Contents of the article
EPICAL- folk epic song, a genre characteristic of the Russian tradition. The basis of the plot of the epic is some heroic event, or a remarkable episode of Russian history (hence popular name epics - “old man”, “old woman”, implying that the action in question took place in the past). The term “epic” was introduced into scientific use in the 40s of the 19th century. folklorist I.P. Sakharov (1807–1863).
Means of artistic expression.
Over the course of many centuries, unique techniques have been developed that are characteristic of the poetics of epics, as well as the method of their execution. In ancient times, it is believed that storytellers played along with themselves on the harp, and later epics were performed in recitative. Epic poems are characterized by a special pure-tonic epic verse (which is based on the commensurability of the lines by the number of stresses, which achieves rhythmic uniformity). Although the storytellers used only a few melodies when performing epics, they enriched the singing with a variety of intonations and also changed the timbre of their voices.
The emphatically solemn style of presentation of the epic, which tells about heroic and often tragic events, determined the need to slow down the action (retardation). To do this, a technique called repetition is used, and not only individual words are repeated: ... this braid, braid, …from far, far away, wonderful wonderful(tautological repetitions), but also an intensification of synonyms: fight, tribute duties, (repetitions are synonymous), often the end of one line is the beginning of another: And they came to Holy Rus', / To Holy Rus' and to the city of Kyiv..., it is not uncommon for entire episodes to be repeated three times, with enhanced effect, and some descriptions are extremely detailed. The presence of “common places” is also characteristic of the epic; when describing similar situations, certain formulaic expressions are used: thus (and in extremely detailed manner) the saddling of a horse is depicted: Ay, Dobrynya comes out into the wide yard, / He saddles the bridle of a good horse, / He puts a braid bridle, / He puts sweatshirts on sweatshirts, / He puts felts on felts, / On the top he puts a Cherkassy saddle. / And he pulled the girths tightly, / And the girths were made of overseas silk, / And the overseas silk of Sholpansky, / Buckles of glorious copper from Kazan, / Pins of Siberian damask iron, / Not beautiful bass, brothers, well done, / And for the fortification it was heroic. “Commonplaces” also include a description of a feast (mostly at Prince Vladimir’s), a banquet, and a heroic ride on a greyhound horse. The folk storyteller could combine such stable formulas at his own discretion.
The language of epics is characterized by hyperboles, with the help of which the narrator emphasizes the character traits or appearance of the characters that are worthy of special mention. The listener’s attitude to the epic is also determined by another device - the epithet (mighty, Holy Russian, glorious hero and filthy, evil enemy), and stable epithets are often found (violent head, hot blood, frisky legs, flammable tears). Suffixes also play a similar role: everything related to heroes was mentioned in diminutive forms (hat, little head, dumushka, Alyoshenka, Vasenka Buslaevich, Dobrynyushka, etc.), but the negative characters were called Gloomy, Ignatisch, Tsarish Batuisch, Ugarishch filthy. A significant place is occupied by assonance (repetition of vowel sounds) and alliteration (repetition of consonant sounds), additional organizing elements of verse.
Bylinas, as a rule, have three parts: a chorus (usually not directly related to the content), the function of which is to prepare for listening to the song; the beginning (within its limits the action unfolds); ending.
It should be noted that one or another artistic techniques, used in the epic, are determined by its theme (thus, heroic epics are characterized by antithesis).
The narrator's gaze never turns to the past or the future, but follows the hero from event to event, although the distance between them can vary from several days to several years.
Plots of epics.
The number of epic stories, despite the many recorded versions of the same epic, is very limited: there are about 100 of them. There are epics based on the matchmaking or struggle of the hero for his wife ( Sadko, Mikhailo Potyk, Ivan Godinovich, Danube, Kozarin, Solovey Budimirovich and later - Alyosha Popovich and Elena Petrovichna, Hoten Bludovich); fighting monsters ( Dobrynya and the snake, Alyosha and Tugarin, Ilya and Idolishche, Ilya and the Nightingale the Robber); the fight against foreign invaders, including: repelling Tatar raids ( Ilya's quarrel with Vladimir, Ilya and Kalin, ), wars with Lithuanians ( An epic about the raid of Lithuanians).
Satirical epics or epic parodies stand apart ( Duke Stepanovich, Competition with Churila).
The main epic heroes.
