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"The life of the princely court in the epics of the Kyiv cycle"

Introduction

We learn about Russian heroes - heroes, whose exploits have been preserved forever in the memory of our people, from epics. The very name "epic", that is, a true story, shows that they are talking about what happened, what took place in life. The people also called them "old men", that is, songs about antiquity. Epics appeared in the early period of the history of the ancient Russian state, in the XI-XII centuries. Kyiv and Novgorod were then influential cities in Russia. Therefore, the action of epics most often takes place in these cities.

In the epics of the Kyiv cycle, events mainly take place in Kyiv or are connected to this city to some extent, since the heroes are in the service of the Kyiv prince Vladimir. He sends them on various missions, turns to them for help, rewards them for their service, and sometimes punishes them for "disobedience." The assignments are very different: go hunting and bring game to the prince's table; get a bride for the prince; bring tribute to the Tatar king; to compete with a foreign hero. No one, except for the heroes or even one specific hero, can fulfill the request of the prince. This cycle is called Kyiv or Vladimirov. It includes epics about Nightingale Budimirovich, Ilya Muromets, Dobrynya Nikitich, Alyosha Popovich, Duke Stepanovich, Khoten Bludovich, the Danube, and others. necessarily present.

The purpose of the study: to trace the life of the princely court in the epics of the Kyiv cycle.

Get acquainted with the content of the epics of the Kyiv cycle.

To analyze how the image of Prince Vladimir and his wife are covered in these epics.

To study how the life of the princely court is described in these epics.

To solve the tasks set, I studied a number of literature on this topic: “The book of epics. Code of Selected Samples of Russian Folk Epic Poetry” (Compiled by V.P. Avenarius); B.A. Rybakov "Ancient Russia: Legends. Epics. Chronicles”, V.Ya. Propp "Russian Heroic Epos", V.G. Mirzoev "Epics and chronicles - monuments of Russian historical thought", etc.

The life of the princely court in the epics of the Kyiv cycle

princely court epic Kyiv

One of the greatest names in the fate of Kievan Rus is Vladimir the Holy (Baptist). This name is shrouded in a veil of legends and secrets, epics and myths were composed about this man, in which Prince Vladimir the Red Sun was invariably called his bright and warm name. At the same time, in the ancient chronicles, the events associated with the coming to power of Vladimir are described as an incredible atrocity shown by a pagan. But modern historians evaluate the events with fratricide and violence differently, pointing out that such was the law of that time - the strongest rules.

Chronicles call him "Great", because he performed the rite of baptism of Russia. If the whole life of Prince Vladimir is shrouded in mystery, then his coming to Christianity, the baptism of Russia in general, is legendary and almost mythological. Chronicles tell - Prince Vladimir the Red Sun passed the "test of faith." Every day, preachers from different faiths were called to the court, listening to their sermons and talking about faith, the prince came to the conclusion that Orthodoxy would become the faith of his people. And then, at the council of the boyars (987), a decision was made on baptism - baptism according to the "Greek" law. Glorious is Vladimir's way of life, and this cannot be denied. It was he who introduced a truly turning point in the history of the development of Russia. At the same time, there are disputes about the canonization of Vladimir to the saints, to this day. First of all, this is due to the indomitable passion of the Kyiv prince for the female sex and magnificent celebrations.

This person is found in all the epics of the Kyiv cycle, he is also called Vlalimirsky. Their common features are as follows: the action takes place in Kyiv or near it. In the center stands Prince Vladimir. The main theme is the protection of the Russian land from the southern nomads. Kyiv is not just a scene of epics, but it is sung as the center of Russian lands: from Murom, Rostov, Ryazan, Galich, heroes go to serve in Kyiv.

In epics, Kyiv, the courtyard of Prince V., is the designation of that positive center, which is opposed to open fields, dark forests, high mountains, and fast (or deep) rivers, which are associated with dangers, threats, and a sense of fear. .

One of the important and characteristic features of the Kyiv cycle is the images of three heroes, whose actions and fate are closely connected.

In epics, the image of the prince is not always positive.

Vladimir himself does not participate in campaigns and for the most part does not leave Kyiv.

Vladimir is amazingly cowardly; his cowardice is revealed at every clash with enemies: having learned that Kalin-tsar approached Kyiv with troops, he begins to "shed burning tears" and "wipe himself with a silk handkerchief"; he complains that there is no one to stand up for the faith, for the fatherland, for the churches of God, for Kyiv-grad, there is no one to save Prince Vladimir and his wife Opraksa the Queen; when Idolishcha ran into Kyiv, Vladimir "feared"; when the overseas hero Solovnikov comes, Vladimir screams with fear.

Vladimir shows extreme ingratitude or ill will towards his heroes. Ilya Muromets, for example, complains that he served Vladimir for thirty years, but "did not earn the word of sweet, friendly, affable, soft bread and salt." Vladimir treats this glorious Russian hero with disdain: for great deeds, he rewards Ilya with a marten fur coat, and rewards other heroes, who have distinguished themselves less than Ilya, with cities with suburbs. Ilya expresses disdain for the gift. Then Vladimir orders his servants to "take Ilya to the high mountains, throw them into deep cellars, close them with iron bars, fill them with thickets, cartilage-stone." Enemies are besieging Kyiv. Elijah is very much needed. No matter how Vladimir asks Ilya, the offended hero is adamant: he does not want to draw his sword for the offending prince. Barely persuaded - and only because the ruin threatened the whole city.

After this story, Vladimir bows to Ilya, asks for forgiveness, and persuades him to sit at the head of the banquet table. The descriptions of this scene in various lists of epics are different: in some, Ilya nevertheless leaves away and returns after many years. In others, he allows himself to be persuaded, and Vladimir himself personally gives him a goblet of honey.

The same goes for Dobryna. Having ordered Dobrynya Nikitich to free Zabava, Putyatichna's daughter from the "serpent's cave", Vladimir threatens to cut off his head if he does not fulfill this order. By a simple slander, Vladimir puts Dobrynya in prison, and then, in order to ruin him, sends him to filthy Lithuania to straighten out tribute for twelve years; during Dobrynya's absence, he marries his wife for Alyosha Popovich. The despotism and tyranny of Vladimir bring some heroes to death: Vladimir does not believe the hero Sukhman that he defeated the Tatar army and puts him in the cellar for this; the hero was so offended by this act of Vladimir that he plucked the "poppy leaves" from his bloody wounds and bled to death.

Vladimir is greedy. This trait is manifested in relation to the wealth of the Nightingale the Robber, which he wants to seize; but Ilya does not give them to him and leaves the children of the Nightingale so that they have something to feed themselves to death and not go wandering around the world.

These unsympathetic features of Vladimir strongly excite the heroes against him: they often scold the prince in the face with a dog, a fool, a thief; decide not to serve him anymore; indicate to him that if it were not for them, then he would not be a prince in Kyiv.

When some trouble occurs, Vladimir humbly asks the heroes, most often Ilya, to intercede for him and save him. These unsympathetic features of Vladimir strongly excite the heroes against him: they often scold the prince in the face with a dog, a fool, a thief; decide not to serve him anymore; indicate to him that if it were not for them, then he would not be a prince in Kyiv.

In the epic about Nightingale Budimirovich, Prince Vladimir is depicted as a weak-willed ruler who, for the sake of salvation, is able to give his beloved niece to the unfaithful Tsar Grubiyanishsh.

The epic belongs to the epic cycle of epics about matchmaking, “getting a bride”. There are no tragic clashes, conflicts in it, the story is about purely domestic relations, this is one of the most optimistic epics of the Russian epic.

Nightingale Budimirovich sails up to Kyiv on twelve black ships (in epics everything overseas is black: a black tent is near the Danube, black ships are near Nightingale Budimirovich) amazes the people of Kiev with their overseas curiosities and songs. The focus here is not on the princes as such, not even the Nightingale, but on the process of matchmaking, the customs and rituals associated with the wedding, that is, vital universal affairs that are equally close to all segments of the population.

In the epic "Duke Stepanovich", a young Indian boyar, boasting of the untold riches of his country, arouses the indignation of Prince Vladmirir and his boyars. Duke is constantly trying to show his superiority over the people of Kiev, how much poorer Kyiv is, how much he is inferior to his city in everything. There is a series of comparisons - both in Galich and in Kyiv. Duke ridicules the Kyiv pavements: they are “covered with black earth”, “they were washed away with rain water”, and “I soiled those green morocco boots”; bridges are uneven, even in the palace they are poorly laid. The palace in Galicia is a different matter:

... Kalinov's bridges were built,

But the columns are set in silver ...

But cloths were laid out.

The wretchedness of Vladimir's palace is contrasted with the luxury of Galich's palace. At the banquet table, the comparisons continue. The refined taste of the visiting hero cannot stand Kyiv rolls, because they smell bad: the lower crust is like a brick oven, and the upper one is pine needles, because they were sprinkled with broomstick from pine branches. In addition, the dough is kneaded in pine barrels lined with spruce hoops. Not like in Galicia:

My parent's mother

And after all, barrels of silver were built,

And the hoops are filled with gilded ones,

Why, cold spring water is poured ...

Yes, and ant stoves were built *,

We have oak firewood,

And the crinkles are tied with silk,

Why, paper is laid - stamped sheets ...

And eat a kalachik - otherwise the soul burns.

The same is with wine: in Kyiv it is boiled in unsuitable dishes and stored in ordinary cellars, so that it suffocates. In Galich, the dishes are different, and the wine is kept hanging on chains: "you drink a cup - the soul burns in another."

Duke compares his wealth - and Kyiv: he has twelve cellars of gold, silver and pearls, and

For one I'm in the cellar -

to red to gold -

I will buy and sell your city Kyiv.

