The first battle of Ilya Muromets As Ilya grabbed the horse with his whip, Burushka - Kosmatushka soared up, jumped a mile and a half. Where the horses' hooves struck, there flowed a spring of living water. Ilyusha cut down a damp oak tree at the key, placed a frame over the key, and wrote the following words on the frame: “A Russian hero, the peasant son Ilya Ivanovich, rode here.” A living fontanel still flows there, the oak frame still stands, and in the night an animal - a bear - comes to the icy spring to drink the water and gain heroic strength. And Ilya went to Kyiv. He drove along a straight road past the city of Chernigov. As he approached Chernigov, he heard noise and din under the walls: thousands of Tatars besieged the city. From the dust, from the steam of the horse, there is a darkness over the ground, and the red sun is not visible in the sky. The gray bunny cannot slip between the Tatars, and the clear falcon cannot fly over the army. And in Chernigov there is crying and groaning, funeral bells are ringing. The Chernigovites locked themselves in a stone cathedral, crying, praying, waiting for death: three princes approached Chernigov, each with forty thousand forces. Ilya’s heart burned. He besieged Burushka, tore out a green oak tree with stones and roots from the ground, grabbed it by the top and rushed at the Tatars. He began to wave the oak tree, and began to trample his enemies with his horse. Where he waves, there will be a street, and where he waves, there will be an alley. Ilya galloped up to the three princes, grabbed them by their yellow curls and spoke to them these words:
Oh you Tatar princes! Should I take you captive, brothers, or remove your violent heads? To take you prisoner - so I have nowhere to put you, I’m on the road, I’m not sitting at home, I only have a few grains of bread, for myself, not for parasites. Removing your heads is not enough honor for the hero Ilya Muromets. Disperse - go to your places, to your hordes and spread the news that your native Rus' is not empty, there are mighty heroes in Rus', let your enemies think about it. Then Ilya went to Chernigov - the city. He entered the stone cathedral, and there people were crying, saying goodbye to the white light. - Hello, peasants of Chernigov, why are you peasants crying, hugging, saying goodbye to the white light? - How can we not cry: three princes surrounded Chernigov, with forty thousand forces each, and here death is coming to us. - You go to the fortress wall, look into the open field, at the enemy’s army. The Chernigovites walked towards the fortress wall, looked into the open field, and there the enemies were beaten and felled, as if a field had been cut by hail. The people of Chernigov beat Ilya with their foreheads, bring him bread - salt, silver, gold, expensive fabrics embroidered with stones.
Good fellow, Russian hero, what kind of tribe are you? Which father, which mother? What's your name? You come to us in Chernigov as a governor, we will all obey you, give you honor, feed you and give you water, you will live in wealth and honor. Ilya Muromets shook his head: - Good peasants of Chernigov, I am from near the city, from near Murom, from the village of Karacharova, a simple Russian hero, a peasant son. I didn’t save you out of selfishness, and I don’t need either silver or gold. I saved Russian people, red girls, small children, old mothers. I will not come to you as a commander to live in wealth. My wealth is heroic strength, my business is to serve Rus' and defend from enemies. The people of Chernigov began to ask Ilya to stay with them for at least a day, to feast at a merry feast, but Ilya refuses even this: “I have no time, good people.” In Rus' there is a groan from enemies, I need to quickly get to the prince and get down to business. Give me bread and spring water for the road and show me the direct road to Kyiv. The Chernigov residents thought and became sad:
Eh, Ilya Muromets, the direct road to Kyiv is overgrown with grass, no one has driven along it for thirty years... - What is it? - The Nightingale, the robber son of Rakhmanovich, sang there near the Smorodina River. He sits on three oak trees, on nine branches. As he whistles like a nightingale, roars like an animal - all the forests bow to the ground, flowers crumble, grasses dry, and people and horses fall dead. Go, Ilya, dear devious one. True, it’s three hundred miles straight to Kyiv, and a whole thousand along the roundabout road. Ilya Muromets was silent for a while, and then shook his head: It’s no honor, no praise for me, good fellow, to take a roundabout road, to allow the Nightingale the Robber to prevent people from following their path to Kyiv. I will go straight and untrodden! Ilya jumped on his horse, whipped Burushka with a whip, and he was like that, only the Chernigovites saw him!