Representatives of the Russian “mythological school” divided the heroes of epics into “senior” and “younger” heroes. In their opinion, the “elders” (Svyatogor, Danube, Volkh, Potyka) were the personification of elemental forces; epics about them uniquely reflected the mythological views that existed in Ancient Rus'. The “younger” heroes (Ilya Muromets, Alyosha Popovich, Dobrynya Nikitich) are ordinary mortals, heroes of a new historical era, and therefore are endowed with mythological features to a minimal extent. Despite the fact that serious objections were subsequently raised against such a classification, such a division is still found in the scientific literature.
Images of heroes are the people's standard of courage, justice, patriotism and strength (it is not for nothing that one of the first Russian aircraft, which had an exceptional carrying capacity at that time, was named by its creators “Ilya Muromets”).
Svyatogor
refers to the oldest and most popular epic heroes. His very name indicates a connection with nature. He is tall and powerful; the earth can hardly bear him. This image was born in the pre-Kiev era, but subsequently underwent changes. Only two stories have come down to us, initially associated with Svyatogor (the rest arose later and are fragmentary in nature): the story of Svyatogor’s discovery of a saddlebag, which, as is specified in some versions, belonged to another epic hero, Mikula Selyaninovich. The bag turns out to be so heavy that the hero cannot lift it, he strains himself and, dying, finds out that this bag contains “all earthly burdens.” The second story tells about the death of Svyatogor, who meets on the road a coffin with the inscription: “Whoever is destined to lie in a coffin will lie in it,” and decides to try his luck. As soon as Svyatogor lies down, the coffin lid jumps up on its own and the hero cannot move it. Before his death, Svyatogor transfers his strength to Ilya Muromets, thus the hero of antiquity passes the baton to the new hero of the epic who comes to the fore.
Ilya Muromets,
undoubtedly the most popular hero of epics, the mighty hero. The epic does not know him as a young man, he is an old man with a gray beard. Oddly enough, Ilya Muromets appeared later than his epic younger comrades Dobrynya Nikitich and Alyosha Popovich. His homeland is the city of Murom, the village of Karacharovo.
The peasant son, the sick Ilya, “sat sitting on the stove for 30 years and three years.” One day, wanderers came to the house, “walking kaliki.” They healed Ilya, giving him heroic strength. From now on, he is a hero who is destined to serve the city of Kyiv and Prince Vladimir. On the way to Kyiv, Ilya defeats the Nightingale the Robber, puts him in a Toroki and takes him to the princely court. Among other exploits of Ilya, it is worth mentioning his victory over the Idol, who besieged Kyiv and forbade begging and remembering God's name. Here Elijah acts as a defender of the faith.
His relationship with Prince Vladimir is not going smoothly. The peasant hero does not meet with due respect at the prince’s court, he is treated with gifts, and is not given a place of honor at the feast. The rebellious hero is imprisoned in a cellar for seven years and doomed to starvation. Only the attack on the city by the Tatars, led by Tsar Kalin, forces the prince to ask for help from Ilya. He gathers the heroes and enters the battle. The defeated enemy flees, vowing never to return to Rus'.
Dobrynya Nikitich
- a popular hero of the Kyiv epic cycle. This hero-snake fighter was born in Ryazan. He is the most polite and well-mannered of the Russian heroes; it is not for nothing that Dobrynya always acts as an ambassador and negotiator in difficult situations. The main epics associated with the name Dobrynya: Dobrynya and the snake, Dobrynya and Vasily Kazemirovich, Fight between Dobrynya and the Danube, Dobrynya and Marinka, Dobrynya and Alyosha.
Alyosha Popovich
– originally from Rostov, he is the son of a cathedral priest, the youngest of the famous trinity of heroes. He is brave, cunning, frivolous, prone to fun and jokes. Scientists belonging to the historical school believed that this epic hero traces its origins to Alexander Popovich, who died in the Battle of Kalka, however, D.S. Likhachev showed that in reality the opposite process took place, the name of the fictional hero entered the chronicle. The most famous feat of Alyosha Popovich is his victory over Tugarin Zmeevich. The hero Alyosha does not always behave in a dignified manner; he is often arrogant and boastful. Among the epics about him - Alyosha Popovich and Tugarin, Alyosha Popovich and Petrovich sister.
Sadko
is also one of ancient heroes In addition, he is perhaps the most famous hero of the epics of the Novgorod cycle. The ancient plot about Sadko, which tells how the hero wooed the daughter of the sea king, subsequently became more complicated, and surprisingly realistic details appeared regarding the life of ancient Novgorod.