Indignant, Vladimir sends Dobrynya to check the validity of Duke's words. Dobrynya is faced with such magnificence, with such excesses in luxury that he could not even think about. In these descriptions, the notions of distant lands with countless treasures and fabulous beauty, characteristic of Ancient Russia, appeared. In the city, "roofs burn like fire" - from golden roofs. Boyarsky yard - seven miles, with gilded fences and pillars, with silver gates. There are thirty-three golden-domed towers here, with crystal porches. The interior is fabulous - with singing royal birds, with paintings on the ceilings and walls depicting the sun and the whole sky. Dobrynya is mistaken three times, mistaking her servants for Duke's mother - they are so luxuriously dressed. Mother herself appears all in gold and silver, rays radiate from her throughout the city. Mother opens cellars with innumerable riches in front of the people of Kiev. Dobrynya, returning home, confesses to Vladimir: in order to collect so much paper, ink, pens to describe wealth, it would be necessary to sell Kyiv and Chernigov. Dobrynya's trip to Galich is preceded by a competition between Duke and the Kyiv hero Churila. Churila was known as a big fashionista, a dandy. To protect the honor of Kyiv, he calls Duke to a dispute - who outdoes whom in outfits: for three years every day you need to ride in a new dress and on a new horse. In this dispute, the whole of Kyiv is responsible for Churila, and only Ilya Muromets is responsible for Duke. Churila wears "green morocco boots" with pointed toes and heels and high heels so that sparrows fly under her boots. Duke, on the other hand, puts on shoes, but they are woven from seven silks and decorated with a semi-precious stone, besides, they are “with a whistle”. The victory here is clearly for the visiting hero. Churila puts on a luxurious marten fur coat trimmed with gold, silver and pearls. Images of girls are woven on the loops of the fur coat, well done are poured on the buttons, and when buttoning they hug, and when unbuttoned they kiss. But here, too, victory remains with Duke: on his fur coat

In buttons, fierce animals are cast,

Yes, fierce snakes are sewn in the loops.

Yes, he took. Duke...

silk braid,

Yes, Duke pulled on the buttons -

Yes, fierce animals roared on the buttons;

Yes, Duke pulled on the loops

Yes whistled on the loops

fierce snakes.

Yes, and from that de roar from the animal,

Yes, de whistle from the snake

Yes, in Kyiv old and small lie on the ground.

Churila, having lost the argument, does not calm down and challenges Duke to a real heroic contest: you need to jump the Puchay River on horseback in one direction and then in the other. This competition ends for Churila in complete shame: he, along with his horse, armed, gets stuck in the middle of the river, and Duke at full gallop grabs him “by the yellow curls” and pulls him ashore. According to the laws of heroic fights, the Duke is ready to cut off the head of the vanquished, but the prince stands up for Churila. So Duke leaves Kyiv the winner:

And Duke went to the city to Galich.

And through the wall he waved straight to the policeman

And through the high corner tower.

And the Duke left for Volyn, a rich land,

To Volyn-land and glorious Galich-grad.

Thus, the epic shows the attitude of the Russian people to foreign wealth, against which the Russian land seems poor and inconspicuous. The prince himself in this epic is shown as a ruler, rooting for his land and his people, when he stands up for Churila and asks the Duke to let him live.

The epic about the Danube is one of the most popular and beloved songs by the people.

The epic tells about the marriage of Vladimir and the marriage of the Danube. The wedding of Vladimir usually precedes the wedding of the Danube, or a double wedding feast is celebrated.

Like many other epics, this one begins with a feast at Vladimir. The word "feast" cannot always be taken literally. A feast is often nothing more than a kind of meeting between Vladimir and his entourage, sometimes of a military nature. In this case, Vladimir feasts, which happens very rarely, not only with his close associates, but with the whole people.

In the capital city in Kyiv

At the affectionate prince at Vladimir

The feast was honorable for the feast

On many princes, on boyars,

On the mighty on the heroes,

For all the merchants in the trade,

For all the peasants.

For what purpose the feast was convened, it is not yet clear. Vladimir behaves not so much as the head of state and people, but rather acts as an affectionate host to his numerous guests, among whom he paces. Vladimir in this epic is shown young and richly dressed. He is wearing a beautiful sable coat, and he flaunts it.

He shook his sable coat.

On his white hands are gold rings, and "he clicks his gold rings." He has blond or yellow curls, and when he passes, he "shakes" them. Such an image of Vladimir, extremely bright and colorful, is characteristic of this epic and fits perfectly with all its further content. The feast in this case, too, was convened for a reason, but with a specific purpose. On it, Vladimir expresses a desire to marry and asks who could show him a bride. His dapper appearance reveals the groom in him.

All of you are spoiled at the feast,

I am the only one you have, unmarried.

At first glance, it may seem that Vladimir is driven only by purely human motives. He usually describes what kind of wife he would like to have, and these descriptions are interesting because they show folk ideas about Russian female beauty. Invariably mentioned: a stately figure, a smooth gait, clear eyes, black eyebrows, a ruddy face, and often a braid to the waist, intelligence and quiet speech. This is an image of a majestic and intelligent, but at the same time modest beauty. However, the point is not only that Vladimir wants to have an extraordinary beauty. Many songs add:

Yes, I would have someone to while away the century,

Yes, it would be with whom to keep the principality.

Who would we bow to

All the city to us and all Kyiv.

It is, therefore, not only about choosing a bride for Vladimir, but also about choosing a sovereign for Kyiv.

The subject of the song is not romantic interests, but state interests. It should be noted that this is a specific feature of the Russian epic. The theme of matchmaking is one of the most widespread in world folklore. Heroes, bogatyrs and kings of all peoples who have an epic in general are getting married. But only in the Russian epic is this plot interpreted from the point of view of state interests.

The prince appears in different epics in different ways, somewhere he is a coward, greedy and weak-willed, but somewhere he is still “bright” and “kind”, the prince “Clear Sun”, a just and noble sovereign. Apparently, this is due to the heterogeneity of the attitude of the people towards this person. Some considered him a messenger of the Lord, thanks to whom Russia became Orthodox, while others saw features in him that did not ennoble him. Perhaps this also happened because the writers of the epics tried to depict the image of the ruler as widely as possible in their time. Since epics were written at different times and by different people, therefore, the attitude towards him was different.

The court of the prince in epics is also sacred. Heroes of epics never kill enemies in the princely court: Alyosha Popovich forbids his lad to respond to Tugarin’s attack and “bleed the white-stone chambers”, Ilya Muromets takes him to the field to punish the Nightingale the Robber. The princely court was also sacred for the pagan Pomeranians. The Baltic Slavs had a similar attitude towards their sanctuaries even during the war, which is why both princely courts and sanctuaries often became a shelter for those who were in mortal danger.

Conclusion

The epic image of Vladimir went through a complex history, at first he was depicted as a prince who united the Russian lands, under him the baptism of Russia took place. All this was the basis for a positive assessment of the activities of Prince Vladimir and led to his idealization, in the epics he was called the "Red Sun". But later, the features of other Russian princes began to layer on this image, the image began to transform: he began to be portrayed ironically, cowardice, impotence appeared in him, he began to violate customs, became a tributary of Batu. Vladimir is not a hero of epics, he is inactive, and his character is indefinite, he is more a name than a person.

Ingratitude, injustice and cruelty, as the distinguishing features of Vladimir, could arise under the influence of the fact that the activities of Vladimir, in various classes of the population and in various areas of Kievan Rus, had to be evaluated, perceived and covered differently. For some groups of the population and parts of the state, Vladimir's activity was beneficial, useful, and therefore Vladimir's personality was endowed with the best features; for other groups of the population or other parts of the state, Vladimir's activity was harmful, and therefore negative traits were attributed to Vladimir's personality.

In addition, when legends are passed down from one generation to another for centuries, they acquire new details, famous characters begin to perform new feats, and the time frame gradually blurs and shifts. This is explained by the fact that the image of Prince Vladimir in the epics is generalized, some later rulers are also “combined” in it, but there are also a number of features of the historical Vladimir Svyatoslavovich. Indeed, the epic image of Vladimir went through a complex history. The features of another famous Kyiv prince Vladimir Monomakh, and then a number of other princes, were layered on him.

Bibliography

1.Epic book. Collection of selected examples of Russian folk epic poetry. Compiled by V.P. Avenarius. \ Edition of the bookseller A.D. Stupin. M.: 1902. - 419 p.

.Epics. - M.: Soviet Russia, 1988.

.Propp V.Ya. Russian heroic epic. - L .: Publishing house of the Leningrad University, 1955.

.Rybakov B.A. Birth of Russia. - M.: AiF Print, 2003.

.Mirzoev V.G. Epics and chronicles: monuments of Russian historical thought. - M., 1978.

.Russian epics//http://www.byliny.ru.

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Epic Kyiv is a symbol of the unity and state independence of the Russian land. Here, at the court of Prince Vladimir, the events of many epics take place.

The military power of Ancient Russia was personified by the heroes. Among the heroic epics, those in which Ilya Muromets, Dobrynya Nikitich and Alyosha Popovich act are put forward in the first place. These main defenders of Russia come from three estates: peasant, princely and priestly. Epics sought to present Russia as a united in the fight against enemies.

Despite the fact that different heroes appeared in the Russian epic at different times, in the plots of epics they often act together. And always the main one among them is Ilya Muromets: the oldest, strongest, wisest and fairest. This is poetically emphasized in epics, for example:

Yes, one sun in heaven,

There is only one hero in Holy Russia,

One Ilya and Ilya Muromets!

[Gilf. - T. 3. - S. 242].

Ilya is a peasant son, he comes from the village of Karacharova near the city of Murom. Until the age of thirty, he was sick - he could not control his arms or legs. The poor wanderers (kaliks) gave Ilya a cup of honey drink, from which he not only recovered, but also gained heroic strength. First of all, Ilya helped his parents to clear the fall from the dubya-kolodya (that is, he prepared a place in a scorched forest for arable land). However, the power was not given to him for peasant affairs. Ilya brought up a horse for himself, received a parental blessing and went to the expanse of open fields. [Fish. - T. 1. - S. 318-319].

The enormous strength of Ilya Muromets should benefit all of Russia, so the hero rushed to Kyiv. Along the way, he accomplished his first feats: he defeated the enemy troops near Chernigov, and then freed the straight road from the fantastic Nightingale the Robber ("Ilya and the Nightingale"). With the captive Nightingale, Ilya appeared in Kyiv and introduced himself to Prince Vladimir. [Gilf. - T. 2. ~ S. 10-17].

