What is an epic epic?  epic is what epic is: definition - history.nes

Representing a legend about some significant event or telling about the life of a character. Often these poetic works are distinguished by such an exciting plot that they are read with interest and modern people. Let's get acquainted with the features of the genre and the main artistic techniques.

Epic - what is it?

The definition of an epic can be formulated as follows: this is a song praising Russian princes, heroes, and the glory of Russian weapons. The plot of the work is openly patriotic in nature, the forces of evil are ultimately defeated, and good triumphs. Researchers believed that these songs reflected very specific historical events, which took place in the real past, but are intertwined with each other in the popular consciousness.

The term itself was introduced into the theory of literature by Ivan Sakharov in the 30s of the 19th century; before that, the genre was called “antiquity.”

Features of the genre

Having examined the definition of epic, we highlight a number of features of this genre of Russian folklore:

• Having a plot.
• The main character or characters engage in a duel with the forces of evil. Most often it tells about princes, heroes, and other defenders of the Russian land, ready to come to the rescue in difficult times.
• It is written in tonic verse, the number of stresses is from 2 to 4. And the number of syllables in the lines could be different.
• All events are presented sequentially, given Special attention description of the scene, details.
• The texts have no specific authorship; each of them was written by several people and passed on orally, from one generation to another. Each narrator could add something of his own to the content, but, on the contrary, forget some details. That's why about 40 Russian stories are known folk epics, and the texts themselves are more than a thousand.
• Specially trained storytellers were entrusted with performing such songs.

These character traits will help to distinguish epics from songs, legends and other genres of oral folk art.

Construction specifics

We have already looked at what an epic is. Find out this folk song The specifics of its construction will also help. Thus, each text includes three main parts, which are presented in the table.

Each epic was built in accordance with this structure. The genre is distinguished by an abundance of details, descriptions of nature, and elaboration of the characters.

Main characters

In defining an epic, one more feature is very important - the main characters. Most often these are heroes, possessing unprecedented strength, courageous and fair. They are ready to challenge an equally powerful enemy and stand up for the poor and weak until death. Among the most popular characters famous Russian epics should include Dobrynya Nikitich, Ilya Muromets, Alyosha Popovich. In each image, the Russian people sought to present the features of an ideal protector and helper. Many heroes had heroic horses to match them, just as fearless and powerful.

No less colorful and negative characters Russian folk epics. So, the Nightingale the Robber is the owner of unprecedented strength, his weapon is a loud whistle, the sound of which caused ordinary warriors to fall dead. And only the hero Ilya Muromets managed to defeat him in a fair fight. The fire-breathing multi-headed Serpent Gorynych became an enemy of Dobrynya Nikitich and died at his hand. Alyosha Popovich had to fight Tugarin Zmeevich, an evil hero, in whose image the fear of Russian peasants of the raids of nomads was reflected.

Popular artistic techniques

The definition of epic gives only general idea about the genre, an analysis of the original artistic techniques, which were used by ancient storytellers.

The melodious sound is created not by rhymes, but by musical verse and consonances. A special flavor is given by the use of unusual comparisons, colorful epithets, and ancient vocabulary. In order to present the hero in in the best light, and his opponent - equal to him, strong and powerful, ancient storytellers used the technique of hyperbole - exaggeration.

To draw attention to something important detail or event, they often turned to triple repetition. This technique is used in more than one text; often the same figures of speech move from epic to epic, creating a holistic epic picture.

These guys are rich folklore works and words with diminutive suffixes that help the narrator express his attitude to what is happening: Ilyushenka, Mikulushka Selyaninovich, Dobrynyushka - these forms indicate that the narrator experiences sincere love and sympathy for the characters.

Classification

Epics in Russian literature, depending on the place of action, belong to one of two cycles: Novgorod and Kyiv. Some researchers also identify a later layer - all-Russian texts.

Works can also be classified according to their content. Thus, in literary criticism the following cycles are distinguished:

• About Alyosha Popovich.
• About Ilya Muromets.
• About Dobrynya Nikitich.
• About Russian heroes (“Sadko”, “Mikula and Volga Selyaninovich”, “Vasily Buslaev”, “Nightingale Budimirovich” and others).

The definition of epics and a description of their features allows us to conclude that in these works of folklore special meaning every word had. The texts were passed on by word of mouth, so there is nothing surprising in the use constant epithets, triple repetitions - it was easier to remember them that way. Epics had a key influence not only on the development of literature, but also on historical science as a source of knowledge about life and everyday life of times gone by.

