Bova the King - Russian folk tales. Heroes of Slavic mythology: Bova Korolevich

Bova Korolevich, aka Bova Gvidonovich, aka Bueve, aka Bovo from Anton (Buovo d'Antona). Today, this name (names) is unlikely to say anything even to fans of Russian folklore.

And just a century ago, Bova Korolevich was one of the most "cult" characters, who in terms of popularity among the people far outstripped other "epic" heroes Ilia Muromets, Dobrynya Nikitich and Alyosha Popovich.

Lubok tales about the "extraordinary hero" came out in hundreds of editions from the 18th to the 20th centuries. It was the Batman of its time. Arina Rodionovna read the tale of Bova Korolevich to Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. The poet will then write "The Tale of Tsar Saltan", partially borrowing the plot and the names of the heroes of this poem. Moreover, Alexander Sergeevich will even make sketches of the poem "Bova", but death will prevent him from finishing the work.

French ancestry

Bova Korolevich was not only the most popular hero of the Russian folk literature but also the most mysterious. So, unlike the "home-grown" Ilya Muromets and Dobrynya Nikitich, Bova Gvidonovich had a "foreign" origin. The prototype of this knight was french knight Bovo de Anton from the famous chronicle poem Reali di Francia, written as far back as the 14th century.

Main secret, in what ways the French knight got to Russia and became a popularly beloved hero here. Moreover, among common people who had never even heard of the existence of France and courtly knights. Interestingly, the Russian version of the chivalric novel has undergone minor changes in the plot. Of the characters, only the hero Polkan was added. The names of the heroes have been changed slightly. Duke Guido became King Guidon, the beloved of the knight Druzinian turned into Druzhevna, and so on. Many French heroes received rather bizarre middle names in the Russian version.

The Incredible Adventures of Bova Korolevich

The plot of the tale is as follows: Bova Korolevich runs away from the house from the evil mother of Militrisa Kirbityevna and stepfather of King Dodon. Fate leads him to King Zenziviy Andronovich, where the hero falls in love with his daughter Druzhevna. In honor of her, he performs miracles of courage, defeats one whole army of contenders for the hand of Druzhevna - kings Markobrun and Lukoper Saltanovich. Thanks to the intrigues of one envious courtier, Bova Korolevich gets into a series of dangerous adventures, escapes only thanks to his courage, the treasure-sword and the heroic horse, on which no one except Bova dares to sit down.

In the tale, Bova acts as a zealous champion Orthodox Faith. Even when death threatens him, he does not want to renounce Orthodoxy and believe in "the Latin faith and the God of Akhmet." In the end, Bova frees Druzhevna from Markobrun and marries her. After his marriage, he goes to take revenge on King Dodon for the murder of his father; at this time, Druzhevna is hiding with the daughter of King Saltan, Minchitrisa. Bove, having decided that his wife is dead, is going to marry Minchitrisa, whom he converted to Christianity. But Druzhevna turns out to be alive, Bova returns to her and her two sons, while Minchitrisa marries Licharda's son, Bova's faithful servant.

disappearance

Probably, with some adaptation, Bova the King could compete today with fantasy bestsellers like The Lord of the Rings. But after the revolution, the knight-hero also mysteriously disappeared from folk epic, as it appeared in due time. This is very strange, because no one forbade Bova Gvidonovich. Why, then, at one fine moment, in the villages and towns, they suddenly stopped retelling his incredible adventures?

One of the most fantastic versions says that Bova Gvidonovich was brought and popularized in Russia by the legendary ofen. It was they who initially translated the French chivalric romance into Russian lubok and smashed it around the country. Allegedly, the "Russified" plot of the tale contained some secret knowledge Russian peddlers. After the revolution, probably, the spread of this "Ofen Kabbalah" lost its relevance, so Bova Korolevich quietly disappeared into the new information flows.

BOVA KOROLEVICH - literary hero. In the second half of the 16th century, European " chivalric romances". The first place among them is occupied by The Tale of Bova Korolevich. Its source is a French-Italian novel about the exploits of Bovo d'Anton, but he came to us through the South Slavic medium (in the Belarusian retelling). Usually the Russian texts of this story were called: “History about a certain brave knight and about the glorious hero about Bova Korolevich. In the form of amusing books, it existed at the court, and in handwritten versions - among the lower classes.

It was not just a translation: the foreign essay received a Russian coloring, different kind the details that gave it a Russian flavor, the content was deliberately associated with Russian life, and the characters became like Russian people.

ORIGIN: Bova was the son of King Guidon and Militrisa, daughter of King Kirbych. My father gave Milithris for Gvidon against her will, Lichard's equerry was the matchmaker. Militrisa, hating her husband, entered into an agreement with King Dodon: he came with the army to the appointed place, where she sent Guidon to hunt, and Dodon hacked him to death. Sinbalda, Bova's uncle, told him about what had happened and tried to take him away, but Dodon managed to capture the boy. Dodon had a dream that Bova, armed with a treasure sword and a spear, was ready to pierce his heart. Having learned about this, Militrisa, for the love of Dodon. She decided to kill her son, put him in prison and did not give him food. Then she sent him three loaves of bread soaked in poison. The girl, bringing Bova bread, warned him, he threw the bread to the dogs, and they immediately died. Bova wept bitterly, and the girl also wept, looking at his beauty. When she left, she did not lock the dungeon, and Bova fled.

