Marafet

Azanbek Dzhanaev. Illustrations for the Nart epic, Ishmael Bey and Genghis Khan. Epic works of the peoples of Eurasia 3 works of the heroic epic of the peoples of the world

Fairy tales are related to myths, they are oral
narrative and historical
legends and they are called "epos"
is a type of literature distinguished
along with lyrics and drama;
represented by such genres as
fairy tale, legend. Varieties
heroic epic: epic,
epic poem, story, short story,
short story, novel, essay.
Epos, like drama, is characterized by
action replay,
unfolding in space and
time - the course of events in life
characters.

Features of the epic in many ways
determined by the properties
storytelling. speech here
acts mainly in
reporting function
happened earlier. Between
speech and portrayal
action in the epic is preserved
time distance: epic
the poet tells "... about the event,
as something separate from
myself..."

The epic contains information about the gods
and other supernatural
creatures, fascinating
stories and educational
examples, aphorisms of worldly
wisdom and patterns
heroic behavior;
its edifying function
as essential as
cognitive. It covers and
tragic and comic

The history of the epic

Lyro epic
Prose genres
myth (fantastic)
view of the world that is
primitive man
formations are usually
transmitted orally
stories - myths).

The concept of the heroic epic

Epos "- (from Greek) word, narration,
one of the three genres of literature that tells about
various past events.
The heroic epic of the peoples of the world is sometimes
the most important and only evidence
past eras. It goes back to ancient myths
and reflects human ideas about nature and
the world.
Initially, it was formed in the oral
form, then, acquiring new plots and
images, entrenched in writing.
The heroic epic is the result of a collective
folk art. But this does not diminish
roles of individual storytellers. famous
The Iliad and the Odyssey are known to have been
recorded by a single author - Homer

"Mahabharata" Indian epic of the 5th century AD

"The Great Tale of the Descendants of Bharata" or
"The Tale of the Great Battle of the Bharatas".
Mahabharata is a heroic poem
consisting of 18 books, or parv. As
she has the 19th book of appendices -
Harivansha, i.e. "Hari's genealogy". IN
current version of the Mahabharata
contains over one hundred thousand slokas, or
couplets, and by volume eight times
surpasses the Iliad and the Odyssey
Homer taken together.

Indian literary
tradition considers the Mahabharata
a single work, and
authorship ascribes it
the legendary sage Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasa.

Summary

between
southern.
The main story of the epic is dedicated to
stories of irreconcilable hostility
Kauravas and Pandavas - sons
two brothers Dhritarashtra and Pandu.
Into this enmity and the struggle it caused,
according to legend, gradually
many peoples are involved
and the tribes of India, northern and
It ends terrible
bloody battle in which
almost all participants both die
sides. Winners
unite at such a high price
country under his rule. So
way, the main idea of the main
legends is the unity of india
.

Mahabharata - book illustrations

"Mahabharata" sculptural illustrations

"Mahabharata" - sculptural relief

"Beowulf" England
"Nibelungenlied"
Germany
"Song of my Sid"
Spain
Elder Edda Iceland
"Song of Roland" France
"Kalevala"
Karelian-Finnish epic

"Elder Edda" from a collection of Old Norse songs about the gods and heroes of Scandinavian mythology and stories.

"Elder Edda" from a collection of Old Norse songs about
gods and heroes of Scandinavian mythology and stories.
The plot tells about the struggle in which
two groups oppose each other;
solo heroes are usually
group representatives. These groups can
be two peoples (for example, Russians and
Tatars), tribes, clans; or gods and
demons (e.g. Greek Olympians
and titans). Bogatyrs-leaders and warriors
represent a historical nation, and
their opponents are often identical
historical "invaders", foreign and
foreign oppressors. Opponents
meet in physical combat.

The amazing epic Beowulf.
Refers to the end of VII or the first
third of the 8th century.
There are 3182 verses in Beowulf, in Songs
about the Nibelungs" three times more (2379
stanzas of four verses each)
while in the longest of
Eddic songs, "Speech of the High",
total 164 stanzas (the number of verses in
stanzas fluctuates), and not a single
other song than "Greenland
Atli's speeches, does not exceed a hundred
stanza

"Beowulf".

Every country has
their heroes of the folk epic. IN
England was sung by the invincible
Robber Robin Hood - Protector
the disadvantaged; in Asia, Geser is a great archer: Evenk
heroic tales of the brave Sodani the hero; V
Buryat heroic epic Alamzhi Mergen young and his
sister Agui Gokhon

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1 The concept of the heroic epic. "Epos" - (from Greek) a word, a narrative, one of the three types of literature that tells about various events of the past. The heroic epic of the peoples of the world is sometimes the most important and the only evidence of past eras. It goes back to ancient myths and reflects man's ideas about nature and the world. Initially, it was formed in oral form, then, acquiring new plots and images, it was fixed in writing. The heroic epic is the result of collective folk art. But this does not detract from the role of individual storytellers. The famous "Iliad" and "Odyssey", as you know, were recorded by a single author - Homer.

