Russian epics about the heroes: pagan and Christian

Starting an article that reveals the theme "Russian epics about the heroes", we first define ethnographic terms from the above-mentioned title. The ethnographic role of the epic about the heroes is difficult to overestimate. For centuries, the people put their ideas on military valor, patriotism, and the observance of religious tradition.

The word "epic" was created by the Russian ethnographer Ivan Petrovich Sakharov at the beginning of the 19th century. Therefore, it has a literary origin. The people originally used to refer to epic legends about exploits by another name - "antiquities". The image of the hero in the Russian epics was formed two centuries after the country gained statehood. Before the Tatar-Mongol yoke in Russia, it simply did not exist. This fact confirms the version about his origin from the Altaic language group, where the derivatives from the word "batyr" were actively used. In the 13th century, the Tatar-Mongolian khan had a body of bagatrists - soldiers who differed in physical strength, which was documented by chronicles. To the Mongols, this word came from Sanskrit, where "good fortune" meant - lucky.

Now - directly about the subject of the article. There are two stages of the creation of heroic bylina. The first absorbed a vast period: from time immemorial paganism to Christianity, i.e. To the reign of Prince Vladimir of Kiev. The second began with the reign of the above-mentioned prince - the Baptist of Rus, but ended with an organic replacement of the function of the oral epic with author's books.

The pre-Christian layer of the Russian epic about bogatyrs brought to us the names of Volgo Svyatoslavovich, Mikita Selyaninovich, Svyatogor. All these characters have features borrowed from pagan gods. The epic titles of the Russian heroes point to the main characters in the stories: Svyatogor and Mikula Selyaninovich, Mikula Selyaninovich and Volga Svyatoslavovich.

Mother of the giant Svyatogor - Cheese Earth, and his father - "dark", ie, the creature from a different world. This giant knight has organically incorporated the strength of the elements of the Russian Earth.

Mikula Selyaninovich (analogous to the Greek hero Antei) is not a giant at all, he is apparently a stout, tall man, but he has a secret power - he is deeply similar to the Crude Earth. And this connection is inseparable to such an extent that "it is impossible to fight with it." Later, in the transition to the Christian tradition, the image of Mikula gradually gave its meaning to Nicholas the Wonderworker (the pagan festival of Nikola Veshny, celebrated on May 9, gradually turned into a spring holiday of St. Nicholas.)

The image of Volgia Svyatoslavich is the most mysterious of the whole cycle "Russian epic about the heroes". The very origin of the name is associated ethnographers with witchcraft - from the word "Magus". He is a werewolf who understands the language of birds and animals. Most likely, the image itself is derived from the pagan god of the Wolf hunt. Mama Volgi is Marfa Vasilievna, and her father is Serpent. Tales of the exploits of the Volga - history, akin to the epos of the Vikings, telling of military campaigns in the Asian-Indian region. With the help of witchcraft, as well as military valor, he won victories over his opponents.

Summarizing the ethos of the pre-Christian period, it should be pointed out that most of the stories emphasize the primacy among Mikula Selyaninovich's heroes. When he met Svyatogor, the peasant bogatyr suggested that he raise a bag from the earth, into which he put "all the burdens of the earth." Giant did not succeed, Mikula won, having performed the required action with one hand. He excelled at the meeting with Volga, who asked for his help in collecting taxes. Having agreed, Mikula remembered the remaining plow, wishing to take her with him. Wolga sent his vigilante after her, then went himself. But the weight of this artifact exceeded their strength. Then they were overtaken by the peasant knight and easily, quite uneventfully fulfilled the required. Does not the general point of the aforementioned point to the recognition of the dominant role of peasant labor? Summarizing the epic of the pre-Christian period, ethnographers note the primacy of the idea of the collectivity (community) of Rus.

The second layer of the Russian ethnos belongs to the era of Prince Vladimir. Christian "Russian epics about heroes" begin to glorify are not generalized, philosophical, mythological characters, but real historical personalities who "served great service" to the Motherland. The central as well as the centrifugal image is the image of Ilya Muromets. He is a hero of the cycle, numbering about 90 stories. The most famous among them - about duels with Nightingale the robber, Idolishche Pogany. The mission of the knight is the defense of Christianity and Russia, and the way of its implementation is Christian, or more precisely, the monastic ministry. Characterized by the episode of getting paralyzed 33-year-old guy "Silhouette of the heroic" as a gift from the "kaliks-trans." Before his death, his mighty Svyatogor passes it to him. The way of life of the main hero of Russian epic is strangeness. Why is that? Why does not he have a family or home? Perhaps the reason is a monastic vow, because he unites the Christian feat of strangeness and foolishness.

The next most important hero of the Christian epic is Dobrynia Nikitich. This image appeared thanks to the governor of Dobryne, the uncle of Prince Vladimir of Kiev. There are six epics associated with him. He is a serviceman under Vladimir the Red Sun. His wife - Vasilisa Mikulishna, the daughter of Mikula Selyaninovich. The most striking of his feats is the triumphant victory over the fire-breathing three-headed Snake Gorynych. Among the epics about this hero is a scene of a duel with Ilya Muromets - heroic, honest, ended in fraternization, and then - a joint campaign. By the way, the confrontation showed "slabinka" in the more "age-old" Ilya - "the left arm" weakened (evidently the wound of a spear, present on the relics of the holy knight), the leg turned up. The generous Dobrynya did not take advantage of this opportunity to win the glory of the winner.

The third well-known knight of this cycle is Alyosha Popovich. This character is depicted in a tale of a duel with Tugar Snake and the tale "Sister Zbrodovichey." Tugarin is a generalized image of warlike nomads, continuously attacking, plundering, killing, capturing captives. And Olena Petrovna, the sister of the Zbrodovic brothers, is a Slavic legend of a sublime love for a woman, ending in a happy marriage. Historians call the prototype of this hero the Rostov boyar Alexander (Olesha) Popovich, who performed a great service to Vsevolod the Big Nest, and later to his son Konstantin Vsevolodovich. The heroic death of the hero found during the battle of Kalka.

Analyzing the Christian Russian epic about the heroes, it should be recognized that their images contributed to the formation of a broad feeling of the Russian people's statehood and the need to selflessly serve the Motherland.