Most importantly, the Rus and the Slavs are far from the same thing. Of the Rus or Rus, the warlike Scandinavian squad of the prince or another feudal lord consisted. The Slavs, as a people not warlike and not professionally able to control their weapons, did not participate in battles. Therefore, the funeral is performed over the Rus not according to the Slavic, but according to the Scandinavian rites. This is evidenced by the rich ethnographic material that scientists around the world began to actively collect in the 19th century in order to find out their roots, their mentality. He spent a lot of time in libraries, collecting the necessary information for the picture, Henryk Semiradsky. "The funeral of a noble Russian" was a new milestone in his work.
How was the funeral rite performed, if you follow the sagas and skaldic poetry
To begin with, a boat or ship was surely built that would take the soul to the afterlife. This was required so that his soul by mistake during a burial would not accidentally return to the ground and take someone else with it. The observance of customs was monitored very strictly. Only during the execution of every smallest detail of the ritual will the dead go to the afterlife and will not return to the world of the living. These details were known by Henryk Ippolitovich Semiradsky and reflected in the film "The funeral of a noble Rus." Description of the painting will be given below.
Offerings
They were committed only in accordance with the position of the deceased in society. One chicken was enough. Noble people relied rich sacrifices. These were musical instruments, rich weapons, horses in various quantities, intoxicating drinks, fruits, rooster, chicken.
In addition, there were human sacrifices in the ritual. This, as a rule, was a trained, intoxicated girl who did not realize that she would simply die. She perceived death as an expression of love for her master. These are the initial explanations that must be given before viewing the painting “The funeral of a noble Russian”. Description of the picture will clarify many details.
History of creation
In 1883, a huge picture was created on the Volga near the city of Bulgar: a multi-figure canvas, which was reflected in both the artist’s deep erudition and his skill as a painter belonging to the classical school.
As basic information, he used the description of the funeral of Rus by an Arab traveler of the 10th century. He wrote that the burial procedure lasted 10 days. The deceased was laid in a cold place (often, if possible, they were covered with ice). The place of burning itself was prepared in approximately the same way: a fireplace was made in the size of 3X4 m or 4X6 m in the form of a ring with a diameter of 7 m. A very precise circle was drawn, along which a shallow moat was dug, and a fence was made of wattle and rod. This is not visible in the picture. This will prevent the characters from being considered. Semiradsky (“The funeral of a noble Rus”) deliberately excluded this element from the picture. But in everyday life the fence was present. The deceased, along with the victims, burned inside the fence. Only birch logs are visible in the picture, which will quickly flare up, and the deceased will go upstairs to the higher world of spirits.
How to share property and prepare a woman
His property was divided into three parts. One part was left to the women, the other was used for the funeral, and the last - at the funeral feast. Trizna did not mean a feast, but quite another - battle lists after the funeral. Noble Rus sewed expensive clothes. In this case, from gold brocade. He sits on a richly decorated bed.
Next to him is a slave prepared for sacrifice, who holds in her hand an intoxicating hallucinogenic drink. She was drunk all ten days, and she was allowed a lot during this time: freedom was given in relations with men, for example.
Climax
The picture shows the very last moment before the burial. So the funeral of a noble Rus takes place. Description of the painting: the victims have already been cut: two horses, a bull and a dog. Around the Rus are quivers with arrows, a sword, helmet, shield, wine vessels and other gold plate. There are flowers. Rus himself is dressed expensively, in addition to brocade robes with golden buttons, he is wearing a cap trimmed with sable, red morocco boots. The bed is covered with carpets, a tent is overhead. Nearby is a slave, adorned with beads and necklaces, expensive earrings, jewelry is woven into her hair, she will die any moment now, because behind her is a witch who stabs her with a dagger.
Below is a man with an ax, in order to manage to ritually destroy the victim girl himself. A maid holds her legs just in case. The slave herself reaches out to pour more wine. To the right in the crowd of ordinary people is the idol they worship. A fire has already been lit, and a strict middle-aged husband is quite ready to bring the burning torch to the logs on which the boat stands and to begin cremation. The theme is so colorful that you can write a story from the picture.
The color is interesting in that it practically does not use either carmine or cumacean colors - only gold and umber (blue). Red blotches are available, but they do not determine the color of the picture. Already nearing the end of the funeral of a noble Rus. The description of the picture gives a fairly complete arrangement of the main persons acting on it.
The story of the slave victim
"I'm just a slave, look how I was.
I am now happy how I was dressed and decorated with expensive gems, silver, gold, pearls. I have long dreamed that the Master would pay attention to me, and I would become his concubine. And now, when he says neither yes nor no, it's my time to say: “Yes, you are my Lord in this and that world. I will follow you like a faithful dog. ” Well, why are you all standing, pour me some foamy honey. And I’ll change my outfit so that everyone sees how good the Lord’s wife will be, and weave flowers in my hair.
You guy, I liked you. Come closer. You will have fun with me today all night until the morning. Now the sun is rising. Raise me, bride, above the gate. Ah, I saw the priest and mother. Their faces shine with joy. What they say, did not make out, but something good. Lift up one more time. I saw now all my relatives and relatives from the world of the requiem. For the third time, lift me up, pour a cup more fully, everything is dry in the mouth. I see, I see my Lord. He sits, young, beautiful, in full strength in a green garden, around a tree in bloom, fragrant showers fall on him, his feet in a grass-ant are drowning, all around is fragrance from flowers in a clearing, and scarlet, and blue, and gold. And next to it, the young men and his men all gathered. Calling me to her. So lead me to him faster, so that he doesn’t wait for me for a long time. ”Such a story in the film“ The funeral of a noble Russian ”will correspond to historical truth.
Brief biography of the artist
Henry Ippolitovich Semiradsky (1843 - 1902) was born in the family of a Polish doctor. He graduated from Kharkov University, continued his studies as an artist. He lived most of his life in Rome, inspired by ancient mythological and biblical subjects.
The paintings are made in the style of classicism. They were usually large, such that special lifts were required to support them. Multifigured paintings, strict in color and composition. Everything is precisely verified. But he did not close in this framework. He worked a lot and fruitfully on portraits and landscapes. He participated in the painting of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. If the artist was in dire need of youth, then in adulthood he became a wealthy man and left a worthy inheritance for the family.
Such was the outstanding artist Semiradsky, who left his works in public and private collections. A brief description of the painting “The funeral of a noble Rus”, an outstanding epic work, is this article.