Начиная статью, раскрывающую тему «Русские былины about heroes ”, first we will define ethnographic terms from the above title. The ethnographic role of epic heroes is difficult to overestimate. For centuries, people have put into them the ideas of military valor, patriotism, following religious traditions.
The word "epics" was created by a Russian ethnographer.Ivan Petrovich Sakharov at the beginning of the XIX century. Therefore, it has a literary origin. The people originally used to refer to the epic tales of the exploits of another name - "antiquity". The image of the bogatyr in the Russian epic tales was formed two centuries after the country gained its statehood. Before the Tatar-Mongol yoke in Russia, it simply did not exist. This fact confirms the version of its origin from the Altai language group, where derivatives from the word “batyr” were actively used. In the XIII century, the Tatar-Mongol Khan had a corps of Bagatur warriors, distinguished by their physical strength, which was documented by the chronicles. To the Mongols, this word came from Sanskrit, where “goodboots” meant - successful.
Now - directly on the subject of the article.There are two stages in the creation of heroic epics. The first has absorbed an extensive period: from the immemorial times of paganism to Christianity, i.e. before the reign of Kiev Prince Vladimir. The second began with the rule of the aforementioned prince, the Baptist of Rus, and ended with an organic replacement of the function of the oral epic with author books.
Pre-Christian Russian epic about the heroesbrought to us the names of Volga Svyatoslavovich, Mikita Selyaninovich, Svyatogor. All of these characters have features borrowed from the pagan gods. The names of epics about Russian warriors point to the main characters of the stories: “Svyatogor and Mikula Selyaninovich”, “Mikula Selyaninovich and Volga Svyatoslavovich”.
The mother of the giant Svyatogor is Cheese Earth, and the father is “dark,” that is, a creature from another world. This giant giant organically absorbed the power of the elements of the Russian Land.
The image of Volga Svyatoslavovich - the mostmysterious of the whole cycle "Russian epic stories 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, animals. Most likely, the image itself is a derivative of the heathen god of hunting Volh. Volga's mother is Marfa Vasilyevna, and her father is Snake. Legends about the exploits of Volga - stories, akin to the Viking epic, telling about military campaigns in the Asian-Indian region. With the help of witchcraft, as well as military valor, he achieved victories over his opponents.
Summarizing the ethnos of the pre-Christian period, it followsindicate that most stories emphasize primacy among the heroes of Mikula Selyaninovich. Having met with Svyatogor, the peasant bogatyr offered him to raise the bag from the ground, in which he put "all the land". The giant did not succeed, Mikula won, having completed the required action with one hand. He excelled at a meeting with Volga, who asked him for help in collecting taxes. Agreeing, Mikula remembered the remaining plow, wishing to take it with him. Volga sent his warriors behind her, then drove himself. But the weight of this artifact exceeded their power. Then they caught up with the peasant knight and easily, quite casually fulfilled the required. Does not the general meaning of the above point to an awareness of the primacy of peasant labor? Summing up the epos of the pre-Christian period, ethnographers note the primacy of the idea of conciliarity (community) of Russia.
The next most important hero of the ChristianThe epic is Dobrynya Nikitich. This image appeared thanks to the governor Dobrynya, the uncle of Kiev Prince Vladimir. Six epics are associated with it. He is a serving man under Vladimir the Red Sun. His wife is Vasilisa Mikulishna, daughter of Mikula Selyaninovich. The most striking feat of his is the victory over the fire-breathing three-headed Serpent Gorynych. Among the epics about this hero there is a scene of a duel with Ilya Muromets - a heroic, honest, ending with fraternization, and then - a joint campaign. By the way, the confrontation showed “weakness” in the more “age-related” Ilya - “the left hand weakened” (the wound with a spear evidently affected the relics of the holy knight), the leg turned up. The generous Dobrynya did not take the opportunity to gain the glory of a winner.
The third known hero of this cycle is Alyosha.Popovich. This character is depicted in the tale of a duel with Tugarin the Serpent and the tale "Sister Zbrodovich". Tugarin is a generalized image of warlike nomads who continuously attack, rob, kill, and capture captives. And Olena Petrovna, the sister of the Zbrodovich brothers, is a Slavic legend of a great love for a woman, ending in a happy marriage. Historians name the Rostov boyar Alexander (Olesha) Popovich, who served the Great Service for Vsevolod, and later to his son Konstantin Vsevolodovich, a prototype of this hero. The hero found the heroic death at the Battle of Kalka.
Analyzing Christian Russian epics aboutheroes, it should be recognized that their images contributed to the formation among the broad masses of the people the feeling of Russian statehood and the need to selflessly serve the Motherland.