“Bogatyrs” Ilya Muromets, Dobrynya Nikitich and Alyosha Popovich (Painting by Viktor Vasnetsov,) Bogatyrs Ilya Muromets Dobrynya Nikitich Alyosha Popovich by Viktor Vasnetsov Bogatyrs Ilya Muromets Dobrynya Nikitich Alyosha Popovich by Viktor Vasnetsov
“Music of Ancient Rus'” - Reading, writing and singing formed the content of individual and group training. Christian Rus'. Choral singing in Rus' was included in the number of educational subjects. The buffoons had a fairly extensive musical instrument at their disposal. Secular music became widespread in Kievan Rus.
“Culture and life of Ancient Rus'” - What is culture? Here was the main entrance “to the city of Yaroslav.” Culture (lat. culture) – cultivation, processing, improvement. Initials of Old Russian books (decorated initial letters). Page of the chronicle “The Tale of Bygone Years”. Apses. Frescoes of St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv. Sophia of Polotsk is the cathedral of the city of Polotsk.
“Architecture in Rus'” - Vladimir-Suzdal Principality (12th century). The similar type of Demetrius Cathedral in Vladimir (1193-1212) has more massiveness. Inside the cathedral there are mosaics, frescoes, carved stone, majolica. Muscovy. From the end of the 14th century. The leading role in artistic culture passes to Moscow. Pskov (13-15 centuries). The walls of the cathedral are richly decorated with carved reliefs.
“Life and Customs of Ancient Rus'” - The main meaning of the word “house” in Rus' was farming. The position of women in Rus'. 3. Canopy – cold transitions between buildings. 2. In Rus', a woman had a number of rights. 1. I.E. Zabelin. Wonderful utensils were made by masters of Kievan Rus. K. E. Makovsky. Life and customs of Ancient Rus'.
“Culture of Rus' IX-XIII” - Temporal rings. Scythian pectoral (chest decoration of the king) depicting scenes of the life of nomads. Assumption Church. Konstantin (Kirill)-philosophers for recording church texts in the Slavic language. Also used in the design are lions, birds and women's masks. Church of the Intercession of the Virgin Mary on the Nerl. Household culture.
“Features of Ancient Russian culture” - Study the features of the culture of Ancient Rus'. Military vehicles were created that were used in the siege and defense of fortresses - “vices”. Culture of Rus'. What events do the epics tell about? Get acquainted with oral folk art, writing, literature, architecture and fine arts. Culture of Ancient Rus' in the pre-Mongol period.
Which became famous during the reign of Prince Vladimir. We also learned from epics how heroes fought for Russian fortresses, how peasant heroes were invited into the princely squad.
Bylinas glorified the military exploits of Russian heroes in the fight against the Polovtsians and Pechenegs. One day, the prince of the Pechenegs invited two heroes - a Pecheneg and a Russian - to meet on the battlefield. Vladimir agreed. The Pecheneg hero entered the battlefield. He was so huge and scary that none of Vladimir’s warriors dared to fight him.
Then one townsman turned to the prince, who said that he had a younger son, Nikita Kozhemyaka. A townsman said that one day Nikita got angry and tore the calf skin he was holding in his hands. He was so strong. Vladimir decided to test Nikita and unleashed an angry bull on him. Nikita grabbed the bull by the horns and knocked him down. Vladimir realized that Nikita had great power.
But Nikita was short. When he went out to fight the giant Pecheneg, the Pecheneg warriors laughed. They did not believe that Nikita could win this battle. But the Russian hero grabbed the Pecheneg, lifted him and threw him to the ground. Vladimir was so delighted with Nikita’s unprecedented strength that he took him into his squad. Kozhemyaka became a noble man from a simple tanner.
