Heroes of Slavic mythology: Mikula Selyaninovich. Characteristics of Mikula Selyaninovich from the epic "Volga and Mikula Selyaninovich"

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 stones. 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, a kind person, in the field of labor!
- Be healthy, Volga Vseslavevich. Where are you going?
- 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 climbed onto 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!

The characteristics of Mikula Selyaninovich are studied as part of the literature program in the seventh grade. It was during this period that the children became acquainted with the epic genre. We will learn more about this hero later.

Plot

The content of epics is very reminiscent of a fairy tale. In them we find events fictitious by the author, but it cannot be argued that he himself main character never existed. If we think about the etymology of this word, we will find a common root with the word “true”. This means that this character once truly amazed his contemporaries with his strength and power. Mikula was one of these.

But the beginning of the epic does not tell us about him at all: the first person the reader meets is Prince Volga. He is strong, wise, and has a huge army. Uncle Vladimir gives three cities at his disposal. Now the prince goes with his retinue to check out his new possessions. On the way they meet a plowman. Volga really wants to meet him, but for three days and three nights they cannot get to him. This one is so huge that it can be seen from afar, but is quite difficult to reach. The characterization of Mikula Selyaninovich should include this point. The people exaggerate their hero, deliberately distinguishing him from ordinary people.

First meeting

Finally, the prince and his army drive up to this hero. His surprise knows no bounds: oratay (as the plowman was called in Rus') is cultivating the land. But he has incredible strength: he easily uproots tree stumps and throws huge stones into the furrow. The reader immediately understands that this is not an ordinary person, but a hero. This comes easily to him; he whistles under his breath without feeling tired.

Mikula’s tool cannot help but surprise. He does not have an ordinary bipod with which to plow the ground. She is decorated expensive metals: yellow and red gold. The straps on it are made of damask steel, a strong and reliable metal. A filly that helps a plowman do land work, with silk tugs, which was a very expensive fabric at that time.

External characteristics of Mikula Selyaninovich from the epic “Volga and Mikula Selyaninovich”

Undoubtedly, the prince was also struck by the hero’s attire. The most ordinary plowman looks rich. He has gorgeous curls that people compare to pearls. The hero's eyes are like a falcon's. As you know, a falcon is a bird that has excellent vision and strength. Mikula's eyebrows are black, like sable. The reader immediately imagines a serious and strong husband.

The clothes are made from expensive fabrics. For example, a caftan is made of expensive and chic material - black velvet. Not every rich person could afford it. But the hero cannot be dressed differently. His boots have heels, which was considered very fashionable and prestigious at that time. The material from which they are made is morocco. This is a very high quality and expensive item. External characteristics Mikula Selyaninovich from the epic is very important in describing the image of this hero. It’s not for nothing that he is so handsome and chic: people imagine the hero to be ideal in all respects.

Hero's feat

Volga spoke to the Oratai and told where he was going. In response, Mikula tells him about his exploits and warns him against danger. However, we do not observe any boasting. The characterization of Mikula Selyaninovich from the epic “Volga and Mikula Selyaninovich” necessarily contains information that the hero does not notice his strength, considering his exploits to be commonplace.

Oratay told the prince a story about how he went to the city for shopping. He bought three bags of one hundred pounds of salt. A simple calculation will show us that the total weight of his goods is more than five tons! Of course, the technique of so-called hyperbolization is used here. The author deliberately exaggerates his abilities to reflect his heroic power.

When Mikula is getting ready to go home, robbers approach him and demand money. But the plowman does not enter into a squabble with them, he gives them “pennies.” However, the men do not back down, they ask for more and more. Mikula has to deal with them with her fists. It turns out that the hero killed more than a thousand bandits. This story impressed Volga. He wants to see such a strong husband among his squad.

Strength and power

The characterization of Mikula Selyaninovich continues with an analysis of Mikula’s heroic capabilities. A brief information about this hero gives us an idea of ​​all the simple peasants of that time. It was on them that the Russian land rested.

The plowman agrees to go with the prince “for pay.” However, he feels sorry for his bipod.

The characterization of Mikula Selyaninovich with quotes reflects his speech: he leaves his tool of labor “not for the passer-by,” but for the ordinary “hillbilly peasant.” These words reflect the attitude of the hero towards his fellow peasants.

In order to hide the bipod “behind the willow bush,” Volga sends five of his strongest warriors. But these strong guys cannot cope with this task; they cannot “lift the bipod out of the ground.” Then, according to the principle of trinity, Volga sends her guys twice more, but even their countless number could not do what the Russian peasant is capable of.

Mikula “took the bipod with one hand” and pulled it out without difficulty.