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"The Tale of Gilgamesh" Sumerian epic 1800 BC The Epic of Gilgamesh is written on 12 clay tablets. As the plot of the epic develops, the image of Gilgamesh changes. The fairy-tale hero-hero, boasting of his strength, turns into a man who has known the tragic brevity of life. The mighty spirit of Gilgamesh rebels against the recognition of the inevitability of death; only at the end of his wanderings does the hero begin to understand that immortality can bring him the eternal glory of his name.

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Summary I table tells about the king of Uruk Gilgamesh, whose unbridled prowess caused a lot of grief to the inhabitants of the city. Deciding to create a worthy rival and friend for him, the gods molded Enkidu from clay and settled him among wild animals. Table II is devoted to the single combat of the heroes and their decision to use their strength for the good, chopping precious cedar in the mountains. Tables III, IV and V are dedicated to their preparations for the journey, travel and victory over Humbaba. Table VI is close in content to the Sumerian text about Gilgamesh and the heavenly bull. Gilgamesh rejects Inanna's love and rebukes her for her treachery. Offended, Inanna asks the gods to create a monstrous bull to destroy Uruk. Gilgamesh and Enkidu kill the bull; unable to take revenge on Gilgamesh, Inanna transfers her anger to Enkidu, who weakens and dies. The story of his farewell to life (VII table) and Gilgamesh's lament for Enkidu (VIII table) become a turning point in the epic tale. Shocked by the death of a friend, the hero sets off in search of immortality. His wanderings are described in IX and X tables. Gilgamesh wanders in the desert and reaches the mountains of Mashu, where scorpion men guard the passage through which the sun rises and sets. The "mistress of the gods" Siduri helps Gilgamesh find the shipbuilder Urshanabi, who ferried him through the "waters of death" disastrous for humans. On the opposite coast of the sea, Gilgamesh meets Utnapishtim and his wife, to whom the gods gave eternal life in ancient times. Table XI contains the famous story of the Flood and the construction of the ark, on which Utnapishtim saved the human race from extermination. Utnapishtim proves to Gilgamesh that his search for immortality is futile, since man is unable to overcome even the semblance of death - sleep. In parting, he reveals to the hero the secret of the "grass of immortality" growing at the bottom of the sea. Gilgamesh extracts the herb and decides to bring it to Uruk to give immortality to all people. On the way back, the hero falls asleep at the source; a snake rising from its depths eats grass, sheds its skin and, as it were, receives a second life. The text of Table XI known to us ends with a description of how Gilgamesh shows Urshanabi the walls of Uruk erected by him, hoping that his deeds will be preserved in the memory of posterity.

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GILGAMESH (Sumerian. Bilga-mes - this name can be interpreted as an “ancestor-hero”), a semi-legendary ruler of Uruk, a hero of the epic tradition of Sumer and Akkad. Epic texts consider Gilgamesh to be the son of the hero Lugalbanda and the goddess Ninsun, and date Gilgamesh's reign to the era of the I Dynasty of Uruk (c. 27–26 centuries BC). Gilgamesh is the fifth king of this dynasty. Gilgamesh is also credited with divine origin: "Bilgames, whose father was a demon-lila, en (i.e.," high priest ") of Kulaba." The duration of the reign of Gilgamesh is determined at 126 years. The Sumerian tradition places Gilgamesh as if on the verge of a legendary heroic time and a more recent historical past.

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"Mahabharata" Indian epic of the 5th century AD. "The Great Tale of the Descendants of Bharata" or "The Tale of the Great Battle of the Bharatas". Mahabharata is a heroic poem consisting of 18 books, or parv. In the form of an appendix, she has another 19th book - Harivansha, i.e., "The genealogy of Hari." In its current edition, the Mahabharata contains over one hundred thousand slokas, or couplets, and is eight times as long as Homer's Iliad and Odyssey taken together. The Indian literary tradition considers the Mahabharata to be a single work, and its authorship is attributed to the legendary sage Krishna-Dvaipayana Vyasa.

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Summary The main story of the epic is dedicated to the history of irreconcilable enmity between the Kauravas and the Pandavas - the sons of the two brothers Dhritarashtra and Pandu. Into this enmity and the strife caused by it, according to the legend, numerous peoples and tribes of India, northern and southern, are gradually involved. It ends in a terrible, bloody battle in which almost all members of both sides perish. Those who have won the victory at such a high price unite the country under their rule. Thus, the main idea of the main story is the unity of India.

