The epic is nothing more than literary literature. Its main features are eventfulness, narration, lyrical digressions and dialogues. Epic works have both prosaic and poetic form. Similar narratives can be found in folk literature. Often they are described in the works of specific authors.
Folk epic
In the minds of primitive people inseparably there were some rudiments of art and science, morality, religion and other types of directions of social development. Only a little later did they all gain independence.
A part of religious, religious, domestic, and labor rituals was verbal art, the main expression of which is ancient legends. It was in them that those, sometimes fantastic, ideas that people had about themselves and about the world around them were reflected.
One of the most ancient types of folk art is a fairy tale. This is a work of a magical, adventurous or everyday nature, with an inextricable link with reality. His heroes are heroes of oral epic creativity.
The pre-scientific ideas of people about the world are reflected in myths. This is a story about spirits and gods, as well as about epic heroes.
Legends are pretty close to myths. They are semi-fantastic tales about events that happened in reality. Heroes of legends are people who really lived in those days.
The historical events that took place in Ancient Russia are narrated bylina.
These are heroic songs or poetic legends. In them, the epic hero is, as a rule, a hero. He invariably embodies the national ideals of love for his native land and courage. We are all familiar with the epic names of the heroes of Russian epics. These are Alyosha Popovich and Ilya Muromets, as well as Dobrynya Nikitich. However, epic heroes are not only heroes. The man of work is glorified in epics. Among them, Mikula Selyaninovich is a hero-plowman. Narratives about other characters are also created. This is Svyatogor - the giant, Sadko - the merchant-hussler and others.
Heroes of the Epic
The main character in epics, tales and myths is a man. At the same time, epic heroes personify the people. What they have to face in life is nothing but the fate of the state and society.
Epic heroes are devoid of any selfish traits. In addition, they are internally and externally linked to the cause of the whole people.
Epic heroes are people who are not without personal psychology. However, its foundation is necessarily nationwide. This circumstance makes the participant described in the works of events the hero of the epic. Moreover, he can be not only a winner, but also a loser, not only strong, but also powerless. But he will certainly become an epic hero if he is in unity with the life of the whole people.
World Heritage
Each nation has its own works of heroic epic. They reflect the morals and life of a particular nation, its view of the world and basic values.
The most striking example of the heroic epic of the Eastern Slavs is the epic about Ilya Muromets and the Nightingale the robber. Here the main character is a hero. Ilya Muromets is an epic hero, the central figure of many works of similar subjects. He is represented by the writers as the main defender of their homeland and people, reflecting all the basic values of the Eastern Slavs.
Among the most striking works of the Armenian epic is the poem “David of Sasun”. This work reflects the struggle of the people against the invaders. The central figure of this poem is the personification of the spirit of people who seek to gain freedom and defeat foreign conquerors.
In the German heroic epic, such a work as “Song of the Nibelungs” stands out. This is a legend about knights. The protagonist of this work is the mighty and bold Siegfried. From the story you can see the characteristics of the epic hero. He is fair, and even when he becomes a victim of betrayal and betrayal, he remains magnanimous and noble.
A sample of the French epic is "The Song of Roland." The main theme of this poem is the struggle of the people with the conquerors. The main character is endowed with courage and nobility.
The English heroic epic contains many ballads about Robin Hood. This is the legendary robber and protector of all the unfortunate and poor. The ballads speak of his courage, nobility and cheerful disposition.
Ilya Muromets
The most striking hallmark of the epic is the heroic character of its narrative. From such works it becomes clear who is the people's favorite, and for what merits.
Most vividly the image of the epic hero of Ancient Russia Ilya of Muromets was reflected in epics related to the Kiev cycle. Their action takes place either in Kiev itself or near it. At the center of each story is Prince Vladimir. The main theme of these epics is the protection of Russia from the southern nomads.
In addition to Ilya Muromets, such heroes as Alyosha Popovich and Dobrynya Nikitich take part in the events. According to researchers, there are a total of 53 stories of Russian heroic epics. Ilya Muromets is the main character in fifteen of them. In the epics, the entire biography of the Russian hero is presented, starting from his birth and ending with death. Let's consider some of them in more detail.
Healing of Ilya Muromets
From this epic it becomes clear that its main character was the son of a peasant. The cripple was miraculously healed by the elders. They also sent the young man to serve in Kiev in order to defend Russia from a formidable enemy. Before leaving his native village, Ilya Muromets completed his first feat. He plowed a peasant field. And here the heroic strength of this person is already shown. After all, he easily uprooted stumps on the field, and this work has always been one of the most difficult. It is not surprising that in the epic this feat was reflected one of the first. After all, the peaceful labor of the peasant has always served as the source of his life.
Ilya Muromets and the Nightingale the Robber
In this epic, several major historical episodes are distinguished at once. The first of these concerns the liberation of Chernigov, which was besieged by enemy forces. Residents of the city asked Ilya Muromets to stay with them and be governor. However, the hero refuses and goes to serve in Kiev. On the way, he meets the Nightingale the Robber. This negative hero is like a bird, a man, and a monster. Its resemblance to the nightingale is determined by the fact that he lives in a nest on a tree and knows how to whistle in the same way as this bird. He is a robber because he attacks people. It can be called a monster because of the devastating effects of whistling.