The epic about Sadko is divided into three relatively independent parts. In the first, guslar Sadko, having impressed the sea king with the skill of his playing, receives advice from him on how to get rich. From this moment on, Sadko is no longer a poor musician, but a merchant, a rich guest. In the next song, Sadko bets with Novgorod merchants that he can buy all the goods of Novgorod. In some versions of the epic, Sadko wins, in some, on the contrary, he is defeated, but in any case he leaves the city due to the intolerant attitude of the merchants towards him. IN last song tells about Sadko's journey across the sea, during which sea king calls him to her to marry his daughter and leave him in the underwater kingdom. But Sadko, having abandoned the beautiful princesses, marries Chernavushka the mermaid, who personifies the Novgorod river, and she brings him to his native shores. Sadko returns to his “earthly wife”, leaving the daughter of the sea king. V.Ya. Propp points out that the epic about Sadko is the only one in the Russian epic where the hero goes to other world(underwater kingdom) and marries an otherworldly creature. These two motifs indicate the antiquity of both the plot and the hero.
Vasily Buslaev.
Two epics are known about this indomitable and violent citizen of Veliky Novgorod. In his rebellion against everyone and everything, he does not pursue any goal other than the desire to riot and show off. The son of a Novgorod widow, a wealthy city dweller, Vasily from an early age showed his unbridled temper in fights with peers. Having grown up, he gathered a squad to compete with all of Veliky Novgorod. The battle ends in complete victory for Vasily. The second epic is dedicated to the death of Vasily Buslaev. Having traveled with his squad to Jerusalem, Vasily mocks the dead head he encounters, despite the ban, swims naked in Jericho and neglects the requirement inscribed on the stone he found (you cannot jump over the stone lengthwise). Vasily, due to the indomitability of his nature, begins to jump and gallop over it, catches his foot on a stone and breaks his head. This character, who embodied the unbridled passions of Russian nature, was M. Gorky's favorite hero. The writer carefully saved up materials about him, cherishing the idea of writing about Vaska Buslaev, but upon learning that A.V. Amphiteatrov was writing a play about this hero, he gave all the accumulated materials to his fellow writer. This play is considered one of best works A.V.Amphiteatrova.
Historical stages in the development of epics.
Researchers disagree on when epic songs appeared in Rus'. Some attribute their appearance to the 9th–11th centuries, others to the 11th–13th centuries. One thing is certain - having existed for such a long time, passed on from mouth to mouth, the epics did not reach us in their original form, they underwent many changes, as the political system, both the domestic and foreign political situation, the worldview of listeners and performers. It is almost impossible to say in what century this or that epic was created; some reflect an earlier, some a later stage in the development of the Russian epic, and in other epics researchers distinguish very ancient subjects under later layers.
V.Ya. Propp believed that the most ancient are the plots associated with the hero’s matchmaking and with snake fighting. Such epics are characterized by elements that are also significant for a fairy tale, in particular: tripling the plot components (Ilya, at a crossroads, runs into a stone with an inscription foreshadowing one or another fate, and sequentially chooses each of the three roads), prohibition and violation of the prohibition (Dobrynya is forbidden swim in the Puchai River), as well as the presence of ancient mythological elements (Volkh, born from a snake father, has the gift of reincarnation in animals, Tugarin Zmeevich in different options the epic appears either as a snake, or as a serpent endowed with anthropomorphic features, or as a creature of either human or serpentine nature; Likewise, the Nightingale the Robber turns out to be either a bird or a man, or even combines both features).
The largest number of epics that have come down to us dates back to the period from the 11th to the 13th–14th centuries. They were created in the southern Russian regions - Kyiv, Chernigov, Galicia-Volyn, Rostov-Suzdal. The most relevant during this period was the theme of the struggle of the Russian people with the nomads who raided Kievan Rus, and later with the Horde invaders. The epics begin to group around the plot of the defense and liberation of the Motherland, brightly colored with patriotic feelings. People's memory has preserved only one name for the nomadic enemy - Tatar, but researchers find among the names of heroes of epics the names of not only Tatar, but also Polovtsian military leaders. In the epics there is a noticeable desire to raise folk spirit, express love to home country and fierce hatred of foreign invaders, the exploits of the mighty and invincible are praised folk heroes-heroes. At this time, the images of Ilya Muromets, the Danube Matchmaker, Alyosha Popovich, Dobrynya Nikitich, Vasily Kazemirovich, Mikhailo Danilovich and many other heroes became popular.
