The name of Prince Vladimir's niece in epics

Prince Vladimir is known to the world as the herald of Christianity in Russia. It was with him that Rus was annexed to Byzantium, which made it a list of the most influential European powers of the time. The fundamental merit of the prince can be called the rallying of the Russian people, scattered by numerous tribal pagan cults. Each tribe had its own gods, and on this basis numerous internecine wars were rampant . With the introduction of Christianity in Russia, the people were reunited. Since then, Prince Vladimir Krasno Solnyshko - one of the most popular epic characters. It is well known in the epics also the name of Prince Vladimir's niece - Fun.

The princely image of Prince Vladimir

Mythopoetics draws us Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavovich as the ideal ruler who organized the Kiev court and the Russian lands with reliable protection against foreign invasions (both real historical opponents of the Rus of the Tatars and mythological characters like Tugarin, Snake Gorynych and Nightingale the Robber).

The prince rallied around him the most important bogatyrs of Russians: Dobrynyu from Ryazan, Ilya from Murom and Alesha from Rostov. They are the main force, the weapon of the prince against any opponent of Russia. It is interesting that both the prince himself and the heroes are real historical figures.

In the bylinas, Prince Vladimir gives the bogatyrs instructions related mainly to the removal of threats to the prince's court. Upon their return to Kiev, a feast begins, which signifies the successful completion of the heroic mission.

The epithet of the name of Vladimir - Krasnoe Solnyshko - indicates that the princely prince is the main luminous force, opposed to the evil beginning (for example, the chthonic image of the snake). The name of Prince Vladimir's niece, Zabava, in turn, is almost always mentioned casually, as the name of the character of secondary importance.

The prince also has a negative image in the epic: the greatest antagonism is expressed in the relationship of the prince with the epic hero Ilya Muromets. For example, the prince does not honor the hero for his exploits, although he serves him faithfully for about 30 years. The prince is not too kind to Dobryna: when the niece of Prince Vladimir Zabava is abducted by a snake, he sends a hero to her release and threatens to chop off his head if he does not cope with the task and will not help redden the girl.

There is also a well-known plot whereby the prince throws Dobrynya into prison, and then sends him to death in Lithuania, collecting the debt he owed. At that time, while the hero does not exist, the prince weds his wife for the third hero - Alyosha Popovich. In general, even such evil deeds of the prince are later justified by his global merits, and conflicts are exhausted.

The Former Image of Fun

Widespread fame are also stories about the girl Zabava. Zabava (Lubava) is the niece of Prince Vladimir in the bylinas. Besides the fact that she was a red girl, the epics do not indicate any of her special features: such an average Russian beauty herself, who submissively awaits her release. Basically, the name of Zabava is associated with two bylinas:

• Epic about the liberation of the Fun of the Good from the clutches of the Serpent;
• Epic about Nightingale's wooing to Zabava.

Fun Putyatichna sometimes occurs under the name of Lubava. Her father, Putyata - Vladimir's brother, meets in the annals long before the era of Vladimir Monomakh. Most often his image is closely connected with the name of Vladimir Svyatoslavovich.

Dobryni Nikitich's feat: the recovery of Fun from the clutches of a snake

The name of Prince Vladimir's niece is mentioned in the epic about the exploits of Dobryny, the hero of the Russian. There are several epic stories about the battles of Dobryny and Snake Gorynych. The first legend was about how the horrible monster Snake Gorynych attacked the Russian land, and kidnap victims of innocent people, including girls, children, and even glorious warriors who could not cope with the serpent. Dobrynya Nikitich, having learned about his excesses, rushes to fight with Gorynych. Collecting all his belongings and taking the silk whip as his mother's helper, the hero, despite mother's warnings, rides on the Sorochinsky mountain, kills small snakes and releases prisoners. After that, having relaxed, the hero decides to swim in the Puchai River, and at that time the Serpent attacks him, unarmed. After a long and bloody battle, the hero gets the upper hand, but the snake persuades him to spare.

Naturally, Gorynych does not hold back the word, after a while commits a raid on Prince Vladimir's court and abducts Zabava. Going to save the princess, Dobrynya was extremely careful this time and acted carefully. Unbeknownst to stealthily, he did not touch the snakeheads and went directly to the Snake. In a cruel battle he cut Gorynych into pieces and gave his blood to the damp earth. After Dobrynya Nikitich heroically releases the princess, she, who admired the hero's feat, offers him wives, but he refuses, motivating that they are on different social levels: he is "the kind of the Christian" and she is "the kind of prince".

Bylin about how Solovey Budimirovich wooed to Zabava

This epic also tells how the nightingale Solovey arrived in Kiev and offered Prince Vladimir and Princess Apraksia rich gifts. In response to the unprecedented generosity of Nightingale, Prince Vladimir offered him any gifts and any lands to choose from.

The name of Prince Vladimir's niece is mentioned in connection with Solovy Budimirovich's marriage to her. It was a cunning plan for the gusher, who deliberately refused all lands to ask the prince for something special. The nightingale asked the emperor for permission to build several terems directly in the garden at Zabava, and the prince agreed. Literally for one night the Nightingale built a luxurious painted tower and invited Zabava to walk on them. From the beauty she saw, she was stupefied and told the go-keeper that she wanted to marry him. The guselnik cheerfully answered her that it was not fitting for the virgin to mate herself, and Zabava, who was ashamed, fled to her white-stone chambers. The nightingale on the same day went to the prince and asked to give Zabava for him. In the evening, a wedding was played, and the young couple sat on the ships and swam across the ocean to the city of Lollipop.