Epos ( ancient Greek ἔπος - “word”, “narration”, “verse” [1] ) is a kind of literature (along with lyrics and drama ) [2] , the heroic narrative of the past, containing an integral picture of popular life and representing in harmonic unity the world of heroes heroes [3] . Often, epic poems do not have an author (collectors of ancient epics did not realize themselves to be authors of the written) [4] . The narration is conducted on behalf of the narrator - a real or fictional narrator, observer, participant or hero of the event [2] .
Origin
At the stage of the birth of the epos, people did not have a complete picture of the world explaining its origin and fate. Tacitus , describing the Germanic tribes , mentioned their ancient songs about the mythological ancestors and leaders who replaced history. Indeed, in the epic, memories of historical events are fused with myth and fairy tale, and the fantastic and historical elements were equally taken for reality. The epos is filled with information about mythology and exploits, aphorisms of worldly wisdom, jokes, fascinating stories. The informative function is as integral as the cognitive one. The epos carried the ancient wisdom, the understanding of which was considered necessary for each member of society [2] [4] .
The transition from the oral work of singers and narrators to the “book epic” was accompanied by some changes in the composition, volume and content of the songs, since epic works in Europe existed in pagan times, and the writing after the Christianization centuries later became clothed with writing. However, Christian ideology does not determine the content and tonality of poems, which is evident when comparing the Germanic heroic epic with medieval Latin literature , permeated with the church spirit [4] .
Some scholars have expressed the view that a heroic epic has not arisen in such cultures as the Chinese [5] , while others believe that there is still an epic in China [6] .
Genres
The main types (genres) of the epos are the story (small form), the story (middle form), the novel (large form) [2] . Also stand out more genres: epic , epic , fairy tale , novel , poem , short story , essay , fable , anecdote [7] .
Poetics
Truthfulness
The source of the epic is national tradition (the “absolute past”, in the terms of Goethe and Schiller ), and not personal experience and free fiction growing on its basis. The epic world is remote from the time of the singer and listener of the epic distance [7] . In his prologue to the “ Circle of the Earth ”, Snorri Sturluson explained that among his sources are “ ancient poems and songs that people played for fun, ” and added: “ Although we ourselves do not know if these stories are true, we know for sure that the wise people of antiquity considered them true . "
Formulas
The use of formulas is the foundation of oral improvisational poetry, without which it cannot exist. A formula is a combination of words that is used (with or without minor changes) whenever a suitable situation arises. A formula can be short (two words) or long (up to ten lines).
In epic works, human life is depicted in development, from event to event [2] . The epic hero is whole, not tormented by doubts and hesitations, personifies some special quality, character, manifested in actions and intelligible speeches. This is explained by the fact that he knows and accepts his fate, boldly goes to meet her. The epic hero is not free in his decisions and choice of behavior, so he can only valiantly, in the best way fulfill his destiny [4] .
Medieval epic
Medieval epic - prose heroic poetry, which was created by wandering singers or people during the Middle Ages . The epic was sung to the sounds of a harp or viola (small violin).
The best preserved French epics - about 100 poems. The most famous of them - "The Song of Roland " - recorded in France at the beginning of the XII century. It tells about the heroic death of the detachment of Count Roland during the retreat of Charlemagne from Spain and about the revenge of the king of the Franks for the death of his nephew. The conquest to Spain is depicted in the poem as a religious war of Christians against Muslims. Roland is endowed with all the features of a flawless knight: he is fair, loved by all, magnanimous and madly courageous, performs extraordinary feats and dies so as not to violate the oath of allegiance to his liege.
This poem reflected the people's love for “sweet France,” and hatred for its enemies, and complete conquest of their master. In the poem, those feudal lords who betray the Homeland are condemned.
The German epic " Song of the Nibelungen " reflects the events and myths of the Great Migration. This poem was recorded around 1200. In it, heroes perform heroic deeds not to protect the homeland from invaders, but for the sake of personal, family or tribal interests. But the poem also reflected the life of the German people in peace and war. The lavish feasts of feudal lords, feasts and tournaments alternate with wars and battles in which military dare, courage and power of the knights are manifested.
Typically, epics consisted of 30-50 stanzas of 8 lines each. Sometimes the actors staged the content of the epos and gave their performances.
Russian epic
The Russian heroic epic is represented by epic words, the scientist Ivan Sakharov called the Russian epic legends, taking this word from “ The Lay of Igor's words ”: the designation of an epic song was rarely found among the people: “Tale-fold, song-come true,” but more often epic songs were called “antiquities”) [8] . The first records of epics were made in the 17th — 18th centuries: the Old Russian “ The Tale of Sukhan ”; “The Legend of the Walking of Bogatyrs of Kiev to Tsargrad ” ( Bogatyr Word ); " The story of the Kiev hero Mikhail Danilovich of twelve years "; "The Legend of Prince Stavre Godinovich "; "The Legend of Ilya of Murom, the Nightingale the Robber and the Idolate "; " The story of Prince Vladimir of Kiev, of the heroes of Kiev, and of Mikhail Potok Ivanovich, and of Tsar Kashchey of the Golden Horde "; excerpt from the tale of Alyosha Popovich and Tugarin; " The Story of a Strong Warrior and the Prince of Vasilii Bohuslaevich Staroschenskiy " and some others [9] .