An international "wandering" story about a duel between a father and an unrecognized son was attached to the image of Ilya Muromets. In the epic "Ilya Muromets and Sokolnik" (according to other versions: Pod-falconer), the son of Ilya is depicted as an enemy of Russia, a Tatar. Defeated by Ilya in a fair duel, Sokolnik tried to kill his father while he was sleeping in a white tent. Ilya was protected from a mortal blow by a chest golden cross. The bylina ends with Ilya killing his son. [Gilf. - T. 2. - S. 280-283].

Epics about Ilya Muromets most fully developed the heroic theme in the Russian epic. They also influenced epics about other heroes. One of the most significant works about the tragic era of the invasion of nomads is the epic "Ilya Muromets and Kalin the Tsar." Mortal danger hung over Russia: enemy troops led by Tsar Kalin approached Kiev. The Tatar force has been overtaken by many, many:

As from a cry from a human,

As from the neighing of a horse

The human heart desponds.

The situation is tragically complicated by the internal hostility tearing apart Russia. Russian forces are divided. The bylina with condemnation depicts Prince Vladimir, who waters and favors only the boyars close to him, but does not think about the heroic warriors. Twelve Holy Russian heroes are offended by the prince, they left Kiev. The only one who could stand up for the faith, for the fatherland is Ilya Muromets. However, even before the invasion of enemies, Vladimir became angry with him for something and planted the hero in a cold deep cellar to certain death. Kalin-Tsar sent Vladimir a messenger letter, where he offered Kyiv to surrender in an ultimatum form. Then Prince Vladimir understood: this is not a small thing, And not a small thing, a great one. In response, he writes a letter of confession: he asks Kalin for a delay of three years, three months and three days - supposedly in order to give the Tatars a magnificent reception, to prepare for it. A deferment has been received, but it does not save. Kalin-tsar again approached Kyiv with his troops and great ones. Vladimir's position is hopeless. He walks along the mountain, sheds burning tears and laments that Ilya Muromets is no longer among the living. However, the hero is alive - he was saved by the daughter of Prince Vladimir, who sent food, drink, and warm clothes to the cellar. Upon learning of this, Vladimir quickly descends to Ilya in the cellar, takes him by the white hands, brings the white-stone woman into his chamber, sits him down, feeds, waters, and then asks:

"And wait, you are for the faith for the fatherland,

And wait, you are for the glorious city of Kyiv,

Yes, stand for mothers of God's churches,

Yes, wait, you are for the prince for Vladimir,

Yes, wait for the Queen's Opraksa!"

Without saying a word, Ilya left the prince's chambers, went to his wide courtyard, went into the stable to the standing one and began to saddle his horse. Then the hero left Kyiv and examined the enemy army: he could not see the end of the edge of power. On the eastern side, Ilya noticed the white tents of the Russian heroes and went to them to persuade the heroes to oppose Kalina Tsar. But their resentment against Prince Vladimir was deep: despite the fact that Ilya repeated his call three times, the heroes refused him.

Ilya Muromets rode alone to the Tatar troops and began to beat the enemy force, like a clear falcon of swan geese. Enemies dug deep digs in the field - Ilya was warned about this by his horse. The horse carried Ilya out of the first and second digs, but the hero could not get out of the third and was taken prisoner. Kalin Tsar began to persuade Ilya of Muromets to go to his service. He seduced the hero with a luxurious and well-fed life - but to no avail. Forgetting his personal offense, Ilya Muromets stood up for Russia and the Russian prince with his chest. He entered the fight again. Crushing the enemies, Ilya passed through their army. Then, in an open field, an arrow spoke and launched it into the camp of the heroes. The eldest of them, Samson Samoilovich, woke up from a deep sleep and finally brought his fellows to the aid of Ilya Muromets. Together they defeated the enemy force, delivered the captured Kalin to Prince Vladimir. [Gilf. - T. 2. - S. 18-35; see also Reader].

The main idea of ​​this epic is that in the face of the threat of the destruction of the Russian land, all personal grievances lose their meaning. Bylina teaches another truth: strength is in unity.

Other epics are also composed about Ilya Muromets, for example: "Ilya Muromets and Idolishche", "Three trips of Ilya Muromets", "Ilya on the Falcon e-ship".

After Ilya Muromets, Dobrynya Nikitich is most loved by the people. This hero of princely origin, he lives in Kyiv. Dobrynya Nikitich has many advantages: he is educated, tactful, courteous, knows how to walk as ambassadors, skillfully plays the harp. The main business of his life is the military service of Russia.

The heroic feat of Dobrynya Nikitich depicts the epic "Dobrynya and the Serpent". Dobrynya went to the blue sea to hunt, but he did not find either a goose or a swan, and not even a small gray duckling. Frustrated, he decided to go to a dangerous place: to the Beam River. Mother began to dissuade him:

"Young Dobrynya son Nikitinich!

BUTI will not give you forgiveness blessing

Ride from Dobrynya to Puchay-river.

Who traveled to the Puchai River on this light,

And I’m happy that I didn’t come from there.”

Dobrynya replied:

"Oh, you are my mother's parent!

And give me forgiveness - I'll go,

If you don't forgive me, I'll go."

There is nothing to do: the mother blessed Dobrynya, but ordered him not to swim in the Puchay River.

When Dobrynya arrived at the river, he was overwhelmed by the heat and exorbitant heat, he undressed and began to bathe. Suddenly the sky darkened - a fierce snake flew in. The young servant of Dobrynya, frightened, stole his horse, took away all his clothes and equipment - he left only a hat of the Greek land. With this hat, Dobrynya fought off the snake, knocking off her three trunks. The snake prayed, offered to make peace and promised:

"And I will not fly but in holy Russia,

And I will not captivate more heroes,

And I will not crush yes young zhon,

And I will not be orphans and little children ... "

Dobrynya on you lyasy ... he took a liking, let go of the snake. However, later he saw how the snake flies through the air and carries the royal daughter, the royal daughter of the prince, the young Marfida Vseslavievna 1. At the behest of Prince Vladimir, Dobrynya went to the Tugy-mountains, a fierce snake - to rescue the princess. His mother gave him a silk handkerchief to wipe his face during a fight, and a silk whip to whip a snake.

This time, Dobrynya's fight with the snake was long: it lasted one, then another day until evening.

Ah, the damned snake began to beat.

Ay, he reminded me of parental punishment,

He took out a whip from his pocket,

He beats the snake with his whip, -

Tamed the snake like a beast,

And like cattle and peasants.

Chopped off the snakes yes heecutrunks,

Chopped the snake and into small parts,

Rospinal the snake and across the open field ...

Then Dobrynya in the caves killed ... all the serpents, freed the prince's daughter and brought her to Vladimir. [Gilf. - T. 1. - S. 538-548; see also Reader].

In contrast to the fairy-tale interpretation of the "main plot", Dobrynya fought not for his bride, but for the Russian polonyanka. He killed the enemy, who terrified all of Russia.

Alyosha Popovich, like Dobrynya Nikitich, is a snake fighter, but his individual qualities caused a peculiar interpretation of the serpent theme. This hero comes from the city of Rostov, the son of an old cathedral priest. Epics usually emphasize that Alyosha is young. He is prone to irony, jokes, ridicule. Not possessing such powerful strength as Ilya or Dobrynya, Alyosha uses cunning and resourcefulness. He is characterized by daring and courage. “Alyosha is not strong in strength, but he dared to attack,” says Ilya Muromets about him.

The heroic feat of Alyosha Popovich is that he defeated the foreign enemy Tugarin Zmeevich. The plot about this is presented in two versions (their consolidated contaminated text is given in the collection of Kirsha Danilov).

According to one version, Alyosha left Slavnov Rostov, the red city, and, like Ilya Muromets, chose the road to Kyiv, the gentle prince Vladimir. A friend, Ekim Ivanovich, is traveling with him. Not far from Kyiv, they met a richly dressed wanderer, colic:

Bastards on it are seven silks,

Tucked in pure silver.

The face is studded with red gold,

Fur coat sable long-brimmed.

Hat Sorochinskaya Greek land in thirty pounds,

Shelepuga roadside fifty pounds.

Poured with lead Cheburatskov ...

Kalika said that he saw a terrible monster - a huge Tugarin Zmeevich. Alyosha had a plan of action. He changed clothes with Kalika and went across the Safat River.

Tugarin decided that a Kalika was coming; he began to ask if he had seen Alyosha Popovich (“And I would have stabbed Alyosha with a spear, stabbed him with a spear and burned with fire”). Alyosha pretended not to hear, called Tugarin closer, and then smashed his violent head and finished the job already on the ground: not succumbing to the persuasion of the enemy, he cut off his head away.

Entering into enthusiasm, Alyosha decided to play a trick on Ekim Ivanovich and Kalika. He changed into Tugarin's dress, mounted his horse, and in this form appeared to his white tents. Frightened comrades rushed away, Alyosha followed them. Then Ekim Ivanovich threw back a thirty-pound battle club, and it hit the white Alyosha Popovich in the chest. Alyosha was barely revived.

According to another version, Tugarin is a foreigner who brazenly manages in Kiev. At the feast of Prince Vladimir, he sits in a place of honor - next to Princess Apraksevna, greedily devours sugar and copper drinks.<медвяные >, the princess puts her hands in her bosom. The princess likes it, she cannot take her eyes off Tugarin, she even cut off her hand. Prince Vladimir silently suffers disgrace. Alyosha Popovich stands up for his honor. Alyosha makes caustic jokes about Tugarin. He tells how the old dog died from gluttony, "then the old cow:

"... Took her by the tail, waved downhill;

The same will be from me to Tugarin!

Enraged Tugarin threw damask steel at Alyosha<кинжал>, but he dodged.

Then they gathered for a duel - at the Safat River. Before the battle, Alyosha did not sleep all night, praying to God with tears. He asked to send a cloud with rain and hail so that Tugarin's paper wings would get wet. God sent a cloud. Tugarin fell to the ground like a dog. Alyosha rode out into the field, taking one sharp saber. Seeing him, Tugarin roared:

"Toyecuyou, Alyosha Popovich, are young!

Do you want me to burn you with fire?

Do you want, Alyosha, I’ll stop with a horse

Ali you, Alyosha, I will stab with a spear?

Alyosha Popovich answered him:

"You are the oneecu, Tugarin Zmeevich young!

