Epic "Volga and Mikula Selyaninovich": summary

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

The story “Volga and Mikula Selyaninovich” belongs to the Novgorod cycle of epics. The summary of the work allows the reader to compare two different images: the prince's nephew and a simple plowman-peasant. According to some reports, in this epic the main characters are two pagan gods: Mikula is responsible for agriculture, and Volga for hunting. Orest Miller, a 19th-century mythologist, found in the work many similar characteristics between the main characters and the patrons of peasants and hunters.

Meeting Volga with Mikula

The acquaintance of the prince with a simple peasant underlies the plot of the epic "Volga and Mikula Selyaninovich". The summary tells about how the nephew of the Kyiv prince was born, matured and thought about acquiring worldly wisdom and strength. Volga asked Vladimir for a squad of 30 people to go with her for tribute. For this, the Kyiv prince allocates three cities to his nephew: Orekhovets,Gurchevets and Krestyanovets.

Volga Svyatoslavovich left for the field, he hears the creaking of the plow and the whistling of the plowman, but he does not see the peasant himself. He rode for a long time with his retinue, only on the third day he saw a peasant. During the meeting, Volga and Mikula Selyaninovich started talking. The summary tells that the prince told the peasant where and for what purpose he was on his way, and the peasant, in turn, warned him about the evil inhabitants of the named cities.

The incredible power of the plowman

Having learned that he would have to meet with real robbers, Volga asked Mikula to go with him, because his army would not interfere with such a strong man who single-handedly de alt with several townspeople. The prince was seriously concerned that his squad could be killed and drowned in the Smorodina River. The bylina "Volga and Mikula Selyaninovich" tells that the peasant agreed to go to the city for tribute, but, having already driven a decent distance from the field, he remembered that he had not pulled it out of the ground and had not thrown his plow over the willow bush.

In order not to return, Volga sent five of his fellows, but it turns out that they are unable to complete Mikula's task. Then 10 more soldiers go to the field, but even they cannot destroy the plow from their place, the whole squad undertook to pull it out, but there was no result. And then the plowman, as if effortlessly, pulled her out of the ground and threw her behind a bush. The prince is impressed by the incredible strength of his new acquaintance, after which Volga and Mikula Selyaninovich became close friends.

Heroes of the Russian epic

And now the prince and the peasant come to the city. The peasants immediately recognized Mikula, who beat them alone when they tried to take away the s alt from the plowman, and came to the riders to bow and apologize. Volga saw with his own eyes how respected his new acquaintance was, so he decided to give him three cities with peasants. The prince made the plowman his governor and instructed him to collect tribute from the peasants.

But there is a slightly different interpretation of the epic "Volga and Mikula Selyaninovich". The summary of the work says that robbers attacked the prince in the city, and the plowman saved him. Whatever it was, but Mikula Selyaninovich is the embodiment of a folk hero.