"The Tale of Peter and Fevronia of Murom"
The hagiographic “The Tale of Peter and Fevronia” that has come down to us is the work of a writer and publicist of the 16th century. Ermolai-Erasmus. Biographical information There is very little information about this writer. IN mid-16th century V. he came to Moscow from Pskov and became the archpriest of the palace cathedral in Moscow, and by the beginning of the 60s. became a monk (under the name Erasmus) and may have left the capital. The most significant journalistic work of Erasmus was the treatise “The Ruler and Land Surveying for the Well-Wishing Kings.” Along with journalistic monuments, Ermolai-Erasmus also created hagiographic ones - “The Tale of the Ryazan Bishop Vasily” (later included in the “Life of Murom Prince Constantine”) and “The Tale of Peter and Fevronia”, based, obviously, on a hagiographical story of the 15th century.
The existence of the story about Peter and Fevronia, compiled before the end of the 15th century, is proven by the fact that it has survived church service XV century, dedicated to the Murom prince Peter, who defeated the serpent, and his wise wife Fevronia, with whom Peter was buried in a single coffin. Obviously, the main plot of the story took shape even before Ermolai-Erasmus.
This is the plot. A snake took the form of her husband to fly to the wife of the wise Tsar Paul. Paul's brother Peter stands against the serpent and defeats him; but from the blood of the serpent, splashed on Peter, he falls ill - his body is covered with scabs. Peter is healed by the wise peasant girl Fevronia; as a reward, she demands the prince to be her husband.
The plot of the story echoes many works of Russian and world folklore; it was also reflected in written sources of the Middle Ages. In the famous Western European (Celtic, French) tale of Tristan and Isolde, the story also begins with the victory of the hero (Tristan) over the serpent (dragon); he is cured by the heroine (Isolde).
However, the plot coincidence of “The Tale of Peter and Fevronia” with “Tristan and Isolde” further emphasizes the differences between them in the interpretation of the heroes. “The Tale of Peter and Fevronia,” unlike the legend of Tristan and Isolde, is not a story about love, not about the all-conquering passion of the heroes, but about a faithful married life, and the main motive of this story is the mind of the heroine of the story, her skill “ “to outwit” (outwit) her interlocutors is a trait that brings Fevronia closer to the chronicle Olga from “The Tale of Bygone Years.”
Fevronia appears in the story after the sick Peter, seeking a cure, sends throughout the Ryazan land “to look for doctors.” During this search, the princely youth (servant) ends up in the village of Laskovo and sees a girl at a loom; a hare jumps in front of her. When asked by the boy where the rest of the inhabitants of the house are, she replies that her parents went “to borrow (borrow) to cry,” and her brother went “to see death through the legs (look death in the eyes).” The boy cannot unravel these mysterious words, but the girl explains to him that his parents went to mourn the dead man: when they die, they will also cry for them, which means they are crying on loan; her brother is a beekeeper, extracting honey from the trees and looking at his feet so as not to fall and die. Convinced of the wisdom of Fevronia (that’s the girl’s name), the boy asks her to heal his prince. Fevronia agrees, but on the condition that Peter will take her as his wife.
How to understand this condition? The reader, who perceived the story only as a life story, and who saw Fevronia primarily as a saint, could see here a manifestation of her wisdom - she knew in advance that Peter was destined to be her husband. But people brought up on folk tales, where such a condition often occurs, they could perceive this motive differently - in a purely everyday sense. Living in her village of Laskovo, Fevronia could hardly even see Peter before he turned to her for a cure. The reader, naturally, gets the impression that Fevronia was attracted to Peter not by love (the legend of Tristan and Isolde mentions a magical love drink), but only by the desire not to miss his happiness.
Fevronia reveals the same intelligence and ability to “switch” the interlocutor during negotiations with Peter. At first, the prince tried to “tempt” Fevronia: he sent her a piece of flax and demanded that she weave from it “a srachitsa (shirt) and ports and ubrusets.” But Fevronia responds with absurdity to absurdity; She agrees to fulfill Peter’s request on the condition that the prince prepares a loom for her from a sliver of wood. Naturally, Peter cannot do this and therefore refuses his demand. After being cured, Peter tries to break his promise to marry a peasant woman. But Fevronia prudently ordered to lubricate all his ulcers, except one, and Peter’s treachery leads to the fact that from “that scab, many scabs began to disperse on his body”; For a final cure, Peter has to fulfill his promise.
Peter marries Fevronia, but the boyars of the Murom land do not want their princess to be a peasant woman. She agrees to leave Murom, but on the condition that she will be allowed to take with her what she asks. The boyars agree and the princess asks: “only my husband, Prince Peter.”
Together with Peter and Fevronia, some of their close associates set sail from Murom on a ship. Among them was a certain married man who, instigated by the demon, “looked up (looked) at the saint with a thought.” Then Fevronia advised him to scoop up and drink water from one side of the ship, then the other. “Is there equal water, or is there only one sweet?” - she asked him. He replied that the water is the same. “And there is one feminine nature. Why would you leave your wife and think of other people’s thoughts!” - Fevronia explained.
Like the story of Peter’s marriage to Fevronia, they can be perceived in different ways: both as an indication of the heroine’s wisdom, and as evidence of her peculiar cunning. Fevronia foresees that the stupid boyars will not understand what exactly the princess will ask of them, and thus “outvotes” them. Likewise, her answer to the immodest fellow traveler on the ship is not openly instructive, but humorous.
The exile of Peter and Fevronia did not last long: the rebellious boyars turned out to be unable to retain power, and Peter and Fevronia were again called to Murom.
The final scene of the story is deeply poetic. In their old age, the heroes become monks together and want to die together. Peter is the first to sense the approach of death and calls Fevronia to “go away” together. Fevronia embroiders “air” - fabric for the holy chalice. She asks her husband to wait. But Peter cannot wait. Then she only finishes the face of the saint, sticks a needle into the fabric, “screw it with the thread that she used to embroider”, and dies with her husband.
After the death of Peter and Fevronia, they try to bury them separately, but miraculously both heroes end up in a single coffin.