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The medieval European epic "The Nibelungenlied" is a medieval Germanic epic poem written by an unknown author in the late 12th and early 13th centuries. Belongs to the number of the most famous epic works of mankind. Its content is reduced to 39 parts (songs), which are called "adventures".

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The song tells about the marriage of the dragon slayer Siekfried to the Burgundian princess Kriemhild, his death due to Kriemhild's conflict with Brunhilda, the wife of her brother Gunther, and then about Kriemhild's revenge for the death of her husband. There is reason to believe that the epic was composed around 1200, that the place of its origin should be sought on the Danube, in the area between Passau and Vienna. Various assumptions have been made in science regarding the identity of the author. Some scholars considered him a shpilman, a wandering singer, others were inclined to think that he was a clergyman (perhaps in the service of the Bishop of Passau), others that he was an educated knight of a low family. The Nibelungenlied combines two initially independent plots: the legend of the death of Siegfried and the legend of the end of the Burgundian house. They form, as it were, two parts of the epic. Both these parts are not fully coordinated, and between them one can notice certain contradictions. So, in the first part, the Burgundians receive a generally negative assessment and look rather gloomy in comparison with the bright hero Siegfried they kill, whose services and help they so widely used, while in the second part they appear as valiant knights, courageously meeting their tragic fate. . The name "Nibelungs" is used differently in the first and second parts of the epic: in the first, these are fabulous creatures, northern treasure keepers and heroes in the service of Siegfried, in the second, the Burgundians.

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The epic primarily reflects the knightly worldview of the Staufen era (the Staufen (or Hohenstaufen) - the imperial dynasty that ruled Germany and Italy in the 12th - first half of the 13th century. The Staufen, especially Frederick I Barbarossa (1152-1190), tried to carry out a wide external expansion, which ultimately accelerated the weakening of the central government and contributed to the strengthening of the princes.At the same time, the Staufen era was characterized by a significant, but short-lived cultural upsurge.).

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Kalevala Kalevala - Karelian - Finnish poetic epic. Consists of 50 runes (songs). It is based on Karelian folk epic songs. The processing of Kalevala belongs to Elias Lönnrot (1802-1884), who connected individual folk epic songs, making a certain selection of variants of these songs and smoothing out some irregularities. The name Kalevala given to the poem by Lönnrot is the epic name of the country in which they live and act Finnish folk heroes. The suffix lla means place of residence, so Kalevalla is the place of residence of Kalev, the mythological ancestor of the heroes Väinämöinen, Ilmarinen, Lemminkäinen, sometimes called his sons. There is no main plot in Kalevalla that would link all the songs together.

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It opens with a legend about the creation of the earth, sky, luminaries and the birth of the main character of the Finns, Väinämöinen, by the daughter of air, who arranges the earth and sows barley. The following tells about the various adventures of the hero, who, by the way, meets the beautiful maiden of the North: she agrees to become his bride if he miraculously creates a boat from fragments of her spindle. Having started work, the hero wounds himself with an ax, cannot stop the bleeding and goes to the old healer, who is told a legend about the origin of iron. Returning home, Väinämöinen raises the wind with spells and transfers the blacksmith Ilmarinen to the country of the North, Pohjola, where he, according to the promise given by Väinämöinen, forges for the mistress of the North a mysterious object that gives wealth and happiness - the Sampo mill (runes I-XI). The following runes (XI-XV) contain an episode about the adventures of the hero Lemminkäinen, a militant sorcerer and seducer of women. The story then returns to Väinämöinen; his descent into the underworld, his stay in the womb of the giant Viipunen, his obtaining from the last three words necessary to create a wonderful boat, the departure of the hero to Pohjola in order to receive the hand of a northern maiden are described; however, the latter preferred the blacksmith Ilmarinen to him, whom she marries, and the wedding is described in detail and wedding songs are given outlining the duties of the wife and husband (XVI-XXV).

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Further runes (XXVI-XXXI) are again occupied by the adventures of Lemminkäinen in Pohjola. The episode about the sad fate of the hero Kullervo, who unknowingly seduced his own sister, as a result of which both, brother and sister, commit suicide (runes XXXI-XXXVI), belongs in depth of feeling, sometimes reaching true pathos, to the best parts of the entire poem. Further runes contain a lengthy story about the common enterprise of three Finnish heroes - obtaining the Sampo treasure from Pohjola, about making a kantele by Väinämöinen, playing on which he enchants all nature and lulls the population of Pohjola, about Sampo being taken away by heroes, about their persecution by the sorceress-mistress of the North, about the fall Sampo in the sea, about the blessings rendered by Väinämöinen to his native country through the fragments of Sampo, about his struggle with various disasters and monsters sent by the mistress of Pohjola to Kalevala, about the hero’s wondrous game on a new kantele created by him when the first one fell into the sea, and about his return to them the sun and moon hidden by the mistress of Pohjola (XXXVI-XLIX). The last rune contains a folk apocryphal legend about the birth of a miraculous child by the virgin Maryatta (the birth of the Savior). Väinämöinen gives advice to kill him, as he is destined to surpass the power of the Finnish hero, but the two-week-old baby showers Väinämöinen with reproaches of injustice, and the ashamed hero, having sung a wondrous song for the last time, leaves forever in a canoe from Finland, giving way to the baby Maryatta, the recognized ruler of Karelia .

