Mikula Selianinovich

Mikula Selianinovich

 

one of the heroes of Russian by liny (epic folk songs), a plowman bogatyr’.

There are two byliny about Mikula Selianinovich, Vol’ga and Mikula Selianinovich and Sviatogor and Mikula Selianinovich. Mikula Selianinovich symbolizes the strength of the common people and their heroic labor. In the first bylina he is compared to Prince Vol’ga and his retinue, and in the second he is contrasted with the giant bogatyr’ Sviatogor, who cannot raise a small bag containing “the earth’s pull,” which Mikula easily carries on his shoulders. M. Gorky noted the artistic perfection of the character of Mikula Selianinovich (M. Gorky o literature, 1953, pp. 49, 698).

REFERENCE

Astakhova, A. M. Byliny: Itogi i problemy izucheniia. Moscow-Leningrad, 1966.