The Tale of Ilya Muromets

Bylina is a genre of ancient Russian literature, a narrative about heroes, national heroes, and historical events of Ancient Rus. Long ago, bylinas were called "old tales," which means stories about what happened in the distant past. Bylynas tell of the exploits of renowned heroes; this is the heroic epic of the Russian people. Russian heroes are fearless warriors with incredible strength. And the horses of the heroes are not ordinary: they speak in human voices, sense danger, and always come to the aid of their masters.

Ilya Muromets is one of the main characters of the ancient Russian bylinic epic, a defender of the Russian land, formidable to enemies, and faithful and just to his own. According to legend, he suffered from paralysis until the age of 33, but after receiving strength from wandering angels, he becomes a hero who faithfully serves Prince Vladimir and bravely fights against the Nightingale the Robber, Idol, the Tatars, and other enemies of Rus. Ilya Muromets is fearless, but he doesn’t act rashly; he is prudent, and he never harms the weak or the innocent. He knows of the danger but does not stray from the path; he boldly enters into battle with the Nightingale the Robber. The image of Ilya Muromets is only partly a fairy-tale character; he also has a historical prototype.

Historians still debate who the prototype of Ilya Muromets was, but most lean toward the belief that it was a warrior nicknamed Chobotok (that is, Little Boot), who lived in the 12th century. Once, he fought off enemies with the help of this footwear. For many years he fought for the Russian land, accomplished many military feats, and then became a monk. Ilya Muromets is buried in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra.