero, he gave all the accumulated materials to his fellow writer. This play is considered one of the best works of A.V. Amfiteatrov.
Historical stages of development of the epic.
Researchers disagree on when epic songs appeared in Rus'. Some attribute their appearance to the 9th–11th centuries, others to the 11th–13th centuries. One thing is certain - having existed for such a long time, passed from mouth to mouth, epics did not reach us in their original form, they underwent many changes, as the state system, the internal and external political situation, the worldview of listeners and performers changed. It is almost impossible to say in what century this or that epic was created, some reflect an earlier, some a later stage in the development of the Russian epic, and in other epics, researchers distinguish very ancient plots under later layers.
V.Ya.Propp believed that the most ancient plots are related to the matchmaking of the hero and snake fighting. Such epics are characterized by elements that are also significant for a fairy tale, in particular: tripling of plot terms (Ilya, at a crossroads, runs into a stone with an inscription foreshadowing one fate or another, and successively chooses each of the three roads), prohibition and violation of the prohibition (Dobrynya is forbidden swim in the Puchay River), as well as the presence of ancient mythological elements (Volkh, born from a snake father, has the gift of reincarnation in animals, Tugarin Zmeevich in different versions of the epic appears either as a snake, or as a snake endowed with anthropomorphic features, or as a creature of nature or human, or snake; in the same way, the Nightingale the Robber turns out to be either a bird, or a man, or even combines both traits).
The largest number of epics that have come down to us belongs to the period from the 11th to the 13th-14th centuries. They were created in the southern Russian regions - Kyiv, Chernigov, Galicia-Volyn, Rostov-Suzdal. The topic of the struggle of the Russian people with the nomads who raided Kievan Rus, and later with the Horde invaders, becomes the most relevant in this period. Epics begin to group around the plot of the defense and liberation of the Motherland, brightly colored with patriotic feelings. The people's memory has preserved only one name for the nomadic enemy - Tatar, but researchers find among the names of the heroes of epics the names of not only Tatar, but also Polovtsian military leaders. In epics, the desire to raise the national spirit, express love for the native country and fierce hatred of foreign invaders is noticeable, the exploits of the mighty and invincible folk heroes-heroes are praised. At this time, the images of Ilya Muromets, Danube-in-law, Alyosha Popovich, Dobrynya Nikitich, Vasily Kazemirovich, Mikhailo Danilovich and many other heroes become popular.
With the formation of the Moscow state, starting from the 16th century, heroic epics gradually fade into the background, buffoons become more relevant ( Vavila and buffoons, Birds) and satirical epics with their sharp social conflicts. They describe the exploits of heroes in civilian life, the main characters oppose princes and boyars, and their task is to protect their own family and honor (Sukhman, Danilo Lovchanin), while the ruling strata of society are ridiculed in buffoon epics. At the same time, a new genre arises - historical songs, which tell about specific historical events that took place from the 13th to the 19th centuries, there are no fiction and exaggeration characteristic of epics, and in battles several people or an entire army can act as heroes at once.
In the 17th century epics are gradually beginning to supplant the translated chivalric novel adapted for the Russian audience, meanwhile they remain popular folk entertainment. At the same time, the first written retellings of epic texts appear.
Historical reality and fiction in epics.
The relationship between reality and fiction in epics is by no means straightforward; along with explicit fantasies, there is a reflection of the life of Ancient Rus'. Behind many epic episodes, real social and domestic relations, numerous military and social conflicts that took place in antiquity are guessed. It is also noteworthy that in the epics certain details of life are conveyed with amazing accuracy, and often the area where the action takes place is described with amazing accuracy. It is also interesting that even the names of some epic characters are recorded in the annals, where they are described as real personalities.
Nevertheless, the folk narrators who sang of the exploits of the princely retinue, unlike the chroniclers, did not literally follow the chronological course of events, on the contrary, the folk memory carefully preserved only the most vivid and remarkable historical episodes, regardless of their location on the time scale. A close connection with the surrounding reality led to the development and change in the structure and plots of epics, according to the course of the history of the Russian state. Moreover, the genre itself existed until the middle of the 20th century, of course, undergoing various changes.