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Other peoples of the world have their own heroic epics: in England - "Beowulf", in Spain - "The Song of my Sid", in Iceland - "The Elder Edda", in France - "The Song of Roland", in Yakutia - "Olonkho", in the Caucasus - the "Nart epic", in Kyrgyzstan - "Manas", in Russia - the "epic epic", etc. Despite the fact that the heroic epic of peoples was composed in different historical settings, it has many common features and similar features. First of all, this concerns the repetition of themes and plots, as well as the common characteristics of the main characters. For example: 1. The epic often includes the plot of the creation of the world, how the gods create the harmony of the world from the initial chaos. 2. The plot of the miraculous birth of the hero and his first youthful exploits. in which the hero shows miracles of courage, resourcefulness and courage. 5. Glorification of fidelity in friendship, generosity and honor.

These are not reproductions, but photographs of paintings that I took in museums. On some I couldn't beat the highlights, so the quality isn't great. Good sized originals.

Illustrations for the Nart epic

It is believed that the Nart epic has ancient Iranian roots (7-8 centuries BC), through the Scythian-Sarmatian tribes it spread to the territory of the Caucasus, the main core was created by the Adygs, Ossetians, Vainakhs, Abkhazians, and is popular with others (along with common features each nation had its own peculiarities), in the 19th century it was first recorded by the Russians (a little more about the genesis of the epic in this article).

The Ossetian artist Azanbek Dzhanaev (1919-1989) turned to the nartiada several times: in 1948, his graduation work at the Leningrad Academy of Arts at the graphic department, the work was done in the style of lithography, and in the 1970s, the materials were gouache and cardboard.

Personally, his black and white graphics make a greater impression on me, but in general, in my unprofessional opinion, thanks to the realistic style of drawing, Dzhanaev managed to capture and convey all the beauty of the epic and mountain peoples :)

1. Lamentation of Dzerassa over the bodies of Akhsar and Akhsartag (1948)
2. Akhsar and Akhsartag (1977)

The ancestor of the Narts was Warhag, he had two twin sons Akhsar and Akhsartag, whose wife was the daughter of the water deity Dzerassa. While Akhsartag and Dzerassa were feasting, Akhsar was waiting for them on the shore. Somehow he returned to his tent and saw his daughter-in-law, and she mistook him for Akhsartag. Then Akhsartag entered and decided that Akhsar had committed violence against her. “If I am guilty, let my arrow strike me to death in the place with which I touched my daughter-in-law!” exclaimed Akhsar, and released the arrow. She hit the little finger and immediately Akhsar died. Akhsartag realized his mistake, drew his sword and struck himself in the heart. While Dzerassa was mourning the brothers, the celestial Uastirdzhi appeared and offered her to bury the men, in exchange she would become his wife. Dzerassa agreed, but then, having deceived Uastirdzhi, she fled to her parents at the bottom of the sea. "Wait, I'll find you, even in the land of the dead," Uastirji said.

It is curious: the name Warhag in translation from the ancient Ossetian means "wolf", his sons are twin brothers who killed each other (in other versions of the legend, the brothers did not recognize each other), there is a plot similarity with the legend of Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome. The theme of "education by wolves" occurs many times in the epic.

3. How Satan married Uryzmag (1978)

Dzerassa gave birth to twin brothers Uryzmag and Khamyts, and punished them "when I die, protect my body for three nights, one unkind person swore to find me even after death." And so it happened, while the brothers were gone, Uastyrji entered the crypt, after which they found a newborn girl in it, who was named Satan. She grew by leaps and bounds, having matured, she decided to marry the best Nart, who was Uryzmag. In order to upset his wedding with another girl, Satan tricked him into his bedroom, prepared an intoxicating drink, put on his bride's wedding clothes and pretended to be her. She bewitched the ceiling of the room so that the moon and stars would always be on it, and Uryzmag did not get up from the bed until the heart of his true bride burst from despair.

