Thanks to the famous poem "Song of the Prophetic Oleg" Pushkin A.S. from a school course in literature, almost every compatriot knows that in the 9-10 centuries in Kievan Rus Oleg was a prince. But not everyone knows why Oleg was called the Prophetic.
Versions explaining the origin of Prince Oleg
Various chronicles mention this historical person, in particular, “The Tale of Bygone Years” by Nestor. This annalistic vault was compiled at the beginning of the 12th century. But more information contains folk tales and legends.
According to one version, the name Oleg came to the Russian language from Scandinavia. In this embodiment, Helge means "holy" or "prophetic." According to another, Oleg himself served as the prototype for the creation of Volga, the sorcerer-prince, sung in epic. When necessary, he could pretend to be either a wolf, or an ermine, or a bird. Therefore, it always defeats its enemies. The characteristics of the Prophetic Oleg in all epics were given the same. He was a strong and respected man.
The statement of Nestor the Chronicler that the blood of the Varangian Rurik, who came from Novgorod, flows in the veins of Prince Oleg , is not consistent with alternative sources that convince him of the absence of family ties. Until the moment that Oleg took the title of prince, he served as governor of Rurik. Personal qualities and virtues contributed to his successful career.
Rurik, who reigned in Novgorod, died in 879. The authorities, along with the custody of the young Igor, were transferred to Oleg as a will. After a three-year reign, the new prince thought about new conquests, turning his eyes to the south. On a military campaign, he also took Igor. Description Prophetic Oleg indicated that he was a handsome man with majestic features.
The conquest of Kiev
The flotilla began its journey from Lake Ilmen. Further, sailing in Lovatia and the Western Dvina, Oleg established his authority, appointing the governor in large cities - Smolensk and Lyubech. Rooks had to be dragged to the Dnieper by dragging on devices resembling wheels.
So they successfully achieved the ultimate goal of the campaign - Kiev, spread on the Dnieper banks. It soon became clear that Askold and Deere reigned here . Just like Oleg at the time, they were in the service of Rurik.
I won because Prophetic
Oleg’s inventiveness helped to take power from his fellow countrymen. He arrived in Kiev on one boat under the guise of a merchant with a small detachment of combatants who hid at the bottom of the ship. The Kiev princes approached the arrived guests. Oleg announced to the people of Kiev, allegedly Askold and Dir are not legal rulers. After the announced verdict, Oleg's vigilantes who jumped out of the ambush immediately insidiously killed the unfortunate Kiev princes with swords, and Igor was appointed the new ruler.
Oleg is credited with a phrase that turned out to be prophetic about the fact that Kiev should become the mother of Russian cities. That is why Oleg was called the Prophetic and respected by people.
If Oleg were only a talented commander, he would hardly have attracted the attention of the authors of historical works. He is not only wise, but also extremely prudent, to such an extent that in the eyes of others it sometimes looked like magic.
Witchcraft or gift?
As a confirmation of supernatural abilities, one can give a description of the Byzantine campaign of 907. One part of the soldiers sailed on the ships, which totaled two thousand, and the second - the horse army.
Ruler Leo VI made sure in advance that the 80,000th Slavic army led by Oleg did not get into the capital. By order of the emperor, the city gates were closed, the strait was blocked by chains, and thus access to the harbor was limited. But this did not stop the Kiev prince. At first, his warriors, having plundered plenty in the suburbs of the capital, headed for the walls of Constantinople.
Due to the measures taken by the Byzantines, the ships of the Slavs did not have the opportunity to swim to get to the city, Oleg had to be smart. According to legends, on his orders, combatants for the ships designed special wheels. A fair wind blew sails and, to the surprise of the defenders of Constantinople, Slavic ships began to approach the city in an unusual way. The characterization of the Prophetic Oleg pointed to his ingenuity and even to inhuman abilities.
Oleg’s resourcefulness not only made Leo VI open the city gates to him, but also concluded a duty free trade agreement for Kievan Rus. A huge tribute was paid to the victorious prince, the size of which was calculated as follows: for each pair of oars of all ships, 12 hryvnias were relied.
Why did the prince become Prophetic?
From the campaign to Constantinople, Oleg returned to his homeland as a respected and very popular military leader. Now he was also called the Prophetic. A new nickname was assigned to him after Oleg, sensing the presence of poison in the treats presented by the Byzantines, refused food. Why was Oleg called Prophetic? Because he had developed a seventh sense.
Not all historians agree that this event ever could have taken place. So, for example, Karamzin is inclined to consider Oleg’s campaign just a legend. Moreover, nothing is said about him in the Byzantine chronicles. The second group of historians disagrees with him. D.S. Likhachev, as an argument, cites the fact that in the northern regions of Russia there has long been a practice of overcoming the terrain between rivers with rooks, i.e., they put them on skating rinks or wheels. What was the name of the Prophetic Oleg for real, historians certainly cannot answer. Fables and historical data mixed up, making it difficult to separate the truth from the tale.
Fatal Prediction of the Magi
The basis of the poem A.S. Pushkin (the work "Song of the Prophetic Oleg") was a chronicle legend. The magi predicted Oleg that his favorite horse should become his killer. Naturally, the prince was protected from contact with a military friend.
After some time, in 912, saddened by the death of the horse, the prince went to visit his remains. Apparently, he decided that the prophecy was not destined to come true. Unfortunately for Oleg, the wise men were right. But it was too late. Why was Oleg called Prophetic? Hundreds of historians torment this question, but the nickname is deeply entrenched in ancient chronicles. So the people called the prince, which means there was a reason.