Heroes of epics and their possible prototypes
Ever since the appearance of the Collection of Kirsha Danilov (the first recordings of Russian epics) there has been fierce debate about the possibility or impossibility of correlating these texts with some real ones. historical events.
First of all, perhaps, we will define the terms: what exactly should be considered an epic, and what is the difference between the epic and the fairy tale. And is there a fundamental difference: maybe epic is just a kind of heroic fairy tale?
The word "epic" directly indicates the concept of "profit". This is not in doubt, but it is not proof of the reality of the plots and their characters used in the genre. The point is that at the first stage both the storytellers themselves and their listeners believed in the reality of the events that were discussed in these stories. This was the fundamental difference between the epic and the fairy tale, which was initially perceived by all as fiction. Bylina was also presented as a narration about old times, when things could happen, in the present it is absolutely impossible. And only later, with the appearance of obviously fantastic plots in them, epics by many began to be perceived as heroic tales.
A confirmation of this assumption may be, for example, the “Word about the regiment of Igor”: his author immediately warns readers that he begins his “song” “by the epics of this time” and not “according to the design of Bojan”. Paying tribute to this poet, he clearly hints that the works of Boyan, unlike his own, are the fruit of poetic inspiration and author's fantasy.
But why did the "epic" suddenly become almost synonymous with a fairy tale? For this, one should say "thank you" to the first researchers of Russian folklore, who in the middle of the 19th century for some reason called this word "old times" - songs-stories about very old times, that is, old times recorded in the Russian North.
In the modern sense of the word "epic" is used as a philological term, denoting folk songs with a specific content and specific artistic form.
The most fierce disputes among researchers are caused by “heroic epics”, which tells about the heroes fighting the enemies of Russia, who sometimes appear in the guise of various monsters. Fights of bogatyrs, their fights among themselves and even appearances against the unjust prince are also described. There are two approaches to the interpretation of these plots and characters, and, accordingly, the researchers divided into two camps.
Proponents of the general approach to the epic as a reflection of the processes occurring in society at different stages of its development, tend to see echoes of the customs of deep antiquity here. In their opinion, heroic epics retain vague memories of animistic beliefs, the struggle for hunting grounds and the gradual transition to agriculture, the formation of the early feudal state.
Researchers professing a "historical approach" among the fantastic narrative are trying to highlight the real details and even link them with specific facts recorded in historical sources.
At the same time, the researchers of both schools consider in their works only the relevant facts, declaring “unnecessary” “superficial” or “later”.
Both approaches to the study of epics have their advantages and disadvantages. So, let's say, the opposition of Volga (Volkha) to Vseslavich (sometimes Svyatoslavovich) and Mikula Selyaninovich is interpreted by the first group of authors as a contradiction between a hunter and a farmer, or they consider the free peasant to conflict with the feudal lord.
And the researchers of the historical school are trying to identify Volga with the real princes - some with the Prophetic Oleg, but most, of course - with Vseslav of Polotsk. It was for this prince in Russia that the reputation of a sorcerer and a sorcerer was entrenched. It was even argued that Vseslav was born from the "sorcery", and in the year of his birth there was "the sign of Zmievo in heaven" in Russia. In 1092, during the reign of Vseslav, miracles, about which it is time to make horror films, were completely gone. Nestor reports (adaptation of the quote to the modern Russian language):
Usually, this incident is explained by the epidemic of a disease afflicting Polotsk. However, it should be recognized that this description of the "mora" looks very much allegorical, nothing like this can be found on the pages of the chronicles. Perhaps, under the guise of "naviyev" acted some kind of bold band of thieves? Let us recall the famous “skipjacks” (they were also called “living dead”) of post-revolutionary Petrograd. Or, alternatively, the secret operation of Vseslav himself, who could have dealt with the disgruntled citizens and political opponents in that way in that way, and “assign” demons to the guilty.
And here is how these "Navii" are depicted on the pages of the Radziwill Chronicle (end of the 15th century, stored in the Library of the Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg):
The author of the Word about the regiment of Igor also believed in Vseslav’s magical abilities. He still remembered stories that at the moment of danger Vseslav could disappear, enveloping himself in a blue mist, and appear elsewhere. In addition, he allegedly knew how to turn into a wolf: “He jumped from wolf to Nemiga from Dudutok”. In the guise of a wolf, he could get from Kiev to Tmuthorokani (on the shore of the Kerch Strait) overnight: "Vseslav-Prince ruled the court for people, ordered the princes of the city, and scoured the wolf in the night: from Kiev he jumped to the Tmutorkan roosters."
The action of heroic epics is always somehow tied to Kiev - even if the main action takes place in some other place, it either begins in Kiev, or someone from the heroes goes there. At the same time, the epic Kiev with the real sometimes has little in common. For example, some heroes go to Chernigov from Kiev and back, and from Kiev to Tsargrad - along the Volga. The Pochaina River (Pucha-river of many epics), flowing within the boundaries of modern Kiev (in June 2015, Mr. Morine managed to prove that the Obolon system of the Opechen lakes is the former channel of the Pochaina river), is described in epics as very far and dangerous - " fiery. "
In it, contrary to the prohibition of the mother, Dobrynya Nikitich bathes (and here Snakes takes him by surprise). And Mikhail Potyk (the Novgorodian hero who “moved” to Kiev epics) on the banks of this river met his, enchanting wife, Avdotya, White Swan, daughter of the king Vahramey, who came from a foreign world.
