Snow Maiden, Baba Yaga, Ivan Tsarevich - stories withwith the participation of these characters, most people hear in early childhood. However, the world of folklore is much richer, contains not only fairy tales, but also songs, ballads, epics. Not everyone will be able to give the correct answer to the question of what is epic in literature, what is its role. So what does this genre represent?
Bylina in Russian literature: history
Этот термин стал употребляться лишь в 1839 году, coined by folklorist Ivan Sakharov. Previously, works related to this genre were called “old”, “old”. The most ancient of them were known in the 10th century, at that time they were told to the accompaniment of gusli. In the future, the tradition of using music has faded away. To publish such stories began only at the beginning of the 18th century.
So what is epic in literature?The definition briefly sounds like an epic song-tale, which is one of the varieties of oral folk art, having a heroic and patriotic character. The main characters of such stories were first of all warriors. Plots associated with the life of ancient Russia, allow us to better imagine the way of thinking of people who lived in the IX-XIII centuries.
Features of the genre
Bylinas in Russian literature were mainly describedheroic events, often they were considered one or another fascinating historical events. Plots were taken from both the history of Kievan Rus and from the events of prehistoric times. Among the characters of such works, in addition to the courageous heroes fighting against evil, there are fantastic images, for example, the Serpent Gorynych, the Nightingale the Robber. Also, the role of the heroes got to the real historical persons like the Kiev princes Igor, Vladimir.
What is epic in literature?It is also a work that has no author. Legends traveled from generation to generation, overgrown with new fascinating details. People who performed heroic songs were respectfully called “narrators.” They were required not to memorize works by heart, but the ability to colorfully convey them, not to allow the distortion of meaning.
Structure
Trying to understand what epic is in literature,It is necessary to imagine the structure of such a text. The works mainly consisted of three compositional elements: the singing, the beginning, the ending. The stories began with a solo, which was a kind of introduction. From the solo it was required not to tell about the plot of a historical song, but to attract the attention of listeners.
Что такое былина в литературе без зачина?We are talking about the story itself, which devoted listeners to the main events that were described in folk works in embellished form. Be sure to present and ending, which is a kind of summing up. Also, the role of the ending could take a trick.
For epics characteristic tonic verse, alsocalled folk. For poetic lines it was obligatory to have the same number of accents, whereas the number of syllables could differ. The first stress was mainly on the third syllable, counting from the beginning. The third syllable, counting from the end, was marked by the last stress. Also interesting is the abundance of epic formulas, an example of which is the expression “clear eyes”.
Heroic epics
The most famous of these characters are heroicsongs like three heroes. Without Dobrynia, Alyosha, Ilya, what is epic in literature? The definition of such works - heroic songs-legends (there are also social ones). Muromets, Nikitich and Popovich became famous for their numerous feats of arms, they served Vladimir Krasno Solnyshko.
An example of a typical heroic epic - history,describing the struggle of Ilya of Murom with the terrible Nightingale the robber who knows how to destroy life around him with the help of a whistle. The great hero, of course, takes a monster into captivity, breaking into his lair, and then deprives him of life. This same category includes an equally famous work about the battle of Dobrynia with the Serpent.
Social epics
Social works also enjoyedhuge demand. An example of such a tale can serve as the story of Sadko, a young gifted guslar who cannot get fame. In the end, the young man receives the patronage of the Sea Lord, impressed by his talent, but escapes from him and returns to his homeland, abandoning the innumerable treasures offered to him.
Social epic characters are mostlybecame peasants, merchants, found among them and the princes. In addition to the above-mentioned Sadko, heroes such as Mikula and Volga have gained popularity. Social and heroic works are equally attractive for high-quality portrayal of the characters of the main actors.
So what is epic in literature? The short answer is a work permeated with patriotism, faith in the triumph of good and the defeat of evil.
