One of the popular trinity of Russian heroes was Dobrynya Nikitich. This character of the Russian folk epos was portrayed as a hero who serves under Prince Vladimir. The wife of Dobryni was the beautiful Nastasya, who was the daughter of Mikula Selyaninovich.
The prototype of Dobrynia Nikitich
An interesting moment can be traced in the epics. The fact is that it is the Dobrynya prince who usually gives various kinds of instructions: either to help out a niece, then to collect tribute and bring her to the court, he himself is also called to fulfill orders that other heroes refused. Thus, the proximity to the princely relatives of Dobrynia, who is sometimes called the prince himself, the nephew of Vladimir the Red Sun himself, becomes apparent . In historical terms, the prototype of a hero can be safely called governor Dobrynya, who was the uncle and governor of Prince Vladimir, brother of mother Malusha. Dobrynya carries out personal instructions, using not only strength, courage, but also diplomatic abilities, which speaks of his education and intelligence. What kind of Dobrynya Nikitich was, we learn from epics, they often talk about his versatility, he is adroit, swims perfectly, shoots, and also owns musical instruments. Often he plays the harp, sings, plays tawley.
Characteristics of Dobrynia
The description of Dobrynia Nikitich in epics is definite and clear. He has a courageous character and is endowed with power unprecedented by ordinary people (only Ilya Muromets is stronger). A distinctive feature of Dobrynya from other heroes is its "veterancy", that is, diplomacy and tact.
Having examined what feats Dobrynya Nikitich performed in epics, some conclusions were drawn. Let's try to consider this character in more detail.
Death of Dobrynia Nikitich
In the stories, the hero Dobrynya Nikitich is closely connected with Ryazan. On the Oka River in the Shilovsky district there is an island that is connected with the hero, and the Dobrynin barrow near the river Shilovo. According to legends, on his island Dobrynya Nikitich carried a service patrol, robbed merchants sailing by, and threw with the hero Volodya, who was on duty on Pupka Island, with axes (it’s more about Ilya Muromets). After a sad battle with the Tatars, Dobrynya was buried on his mound. These events are mentioned in the annals of the Battle of Kalka. Among the other dead there is the name of Dobrynia Ryazanich Zlatpojas. The combat associates brought the body of the hero to their homeland and buried in the town of Dubki, near the Para river. Shilov peasants, in turn, in the 20s of the last century unearthed a mound. As the peasants said, in the mound they found a belt with overlays, chain mail and a helmet. Things were stored by local residents. According to legend, knowing what feats Dobrynya Nikitich performed, the mother of the deceased with a conspiracy lowered his sword into the river near the Shilov Church. It is time to remember all the merits of this hero.
What feats did Dobrynya Nikitich accomplish?
Having approximately calculated the number of epics, we will come to an approximate figure of 53, out of these heroic stories, Dobrynya became the main character in some of them. These are the feats Dobrynya Nikitich performed.
Duel of Dobrynia with Ilya Muromets
The story of how the Russian hero Dobrynya Nikitich fought with the strongest hero and found a friend in his person. So, Dobrynya grew up, and the fame of its power reached Ukraine, to Ilya Muromets himself. Ilya decided to check whether the fellow really is as strong as they say about him, and went to the distant Ryazan. Dobrynya did not grow in wealth; he lived in a simple hut. Upon arrival, Ilya did not find Dobrynya at home, and his mother tried to dissuade the hero from the fight, prayed not to harm her son. Ilya had already decided to go back, but heard on the street the praise of Dobrynya and offered to fight. In the first fight, a draw, in the second match the sabers became worthless, but the forces were equal. The third match decided everything. Athletes went knee-deep into the ground, Ilya's leg trembled, then his hand, and after all Dobrynya was on his chest. Dobrynya Nikitich, thus, met with Ilya Muromets, did not harm him and became a friend. Ilya offered a new comrade a service with Prince Vladimir.
The story of Dobrynia Nikitich and the Snake
In most versions of this epic, Dobrynya not only fights with the Serpent, but also frees the niece of Prince Vladimir Zabava Putyatichna from captivity.