In the final of the epic Avdotya, animated by Potik (who had to go to the grave behind her and kill the Snake there), as a gratitude, she ran off to Koshchei Immortal and along with him nearly destroyed the bogatyr.
The fact is that the Mongolian devastation of South-Western Russia led to a massive outflow of the population to the east and northeast - and in present-day Ryazan, for example, the Pereyaslav river Trubezh, the Kiev Lybed and even the Danube (now called Dunaychik) appeared .
The territories that fell into the sphere of Lithuanian and Polish influence did not even preserve the memory of the “old” (epics). But on the territory of Russia, the epic "Kiev cycle" was recorded in Moscow province (3), in Nizhny Novgorod (6), in Saratov (10), in Simbirsk (22), in Siberia (29), in Arkhangelsk (34), and finally, in Olonets, around 300. In the Russian North, “antiquities” were recorded at the beginning of the twentieth century; this region is sometimes called “Iceland of the Russian Epos”. But local narrators thoroughly forgot the geography of Kievan Rus, hence the number of inconsistencies.
However, the geographical inconsistency is especially characteristic of the bylin of the Kiev cycle, Novgorod in this respect is much more real. Here, for example, Sadko’s route “to foreign countries”: Volkhov - Lake Ladoga - Neva - Baltic Sea. Vasily Buslaev, going to Jerusalem, swims up the Lovat, then goes down the Dnieper to the Black Sea, visits Constantinople (Constantinople), bathes in the Jordan River. On the way back he dies on Sorochinsky mountain - near the Tsaritsa River (in fact, the territory of Volgograd).
The complexity of studying epics as possible sources is also determined by the fact that the Russian oral folk tradition does not have clear dates. Time for storytellers is almost always limited to an indication of the reign of Vladimir Red Sun. This ruler, who became the embodiment of popular ideas about the ideal prince - the defender of his native land, most often see Vladimir Svyatoslavich, the baptist of Russia (1015 died). However, it is more reasonable to recognize the opinion that this image is synthetic, incorporating the features of Vladimir Vsevolodovich Monomakh (1053-1125) as well.
The storytellers, by the way, believed that the patronymic of their prince Vladimir was Vseslavich. I agree with A.N. Veselovsky, who studied the southern German poem Ortnit written in the first half of the 13th century, came to the conclusion that the name of the father of King Russia, Valdimara, is "a modified German equivalent of the Slavic name Vseslav" (more about this poem will be discussed in the next article) .
But another strong and authoritative Russian prince - Yaroslav Vladimirovich (Wise) did not become a hero of epics. Historians believe that the reason for this was the great love of Jaroslav, married to the Swedish princess, to the Scandinavians around him, on whom he traditionally relied in the war with his brothers and other military affairs. And that is why he did not enjoy the special love and popularity of the local, Kiev squad defeated by the Novgorodians and the Vikings, and overshadowed by the soldiers of the local, Kiev squad.
In some cases, the reference to Prince Vladimir in Russian epics obviously serves as an idiomatic expression, which over time was supplanted by the phrase "it was under Tsar Pea".
The whole conventionality of dating and character bindings to certain individuals is illustrated by the mention of rubber galoshes of Prince Vladimir in one of the versions of epic, recorded in the Russian North at the beginning of the twentieth century. However, I would not be surprised if, at the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory, they would guess to use this text as evidence of the discovery by America of the ancient Ukrainians in the 10th century (after all, rubber was brought from there). Therefore, Mr. Vyatrovich V.M. This article is better not to show.
Proponents of the historical school, confirming the version of Monomakh as a prototype of Vladimir, see in the epic of Stavre Gordyatinich and his wife, who changed into a man's dress in order to help out her unlucky husband. According to the chronicles, in 1118, Vladimir Monomakh summoned all the boyars from Novgorod to Kiev and forced him to swear allegiance. Some of them angered the prince and were thrown into prison, including a certain Stavr (by the way, on the wall of the St. Sophia Cathedral in Kiev, the autograph of some Stavr was opened - it is not a fact that this particular Novgorod).
In historical sources you can also find the name of Alyosha Popovich. Here is what the Nikon chronicle says:
From this passage it can be concluded that it was Alyosha who became the first person in Russia to be awarded the distinction for military merits - the hryvnia (she was worn around her neck). At a minimum, the first of those on awarding just for military prowess is indicated in the written source.
But in this case, we see a clear mistake of the scribe - by as many 100 years: Volodar Rostislavich, indeed, came along with the Polovtsy to Kiev - in 1100. It was Vladimir Monomakh’s time, but he reigned in Pereyaslavl Russian (not on the Danube!). The prince of Kiev was Svyatopolk, Volodar fought with him, who, by the way, was not killed and survived.
B.A. Rybakov, who "found" the prototypes of almost all the heroes of the epic, identified Alyosha Popovich with Vladimir Monomakh's retainer Olbeg Ratiborovich. This warrior participated in the murder of the Polovtsian Khan Itlar, who arrived for negotiations. And Itlar, in the opinion of Rybakov, is none other than the Pagan Idol. However, it is not Alyosha Popovich, but Ilya Muromets who fights with Russian Idol in Russian epics.
In the abbreviated chronicle of 1493, we again see the familiar name:
Once again, Alesha Popovich is mentioned in the story of the Battle of Kalka (1223). In this battle, he dies - like many other warriors.