“The Tale of Peter and Fevronia” was closely connected with folklore; it also echoes the “wandering plots” of world literature. Of the Russian fairy tales, the story is most reminiscent of the fairy tales “Seven Years” and “The Girl with Her Hair,” which also tells about the marriage of a noble man to a peasant girl who proves her wisdom by solving difficult problems; here there is also a motive for the exile of the heroine, who takes with her what is most dear to her - her husband. But in Russian fairy tales (preserved only in modern records) there is no motive for the illness and recovery of a noble husband. It is obvious, however, that this motive was also present in folklore story, used by Ermolai-Erasmus.
LITERATURE LESSON PLAN IN 7TH GRADEAFTER “THE TALE OF PETER AND FEVRONIYA OF MUROM”
Lesson 3
Lesson topic: Old Russian literature. “The Tale of Peter and Fevronia of Murom.” Ermolai-Erasmus.
Note . At the end of the lesson this general theme will be concretized by the students (with the help of the teacher) and written down in a notebook. (The triumph of wisdom, reason, kindness and love in “The Tale of Peter and Fevronia of Murom.”)
Lesson objectives: - Moral beauty and the strength of heroes. To form ideas about ancient Russian literature as an integral part of world culture.
Tasks:
Bring up moral qualities schoolchildren: kindness, devotion, loyalty in friendship and love, the ability to forgive, respect for culture home country and native language;
Develop memory, logical thinking, speech, abilities, emotions; build skills research work, productive intellectual work of schoolchildren, express your own judgment, impression, and also reveal author's attitude to heroes and events;
Teach analyze text, improve monologue speech skills;Learning Tools :
1. In the world of literature. 7th grade. Textbook-reader for educational institutions. In 2 parts. /Compiled by A. G. Kutuzov and others - M.: Bustard, 2010
2. D. S. Likhachev: “Man in literature Ancient Rus'" M., 1970; "Great Legacy" M., 1980
3. Icon depicting Saints Peter and Fevronia; 4.Board with epigraphs; portraits of A.S. Pushkin and I.A. Bunin; quiz (based on the text of the story);
5. Illustrations for pov
Progress of the lesson.
Things have been going on for a long time days gone by…
A.S. Pushkin.
From ancient darkness to the world graveyard
Only the Letters sound.
And we have no other property!
I.A.Bunin
1. Organizational moment. Updating.
Work with 1 epigraph after the teacher announces the topic and goals of the lesson.
Let's read the statement of A.S. Pushkin. Why did I take these particular Pushkin lines as one of the epigraphs for our lesson?
(The story is a work of ancient Russian literature, written in the 16th century, that is, really long ago, and it tells about “the affairs of bygone days.”) In the 16th century, one of the most beloved, most readable works becomes "The Tale of Peter and Fevronia of Murom". One and a half hundred copies of it have reached us - this rarely happens in the life of monuments of ancient Russian writing. The lists are divided into four editions. This means that the story was rewritten many times, distributed very widely, in different parts of the Russian land.
3. Analysis “Tales about Peter and Fevronia of Murom.
Working with text.
Implementation of homework.
Teacher. In previous lessons we got acquainted with the content of the story, and today we will turn to the work again in order to delve deeper into the essence of the story, in order to understand what the author wanted to tell us, what topics he raises in the story, what problems concern the writer of the distant past. Let's try to understand the characters' characters, listen to the word (speech) of our distant ancestors and try to draw a parallel between the past, present and future.
In preparation for today's lesson, you all re-read the text at home. A short quiz will help you remember the main episodes of the story.
3.1. Quiz on "The Tale..." (Students listen to a quote from the text and answer the questions).
“The valiant Prince Peter took the sword and from that day looked for the right time to kill the Serpent.”
Who is Prince Peter? Why did he need to kill the Serpent? Did he succeed? Retell the corresponding episode close to the text, preserving, if possible, the style of ancient literature.
“I am a doctor, but I don’t need gifts. My word is this: if I am not his wife, there is no point in treating him.”
Who is this mysterious doctor? Why didn't you take the gifts? Did she manage to heal Peter? What is her origin? (Maiden; peasant woman.)
“Soon he /Peter/ was again covered with scabs and ulcers.”
Why wasn't Peter healed? Maybe Fevronia lacked wisdom?
“They arrived at their homeland, in the city of Murom, and lived piously and righteously.”
“Blessed (pious) Peter could not leave his wife for the sake of his reign and decided to leave Murom.”
Why did Peter have to leave hometown? Why didn’t he leave his wife for the sake of reigning?
“Don’t leave us orphans, return to your fatherland.”
To whom is this request addressed? Who said this and why? (Boyars.)
How does this characterize nobles? (We realized our mistakes.)
Were Peter and Fevronia able to forgive the boyars? Have you tried to take revenge for past grievances?
“The next morning people saw that their coffins were empty, and their bodies were found... in a single coffin.”
How did this mysterious movement of bodies happen?
Teacher. This scene of the death of the saints, who miraculously ended up in the same tomb, is the most powerful in the story.
3.2 First, students formulate their answer orally, andthen write down in the form of a detailed answer in a notebook.
Sample answer : In the story the author glorifies such wonderful qualities human soul like love, loyalty, devotion to each other until the graveNote : During further work in the lesson, students will continue this recording.
Continuing the conversation (increased attention to weak children)
1). In what guise did the devil appear to the prince’s wife?
2). In which city did Prince Pavel rule?
3). What did Fevronia, called Euphrosyne, embroider for the church church?
4). What sword could slay the devil?
5). What river did Peter and his wife swim down?
6). In what village did Fevronia live?
7). What did Fevronia order the prince to make from a chock?
8). What remedy cured Peter's ulcers?
Question for the whole class
What heroes’ wisdom does the author glorify?
(And Fevronia, and Peter, and even the boyars who realized their behavior.)
Remember in what situations do heroes show wisdom, overcoming difficulties and obstacles?
(Fevronia acted wisely, leaving one scab on Peter’s body; Peter - when he did not leave his wife at the insistence of the boyars; the boyars acted wisely when they humbled their pride and went to bow.)
Note : write down the word wisdom in the work started.
What else, besides wisdom, helped Peter and Fevronia overcome difficulties and defeat the all-powerful nobles? (Nobility, intelligence, ability to forgive.)
Note : We continue writing in notebooks.
What qualities of people are unpleasant for the author?
(Envy, deceit, vindictiveness, etc.)
Who in the story is endowed negative traits?