The epics contain many stories about the cunning and intelligence of the Russian people, who sometimes defeated the Pechenegs by deception. They were forced to return to the steppe without a fight.
In epics they also glorified women who defeated enemies not by force, but by cunning,
as Vasilisa Mukulishna, daughter of Mikula Selyaninovich. She saved her husband Stavr Godinovich by dressing upVmen's dress, Tatar and presentingwalking ambassador from Golden Horde.
The epics tell about princely feasts, about the wealth of the princely court, about the boyars and warriors of the prince, about how they collected tribute from neighboring peoples. Prince Vladimir himself was called Vladimir the Red Sun in epics for his glorious state affairs. Work based on a painting by V.M. Vasnetsov "Three heroes"
To better understand who the epics are talking about, we will look at Vasnetsov’s painting “Three Heroes”, because it best reveals to us the glory of Russian heroes.
Dobrynya Nikitich, Alyosha Popovich and Ilya Muromets look intently into the distance; they tirelessly guard the borders of the Russian land. The heroes are strong and majestic, their horses are strong. Which of the heroes is depicted in the center ? (In the center of the picture is the oldest hero - Ilya Muromets. ) The wind tousled his gray hair. He looks carefully from under his hand to see if there is a thief somewhere. He is in chain mail, a spear in his hand, a hero ready for battle.Ilya Muromets -favorite hero of Russian epics. His exploits cannot be erased in the memory of the people - after all, he protected people from a fierce enemy. This is the personification of the indestructible strength of the heroic squad, the mighty guardian of Kyiv from the “filthy horde” that attacked Orthodox Rus'. He serves his Motherland with honor and glory. Only Ilya Muromets always remains the “hope” of the affectionate Prince Vladimir. Ilya Muromets, a peasant son, is rich in bold truth-womb. Sometimes the princes do not like the peasant, gray, “unwashed” truth. For her, Ilya Muromets ends up in the cellars, behind the iron shutters. But this does not detract from his love of truth; he does not put up with “false flattery.” That is why Rus' remembers him.
The epics tell that “in the city of Murom, and the village of Karacharovo” Ilya Muromets was born into a simple peasant family. My father's name was Ivan. He was born sick and frail. His legs were so weak that he could not walk. So the parents put Ilya on the stove. So he lay there for thirty years and three years. Ilya had already become an adult, his beard had grown, but he could not do anything because of his illness. Neither to plow the field, nor to graze cattle, nor to go hunting.
One day a magician came to Ilya Muromets's hut - an old man in white clothes and with a long white beard. He saw Ilya and began to shame him for laziness and idleness. And then he predicted to him that he would become a great warrior-hero, defender of his native land. Ilya was surprised: “How can I accomplish feats if I’ve been lying on the stove all my life?” And the magician answered him: “You get up, try, maybe it will work!” Ilya got down from the stove, lowered his feet to the floor and felt a powerful force within himself. I looked around, but the magician was not there.
Just like dancing, hands on hips,
Leaned left, right -
It turns out great!
Watch the video for the song “Our Heroic Strength”
To view the presentation with pictures, design and slides, download its file and open it in PowerPoint on your computer.
