Serboluzhitsky epic

The German folklorist (d. 1882), the author of a two-volume collection of Serbo-Luzhitsky legends, called the legends of the Luga Serbs "real antique gold that shines through the rust of centuries." Haupt divided the Serbo-Luzhitsky tales into two large groups: mythological , which, in turn, were divided into plots: tales of gods, demons, ghosts and ghosts, the devil, treasures in the earth, wonders and wizards; and historical , which he divided into heroic and folk tales, local tales, clan legends about castles, legends about the Marienstern and Marienthal monasteries. Contemporary folklore unites Serbluzhitsky legends in images and plots. These legends can be divided into three groups (Goliontseva, 2008): mythological, legendary-historical and historical-geographical.

Mythological legends tell of nature with images of religious cults (legends “Chernobog and Belobog”, “God Shvabus”, “Dzivitsa, the Vendian goddess of hunting” and others). The legends “Noon at the town of Kozel”, “ People near Hoyersverda ” and others tell about peasant labor. The social theme is devoted to the legends "The Beautiful Georg and the daughter of Vodyaniy", "The Rights of the Vodian on Water" and others. Among the geographical legends: the legend "About the Giant Sprevnik", to which the Sprue river supposedly owes its appearance. The image of the Devil became widespread (“Devil's Window on Mount Chernobog”, “Devil's Stone near Kamenets”). In tales on a social topic, the devil is on the side of the oppressed peasants ^[1] .

Historical Tales

Legendary historical legends tell of the acts of historical figures, including the leaders of Slavic tribes, knights, robbers and junkers . The Legend of the Serbian King in Spreewald gained wide popularity, in which the nameless Serbian king lost his lands as a result of the struggle with the Germans and was forced to flee to the marshland of Spreewald , where he built a fortress. One of the heroes of Serbluzhitsky legends is Peter Praischwitz , who served as a clerk in Bautzen . When the city was in 1429, Peter set out to pour water on the Germans to help the "brothers." Praischwitz was tortured and quartered for this plan. At the main gate of Bautzen, his face was imprinted in stone "for eternal shame." In the memory of the Germans, Praischwitz remained a traitor, for the Lusatian Serbs - the "brother" of Jan Hus . Another hero of the Serbluzhitsky legends is the wizard (from “croat” - that is, a Croat), behind whom a real person is hiding - the Croatian colonel from Agram (d. 1704). In legends, Krabat helps the poor become happy. Luzhitsky prose writer Y. Brezan (d. 2006) wrote on this subject the novel “ ”.

A number of legends reflect the dream of the Lusatian Serbs about a leader who could lead people to the struggle for national liberation. Among them is the legend of Prince Miliduh , a national hero who died in the fight against the Franks. Another legend tells of the treacherous Margrave of Hero , who killed thirty Slavic princes. In the legend “ The Battle of the Wends on the Wall ” (on Wallenberg near Fisheim), in the decisive battle between the Germans and the Slavs, the latter perish. Their bones and graves have long disappeared, but at night the Slavic warriors come to life and continue the battle. People hear screams and groans, a bloody glow appears over the mountain, and people say: "The Wends are fighting again at Wallenberg." In another legend about the death of the Slavs at Wallenberg, King Henry is mentioned, who crossed the Elbe and invaded Serbian land. The legend “ On the Seven Kings on Dromberg ” tells of the kings who gathered on the mountain ( or Serbin ^[2] ) to decide on helping the people regain their freedom. Having decided on a war, all kings die in a difficult battle. Buried in grief, the kings sleep in anticipation of the day when they will be called to the “last battle” in the name of the liberation of the people ^[1] .

• “ Our Boys Are Coming from the War ” (Nizhny Luzhitsky epic song)
• “ Victories of the Serbs ” (Upper Luzhitsky song)
• Gandriyas and Rayserberg

• Goliontseva, V. N. Serbian legends and national history. - Pyatigorsk, 1990.
• Schneider, Erich. Sagen der Lausitz: eine Auswahl. - Bautzen: VEB Verlag Domowina, 1965 .-- 169 p.
• Haupt, K. Sagenbuch der Lausitz . - Leipzig, 1862.