You fought with me about the great pledge -

Bto fight one on one,

BUTthere is no power behind you

At me, Alyosha Popovich."

Amazed, Tugarin looked back at himself - Alyosha needed only that. He jumped up and cut off Tugarin's head. And the head fell on the damp ground, like a beer cauldron.

Alyosha jumped off the good horse,

He took the rope from the goodness of the horse,

And pierced the ears at the head of Tugarin Zmeevich,

And brought a horse to good,

And brought to Kyiv to the princely court,

He threw the middle of the princely court.

Alyosha Popovich left behind to live in Kyiv, began to serve Prince Vladimir faithfully. [TO. D. - S. 98-106; see also Reader].

In the epic about Alyosha and Tugarin, Princess Apraksevna is negatively represented. She remains unpunished, although Alyosha expressed his contempt for her ("... I almost called you a bitch, I drag that Bitch!"). In other epics, the betrayal of a wife was punished in the most cruel, even barbaric way. For example, in the epic "Three years Dobrynushka stolnichel":

And Dobrynya began to teach his wife,

He is young Marina Ignatievna,

Atheist heretic:

He is the first teaching - cut off her hand,

He himself says:

"I don't need this hand.

She shook her hand. Snake Gorynchishsha!"

And the second teaching - cut off her legs:

"But I don't need this leg either,

Intertwined with the Serpent Gorynchishsh!"

And the third teaching - cut off her lips

And with your nose off:

And these lips are not necessary to me,

They kissed the Serpent Gorynchishsh!"

Fourth teaching - cut off her head

And with tongue out:

"And this head is not necessary to me,

And this language is not needed,

He knew the deeds of heresy!" [K. D. - p. 47].

Ivan Godinovich executed his wife in the same way [K. D. - S. 82-83].

In the Russian epic, images of other, less prominent heroes are also known. Among them are Mikhail Danilyevich, who defeated the Tatars, who approached Kyiv; Vasily the drunkard who liberated Kiev from Batyga; the hero Surovets from the city of Suzdal, who defeated the army of Kurban Tsar; Mikhailo Kazarin - a native of the Galicia-Volyn land.

In the historical development of the epic, the image of Alyosha Popovich has undergone a complex evolution. Having moved from heroic epics to later short stories, Alyosha began to be portrayed as a woman's mockingbird, a treacherous and deceitful person ("Dobrynya and Alyosha", "Alyosha Popovich and the Zbrodovichi's sister"). The negative characterization of this hero began to be associated with his origin, the image began to correspond to the proverb "The priest has envious eyes, raking hands". At the same time, Alyosha is not completely devoid of popular sympathy here either: his mischief was perceived as an unbridled young force that is looking for a way out.

The international short story "A husband at his wife's wedding" was included in the Russian epic and attached to the images of Dobrynya Nikitich and Alyosha Popovich (the epic "Dobrynya and Alyosha").

Dobrynya Nikitich is forced to leave home to serve in the army at the outpost. Leaving his young wife Katerina Mikulichna, Dobrynya punishes him to wait exactly nine years, after which she can again marry someone who is in her mind, but not Alyosha Popovich - after all, Alyosha Dobrynya is a cross brother. Katerina Mikulichna is faithfully waiting for Dobrynya. Six years have passed. Alyosha Popovich appeared with false news that Dobrynya had been killed:

"I saw Dobrynya bit wounded,

His head lies in a part of a willow bush,

Feet lies yes in the grass,

Yes, bow guns are broken,

On the sides of the bow are worn,

And the horse walks in the wide steppes.

And the crows fly - you are black,

And they trynkayut the body of Dobrynina,

Wearing joints all Dobrynins.

Alyosha asks Prince Vladimir to bless his marriage to Katerina Mikulichnaya. She refuses. Then Vladimir allowed Alyosha to take her by force and heroic, Prince Yazhenetsky's thunderstorm.

Dobrynya learns about what is happening in Kyiv, and is unrecognized at her wife's wedding, in a buffoon dress. He modestly sits down on the pole and begins to play the harp. For a good game, Vladimir invited the buffoon to choose any place of honor at the table, Dobrynya sat opposite Katerina Mikulichna. In a spell of green wine, he gave her his wedding ring, saying:

"Drink to the bottom - so you will see goodness.

If you don’t drink to the bottom, you won’t see good.”

She drank to the bottom and saw her husband's ring. Turning to Vladimir, Katerina Mikulichna publicly announced who her true husband was. After that, Dobrynya Nikitich beat Alyosha Popovich hard - but only Olesha was married. [Gilf. - T. 3. - S. 217-226].

The theme of the inviolability of the family clearly runs through most of the epics of the novelistic type. In the epic "Danila Lovchanin" she received a tragic refraction.

Prince Vladimir knows that the Chernigov boyar Danila Lovchanin has a young wife, Vasilisa Nikulichna:

Andher face is red, and her mind is the same,

And the Russian knows how to painfully read and write,

And a couple of songs much to the church.

Yielding to the persuasion of one of his close associates, Vladimir set out to take his wife away from her living husband. The old Cossack Ilya Muromets tried to stop him:

"You're a father, Prince Volodymyr!

You will clearly bring out the falcon:

Don't puff that white swan!"

Vladimir did not heed the voice of reason, planted Ilya Muromets in the cellar. But the hero was right. In a hopeless situation, Danila Lovchanin committed suicide. On the way to Kyiv, at the body of her husband, Vasilisa Nikulichna flung herself breastily on a damask knife. [Kireevsky. - Issue. 3. - S. 32-38].

The plot developed by the epic "Danila Lovchanin" is also known in fairy tales about a beautiful wife (SUS 465 A, "Go there, I don't know where"; SUS 465 V, "Gusli-samogudy"; SUS 465 C, "Assignment to that light"). The tale, in accordance with its genre canon, gave a fair resolution to the conflict.

It can be assumed that the steady interest of folklore in this plot was justified. The “Tale of Bygone Years” tells about the love of women of Vladimir I (Svyatoslavovich): “Vladimir was defeated by lust, and these were his wives: Rogneda, whom he settled on Lybid, where the village of Predslavino is now located, he had four sons from her: Izyaslav , Mstislav, Yaroslav, Vsevolod, and two daughters; from a Greek woman he had Svyatopolk, from a Czech - Vysheslav, and from one wife - Svyatoslav and Mstislav, and from a Bulgarian - Boris and Gleb, and he had three hundred concubines in Vyshgorod, three hundred in Belgorod and two hundred on Berestovo, in a village now called Berestovoye. And he was insatiable in fornication, bringing married women to him and corrupting girls 1 ".

Another fabulous story (SUS 880, "The wife helps her husband") was developed by the epic "Stavr Godinovich".

In the epic "Duke" the opposition to the court of the capital prince of Kyiv and the whole city of Kyiv of the wealth and independence of another principality is clearly expressed.

The young boyar Dyuk Stepanovich came to Kyiv from Galicia-ko-Volyn land. He does not like everything in Kyiv, everything is better in Galich: the pavement, horse food, beer, rolls ... Duke speaks of Galich with admiration and pejoratively - about Kyiv. For example:

"Like in our city in Galich,

At my empress's mother's.

Yes, the stoves were all ants,

And the bottoms, you were all silver,

Yes, they were all silk,

Kalachiki and all krupischaty.

Eat a bell, you want another.

On the third, because the soul burns.

And in your city in Kiev

And then the stoves were all brick,

Pods, you were all rotten<глиняны>,

Mashed were all pine.

Kalachiki yes after all krupischaty,

And the bells smell on the foy<т. е. хвоей>,

I can’t take a kalachik in my mouth, from taking it.

Duke comes to the point that he boasts of selling the whole city of Kyiv-grad and redeeming it again. For his words, he falls into a deep cellar, and Dobrynya Nikitich is sent to Galich to check the veracity of Duke's statements. The epic depicts in detail the luxury that struck Dobrynya in Galich. Duke released from the cellar.

The epic "About Salovy Budimerovich" can be called the most poetic [K. D. - S. 9-15]. It sings of the matchmaking of the overseas guest Nightingale Budimirovich to the niece of Prince Vladimir Zabava Putyatichna. Marriage is concluded for mutual love, therefore the epic is permeated with a solemn major intonation (it was not overshadowed even by the unsuccessful claim to the Fun of the naked schap Davyd Popov).

In the spirit of wedding poetry, the epic fantastically idealizes the groom's wealth and the environment in which he won the girl's love. Nightingale sailed to Kyiv on thirty ships:

The ships are well decorated.

One ship is better than all:

That one had a falcon by the ship

Instead of eyes it was inserted

On the way, I stone on a yacht;

Instead of eyebrows it was nailed

According to the black sable Yakut,

And the Yakut, after all, the Siberian;

Instead of a mustache it was stuck

Two sharp damask knives;

Instead of ears it was stuck

Two spears of Murzametsky,

And two ermine hanged,

And two ermine, two winter.

Tovo had a falcon at the ship

Nailed instead of a mane

Two foxes are stormy;

Hung instead of a tail

On that was a falcon ship

Two polar bears overseas.

Nose, stern - in Turin,

The sides are cocked like an animal.

An attic was made on the ship, in the attic there was a conversation-expensive fish tooth, covered with dug velvet, and there Nightingale Budimirovich himself sat.

He presented precious gifts to the Kievan prince and his wife: furs, gold, silver, white-cut damask with Constantinople patterns. Then, in the green garden of Zabava Putyatichna, in a cherry, in a hazel, Nightingale's servants erected three golden-topped towers overnight. The towers were adorned with heavenly bodies and all the beauty of the heavenly. Fun goes around the tower and sees: in the first there is a treasury of gold; in the second, Mother Nightingale prays with honest, wise widows; in the third, music sounds - the Nightingale himself sits there and plays the sonorous harp.

Here they got engaged,

They kissed, they had mercy.

They exchanged gold rings.

The basis for this epic was the marriages of Russian princesses, who were passed off as noble foreigners. This increased the prestige and strengthened the international ties of the ancient Russian state.

Thus, the novelistic epics of the Kyiv cycle, like the heroic ones, reflected the historical reality of Ancient Russia.