The Golden Belt Dobrynya, which was discussed above, “damaged” the beautiful version that the prototype of this epic hero was Uncle Vladimir Svyatoslavich by his mother, “the voivode, a brave and managerial husband” (Laurentian Chronicle). The one that ordered Vladimir to rape Rogned in front of her parents (a message from the Laurentian and Radziwill chronicles dating back to the Vladimir Column 1205) and "baptized Novgorod with fire." However, the epic Dobrynya is from Ryazan, and is completely different in character from the governor of the Baptist.
It is also difficult to identify the epic Dobrynya and Uncle Vladimir Svyatoslavich as well as the heroic feat of sergeants.
There are good reasons to believe that all the epics telling about the struggle of Russian warriors with snakes, in fact, narrate about the wars of Kievan Rus and the nomadic Polovtsi that appeared in the southern Dnieper region in the middle of the XI century. This version is followed, in particular, by S.A. Pletnev (in the monograph “Polovtsy”).
The name of the Kai tribe, who headed the Kipchak union (as the Polovtsi was called in Central Asia), translated into Russian means "snake". The Polovtsian saying "seven heads of a snake" (by the number of main tribes) was widely known in the Steppe; Arab and Chinese historians cite it in their writings.
After the victory over the Polovtsy in 1103, in one of the chronicles it is explicitly said that Vladimir Monomakh was "crushing the serpent head". Some historians suggest that under the name of Tugarin Zmeyevich Polovtsian Khan Tugorkan entered Russian epics.
It is curious that not only epic heroes fight with Snakes, but also some heroes of Russian fairy tales. Border of serpentine possessions served as the famous river Smorodina - the left tributary of the Dnieper Samara (Sneporod) - Kalinov bridge was thrown across it, on which Ivan-peasant son fought with many-headed Serpents.
On the other hand, in the epics, the serpent Gorynych’s blood is said to be black and not absorbed into the ground. This allowed some researchers to suggest that in this case we are talking about the use of oil and fire shells during the siege of Russian cities. Such weapon could be used by the Mongols, in the troops of which were Chinese engineers. Moreover, in some bylins, Tatar khans - Baty, Mamai, and Kalin-Tsar's Dog oppose Kiev and the bogatyrs (“Dog” at the beginning of the name is not an insult, but an official title). “The Kalin-Tsar dog” in epic words is called “the king of forty kings and forty kings,” some researchers suggest that the name Mengu-Kaan could be transformed in this way. However, there is another, rather unexpected version, according to which this name hides ... Kaloyan, the Bulgarian Tsar, who ruled in 1197-1207. He successfully fought with the Crusaders of the Latin Emperor Baldwin, and with the Byzantines. It was the Byzantines who, for their cruelty to the captives, called him the Romeocton (the murderer of the Romans), and the name was altered in “Skilioan” - “John the Dog”. In 1207, Kaloyan died during the siege of Thessaloniki. The delighted Greeks even said that the Bulgarian tsar was struck in his tent by the patron saint of the city, Dmitry Solunsky. This legend, which became part of the life of this saint, together with the Greek priests came to Russia, and gradually transformed into an epic story. It is believed that this happened after the Battle of Kulikovo, when Kaloyan was identified with Mamai, and Dmitry Donskoy - with his heavenly patron, Dmitry Solunsky.
But let us go back a little, in the times of the Polovtsy. Some researchers of folklore believe that the name of the Polovtsian Khan Bonyak, who in addition to campaigns on Russia, made raids on Byzantine possessions, Bulgaria, Hungary, in Western Ukrainian songs could be preserved in the story about the head of the Cossack ataman Bunyaki Sheludivy: severed, this head rolls on the ground everything in its path. In Lviv legends, “Cossack” Bunyak is a negative hero, which is understandable, since he was a terrible enemy of the Poles, and Lviv was a Polish city for centuries. However, in other texts, Bunyak is called a Polovtsian bogatyr, a Tatar khan, a Tatar sorcerer, simply a robber. The epithet "silly" in this case is not an insult: this is how people were called at that time, about whom they now say "born in a chemise". Part of the "shirts" in the form of a dried flap of skin was long preserved on the head, sometimes even in an adult. Outwardly, of course, it looked ugly, but, on the other hand, it was often a sign of a certain peculiarity, chosenness: prince Vseslav of Polotsk, for example, was scrawny. According to the legend, Bonyak, too, like Vseslav, knew a wolf tongue and could turn into a wolf. In many fairy tales and epics, heroes, choosing a horse, stop their choice on silky foals.
Another Polovtsian Khan - Sharukan, according to some researchers, in the epic is called Kudrevanko-tsar or Shark-giant. Interestingly, his son (Atrak) and grandson (famous for Konchak’s “The Word of Igor’s Regiment”) entered the epics under their own names (true, the nature of family relations is confused):
But not all nomads are negative heroes of Russian epics. Dobrynya’s exemplary wife, Nastasya Nikulichna, was from a nomadic tribe, moreover a heathen. During the first meeting with the hero, she "pulled him off the saddle" - so they say about the capture with the help of the lasso.
And the first thing that Dobrynya does when she returns home is “she leads her to the baptized wife”.
The most mysterious hero of Russian epics is, of course, Svyatogor, who cannot be worn by his native land, and therefore he spends his life in foreign mountains. Many supporters of the historical approach immediately "identified" in him the grandson of Rurik - Svyatoslav Igorevich, who constantly "searched for foreign lands", and the Russian land and Kiev in his absence suffered from the attacks of the Pechenegs.