The image of Satan (among the Circassians, Sataney) originated during the period of matriarchy, she plays the role of a wise adviser to the Narts, endowed with magic spells, but does not direct them directly. In the Ingush epic, Satan corresponds to Sela Sata, the daughter of the god of thunder and lightning Sela, born to a mortal woman under the same circumstances. Sela Sata married the sky god Halo: where she carried the straw for the wedding bed, the Milky Way formed, where she baked triangular bread, the summer-autumn triangle formed (the stars Vega, Deneb and Altair).

4. Nart Syrdon (1976)

Syrdon is the son of the water deity Gatag and Dzerassa, a cunning rogue who made intrigues for the sledges. When Syrdon, offended by Khamyts, stole a cow from him, Khamyts found his secret house, killed all his sons and put them in a cauldron instead of a cow. Struck by grief, Syrdon pulled 12 veins of other sons onto the brush of his eldest son and made a fandyr (harp), presented it to the sledges and was accepted into their society.

Among the Vainakhs, Syrdon corresponds to Botky Shirtka. Narts threw his little son into the cauldron, in revenge he lured them into a trap to the monsters garbash. But the next picture ("Narts' campaign") is about this.

5. Campaign of the Narts (1977)

The Narts went on a campaign and saw the dwelling of the giants of the Waigs. The giants lured them to a bench that was covered with magic glue so that the sledges could not stand up and were preparing to eat them. Only the last nart Syrdon who entered was able to save everyone by setting the stupid waigs against each other. But the mutual intrigues of the Narts and Syrdon did not stop there.

In the Vainakh version, at the sight of imminent death, the sledges begged for mercy, Botky Shirtka forgave them for the death of their son, making it so that the garbashs fought among themselves, and the sledges calmly left. Since then, there has been no enmity between them.

It is curious: according to the Ossetian epic, the waigs are one-eyed giants, but Dzhanaev, with his inherent realism, depicts them as narrow-minded ape-like pithecanthropes. He acts similarly in other plots, for example, the three-legged horse Uastirdzhi has all four legs available.

6. Exiled on a campaign (1976)

Soslan (Sosruko among the Circassians, Seska Solsa among the Vainakhs) is the central hero of the epic and one of the most beloved. Appeared from a stone fertilized by a shepherd at the sight of a naked Satan, hardened in wolf's milk (except for the knees, which did not fit into the boat because of the cunning Syrdon), became an almost invulnerable hero-hero. In the Nart-Orstkhoy epic of the Ingush, Seska Solsa acquired negative traits (for example, he stole cattle from the local hero, heroic worker Koloy Kant, but the stronger Koloi restored justice).

7. Soslan and Totradz (1972)

Totradz is the son of the blood enemy of Soslan, the last man in the genus exterminated by him. At a young age, he raised Soslan on a spear, but agreeing not to dishonor him, he postponed the duel. The next time, Soslan dealt with him on the advice of Satan: he put on his horse a coat of wolf skins and 100 ringing bells, thereby frightening the horse Totradz, Totradz turned around and Soslan treacherously killed him with a blow to the back.

Among the Circassians, Totresh is considered a negative hero and the actions of Sosruko, who did not heed the request of Totresh to postpone the fight after falling from his horse, are idealized.

8. sawwye (1978)

Sauuai is the son-in-law of Uryzmag and Satan. But from birth they were enemies. Somehow Sauuai went on a campaign together with Uryzmag, Khamyts, Soslan, and they conceived that the steel-hoofed horse of Soslan would destroy Sauuai, ride at night over the edge of the earth, visit the underworld and heaven, and Sauuai, who guarded the camp, could not find him and brought upon himself shame on the Narts. But Sauuai not only found him, but also brought Uryzmag a huge herd of horses from a distant country, which earned him trust and respect.

9. Exiled in the land of the dead (1948)

Soslan decided to marry Atsyrukhs, the daughter of the Sun, but the Uaigs who protected her demanded a difficult ransom, leaves from a healing tree growing in the Land of the Dead. By force, Soslan opened the gates to it and was immediately surrounded by the dead, who were killed by him during his lifetime. But while Soslan was alive, the enemies could not do anything with him. Soslan got the leaves, returned, and got married.