In the second half of the 18th century, epics were recorded in the collection “Ancient Russian poems collected by Kirsha Danilov”. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, epics were recorded by folklorists - P.V. Kireyevsky, A.F. Hilferding, P.N. Rybnikov, Yu. M. Sokolov, S.I. Gulyaev, A.D. Grigoriev, A.V. Markov, N. E. Onuchkov and others. Known such famous performers of epics as T. G. Ryabinin, A. P. Sorokin, K. I. Romanov, P. L. Kalinin, V. P. Shchegolenok, A. M. Kryukova, I. A. Fedoseeva, M. D. Krivopolenova, F.E. Churkina, etc.
The range of bylins includes Pechora , Mezen , Kuloy, Pinega, the Winter Coast of the White Sea , Western Pomerania , North Obonezhie, Western Obonezhie, East Obonezhie ( Pudogu ), Kenozero , Kargopolie , the center of European Russia, the Urals, Siberia, the Far East, and Cossack regions (Don, Lower Volga, North Caucasus, etc.) [10] .
Epics, like the epic works of other peoples, were performed, as a rule, by singing to the accompaniment of a musical instrument - gusli ; performed without instrumental accompaniment.
The process of adding tales, according to most researchers, covers a huge period of time, from ancient times ( tales of Svyatoslav , Volkha ) up to the 18th century (tales of Butman) [10] . There are about 70 epic stories in total, apart from epic songs, each plot can be presented both in a single recording and in numerous versions. The names of the epics can vary. Here is a list of famous epics (it does not include explicit author's epics, like "Vanka Udovkina Son"):
Famous epics
- Kiev or "Vladimir" cycle [11]
- Alyosha Popovich and Tugarin
- Ilya and Idolische
- Ilya quarrel with Vladimir
- Novgorod cycle [11]
- Sadko
- Vasily Buslaev
- Moscow cycle [11]
- Bylina about Hoten Bludovich
- Bylina about Duke
- Bylina about Churila Plenkovich
Famous epics of the world
Poetic epic
Europe
Asia
East
| Prose Epic
Africa
Europe
Латинская Америка
Колумбия:
Asia
|
See also
- Животный эпос
- Список эпосов
- Лирика
- Drama
Notes
- ↑ 5. Поэтика гомеровского эпоса. // Гиленсон Б. А. История античной литературы. Книга 1. Древняя Греция. История древней Евразии
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 5 L. Bay. Introduction to literary criticism. Textbook for specialty language . - Liters, 2018. - 199 p. - ISBN 9785457841123 .
- ↑ Halizev, Meletinsky, 1978 .
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 A. Gurevich. The medieval heroic epic of the Germanic peoples .. - Beowulf. Elder Edda. A song about the Nibelungs .. - M .: Fiction, 1975.
- ↑ "... it seems completely improbable that the Chinese have heroic poetry." ( Baura SM . Heroic Poetry = Heroic Poetry. - M .: New Literary Review, 2002. - 808 p. - ISBN 5-86793-207-9 . - p. 20.)
- "The Chinese people created a huge number of songs, labor, epic , heroic , lyrical, ceremonial, everyday ...". TSB. Second edition. Volume 21. Article: China. p.301
- ↑ 1 2 Pivoev V.M. Aesthetics. Study guide . - Directmedia, 2014. - p. 282. - 303 p. - ISBN 9785445834816 .
- ↑ Bylina, M., Terra, 1998.
- ↑ Bylinas in 25 volumes, Volume 24, Unported records of the 17th – 20th centuries, Spb.-M. (in press)
- ↑ 1 2 Complete Code of Russian folklore, Bylinas in 25 volumes, Volume 1, St. Petersburg. -M., 2001. p. 5
- ↑ 1 2 3 Vesnina B. Bylina // Krugosvet
- ↑ Jabrail Unchiev. PartuPatima . www.lakia.net. The appeal date is June 23, 2017.
Literature
- Epos / Halizev V. Ye. , Meletinsky Ye. M. // Exlibris - Yaya. - M .: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1978. - (The Great Soviet Encyclopedia : [in 30 vol.] / Ch. Ed. A. M. Prokhorov ; 1969-1978, vol. 30).
- Azbelev S.N. A rare variety of Russian sources . - ROSSICA ANTIQUA, 2013.
- Bour S.M. . Heroic Poetry = Heroic Poetry. - M .: New Literary Review , 2002. - 808 p. - ISBN 5-86793-207-9 .
- Veselovsky A.N. , Shishmarev V.F. ,. Epos // Encyclopedic dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron : in 86 tons (82 tons and 4 extra). - SPb. , 1890-1907.
- Gadagatl A.M. Narther. - a collection of essays in seven volumes and a monograph. - GURIP "Adygea", 2002.
- Zhdanov I.N. Russian bylevoy epic . - SPb: Izd. L.F. Panteleeva, 1895.
- Zhirmunsky V.M. People's heroic epic. Comparative historical essays. - M .; L .: GIHL, 1962.
- Zhirmunsky V.M. Turkic heroic epic. - L .: Science , 1974.
- Kvyatkovsky A.P. Epos / I. Rodnyanskaya. - Poetic dictionary. - M .: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1966. - p. 376.
- Kotlyar E. S. Epos of the peoples of Africa south of the Sahara. - M .: Science, 1985.
- Kostyukhin E. A. Types and forms of animal epos. - M .: Science, 1987.
- Meletinsky, E. M. The Origin of the Heroic Epos. Early forms and archaic monuments. - M .: Publishing house of oriental literature , 1963.
- Neveleva S. L. Mahabharata . The study of the ancient Indian epic. - M. , 1991.
- Orlov A.S. Kazakh heroic epic. - M.-L., 1945.
- Propp V. Ya. Russian heroic epic. - M. , 2006.
- Putilov B.N. Heroic epos and reality. - L. , 1988.