With the formation of the Moscow State, starting in the 16th century, heroic epics gradually fade into the background, buffoons become more relevant ( Vavila and the buffoons, Birds) and satirical epics with their sharp social conflicts. They describe the exploits of heroes in peaceful life, the main characters confront princes and boyars, and their task comes down to protecting their own family and honor (Sukhman, Danilo Lovchanin), while the buffoon epics ridicule the ruling strata of society. At the same time there arises new genre- historical songs, which tell about specific historical events that took place from the 13th to the 19th centuries, there is no fiction and exaggeration characteristic of epics, and in battles several people or an entire army can act as heroes at once.
In the 17th century epics are gradually beginning to supplant translated knightly romances adapted for Russian audiences, meanwhile they remain popular folk entertainment. At the same time, the first written retellings of epic texts appeared.
Historical reality and fiction in epics.
The relationship between reality and fiction in epics is by no means straightforward; along with obvious fantasies, there is a reflection of the life of Ancient Rus'. Behind many epic episodes one can discern real social and everyday relations, numerous military and social conflicts that took place in ancient times. It is also noteworthy that in epics certain details of everyday life are conveyed with amazing accuracy, and often the area where the action takes place is described with amazing accuracy. It is also interesting that even the names of some epic characters are recorded in chronicles, where they are narrated as real-life personalities.
Nevertheless, folk storytellers who sang the exploits of the princely squad, unlike the chroniclers, did not literally follow the chronological course of events; on the contrary, folk memory carefully preserved only the most striking and remarkable historical episodes, regardless of their location on the timeline. Close connection with surrounding reality determined the development and change of the system and plots of epics, according to the course of the history of the Russian state. Moreover, the genre itself existed until the middle of the 20th century, of course, undergoing various changes.
Cyclization of epics.
Although due to special historical conditions In Rus', a coherent epic never took shape; scattered epic songs are formed into cycles either around a hero, or according to the community of the area where they lived. There is no classification of epics that would be unanimously accepted by all researchers; however, it is customary to single out the epics of the Kyiv, or “Vladimirov”, Novgorod and Moscow cycles. In addition to them, there are epics that do not fit into any cycles.
Kyiv or “Vladimirov” cycle.
In these epics, heroes gather around the court of Prince Vladimir. The prince himself does not perform feats, however, Kyiv is the center that attracts heroes called upon to protect their homeland and faith from enemies. V.Ya. Propp believes that the songs of the Kyiv cycle are not a local phenomenon, characteristic only of the Kyiv region; on the contrary, epics of this cycle were created throughout Kievan Rus. Over time, the image of Vladimir changed, the prince acquired features that were initially unusual for the legendary ruler; in many epics he is cowardly, mean, and often deliberately humiliates heroes ( Alyosha Popovich and Tugarin, Ilya and Idolishche, Ilya's quarrel with Vladimir).
Novgorod cycle.
The epics differ sharply from the epics of the “Vladimirov” cycle, which is not surprising, since Novgorod never knew Tatar invasion, but was the largest shopping center ancient Rus'. The heroes of Novgorod epics (Sadko, Vasily Buslaev) are also very different from others.
Moscow cycle.
These epics reflected the life upper strata Moscow society. The epics about Khoten Bludovich, Duke and Churil contain many details characteristic of the era of the rise of the Moscow state: the clothes, morals and behavior of the townspeople are described.
Unfortunately, Russian heroic epic did not fully develop, this is what distinguishes it from the epics of other peoples. The poet N.A. Zabolotsky at the end of his life tried to make an unprecedented attempt - to create a single poetic epic on the basis of disparate epics and epic cycles. Death prevented him from carrying out this bold plan.
Collection and publication of Russian epics.
The first recording of Russian epic songs was made at the beginning of the 17th century. Englishman Richard James. However, the first significant work on collecting epics, which had enormous scientific significance, was done by the Cossack Kirsha Danilov around 40–60 of the 18th century. The collection he collected consisted of 70 songs. For the first time, incomplete records were published only in 1804 in Moscow, under the title Ancient Russian Poems and for a long time were the only collection of Russian epic songs.
The next step in the study of Russian epic songs was made by P.N. Rybnikov (1831–1885). He discovered that in the Olonets province epics were still being performed, although by that time this folk genre was considered dead. Thanks to the discovery of P.N. Rybnikov, it was possible not only to study more deeply epic epic, but also to get acquainted with the method of its execution and with the performers themselves. The final set of epics was published in 1861–1867 under the title Songs collected by P.N. Rybnikov. Four volumes contained 165 epics (for comparison, let us mention that in Collection of Kirsha Danilov there were only 24 of them).