Text content of presentation slides: Material Material sources are objects that people have preserved or found as a result of archaeological excavations. These include: tools, jewelry, dishes, treasures (coins), clothing, huts (estates)... sources Written Written sources include: chronicles of life... contracts, letters, letters, sources These are songs, fairy tales, epics. Epics are the historical memory of the people about the times of Kievan Rus - the Old Russian state. Oral sources of epics - a source of knowledge about Kievan Rus In ancient times, storytellers did not tell epics, but sang them, playing along with themselves on the harp. The gusli is a plucked folk instrument And the strong, mighty heroes of glorious Rus'! Don’t let your enemies gallop across our Land! Don’t trample their horses on the Russian Land! Don’t eclipse our red sun with them! Rus' stands for centuries - it doesn’t shake! And it stands for centuries - it doesn’t move! Bogatyrs are the main characters of epics. Victor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov. "Bogatyrs". Ilya Muromets Alyosha Popovich The most famous among the heroes was Ilya Muromets - calm, courageous, stern, the strongest of the heroes, a symbol of peasant wisdom. Dobrynya Nikitich is the personification of politeness and graceful nobility. Alyosha Popovich is a symbol of cunning, crafty and dreamy. The epic hero is the embodiment of the best qualities of the people: service to the Motherland, courage, justice, self-esteem. Epics told about the wanderings of heroes in search of exploits... ...about battles with enemies... “Volga and Mikula Selyaninovich” A plowman plows, urges him on, and hoots at his filly. He lays furrows like deep ditches, pulls oak trees out of the ground, throws stones and boulders to the side. Only the plowman’s curls sway and fall like silk over his shoulders. But the plowman’s filly is not wise, and his plow is made of maple, and his tugs are silk. Volga sent ten knights. They twirl the bipod with twenty hands, but cannot move it. Then Volga rode with his entire squad. Thirty people, without a single one, stuck around the bipod on all sides, strained, went knee-deep into the ground, but didn’t move the bipod even an inch. The plowman himself got off the filly, took hold of the bipod with one hand, pulled it out of the ground, shook out the earth from the plowshares, “Svyatogor the Hero.” The holy mountains in Rus' are high, their gorges are deep, their abysses are terrible. A wolf won’t run there, an eagle won’t fly by, only Svyatogor the hero rides between the cliffs on his mighty horse. The horse jumps over chasms, steps from mountain to mountain. Svyatogor is taller than a dark forest, props up the clouds with his head, gallops through the mountains - the mountains shake under him. Once Svyatogor was riding along a valley between the cliffs, and suddenly a living person was walking ahead. A nondescript little man was walking, stamping his bast shoes, carrying a saddlebag on his shoulder. Svyatogor was delighted: he would have someone to exchange a word with - he began to catch up with the peasant. He is in a hurry, the horse gallops from Svyatogorov with all its might, but cannot catch up with the man... Svyatogor shouted to him: Hey, good fellow passer-by, wait for me! Svyatogor galloped up, greeted him and asked: - What kind of burden do you have in this bag? Svyatogor wanted to pry the purse with a whip, but the purse did not move, he began to push with a spear - it did not budge. Svyatogor got off his horse, grabbed the purse with both hands, pulled with all his might - he only lifted it up to his knees. Lo and behold, he sunk knee-deep into the ground, not sweat but blood running down his face, his heart sank. Sadko In the glorious Novograd How was Sadko the merchant, a rich guest. And before Sadko had no property: Some were spring gooses; Sadko walked and played at feasts. Sadko is not invited to an honorable feast, Another is not invited to an honorable feast, And the third They don’t invite you to an honorable feast. That’s why Sadko missed it. How Sadko went to Lake Ilmen, sat down on a white-flammable stone and began to play spring goosebumps.. When the water in the lake shook, the king of the sea appeared: - Oh, you Sadko, Novgorodian! I don’t know how I will reward you. For your great joys, for your tender game? How Sadko began to play the yarovchaty guselki, How the king of the sea began to dance in the blue sea, How the king of the sea began to dance - In the blue sea the water swayed, With yellow sand the water became confused, Many ships began to break on the blue sea, Many righteous people began to drown. Sadko strings on the guselki He pulled out the strings in the spring strings. The king of the sea said to him: Oh, you’re sadko Novgorod! Why don’t you play the spring strings? - The strings in my strings were pulled out, And the pins in the spring ones broke off. Sadko got up early in the morning, He looked: three hundred red girls were coming. I missed the first three hundred girls, And I missed the other