Characteristics of Mikula Selyaninovich from the epic "Volga and Mikula Selyaninovich." Biography and plot What was Mikula Selyaninovich like from the epic Svyatogor

Epics usually glorify the military exploits of heroes. Mikula Selyaninovich is a special epic hero. This is the legendary plowman, farmer. The nickname Selyaninovich is derived from the noun village. It indicates that Mikula is a villager. He oratay is what plowmen were called in the old days. Mikula Selyaninovich personifies peasant strength - the strength of the Russian people. There are many legends about him.
In one of the epics, he asks the giant Svyatogor to pick up a bag that has fallen to the ground. When he failed to complete the task, Mikula Selyaninovich lifts the bag with one hand and explains that it contains “all the earthly burdens” and only a peaceful, hardworking plowman can lift it.
In all epic tales, this is a smart, incredibly strong person, but he does not use his strength for evil. It is on him, and not on the warriors, that Mother Rus' rests.
People's love for the heroic plowman is visible even in the description of Mikula's appearance:
And Oratai’s curls are swaying,

The elegant clothes in which the hero went out into the field are also poetically and in detail described: morocco boots, a feather hat, a velvet caftan. For Mikula Selyaninovich, his favorite job is a holiday.
All epics were composed by simple working people. And, of course, through epic songs, the storytellers really wanted to show not only the military feats of heroes, but also the beauty and greatness of a person who is engaged in everyday peasant labor.
Comparative characteristics of Volga and Mikula Selyaninovich.
In the epic about Prince Volga Vseslavyevich and the plowman Mikul Selyaninovich, these two heroes are compared and contrasted. Which one has more merit?
Prince Volga received three cities from his uncle, Grand Duke Vladimir, and went there with his brave squad to receive tribute. They drove out into an open field and heard a song shouting while they were working in the arable land:
Oratai's bipod creaks,
The little guys are chirping at the pebbles.
It took Volga more than two days to get to Mikula after he heard his voice and the creaking of his plow - that’s what a mighty hero this oratai was!
But this exaggeration is used in the epic not only to show the heroic strength of the plowman. The hyperbole emphasizes what colossal efforts his main work requires from a person - cultivating the land. And, of course, this means expresses pride in the plowmen who are powerful in their work.
A whole army of Volga is trying to pull the plow out of the ground, which Mikula Selyaninovich can easily handle. When Volga and Mikula compete in strength, the tiller defeats the entire princely squad. Prince Volga is imbued with respect for Mikula. He asks in surprise: “Who are you?” Mikula replies that he is an ordinary peasant, a plowman who feeds all of Mother Rus' with bread.
The epic Prince Volga is also not simple: he is strong, smart, and famous. In addition, he has magical wisdom and witchcraft power - he can turn into birds, fish, and animals. And having turned into a bird or an animal, Volga does not lose her extraordinary heroic strength.
The epics tell three interesting stories about Volga: about the miraculous birth of this hero, about his campaign in the Indian kingdom (in the Turkish land) and about his meeting with the plowman Mikula Selyaninovich, who surpassed him in “cunning and wisdom.”
If we compare these two epic heroes, we see that Volga loses in everything. Even Volga’s horse is inferior in speed to Mikula’s mare. The strength of the entire princely “good squad” is insignificant in comparison with the strength of Mikula Selyaninovich. In the epic, Prince Volga recognizes Mikula's superiority and invites him to be his comrade.
Description in epics of the appearance, clothing and work of Mikula Selyaninovich.
Mikula Selyaninovich is depicted with great love and admiration in all the famous epics about him. The means of artistic expression are used interestingly both in the portrait and in the description of the clothing of this hero.
He is a handsome hero-farmer: he has pearly curls, clear eyes, thick and black eyebrows:
And Oratai’s curls are swaying,
What if the pearls are not downloaded and scattered?
The screaming eyes and clear eyes of a falcon,
And his eyebrows are black sable.
Downloaded pearls means selected pearls, round, smooth. The folk storyteller admires Mikula Selyaninovich - he found many bright and beautiful epithets and comparisons for this!
The clothes of the mighty plowman are described in detail. Mikula’s boots are made of morocco - from soft elastic goatskin: the orata boots have green morocco, awl heels, pointed toes, you could even roll an egg near your nose, a sparrow would fly under your heel. The heels (heels) of boots are compared to an awl - they are thin and sharp, like an awl. If a sparrow flies under his heel, it means that his heels are not only thin, but also very high. And the toes of the boots are so even and smooth that you could roll an egg. That’s how smart we see the Oratai going out into the field - he dressed like for a holiday! And all because the ancient storyteller skillfully selected many wonderful epithets and comparisons.
The epic describes the work of an oratai in the field.
Like Oratay yells in the field - whistles,
And he marks the furrows,
And he turns out the stump roots,
And large stones are thrown into the furrow.
We find a detailed description of each detail:
Orata's bipod is maple,
The damask boots on the bipod,
The bipod's snout is silver,
And the stag near the bipod is red and gold.
If a modern person wants to understand these details, a very definite picture will emerge: on the plowman’s maple plow there are metal tips (omeshes), which are made of the strongest metal - damask steel; the plow has a silver sucker - a shovel for turning away the earth, and the handle of the plow itself (horn) is made of gold. What a vivid description!
And, of course, in almost every sentence there are constant epithets: open field, blue seas, dark forests, broom bush, good squad. With their help, you can succinctly and concisely show and characterize anything. For example, when we meet the combination “good horse,” we immediately understand that the horse of the hero Mikula is a very strong, intelligent, hardy and devoted animal.
Oratay has a nightingale mare,
Her little buns are silk.
The nightingale mare is a light brown horse with a white tail and mane. Mikula, on her mare, “turns out stumps and roots,” and does not go around large stones, as peasants usually do, but throws them into the furrow along with the plowed ground, as if she does not notice them. Oratai works beautifully - the epic storyteller admires his work. All artistic means of expression in the epic emphasize his love and respect for the mighty epic hero.