(The boyars and their wives are angry and envious.)
Teacher. So, the author glorifies love, loyalty, wisdom, intelligence, devotion, nobility in the story.
A modern writers V modern works raise similar questions? Are similar problems being considered?
(Students recall works they know, studied at school or read independently.)
Teacher. Indeed, the traditions of ancient Russian literature continue in the literature of modern times and will be passed on from generation to generation, for the problems of love, fidelity, and duty are eternal, they live in time - in the past, in the present, in the future.
Connection of the story with folklore. Topic of last lesson, homework material
Teacher . So, the origins modern literature in ancient Russian literature.
Where are the sources of ancient Russian literature? What did the plot of the story remind you of?
(Fairy tale. The origins of ancient Russian literature in oral folk art- in folklore.)
Teacher. At home, you were asked to write down the fairy-tale elements that you found in the story.
What fairy tale elements did you find in the text? What folklore motifs and images does the author use?
(The wereserpent who enters into communication with married woman; a wonderful treasure sword from which the serpent dies, a wise maiden who speaks in riddles; miraculous transformations, for example, of bread crumbs into incense, etc.)
What else is reminiscent of a fairy tale? What two opposing forces are presented in the story?
(Good and evil.)
Who represents good in the story? Evil? What wins in the end?
(Good - as in all fairy tales.)
Is it possible to destroy evil with reciprocal evil, with hatred?
What do the wise Peter and Fevronia do, overcoming all the hostile actions of the boyars? Do they remember the harm done to them? Do they return evil for evil?
(They forgive the boyars for their mistakes, they do not betray each other, they are loyal to each other, faithful and noble towards others.)
3.3. Working with illustrations for the story. Work on speech development.
Teacher . Working with illustrative material will help you complement your idea of the characters and the writer’s intention.
Look at the illustration on the board. Name the episodes for which these drawings were made? What words from the text can be signed under it? Find and read a quote from the story. Conversation on illustrations
(an example of a conversation based on an episode of Peter’s meeting with the boyars)
By what means does the artist reveal the author’s intention and depict the nobles as actually asking, begging the prince and princess to return to their hometown?
(The artist...paints the boyars fallen to their knees, their hands outstretched in supplication, one bowed his head respectfully, the other bows at the waist.)
How did you see Prince Peter? Why did the artist depict him this way? Look, the prince is gesturing for the boyars to stand up and calm down. The text does not say anything about what he answered them, what was his behavior at that moment, what were his gestures? The author immediately writes: “Prince Peter and Princess Fevronia returned to Murom...” So what did the artist want to say with his drawing? What point is the author trying to emphasize?
(It is important for the artist to show that Peter does not hold a grudge against the boyars. He is not angry at his offenders - this is exactly how the writer Ermolai portrays his hero. The author reports that Peter and Fevronia ruled fairly, loved everyone, and therefore did not hold a grudge against anyone. )
Why didn’t Prince Peter refuse the nobles?
(For him, the most important thing is to save those who did not die in the struggle for the princely throne.)
Teacher. Remember that the author calls Peter “blessed,” that is, pious, kind, and constantly confirms this with the actions of the hero.
What kind of dialogue could be made based on this illustration? What could Prince Peter answer to the boyars?
(-Do not grieve, merciful nobles. God will not leave you orphans. Return calmly to your fatherland. We do not hold a grudge against you. “And Prince Peter and Princess Fevronia returned to Murom.”)
3.4. General conversation about the main characters . The author's attitude towards the characters.
Who is the main character of the story?
(Peter and Fevronia.)
(Prince Peter for the writer is the embodiment of fair princely power: having talked about the reign of Prince Peter, the author showed what this power should be like; the writer made Peter and Fevronia positive heroes, putting their names in the title of the work, although he writes about other heroes too.)
Why do we consider Peter positive hero? Did he always act according to his conscience? Remember the episodes when he showed himself not entirely positively.
(He didn’t marry Fevronia right away; he began to test her when the wives of the boyars began to slander her, for example, about the crumbs that she sheds.)
(Peter corrected his mistakes.)
Teacher. For the author, the most important thing is that a person understands, realizes his mistakes and tries to correct them. The moral improvement of a person, that is, a person’s internal readiness to do good, is the most important thing for the author. Even the boyars at the end of the story changed and came with repentance.
(He calls on people to change, to value people not by origin, but by their actions; and he also wanted to say that among the peasants there are wise, pure, and faithful people.)
What feelings did you have for the heroine while reading the author’s story about her?
(They sympathized and felt sorry when Peter and then the boyars did not accept her; they respected her for her intelligence, wisdom, and loyalty; they rejoiced when everyone realized that she good man, and accepted it.)
What do you think is the author’s attitude towards the heroine?
(He writes very well about her. It seems that he himself sympathizes with her, and pities her, and admires her intelligence and nobility.)
Teacher. Indeed, the author seems to live the life of his heroine, goes through all the trials with her - all this determined the poetic mood of the work as a whole.
Teacher:
This story is a kind of hymn of love and fidelity.
Do you think it was easy for the author to write this work? After all, they expected the lives of saints from him, and he wrote a story where he sang the wisdom of a simple peasant woman, fidelity, love, nobility, devotion. What is your opinion and attitude towards the author?
(Admiration for his courage and talent.)
Working with 2nd epigraph.
Read the statement by I. Bunin. How do you understand the meaning of the word “property”?
(The wealth that we got.)
(This is our national wealth; thanks to letters, we learn the history of our country, its culture, literature.)
Teacher . And thanks to the Letters, this great asset, the baton of wisdom, goodness, justice, and fidelity is passed on from generation to generation. Therefore, I would like to turn to the statement of another specialist in ancient Russian literature, D.S. Likhachev from the preface to the book “Stories of Russian chroniclers of the 12th-14th centuries.” And these are not just words, this is a call, an appeal to us living in the 21st century: “We must be grateful sons of our great mother - Ancient Rus'. The past must serve the present."
It is interesting that this legend is set out in the novel by I.I. Melnikov - Pechersky “In the Woods”; in essays by V.G. Korolenko. The poetic basis of the legend captivated the composer Rimsky-Korsakov, who based it on the opera “The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevronia.”
Generalization: Work on defining a specific lesson topic.
Teacher. Please note that the topic of the lesson is general.