According to Ingush legends, Seska Solsa came to the kingdom of the dead to find out who is stronger, he or the local hero Byatar. This is one of my favorite tales, so I will quote a piece of it:

The Lord of the kingdom of the dead thought deeply and asked them the following parable-riddle:
- There used to be two people. Everyone knew them as true and devoted friends. One of them fell in love with a girl and the girl agreed to become his wife. The second also fell in love with this girl, not knowing that his friend loves her, and sent matchmakers to her parents. The parents agreed. The first of the friends did not know about it. When he wanted to talk affectionately with the girl, she informed him that she had been betrothed to another without her consent, and that she, at any time appointed by her lover, was ready to run away with him. Returning home after a conversation with a girl, in the uninhabited steppe, he met a hungry and thirsty unarmed blood lover, the murderer of his father. Now tell me, what would you do if the girl you loved was given to another and still remained faithful to you? What would you do with your bloodline meeting? Tell me, what would you do in this person's place?
Seska Solsa and Byatar thought for a while. Then Seska Solsa said:
- If you ask me, then if I were this man, I would kidnap the girl, because I fell in love with her before anyone else. And with the bloodline would have done what he deserves. Whatever he is, he is still my bloodline! But if he didn't have a gunpowder-weapon, I would lend him mine.
Bytar said:
- Friendship is needed not at a plentiful table, not at a beautiful speech. In grief or in another matter, great friendship is required. The girl should have given way to a friend, praising him in every possible way. Of course, it's easy to talk about it, but it's much harder to do it. And yet, I think that's what a true friend should have done. Letting go of a blood enemy is shameful, but in such a difficult moment as he finds himself in, I would greet him with bread and salt. To kill a weak person is a little courage.
After listening to both answers, the Lord of the realm of the dead said:
“Don't worry, Sesca Solsa. If you judge courage as you understand it, then you will not be more courageous. Based on your answers, I found that Byatar understands courage more correctly. It does not consist of courage alone; courage takes a lot. In order to rush to the Terek without hesitation, one does not need much courage. Courage is determined not by this, but by the mind.

10. Soslan and Balsagovo Wheel (1948)
11. Exiled and Balsag wheel (1976)

Soslan insulted Balsag's daughter by refusing to marry her, and sent Balsag his fiery wheel to kill the Nart. It burned everything in its path, but could not stop Soslan. Then, taught by Syrdon, it passes over the unseasoned knees of Soslan, and he dies. The only one who was able to destroy the Balsag wheel was Batradz (the next cycle of paintings is about him).

12. Batradz (1948)

Batradz - the son of Khamyts, hardened like steel by a heavenly blacksmith, crushed enemies and any strongholds with his body. It was impossible to kill him with any weapon, he died only in the fight against the celestials from the unbearable heat sent.

13. Batradz in the fight (1948)
14. Batradz and Tyhyfirt (1978)

The giant Tyhyfyrt sent girls to the Narts for tribute, but instead Batradz challenged him to a fight in which the wrestlers could not defeat each other. Then Tykhyfert lured Batradz into a deep hole and wanted to throw boulders at him, but Batradz climbed to the ground and killed Tykhyfert.

16. Wedding of Atsamaz and Agunda (1976)

Atsamaz is a musician, to the sound of whose flute glaciers melted, mountains crumbled, animals came out of shelters and flowers bloomed. Hearing the game of Atsamaz, the beautiful Agunda fell in love with him, but with her request to give a flute offended Atsamaz, and he broke her. The celestials learned about this and acted as matchmakers; at the wedding, Agunda returned Atsamaz his flute, glued together from selected fragments.

17. Three sleds (1948)

A myth is an ancient folk tale about legendary gods, heroes and incredible natural phenomena. Myth means tradition and tale, hence the current purpose of myth as a separate literary genre.

Myth and its place in literature

Such tales arose in primitive society, and therefore all sorts of early elements of philosophy, religion, and art are intertwined in myths. A distinctive feature of the myth is that it has recurring themes and similar motifs that can be found in the myths of different peoples and times.

It is believed that myths were the main way of knowing the world in primitive society, since they displayed acceptable explanations for many natural phenomena.

This is due to the fact that in myths nature appeared in the form of symbols, which sometimes were in the form of a person. Mythology is close to fiction in the form of figurative narration, therefore it is said that mythology had a huge impact on the development of literature as such.

In fiction, mythological motifs are very often found, and many plots are based on myths. An example of this can serve as such literary works as "The Magic Mountain" by T. Mann and "Nana" by E. Zola.

Heroic epic of different peoples and heroes of the epic

Each nation is characterized by a certain heroic epic, which reveals the life and customs of certain nations, their values and view of the world around them. This genre of medieval literature, in which folk heroes and their exploits were sung. Often the epic was formed in the form of songs.

The heroic epic of the Eastern Slavs is represented by the epic "Ilya Muromets and the Nightingale the Robber". The hero Ilya Muromets is the central figure of the entire Russian epic, he is presented as a defender of the people and his native land. This is the reason why such a character has become the people's favorite - after all, he reflects the main values of the Russian people.

The famous poem "Davil of Sasun" refers to the Armenian heroic epos. This work depicts the struggle of the Armenian people against the invaders, and its central figure is the personification of the national spirit, seeking to free itself from foreign invaders.