But not everything is so simple. V.Ya. Propp (one of the most well-known supporters of the “general approach”) contrasts him with the rest of the Russian bogatyrs of the Kiev cycle, considering the figure to be absolutely archaic, coming into Russian epos from pre-Slavonic times.
But B.A. Rybakov, on the contrary, believed that the image of Svyatoslav was "aged" at a later time. Answering the question posed by him: “the mythological image was being crushed or the titanic features of the hero gradually increased around an insignificant real basis,” he favors the second version. As evidence of his point of view, he cites a tale written by A.D. Grigoriev in Kuzmin Gorodok, Arkhangelsk Region. In this epic, Svyatogor Romanovich is not a simple bogatyr, but the head of the Chernigov Prince Oleg squad (in another version, Olgovich). He leads his warriors to the east - "in a wide expanse, to fight the power of Prince Dodonov."
In the steppe, Chernigov meet three Kiev bogatyrs - Ilya Muromets, Dobrynya and Plesh. Having united, they together went to the sea, and on the way they found in the field "a great stone, a great coffin stood by that stone". For fun, the warriors took turns to climb into the coffin, and when Svjatogor lay down in the coffin, they seemed to be completely merry, "put a lid on that white coffin", but could not remove it.
From the above Rybakov concludes that in the original version of the epic, it could have been a satirical work written in Kiev, ridiculing hapless Chernigov warriors. And only in later narrators brought elements of high tragedy into the plot of epic. But, in my opinion, the opposite situation is also possible: some drunken local “Boyan” decided to play the game, and reinterpreted the plot of the heroic epic, writing a parody of it.
And nowadays, unfortunately, we can see patterns of such “hooliganism” - in the same modern cartoons about the “Three Heroes”, whose mental level, according to the scriptwriters, clearly leaves much to be desired. Or in the sensational film “The Last Knight”, where the main negative hero turned out to be the most intelligent and courteous hero, Dobrynya, Ilya Muromets’s “cross brother” (after all, it was possible to give this character any other neutral name). However, in my opinion, the creators of another mediocre kinopodorki, Legends of the Kolovrat, surpassed everyone. Evpaty Kolovrat, of course, an epic-level hero, whether he is an Englishman or a Frenchman, in Hollywood would make a very beautiful and pathetic film about him as good as "Spartacus" or "Braveheart."
And our “masters of the arts” exposed the hero to an incompetent and even socially dangerous disabled person, who has a place in a distant monastery, but not in the squad of the Ryazan prince. Because who knows, who will tell him one morning: maybe he is not the Ryazan boyar, but a deeply conspiratorial Kiev (Chernigov, Novgorod, Tmutorki) saboteur, who was sent to kill the disagreeable prince. But now "there is a cloudless sky over all of Spain", and "it is raining in Santiago" - it's time to go kill.
In fact, this is not at all harmless, but, on the contrary, very dangerous, because the creators of all these libels are trying to recode national consciousness, replacing the correct works with fakes. In which Evpaty Kolovrat is a mentally handicapped disabled person, Alyosha Popovich is a moron with the brain of an 5-year-old child, Dobrynya Nikitich is a dishonest schemer and traitor, and Ilya Muromets is a superstitious martinet.
But let's not talk about sad things. After all, we still have not told anything about the most beloved Russian bogatyr - Ilya Muromets. But the story about him will be quite large, a separate article will be devoted to this hero.
Russian folk epic, publication of the Sytin partnership
First of all, perhaps, we will define the terms: what exactly should be considered an epic, and what is the difference between the epic and the fairy tale. And is there a fundamental difference: maybe epic is just a kind of heroic fairy tale?
Fairytales and fairy tales
The word "epic" directly indicates the concept of "profit". This is not in doubt, but it is not proof of the reality of the plots and their characters used in the genre. The point is that at the first stage both the storytellers themselves and their listeners believed in the reality of the events that were discussed in these stories. This was the fundamental difference between the epic and the fairy tale, which was initially perceived by all as fiction. Bylina was also presented as a narration about old times, when things could happen, in the present it is absolutely impossible. And only later, with the appearance of obviously fantastic plots in them, epics by many began to be perceived as heroic tales.
A confirmation of this assumption may be, for example, the “Word about the regiment of Igor”: his author immediately warns readers that he begins his “song” “by the epics of this time” and not “according to the design of Bojan”. Paying tribute to this poet, he clearly hints that the works of Boyan, unlike his own, are the fruit of poetic inspiration and author's fantasy.
But why did the "epic" suddenly become almost synonymous with a fairy tale? For this, one should say "thank you" to the first researchers of Russian folklore, who in the middle of the 19th century for some reason called this word "old times" - songs-stories about very old times, that is, old times recorded in the Russian North.
In the modern sense of the word "epic" is used as a philological term, denoting folk songs with a specific content and specific artistic form.
"General" and "historical" approaches in the study of heroic epics
The most fierce disputes among researchers are caused by “heroic epics”, which tells about the heroes fighting the enemies of Russia, who sometimes appear in the guise of various monsters. Fights of bogatyrs, their fights among themselves and even appearances against the unjust prince are also described. There are two approaches to the interpretation of these plots and characters, and, accordingly, the researchers divided into two camps.