Think about how you can specify it based on the current lesson? What did the author want to say? Which main idea wanted to convey to readers? What were the moral precepts of Ancient Rus'? What wins and triumphs in the end? (Children's answer options)Teacher. The triumph of wisdom, reason, kindness and love - this is the main idea of the story, this is how we can formulate the theme of our lesson.
Recording a topic : The triumph of wisdom, reason, kindness and love in “The Tale of Peter and Fevronia of Murom.”
Teacher.
Teacher. The relics of Saints Peter and Fevronia, patrons of family life, are kept in Murom. July 8 Orthodox Church remembers these saints who lived a long time family life and died on the same day - July 8 - this is the day that is considered Valentine's Day in Orthodoxy. Until now, on July 8, pilgrimages are made to Murom: both those who have just decided to get married, and those who came here to thank these saints for their protection in their family life.
4. Homework (one of students' choice or by group):
1). Compose detailed plan retelling the story.
2). Compose a film script based on the story (several episodes).
3). Write a short written work “My attitude towards the heroes (to one of the heroes) of the story” (to Peter; to Fevronia; to the nobles and their wives).
4). Write a comparative evaluative and emotional description of the characters in the story, for example:
Prince Peter – fair, etc.
Fevronia – wise, faithful, etc.
The boyars and their wives are envious, evil, etc.
5. Reflection. (One response from each)
Did I manage to arouse your interest in ancient Russian literature today?
What did you learn today? How was today's lesson useful and interesting for each of you personally?
Would anyone like to continue getting acquainted with the works of “deep antiquity”?
6. Lesson summary . Grading.
The Tale of Peter and Fevronia of Murom
You can get acquainted with the story of the life and love of Saints Peter and Fevronia by reading “The Tale of Peter and Fevronia of Murom”. This is a literary adaptation of a legend beloved by the Russian people, performed by order of Metropolitan Macarius by the writer and publicist Ermolai-Erasmus for the Moscow Church Council of 1547. At this cathedral the holy Murom spouses were canonized.
“The Tale of Peter and Fevronia of Murom,” which tells about the life of Prince Peter and his wife Princess Fevronia, has become an anthem conjugal love and loyalty. The Russian people loved to read the story of the Murom miracle worker saints - hundreds of copies of this work in the 16th-17th centuries speak of the popularity of the work of Ermolai-Erasmus. But this love story is also interesting to our contemporaries, especially now, when in Russia the Day of Peter and Fevronia of Murom (July 8) began to be celebrated in 2008 as the Day of Family, Love and Fidelity.
Below is a modern Russian-language version of “The Tale of Peter and Fevronia of Murom” (the original story was written in Old Russian).
YERMOLAI-ERAZM
THE TALE OF PETER AND FEVRONIYA OF MUROM
THE NARRATIVE OF THE LIFE OF THE NEW MUROMSKY HOLY WONDERWORKERS, THE BLESSED, AND REVEREND, AND PRAISE-WORTHY PRINCE PETER, CALLED DAVID, AND HIS SPOUSE, THE BLESSED, AND REVEREND, AND PRAISE-WORTHY PRINCE NEITHER FEVRONIYA, CALLED EPHROSYNE IN MONSTITUDE, BLESS, FATHER
There is a city in Russian land called Murom. It was once ruled by a noble prince named Pavel. The devil, who has hated the human race from time immemorial, made it so that the winged serpent began to fly to the wife of that prince for fornication. And with his magic he appeared before her in the image of the prince himself. This obsession continued for a long time. The wife did not hide this and told the prince and her husband about everything that happened to her. The evil snake took possession of her by force.
The prince began to think about what to do with the snake, but was at a loss. And so he says to his wife: “I’m thinking about it, wife, but I can’t figure out how to defeat this villain? I don't know how to kill him? When he begins to talk to you, ask him, seducing him, about this: does this villain himself know why his death should happen? If you find out about this and tell us, then you will be freed not only in this life from its stinking breath and hissing and all this shamelessness, which is shameful to even talk about, but also in future life You will appease the unhypocritical judge, Christ.” The wife firmly imprinted her husband’s words in her heart and she decided: “I will definitely do this.”
And then one day, when this evil snake came to her, she, holding her husband’s words tightly in her heart, turned to this villain with flattering speeches, talking about this and that, and in the end, with respect, praising him, asking: “A lot of things.” you know, but do you know about your death - what it will be like and from what?” He, an evil deceiver, was deceived by the forgivable deception of his faithful wife, for, neglecting the fact that he was revealing the secret to her, he said: “I am destined to die from Peter’s shoulder and from Agrikov’s sword.” The wife, having heard these words, firmly remembered them in her heart and, when this villain left, she told the prince, her husband, what the snake had told her. The prince, having heard this, was perplexed - what does it mean: death from Peter’s shoulder and from Agrikov’s sword?
And the prince had a brother named Peter. One day Paul called him to him and began to tell him about the words of the serpent, which he said to his wife. Prince Peter, having heard from his brother that the serpent had called the one by whose hand he was to die by his name, began to think without hesitation or doubt how to kill the serpent. Only one thing confused him - he didn’t know anything about Agric’s sword.
It was Peter's custom to walk alone in churches. And outside the city there stood in a convent the Church of the Exaltation of the Honest and Life-Giving Cross. He came there alone to pray. And then the youth appeared to him, saying: “Prince! Do you want me to show you Agrikov’s sword?” He, trying to fulfill his plan, replied: “Let me see where he is!” The boy said: “Follow me.” And he showed the prince a gap in the altar wall between the slabs, and in it lay a sword. Then the noble prince Peter took that sword, went to his brother and told him about everything. And from that day he began to look for a suitable opportunity to kill the snake.