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Kyiv CYCLE BYLIN

The epics of this cycle have common features: the action takes place in Kyiv or near it, in the center of the epics is the image of Prince Vladimir, the main theme is the defense of the Russian land from enemies. The main content of the traditional Russian epic epic is folk patriotism, which combines the awareness of the great power of the people, the idea of ​​selfless service to the fatherland and irreconcilable hatred of foreign invaders. These ideas are most clearly reflected in the gigantic images of heroes, in their courage, stamina, indestructible strength and fabulously heroic images. The abundance of heroic images is one of the features of the Russian national epic.

“It is impossible not to recognize,” V.G. Belinsky wrote about the epics, “the extraordinary, gigantic power of life contained in them ... Russian folk poetry boils with heroes ... This courage, this daring and youth are in such wide proportions, in such indestructible strength that you involuntarily bow before them ... ”Undoubtedly exaggerated, the images of heroes are nevertheless realistic in their very essence. In them, folk singers embodied the ideal idea of ​​the indestructible power of the people.

The real blood enemies of the heroes are the enemies of the motherland, foreign invaders. The historical features of numerous enemies who attacked the Russian land, as a result of a long artistic generalization, were united in epics in several images that bear names memorable from the raids of ancient nomads, these are the names: Tugarina (Tugorkan), Shark the Giant (Sharukan), Konshik (Konchak) and others. The mortal danger that threatened Russia from its enemies, the robberies and atrocities committed by them, led to an extremely negative depiction of these images. The power of the Tatars in epics is called “black”, and the Tatars themselves are called “nasty”. The most common generalizing images of enemies are the image of the most disgusting creature - the Snake, or the image of the “Idol of the filthy”, which has “heads that are tubs; and look at the beer bowls.” All these images are depicted as fantastic monsters: for some reason, Tugarin has paper wings, the Nightingale the Robber sits on a tree, but the epic does not indicate what he looks like. But it can be unequivocally noted that the enemies are never portrayed as people, they are monstrous creatures.

The epic portrays the enemies as impudent, presumptuous "praises", but the narrator does not allow their "black power" to be underestimated. In the epic image, the enemy is strong, cunning, cunning and numerous. Tugarin and Idolishche rampage with impunity in Russia until they encounter Russian heroes. Victory over the enemy in epics is achieved by the titanic struggle of the heroes, often the victory is preceded by the defeat of individual heroes, continuing until the main hero, Ilya Muromets, enters the battle. The epics show the insidious treachery of a defeated but unfinished enemy (“Ilya Muromets and the Nightingale the Robber”).

The most popular and beloved hero of the Russian epic is Ilya Muromets, he is the protagonist of more than thirty plots: “The Healing of Ilya”, “Ilya Muromets and Idolishche”, “Ilya Muromets and the Robber”, “Ilya and Kalin-Tsar”, “Ilya and the Nightingale- robber”, “Ilya in a quarrel with Prince Vladimir”, etc. The epic emphasizes the peasant origin of Ilya (“Healing of Elijah”), who “sat” in the hut for thirty years, but the “kaliki-passers-by” who came to the house rewarded him with heroic strength . Characteristically, Ilya immediately ran into the field where his parents worked, and began to help them - "tear oaks." For Ilya, the defense of the Motherland is the only meaning of his life. He did not choose either “that path where I would be rich” or “that path where I would be married”, but “a good fellow went to that path where he would be killed.” In his heroic service, the hero is disinterested and incorruptible, when enemies want to bribe him, he answers them with dignity and anger:

In the epics associated with the image of Elijah, it is emphasized that all his wealth consists in a good horse and an old saddle. Ilya - the strongest hero at the outpost -

If none of the heroes can cope with the enemy, then Ilya goes to single combat, and the battle ends with his victory. Ilya defeated the Nightingale the Robber, who for thirty years "laid the road to Kyiv" so that "a bird did not fly on it, a daring good fellow did not pass." He then defeated such strong enemies that no one could resist - Idolishche, Sokolnichek, Kalina Tsar. Ilya is always straightforward in battles, he does not know how to be cunning, but goes straight to the enemy. Ilya is often in a quarrel with Prince Vladimir, who does not appreciate him, and once put the hero in "deep cellars." Ilya was saved by the prince's niece, Zabava Putyatichna, she systematically brought food to the hero. Enemies attacked Kyiv, and Prince Vladimir was forced to free the hero, but Ilya emphasizes that "I'm not going to serve you, dog-prince, but the whole Russian people." In this epic, a battle scene is depicted, Ilya beats the “Tatar force” several times, the description of the battle is repeated several times:

The reasons for the quarrel between Ilya and Prince Vladimir may be various circumstances, but most often the hero is angry because the prince does not call him to the feast. Ilya's protest reflected, of course, the growth of national consciousness, social protest, Ilya does not forgive insults:

Ilya knocks down "golden domes" and "silver crosses", gives them to the poor and gathers a feast for "bast shoes" and "hoodies".

The image of Ilya has not a local (although he lived in the village of Karacharovo), but an all-Russian meaning, this is also evidenced by the fact that Ilya was declared a saint (by the 16th century), and his relics began to be shown in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. But the canonization of Ilya and the discovery of his relics cannot serve as evidence that this hero really lived. The inclusion of Elijah in the lists of saints was due to the fact that this hero, created by the popular imagination, was recognized as a real warrior already in the Middle Ages, and epic songs about him were perceived as stories about genuine historical events.

When studying the Russian epic, it becomes obvious that Russian heroism is socially heterogeneous. The main heroes do not belong to the social elite: the son of a peasant, Ilya, the son of a priest, Alyosha; and the hero of the Kyiv cycle - Vasily Ignatievich belongs to the very bottom of society (Vaska the drunkard). Perhaps the oldest epics that have come down to us are epics about Dobrynya Nikitich, whose name some researchers (V.F. Miller, A.V. Markov, V.I. Chicherov) associate with the name of a historical person - the uncle of Prince Vladimir - Dobrynya .

There is also a directly opposite opinion in folklore that not a single name of an epic hero can be traced back to a real historical name (B.N.

There are several versions of the epic "Dobrynya and the Serpent", they all have the same content. The hero bathes in the Pugay River, a snake appears, the enemy of the Russian land. Dobrynya fights with him and defeats him, sometimes the snake deceives the hero, and Dobrynya kills him later. This feat of the hero helps the liberation of Russian lands. Dobrynya is also endowed with exaggerated strength, he “glorified himself in battles, he is also skilled in heroic amusements (martial arts, archery), he is an excellent swimmer, he can read and write, play chess. When Dobrynya sings and plays, then "everyone at the feast heard", "everyone at the feast fell silent." Dobrynya knows "how to behave" and "how to take care of yourself." The strength and experience of a warrior, heroic training, and education make one treat Dobrynya as a skillful person, capable of "going in ambassadors." On this, epics were built about Dobrynya - the matchmaker and Dobrynya's trip to the king "Lyakhovets" for exemption from taxes. The attitude of Dobrynya towards Prince Vladimir in epics is similar to the attitude of Ilya Muromets towards him; Dobrynya fulfills all the orders of the prince, but on occasion tells him the truth in the face.

In the cycle of epics about Dobrynya, a special place is occupied by the epic "Dobrynya Nikitich and Alyosha Popovich", in which a plot is developed that is found throughout world folklore - "a husband at his wife's wedding." While Dobrynya traveled on behalf of Prince Vladimir, Alyosha Popovich got married to his wife. Dobrynya arrived during the wedding feast, and only his wife recognized him by playing the "spider goose". Regarding the history of Dobrynya, scientists believe that it “was not formed immediately, but over the centuries,” but in all epics the stability of the image of Dobrynya as a hero, as a defender of the Russian land, is preserved.

The youngest of the three main Russian heroes - Alyosha Popovich - is also dedicated to several epics. This image in epics is contradictory, which, apparently, is due to the length of the process of development and processing of epic tales about Alyosha Popovich. In the epic "Alyosha and Tugarin" we see a warrior who is not lost even in an unequal battle, here the typical features of a hero are reflected - the defender of the Russian land at any cost. Alyosha "where he does not take by force - he will take by cunning, courage, heroic subterfuge." Alyosha differs from Ilya in his cleverness and cunning, who always goes straight to the enemy and does not use military tricks. The image of Tugarin bears the features of a mythical creature; he is sometimes depicted as a monster, like a kite capable of flying, he usually has paper wings. Alyosha defeats him either with the help of "heavenly power", or because the rain soaked Tugarin's paper wings, or by cunning, deceiving Tugarin that his army was behind, and he turned around and let himself be killed. In the process of the existence of epics, a decrease in the popularity of heroic epics about Alyosha was recorded, which, according to all data, is associated with the approval of the view of him as "Popovich", a native of a clergyman's family. Alyosha began to be called a woman's man, deceit, envy and deceit became his character traits. In the relationship of heroes between themselves and other characters, twinning plays an important role, which implies mutual assistance and support, complete trust in each other. "The named brother is more than the brother of the darling." In epics, the heroes, connected by twinning relations, strictly observe them. Rare violations are condemned and punished, which is especially clearly expressed in the epic "Dobrynya Nikitich and Alyosha Popovich". Alyosha Popovich does not have such high moral qualities as Ilya and Dobrynya, but still Alyosha is an epic character, a hero, and this is the main thing in his image.

The theme of the fight against enemies, with the Tatars is the main one in Kyiv epics. Other heroes - Vasily Ignatievich, Sukhman, Danilo Ignatievich, are similar to the main heroes in their love for Russia, all of them, to the best of their ability and ability, fight the enemy. All of them are in opposition to Prince Vladimir, to the boyars, Vasily Ignatievich especially strongly opposes them:

When the innumerable black forces of Tsar Skurla approach Kyiv itself, neither Prince Vladimir nor his boyars think about a personal action against the enemy. Vladimir, having put on “a marten coat on one shoulder, and a feather cap on one ear”, wanders around the city and asks the people of Kiev to find him some “traveling hero”. Kyiv is saved by Vasily, who "has neither a cross, nor a belt, nor a linen shirt on him - under one he lies and a mat." Despite his poverty, Vasily does not want to take the “cities with suburbs and villages with villages” promised to him by Vladimir. He attacks the Tatars and fights heroically with them:

In the epic "Sukhman" we meet with an honest and truthful hero who liberates Russia from the Tatars. Prince Vladimir does not believe Sukhman, accuses him of empty boasting, of lying. Dobrynya, having traveled to the field where Sukhman alone destroyed hordes of enemies, confirmed the truth of Sukhman's story about his victory. Vladimir was ready to honor the hero, but Sukhman pulled out the leaves from the wounds he had received in battle and died bleeding, he did not want to serve the prince, who suspected the heroes of lying.

