Dukhovnye Stikhi and Epic Songs

[James Bailey]

     In regard to epics one should also keep in mind that one of the common
epic thems in many traditions involves a hero fighting a monster.   Although
Ilja Muromec and Solovej Razbojnik may be the most popular such treatment of
this subject, there are others.  And they may or may not involve saving a
maiden.  Given the ability of traditions to absorb themes from other
traditions it often may be difficult and questionable what the sources may
have been.
     I'm glad the subject of duxovnye stixi has aroused such a discussion.
     James Bailey

-----Original Message-----
From: Slavic & East European Languages and Literature list
[mailto:SEELANGS at LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU]On Behalf Of Robert Mann
Sent: Saturday, February 04, 2006 2:02 PM
To: SEELANGS at LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU
Subject: [SEELANGS] Dukhovnye Stikhi and Epic Songs


Natalie Kononenko made an interesting comment in her recent message about
dukhovnye stikhi:
---"With epic poetry, you could argue that it originated
elsewhere and then "sank" to the minstrel guilds (not that I buy this
argument). This is harder to do with dukhovnye stikhi, though you could
argue
that they were written by seminarians and picked up by minstrels."---

I would add: there is now evidence that one of the earliest cycles of
Russian epic songs was actually inspired by a tale that we know as a
"dukhovnyi stikh". The song about St. George and the Evil Roman Emperor
preserves motif patterns that came from the region of Iran and were passed
along to Slavic singers through Byzantium. The byliny about Elijah and Idol
and about Elijah and Solovei can be seen as fragments of an earlier epic
song that followed patterns found in the song about St. George and
Diocletian. The "epic" hero Elijah (the Prophet, later russified as a native
Russian warrior), who grappled with the idol of Perun and the pagan Div
(Solovei) was a spiritual warrior no less than St. George.  -- Robert Mann

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