This was followed by collections by A.F. Hilferding (1831–1872), P.V. Kireevsky (1808–1856), N.E. Onchukov (1872–1942) and others, the material for which was collected mainly in Siberia, in the Middle and Lower Volga region, on the Don, Terek and Ural (in the Central and Southern regions, the epic epic has been preserved in very small quantities). The last recordings of epics were made in the 20th–30th centuries. Soviet expeditions traveling across northern Russia, and from the 50s of the 20th century. The epic epic practically ceases to exist in live performance, surviving only in books.
For the first time to comprehend the Russian epic as a whole artistic phenomenon and K.F. Kalaidovich (1792–1832) tried to understand its relationship with the course of Russian history in the preface to the second edition of the collection he undertook (1818).
According to representatives of the “mythological school”, to which F.I. Buslaev (1818–1897), A.N. Afanasyev (1826–1871), O.F. Miller (1833–1889) belonged, epic songs were nothing more than derived from more ancient myths. Based on these songs, representatives of the school tried to reconstruct the myths of primitive peoples.
“Comparatist” scientists, including G.N. Potanin (1835–1920) and A.N. Veselovsky (1838–1906), considered the epic an ahistorical phenomenon. They argued that the plot, after its inception, begins to wander, changing and enriching itself.
Representative " historical school» W.F. Miller (1848–1913) studied the interaction between epic and history. According to him, the epic recorded historical events, and thus the epic is a kind of oral chronicle.
V.Ya. Propp (1895–1970) occupies a special place in Russian and Soviet folklore. In his innovative works, he combined a historical approach with a structural approach (Western structuralists, in particular C. Levi-Strauss (b. 1909), called him the founder of their scientific method, to which V. Ya. Propp sharply objected).
Epic stories and heroes in art and literature.
Since the publication of Kirsha Danilov’s collection, epic stories and heroes have firmly entered the world of modern Russian culture. Traces of acquaintance with Russian epics are easy to see in the poem by A.S. Pushkin Ruslan and Lyudmila and in the poetic ballads of A.K. Tolstoy.
The images of Russian epics are also multifacetedly reflected in music. Composer A.P. Borodin (1833–1887) created a farce opera Bogatyrs(1867), and gave the title to his 2nd symphony (1876) Bogatyrskaya, he used images of the heroic epic in his romances.
Companion of A.P. Borodin in “ mighty bunch"(association of composers and music critics) N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov (1844–1908) twice turned to the image of the Novgorod “rich guest”. First he created a symphony musical picture Sadko(1867), and later, in 1896, the opera of the same name. It's worth mentioning that theatrical production This opera was designed in 1914 by the artist I.Ya. Bilibin (1876–1942).
V.M. Vasnetsov (1848–1926), is mainly known to the public for his paintings, the subjects of which are taken from the Russian heroic epic, suffice it to name the canvases Knight at the crossroads(1882) and Bogatyrs (1898).
M.A. Vrubel (1856–1910) also turned to epic stories. Decorative panels Mikula Selyaninovich(1896) and Bogatyr(1898) interpret these seemingly familiar images in their own way.
Heroes and plots of epics are precious material for cinema. For example, a film directed by A.L. Ptushko (1900–1973) Sadko(1952), the original music for which was written by composer V.Ya. Shebalin, partly used in the musical design classical music N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov, was one of the most spectacular films of its time. And another film by the same director Ilya Muromets(1956) became the first Soviet widescreen film with stereophonic sound. Animator director V.V. Kurchevsky (1928–1997) created an animated version of the most popular Russian epic, his work is called Sadko is rich (1975).
Berenice Vesnina
Literature:
Epics of the North. Notes from A.M. Astakhova. M. - L., 1938–1951, vols. 1–2
Ukhov P.D. Epics. M., 1957
Propp V.Ya., Putilov B.N. Epics. M., 1958, vol. 1–2
Astakhova A.M. Epics. Results and problems of the study. M. – L., 1966
Ukhov P.D. Attribution of Russian epics. M., 1970
Ancients Russian poems, collected by Kirsha Danilov. M., 1977
Azbelev S.N. Historicism of epics and the specifics of folklore. L., 1982
Astafieva L.A. The plot and style of Russian epics. M., 1993
Propp V.Ya. Russian heroic epic. M., 1999
Epics are built according to a specific plan.
Most epics begin with a beginning. It usually talks about the location of the action or where the hero went and from (see the first six lines of the epic “Ilya Muromets and the Nightingale the Robber”).