Cyclization of epics.
Although, due to the special historical conditions in Rus', an integral epic did not take shape, scattered epic songs are formed into cycles either around a certain hero, or according to the common area where they existed. There is no classification of epics that would be unanimously accepted by all researchers, however, it is customary to single out epics of the Kyiv, or “Vladimirov”, Novgorod and Moscow cycles. In addition to them, there are epics that do not fit into any cycles.
Kyiv or "Vladimirov" cycle.
In these epics, the heroes gather around the court of Prince Vladimir. The prince himself does not perform feats, however, Kyiv is the center that attracts heroes who are called to protect their homeland and faith from enemies. V.Ya.Propp believes that the songs of the Kyiv cycle are not a local phenomenon, characteristic only for the Kyiv region, on the contrary, the epics of this cycle were created throughout Kievan Rus. Over time, the image of Vladimir changed, the prince acquired features that were initially unusual for the legendary ruler, in many epics he is cowardly, mean, often deliberately humiliates the heroes ( Alyosha Popovich and Tugarin, Ilya and Idolishche, Ilya's quarrel with Vladimir).
Novgorod cycle.
Epics differ sharply from the epics of the "Vladimir" cycle, which is not surprising, since Novgorod never knew the Tatar invasion, but was the largest trading center of ancient Rus'. The heroes of Novgorod epics (Sadko, Vasily Buslaev) are also very different from others.
Moscow cycle.
These epics reflected the life of the upper strata of Moscow society. The epics about Khoten Bludovich, Duke and Churil contain many details typical of the era of the rise of the Muscovite state: clothes, customs and behavior of the townspeople are described.
Unfortunately, the Russian heroic epic did not fully develop, this is its difference from the epics of other peoples. The poet N.A. Zabolotsky at the end of his life tried to make an unprecedented attempt - on the basis of disparate epics and epic cycles to create a single poetic epic. This bold plan prevented him from carrying out death.
Collection and publication of Russian epics.
The first recording of Russian epic songs was made at the beginning of the 17th century. Englishman Richard James. However, the first significant work on collecting epics, which was of great scientific importance, was done by the Cossack Kirsha Danilov around the 40-60 of the 18th century. The collection he collected consisted of 70 songs. For the first time, incomplete records were published only in 1804 in Moscow, under the title Ancient Russian Poems and for a long time were the only collection of Russian epic songs.
The next step in the study of Russian epic songs was made by P.N. Rybnikov (1831–1885). He discovered that epics were still performed in the Olonets province, although by that time this folklore genre was considered dead. Thanks to the discovery of P.N. Rybnikov, it was possible not only to study the epic epic in depth, but also to get acquainted with the method of its performance and with the performers themselves. The final collection of epics was published in 1861-1867 under the title Songs collected by P.N. Rybnikov. Four volumes contained 165 epics (for comparison, we mention that in Collection of Kirsha Danilov there were only 24).
This was followed by collections by A.F. Gilferding (1831–1872), P.V. Kireevsky (1808–1856), N.E. in the Middle and Lower Volga regions, on the Don, Terek and Urals (in the Central and Southern regions, the epic epic was preserved in very small sizes). The last recordings of epics were made in the 20-30s of the 20th century. Soviet expeditions traveling in the north of Russia, and from the 50s of the 20th century. the epic epic practically ceases to exist in live performance, remaining only in books.
For the first time, K.F. Kalaidovich (1792–1832) tried to comprehend the Russian epic as an integral artistic phenomenon and understand its relationship with the course of Russian history in the preface to the second edition of the collection he undertook (1818).
According to the representatives of the “mythological school”, to which F.I. Buslaev (1818–1897), A.N. Afanasiev (1826–1871), O.F. derived from older myths. Based on these songs, representatives of the school tried to reconstruct the myths of primitive peoples.
Comparative scientists, including G.N. Potanin (1835–1920) and A.N. Veselovsky (1838–1906), considered the epic to be an ahistorical phenomenon. They argued that the plot, after its inception, begins to wander, changing and enriching itself.