Every day Peter went to his brother and his daughter-in-law to pay homage to them. One day he happened to come to his brother’s chambers, and immediately he went from him to his daughter-in-law in other chambers and saw that his brother was sitting with her. And, going back from her, he met one of his brother’s servants and said to him: “I went out from my brother to my daughter-in-law, and my brother remained in his chambers, and I, without stopping anywhere, quickly came to my daughter-in-law’s chambers.” and I don’t understand how my brother ended up in my daughter-in-law’s chambers before me?” The same man said to him: “Sir, after your departure your brother did not leave his chambers!” Then Peter realized that these were the wiles of the evil serpent. And he came to his brother and said to him: “When did you come here? After all, when I left these chambers from you and, without stopping anywhere, came to your wife’s chambers, I saw you sitting with her and was very surprised how you came before me. And so I came here again, without stopping anywhere, but you, I don’t understand how, got ahead of me and ended up here before me?” Paul answered: “Brother, I did not leave these chambers anywhere after you left, nor did I visit my wife.” Then Prince Peter said: “This, brother, is the machinations of the evil serpent - you appear to me, so that I do not decide to kill him, thinking that it is you who are my brother. Now, brother, don’t go anywhere from here, I’ll go there to fight the snake, I hope that with God's help This wicked serpent will be killed.”
And, taking the sword called Agrikov, he came to his daughter-in-law’s chambers and saw a serpent in the form of his brother, but, firmly convinced that it was not his brother, but an insidious serpent, he struck him with the sword. The serpent, turning into its natural form, trembled and died, sprinkling the blessed Prince Peter with its blood. Peter, from that evil blood, became covered with scabs, and ulcers appeared on his body, and a serious illness seized him. And he tried to find healing from many doctors in his domain, but not one cured him.
Peter heard that there were many doctors in the Ryazan land, and ordered him to be taken there - due to a serious illness, he himself could not sit on a horse. And when they brought him to the Ryazan land, he sent all his associates to look for doctors.
One of the princely youths wandered into a village called Laskovo. He came to the gate of one house and saw no one. And he went into the house, but no one came out to meet him. Then he entered the upper room and saw an amazing sight: a girl was sitting alone at a loom, weaving canvas, and a hare was jumping in front of her.
And the girl said: “It’s bad when the house has no ears, and the room has no eyes!” The young man, not understanding these words, asked the girl: “Where is the owner of this house?” To this she replied: “My father and mother went to cry on loan, but my brother went through the legs of death to look into the eyes.”
The young man did not understand the girl’s words, he was amazed, seeing and hearing such miracles, and asked the girl: “I came in to you and saw that you were weaving, and a hare was jumping in front of you, and I heard some strange speeches from your lips and I can't understand what you're saying. First you said: it’s bad when the house has no ears and the room has no eyes. About her father and mother she said that they went on loan to cry, but about her brother she said - “he looks into the eyes of death through the legs.” And I didn’t understand a single word of yours!”
She told him: “And you can’t understand this! You came to this house, and entered my upper room, and found me in an unkempt state. If there was a dog in our house, it would sense that you were approaching the house and would bark at you: these are the ears of the house. And if there was a child in my upper room, then, seeing that you were going to the upper room, he would tell me about this: these are the eyes of the house. And what I told you about my father and mother and about my brother, that my father and mother went to cry - they went to the funeral and there they mourned the dead man. And when death comes for them, others will mourn them: this is crying on loan. I told you this about my brother because my father and brother are tree climbers, they collect honey from trees in the forest. And today my brother went to be a beekeeper, and when he climbs up a tree, he will look through his legs to the ground so as not to fall from his height. If anyone breaks down, he will lose his life. That’s why I said that he went through the legs of death to look into the eyes.”
The young man says to her: “I see, girl, that you are wise. Tell me your name." She answered: “My name is Fevronia.” And that young man said to her: “I am the servant of the Murom prince Peter. My prince is seriously ill, with ulcers. He was covered with scabs from the blood of the evil flying serpent, which he killed with his own hand. In his principality, he sought healing from many doctors, but no one could cure him. Therefore, he ordered to bring himself here, since he had heard that there were many doctors here. But we don’t know their names or where they live, so we ask about them.” To this she replied: “If someone asked for your prince, he could cure him.” The young man said: “What are you saying - who can claim my prince for himself! If anyone cures him, the prince will richly reward him. But tell me the name of the doctor, who he is and where his house is.” She answered: “Bring your prince here. If he is sincere and humble in his words, he will be healthy!”
The young man quickly returned to his prince and told him in detail about everything he had seen and heard. The noble Prince Peter commanded: “Take me to where this girl is.” And they brought him to the house where the girl lived. And he sent one of his servants to ask: “Tell me, girl, who wants to cure me? Let him heal and receive a rich reward.” She answered bluntly: “I want to cure him, but I don’t demand any reward from him. Here is my word to him: if I do not become his wife, then it is not right for me to treat him.” And the man returned and told his prince what the girl had told him.
Prince Peter treated her words with disdain and thought: “Well, how is it possible for the prince to take the daughter of a poison dart frog as his wife!” And he sent to her, saying: “Tell her - let her heal as best she can. If she cures me, I will take her as my wife.” They came to her and conveyed these words. She, taking a small bowl, scooped up some leaven with it, blew on it and said: “Let them heat your prince’s bathhouse, and let him anoint his whole body with it, where there are scabs and ulcers. And let him leave one scab unanointed. And he will be healthy!”
And they brought this ointment to the prince, and he ordered the bathhouse to be heated. He wanted to test the girl’s answers to see if she was as wise as he had heard about her speeches from his youth. He sent a small bundle of flax to her with one of his servants, saying: “This girl wants to become my wife for the sake of her wisdom. If she is so wise, let her make me a shirt, and clothes, and a scarf from this flax while I am in the bathhouse.” The servant brought Fevronia a bunch of flax and, handing it to her, conveyed the prince’s order. She told the servant: “Climb onto our stove and, taking off the log, bring it here.” He, having listened to her, brought some logs. Then she, measuring with a span, said: “Bran off this from the log.” He cut it off. She tells him: “Take this stump of wood, go and give it to your prince from me and tell him: while I comb this bunch of flax, let your prince make a weaving mill from this stump and all the other equipment that will be used for weaving.” canvas for him." The servant brought a stump of logs to his prince and conveyed the girl’s words. The prince says: “Go tell the girl that it is impossible to make what she asks from such a small chick in such a short time!” The servant came and conveyed to her the prince’s words. The girl responded to this: “Is it really possible for an adult man to make a shirt, a dress, and a scarf from one bunch of flax in the short time it takes him to wash in the bathhouse?” The servant left and conveyed these words to the prince. The prince was amazed at her answer.