Proponents of the general approach to the epic as a reflection of the processes occurring in society at different stages of its development, tend to see echoes of the customs of deep antiquity here. In their opinion, heroic epics retain vague memories of animistic beliefs, the struggle for hunting grounds and the gradual transition to agriculture, the formation of the early feudal state.
Researchers professing a "historical approach" among the fantastic narrative are trying to highlight the real details and even link them with specific facts recorded in historical sources.
At the same time, the researchers of both schools consider in their works only the relevant facts, declaring “unnecessary” “superficial” or “later”.
Prince and peasant
Both approaches to the study of epics have their advantages and disadvantages. So, let's say, the opposition of Volga (Volkha) to Vseslavich (sometimes Svyatoslavovich) and Mikula Selyaninovich is interpreted by the first group of authors as a contradiction between a hunter and a farmer, or they consider the free peasant to conflict with the feudal lord.
A. Vasnetsov, "Mikula Selyaninovich"
"Volga". Kazan, museum of K. Vasilyev
And the researchers of the historical school are trying to identify Volga with the real princes - some with the Prophetic Oleg, but most, of course - with Vseslav of Polotsk. It was for this prince in Russia that the reputation of a sorcerer and a sorcerer was entrenched. It was even argued that Vseslav was born from the "sorcery", and in the year of his birth there was "the sign of Zmievo in heaven" in Russia. In 1092, during the reign of Vseslav, miracles, about which it is time to make horror films, were completely gone. Nestor reports (adaptation of the quote to the modern Russian language):
“A miraculous miracle was presented in Polotsk. At night, there was a tramp, demons, like people moaning, scouring the streets. If someone left the house, wanting to see, he was immediately hurt by demons and died of it, and no one dared leave the house. Then the demons began during the day, to appear on horses, but they themselves were not visible, only the horses of their hooves were visible. And so they injured people in Polotsk and its region. Therefore, people said that they beat the people of Polochk. "
Usually, this incident is explained by the epidemic of a disease afflicting Polotsk. However, it should be recognized that this description of the "mora" looks very much allegorical, nothing like this can be found on the pages of the chronicles. Perhaps, under the guise of "naviyev" acted some kind of bold band of thieves? Let us recall the famous “skipjacks” (they were also called “living dead”) of post-revolutionary Petrograd. Or, alternatively, the secret operation of Vseslav himself, who could have dealt with the disgruntled citizens and political opponents in that way in that way, and “assign” demons to the guilty.
And here is how these "Navii" are depicted on the pages of the Radziwill Chronicle (end of the 15th century, stored in the Library of the Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg):
The author of the Word about the regiment of Igor also believed in Vseslav’s magical abilities. He still remembered stories that at the moment of danger Vseslav could disappear, enveloping himself in a blue mist, and appear elsewhere. In addition, he allegedly knew how to turn into a wolf: “He jumped from wolf to Nemiga from Dudutok”. In the guise of a wolf, he could get from Kiev to Tmuthorokani (on the shore of the Kerch Strait) overnight: "Vseslav-Prince ruled the court for people, ordered the princes of the city, and scoured the wolf in the night: from Kiev he jumped to the Tmutorkan roosters."
Prince Vseslav, a monument in Polotsk
Geography of Russian epics
One of the variants of the epic world map
The action of heroic epics is always somehow tied to Kiev - even if the main action takes place in some other place, it either begins in Kiev, or someone from the heroes goes there. At the same time, the epic Kiev with the real sometimes has little in common. For example, some heroes go to Chernigov from Kiev and back, and from Kiev to Tsargrad - along the Volga. The Pochaina River (Pucha-river of many epics), flowing within the boundaries of modern Kiev (in June 2015, Mr. Morine managed to prove that the Obolon system of the Opechen lakes is the former channel of the Pochaina river), is described in epics as very far and dangerous - " fiery. "
Pochayna River
In it, contrary to the prohibition of the mother, Dobrynya Nikitich bathes (and here Snakes takes him by surprise). And Mikhail Potyk (the Novgorodian hero who “moved” to Kiev epics) on the banks of this river met his, enchanting wife, Avdotya, White Swan, daughter of the king Vahramey, who came from a foreign world.
Ivan Bilibin, Mikhailo Potyk. 1902 year
In the final of the epic Avdotya, animated by Potik (who had to go to the grave behind her and kill the Snake there), as a gratitude, she ran off to Koshchei Immortal and along with him nearly destroyed the bogatyr.
Mikhail Potyk fights with the Serpent in the grave of his wife, illustration to the epic
The fact is that the Mongolian devastation of South-Western Russia led to a massive outflow of the population to the east and northeast - and in present-day Ryazan, for example, the Pereyaslav river Trubezh, the Kiev Lybed and even the Danube (now called Dunaychik) appeared .
Ryazan: "Kiev" Lybid River flows into the "Pereyaslavskaya" River Trubezh
The territories that fell into the sphere of Lithuanian and Polish influence did not even preserve the memory of the “old” (epics). But on the territory of Russia, the epic "Kiev cycle" was recorded in Moscow province (3), in Nizhny Novgorod (6), in Saratov (10), in Simbirsk (22), in Siberia (29), in Arkhangelsk (34), and finally, in Olonets, around 300. In the Russian North, “antiquities” were recorded at the beginning of the twentieth century; this region is sometimes called “Iceland of the Russian Epos”. But local narrators thoroughly forgot the geography of Kievan Rus, hence the number of inconsistencies.