The representative of the "historical school" VF Miller (1848-1913) studied the interaction between the epic and history. In his opinion, historical events were recorded in the epic, and thus the epic is a kind of oral chronicle.
V. Ya. Propp (1895–1970) occupies a special place in Russian and Soviet folklore. In his innovative works, he combined a historical approach with a structural approach (Western structuralists, in particular K. Levi-Strauss (b. 1909), called him the founder of their scientific method, against which V. Ya. Propp sharply objected).
Epic stories and heroes in art and literature.
Ever since the publication of Kirsha Danilov's collection, epic stories and heroes have become firmly established in the world of modern Russian culture. It is not difficult to see traces of acquaintance with Russian epics in the poem by A.S. Pushkin Ruslan and Ludmila and in the poetic ballads of A.K. Tolstoy.
The images of Russian epics also received a multifaceted reflection in music. Composer A.P. Borodin (1833–1887) created an opera-farce Bogatyrs(1867), and gave the title to his 2nd symphony (1876) Bogatyrskaya, he used the images of the heroic epic in his romances.
N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov (1844–1908), an associate of A.P. Borodin in the “mighty handful” (association of composers and music critics), twice turned to the image of the Novgorod “rich guest”. First he created a symphonic musical picture Sadko(1867), and later, in 1896, the opera of the same name. It is worth mentioning that the theatrical production of this opera in 1914 was designed by the artist I.Ya. Bilibin (1876–1942).
V.M.Vasnetsov (1848–1926), is mainly known to the public from his paintings, the plots for which are taken from the Russian heroic epic, it is enough to name the canvases Knight at the Crossroads(1882) and Bogatyrs (1898).
M.A. Vrubel (1856–1910) also turned to epic stories. Decorative panels Mikula Selyaninovich(1896) and Bogatyr(1898) interpret these seemingly well-known images in their own way.
Heroes and plots of epics are precious material for cinema. For example, a film directed by A.L. Ptushko (1900–1973) Sadko(1952), the original music for which was written by the composer V.Ya.Shebalin, partly using the classical music of N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov in the musical design, was one of the most spectacular films of its time. Another film by the same director Ilya Muromets(1956) became the first Soviet widescreen film with stereo sound. Animation director V.V.Kurchevsky (1928-1997) created an animated version of the most popular Russian epic, his work is called sadko rich (1975).
Berenice Vesnina
Literature:
Epics of the North. Notes by A.M. Astakhova. M. - L., 1938-1951, vols. 1–2
Ukhov P.D. epics. M., 1957
Propp V.Ya., Putilov B.N. epics. M., 1958, vols. 1–2
Astakhova A.M. Epics. Results and problems of the study. M. - L., 1966
Ukhov P.D. Attribution of Russian epics. M., 1970
Ancient Russian poems collected by Kirshe Danilov. M., 1977
Azbelev S.N. Historicism of epics and the specifics of folklore. L., 1982
Astafieva L.A. The plot and style of Russian epics. M., 1993
Propp V.Ya. Russian heroic epic. M., 1999
Bylina is a folk-epic song written in tonic verse. Each work consists of a verse, a beginning and an ending. The first part of the epic was rarely associated with the main plot, mostly the introduction was written to attract attention. The beginning is the main event to which the epic is dedicated. The ending is the last part of the epic, in which, as a rule, there is a solemn feast dedicated to the victory over enemies.
There are several types of melodies of epics - strict, stately, fast, cheerful, calm and even buffoonish.
Each legend was distinguished by a patriotic character, its plots were always laudatory and told about the invincibility of Rus', the virtues of the prince and brave defenders who immediately came to the rescue if trouble threatened the population. The term "epic" itself began to be used only from the 1830s, it was introduced by the scientist Ivan Sakharov. The real name of the songs about heroes is “old times”.
The main characters in were mighty heroes. The characters were endowed with superhuman strength, courage and courage. The hero, even alone, could cope with anyone. The main task of these characters is to protect Rus' from the encroachments of enemies.