Then Prince Peter went to the bathhouse to wash and, as the girl ordered, he anointed his sores and scabs with ointment. And he left one scab unanointed, as the girl ordered. And when I left the bathhouse, I no longer felt any illness. The next morning he looks - his whole body is healthy and clean, only one scab remains, which he did not anoint, as the girl punished him. And he marveled at such a quick healing. But he did not want to take her as his wife because of her origin, but sent her gifts. She didn't accept it.
Prince Peter went to his patrimony, the city of Murom, having recovered. Only one scab remained on him, which was not anointed at the girl’s command. And from that scab new scabs appeared all over his body from the day he went to his patrimony. And again he was covered all over with scabs and ulcers, just like the first time.
And again the prince returned to the girl for the tried and tested treatment. And when he came to her house, he sent to her in shame, asking for healing. She, not at all angry, said: “If he becomes my husband, he will be healed.” He gave her a firm word that he would take her as his wife. And again, as before, she prescribed the same treatment for him, which I already wrote about before. He, having quickly recovered, took her as his wife. This is how Fevronia became a princess.
And they arrived at their patrimony, the city of Murom, and began to live piously, without breaking God’s commandments in anything.
After a short time, Prince Pavel died. The noble Prince Peter, after his brother, became autocrat in his city.
The boyars, at the instigation of their wives, did not love Princess Fevronia, because she did not become a princess by birth, but God glorified her for the sake of her good life.
One day, one of those serving her came to the blessed Prince Peter and said to her: “Every time,” he said, “after finishing a meal, she leaves the table inappropriately: before getting up, she collects crumbs in her hand, as if she were hungry.” !” And so the noble prince Peter, wanting to test her, ordered that she dine with him at the same table. And when dinner was over, she, as was her custom, collected the crumbs in her hand. Then Prince Peter took Fevronia by the hand and, opening it, saw fragrant incense and incense. And from that day on, he never experienced it again.
A lot of time passed, and then one day his boyars came to the prince in anger and said: “Prince, we are all ready to serve you faithfully and have you as autocrat, but we do not want Princess Fevronia to rule over our wives. If you want to remain an autocrat, let you have another princess. Fevronia, having taken as much wealth as she wants, let her go wherever she wants!” Blessed Peter, whose custom was not to be angry at anything, answered with meekness: “Tell Fevronia about this, let’s listen to what she says.”
The frantic boyars, having lost their shame, decided to throw a feast. They began to feast and, when they became drunk, they began to conduct their shameless speeches, like barking dogs, denying God’s gift to Saint Fevronia to heal, which God awarded her even after death. And they say: “Madam Princess Fevronia! The whole city and the boyars are asking you: give us whoever we ask you for!” She answered: “Take whoever you ask!” They, as if with one mouth, said: “We, madam, all want Prince Peter to rule over us, but our wives do not want you to rule over them. Having taken as much wealth as you need, go wherever you want!” Then she said: “I promised you that whatever you ask, you will receive. Now I tell you: promise to give me whatever I ask you.” They, the villains, rejoiced, not knowing what awaited them, and swore: “Whatever you name, you will immediately receive it without question.” Then she says: “I ask for nothing else, only my husband, Prince Peter!” They answered: “If he wants to, we won’t say a word to you.” The enemy clouded their minds - everyone thought that if Prince Peter was not there, they would have to install another autocrat: but in their souls, each of the boyars hoped to become an autocrat.
Blessed Prince Peter did not want to break God’s commandments for the sake of reigning in this life; he lived according to God’s commandments, keeping them, as the God-voiced Matthew says in his Annunciation. After all, it is said that if someone drives away his wife, who has not been accused of adultery, and marries another, he himself commits adultery. This blessed prince acted according to the Gospel: he neglected his reign, so as not to break God’s commandments.
These evil boyars prepared ships for them on the river - a river called the Oka flows under this city. And so they sailed down the river in ships. A certain man was sailing in the same ship with Fevronia, whose wife was on the same ship. And this man, tempted by the evil demon, looked at the saint with thoughts. She immediately guessed him bad thoughts, denounced him, telling him: “Scoop up water from this river from this side of this vessel.” He got it. And she ordered him to drink. He drank. Then she said again: “Now scoop up water from the other side of this vessel.” He got it. And she ordered him to drink again. He drank. Then she asked: “Is the water the same or is one sweeter than the other?” He answered: “The same water, lady.” After this she said: “So the female nature is the same. Why, having forgotten about your wife, are you thinking about someone else’s?” And this man, realizing that she had the gift of insight, did not dare to indulge in such thoughts anymore.
When evening came, they landed on the shore and began to settle down for the night. Blessed Prince Peter thought: “What will happen now, since I voluntarily renounced the princedom?” Precious Fevronia tells him: “Do not grieve, prince, the merciful God, the creator and protector of all will not leave us in trouble!”
Meanwhile, on the shore, food was being prepared for Prince Peter’s dinner. And his cook cut down small trees to hang the cauldrons on. And when dinner was over, the holy princess Fevronia, who was walking along the shore and saw these stumps, blessed them, saying: “May they be large trees with branches and foliage in the morning.” And so it was: we got up in the morning and found instead of stumps big trees with branches and foliage.
And when people gathered to load their belongings from the shore onto ships, nobles from the city of Murom came, saying: “Our lord prince! We came to you from all the nobles and from the inhabitants of the whole city, do not leave us, your orphans, return to your reign. After all, many nobles died in the city from the sword. Each of them wanted to rule, and in the dispute they killed each other. And all those who survived, together with all the people, pray to you: our lord prince, although we angered and offended you because we did not want Princess Fevronia to rule over our wives, but now with all our household we are your slaves and we want you to be, and we love you, and we pray that you do not leave us, your servants!”
Blessed Prince Peter and Blessed Princess Fevronia returned to their city. And they ruled in that city, observing all the commandments and instructions of the Lord impeccably, praying incessantly and giving alms to all the people under their authority, like a child-loving father and mother. They had equal love for everyone, did not like cruelty and money-grubbing, did not spare perishable wealth, but grew rich in God's wealth. And they were true shepherds for their city, and not like mercenaries. And they ruled their city with justice and meekness, and not with rage. They welcomed strangers, fed the hungry, clothed the naked, and delivered the poor from misfortunes.
