University of Virginia Library

THE ELDER HEROES

EPIC SONGS OF RUSSIA

Volgá Vseslavich the Wizard

THE red sun sank behind the lofty mountains,
behind the broad sea, stars studded the
clear heavens; then Volgá Vseslavich was
born in Holy Mother Russia, the son of Marfa
Vseslavievna and a Dragon.

Mother Earth trembled, the wild beasts fled to
the forests, the birds flew up to the clouds, and the
fish in the blue sea scattered. At an hour and a
half old, Volgá spoke thus to his lady mother:
"Swathe me not in cocoon-like bands, neither gird
me about with silken bonds. But swathe me,
mother mine, in strong steel mail; on my head set
a helm of gold; in my right hand put a mace, a
heavy mace of lead, in weight three hundred
poods."[1]

In due course Lord Volgá learned all wisdom
and all cunning, and divers tongues. When he
attained to fifteen years[2] he collected a body-guard,
bold and good—thirty heroes, save one; and he
himself was the thirtieth. To them Lord Volgá
spoke:

"Good and brave druzhina[3] mine! listen to
your ataman.[4] Weave snares of silk, spread them
on the damp earth, amid the dusky forest, and take
martens, foxes, wild beasts and black sables for
the space of three days and three nights."

His good body-guard hearkened to their elder
brother, to their chief, and did the thing commanded:
but no single beast could they take.
Then Lord Volgá transformed himself into a lion,
and trotted over the damp earth to the gloomy
forest, headed off the martens, foxes, the wild
beasts and black sables, the far-leaping hares and
little ermines, capturing as many as he would.

Again, on a day, Lord Volgá was in Kief town
with his nine and twenty heroes; and he said to
them:

"Good my body-guard! twine now mighty
cords. Make them fast to the topmost crests of
the trees in the dark forest; and catch therewith
geese, swans, clear falcons, and little birds of all
the various sorts. And this ye shall do for the
space of three days and nights."

And when they did so, and caught nothing, Lord
Volgá turned himself into an ostrich-bird, and
turned all back, geese, swans, clear falcons and
lesser birds.

Again he ordered his good body-guard to take
axes of stout metal, and build oaken vessels, and
to knot silken nets, wherewith to take salmon,
dolphins, pikes, flat fish and precious sturgeons,
for three days and as many nights. And when
they could not, he transformed himself into a
pike, and drove all the fishes back.

And being again in Kief town, with his bodyguard,

Lord Volgá spoke: "Brave and good
druzhina mine! Whom shall we send to the
Turkish land, to learn the Tzar's mind,—what the
Tzar thinketh, whether he meaneth to come against
Holy Russia? If we send an old man, there will be
long to wait; if a young one, he will sport with
the maidens, he will divert himself with the young
damsels, and hold converse with the old crones,
and so also we shall have long to wait. Plain is
it then that Volgá himself must go."

Then Volgá became a little bird, and flew above
the earth, and came speedily to the Turkish land.
There he alighted over against the Tzar's little
window, and listened to the secret talk between
the Tzar and his Tzaritza.

"Aï, my Tzaritza, Pantalovna! I know what
I know. In Russia the grass groweth not as of
yore, the flowers bloom not as of old; plainly,
Volgá is no longer among the living."

To this the Tzaritza Pantalovna made answer:

"And thou my Tzar, thou Turkish Santal! the
grass still groweth as of yore in Russia, and the
flowers blossom as was their wont. Last night
and in my dreams I saw a little titmouse fly from
the East, and from the West a black raven. They
flew against each other in the open plain, and
fought. The little bird tore the black raven
asunder, and plucked out his feathers, and scattered
all to the winds."

Then Tzar Santal the Turk made answer: "I
am minded to march against Holy Russia shortly.
Nine cities will I take and bestow upon my nine
sons, and for myself I will fetch a rich furred
cloak."

"Thou shalt never take nine cities," quoth Pantalovna,
"for thy nine sons, nor shalt thou fetch
for thyself a rich furred cloak."

"Thou old devil!" spake Tzar Santal the Turk,
"thou hast but slept and dreamed."

Therewith he smote her upon her white face,
and, turning, smote the other cheek, and flung the
Tzaritza upon the floor of brick; and yet a second
time he flung her.

"Nay, but I shall go to Holy Russia!" quoth he,
"and I shall take nine cities for my nine sons, and a
rich furred cloak for my own wearing."

Then Lord Volgá Vseslavich transformed himself
to a little ermine, crept into the armoury, turned
back into a goodly youth, snapped the stout bows,
broke the silken cords, all the fiery arrows, and
the locks upon the weapons, and drenched all the
powder in the casks. Again Lord Volgá turned
himself into a gray wolf, and galloped to the stable,
and tore open the throats of all the good steeds
therein. When that was done, Lord Volgá flew
back to Kief town, to his good body-guard, in the
form of a little bird.