Ilya Muromets, Alyosha Popovich and Dobrynya Nikitich and Vladimir the Red Sun - these can be found in almost every legend. Prince Vladimir was the ruler of the Russian lands, and the heroes were the hope and protection of the Russian people.
Authors of epics
Many facts concerning the authors of epics, the time and territory of their writing remain a mystery until our days. Most researchers have come to the conclusion that the most ancient legends were written no more than three hundred years ago. On Wikipedia, for example, you can explore several different theories and facts that scientists have identified.
The prevailing number of epics was recorded by scholar-collectors from the words of the inhabitants of certain areas. In total, there are about forty plots of legends, but the number of texts already reaches one and a half thousand copies. Each epic is of particular value for Russian culture, folk, as well as for folklorists.
Narrators could be people of different professions, so in the texts they mentioned comparisons that were more understandable and close to them. According to the narrator-tailor, for example, a severed head was compared to a button.
Epics were not written by one author. These are the legends that the Russian people made up, and the lyrics were passed down from generation to generation. Songs were performed by certain people who were called "narrators". This one had special qualities. The fact is that bylinas were never memorized by narrators, so the narrator had to independently connect plots, select comparisons, memorize important facts and be able to retell them without distorting the meaning.
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What is epic.
Do you know what epic is? And how is it different from a fairy tale? Bylina is the heroic epic of the Russian people. Heroic - because it is about the great heroes-heroes of antiquity. And the word "epic" comes from the Greek language and means "narration", "story". Thus, epics are stories about the exploits of famous heroes. Surely some of them are already familiar to you: Ilya Muromets, who defeated the Nightingale the Robber; Dobrynya Nikitich, who fought with the Serpent; merchant and harpist Sadko, who sailed the sea on his beautiful ship and visited the underwater kingdom. In addition to them, there are stories about Vasily Buslaevich, Svyatogor, Mikhailo Potyk and others.
Bogatyrs.
The most amazing thing is that these are not just fictional characters. Scientists believe that many of them actually lived many centuries ago. Imagine: in the 9th - 12th centuries the state of Russia did not yet exist, but there was the so-called Kievan Rus. Various Slavic peoples lived on its territory, and the capital was the city of Kyiv, in which the Grand Duke ruled. In epics, heroes often go to Kyiv to serve Prince Vladimir: for example, Dobrynya saved the prince's niece Zabava Putyaticna from the terrible Serpent, Ilya Muromets defended the capital city and Vladimir himself from Pogany Idol, Dobrynya and the Danube went to woo a bride for the prince. The times were restless, many enemies from neighboring lands raided Rus', so the heroes did not have to be bored.
It is believed that Ilya Muromets, known from epics, was a warrior who lived in the 12th century. He bore the nickname Chobotok (that is, Boot), because he once managed to fight off enemies with the help of this shoe. For many years he fought with enemies and glorified himself with feats of arms, but with age, tired of wounds and battles, he became a monk in the Theodosius Monastery, which in our time is called the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. And now, today, having arrived in the city of Kyiv, you can see for yourself the grave of St. Ilya Muromets in the famous caves of the Lavra. Alyosha Popovich and Dobrynya Nikitich were also well-known heroes in Rus', the mention of which was preserved in the oldest documents - chronicles. In Russian epics, there are also female heroes, they are called the old word Polenitsa. The Danube fought with one of them. The wife of Stavr Godinovich was distinguished by boldness and resourcefulness, who managed to circle around the finger of Prince Vladimir himself and rescue her husband from prison.
How epics have survived to this day.
Epics for many centuries and generations were not written down, but passed from mouth to mouth by storytellers. Moreover, unlike fairy tales, they were not just told, but sung. In the villages of ancient Rus', which eventually turned into the Russian state, the peasants, doing routine work (for example, sewing or weaving nets), so as not to get bored, sang stories about heroic deeds. The son and daughter learned these tunes from their parents, then passed them on to their children. Thus, the glory and exploits of people who lived centuries ago were preserved in the memory of the people. Just imagine: at the beginning of the 20th century - in an era when trains and cinematographs already existed in large cities, in a distant northern village, at the end of the world, an old peasant, just like his fathers and grandfathers, sang epics glorifying the hero Dobrynya - uncle Prince Vladimir and the glorious warrior of ancient Rus'!!! Dobrynya and this peasant were separated by many centuries and a great distance, and yet the glory of the hero overcame these barriers.