The image of Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavovich is present in many epics. The epic image of Vladimir went through a complex history, at first he was depicted as a prince who united the Russian lands, under him the baptism of Russia took place. All this was the basis for a positive assessment of the activities of Prince Vladimir and led to his idealization, in the epics he was called the "Red Sun". But later, the features of other Russian princes began to layer on this image, the image began to transform: he began to be portrayed ironically, cowardice, impotence appeared in him, he began to violate customs, became a tributary of Batu. V. G. Belinsky noted that Vladimir is not a hero of epics, he is inactive, and his character is indefinite, he is more a name than a person. In epics, the conflict can be of a state or social nature, which is connected, of course, with the growth of social contradictions in Russian society.

One of the themes characteristic of all epics as works of the working people is the theme of labor. Labor is glorified in epics as a heroic feat, labor prowess is the same significant sign of heroism as military prowess. Ilya Muromets shows his strength primarily in work. A particularly striking example of the poetization of labor is in the epic about Volga and Mikul Selyaninovich. Mikula is a plowman hero, it is in this that he opposes Volga and the prince's squad. Volga and his squad only on the third day were able to "reach" Mikulu, who was following the plow. The severity of Mikulina's "maple bipod" symbolizes the severity and wisdom of peasant labor. It turns out to be difficult for the entire Volga squad: “They turn the fry for obzhi, but they cannot take the fry from the ground.” Volga, who took up her "with all the strength of a valiant," could not lift the bipod either. Embarrassed in front of the plowman, he is forced to admit:

With great expressiveness, the epic conveys the complete superiority of the peasant Mikula over the princely son Volga:

The image of Mikula is the embodiment of the mighty forces of the working people. This is confirmed by another epic about Mikula - “Svyatogor and Mikula”, in which the mighty giant Svyatogor cannot lift a bag with “earthly thrust”, and Mikula easily carries it. Some researchers (B.A. Rybakov) attribute the epic to the 10th century, to the Kyiv cycle. These epics also confirm the main focus of the epics of the Kyiv cycle - the Russian hero always wins both in battle and in work.

NOVGOROD CYCLE BYLIN

The military theme of the Kyiv epics was of all-Russian significance; all-Russian epic traditions were clearly reflected in them. The Novgorod cycle has no heroic plots. This is explained by the fact that Novgorod was much less exposed to nomad raids, and the Tatar invasion of Russia did not touch these northern lands at all. Novgorod is a large trading center, traded with many countries, special forms of political life were established in it (veche - a meeting of townspeople), the power of the prince was limited. Novgorod freemen formed special social relations in this territory; for several centuries it was a kind of trading republic; successfully competed with Kyiv and Moscow. It was annexed to the Moscow principality only at the end of the 15th century. Therefore, it is natural that the epics of the Novgorod cycle developed epics of social and family life, they are distinguished by a special kind of themes, plots and types of heroes. Of the Novgorod epics, the epics about Sadko and Vasily Buslaev are of particular importance.

Epics about Sadko are based on three plots: 1) Sadko receives wealth; 2) Sadko competes with Novgorod; 3) Sadko at the sea king. These three plots existed each separately, and sometimes combined into one epic. The bylina about Sadko develops the theme of a miraculous deliverance from poverty, it reflects the conflict between the poor gusliar and the merchants of Novgorod. The theme of obtaining wealth by the hero in different versions is developed in different ways. In Kirsha Danilov's collection, Sadko was a "Volga Sur" (sur - well done), he walked along the Volga for a long time, and then went to Novgorod, caught fish in Lake Ilmen, which turned into gold coins. But another version of this plot is more common: Sadko is a poor gusler, who was no longer invited to feasts, he plays on the shores of Lake Ilmen and the lake rewards him with wealth. The image in the epic about Sadko of merchant feasts, the boasting of shops with goods reflect the acute social and domestic relations concentrated in the second part of the epic. The conflict - Sadko wants to buy all the goods from the merchants - is resolved safely as long as he fights with individual merchants. But gradually his pride did not know the limits, he opposed himself to the whole of Veliky Novgorod, and, of course, lost. The defeat of the one who opposes himself to the collective - the people, is inevitable, such is the idea of ​​the epic. In the third part - a story about how Sadko came to visit the king of the sea, how he deceived the king with the help of St. Nicholas of Mozhaisk and was able to return to his city. Sadko built a church on the shore of Lake Ilmen as a sign of his miraculous return.

The bylina about Sadko has a number of episodes similar to episodes of the epic of other peoples, which allows some researchers to compare it with the Kalevala (the musician Vainemeinen from the Karelian-Finnish epic is similar in some aspects to Sadko). The episode of Sadko sinking into the sea is considered as a variation of the theme of throwing a sinner into the sea, developed by the Bible (the story of Jonah in the belly of a whale) and medieval literature (Sadok in French literature). Of course, it is impossible to trace the epic about Sadko to foreign sources, and the coincidence of some plots can be interpreted as the proximity of Russian folklore to world folklore, confirmation of the fact that some “wandering” plots also penetrated into Russian folk poetry.

The bylina about Sadko creates a generalized image of a Russian person - his passion for boasting, for amusement, his desire to cheat, recklessness (when he, having taken the harp, goes to the bottom of the sea), his love for the Motherland, for Novgorod, his desire to return at any cost. Sadko is not a hero, but an ordinary person who is helped by magical powers, but in the epic there is no exaggeration of his strength or wisdom. In his articles on folk art, V. G. Belinsky most highly appreciates the epic about Sadko, interpreting the conflict between Sadko and Novgorod as a social conflict. The critic notes that this epic is distinguished by high artistic perfection, especially highlights the scene of the dance of the sea king, emphasizes the fabulous elements in the epic.

Epics about another hero of the Novgorod cycle - Vasily Buslaev - include two plots: this is his quarrel with Novgorod and the story of his trip to the pilgrimage and his death. Epics about Vasily Buslaev reflect the life and life of a medieval big city, they are important because they reflected the early glimpses of criticism and elements of rationalism in Russia. Vasily grew up in a wealthy Novgorod family, he is educated, knows how to read, write, he is endowed with great physical strength, but does not know how to use it. In the first epic, Vasily gathers a squad of “free people” and starts a quarrel with the “men of Novgorod”, beats and maims people. Vasily Buslaev is characterized by the absence of superstition, he does not believe "neither in a dream, nor in a choh." The lack of respect for everything that was revered by religion is manifested in many of Vasily's actions. Rich men complain about his violent nature of his mother, Amelfa Timofeevna, and his mother sends Vasily to repentance, to the tomb of the Lord. The second part of the epic shows that, despite the fact that his mother and godfather raised Vasily in a religious spirit, in the spirit of patriarchy and obedience, he violates all moral and religious dogmas. Basil offends and kills the "pilgrim elder" in the clothes of a clergyman, bathes in the Jordan River naked, which could not be done according to religious ideas (since Jesus bathed in the river). During his “walking” to Jerusalem, Vasily does not experience repentance, he kicks a dead head with his foot, jumps over a tombstone, breaks on a stone; and the warriors bury him. Buslaev's protest against the established prohibitions, his violation of the foundations and rules of life, disbelief in omens and beliefs, reflected the progressive phenomena of the life of medieval Russia. It should be noted that folk art notes the unconsciousness of Vasily's protest, who at first was perceived as a positive hero, but since he performs a number of actions that run counter to the moral norms of a Russian person, he himself becomes a victim of violation of prohibitions and eventually dies. In folklore works, heroes usually emerge victorious from all collisions, but here is the rarest case of the death of a hero at the end of an epic.

The image of Vasily Buslaev is very controversial, he received a different assessment in criticism. M. Gorky called it one of the greatest and most significant artistic generalizations in Russian folklore, believed that it reflected some aspects of the national Russian character, Vasily Buslaev was simply ahead of his time, was born "on the wrong street." V. G. Belinsky noted that the epics about Buslaev reflected a true picture of medieval Novgorod life, folk ideas and assessments. Despite the pronounced Novgorod coloring, epics about Vasily Buslaev acquired an all-Russian meaning due to their important ideological significance and artistic merit.

The bylevoy epic also created wonderful female images - these are the mothers and wives of the main characters. A wise mother, a mentor of her son, surrounding him with care and always waiting - such is the mother of the hero. The mother of Vasily Buslaev is characterized by a combination of a caring attitude towards her son with a free, equal attitude towards the townspeople. This is especially evident in the mother's attempt to reconcile the Novgorodians with Vasily. The image of the mother in heroic epics has a slightly different character, where the hero's mother is less independent in relations with the people of Kiev, her sphere of action is more limited by family relations, she is more dependent on the prince. Such is the mother of Dobrynya Nikitich, who foresees a lot, knows a lot, she warns the hero against unreasonable acts and saves him in dangerous situations of life. But Dobrynya's mother meekly obeys the prince's decisions, even in those cases when he commits violence against the hero and his family ("Dobrynya and Alyosha"). The Russian epic also created the image of a faithful, loving wife. Nastasya Mikulichna - Dobrynya's wife - has been waiting for her beloved husband for a long twelve years, driving Alyosha who is wooing her from herself, and only by force does Prince Vladimir force her to marry. The theme of love and fidelity is also reflected in the epic "Danila Lovchanin", in which the despotic Prince Vladimir fell in love with Vasilisa, Danila's wife, and he orders to kill the hero. But Danila's death does not lead to the fulfillment of the prince's wish, since Vasilisa kills herself over her husband's body. All these images reflect folk ideas about what a hearth keeper should be. The epic depicts the ideal image of a woman - a respected mother, a wife devoted to her husband, capable of maintaining devotion to the family in a time of trials.

Bylina is a genre of oral folk art, which is an epic song-tale, which is read in a special recitative and tells about heroes and heroic episodes in the history of Russia in the 11th-16th centuries. A feature of this genre is that each epic is dedicated to one hero and a separate event or feat.