The story begins with the words of the mother of Dobrynia, who warns her son about the dangers of the Sorochinskaya mountain, about the ferocity of the Puchai River, the first jet cuts off like fire, the second like a spark, and the third fire with smoke. The point is that Russian people are held captive there. Dobrynya disobeyed his mother and still went to save the Russian people. On the mountain, he killed serpents, swam across the river, but a snake about twelve heads appeared from behind the mountain. And the hero knew that either death or captivity was prepared. The weapon of Dobrynia Nikitich, as luck would have it, was not with him. What to do in such a situation? The horse of Dobrynia Nikitich is far from him, there is no one to help. I thought it was already a good fellow about his demise. I saw a Greek three-pood cap nearby, swung it at a snake, knocked it off its feet, wanted to chop its heads, but the monster prayed, promised not to take more Christians prisoner, and also promised to become a sister for the hero. I regretted Dobrynya a snake, released. When he returned to the princely court, he found out the sad news that the snake had stolen the niece of Vladimir-Zabava Putyatishna. Vladimir ordered Dobrynya to return the nephew to the court, and since Dobrynya could not cope with the task, he would lose his head. The upset Dobrynya went home to his mother. That reassured him, they say the morning of the evening is wiser. He took his father’s horse Dobrynya and went to Mount Sorochinskaya, his mother went down on the shamakhi lash and said if the horse would not trample the snake cubs so that the coveted words were said by Dobrynya “Burushko, horse, jump, and shake off the legs!” . So did Dobrynya, killed all the serpents, saved the Russian people from captivity. The serpent monster reappeared, for the oath was not kept, the battle was not for life but for death began. For three days and another three hours the battle went on, blood poured for days, the earth barely absorbed this blood. After the victory, all the captives were freed from the caves, including Zabava Putyatichna. Dobrynya put the young man on a horse and drove to the yard. The girl wanted to thank the young man for salvation and offered him her love, but he refused, because she is a noble family, and he is a simple guy. And so the feat of Dobryny ended.
Dobrynya and Marinka
Dobrynya served the prince for nine years, for the tenth year he decided to take a walk around the city and shoot archery. Then he saw pigeons who laughed at the window by a beautiful house, shot, but missed. The window broke. In that tower Marinka lived with the Serpent Gorynych. She charmed Dobrynya and he himself came to her house. Marinka wrapped Dobrynya in the beast. For six months no one had heard of him. Once at the prince in the evening, Marinka began to boast that she turned good fellows into animals. Dobrynyushka’s mother burst into tears, turned to Annushka's gossip, who herself had heard the words of praise. Annushka attacked Marinka, scolded her, injured her, and then Marinka turned into a darling and flew away. She flew to Dobryna, sat on her shoulder and asked for her release to marry her. Dobrynya agreed with the condition that he would teach her as a wife. She turned him again into the good fellow and herself turned a girl. They got married in a clean field, returned to the tower to her. There is no icon in her house or a divine candle, so let her dobrynya to teach prayers. Then the weapon of Dobrynya Nikitich went into play. He chopped off Marina’s hand because she hugged the Serpent of Gorynych, then chopped off her legs, because she came up to them, then her nose and lips, because she spoke and kissed them. And so came the end of the sorceress.
Dobrynya and Nastasya
Dobrynya served at the outpost, the girl walked past the outpost, taunted the heroes, could not stand Dobrynya ridicule and summoned him to battle. They fought for three days, without bloodshed, the bogatyr girl defeated, put him in a leather bag, but the horse of two strong men could not stand it. Then the damsel began to ask the captive. She promised him that if he was elderly, he would become his daughter, and if he was equal, then his wife. Rescued Dobrynya, he promised to marry her after 3 years. And so it happened. After the wedding, the state case forced him to leave the house.
Dobrynya and Alyosha
Dobrynya was not at home for 12 years. Alyosha Popovich began to visit Nastya, told her that he had seen Dobrynya dead, and suggested that the girl marry him. The wedding was played noisy. A buffoon came to the court, he was allowed to the celebration. He played the psaltery so beautifully that the people cried with pleasure. Then Nastasya offered a glass of wine to the buffoon, he drank and left a personalized ring in the glass. Nastasya burst into tears and stated that her husband was not sitting next to her, but playing on the harp. So Alyosha Popovich was left without Nastya, and Dobrynya to an old age with a beautiful wife. These are the feats Dobrynya Nikitich performed based on Russian epics. Perhaps now these feats seem ridiculous, but then people believed in evil spirits, in witches and monsters, therefore only a real hero endowed with courage, courage, wit and magic power of mother nature could defeat them.
That is why folklore is interesting because all stories were composed by ordinary people, all emotions came from the heart, thanks to which the characters turned out to be colorful, unusual and at the same time very wise. Despite the fact that the stories are old, invented by ordinary people, they have long been preserved in history and have survived to this day. Even in modern society, epics about heroes are still popular, they got a second wind, cartoons and fairy tales were shot on their basis.