"Let us go now, my bold, good guards, to the
Turkish land," he said.

So they rode thither, and took all the Turkish
host captive.

"Let us now divide the prisoners," quoth Lord
Volgá. What lot was dear, and what was cheap?
Sharp swords were rated at five roubles, weapons of
damascened steel at six roubles: and but one lot
was exceeding cheap—the women. Old women
were valued at a quarter of a kopek, young women
at half a kopek, and beauties at a copper farthing.

Volgá and Mikula Selyaninovich the
Villager's Son[1]

COURTEOUS Prince Vladimir, of royal Kief
town, gave to his beloved nephew Volgá,
three cities, Kurtzovetz, Oryekovetz, and
a third, Krestyanovetz. For Volgá had traversed
many lands, many hordes; he had collected gifts
in tribute from all Tzars and kings, and had brought
them to glorious Kief town, to his uncle, Prince
Vladimir. Much gold had he collected and silver
and great pearls, and yet more of Arabian bronze,
which darkeneth never, nor corrodeth, and is more
precious than gold or pearls or silver.

Now, in those three glorious cities given him by
his uncle Vladimir, dwelt stiff-necked people, who
obeyed no man, neither gave gifts nor tribute to
any. Then young Volgá Vseslavich assembled his
good body-guard, and set out to take possession of
his towns. As they rode over the open plain, Volgá
heard a husbandman ploughing. The plough
screamed, the share grated against the stones.
Volgá rode in quest of the husbandman. A whole
day he rode until evening, and heard the plough
grate ever through the plain; but dark night overtook
him on the way, and he found not the man.
A second day he rode toward that husbandman

until dusk, and yet a third; and on the third day
he came upon the man driving his plough, and
casting the clods of earth from side to side of the
furrow. The husbandman ploughed up damp oaks,
stumps and great stones; and his nightingale
mare was named "Raise-her-head;" for she could
lift it to the clouds. His plough was of maple-wood,
his reins of silk, the share of damascened
steel with fittings of silver, and the handles of pure
gold. His curls waved over his brows of blackest
sable, his eyes were falcon clear; his shoes were of
green morocco with pointed toes; and under the
hollow of his foot, sparrows might fly. His hat
was downy, and his caftan was of black velvet.

Lord Volgá spoke these words: "God aid thee,
husbandman, in thy ploughing and tilling!"

"Art thou come, Volgá Vseslavich, with thy
troop?" answered the husbandman. "Ridest
thou far, Volgá? Whither leadeth thy course, with
thy good guard?"

"I go to take possession of three towns which
courteous Prince Vladimir, my uncle, hath given
to me, Kurtzovetz, Oryekovetz, and Krestyanovetz."

"Ho, Volgá Vseslavich! Robbers dwell there.
Two days ago I was in that town, bearing two sacks
of salt, of a hundred poods each, upon my nightingale
mare, and they demanded toll; and for all
I gave them they would still have more. Then I
began to thrust them back by thousands; he who
was standing is now sitting, he who was sitting
now lieth, and he who then lay will stand no more
for ever."[2]

Then spoke Volgá: "Husbandman! come thou
with me as my comrade."

The husbandman at that loosed the silken reins,
turned his mare from the plough and mounted the
good steed, and they rode forth.

But the husbandman soon paused in thought.

"Ho there, Volgá!" quoth he; "I have left
my plough in the furrow. Command now thy men
to turn it from the furrow, scrape the soil from the
share, and cast it into a willow bush, that robbers
find it not, that none discover it save those to
whom it will yield service,—my brother peasants."

So Volgá despatched five of his mighty youths,
and they twisted the handles all about, but could
not draw that plough of maple-wood from the
furrow.

Then Volgá sent thither ten men, and again his
whole body-guard; but the strength of them all
was not enough to loose the share, shake off the
earth and toss it into the willow bush.

Then the husbandman rode up on his nightingale
mare, grasped the plough of maple-wood with one
hand, shook the soil from the share, tossed it to the
clouds, saying:

"Farewell my plough! Never more shall I till
with thee."

Then they mounted their good steeds and rode,
and came to the famous town of Kurtzovetz, to
Oryekovetz, and to the little burgh of Krestyanovetz.

Thereupon the common folk assembled in
throngs and gave them great battle. And those
peasants were very cunning rogues. They reared
a treacherous bridge. But the youthful heroes
were yet more cunning, and first sent forward their
great force upon that bridge of staffwood. Then
the bridge broke, and all that host fell into the little

river, and began to drown and to be in sorry plight.
Volgá and the husbandman urged their good steeds
across that little stream, the Volkof, and the brave
chargers leaped it. Then they began to do honour
to the peasants, to give them due guerdon and to
lash them with their whips. And when they had
chastised these peasants at their good pleasure, they
rode back whence they came.

And the peasants began to be submissive from
that hour, and to pay their just tribute.