When the time had come for their pious repose, they begged God to die at the same time. And they bequeathed that both of them should be placed in one tomb, and they ordered to make two coffins from one stone, with a thin partition between them. At one time they became monks and donned monastic robes. And the blessed prince Peter was named David in the monastic rank, and the Monk Fevronia in the monastic rank was called Euphrosyne.
At a time when the Venerable and Blessed Fevronia, named Euphrosyne, was embroidering the faces of saints in the air for the cathedral church of the Most Pure Theotokos, the Venerable and Blessed Prince Peter, named David, sent to her to say: “O Sister Euphrosyne! The time of death has come, but I’m waiting for you so that we can go to God together.” She answered: “Wait, sir, until I bring air into the holy church.” He sent a second time to say: “I can’t wait for you for long.” And for the third time he sent me to say: “I’m already dying and I can’t wait any longer!” At that time she was finishing the embroidery of that holy air: only one saint’s mantle had not yet been finished, but she had already embroidered the face; and she stopped, and stuck her needle in the air, and wound the thread with which she was embroidering around it. And she sent to tell blessed Peter, named David, that she was dying with him. And, having prayed, they both gave their holy souls into the hands of God on the twenty-fifth day of the month of June.
After their repose, people decided to bury the body of blessed Prince Peter in the city, near the cathedral church of the Most Pure Mother of God, and to bury Fevronia in a country nunnery, near the Church of the Exaltation of the Honest and Life-Giving Cross, saying that since they became monks, they cannot be put in one coffin . And they made separate coffins for them, in which they placed their bodies: the body of St. Peter, named David, was placed in his coffin and placed until the morning in the city church of the Holy Mother of God, and the body of St. Fevronia, named Euphrosyne, was placed in her coffin and placed in the country church Exaltation of an honest and life-giving cross. Their common coffin, which they themselves ordered to be carved out of one stone, remained empty in the same city cathedral church Most Pure Mother of God. But the next morning, people saw that the separate coffins in which they had placed them were empty, and their holy bodies were found in the city cathedral church of the Most Pure Mother of God in their common coffin, which they ordered to be made for themselves during their lifetime. Foolish people, both during their lifetime and after the honest repose of Peter and Fevronia, tried to separate them: they again put them in separate coffins and separated them again. And again in the morning the saints found themselves in a single coffin. And after that they no longer dared to touch their holy bodies and buried them near the city cathedral church of the Nativity of the Holy Virgin, as they themselves commanded - in a single coffin, which God gave for enlightenment and for the salvation of that city: those who fell with faith to the shrine with their relics generously find healing.
Let us, according to our strength, give them praise.
Rejoice, Peter, for you have been given from God the power to kill the flying fierce serpent! Rejoice, Fevronia, for in woman's head yours is the wisdom of holy men! Rejoice, Peter, for, bearing scabs and ulcers on his body, he bravely endured all the torments! Rejoice, Fevronia, for already as a girl you possessed the gift given to you from God to heal ailments! Rejoice, illustrious Peter, for, for the sake of God’s commandment not to leave his wife, he voluntarily renounced power! Rejoice, wonderful Fevronia, for with your blessing, in one night the small trees grew large, covered with branches and leaves! Rejoice, honest leaders, for in your reign you lived with humility, in prayers, doing alms, without being arrogant; For this, Christ has overshadowed you with His grace, so that even after death your bodies lie inseparably in one tomb, and in spirit you stand before the Lord Christ! Rejoice, reverend and blessed ones, for even after death you invisibly heal those who come to you with faith!
We pray to you, O blessed spouses, that you also pray for us, who honor your memory with faith!
Remember also me, a sinner, who wrote everything that I heard about you, not knowing whether others who knew more than me wrote about you or not. Although I am a sinner and an ignorant person, trusting in God’s grace and his generosity and trusting in your prayers to Christ, I worked on my work. While I wanted to give you praise on earth, I haven’t touched the real praise yet. For the sake of your meek reign and righteous life, I wanted to weave wreaths of praise for you after your death, but I haven’t really touched on this yet. For you are glorified and crowned in heaven with true incorruptible crowns by the common ruler of all, Christ. To him belongs, together with his beginningless Father and the most holy, good and life-giving Spirit, all glory, honor and worship, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
It speaks about the popularity of the story large number lists that have survived to this day. The narrative united two ancient folklore motive- about the snake fighter and the wise maiden. In a number of lists, the “Tale” is called a hagiography, but Ermolai-Erasmus was unable to depart from the folk poetic tradition in the depiction of the heroes and in the construction of the plot. Probably because of this genre uncertainty, the predominance of folklore principles in the story of the “new miracle workers of Murom”, the work of Ermolai-Erasmus was not included by Metropolitan Macarius in the Great Menaion of the Four.
Image " wise maiden"F. goes back to a Russian fairy tale. The daughter of a beekeeper (“tree climber”) from the village of Laskovo, Ryazan land, is famous good deeds, intelligence and insight. She is a faithful and caring wife who knows how to fight for her happiness. F. embodies love that no one can defeat evil people, nor the force of circumstances. Researchers have repeatedly compared ancient Russian story with a Western European novel about Tristan and Isolde, who also encounter various obstacles on the way to happiness.
The main character is active, she creates her own destiny and the destiny of Prince Peter, over whom she wins a moral victory. The image of P. plays a less noticeable role in the narrative; it seems to be overshadowed by the bright and colorful figure of F.
Prince P. of Murom, having stood up for the honor of his brother’s wife, fights a flying kite that has taken to her. Having mastered the Agric sword, P. wins, but the poisonous blood of the snake causes incurable ulcers and scabs on his body. F. heals the prince, putting forward a condition: she will cure P. if he takes her as his wife. The prince does not want to marry a simple peasant woman. But after a second appeal to F. for help, the ashamed prince takes the peasant girl as his wife.
F.'s wisdom is manifested not only in deeds and actions, but also in the ability to speak in allegories and riddles. This is not how the princely envoy understands her, in response to whose questions F. says: “It’s bad when the courtyard has no ears, and the house has no eyes”; “Father and mother went to cry, and brother went through the legs of death to look into the eyes.” F. herself explains the meaning of what was said: the ears of the house are a dog, and the eyes are a child. They, each in their own way, will warn the owner about the approach of a stranger. The heroine's father and mother went to the funeral, and her brother, a beekeeper, went to practice his dangerous craft, climbing tall trees. With his wise speeches, F. also baffles her future husband.