Early in the morning, in the early sun, Volta gathered to take tribute from the trading cities of Gurchevets and Orekhovets.

The squad mounted good horses, brown stallions, and set off. The fellows drove out into an open field, into a wide expanse, and heard a plowman in the field. The plowman plows, whistles, the plowshares scratch the pebbles. It’s as if a plowman is leading a plow somewhere nearby. The good fellows go to the plowman, ride all day until evening, but cannot get to him. You can hear the plowman whistling, you can hear the bipod creaking, you can hear the plowshares scratching, but you can’t even see the plowman himself.
The good fellows travel the next day until the evening, and the plowman is still whistling, the pine tree is creaking, the plowshares are scratching, but the plowman is gone.

The third day is approaching evening, and only the good fellows have reached the plowman. The plowman plows, urges, 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 marveled at him and bowed politely:
- Hello, good man, there are laborers in the field!
- Be healthy, Volga Vseslavevich. Where are you heading?
- I’m going to the cities of Gurchevets and Orekhovets to collect tribute from trading people.
- Eh, Volga Vseslavyevich, all the robbers live in those cities, they skin the poor plowman, and collect tolls for traveling on the roads. I went there to buy salt, bought three bags of salt, each bag a hundred pounds, put it on a gray filly and headed home to my place. Trade people surrounded me and began to take travel money from me. The more I give, the more they want. I got angry, angry, and paid them with a silk whip. Well, the one who stood sits, and the one who sat lies down.
Volga was surprised and bowed to the plowman:
- Oh, you, glorious plowman, mighty hero, come with me for a comrade.
- Well, I’ll go, Volga Vseslavyevich, I need to give them an order - not to offend other men.
The plowman took the silk tugs off the plow, unharnessed the gray filly, sat astride her and set off.
Well done guys rode half the way. The plowman says to Volga Vseslavyevich:
- Oh, we did something wrong, we left a plow in the furrow. You sent some fine warriors to pull the bipod out of the furrow, shake out the earth from it, and put the plow under the broom bush.
Volga sent three warriors.
They turn the bipod this way and that, but cannot lift the bipod off the ground.
Volga sent ten knights. They twirl the bipod with twenty hands, but can’t get it off the ground.
Volga and his entire squad went there. Thirty people, without a single one, clung to the bipod on all sides, strained, sank knee-deep into the ground, but did not move the bipod even an inch.
The plowman himself got off the filly, grabbed the bipod with one hand, pulled it out of the ground, and shook the earth out of the plowshares. I cleaned the plowshares with grass.
The job was done and the heroes went further along the road.
They arrived near Gurchevets and Orekhovets. And there the trading people are cunning: when they saw a plowman, they cut off oak logs on the bridge over the Orekhovets River.
As soon as the squad reached the bridge, the oak logs broke, the fellows began to drown in the river, the brave squad began to die, the horses began to sink, people began to go to the bottom.
Volga and Mikula got angry, got angry, whipped their good horses, and jumped over the river in one gallop. They jumped onto that bank and began to honor the villains.
The plowman beats with a whip and says:
- Oh, you greedy trading people! The men of the city feed them bread and drink honey, but you spare them salt!
Volga favors with her club for the warriors, for the heroic horses.
The Gurchevet people began to repent:
- You will forgive us for our villainy, for our cunning. Take tribute from us, and let the plowmen go for salt, no one will demand a penny from them.
Volga took tribute from them for twelve years, and the heroes went home.
Volga Vseslavevich asks the plowman:
- Tell me, Russian hero, what is your name, what is your patronymic?
- Come to me, Volga Vseslavyevich, to my peasant yard, so you will find out how people honor me.
The heroes approached the field. The plowman pulled out a pine tree, plowed up a wide pole, and sowed it with golden grain...
The dawn is still burning, and the plowman’s field is rustling.
The dark night is coming - the plowman is reaping bread. I threshed it in the morning, winnowed it by noon, ground flour by lunchtime, and started making pies. In the evening he called the people to a feast of honors. People began to eat pies, drink mash and praise the plowman:
- Oh, thank you, Mikula Selyaninovich!