three hundred girls, And I missed the third three hundred girls. Behind me walked a beautiful girl, The beautiful girl Chernavushka, I took that Chernavushka to marry me. As Sadko went to bed on the first night, so Sadko woke up in Nove-Gorod, About the Chernava River on a steep ridge. As soon as he looked, his scarlet ships were running along the Volkhov. Sadko no longer rode on the blue sea, Sadko began to live in Nove-Gorod . Collectors of epics Kirsha DanilovHis collection, containing 26 epics, has been reprinted 8 times since 1804. Rybnikov Pavel Nikolaevich 1861-67 4 volumes (165 epics) “Songs collected by Rybnikov” were published. Alexander Fedorovich Hilferding “Onega epics”, recorded by A. F. Hilferding" was reprinted 4 times. Books about heroes Cartoons about heroes Fairy tale Epic Similarities: 1. Both fairy tales and epics have existed since ancient times. 2. Both genres at that time were works of oral folk art. Differences: 1. A fairy tale is based on fiction. 2. Fairy tales were “told.” 1. The epic is based on real events, with elements of fiction.2. The epics were “said” - sung or spoken, accompanied by the gusli. The epic was actually a story about the history of the Russian land, about the exploits of national heroes. fairy tale Folk heroes have fantastic strength and deal with monsters. + What knowledge about Kievan Rus do epics convey? This knowledge: - about the life of peasants, their tools, the peculiarities of the work of cultivators; about the life of the warriors, their weapons, service with the prince; about merchants, their ships and goods, entertainment and trade: about the service of heroes on the outskirts of Kievan Rus, etc. Neither a fairy tale nor a true story. , Ts=L Bylina B№1 =D, Dobrynya?
Attached files
An epic is a genre of oral folk art, which is an epic song-legend, which is read in a special recitative and tells about heroes and heroic episodes of the history of Rus' in the 11th-16th centuries. The peculiarity of this genre is that each epic is dedicated to one hero and a separate event or feat.
The word “epic” appeared in 1830, it was introduced into use by the scientist Ivan Sakharov. Before this, songs-legends about heroes and their exploits were called old. Researchers divide epics into two cycles: the more ancient Kiev and Novgorod.
Reading epics
- (another variant)
You will also find texts of epics in some articles about (see table).
Subject of epics
The theme of the Kyiv cycle can be called classical: epics describe individual exploits of various heroes to protect the Russian land from the Pechenegs, from various evil spirits in Kievan Rus. Most of these epics are dedicated to the reign of Grand Duke Vladimir. The main heroes of the epics of the Kievan Rus period are such heroes as Ilya Muromets, Dobrynya Nikitich, Alyosha Popovich.
In the later Novgorod cycle, the description of military exploits recedes into the background and “Mr. Veliky Novgorod” comes forward, as this large city was often called, with its trade, inhabitants, and colorful descriptions of city life. Accordingly, the heroes of the epics are not the warrior warriors who defend Rus' from enemies, but the merchants and dashing fellows. Examples of epics of the Novgorod cycle are the epics of Sadko, the epics about Stavr, about Vasily Buslaev, about Khoten Bludovich.
Sadko comes from a poor family, a guslar. Thanks to the fabulous intervention of the sea king, he becomes a rich merchant and goes to trade overseas. On the way back during a storm, he is able to outwit the sea king and return to Novgorod with rich goods.
Stavr is a rich boyar and merchant, in general, a money dealer and moneylender, who is imprisoned at the behest of Prince Vladimir. Here researchers find a poetically expressed echo of the real rivalry between Kyiv and Veliky Novgorod. And obviously this is so, since the Novgorodian storyteller is clearly on the side of the boyar Stavr.
Also, the heroes of Novgorod epics are simply daring fellows, the most striking example of which is Vasily Buslaev, a Novgorod hero who represents the ideal of valiant boundless prowess.
About the epic heroes of the Novgorod cycle, we can say that Sadko is the personification of the wealth of Novgorod, and Buslaev is its power.
Composition of epics
The composition of the plot of epics is always built on the same principle:
1. Beginning (plot plot)
2. Development of the action (story about the events preceding the feat).
3. Climax (description of the feat itself).
4. Denouement (depiction of a crushed enemy, celebration of the winner, etc.).
In some epics, the beginning is preceded by a “chorus”, and the denouement is followed by an “exodus”. The purpose of the chorus is to attract the listener's attention. Very often he paints majestic pictures of nature, setting his listeners up for solemn pathos and the perception of something significant and important. For example, the chorus of the epic “About the Nightingale Budimirovich”:
Is it the height, the height of heaven,
Depth, depth, ocean-sea,
Wide expanse throughout the earth,
The depths of the Dnieper are deep.