Special Features

A description of Mikula Selyaninovich would be incomplete without talking about his horse. Like any hero, the horse is the first assistant in work. As we learn at the very beginning, our hero’s filly is “nightingale”. This epithet denotes its light color. She is as strong as her owner. The author deliberately compares the horses of Volga and Mikula. The hero’s horse is already walking at a “quick pace,” but the prince’s horse can barely keep up with it. The first one has already accelerated and started running headlong, but the second one is lagging behind. Volga never ceases to be surprised here. He values ​​Mikula’s horse at five hundred rubles, only on the condition that it is not a mare, but a horse. To which the simple-minded peasant replies that he himself fed and raised her, and therefore she has no price.

The characterization of Mikula Selyaninovich reflects this hero as a very good-natured, simple and sympathetic person. He never boasts about his exploits, as if without noticing them.

He promises to treat all the peasants to his own rye beer, which speaks of his generosity.

In conclusion, Volga is so imbued with the daring and simplicity of this man that he decides to make him governor of the cities donated by his uncle. The robbers, who had been beaten by him three days ago, became ashamed and came to the hero with an apology.

Conclusion

We presented full characteristics Mikula Selyaninovich. The 7th grade, who is studying this work according to the school curriculum, will be able to use our advice and describe their own impression that this epic hero made.

Name: Mikula Selyaninovich

A country: Rus

Creator: Slavic epics

Activity: hero, plowman

Family status: married

Mikula Selyaninovich: character story

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 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 work. 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 actors two characters became: 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 has an easy-going character and 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 rivals by force. 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.

The legendary personality of the Russian plowman-hero Mikula Selyaninovich is known from the epics of the Novgorod cycle. The image of the main character is filled with spiritual strength, courage, and love for his native land.

Historical image of the hero

Mikula Selyaninovich was a plowman endowed with remarkable strength and, according to epics, he was the only one who could lift the “earthly draft.” It embodies the collective image of the Russian peasantry, where the main role is played by hard work, respect for the homeland, perseverance and steadfastness in the face of enemies. Home life value For the national hero, his tool of labor is the plow, and his favorite pastime is plowing. Before the power of the plowman, the witchcraft powers and the power of the princes, the strength of the entire squad, pale. The labor prowess of Mikula Selyaninovich glorifies ordinary Russian people, who are alien to laziness and weakness, who work on a grand scale from dawn to dusk.

The main life value for the folk hero is his tool of labor - the plow, and his favorite pastime - plowing. Before the power of the plowman, the witchcraft powers and the power of the princes, the strength of the entire squad, pale.

Characteristics of basic qualities

The main qualities of the peasant Mikula Selyaninovich are incredible physical strength, dexterity, love of work, spiritual purity, care for the Russian land, and tirelessness. Unlike the well-known images of heroic defenders, Mikula directs his immense power into a peaceful channel, into fertile soil.

He does his work with pride and hums happily while ploughing. It is a great honor for the glorious hero to work his mother land every day, so he comes to the field in elegant attire and is always neat. Mikula is thrifty. Having once forgotten a plow in a furrow, he returns for it, worrying like a proprietor that a passer-by will not take it away.

The hero of the epics has an expressive appearance: thick curls, black eyebrows, clear hawk eyes. A plowman is characterized by a reverent attitude towards his mare; he raised her from a foal and takes care of her, grooming her every day. The peasant is distinguished by his hospitality: at the end of the arable season, he will happily gather guests at home and give the peasants some beer of his own making. In the description of the worker’s abilities, one can note the exaggeration of qualities; these exaggerations once again emphasize the people’s love for Mikula.

Russian epic character

Novgorod epics glorifying the image of the Russian plowman have been known to many since childhood. These are “Volga and Mikula Selyaninovich” and “Svyatogor and Mikula Selyaninovich”.

According to the plot of the first epic, Prince Volga and his retinue go to Russian cities, transferred into his possession by Prince Vladimir. Having met the plowman Mikula in the field, he admires his strength and power and offers to go with them to resist robbery. The peasant agrees. At the end of the epic, the strength of the prince and his squad, who could not pull the plow out of the furrow, is contrasted with the heroic power of the simple Mikula, who pulled the plow out effortlessly. There is an alternative version of the ending, where Mikula, having set off on a journey, becomes the governor of one of the cities, saving Volga’s life.

In another epic, the extraordinary strength of the Russian worker is compared with the abilities of the giant Svyatogor. Epic character ancient Russian mythology Svyatogor is many times superior to Mikula in size and power, but is not able to catch up with the plowman in the field at work and cannot cope with his earthly burden.

The personality of the epic hero Mikula Selyaninovich occupies a worthy place among the works of Russian folklore and arouses pride among contemporaries for the unshakable spirit and hard work of the Russian peasantry.

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. Hyperbole emphasizes what colossal efforts it requires from a person main work- land cultivation. And, of course, this means expresses pride in the farmers 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.
Three epics tell about Volga interesting stories: 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 you compare these two epic heroes, then 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. Interesting use of funds artistic expression both in the portrait and in the description of the clothes 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 detailed description every 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 modern man 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 from the very strong metal- from 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 tail and mane white. 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.