Events in epics are presented in strict order, sequentially. The narration is told slowly, without haste. Since the epics lived in oral transmission, the performer told them to focus the attention of the listeners on places that were especially important, in his opinion. For this purpose, repetitions are widely used in epics, usually three times. Thus, in the epic about Ilya Muromets and the Nightingale the Robber, the description of the strength of the Nightingale the Robber is repeated three times.
To add melodiousness to the epic, to make its presentation more expressive and musical, individual words are often repeated in epics.
For example:
The straight path is blocked,
The path was blocked up and walled up.
In the capital in the city of Kyiv,
From the affectionate prince from Vladimir.
Repetitions occur not only in the text of the same epic. Different epics describe similar actions and phenomena in the same way, for example, saddling a hero’s horse, a feast at Prince Vladimir’s, enemy strength, a battle between heroes and enemies, etc.
Such similar descriptions found in different epics (and fairy tales) are called commonplaces.
Sometimes epics end with a special ending - a conclusion from the entire content of the epic:
Now the old days, now the deeds,
that is, this is how it was in the old days, this is reality.
The main character of the epics is a Russian hero. To more clearly imagine the strength of the hero, the technique of hyperbole (exaggeration) is used. For example, this is how the battle between a hero and an enemy force is described. If the hero waves right hand, a street is formed in the middle of the enemy camp, with an alley on the left. The hero's club (sword) weighs forty or even ninety pounds.
If the hero falls asleep, then “heroic sleep for twelve days” (days). His horse matches the hero: “the horse’s first leap is many miles away, but the second leap cannot be found.” To emphasize the strength of the Russian hero, his enemy is depicted hyperbolically. The enemy's countless forces " gray wolf... you can’t outrun a day, you can’t outrun a black crow in a day.”
In epics, as well as in oral works in general folk poetry, every word is precise and expressive. Over the centuries, folk singers and poets have perfected their language poetic works, achieving the most accurate and vivid, expressive disclosure through the word of the most significant qualities of the heroes and their actions. Thus, epithets are very rich and varied in oral poetry - colorful definitions indicating the most essential feature of people, objects, and phenomena of life.
Often the same epithets constantly characterize certain heroes, objects, phenomena of life, nature, etc. Therefore, they are called constant epithets. In epics, for example, there are such constant epithets: portly good fellow, great strength, glorious capital Kyiv-grad, tight bow, silk string, red-hot arrows.
Comparisons are often used in epics:
The forces are overtaken in black and black,
Black, black, like a black crow.
Volga walks like a pike fish in the blue seas,
Volgo flies like a falcon bird under the covers,
Prowl like a wolf in open fields.
Negative comparisons are used:
It is not the damp oak that bends to the ground,
Not paper leaves are spread out,
The son bows to his father...
Wanting to emphasize some shade of the meaning of a word, important, in the opinion folk singer To understand the story, epic storytellers widely use synonyms: “Volga began to grow and mature”; “And yell and plow and become peasants,”; “Here it seemed to Ilya that he was in trouble, for great annoyance...”
Nouns with diminutive and affectionate suffixes play an important role in the language of epics. They express the people's assessment of the heroes of epics. Bogatyrs are often called by affectionate names: Ilyushenka, Dobrynyushka Nikitich, Mikulushka Selyaninovich, etc. Suffixes endearing meaning are also used in words denoting objects belonging to the hero. He has “hot arrows”, “saddle”, “bridles”, “felts”, “sweating bands”, etc.
The epic is chanted. Obeying the melody, the narrator puts emphasis on certain words, while other words, without stress, seem to merge into one word (“mother-earth”, “pure field”). In this regard, sometimes a word has different stresses in the same one. epic (“Nightingale-Nightingale”, “young”, “young”, “young”).
In ancient oral folk poetry there are epics that tell about the peaceful, working life of the Russian people. These are everyday epics. The most important of them is the epic about Volga and Mikula. It glorifies people's labor. In Ilya Muromets, the people sang the praises of the peasant warrior, the hero - the defender of the homeland. In the image of Mikula, he glorified the peasant cultivator, the hero - the breadwinner of the country.
An epic is an oral genre of poetic folk art, the subject of folklore studies. How traditional genre, the epic has its own specifics.
1. Subject of the works:
Researchers divide epics into two cycles: Kiev and Novgorod.
The themes of the earliest epics (the Kyiv cycle) almost always coincide: a description of the exploits of the defenders of the Russian land - the heroes, a description of their “standard” behavior.
(such epics were associated with the name of Dobrynya Nikitich (they also reflected the development of Kievan Rus from the point of view of the poet-storyteller), then, during the feudal fragmentation the names of Ilya Muromets, Dobrynya Nikitich and Alyosha Popovich come to the fore). In the Novgorod cycle one can already note social issues: the life of the trading city is very colorfully and fully described in the epics of this time.