However, the geographical inconsistency is especially characteristic of the bylin of the Kiev cycle, Novgorod in this respect is much more real. Here, for example, Sadko’s route “to foreign countries”: Volkhov - Lake Ladoga - Neva - Baltic Sea. Vasily Buslaev, going to Jerusalem, swims up the Lovat, then goes down the Dnieper to the Black Sea, visits Constantinople (Constantinople), bathes in the Jordan River. On the way back he dies on Sorochinsky mountain - near the Tsaritsa River (in fact, the territory of Volgograd).
Prince Vladimir of Russian epics
The complexity of studying epics as possible sources is also determined by the fact that the Russian oral folk tradition does not have clear dates. Time for storytellers is almost always limited to an indication of the reign of Vladimir Red Sun. This ruler, who became the embodiment of popular ideas about the ideal prince - the defender of his native land, most often see Vladimir Svyatoslavich, the baptist of Russia (1015 died). However, it is more reasonable to recognize the opinion that this image is synthetic, incorporating the features of Vladimir Vsevolodovich Monomakh (1053-1125) as well.
Prince Vladimir, shot from the Soviet film 1956
Smirnov A., "Feast at Prince Vladimir"
The storytellers, by the way, believed that the patronymic of their prince Vladimir was Vseslavich. I agree with A.N. Veselovsky, who studied the southern German poem Ortnit written in the first half of the 13th century, came to the conclusion that the name of the father of King Russia, Valdimara, is "a modified German equivalent of the Slavic name Vseslav" (more about this poem will be discussed in the next article) .
But another strong and authoritative Russian prince - Yaroslav Vladimirovich (Wise) did not become a hero of epics. Historians believe that the reason for this was the great love of Jaroslav, married to the Swedish princess, to the Scandinavians around him, on whom he traditionally relied in the war with his brothers and other military affairs. And that is why he did not enjoy the special love and popularity of the local, Kiev squad defeated by the Novgorodians and the Vikings, and overshadowed by the soldiers of the local, Kiev squad.
In some cases, the reference to Prince Vladimir in Russian epics obviously serves as an idiomatic expression, which over time was supplanted by the phrase "it was under Tsar Pea".
The whole conventionality of dating and character bindings to certain individuals is illustrated by the mention of rubber galoshes of Prince Vladimir in one of the versions of epic, recorded in the Russian North at the beginning of the twentieth century. However, I would not be surprised if, at the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory, they would guess to use this text as evidence of the discovery by America of the ancient Ukrainians in the 10th century (after all, rubber was brought from there). Therefore, Mr. Vyatrovich V.M. This article is better not to show.
Proponents of the historical school, confirming the version of Monomakh as a prototype of Vladimir, see in the epic of Stavre Gordyatinich and his wife, who changed into a man's dress in order to help out her unlucky husband. According to the chronicles, in 1118, Vladimir Monomakh summoned all the boyars from Novgorod to Kiev and forced him to swear allegiance. Some of them angered the prince and were thrown into prison, including a certain Stavr (by the way, on the wall of the St. Sophia Cathedral in Kiev, the autograph of some Stavr was opened - it is not a fact that this particular Novgorod).
Vladimir Monomakh, a monument in Smolensk
Alyosha Popovich
In historical sources you can also find the name of Alyosha Popovich. Here is what the Nikon chronicle says:
"In the summer of 6508 (1000) Volodar came with the Polovtsy to Kiev, having forgotten the blessing of his prince Vladimir, the demon taught him. Vladimir was then in Pereyaslavets on the Danube, and there was great confusion in Kiev, and Alexander Popovich went at night to meet them, and killed Alexander Volodar and his brother, and others Polovtsy many beat, and others in the field drove out. And having learned about it, Vladimir rejoiced very much, and laid a gold hryvnia on his, and made him a nobleman in his ward. "
From this passage it can be concluded that it was Alyosha who became the first person in Russia to be awarded the distinction for military merits - the hryvnia (she was worn around her neck). At a minimum, the first of those on awarding just for military prowess is indicated in the written source.
But in this case, we see a clear mistake of the scribe - by as many 100 years: Volodar Rostislavich, indeed, came along with the Polovtsy to Kiev - in 1100. It was Vladimir Monomakh’s time, but he reigned in Pereyaslavl Russian (not on the Danube!). The prince of Kiev was Svyatopolk, Volodar fought with him, who, by the way, was not killed and survived.
B.A. Rybakov, who "found" the prototypes of almost all the heroes of the epic, identified Alyosha Popovich with Vladimir Monomakh's retainer Olbeg Ratiborovich. This warrior participated in the murder of the Polovtsian Khan Itlar, who arrived for negotiations. And Itlar, in the opinion of Rybakov, is none other than the Pagan Idol. However, it is not Alyosha Popovich, but Ilya Muromets who fights with Russian Idol in Russian epics.
In the abbreviated chronicle of 1493, we again see the familiar name:
"In the summer of 6725 (1217), there was a battle between Prince Yury Vsevolodovich and Prince Konstantin (Vsevolodovich) Rostovsky on the river Where, and God helped Prince Konstantin Vsevolodovich, the eldest brother, and he really came. And there were two brave men (the hero) with him: Dobrynya Golden Belt yes Alexander Popovich, with a servant his Torop. "
Once again, Alesha Popovich is mentioned in the story of the Battle of Kalka (1223). In this battle, he dies - like many other warriors.