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Mikula Selyaninovich- the legendary plowman-hero in Russian epics of the Novgorod cycle.

Etymology

The name Mikula is a folk form of the name Nikolai; possibly the result of contamination with the name Mikhail.

The image of a hero-plowman

The hero personifies peasant strength; You can’t fight him, because “the whole Mikulov family loves Mother Cheese Earth.”

According to one of the epics, he asks the giant Svyatogor to pick up a bag that has fallen to the ground. He doesn't cope with the task. Then Mikula Selyaninovich lifts the bag with one hand, saying that it contains “all the burdens of earth.”

Mikula Selyaninovich, according to folklore, had two daughters: Vasilisa and Nastasya (wives of Stavr and Dobrynya Nikitich, respectively), who are also the central heroines of the epics.

Epics dedicated to Mikula: “Volga and Mikula Selyaninovich”, “Svyatogor and Mikula Selyaninovich”.

Mikula and Nicholas the Wonderworker

The connection between the Christian saint Nicholas the Wonderworker and the epic hero Mikula Selyaninovich. An interesting version of the connection with the day of the national calendar, St. Nicholas of the Spring, is given by P. I. Melnikov in 1874:

Mikula was honored most of all by the smerd (peasant, farmer)... He, the drinker, he, the gracious breadwinner, celebrated holidays more honestly and more often... In honor of him there were feasts and meals at marriages and Mikulshchinas.
Just as the veneration of Thunder the Rattlesman, with the introduction of Christianity, was transferred to the veneration of Ilya the Gromovnik, and the veneration of Volos, the cattle god, to Saint Blaise, so the honoring of the oratai Mikula Selyaninich was transferred to the Christian saint - Nicholas the Wonderworker. That is why in Rus' St. Nicholas the Merciful is celebrated most of all. The spring holiday of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, which the Greeks do not have, was borrowed by the Russians from the Latins to coincide with the holiday of the Mother of the Raw Earth, who loves “Mikula and his family.” Mikule's celebration coincided with the name day of Mother Earth. And to this day, two folk holidays converge nearby: the first day of “Mikula with food” (May 9, old style), the other day (May 10, old style) “Name day of Mother of the Raw Earth.”

Daughters

- Vasilisa Mikulishna- wife of Stavr Godinovich
- Nastasya Mikulishna- wife of Dobrynya Nikitich

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Notes

Literature

Melnikov-Pechersky P. I. . - 1874.
/ Petrukhin V. Ya. // Mythological Dictionary / Ch. ed. E. M. Meletinsky. - M. : Soviet Encyclopedia, 1990. - P. 358. - ISBN 5-85270-032-0.