2. Composition.
The content of epics, their form, figures of speech have been processed and honed over centuries, in particular, for better memorization and accurate retelling. So, compositional structure the epic is the same and includes:
-The beginning (exposition to the beginning, but more often the beginning is already the beginning of the plot)
-Development of action (narration of events preceding the feat).
-Climax (narration of a feat).
-Decoupling (depiction of the crushed enemy and celebration of the winner).
3. Genre-forming means of artistic representation:
The most important specific genre feature is the use of the antithesis technique - the opposition of the hero and the enemy native land. The image of a hero, his creation - this is what the main means of artistic representation are aimed at.
Hyperbole is the most suitable technique for describing the appearance and character of a hero; it reveals the author’s idea: to show the remarkable strength, intelligence, and wisdom of the defender of the Russian land. For example, in the epic “The Three Trips of Ilya Muromets” the image of the main character - Ilya Muromets - was created through the use of hyperbole. This is how his heroic strength is described: “Ilya jumped off his good horse, took off his hat from his wild head, he began to wave his cap. Wherever he waved - there is a street, he will wave it back - an alley, he scattered all forty robbers"; (with one wave of his hand he sweeps away all obstacles over a long distance) “he kicked forged doors, knocked them out of hooks, out of damask castles, released into the light of God forty kings and princes, forty kings-princes, forty strong mighty heroes” (even forty mighty heroes were not could cope with locks and shackles, but Ilya Muromets could).
In addition to hyperbole, epithets and descriptions full of similes and metaphors are common. Constant epithets performed a genre-forming function: repeated figures of speech set the “genre canon”; the listener understood that there was a story about the feat or personality of the defender of the Russian land. Examples constant epithets: according to Great Rus', a wonderful miracle, a white-flammable pebble, from a wild head, a beautiful maiden, a brown braid to the waist, countless treasures. Epics are a poetic genre, which means that the rhythm of the narrative and chanting are necessary. Repetition is one of the ways to achieve rhythm and sing-song narration. In addition, using the technique of repetition, the storytellers focused the listeners’ attention on the most important points of the work. Repetitions primed listeners to perceive the narrative.
The composition of the epic, artistic features its construction - all this reflects the vivid originality of this genre of oral folk art.
Bylina is special genre Russian folklore, which refers to folk epic song poetry. The epic goes back to the heroic epic of the ancient Russians.
A little more about the epic.
The term “epic” was first introduced by Ivan Sakharov in the collection “Songs of the Russian People” in 1839. The popular name for these works is old, old, old. This is the word the storytellers used. In ancient times, antiquities were performed to the accompaniment of the gusli, but over time this tradition became a thing of the past and at the time when collectors turned to them, epics were sung without musical accompaniment.
“I lay down on a sack near a skinny fire (...) and, warming myself by the fire, quietly fell asleep; I was awakened by strange sounds: before that I had heard a lot of songs and spiritual poems, but I had never heard such a tune. Lively, whimsical and cheerful, sometimes it became faster, sometimes it broke off and in its harmony resembled something ancient, forgotten by our generation. For a long time I didn’t want to wake up and listen to the individual words of the song: it was so joyful to remain in the grip of a completely new impression,” recalls folklore collector P. N. Rybnikov.
At first it may be difficult for a modern unprepared reader to immerse himself in the world of Russian epic: outdated words, frequent repetitions, absence of the usual rhyme. But gradually an understanding comes of how musical and beautiful the syllable of epics is. It is musicality that should be kept in mind first of all: epics were originally created to be sung, and not perceived as written or printed text.
Classification.
There is no classification of epics in science consensus. Traditionally, they are divided into two large cycles: Kiev and Novgorod. At the same time, a significantly larger number of characters and plots are associated with the first. The events of the epics of the Kyiv cycle are confined to the capital city of Kyiv and the court of Prince Vladimir, whose epic image united the memories of at least two great princes: Vladimir the Holy (d. 1015) and Vladimir Monomakh (1053–1125).
Heroes of these antiquities: Ilya Muromets, Dobrynya Nikitich, Alyosha Popovich, Mikhailo Potyk, Stavr Godinovich, Churilo Plenkovich and others. Novgorod cycle include stories about Sadka and Vasily Buslaev. There is also a division into “senior” and “junior” heroes. The “elders” - Svyatogor and Volga (sometimes also Mikula Selyaninovich), represent the remains of a pre-state epic from the time of the tribal system, personify the ancient gods and forces of nature - powerful and often destructive.