A reminder of the German heroic epic is the "Song of the Nibelungs" - the legend of the knights. The main character of the work is the brave and mighty Siegfried. This is a just knight who becomes a victim of betrayal and betrayal, but despite this he remains noble and generous.

"The Song of Roland" is an example of the French heroic epic. the main theme of the poem is the struggle of the people against enemies and conquerors. Knight Roland acts as the protagonist, noble and courageous. This poem is close to historical reality.

The English heroic epic is represented by numerous ballads about the legendary Robin Hood, robber and protector of the poor and unfortunate. This courageous and noble hero has a cheerful disposition and therefore he has become a real folk favorite. It is believed that Robin Hood is a historical character who was an earl, but gave up a rich life in order to help the poor and disadvantaged people.

"The Tale of Gilgamesh" Sumerian epic 1800 BC. e. The Epic of Gilgamesh is written on 12 clay tablets. As the plot of the epic develops, the image of Gilgamesh changes. The fairy-tale hero-hero, boasting of his strength, turns into a man who has known the tragic brevity of life. The mighty spirit of Gilgamesh rebels against the recognition of the inevitability of death; only at the end of his wanderings does the hero begin to understand that immortality can bring him the eternal glory of his name.

Summary I table tells about the king of Uruk Gilgamesh, whose unbridled prowess caused a lot of grief to the inhabitants of the city. Deciding to create a worthy rival and friend for him, the gods molded Enkidu from clay and settled him among wild animals. Table II is devoted to the single combat of the heroes and their decision to use their strength for the good, chopping precious cedar in the mountains. Tables III, IV and V are dedicated to their preparations for the journey, travel and victory over Humbaba. Table VI is close in content to the Sumerian text about Gilgamesh and the heavenly bull. Gilgamesh rejects Inanna's love and rebukes her for her treachery. Offended, Inanna asks the gods to create a monstrous bull to destroy Uruk. Gilgamesh and Enkidu kill the bull; unable to take revenge on Gilgamesh, Inanna takes her anger out on Enkidu, who weakens and dies. The story of his farewell to life (table VII) and Gilgamesh's lament for Enkidu (table VIII) become a turning point in the epic tale. Shocked by the death of a friend, the hero sets off in search of immortality. His wanderings are described in IX and X tables. Gilgamesh wanders in the desert and reaches the mountains of Mashu, where scorpion men guard the passage through which the sun rises and sets. The “mistress of the gods” Siduri helps Gilgamesh find the shipbuilder Urshanabi, who has ferried the “waters of death” through the disastrous for humans. On the opposite shore of the sea, Gilgamesh meets Utnapishtim and his wife, whom the gods gave eternal life in ancient times. Table XI contains the famous story of the Flood and the construction of the ark, on which Utnapishtim saved the human race from destruction. Utnapishtim proves to Gilgamesh that his search for immortality is futile, since man is unable to overcome even the semblance of death - sleep. In parting, he reveals to the hero the secret of the "grass of immortality" growing at the bottom of the sea. Gilgamesh extracts the herb and decides to bring it to Uruk to give immortality to all people. On the way back, the hero falls asleep at the source; a snake rising from its depths eats grass, sheds its skin and, as it were, receives a second life. The text of Table XI known to us ends with a description of how Gilgamesh shows Urshanabi the walls of Uruk erected by him, hoping that his deeds will be preserved in the memory of posterity.

Gilgamesh with a lion from the palace of Sargon II at Dur-Sharrukin. 8th century BC NE GILGAME SH (Sumer. Bilgames - the interpretation of this name as a “proto-hero” is possible), a semi-legendary ruler of Uruk, a hero of the epic tradition of Sumer and Akkad. Epic texts consider Gilgamesh to be the son of the hero Lugalbanda and the goddess Ninsun, and refer Gilgamesh's reign to the era of the I Dynasty of Uruk (c. 27–26 centuries BC). Gilgamesh is the fifth king of this dynasty. Gilgamesh is also attributed a divine origin: "Bilgames, whose father was a demon-lila, en (i.e.," high priest ") of Kulaba". The duration of the reign of Gilgamesh is determined at 126 years. The Sumerian tradition places Gilgamesh as if on the verge of a legendary heroic time and a more recent historical past.

"Mahabharata" Indian epic of the 5th century. n. e. "The Great Tale of the Descendants of Bharata" or "The Tale of the Great Battle of the Bharatas". Mahabharata is a heroic poem consisting of 18 books, or parv. In the form of an appendix, she has another 19th book - Harivansha, i.e. "Hari's Genealogy". In its current edition, the Mahabharata contains over one hundred thousand slokas, or couplets, and is eight times as long as Homer's Iliad and Odyssey taken together. The Indian literary tradition considers the Mahabharata to be a single work, and its authorship is attributed to the legendary sage Krishna-Dvaipayana Vyasa.