The husbandman rode in front, and Volgá essayed
to overtake him; yet spur on as he would,
he could barely keep in sight. Raise-her-head's
tail spread far abroad, her mane waved in the
breeze, and she went at a walk; but Volgá's horse
galloped at full speed. Raise-her-head paced, and
Volgá's steed was left far behind. Then Volgá
waved his cap and shouted. When the husbandman
perceived it, he restrained his nightingale
mare, the while Volgá spoke thus:

"Halt, thou husbandman! If that mare were
but a stallion, I would give for her five hundred
roubles."

"Thou art but foolish, Volgá," the husbandman
made answer: "I bought this mare as a foal from
her mother's side for five hundred roubles; and were
she a stallion she would be priceless."

"By what name art thou called, husbandman,
and what is thy patronymic?" asked Volgá.

"Now ho, thou Volgá Vseslavich!" the husbandman
made answer; "I will plough for rye and
stack it in ricks, I will draw it home and thresh it,
brew beer and give the peasants to drink:—and
the peasants shall call me Young Mikula Selyaninovich,
the Villager's Son."

Hero Svyatogor[1]

HERO SVYATOGOR saddled his good steed,
and made ready to ride afield. As he
traversed the open plain, he found none
with whom to measure the strength which flowed
so fiercely through his veins. Weighed down with
might, as with a heavy burden, he spoke:

"Would there were a ring fixed in the heavens
—I would drag them down! If there were but a
pillar firm set in damp mother earth, and a ring
made fast thereto, I would raise the whole earth
and twist it round!"

And as he went his way over the wide steppe,
he was aware of a traveller there, and rode after
him, but could by no means overtake him. He
rode at a trot, and the wayfarer was ever before
him;—at full gallop, and the man still went on
before. Then cried the hero:

"Ho there, thou wayfarer! pause a little, for I
cannot overtake thee on my good steed."

So the wayfarer halted, took a small pair of
pouches from his shoulder and cast them on the
damp earth.

"What hast thou in thy pouches?" said
Svyatogor.

"Lift them from the earth, and thou shalt see,"
quoth the man.

Then Svyatogor sprang from his good steed, and
seized the pouches with one hand,—and could not
raise them. Then he essayed both hands;—a
breath alone could pass beneath, but the hero was
sunk to his knees in the earth, and blood, not
tears, streamed down his white face.

"What lieth in thy wallet?" said Svyatogor
then. "Lo! my strength hath not begun to fail
me, yet I cannot lift this weight."

"The whole weight of the earth lieth therein,"
the man made answer.

"And who art thou? What art thou called,
and what is thy patronymic?"

"I am Mikulushka[2] Selyaninovich, the Villager's
Son."

"Tell me then, Mikulushka, inform me, how I
may know the fate decreed by God?"

"Ride on the straight way, until thou come to
the fork of the road. At the parting of the way,
turn to thy left hand, send thy horse at full speed,
and thou shalt come to the Northern Mountains.
In those mountains, beneath a great tree, standeth
a smithy; and of the smith therein do thou inquire
thy fate."

Then Svyatogor rode three days as he had been
commanded, and so came to the great tree and
the smithy, where stood the smith forging two fine
hairs.

Quoth the hero: "What forgest thou, smith?"
The smith made answer: "I forge the fates of
those that shall wed."

"And whom shall I wed?"

"They bride is in the kingdom by the sea, in
the royal city; thirty years hath she lain on the
dungheap."

Then the hero stood and thought: "Nay: but

I will go to that kingdom by the sea, and will slay
my bride."

So he went to the royal city of that kingdom by
the sea, and came to a miserable hut and entered.
No one was there save a maiden lying on the dungheap;
and her body was like the bark of fir-trees.
Svyatogor drew forth five hundred roubles, and laid
them on the table, and with his sharp sword, he
smote her on her white breast. Then he departed
from that kingdom, and the maiden woke and
gazed about her. The fir-bark fell from her limbs,
and she became a beauty such as was never seen
in all the world nor heard of in the white world.

On the table lay the five hundred roubles, and
with this money she began to trade. When she
had accumulated untold treasure of gold, she built
dark red ships, freighted them with precious wares
and sailed forth upon the glorious blue sea. And
when she was come to the great city, to the Holy
Mountains, and began to barter her precious wares,
the fame of her beauty spread through all the
town and kingdom, and all men came to look upon
her and marvel at her fairness. Hero Svyatogor
came also to gaze upon her beauty—and loved
her, and began to woo her for himself.

After they were married, he perceived a scar
upon his wife's white bosom, and inquired of her:
"What scar is that?"

And his wife made answer: "An unknown
man came to our kingdom by the sea, and left five
hundred roubles of gold in our hut. When I awoke,
there was a scar upon my bosom, and the fir-bark had
fallen away from my white body. For before that
day, I had lain for thirty years upon the dungheap."

Then Svyatogor the hero knew that none may
escape his fate, nor may any flee upon his good
steed from the judgment of God.