The word "epic" appeared in 1830, it was introduced by the scientist Ivan Sakharov. Prior to this, the songs-tales about the heroes and their exploits were called old. Researchers divide epics into two cycles: the more ancient Kyiv and Novgorod.

We read epics

• (another variant)

You will also find texts of epics in some articles about (see table).

Theme of epics

The theme of the Kyiv cycle can be called classical: epics describe individual exploits of various heroes in protecting the Russian land from the Pechenegs, from various evil spirits in Kievan Rus. Most of these epics are dedicated to the reign of Grand Duke Vladimir. The main characters of the epics of the period of Kievan Rus are such heroes as Ilya Muromets, Dobrynya Nikitich, Alyosha Popovich.

In the later Novgorod cycle, the description of feats of arms recedes into the background and moves forward “Mr. Veliky Novgorod”, as this big city was often called, with its trade, inhabitants, colorful descriptions of city life. Accordingly, the heroes of the epics are not warrior warriors protecting Russia from enemies, but merchants and dashing fellows. Examples of epics of the Novgorod cycle are Sadko's epics, epics about Stavra, about Vasily Buslaev, about Khoten Bludovich.

Sadko comes from a poor family, a guslyar. Thanks to the fabulous intervention of the sea king, he becomes a rich merchant and goes to trade overseas. On the way back, during a storm, he is given the opportunity to outwit the sea king and return to Novgorod with rich goods.

Stavr is a wealthy boyar and merchant, in general, a horse dealer and usurer, who is imprisoned at the behest of Prince Vladimir. Here, researchers find a poetically expressed echo of the real rivalry between Kyiv and Veliky Novgorod. And obviously, this is true, since the Novgorod narrator is clearly on the side of the boyar Stavr.

Also, the heroes of the Novgorod epics are simply daring fellows, the most striking example of which is Vasily Buslaev, the Novgorod hero, who is an ideal of valiant boundless prowess.

About the epic heroes of the Novgorod cycle, we can say that Sadko is the personification of the wealth of Novgorod, and Buslaev is his power.

Composition of epics

The composition of the plot of epics is always built according to one principle:

1. Beginning (plot plot)
2. The development of the action (a story about the events preceding the feat).
3. Culmination (description of the feat itself).
4. Decoupling (image of a crushed enemy, honoring the winner, etc.).

In some epics, the beginning is preceded by a "singing song", and the "outcome" follows the denouement. The purpose of the song is to grab the attention of the listener. Very often he draws majestic pictures of nature, setting the listeners on a solemn pathos and perception of something significant and important. For example, the singing of the epic "About the Nightingale Budimirovich":

Is it height, heavenly height,
Depth, depth, ocean-sea,
Wide expanse throughout the earth,
Deep waters of the Dnieper.

At the end of the epic, glory is most often given to the hero, for example:

“Yes, here we sing glory to Svyatogor and the hero”;

“Here Mikhail Potyk sing glory to his son Ivanov,
Silence to the blue sea
Obedience to all good people."

Some outcomes emphasize the historical authenticity of the epic:

Since then yes since then
They began to say Dobrynya in old times "
(the outcome of one of the variants of the epic "Dobrynya and Alyosha")

Compositional principles and techniques of epics

1. Principle of antithesis

The principle of opposition, which manifests itself primarily in the construction of the plot of epics. This is often seen already in the title: for example, "Ilya Muromets and Kalin Tsar", "Dobrynya and the Serpent". The epic heroes and their opponents are compared, who are contrasted primarily in their spiritual appearance, moral and moral qualities. The hero, as a rule, is kind, fair, honest, peaceful, noble and modest. Conversely, his opponent is angry, dishonorable, belligerent, self-confident and cunning. The principle of antithesis is also used when describing appearance: for example, Ilya Muromets is a man of ordinary height, and his opponent Idolische is of frightening size.

2. Selection technique

The technique of selection is often used already in the beginning in order to show who will be discussed in the epic. For example, the beginning of the epic "Fight of Alyosha with the Serpent":

Yes, the prince had, Prince Volodymyr,
I was going to it and a feast-bearer,
And honest, and laudatory, but joyful.
In a feast, princes, heroes would sit,
They are strong mighty heroes.
Yes, and there is no young Aleshenka at the feast,
Young Aleshenka is the light of Popovich.

In this beginning, you just see how the narrator, by means of emphasis, makes it clear that Alyosha will be the main character of the epic.

In many epics, we can come across a situation when Prince Vladimir addresses the heroes with some important matter, and they fall silent and hide behind each other. And only one and only one is called to carry out an important assignment. And this is not because everyone is cowardly and only one is brave. No, the technique of selecting one hero out of many simply works here, because. in the epic, everything is subordinated to the creation of the image of the hero. And the method of selection considered by us also serves this purpose.

3. Reception of hyperbolization

Hyperbolization (excessive exaggeration) is the most important principle of creating epics. They exaggerate the strength of not only heroes, but also their opponents. And the greater this strength of opponents, the more significant is the victory of the heroes over them, the more glorification they deserve. The same technique describes the strength of heroic horses, and many other points. For example, the wealth of Duke Stepanovich from Galich is described as follows:

“Vladimir, you are a prince and a stolen-Kyiv!
Three cartloads of papers came here,
And send here and thirty scribes,
It will not be possible to describe the estate in three years,
In those boundaries, you will not give a number.

(This is written by Dobrynya, who was sent to Galich to verify the words of Duke Stepanovich)

4. Dialogues

Dialogues play a significant role in the composition of the epic: they dramatize the plot and help to more fully characterize the characters, revealing their experiences and thoughts. Often the dialogue is the turning point of the epic. A very good example of the epic “Dobrynya Nikitich and Vasily Kazimirovich”: at the feast, “the daring good fellow” Vasily Kazimirovich receives the task from Prince Vladimir to take a huge tribute to Batur Batvesov. Saddened, Vasily leaves the feast: he does not like to carry tribute to the Busurman. He meets Dobrynya and a conversation will take place between them. Having learned about the order of Prince Dobrynya Nikitich, he says:

“We won’t take it from the prince from Vladimir,
We will not take tribute-duties from him, -
We will ask from the dog Batur Batvesov,
We will ask him for a tribute-duty "

With the help of this dialogue, the narrator suddenly changes the plot, the pathos of the epic increases, the attention and feeling of relief among the listeners grows: dear Dobrynushka did not let him down, he did not disgrace his honor and the Russian land. In such a simple but effective way, the feeling of national pride of one of the most beloved Russian heroes is revealed.

4. Reception of repetitions

An important compositional role in epics is played by the reception of repetitions of individual episodes, speeches of heroes, etc. Most often this repetition is three times, but it can also be twice. The main purpose of such repetitions is to most clearly express a thought that is especially important for the epic, to focus the listener's attention on some episodes that are very significant in terms of semantics, certain actions of the heroes. Here's an example:

Seeing from the mountain an innumerable army of the enemy and realizing that one cannot cope with him, Ilya Muromets turns to the hero Samson Samoylovich with such an excited speech:

You are my godfather, father, Samson Samoylovich,
And you are the mighty Russian heroes,
You saddle-tko good horses,
And you sit down on good horses,
Go, yes, into the open field,
And under that under the glorious city of Kyiv city.
As under our something under the city near Kyiv
And the dog Kalin Tsar is standing,
And stands with the great troops,
He wants to destroy the capital city of Kyiv,
The black men is to cut everyone,
God's churches all down the smoke,
To Prince Vladimir and Queen Opraksa
He wants to cut down the riotous head.
You stand, for faith, for the fatherland,
You wait, for the glorious city of Kyiv city,
You wait, for the churches you are for God,
You take care of Prince Vladimir,
And with that queenly Opraksa!
(Hilferding, vol. 2, p. 25)

To this Samson Samoylovich replies:

Ay, goddaughter, you are my favorite,
I am old Cossack and Ilya Muromets!
And we won’t even saddle horses,
And we will not sit on good horses,
We will not go to the glorious open field,
May we not stand for faith, for the fatherland,
May we not stand for the capital city of Kyiv,
May we not stand for mothers of God's churches,
May we not take care of Prince Vladimir
Yes, even with Queen's Opraksa.
After all, he has a lot of boyar princes,
Feeds them and waters and favors,
We have nothing from the prince from Vladimir.
(Hilferding, 2, pp. 25-26)

Having heard the refusal of Samson Samoylovich, Ilya Muromets again appeals to him and other heroes with a call to stand up for Kyiv. Samson Samoilovich again refuses. Ilya Muromets addresses the Russian heroes for the third time. For the third time, Samson Samoylovich refuses. The appeal of Ilya Muromets and the answer to it in the epic are repeated three times verbatim.

What is the meaning and artistic necessity of such a repetition? The significance of this threefold repetition of the dialogue is enormous. Firstly, it expresses the main patriotic idea of ​​the epic - the need to stand up for the Russian land; secondly, it expresses the social conflict between Prince Vladimir and the bogatyrs and, thirdly, through this technique, the main features of Ilya Muromets - his patriotism, will and perseverance - are emphasized, extraordinarily clearly expressed: at a time when mortal danger hung over the Motherland , he forgets a personal insult, speaks in defense of the Motherland, three times appeals to Russian heroes with an appeal to stand up for the defense of the fatherland.

Stylistic features of epics

Epics were created by tonic (it is also called epic, folk) verse. In works created by tonic verse, the verse lines may have a different number of syllables, but there should be a relatively equal number of stresses. In epic verse, the first stress, as a rule, falls on the third syllable from the beginning, and the last stress on the third syllable from the end of the verse.

The stylistic originality of epics is determined by the traditional expressive means of the genre. In epics, such literary devices as epithets, comparisons, and tautological phrases are most commonly used. Epithets in epics express this or that attitude of the people to the events depicted, that is, they have a certain estimated value. The main character of the epics is the "powerful hero". He is invariably called "good fellow", "daring fellow". He has a “great power”, “loud voice”, “heroic heart”. The faithful assistant of the hero is the horse, which in epics is endowed with bright epithets: “heroic”, “kind”, “frisky”, etc. Tautological epithets are also typical: bright room, salty salt, old age, honey honey.

