University of Virginia Library

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.