In the outcome of the epic, glory is most often given to the hero, for example:
“Yes, here we sing the glory of Svyatogor and the hero”;
“Here Mikhail Potyk sings glory to son Ivanov,
Silence the blue sea,
Obedience to all good people."
Some outcomes emphasize the historical authenticity of the epic:
Since then yes since that time
They began to say Dobrynya in old times"
(the outcome of one of the versions of the epic “Dobrynya and Alyosha”)
Compositional principles and techniques of epics
1. The principle of antithesis
The principle of opposition, which manifests itself primarily in the construction of the plot of epics. This is often visible already in the title: for example, “Ilya Muromets and Kalin the Tsar”, “Dobrynya and the Serpent”. The epic heroes and their opponents are compared, who are contrasting primarily in their spiritual appearance and moral qualities. A hero, as a rule, is kind, fair, honest, peace-loving, noble and modest. Conversely, his opponent is angry, dishonest, warlike, self-confident and treacherous. The principle of antithesis is also used when describing appearance: for example, Ilya Muromets is a man of ordinary height, and his opponent is an Idol of frightening proportions.
2. Reception of selection
The technique of highlighting is often used already at the beginning in order to show who will be discussed in the epic. For example, the beginning of the epic “Fight of Alyosha with the Snake”:
Yes, the prince had, Prince Volodymyr,
There was going to be a feast-conversation there,
And honest, and praiseworthy, and full of joy.
At the feast there would be princes, heroes,
They are strong mighty heroes.
And young Alyoshenka is not at the feast,
Young Aleshenka light Popovich.
In this opening, you see how the narrator, by means of emphasis, makes it clear that the main character of the epic will be Alyosha.
In many epics we can come across a situation where Prince Vladimir addresses some important matter to the heroes, and they fall silent and hide behind each other. And only one person volunteers to carry out an important task. And this is not because everyone is cowardly and only one is brave. No, the technique of singling out one hero from many simply works here, because... in the epic everything is subordinated to the creation of the image of a hero. And the selection technique we considered also serves precisely this purpose.
3. Technique of hyperbolization
Hyperbolization (excessive exaggeration) is the most important principle of creating epics. They exaggerate the strength of not only the heroes, but also their opponents. And the greater this strength of the opponents, the more significant the victory of the heroes over them turns out to be, the more glorification they deserve. The same technique describes the strength of heroic horses, and many other points. For example, the wealth of Duke Stepanovich from Galich is described as follows:
“Vladimir, you are the prince of Stolen-Kyiv!
Three cartloads of papers arrived here,
And thirty scribes came here,
It will be impossible to describe the estate in three years,
There will be no number to give in those boundaries.”
(This is written by Dobrynya, who was sent to Galich to verify the words of Duke Stepanovich)
4. Dialogues
Dialogues play a significant role in the compositional structure of the epic: they dramatize the plot and help to more fully characterize the characters, revealing their experiences and thoughts. Often dialogue is the turning point of an epic. A very good example is the epic “Dobrynya Nikitich and Vasily Kazimirovich”: at the feast, the “daring good fellow” Vasily Kazimirovich receives from Prince Vladimir the task of delivering a huge tribute to Batur Batvesov. Vasily leaves the feast saddened: he does not like to carry tribute to the busurman. He meets Dobrynya and a conversation takes place between them. Having learned about the order of the prince, Dobrynya Nikitich says:
“We will not take any luck from the prince from Vladimir,
We will not take tribute from him, -
We will ask from the dog Batur Batvesov,
We will ask him for tribute duties."
With the help of this dialogue, the narrator unexpectedly changes the plot, the pathos of the epic increases, the attention and feeling of relief among the listeners grows: dear Dobrynyushka did not fail, he did not disgrace his honor and the Russian land. In such a simple but effective way, the sense of national pride of one of the most beloved Russian heroes is revealed.