It was extremely important to the people who created this work that the good and noble young man Ilya Muromets out of ordinary bow and defeated the Nightingale the Robber with just one shot. It is also important that there is no exaggeration of human power in this episode. At the same time, the narrator expressed his assertion about the obligatory victory of good over evil. Thanks to this feat, Ilya Muromets stood out from all the heroes. He became the main defender of his native land, the center of which is the city of Kiev.
Russian bogatyrs
These heroes of the epic work always have remarkable strength. It is thanks to her that they become extraordinary people. But, despite this, in all the stories the hero is an ordinary person, and not some kind of magical creature.
In epics, these people, who have the best qualities, resist evil in the face of snakes, monsters, and also enemies. The heroes represent that force, which is always able to protect their native land, restore justice. They always take the side of truth. Tales of such an ideal force indicate that it is precisely about it that our people have always dreamed of.
The main features of Ilya Muromets
This hero is the most beloved hero of Russian epics. He is endowed with powerful power, which gives him endurance and confidence. Ilya has a sense of dignity, which he will never give up even in the face of the Grand Duke.
The people represent this hero as the protector of all orphans and widows. Ilya hates the boyars, telling them the whole truth in their face. However, this hero forgets the insult when misfortune hangs over his native land. In addition, he calls on other heroes to defend, but not Prince Vladimir, but the mother of Russian land. For this, he accomplishes his exploits.
Prince Vladimir
This character is also present in many epics about Ilya Muromets. At the same time, Prince Vladimir is not a hero at all. In the epic about Ilya Muromets and Nightingale the Robber, he does not commit any bad deeds. The narrator shows him as a man without courage. After all, the Kiev prince was frightened of the Nightingale the Robber delivered to the city. However, there are other epics. In them, Vladimir is unfair and does wrong with Ilya Muromets.
Mikula Selyaninovich
This hero is found in several epics. They tell more about Volga and about Svyatogor.
Mikula Selyaninovich - an epic hero, a hero and a wonderful plowman. His image is the personification of the entire Russian peasantry, bearing the "earthly thrust."
According to the story, you can’t fight this hero. After all, his whole family is loved by "mother raw earth" - one of the most mysterious and monumental images that exists in the Russian epic.
Proceeding from ancient concepts, Mikula Selyaninovich is yelling. His middle name means "tiller".
Mikula Selyaninovich is an epic hero whose image is constantly accompanied by an aura of glory and sacralization. The people perceived him as a peasant patron, the god of Russia, St. Nicholas. Sacralization is present even in the image of a plow, a plow, as well as in the act of plowing.
According to epics, the main thing in the life of Mikula Selyaninovich is labor. His image embodies peasant power, for only this hero is capable of raising “bag handbags” with a “pull to the ground.”
Volga and Mikula Selyaninovich
The people created this epic for several centuries. It is not known whether Mikula Selyaninovich is a real person who lived in those days or not. But Oleg Svyatoslavovich is a prince, a cousin of Vladimir Monomakh and a grandson of Yaroslav the Wise.
What is this legend about? It tells about the meeting of two heroes - the prince and the peasant. Before that, each of them went about his own business. The prince fought, and the plowman worked the field. It is interesting that in this epic yelling is dressed in holiday clothes. These are the rules of these works. A hero must always be beautiful. The image of Volga (Oleg Svyatoslavovich) is opposed to the everyday work of the peasant. At the same time, the work of the plowman is revered in the epic more than military.
And this is no accident, because in those days any plowman could become a good warrior. However, not all soldiers were able to cope with hard peasant labor. This is confirmed by the episode when the prince's squad could not even pull the bipod from the ground. Mikula Selyaninovich pulled it out with one hand, and even brushed it off the adhering lumps. Volga lost to the plowman the primacy in labor and praised him. In his words, pride is felt for a strong hero who can cope with a task that is beyond the strength of the whole squad.
The attitude of the people to the hero
To prove that Mikula is an epic hero is not difficult. After all, his image, personifying peasant power, is imbued with great respect. This is felt in connection with the use of affectionate words, when the hero is called oratai-oratyushko.
The modesty of the hero is also welcomed by the people. After all, he talks about his affairs without any boasting.
Svyatogor
This hero is also the oldest mythological character of the Russian epic. Absolute universal power finds its embodiment in his image. Svyatogor is the strongest man in the world. It is so heavy and huge that even the “mother of the earth’s cheese” cannot stand it. That is why the hero has to ride a horse only in the mountains.
In one of the epics, where two heroes met, the image of Mikula becomes somewhat different, acquiring a cosmic sound. Once it happened that Svyatogor, riding a horse, saw a young man on foot. He tried to catch up with Mikula, but could not do it.
In another epic, the peasant hero asked Svyatogor to pick up a bag that had fallen to the ground. However, he did not cope with this task. Mikula raised his bag with only one hand. At the same time, he talked about the fact that there is “earthly burden” in it, which can be mastered only by a peaceful and hardworking plowman.