The Snow Maiden, Baba Yaga, Ivan Tsarevich - most people hear stories involving these characters in early childhood. However, the world of folklore is much richer, it contains not only fairy tales, but also songs, ballads, epics. Not everyone will be able to give the correct answer to the question of what an epic is in literature, what is its role. So what is this genre?
Epics in Russian literature: history
This term began to be used only in 1839, it was coined by the folklorist Ivan Sakharov. Previously, works related to this genre were called "oldies", "oldies". The most ancient of them were known as early as the 10th century, in those days they were told to the accompaniment of the harp. In the future, the tradition of using musical accompaniment died out. Such stories began to be published only at the beginning of the 18th century.
So, what is an epic in literature? The definition briefly sounds like an epic song-tale, which is one of the varieties of oral folk art, which has a heroic-patriotic character. Heroes became the main characters of such stories in the first place. Plots related to the life of Ancient Rus' allow us to better imagine the way of thinking of people who lived in the 9th-13th centuries.
Genre features
Epics in Russian literature mainly described heroic events, often they considered certain fascinating historical incidents. Plots were taken both from the history of Kievan Rus, and from the events of prehistoric times. Among the characters of such works, in addition to courageous heroes fighting evil, there are fantastic images, for example, the Serpent Gorynych, the Nightingale the Robber. Also, the roles of heroes were given to real historical figures like the Kyiv princes Igor, Vladimir.
What is epic in literature? It is also a work that does not have an author. Tales traveled from generation to generation, overgrown with new fascinating details. People who performed heroic songs were respectfully called "narrators". They were required not to memorize works by heart, but the ability to colorfully convey them, not to allow distortion of meaning.
Structure
Trying to understand what an epic is in literature, it is necessary to imagine the structure of such a text. Basically, the works consisted of three compositional elements: the sing-along, the beginning, and the ending. The stories began with a verse, which was a kind of introduction. The sing-along was required not to tell about the plot of the historical song, but to attract the attention of the audience.
What is an epic in literature without a beginning? We are talking about the story itself, which initiated listeners into the main events that were described in folk works in an embellished form. Be sure to attend and the ending, which is a kind of summing up. Also, the joke could take on the role of the ending.
Epics are characterized by a tonic verse, also called folk. For poetic lines, the same number of stresses was obligatory, while the number of syllables could differ. The first stress was mainly on the third syllable, counting from the beginning. The third syllable, counting from the end, was marked by the last stress. Also interesting is the abundance of epic formulas, an example of which is the expression "clear eyes".
Heroic epics
The most famous characters of heroic songs are three heroes. Without Dobrynya, Alyosha, Ilya, what is an epic in literature? The definition of such works is heroic songs-tales (there are also social ones). Muromets, Nikitich and Popovich became famous for their numerous military exploits, they served Vladimir Krasno Solnyshko.
An example of a typical heroic epic is a story describing the struggle of Ilya Muromets with the terrible Nightingale the Robber, who knows how to destroy life around him with the help of a whistle. The great hero, of course, takes the monster prisoner, breaking into his lair, and then takes his life. This category also includes the equally well-known work about the battle of Dobrynya with the Serpent.
Social epics
Social and everyday works were also in great demand. An example of such an epic is the story of Sadko, a young gifted guslar who cannot gain fame in any way. In the end, the young man is honored with the patronage of the Sea Lord, impressed by his talent, but escapes from him and returns to his homeland, refusing the innumerable treasures offered to him.
The characters of social epics were mainly peasants, merchants, and princes are also found among them. In addition to Sadko mentioned above, such heroes as Mikula and Volga received popularity. Social and heroic works are equally attractive due to the high-quality portrayal of the characters of the main characters.
So, what is an epic in literature? The short answer is a work imbued with patriotism, faith in the triumph of good and the defeat of evil.