4. Receiving repetitions
An important compositional role in epics is played by the technique of repetition of individual episodes, speech of heroes, etc. Most often, this repetition is three times, but it can also be two times. The main purpose of such repetitions is to most clearly express a thought that is especially important for the epic, to focus the listener’s attention on some semantically significant episodes, certain actions of the heroes. Let's give an example:
Seeing an innumerable enemy army from the mountain and realizing that one cannot cope with it alone, Ilya Muromets turns to the hero Samson Samoilovich with the following excited speech:
You are my godfather, father, Samson Samoilovich,
And you are a mighty Russian hero,
You saddle good horses,
And sit down on good horses,
Just go to the open field,
And under that, under the glorious capital city of Kyiv.
Like under our city near Kiev
And the dog Kalin Tsar stands,
And he stands with great troops,
He wants to ruin the capital city of Kyiv,
He'll knock out all the rabble of men,
Let God's churches go up in smoke,
Prince Vladimir and Opraxa the Queen
He wants to cut off the violent heads.
Stand up for the faith, for the fatherland,
Just stand by the glorious capital city of Kyiv,
Just stand for the church, you are for God,
You will take care of Prince Vladimir,
And with that royal Opraxa!
(Hilferding, vol. 2, p. 25)
To this Samson Samoilovich answers:
Oh godson, you are my favorite,
I am an old Cossack and Ilya Muromets!
And we won’t even saddle our horses,
And we will not mount good horses,
We will not go to the glorious open field,
May we not stand for the faith, for the fatherland,
Let us not stand for the capital city of Kyiv,
Let us not stand for Mother God's churches,
Let us not take care of Prince Vladimir
And even with Opraxa the Queen.
He has a lot of princes and boyars,
He feeds them and gives them water and is kind to them,
We have nothing from Prince Vladimir.
(Hilferding, 2, pp. 25-26)
Having heard Samson Samoilovich’s refusal, Ilya Muromets again appeals to him and other heroes with an appeal to stand up for the defense of Kyiv. Samson Samoilovich again refuses. Ilya Muromets addresses Russian heroes for the third time. For the third time, Samson Samoilovich refuses. The appeal of Ilya Muromets and the answer to it in the epic is repeated three times verbatim.
What is the meaning and artistic necessity of such repetition? The significance of this threefold repetition of the dialogue is enormous. Firstly, it expresses the main patriotic idea of the epic - the need to stand for the Russian land; secondly, it expresses the social conflict between Prince Vladimir and the heroes and, thirdly, through this technique the main features of Ilya Muromets are emphasized and expressed unusually clearly - his patriotism, will and perseverance: at a time when mortal danger loomed over the Motherland , he forgets his personal grudge, comes out in defense of the Motherland, and three times appeals to the Russian heroes to stand up for the defense of the fatherland.
Stylistic features of epics
The epics were created in tonic (also called epic, folk) verse. In works created in tonic verse, the poetic lines may have a different number of syllables, but there should be a relatively equal number of stresses. In an epic verse, the first stress, as a rule, falls on the third syllable from the beginning, and the last - on the third syllable from the end of the verse.
The stylistic originality of epics is determined by the traditional means of expression of the genre. In epics, the most common literary devices are epithets, comparisons, and tautological phrases. Epithets in epics express one or another attitude of the people towards the events depicted, that is, they have a certain evaluative meaning. The main character of the epics is a “mighty hero”. He is invariably called “a good fellow,” “a daring fellow.” He has a “great strength,” a “loud voice,” and a “heroic heart.” The hero’s faithful assistant is the horse, which in epics is endowed with vivid epithets: “heroic”, “kind”, “frisky”, etc. Tautological epithets are also typical: light room, salty salt, old age is old, honey honey.
To express opposition in epics, magnifying and diminutive forms are used: hands like a rake, eyes, heads with a basin, Ilyushenka, Dobrynyushka, Alyoshenka, Ovdotyushka.