To express opposition in epics, magnifying and diminutive forms are used: hands like rakes, eyes, heads with a tub, Ilyushenka, Dobrynyushka, Aleshenka, Ovdotyushka.

Russian history: myths and facts [From the birth of the Slavs to the conquest of Siberia] Reznikov Kirill Yurievich

4.2. Epics of the Kyiv cycle

4.2. Epics of the Kyiv cycle

About epics. Epics - epic tales of the Eastern Slavs, telling about the events of the XI - XIV centuries. The origins of epics lie in pagan mythology, they tell about the times of Kievan Rus, but they developed when the division of the Eastern Slavs into three peoples had already begun, that is, not earlier than the 13th century. Epics are unknown to Ukrainians and Belarusians and have been preserved only among Russians, mainly in the Russian North. In the form of an epic - songs about antiquity, they were said in a melodious recitative. Unlike fairy tales, epics were perceived with confidence. For centuries, the relics of Ilya Muromets have been exhibited in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, and the “leaps” of his horse have been shown in the Murom forests. As in most myths, time in epics has stopped - the exploits of the heroes of the epics of the Kyiv cycle occur during the time of Prince Vladimir the Red Sun - a collective image of Vladimir the Baptist (980-1015) and Vladimir Monomakh (1053-1125). But, as folk art, epics were influenced by time and gradually changed; already forgotten layers of the past were swept aside and new concepts appeared. So the Tatars, who came to Russia in the 13th century, replaced the early enemies of Russia - the Pechenegs, Polovtsy, although the epics retained the names of the Polovtsian khans: Shurukan - Shark the giant, Konchak - Konshak, Tugorkan - Tugarin Zmeevich. The protagonist Ilya Muromets is called the "old Cossack", although the Cossacks have been known in Russia only since the 15th century.

At the time of recording (the end of the 18th - 19th centuries), epics were preserved only in the Russian North and in some places in Central Russia, but they were not in either Ukraine or Belarus. This once again points to the futility of trying to present the Russian people as a poor relative who received crumbs from the table of culture of Kievan Rus. Epics were divided into cycles - Kyiv, Novgorod and all-Russian. For this work, the Kyiv cycle, dedicated to the defense of the Russian land by the bogatyrs, is important. Of the heroes, the central place is occupied by the peasant son Ilya Muromets, who came to Kyiv “from that city of Murom, from that village of Karacharova” (Dobrynya Nikitich and Alyosha Popovich are also from North-Eastern Russia: one from Ryazan, the other from Rostov). Ilya serves Prince Vladimir, stands for the capital city of Kyiv. Together with other heroes at the outposts of the heroic ones, he protects Russia from raiders. It is unnecessary to list their exploits here, but all the heroes are ready to lay down their lives for the Russian land.

At the heroic outpost. An ancient epic that preserved the memory of the formidable Khazars, when they forced the glades, northerners and Vyatichi to pay tribute on a silver coin and a squirrel from smoke (from housing), is the epic "Ilya Muromets at the outpost of the heroic." The plot is traditional. Under the glorious city near Kyiv, on the steppes on Tsitsarsky, there was a heroic outpost. The ataman was Ilya Muromets, the subtaman was Dobrynya Nikitich, young, the captain was Alyosha the priest's son. Dobrynya went to the blue sea for hunting, to shoot geese and swans. He rides in an open field, sees a great excavation. The fossil is great - half a stove. He began to inspect. From this land from Zhidovsky came Zhidovin, a mighty hero. The bogatyrs gathered at the outpost of the bogatyr, began to think about who should go for the boaster. They wanted to send Grishka the son of a boyar, but he was painfully boastful. He will start boasting, he will die in vain. Vaska Dolgopolny has a long floor: he will fall under the leg in the battle of the floor, he will die in vain. Alyoshinka of the priestly family, the priestly eyes are envious. He will envy gold, he will die in vain. They put Nikitich in charge of Dobrynya, Dobrynushka to go for the boaster.

Dobrynya caught up with the hero, shouted in a loud voice: “Thief, dog, nahvalytsin! Why are you passing our outpost? Ataman Ilya Muromets is not beaten with a brow? He turned the nahvalytsin of good horse. I let it go to Dobrynya. Raw mother earth stirred. Under Dobrynya, the horse fell to its knees. Dobrynya prayed to the Lord: “Take away, Lord, from the boaster.” Under Dobrynya, the horse recovered, left for the heroic outpost. Ilya Muromets meets him with all the brethren. Dobrynya says how he went for a praiser. Ilya says: “There is no one else to replace, apparently, the ataman himself should go.” He has a good horse, knits a fighting club in a toroka. She overhang, that club, ninety pounds. He takes a sharp saber on his hips, a silk whip in his hand. Goes to Mount Sorochinskaya. I looked out of the fist of the valiant, I saw black people on the field. Went straight to the blues. He cried out in a stentorian, loud voice: “Thief, dog, nahvalytsin! Why are you passing our outpost? Do you beat me, ataman Ilya Muromets, with your forehead? He turned the nahvalytsin of good horse, let go of Ilya Muromets. Ilya didn't budge. Moved in with a scoundrel. They hit with sticks - the forearms of the sticks broke off. They hit with sabers - the blades of the saber were broken. They stabbed with spears - they didn’t hurt each other.

They fought, fought hand-to-hand combat, day to evening, from evening to midnight, from midnight to white light. Ileik's left leg slips, Ilya fell on the damp ground. He sat down on his white breasts, took out a damask chinzhalische, wants to rip open his white breasts. He also began to slander: “You are an old man, old, seasoned! Why are you driving to open fields? You would put yourself a cell by the path. Here, old man, he would be well-nourished. Lying at Ilya, three times his strength arrived: he waved the praiser in his white chest, the bouncer was higher than the flame tree.

Nahvalytsin fell on the damp earth. Ilya jumped up on frisky legs, sat down on his white chest in praise. Soon he cut off his white breasts, cut off his exuberant head to the shoulders. He stuck it on a damask spear, took it to the heroic outpost. Dobrynya meets Ilya Muromets with his brothers in the instrument room:

“Ilya threw his head on the damp ground,

In front of his brother, he boasts: -

Traveled in the field for thirty years, -

What a miracle did not run into!

Love for the Russian land. There is no need to say that heroes are incorruptible. The enemies of Russia are trying to lure them away, and they respond to the promises with mortal combat. However, the promises of the filthy Tatars are not very tempting:

“The dog Kalin-tsar said yes these are the words:

"Hey you, old Cossack and Ilya Muromets!.

Don't serve Prince Vladimir

Yes, serve the dog Kalin-tsar."

It is more difficult to refuse the offer of a kind and Christ-loving sovereign. This happens to Ilya in the epic "Ilya Muromets and Idolishche", when he saves Tsar Grad Kostyantin Bogolyubovich from the filthy Idolishche. The grateful tsar wants to reward him with a voivodship, but Ilya rejects the offer:

“- Thank you, you are the king Kostyantin Bogolyubovich!

And I served so many for three hours,

And served thee with soft bread and salt,

Yes, I have another smooth word,

And yet, it's friendly and welcoming.

I served with Prince Volodimer,

I served him exactly thirty years,

I didn’t serve the bread and salt there softly,

But I didn’t earn a smooth word there,

His words, I am friendly, are friendly.

Yes, oh, you are Tsar Kostyantin Bogolyubovich!

It's impossible for me to live here,

It was impossible, after all, it was impossible to eat:

Left to eat, leave (so) on the paths.

Ilya refuses simply, even tongue-tied, but without hesitation. And it's not about loyalty to Prince Vladimir, to Ilya the ungrateful, but about what the heroes serve for - in protecting the Russian land and the Christian Faith. Returning home, he reaches a conditional place where the mighty Kalika Ivanishche, who was afraid to save Kostyantin Bogolyubovich, is waiting with the abandoned heroic horse and clothes. Ilya changes clothes with him and says goodbye:

“Farewell-ko nun, you are a strong mighty Ivanishcho!

From now on, you don’t do that anymore,

And help out Rusia from the filthy ones. -

Yes, Ilyushenka went here to Kyiv-grad.

The death of the heroes. The Kyiv cycle ends with the epic "Kama battle", or "Kama battle", which tells how the heroes were transferred to Russia. It describes the great battle of all Russian heroes with the innumerable power of the Tatars. The heroes won, but, having won, they became proud (in most versions - “Alyosha and his comrades”) and began to boast: “If only there would be a pillar to the sky. We would have killed all the filthy power. Blasphemy is followed by retribution: the murdered Tatars come to life. From attempts to chop them up, for every hacked, two appear. There is a version of the epic with a happy ending, but in most versions the heroes are exhausted and petrified.

Many scientists believed that the “Kama Battle” was originally called the “Kalka Battle” and was a response to the defeat of the Russian princes by the Mongols at Kalka (1223), and the name change was associated with the loss of historical memory. Assumptions that the epic is based on later events, for example, the defeat of the Novgorodians from the Yugra (Khanty) on the Kama River, look unconvincing. With equal success, it can be assumed that the change of name is connected not with the Kama River, but with the word stone - after all, the heroes turned into stones. With all the options, the Kama Battle seems to be a crisis myth, completing not only the Kyiv epic cycle, but also the historical cycle of Kievan Rus.

The meaning of epics. The importance of epics in Russian national identity can hardly be overestimated. After all, epics meant a living connection of times for generations of peasant children who gathered around storytellers and listened to the exploits of Russian heroes who defended the Russian land. Epics gave rise to the historical songs of the Russian people and the epic songs of the Cossacks. After the epics were recorded and printed, that is, in the 19th century, the literate people of the country got acquainted with them. Poets, writers, composers, artists used and use epic images and plots in their work, making them closer to us, but without belittling the heroic sound. The images of the heroes of the epics entered the national self-consciousness organically, together with the painting "Heroes" by V.M. Vasnetsov, the opera "Sadko" by N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov and poems by A.K. Tolstoy, who wrote about the heroes in a family way simply:

"Under the armor with a simple set,

Chewing bread,

On a hot afternoon rides boron

Grandpa Ilya.

Workers of "zero cycle" or a story about how semiconductor lasers were extracted from liquid nitrogen, made them emit continuously at room temperature and shifted the emission frequency to the visible light range. The words "zero cycle" - legalized construction