A.P. Ryabushkin. "Alyosha Popovich". Illustration for the book "Russian epic warriors", 1895 year
Nikitich
The Golden Belt Dobrynya, which was discussed above, “damaged” the beautiful version that the prototype of this epic hero was Uncle Vladimir Svyatoslavich by his mother, “the voivode, a brave and managerial husband” (Laurentian Chronicle). The one that ordered Vladimir to rape Rogned in front of her parents (a message from the Laurentian and Radziwill chronicles dating back to the Vladimir Column 1205) and "baptized Novgorod with fire." However, the epic Dobrynya is from Ryazan, and is completely different in character from the governor of the Baptist.
Dobrynya Nikitich and Zabava Putyatichna, illustration by E. Kibrika
It is also difficult to identify the epic Dobrynya and Uncle Vladimir Svyatoslavich as well as the heroic feat of sergeants.
Opponents of the Russian Warriors
There are good reasons to believe that all the epics telling about the struggle of Russian warriors with snakes, in fact, narrate about the wars of Kievan Rus and the nomadic Polovtsi that appeared in the southern Dnieper region in the middle of the XI century. This version is followed, in particular, by S.A. Pletnev (in the monograph “Polovtsy”).
Polovtsy from the burial near the village of Kvashnikovo, reconstruction
The name of the Kai tribe, who headed the Kipchak union (as the Polovtsi was called in Central Asia), translated into Russian means "snake". The Polovtsian saying "seven heads of a snake" (by the number of main tribes) was widely known in the Steppe; Arab and Chinese historians cite it in their writings.
Snake Gorynych kidnaps Zaba Putyatichna, illustration 1894
Duke Stepanovich, illustration 1894
After the victory over the Polovtsy in 1103, in one of the chronicles it is explicitly said that Vladimir Monomakh was "crushing the serpent head". Some historians suggest that under the name of Tugarin Zmeyevich Polovtsian Khan Tugorkan entered Russian epics.
It is curious that not only epic heroes fight with Snakes, but also some heroes of Russian fairy tales. Border of serpentine possessions served as the famous river Smorodina - the left tributary of the Dnieper Samara (Sneporod) - Kalinov bridge was thrown across it, on which Ivan-peasant son fought with many-headed Serpents.
K. Vasiliev. "On the Kalinov Bridge". 1974 city, museum of Kolomna
Samara River (formerly Currant), modern photo: nothing terrible and unusual
On the other hand, in the epics, the serpent Gorynych’s blood is said to be black and not absorbed into the ground. This allowed some researchers to suggest that in this case we are talking about the use of oil and fire shells during the siege of Russian cities. Such weapon could be used by the Mongols, in the troops of which were Chinese engineers. Moreover, in some bylins, Tatar khans - Baty, Mamai, and Kalin-Tsar's Dog oppose Kiev and the bogatyrs (“Dog” at the beginning of the name is not an insult, but an official title). “The Kalin-Tsar dog” in epic words is called “the king of forty kings and forty kings,” some researchers suggest that the name Mengu-Kaan could be transformed in this way. However, there is another, rather unexpected version, according to which this name hides ... Kaloyan, the Bulgarian Tsar, who ruled in 1197-1207. He successfully fought with the Crusaders of the Latin Emperor Baldwin, and with the Byzantines. It was the Byzantines who, for their cruelty to the captives, called him the Romeocton (the murderer of the Romans), and the name was altered in “Skilioan” - “John the Dog”. In 1207, Kaloyan died during the siege of Thessaloniki. The delighted Greeks even said that the Bulgarian tsar was struck in his tent by the patron saint of the city, Dmitry Solunsky. This legend, which became part of the life of this saint, together with the Greek priests came to Russia, and gradually transformed into an epic story. It is believed that this happened after the Battle of Kulikovo, when Kaloyan was identified with Mamai, and Dmitry Donskoy - with his heavenly patron, Dmitry Solunsky.
Dmitry Solunsky, a Greek icon of the 13th century, written in full accordance with the canon. Private Diocese Collection, Veria
"The Miracle of Dimitry Solunsky about Tsar Kaloyan", Russian icon of the beginning of the 17th century, Kargopol State Museum. The icon painter withdrew from the canon, depicting Kaloyan on horseback
But let us go back a little, in the times of the Polovtsy. Some researchers of folklore believe that the name of the Polovtsian Khan Bonyak, who in addition to campaigns on Russia, made raids on Byzantine possessions, Bulgaria, Hungary, in Western Ukrainian songs could be preserved in the story about the head of the Cossack ataman Bunyaki Sheludivy: severed, this head rolls on the ground everything in its path. In Lviv legends, “Cossack” Bunyak is a negative hero, which is understandable, since he was a terrible enemy of the Poles, and Lviv was a Polish city for centuries. However, in other texts, Bunyak is called a Polovtsian bogatyr, a Tatar khan, a Tatar sorcerer, simply a robber. The epithet "silly" in this case is not an insult: this is how people were called at that time, about whom they now say "born in a chemise". Part of the "shirts" in the form of a dried flap of skin was long preserved on the head, sometimes even in an adult. Outwardly, of course, it looked ugly, but, on the other hand, it was often a sign of a certain peculiarity, chosenness: prince Vseslav of Polotsk, for example, was scrawny. According to the legend, Bonyak, too, like Vseslav, knew a wolf tongue and could turn into a wolf. In many fairy tales and epics, heroes, choosing a horse, stop their choice on silky foals.