Excerpt characterizing Mikula Selyaninovich

– Your mother loves you more than anything in the world, Alina, and she asked me to tell you that she never abandoned you.
- So she lives with you now? – the girl bristled.
- No. She lives where neither you nor I can go. Her earthly life here with us is over, and she now lives in another, very beautiful world, from which she can watch you. But she sees how you suffer and cannot leave here. And she can’t stay here any longer either. That's why she needs your help. Would you like to help her?
- How do you know all this? Why is she talking to you?!.
I felt that she still didn’t believe me and didn’t want to recognize me as a friend. And I couldn’t figure out how to explain to this little, ruffled, unhappy girl that there was an “other”, distant world, from which, unfortunately, there was no return here. And that her beloved mother speaks to me not because she has a choice, but because I was simply “lucky” to be a little “different” than everyone else...
“All people are different, Alinushka,” I began. – Some have a talent for drawing, others for singing, but I have such a special talent for talking with those who have left our world forever. And your mother speaks to me not at all because she likes me, but because I heard her when no one else could hear her. And I am very glad that I can help her in at least something. She loves you very much and suffers very much because she had to leave... It hurts her very much to leave you, but it is not her choice. Do you remember she was seriously ill for a long time? – the girl nodded. “It was this illness that forced her to leave you.” And now she must go to her new world in which she will live. And for this she must be sure that you know how much she loves you.
The girl looked at me sadly and quietly asked:
– She lives now with angels?.. Dad told me that she now lives in a place where everything is like on the postcards that they give me for Christmas. And there are such beautiful winged angels... Why didn’t she take me with her?..
- Because you have to live your life here, dear, and then you will also go to the same world where your mother is now.
The girl beamed.
“So I’ll see her there?” – she babbled joyfully.
- Of course, Alinushka. So you should just be a patient girl and help your mom now if you love her so much.
- What should I do? – the little girl asked very seriously.
– Just think about her and remember her, because she sees you. And if you don't be sad, your mother will finally find peace.
“Does she see me now?” the girl asked and her lips began to twitch treacherously.
- Yes Dear.
She was silent for a moment, as if gathering herself inside, and then she clenched her fists tightly and quietly whispered:
- I’ll be very good, dear mommy... you go... please go... I love you so much!..
Tears rolled down her pale cheeks like large peas, but her face was very serious and concentrated... Life dealt her a cruel blow for the first time and it seemed as if this little, so deeply wounded girl suddenly realized something for herself in a completely adult way and now I tried to accept it seriously and openly. My heart was breaking with pity for these two unfortunate and such sweet creatures, but, unfortunately, I couldn’t help them anymore... The world around them was so incredibly bright and beautiful, but for both it could no longer be their common world. ..
Life can be very cruel sometimes, and we never know what the meaning of pain or loss is in store for us. Apparently, it is true that without losses it is impossible to comprehend what fate gives us, by right or by luck. But what could this unfortunate girl, cowering like a wounded animal, comprehend when the world suddenly fell upon her with all its cruelty and the pain of the most terrible loss in her life?..
I sat with them for a long time and tried as best I could to help them both find at least some kind of peace of mind. I remembered my grandfather and the terrible pain that his death brought me... How scary it must have been for this fragile, unprotected baby to lose the most precious thing in the world - her mother?..
We never think about the fact that those whom fate takes from us for one reason or another experience the consequences of their death much deeper than we do. We feel the pain of loss and suffer (sometimes even angry) that they left us so mercilessly. But what does it feel like for them when their suffering multiplies thousands of times, seeing how we suffer from this?! And how helpless should a person feel, not being able to say anything more and change anything?..
I would have given a lot back then to find at least some opportunity to warn people about this. But, unfortunately, I didn’t have such an opportunity... Therefore, after Veronica’s sad visit, I began to look forward to when I could help someone else. And life, as always usually happens, did not take long to wait.
Entities came to me day and night, young and old, male and female, and everyone asked me to help them speak with their daughter, son, husband, wife, father, mother, sister... This continued in an endless stream, until, in the end, I I felt that I had no more strength. I didn’t know that when coming into contact with them, I had to be sure to close myself with my (and very strong!) defense, and not open up emotionally, like a waterfall, gradually giving them all my life force, which was then still Unfortunately, I didn’t know how to make up for it.

Early in the morning, in the early sun, Volta gathered to take tribute from the trading cities of Gurchevets and Orekhovets.

Famous fairy-tale characters, whose images seem familiar from childhood, have a centuries-old history. The warriors and heroes from the traditions and legends told by grandparents are not just representatives of traditional folklore, but characters who personify the spirit and traditions of the great Russian people. The heroes of epics are endowed with remarkable talents for protecting their native land. In the line of mighty warriors there is a place for Mikula Selyaninovich.