The song tells about the marriage of the dragon slayer Siegfried to the Burgundian princess Kriemhild, his death due to the conflict between Kriemhild and Brunhilda, the wife of her brother Gunther, and then about Kriemhild's revenge for the death of her husband. There is reason to believe that the epic was composed around 1200, that the place of its origin should be sought on the Danube, in the area between Passau and Vienna. Various assumptions have been made in science regarding the identity of the author. Some scholars considered him a shpilman, a wandering singer, others were inclined to think that he was a clergyman (perhaps in the service of the Bishop of Passau), others that he was an educated knight of a low family. The Nibelungenlied combines two initially independent plots: the legend of the death of Siegfried and the legend of the end of the Burgundian house. They form, as it were, two parts of the epic. Both these parts are not fully coordinated, and between them one can notice certain contradictions. So, in the first part, the Burgundians receive a generally negative assessment and look rather gloomy in comparison with the bright hero Siegfried they kill, whose services and help they so widely used, while in the second part they appear as valiant knights, courageously meeting their tragic fate. . The name "Nibelungs" is used differently in the first and second parts of the epic: in the first, these are fabulous creatures, northern treasure keepers and heroes in the service of Siegfried, in the second, the Burgundians.

The quarrel of the kings Competitions at the court of Brunnhilde The epic primarily reflects the chivalrous worldview of the Staufen era (the Staufen (or Hohenstaufen) - the imperial dynasty that ruled Germany and Italy in the XII - first half of the XIII century. The Staufen, especially Frederick I Barbarossa (1152-1190), tried to carry out a wide external expansion, which ultimately accelerated the weakening of the central government and contributed to the strengthening of the princes.At the same time, the Staufen era was characterized by a significant but short-lived cultural upsurge.).

Kalevala Kalevala - Karelian - Finnish poetic epic. Consists of 50 runes (songs). It is based on Karelian folk epic songs. The processing of Kalevala belongs to Elias Lönnrot (1802-1884), who linked individual folk epic songs, making a certain selection of variants of these songs and smoothing out some of the bumps. The name Kalevala, given to the poem by Lönnrot, is the epic name of the country in which Finnish folk heroes live and act. The suffix lla means place of residence, so Kalevalla is the place of residence of Kalev, the mythological ancestor of the heroes Väinämöinen, Ilmarinen, Lemminkäinen, sometimes called his sons. In Kalevala there is no main plot that would connect all the songs together.

It opens with a legend about the creation of the earth, sky, luminaries and the birth of the main character of the Finns, Väinämöinen, who arranges the earth and sows barley, by the daughter of air. The following tells about the various adventures of the hero, who, by the way, meets the beautiful maiden of the North: she agrees to become his bride if he miraculously creates a boat from fragments of her spindle. Having started work, the hero wounds himself with an ax, cannot stop the bleeding and goes to the old healer, who is told a legend about the origin of iron. Returning home, Väinämöinen raises the wind with spells and transfers the blacksmith Ilmarinen to the country of the North, Pohjola, where he, according to the promise given by Väinämöinen, forges for the mistress of the North a mysterious object that gives wealth and happiness - the Sampo mill (runes I-XI). The following runes (XI-XV) contain an episode about the adventures of the hero Lemminkäinen, a militant sorcerer and seducer of women. The story then returns to Väinämöinen; his descent into the underworld, his stay in the womb of the giant Viipunen, his obtaining from the last three words necessary to create a wonderful boat, the departure of the hero to Pohjola in order to receive the hand of a northern maiden are described; however, the latter preferred the blacksmith Ilmarinen to him, whom she marries, and the wedding is described in detail and wedding songs are given outlining the duties of the wife and husband (XVI-XXV).

Other peoples of the world have developed their own heroic epics: in England - "Beowulf", in Spain - "Song of my Sid", in Iceland - "Elder Edda", in France - "The Song of Roland", in Yakutia - "Olonkho", in the Caucasus - "Nart epic", in Kyrgyzstan - "Manas", in Russia - "epic epic", etc. Despite the fact that the heroic epic of peoples was composed in different historical settings, it has many common features and similar features. First of all, this concerns the repetition of themes and plots, as well as the common characteristics of the main characters. For example: 1. The epic often includes the story of the creation of the world, how the gods create the harmony of the world from the initial chaos. 2. The plot of the miraculous birth of the hero and his first youthful exploits. 3. The plot of the matchmaking of the hero and his trials before the wedding. 4. Description of the battle in which the hero shows miracles of courage, resourcefulness and courage. 5. Glorification of fidelity in friendship, generosity and honor. 6. Heroes not only defend their homeland, but also highly value their own freedom and independence.