Another Polovtsian Khan - Sharukan, according to some researchers, in the epic is called Kudrevanko-tsar or Shark-giant. Interestingly, his son (Atrak) and grandson (famous for Konchak’s “The Word of Igor’s Regiment”) entered the epics under their own names (true, the nature of family relations is confused):
"It rises to Kiev and Kudrevanko-tsar
And yes, with a beloved son, Atrak,
He is with his beloved son and everything with Konshik ... "
And yes, with a beloved son, Atrak,
He is with his beloved son and everything with Konshik ... "
"Gzak and Konchak", modern illustration
But not all nomads are negative heroes of Russian epics. Dobrynya’s exemplary wife, Nastasya Nikulichna, was from a nomadic tribe, moreover a heathen. During the first meeting with the hero, she "pulled him off the saddle" - so they say about the capture with the help of the lasso.
Dobrynya Nikitich meets his future wife - Nastasya Nikulichna, illustration 1894
And the first thing that Dobrynya does when she returns home is “she leads her to the baptized wife”.
Mystery of saint
The most mysterious hero of Russian epics is, of course, Svyatogor, who cannot be worn by his native land, and therefore he spends his life in foreign mountains. Many supporters of the historical approach immediately "identified" in him the grandson of Rurik - Svyatoslav Igorevich, who constantly "searched for foreign lands", and the Russian land and Kiev in his absence suffered from the attacks of the Pechenegs.
K. Chelushkin. "Svyatogor"
But not everything is so simple. V.Ya. Propp (one of the most well-known supporters of the “general approach”) contrasts him with the rest of the Russian bogatyrs of the Kiev cycle, considering the figure to be absolutely archaic, coming into Russian epos from pre-Slavonic times.
Slobodchikov V. G. "Svyatogor"
N.K. Roerich. "Svyatogor", 1938-1942.
But B.A. Rybakov, on the contrary, believed that the image of Svyatoslav was "aged" at a later time. Answering the question posed by him: “the mythological image was being crushed or the titanic features of the hero gradually increased around an insignificant real basis,” he favors the second version. As evidence of his point of view, he cites a tale written by A.D. Grigoriev in Kuzmin Gorodok, Arkhangelsk Region. In this epic, Svyatogor Romanovich is not a simple bogatyr, but the head of the Chernigov Prince Oleg squad (in another version, Olgovich). He leads his warriors to the east - "in a wide expanse, to fight the power of Prince Dodonov."
Svyatogor. Illustration to the epic
In the steppe, Chernigov meet three Kiev bogatyrs - Ilya Muromets, Dobrynya and Plesh. Having united, they together went to the sea, and on the way they found in the field "a great stone, a great coffin stood by that stone". For fun, the warriors took turns to climb into the coffin, and when Svjatogor lay down in the coffin, they seemed to be completely merry, "put a lid on that white coffin", but could not remove it.
Ilya Muromets and Svyatogor, illustration 1894
From the above Rybakov concludes that in the original version of the epic, it could have been a satirical work written in Kiev, ridiculing hapless Chernigov warriors. And only in later narrators brought elements of high tragedy into the plot of epic. But, in my opinion, the opposite situation is also possible: some drunken local “Boyan” decided to play the game, and reinterpreted the plot of the heroic epic, writing a parody of it.
"Heroes" and "heroes" of modern Russia
And nowadays, unfortunately, we can see patterns of such “hooliganism” - in the same modern cartoons about the “Three Heroes”, whose mental level, according to the scriptwriters, clearly leaves much to be desired. Or in the sensational film “The Last Knight”, where the main negative hero turned out to be the most intelligent and courteous hero, Dobrynya, Ilya Muromets’s “cross brother” (after all, it was possible to give this character any other neutral name). However, in my opinion, the creators of another mediocre kinopodorki, Legends of the Kolovrat, surpassed everyone. Evpaty Kolovrat, of course, an epic-level hero, whether he is an Englishman or a Frenchman, in Hollywood would make a very beautiful and pathetic film about him as good as "Spartacus" or "Braveheart."
Monument to Evpaty Kolovrat, Ryazan
And our “masters of the arts” exposed the hero to an incompetent and even socially dangerous disabled person, who has a place in a distant monastery, but not in the squad of the Ryazan prince. Because who knows, who will tell him one morning: maybe he is not the Ryazan boyar, but a deeply conspiratorial Kiev (Chernigov, Novgorod, Tmutorki) saboteur, who was sent to kill the disagreeable prince. But now "there is a cloudless sky over all of Spain", and "it is raining in Santiago" - it's time to go kill.
In fact, this is not at all harmless, but, on the contrary, very dangerous, because the creators of all these libels are trying to recode national consciousness, replacing the correct works with fakes. In which Evpaty Kolovrat is a mentally handicapped disabled person, Alyosha Popovich is a moron with the brain of an 5-year-old child, Dobrynya Nikitich is a dishonest schemer and traitor, and Ilya Muromets is a superstitious martinet.
But let's not talk about sad things. After all, we still have not told anything about the most beloved Russian bogatyr - Ilya Muromets. But the story about him will be quite large, a separate article will be devoted to this hero.
The correct Ilya Muromets from the Soviet film 1956
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