Epics are an amazing part of folklore. Tales of the heroes, Mother Russia, true friendship and honor sometimes turn out to be much more interesting than the tangled legends and myths of Western Europe. And everyone knows the names of the defenders of the Russian land: Alyosha Popovich, Dobrynya Nikitich and Ilya Muromets - they are the first to be remembered when it comes to the warriors. Each of the trinity has its own functions, but together they are invincible, just as Russia is invincible under the protection of its knights.
To reveal the image of characters more fully allow not only their actions, but also words. And often it is individual phrases that make it possible to understand the hero much better. What are the features of the speech of Ilya Muromets, the eldest of the heroes? How is it characterized by the words spoken by him? Let's try to find out.
Biography
First you need to figure out who Ilya Muromets is. As they say in epics, he was partially paralyzed, lay on the stove for thirty years, and then he was healed by Kaliki elders passing through his native village of Karacharovo. They endowed the man with heroic strength, told how to properly raise a horse that would withstand any test, and assured Ilya that death in battle did not threaten him.
On the advice of the parents, the newly-made knight went to Kiev, where he became the head of all the Russian heroes. Since then, Ilya Muromets stood guard over the borders of Russia and faithfully served Prince Vladimir, despite all the intrigues of the latter.
It is curious that many researchers consider the epic hero to be the embodiment of St. Elijah Pechersky, whose relics rest in the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. In all legends, he is an authority not only among the heroes, he allows himself to object even to the prince (here the emphasis is placed on the fact that Vladimir Ilya can not disobey only because of the contradiction of the order to his Christian principles). The constant confrontation between the hero and the prince - these are the features of the speech of Ilya Muromets that stand out especially clearly. Not a single person in all of Russia could say a word against the will of Vladimir, but the eldest of the heroes not only disputes orders, but also allows himself to insult the Baptist of Russia: in the epic about Ilya Muromets and Kalina Tsar, he says that “for a dog, then, Prince Vladimir, may I not get out of the cellar! ” Another feature of the speech of Ilya Muromets is the constant teaching of others, but not aggressive, but rather friendly: the hero sincerely wants to help others. Undoubtedly, Ilya Muromets can be called the most peace-loving, but at the same time irreconcilable defender of the Russian land.
Healing
In the first part of the tales of Ilya Muromets, the future hero appears before the reader as a sick man who for thirty years could not take a single step. Passing old pilgrims heal him from ailment, transferring enormous power to the main character and giving parting words regarding the service to the prince.
What are the features of the speech of Ilya Muromets in this epic? He uses repetitions in order to better convey his thoughts (“I'm sitting,”), and also diminutive suffixes (“great silushka”) - this is a feature of all good heroes of epics. And even despite the fact that by social status he is higher than the elders, he treats them respectfully and warmly thanks them for their healing.
Even with the pair of remarks uttered by the hero in this legend, one can understand that the speech of Ilya Muromets in epics is extremely courteous, he respects those who are weaker than him, and knows how to be grateful.
Nightingale the Rogue
The second famous legend tells of the battle of Elijah with the Nightingale the Robber. The epic begins with the already noted feature of the speech of Ilya Muromets - courtesy (his dialogue with men from Chernigov). But then, while still having an indirect meeting with Nightingale, when the horse, having heard the whistle of the villain, stopped and refused to go earlier, the hero uses both swearing ("grass sack", "wolf squeak"), and an ordered tone. You can still note a large number of repetitions (for example, when describing his path to Kiev, the hero several times pronounces the pretext “past”, listing all the known places through which he happened to pass).
Kalin Tsar
At the very beginning of the epic about the battle with Kalin the Tsar, the words of the hero sharply diverge from his original image. The speech of Ilya Muromets, when he wants to get food and water in a tavern for free, does not at all look like a request, even with an explanation it looks more like an order. The truth is that in the monologue of the knight, the heroes again have a reference to his Christian prototype: Ilya insists that they should protect not so much Prince Vladimir from the threat, but how to stand for temples and for faith. In addition, in this legend he acts as a real peacemaker, forbidding his associates to kill the captured enemy. Of the additional features, one can note the abundance of prepositions and diminutive suffixes (when meeting with other knights, he emphasizes his good attitude).
Conclusion
So, what are the features of the speech of Ilya Muromets? He uses a large number of repetitions and diminutive suffixes in speech, however, this is characteristic of all epic heroes. At the same time, his words are filled with wisdom and peacefulness. This hero is one of the brightest images of Russian literature.