Epics - poetic heroic epic ancient Rus', reflecting the events historical life Russian people mainly from the 11th to 16th centuries. The common name among the people is: oldies, oldies, oldies. In scientific and popular science literature until the 40s of the 19th century. They were more often called: heroic tales. The term epics came into general use in the second half of the 19th century. V.F. Miller, and after him other scientists, believed that this term was first introduced by a collector and amateur folklore of the 30-40s of the 19th century. I. P. Sakharov, who used the expression “Tales of Igor’s Campaign” (see “Let’s start singing songs based on the epics of this time ...”). Recent research by Soviet researchers has shown that the terms “epic” and “byl” as names of ancient Russian epic songs were used by writers and researchers of the 18th - early XIX V. In some areas these names are also found in the vernacular.

ORIGIN OF EPICS

In folkloristics, there are different views on the time of the origin of epics. Some researchers (V.F. Miller, B. and Yu. Sokolov, etc.) believe that the genre of epics developed in the conditions of Kievan Rus, simultaneously with the events described, and in subsequent times only received development.

Other scientists (M.E. Khalaisky, S.K. Shambinago, etc.) argued that epics were mainly created in Muscovite Rus'.

IN recently was nominated interesting theory, which argues that epics were mainly formed in the Middle Ages, after the fall of Kievan Rus, as heroic songs, united by the image of the capital city of Kyiv and Prince of Kyiv Vladimir. According to this theory, epics were composed as songs about the past, and not about the present. The “epic time” of epics is the era of the Kyiv state, depicted in epics as a time when the people performed feats and restored justice; This contrasted the epic time with modernity with its separate policy of princes and the Tatar yoke in Rus'.

Undoubtedly, it should be recognized that the origin of epics is epic songs feudal Rus'. How special genre they received their initial development during the creation process ancient Russian state. In their development, epics go through several stages that correspond to and reflect historical reality. Continuing the traditions of the epic creativity of the East Slavic tribes, from which the Kiev state was formed several centuries later, historical epic pre-Mongol period of Rus', as can be judged from the texts that have come down to us, represented the sum of individual songs glorifying power and greatness Kyiv State. During the Tatar yoke, the concept of Kievan Rus arose as an epic time of epics, and the cyclization of the epic was planned, educating the patriotic feelings and aspirations of the people; at the same time, the main image of the Russian epic becomes image of a hero, uniting everything best forces states for a crushing rebuff to the enemy. During the same period, the development of ancient Russian cities as important state and cultural centers leads to the coverage in the epic of the social and family life of Rus', its ideological and cultural life. Both of these periods were the heyday of the epic epic. And although we do not have records of epics made before the 17th century, the stability of content and form ancient Russian epic allows us to consider the main composition of epics as folk art of medieval Rus'.

Under the conditions of the Moscow state and after the reforms of Peter the Great's time, the genre of epics continues to live and develop, but basically reflects the same historical events as in previously created works. New texts of epics appear in most cases as retellings of stories and fairy tale epics. Bylinas in Muscovite Rus' undoubtedly did not remain unchanged; they introduced features of modern social and political struggle, culture and life; they were interpreted as works that spoke about the present, although they narrated about past times.

CLASSIFICATION OF EPICS

By their nature, epics are divided into heroic, the main theme of which is the fight against external enemy and defense of Rus', and novelistic ones, describing mainly social and family life medieval Russian state.

Due to the fact that the main attacks of the enemy fell on the southern Russian principalities and northeastern Rus', heroic themes heroic epics, telling about the defense of the homeland from the enemy, are concentrated around Kyiv. This is the so-called Kiev cycle of epics.

The Kyiv cycle of epics, whose main characters are Ilya Muromets, Dobryiya Nikitich and Alyosha Popovich, is joined by Galician-Volyn epics. The difference between the Galician-Volyn epics and the Kyiv ones is that they usually talk about the fight against an enemy attacking from the west (see epics about Prince Roman).

Novellistic epics, as a rule, talk about the life of Novgorod and its people. The originality of Novgorod epics is due to historical destinies Novgorod. It is known that Novgorod and the Novgorod land were placed in a special position in relation to Tatar yoke. The Novgorod lands, especially the outlying lands of the Russian North, suffered less from the Tatar yoke. It is quite clear that the theme of family and social life for the Novgorod lands was common even at the time of the Tatar invasion. The best known are the epics of the Novgorod cycle about Sadko and Vasily Buslaev.