When the time of these giants passes, they are replaced by “younger” heroes. This is symbolically reflected in the epic “Ilya Muromets and Svyatogor”: the ancient warrior dies and Ilya, having buried him, goes to serve Prince Vladimir.
Epics and historical reality.
Most of the epics known to us took shape in the era of Kievan Rus (IX-XII centuries), and some of the antiquities go back to ancient pre-state times. At the same time, not only a researcher, but also a simple reader can find in the texts of epics echoes of events and life that are much more later eras. For example, the often mentioned “sovereign circle” (that is, a tavern) is related to the 16th-17th centuries.
Professor N.P. Andreev writes about the galoshes mentioned in one of the epics - an object from XIX century. This gives rise to the so-called problem of the historicism of Russian epics - that is, the question of the relationship between the epic and historical reality, which has caused a lot of controversy in the scientific community. Be that as it may, the epic presents us with a special world - the world of the Russian epic, within the framework of which there is a bizarre interaction and interweaving of various historical eras.
As researcher F.M. Selivanov wrote: “Not all events and heroes, once sung, remained in the memory of descendants. Earlier works were revised in relation to new events and new people, if the latter seemed more significant; such processing could be repeated.”
Welcome! We are very glad to see you on our website!
What is an epic?
Do you know what an epic is? And how is it different from a fairy tale? Bylina is a heroic epic of the Russian people. Heroic - because it talks about the great heroes-heroes of ancient times. And the word "epic" comes from Greek language and means “narration”, “story”. Thus, epics are stories about the exploits of famous heroes. Surely some of them are already familiar to you: Ilya Muromets, who defeated the Nightingale the Robber; Dobrynya Nikitich, who fought with the Serpent; merchant and guslar Sadko, who sailed the sea on his beautiful ship and visited the underwater kingdom. In addition to them, there are stories about Vasily Buslaevich, Svyatogor, Mikhailo Potyk and others.
Bogatyrs.
The most amazing thing is that it is not easy fictional characters. Scientists believe that many of them actually lived many centuries ago. Imagine: in the 9th - 12th centuries the state of Russia did not yet exist, but there was a so-called Kievan Rus. Various people lived on its territory Slavic peoples, and the capital was the city of Kyiv, in which the Grand Duke ruled. In the epics, heroes often travel to Kyiv to serve Prince Vladimir: for example, Dobrynya saved the prince’s niece Zabava Putyatichna from the terrible Serpent, Ilya Muromets defended the capital city and Vladimir himself from the Poganous Idol, Dobrynya and the Danube went to woo a bride for the prince. The times were turbulent, many enemies from neighboring lands raided Rus', so the heroes were not bored.
It is believed that Ilya Muromets, known from epics, was a warrior who lived in the 12th century. He bore the nickname Chobotok (that is, Boot), because he once managed to fight off enemies with the help of these shoes. For many years he fought with enemies and glorified himself with military exploits, but with age, tired of wounds and battles, he became a monk in the Theodosius Monastery, which in our time is called the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. And now, today, having arrived in the city of Kyiv, you can see for yourself the grave of St. Ilya of Murom in the famous caves of the Lavra. Alyosha Popovich and Dobrynya Nikitich were also famous heroes in Rus', mentions of whom were preserved in the most ancient documents - chronicles. In Russian epics there are also female heroes, they are called old word Polenitsa. The Danube fought with one of them. The wife of Stavr Godinovich was distinguished by her daring and resourcefulness, who managed to fool Prince Vladimir himself and rescue her husband from prison.
How epics have survived to this day.
For many centuries and generations, epics were not written down, but were passed on from mouth to mouth by storytellers. Moreover, unlike fairy tales, they were not just told, but sung. In the villages of ancient Rus', which over time turned into the Russian state, peasants, while doing routine work (for example, sewing or weaving nets), in order not to get bored, sang stories about heroic deeds. The son and daughter learned these tunes from their parents, then passed them on to their children. Thus, the glory and exploits of people who lived centuries ago were preserved in the memory of the people. Just imagine: at the beginning of the 20th century - in an era when major cities trains and cinematographs already existed, in a distant northern village, at the end of the world, an old peasant, just like his fathers and grandfathers, sang epics glorifying the hero Dobrynya - the uncle of Prince Vladimir and the glorious warrior of ancient Rus'!!! Dobrynya and this peasant were separated by many centuries and a huge distance, and yet the glory of the hero overcame these obstacles.