After F. becomes the prince’s wife, the evil boyars and their wives, “like a barking bark,” do not want to be ruled by a woman of peasant origin, and strive to expel F. from the city and separate the heroes. However, even here the power of love prevails. F. wants to take with him the most precious thing - his spouse. P. renounces his reign and leaves Murom together with F. The heroes of the story do not value power and wealth. This is how P. and F.’s love overcomes social obstacles. A certain anti-boyar tendency is noticeable in this episode. The creator of the story emphasizes that the “evil” boyars fought over power: everyone “would like to have power.” The townspeople beg P. to rule Murom as before. Returning to the city, P. and F. rule not with rage, but with truth and justice, and treat their subjects not as mercenaries, but as true shepherds. They are compared to merciful and warm-hearted child-loving parents.
Neither social inequality, neither the “evil” boyars can separate the heroes. They are inseparable even in the face of death. Having simultaneously accepted the monastic rank, P. and F. pray to God: “May she be reposed in one hour”; and bequeathed to bury themselves in the same tomb.
The description of the death of the saints is especially expressive. Just before her death, “blessed” F. embroiders “air” with the faces of saints for the cathedral. The prince, feeling his death approaching, sends to tell his wife that he is waiting for her to leave this world together. F. asks her master to wait until she finishes her work. After P.’s third appeal to her (“I’m leaving this world, I can’t wait for you anymore”), the princess-nun, who managed to embroider the face and hand of the saint, responds to the call of her husband. Having stuck a needle into the unsewn cover and wound a thread around it, F. sends to P. to say that she is ready.
Even a posthumous miracle - an important element in the composition of a hagiographic narrative - reaffirms the inseparability of the marital ties of the heroes. People who sought to separate P. and F. during their lives separate them twice after death: P.’s body was laid in the city, “in the cathedral church of the Most Pure Mother of God,” and F.’s body was buried “outside the city,” in the Vozdvizhensky Church of the Convent. The next morning everyone sees a miracle: the bodies of the prince and princess end up in a common tomb.
The images of P. and F., beloved by the people, were captured more than once by icon painters. By order of Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich and Tsarina Irina, the cover of the relics of the Murom miracle workers was embroidered - a wonderful monument of gold embroidery medieval Rus' (1594).
Old Russian storytelling attracted the attention of writers and composers of modern times. Thus, the heroine of I. A. Bunin’s story “ Clean Monday"(1944), who chose the path of a nun for herself, quotes from memory two fragments from the story (the opening lines and words about the end of the earthly life of the saints). The “inseparable love” of the heroes of the ancient legend inspired A. M. Remizov.
Russian folk tale In a certain kingdom, in a certain state, there lived a man. Time passed - they signed him up as a soldier; He leaves his wife, begins to say goodbye to her and says: “Look, wife, live well.” good people Don't be ridiculous, don't ruin the house...
MAKARIUS, Metropolitan of Moscow and All Rus' (1481/1482-31.XII.1563) - an outstanding political figure, writer and collector ancient Russian books, initiator of the creation and editor of multi-volume book collections. M.'s place of birth and class origin are unknown;...
Ilya Muromets is a great hero, a glorious warrior, main character many Russian epics. In the epic “Ilya Muromets and the Nightingale the Robber” many qualities of the “daring good fellow” as a folk hero are clearly revealed. Endowed with heroic strength, Ilya Muromets...
CHRONICLES in Rus' were kept from the 11th to the 18th centuries. Until sep. XVI century, the time of Ivan the Terrible, they were the main type historical narrative, only from that time on “giving way to another historiographical genre - chronographs. L. were compiled in monasteries...
1 Old Russian literature. "The Tale of Peter and Fevronia of Murom." The instructive nature of ancient Russian literature; wisdom, continuity of spirit, religiosity, loyalty, sacrifice; family values(love, devotion, loyalty of the main characters)
“The Tale of Peter and Fevronia” arose in its core no later than the second quarter of the 15th century, but received its final design at the beginning of the 16th century under the pen of Ermolai Erasmus and is closely connected with folklore.
This is a story about the love of Prince Peter and the peasant girl Fevronia - strong and invincible love, “until the grave.”
The first appearance in the story of the girl Fevronia is captured in a visually distinct image. I found her in simple peasant hut a messenger from the Murom prince Peter, who fell ill from the poisonous blood of the snake he killed. In a poor peasant dress, Fevronia sat at the loom and was engaged in a “quiet” task - weaving cloth, and a hare was jumping in front of her, as if symbolizing a merger with nature. Her questions and answers, her quiet and wise conversation, clearly show that she is smart. Fevronia amazes the messengers with her prophetic answers and promises to help the prince. Well-versed in healing potions, she heals the prince.
The life-giving power of Fevronia’s love is so great that the poles stuck into the ground, with her blessing, blossom, turning into trees. Crumbs of bread in her palm turn into grains of sacred incense. She is so strong in spirit that she can unravel the thoughts of the people she meets. In the strength of her love, in the wisdom, as if suggested to her by this love, Fevronia turns out to be higher than her ideal husband- Prince Peter.
Death itself cannot separate them. When Peter and Fevronia felt the approach of death, they asked God to let them die at the same time, and prepared a common coffin for themselves. After that they became monks in different monasteries.
2 M. Gorky. The story “Childhood” - the autobiographical nature of the story
M. Gorky’s work “Childhood” belongs to the genre of autobiographical story. Remembering his childhood, the first years of growing up, the death of his father, moving to the Kashirins’ house, rethinking a lot in a new way, M. Gorky creates the story “Childhood”. life story little boy Alyosha. The story is told in the first person, on behalf of the main participant in the events. This allows the writer to show the events depicted more reliably, to convey the thoughts, feelings, and attitude to the character’s life. Alyosha remembers his grandmother as “the closest to my heart, the most understandable and dear person- this is hers selfless love to the world enriched me, saturating me with strong strength for a difficult life,” In the text of the story, the hero admits his dislike for his grandfather. The writer’s task is not simply to convey the events in which he became a participant. little hero, but also to evaluate them from the position of an adult who has known a lot about life. It is this feature that is characteristic of the autobiographical story genre.