APPEARANCE: In his fate, his appearance played a significant role: the beauty of a boy, and then a young man, is repeatedly said. “Bova had bright eyes, and his hair was yellow like silk, and his face was ruddy like gold.”

BOVA'S ADVENTURES: Bovu picks up a ship, he pretends to be the son of a sexton and a washerwoman. He is taught to read and write, and he "on the ship blooms like a flower, his face will shine like a sunbeam." It becomes the property of King Zinzoway, who appoints him head groom. The daughter of Zinzovey, carried away by the beauty of Bova, asks her father to allow him to come to her chambers. When he came for the first time, "the ward lit up from his face, but the beautiful Druzhnena and the girls could not sit still."

Funny details testify to the outbreak of their love. King Markobrun with 200,000 troops approaches the city and demands Druzhnena as his wife. King Zinzoway is forced to agree, but Bova defeats the aliens in tournament fights, including Markobrun. Tsar Saltan Saltanovich appears with a hundred thousandth army, he wants to marry his son Lukaper to Druzhnen. Bova enters a duel with Lukaper - " glorious hero three sazhens high, ”and cuts his head in two with a wonderful sword-treasury that Druzhnena gave him. Having freed Zinzovey and Markobrun, captured by Saltan, Bova reminds his master that he himself is waiting for release. Druzhnena begs her father to give her to Bova - the son of King Guidon - and receives consent.
Now - instead of a happy fairy tale ending - the story of Bova takes on such an incredible turn, is saturated with such dizzying adventures that the former Russian reader could not even think of. Bova's rivals manage to send him far away, he does not have time to warn the bride, and she is forced to agree to marriage with Markobrun, however, having reprimanded herself for a year of delay.
Bova many times finds herself on the verge of death, robbed, having lost her name, heroic horse and sword-treasurer. He is forced to wander under the guise of a poor old man, gets imprisoned by Tsar Saltan, and his daughter tries to convert Bova "to the Latin faith." Fortunately for Bova, his miraculous sword is returned to him, and he again wins victory after victory. On the way to Druzhnenya, he learns about the condition she accepted - to wait for him a year, and meanwhile more has passed since the moment of their separation. He receives a "potion" that allows him to change and restore appearance. Not recognized by the bride, he goes with her to the stable, where his heroic horse is chained. At the sight of the owner, the horse broke 70 chains, "jumped Bove on his throat, and put his front hooves on his shoulders." Then Bova opens up to Druzhnena, they run, the chase rushes after them, and the most important of the pursuers - Polkan - a man from the waist to the head, and a dog from the waist to the legs) fights with him desperately, until Druzhnena reconciles them. One adventure is strung on another - first Bova disappears, then Druzhna with two children. Bova ends up in her native places and deals with Dodon, meets the children whom Druznena sent in search of her husband... Everything comes to a happy end.

"THE TALE ABOUT BOVA" is the most entertaining, the most intricate in intrigue and the richest work of adventurous events Ancient Russia. Bova combined features at the same time epic hero, a fabulous prince and a courageous and successful knight, outer beauty which was in harmony with the nobility of deeds, directness and determination, fidelity and cordial sensitivity. Bova did not remain only a hero of Ancient Russia: the story passed into modern times, in the 18th century popular retellings of it (with pictures) appeared, it turned into an oral tale, and many generations read, listened to an entertaining story about a brave knight. Have you noticed how many familiar names are here: Gvidon, Dodon, Saltan, Polkan? In Pushkin's fairy tales and poems, these names came from "Bova".

(221) Information found on the Internet and partially edited.

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  Once the ocean, then everything is connected. Here is a medieval gesture, a song about deeds, the most typical example of the French heroic epic travels through Europe, reflected in the mirrors of the English, Irish, Welsh languages. By the end of the 12th century, the knight "Bev from Anton" reaches Italy, where in the Venetian dialect he turns into "Bovo d" Anton.

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  And Usachev managed to update the language of the fairy tale in the same way. It reads like a ready-made script for a puppet theater, rhythmic prose with poetic inserts so clearly fits into the format folk theater that I would not be surprised if somewhere the actors have already taken him away by roles. So I read “Bov” to my son and wait for “Yeruslan Lazarevich” from the same author and in the same publishing house..ru.

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  "Bova the King" is a modern poetic retelling of the heroic story about gallant knight Bove Gvidonovich. Having run away from the house from the evil mother Militrisa and the stepfather of King Dadon, Bova ends up with King Zenzivei and falls in love with his daughter Druzhneva. In her honor, he performs miracles of courage and alone defeats the insidious contenders for the hand of Druzhneva - the kings of Markobrun and Lukoper.

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  The roots of this story go back to medieval times. heroic epic European nations. In our country, in the 17th-19th centuries, the adventures of Prince Bova were very popular both among the people and among the educated class. Even Radishchev and Pushkin referred to this story.

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  AT modern book about Bova-King of the publishing house "Rosmen" Andrey Usachev retold ancient history modern language, a Larisa Ryabinina in her illustrations for the book, she masterfully conveyed the intricacy and simplicity of the Russian popular print.

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