In the days of hoary antiquity, special songs appeared. They talked about what happened. The word “epics”, as well as “antiques” and “oldies”, stuck to them. In the pre-Petrine era, crowds of singers and funny people, local and visiting, walked around Rus', among whom were costumed musicians and buffoons in short tunics with split hems. Their repertoire alternated between funny songs and serious epics about important events And historical figures. In the epics there were genuine historical facts, reflected the thoughts and feelings of the people, features of antiquity that had long been forgotten.

Epics were performed in a special way. The storyteller, the singer of epics, introduced the listeners with his “beginning” into the appropriate mood of a sedate and peaceful conversation. He ran through the strings, evoked inspiration in himself and in the listeners, and created a special mood before performing the epic. In all these “beginnings” it was not so much verbal and poetic as musical technique. But now the “beginning” is completed, and the singer begins the content of the epic.

What is the significance of epics for Russian literature?

Historical, heroic, heroic, social epics have enriched Russian literature. These works, devoid of everything artificial and unreal, brought to us the features of ancient eras, the features of such a dear antiquity.

Epics, this invaluable experience of folk art, helped to unravel the most complex knots of history, uncompromisingly depicting life in all its most acute conflicts, vicissitudes, and events.

Epics were the basis for the appearance in literature of works of a heroic and historical nature.

What is the significance of epics for us?

The epics came to us along with those commandments, traditions and rituals that were in Rus' thousands of years ago. They have documentary value. Peace and struggle, customs and life Everyday life formed the basis of epic creativity. It is from epics that we learn about how our ancestors, the Russians, lived, how they farmed, what cared and worried them.

Epics tell us about best examples- how to serve the Motherland, defend it, how to prepare oneself for a feat of arms, how to cultivate endurance and courage.

It is from song stories and epics that we can glean information about the exploits of warriors, about loyalty military duty, about the people’s desire for everything extraordinary, exceptional, colorful.

From epics we learn about old Rus', about the structure of cities, about Russian heroism.

About epic storytellers

Epic storytellers are special people. It was noticed that they did not know some of the epics they sang by heart, that is, they could not repeat the old epic word for word. In each new repetition of an epic they have already sung once, they introduce new techniques of performance: now introducing this or that detail, now omitting it, now modifying individual verses, now stretching, now compressing. At the same time, the epic does not lose its general, it is not only memorized, petrified in the singer’s memory, on the contrary, his role in the epic is the role of a free improviser, developed in detail, but already ready theme. Observations on the composition of the epic lead even further into the secrets of this improvisation, where our storytellers are, to a certain extent, the creators of the epics.

Bylina is oral genre poetic folk art, the subject of folklore study. As a traditional genre, the epic has its own specifics.
1. Subject of the works:
Researchers divide epics into two cycles: Kiev and Novgorod.
The themes of the earliest epics (the Kyiv cycle) almost always coincide: a description of the exploits of the defenders of the Russian land - the heroes, a description of their “standard” behavior.
(such epics were associated with the name of Dobrynya Nikitich (they also reflected the development of Kievan Rus from the point of view of the poet-storyteller), then, during the feudal fragmentation the names of Ilya Muromets, Dobrynya Nikitich and Alyosha Popovich come to the fore). In the Novgorod cycle one can already note social issues: the life of the trading city is very colorfully and fully described in the epics of this time.
2. Composition.
The content of epics, their form, figures of speech have been processed and honed over centuries, in particular, for better memorization and accurate retelling. So, compositional structure the epic is the same and includes:
-The beginning (exposition to the beginning, but more often the beginning is already the beginning of the plot)
-Development of action (narration of events preceding the feat).
-Climax (narration of a feat).
-Decoupling (depiction of the crushed enemy and celebration of the winner).
3. Genre-forming means of artistic representation:
The most important specific genre feature is the use of the antithesis technique - the opposition of the hero and the enemy native land. The image of a hero, his creation - this is what the main means of artistic representation are aimed at.
Hyperbole is the most suitable technique for describing the appearance and character of a hero; it reveals the author’s idea: to show the remarkable strength, intelligence, and wisdom of the defender of the Russian land. For example, in the epic “The Three Trips of Ilya Muromets” the image of the main character - Ilya Muromets - was created through the use of hyperbole. This is how his heroic strength is described: “Ilya jumped off his good horse, took off his hat from his wild head, he began to wave his cap. Wherever he waved - there is a street, he will wave it back - an alley, he scattered all forty robbers"; (with one wave of his hand he sweeps aside all obstacles over a great distance) “he kicked forged doors, knocked them out of hooks, out of damask castles, released into the light of God forty kings and princes, forty kings-princes, forty strong mighty heroes” (even forty mighty heroes could not cope with locks and shackles, but Ilya Muromets could).
In addition to hyperbole, epithets and descriptions full of similes and metaphors are common. Constant epithets performed a genre-forming function: repeated figures of speech set the “genre canon”; the listener understood that there was a story about the feat or personality of the defender of the Russian land. Examples of constant epithets: according to Great Rus', a wonderful miracle, a white-flammable pebble, from a wild head, a beautiful maiden, a blonde braid to the waist, countless treasures. Epics - poetic genre This means that the rhythm of the narrative, the chanting, is necessary. Repetition is one of the ways to achieve rhythm and sing-song narration. In addition, using the technique of repetition, the storytellers focused the attention of listeners on the most important points of the work. Repetitions primed listeners to perceive the narrative.
The composition of the epic, artistic features its construction - all this reflects the bright originality of this genre oral folk art.