History of creation

Mikula Selyaninovich is a hero sung in an epic called “Volga and Mikula Selyaninovich.” The epic was composed over several centuries, as the legend underwent changes and was passed on from mouth to mouth in various interpretations. The characteristics of the heroes are accurately conveyed in the version composed in the north of the country after the collapse of Kievan Rus. It is unknown how the description of Mikula was composed, but Volga (Oleg) Svyatoslavovich is a real historical person. The prince was the king's cousin and grandson.

The epic lacks unity of place, time and action. It involves a description of fictional events involving fairy-tale characters, but the etymology of the word indicates that some episodes actually happened.

The narrative describes a meeting of two heroes: a prince and a peasant plowman. The first goes to war, and the second, the plow hero, cultivates the land. The simple peasant is presented in a noble appearance. This is a well-groomed man in clean clothes and a painted caftan. Mikula is wearing green high-heeled boots and a feather hat. Such attire did not correspond to the usual clothing of a plowman, accustomed to working with the land and exhausting labor. But a stately hero must, according to the traditions of the epic, have a beautiful outfit, and this rule is observed.

The specificity of the epic “Volga and Mikula Selyaninovich” lies in its artistic techniques. It includes elements of archaic language and numerous repetitions. Through colorful epithets, details of clothing, character traits of the heroes, and the life surrounding them are described. In the epic, the images of a peasant and a warrior are contrasted with each other.

At the same time, the work of a simple farmer is placed higher, because a plowman could be called upon to defend his homeland at any moment, and not everyone is given the opportunity to work on the land. There is also a version that the legend contrasts the images of two deities, the patrons of agriculture and hunting.

The motive for praising the work of plowmen is vividly described in the episode when Prince Volga orders his squad to take up the bipod. The warriors cannot overcome it, but Mikula Selyaninovich copes with the task in one go.

A hero who can bypass a squad is a true defender of the Russian land and its cultivator. The writers of epics speak kindly and affectionately about the hero. It is noteworthy that throughout the narrative the hero is called nothing less than oratay. And only in the finale Mikula’s name is revealed. The hero talks about his achievements without bragging.

Biography and plot

In the epic about Mikul Selyaninovich, the main characters were two characters: himself and Prince Volga. The first meeting takes place when, according to the behest of Vladimir Monomakh, three cities pass into the possession of Oleg. The prince goes to inspect the property. On the way of the squad, they meet a stately hero, who can be seen from afar, but they manage to get to the curious character only after three days and three nights. Hyperbole of this kind shows people's admiration for the hero.

Mikula is a plowman. He cultivates the land with ease, uprooting stumps and stones with a wooden plow decorated with precious stones. Mikula’s mare is hung with silk tugs, and the hero’s outfit itself does not look like a simple peasant dress. It becomes clear that the reader is dealing with a hero for whom hard plowing is entertainment.

Mikula Selyaninovich is presented in the image of a hero revered most of all in Rus'. Holidays were dedicated to work related to the land, and traditions and legends were associated with it. Mikula is a folk hero; his prototype was considered the patron saint of the peasantry.

This image was the personification of the Russian farmer. Therefore, the creators of the epic do not mention the name of the hero’s father: Selyaninovich is combined with the word “village,” which means that the parent was a simple Russian people.

Mikula is the owner of an easy-going character and a kind soul, a generous and hospitable person. Without it, the princely warriors are not even able to pull out a light bipod, which means that the royal power is based on the strength of the plowman. Rus' is based on a simple village peasant who feeds the people and protects his homeland from misfortunes.

Heroic strength does not make Mikula a braggart. The hero is modest and calm, does not get into trouble and simply communicates with the prince. A conflict-free character belongs everywhere. He pleases those around him, knows how to work and relax well.

Orthodox Rus' is famous for humility and forgiveness, but is always able to defend its honor and protect its neighbor. In the episode of the attack by robbers demanding pennies, it is clear that the righteous Mikula is ready to endure and show loyalty to the last. Having lost his temper, he will be able to reason with his opponents by force.

The most popular Russian heroes are those who fought with Khan Tugarin. The biography of heroes is rarely described in detail. It is often unclear who the hero was before the heroic power awakened in him. Sometimes it is not even known where he was born. But the main exploits for which the characters became famous were passed down in detail from mouth to mouth, considered a national treasure, and supported the spirit of the Russian people, who needed defenders.

Heroic strength is one of the favorite subjects of fine art. The paintings, painted in the same manner, told about the exploits and travels of Russian heroes. Among the admirers of Russian folklore were painters and Ryabushkin.

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