Welcome! We are very glad to see you on our website!

What is an epic?

Do you know what an epic is? And how is it different from a fairy tale? Bylina is heroic epic Russian people. Heroic - because it talks about the great heroes-heroes of ancient times. And the word "epic" comes from Greek language and means “narration”, “story”. Thus, epics are stories about the exploits of famous heroes. Surely some of them are already familiar to you: Ilya Muromets, who defeated the Nightingale the Robber; Dobrynya Nikitich, who fought with the Serpent; merchant and guslar Sadko, who sailed the sea on his beautiful ship and visited the underwater kingdom. In addition to them, there are stories about Vasily Buslaevich, Svyatogor, Mikhailo Potyk and others.

Bogatyrs.

The most amazing thing is that it is not easy fictional characters. Scientists believe that many of them actually lived many centuries ago. Imagine: in the 9th - 12th centuries the state of Russia did not yet exist, but there was a so-called Kievan Rus. Various people lived on its territory Slavic peoples, and the capital was the city of Kyiv, in which he ruled Grand Duke. In the epics, heroes often travel to Kiev to serve Prince Vladimir: for example, Dobrynya saved the prince’s niece Zabava Putyatichna from the terrible Serpent, Ilya Muromets defended the capital city and Vladimir himself from the Poganous Idol, Dobrynya and the Danube went to woo a bride for the prince. The times were turbulent, many enemies from neighboring lands raided Rus', so the heroes were not bored.

It is believed that Ilya Muromets, known from epics, was a warrior who lived in the 12th century. He bore the nickname Chobotok (that is, Boot), because he once managed to fight off enemies with the help of these shoes. For many years he fought with enemies and glorified himself with military exploits, but with age, tired of wounds and battles, he became a monk in the Theodosius Monastery, which in our time is called the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. And so, today, having arrived in the city of Kyiv, you can see for yourself the grave of St. Ilya of Muromets in the famous caves of the Lavra. Alyosha Popovich and Dobrynya Nikitich were also famous heroes in Rus', mentions of whom were preserved in the most ancient documents - chronicles. In Russian epics there are also female heroes, they are called old word Polenitsa. The Danube fought with one of them. The wife of Stavr Godinovich was distinguished by her daring and resourcefulness, who managed to fool Prince Vladimir himself and rescue her husband from prison.

How epics have survived to this day.

For many centuries and generations, epics were not written down, but were passed on from mouth to mouth by storytellers. Moreover, unlike fairy tales, they were not just told, but sung. In the villages of ancient Rus', which over time turned into Russian state, peasants, while doing routine work (for example, sewing or weaving nets), in order not to get bored, sang stories about heroic deeds. The son and daughter learned these tunes from their parents, then passed them on to their children. Thus, the glory and exploits of people who lived centuries ago were preserved in the memory of the people. Just imagine: at the beginning of the 20th century - in an era when major cities trains and cinematographs already existed, in a distant northern village, at the end of the world, an old peasant, just like his fathers and grandfathers, sang epics glorifying the hero Dobrynya - the uncle of Prince Vladimir and the glorious warrior of ancient Rus'!!! Dobrynya and this peasant were separated by many centuries and a huge distance, and yet the glory of the hero overcame these obstacles.