Russian epics: the awesome weapon of Nightingale the Robber

Each of us in childhood, reading Russian folk tales, very often encountered a character called Nightingale the Robber. In the epics describes the terrible weapon Nightingale the Robber. The answer to the question of what it is is still completely unexplored, just as its image itself.

Who is the Nightingale the Robber in the East Slavic epic?

The fact that the Nightingale the Robber is a negative hero and the main enemy of Russian heroes is known to everyone. He sits on the three oar trees. The nest itself is a suite on nine oaks. And the Nightingale the Robber does not give a pass to the horse or foot. And for intimidation, the terrible weapon of Nightingale the Robber is used. Which, we now try to understand.

In general, till now among historians and researchers of Old Slavic literature and epic (epic and legends) there is no common opinion about how this monster looked and how it frightened passing and passing by.

As for the image of this hero, even the original epics and legends do not contain a clear answer to this question. Artists who created illustrations for literary works, often showed and show enough free imagination, portraying it in the form of half a man, half a beast (most often a snake with bird's wings, but simply a dragon with a human face). By the way, the image of a snake is also present in many subjects of Russian fairy tales (this is Serpent Gorynych).

In the epics themselves there is only a mention of what was the awesome weapon of the Nightingale the Robber. The answer, the most complete, can not be obtained even when reading the original texts. Only the fact that the character (Odikhmantiev's son or Rakhmanovich in another way) is used for thirty years uses a monstrous whistle, a roaring beast and an incredible heroic force. So, if someone is asked: "Name the awesome weapon of Nightingale the Robber", you can confidently answer that it is a whistle and roar. But even here not all researchers of the Russian epic have a consensus among themselves.

Origin of the image

As for the image itself, for some reason its human part is often portrayed as Tugarin the snake. It is not surprising, because the creation of these epic days refers to the Mongol-Tatar conquest of Russia and its stay under the yoke of the Golden Horde, when the Russian princes were forced to pay tribute.

Actually, the name of the robber (Rahmaniev, Rakhmanovich) pushes this idea, although the names themselves look, so to speak, Russified. For example, "Rakhmaniev" can be treated as a surname or as a reference to the patronymic (Rahmaniev son). "Rakhmanovich" can easily be a patronymic. As already understood, Rahman (and even more Odikhmant) - the name is clearly not Russian.

Some historical studies

Let's consider one more important aspect. Let's say you are asked: "Name the awesome weapon of Nightingale the Robber". Do not rush to give an answer that it is an animal roar and a deafening whistle. Here it is necessary to take into account also the mention of an unprecedented heroic force. For a better understanding of the essence of this issue, one must turn to history.

The fact is that at that time there was a way from Ostra to the capital city of Kiev overland and along the Desna River. It is assumed that the prototype of Nightingale the Robber could serve as a real person who took a tribute for the journey on the road. It may very well be that he even decided to monopolize his craft so that no one else would claim such "customs duties".

What terrible weapon of Nightingale the Robber could use a real person? Naturally, immediately there is an association with screams or whistles, which were widely used to intimidate the enemy, let's say pirates when capturing enemy ships. In addition, such a formidable weapon of Nightingale the Robber, like a whistle, could bring confusion and alarm to the ranks of enemies.

As for the alleged place of residence of a real person who served as a prototype of this bandit, many historians tend to think that this could be the village of Zazimye (Brovarsky district, Kiev region, Ukraine). It may very well be, considering that the road was connected not only with Oster, but mostly Chernigov with Kiev, and near the town of Karachaev there was a village of Nine oaks with the river Smorodinka flowing there (it, by the way, is mentioned in the epics, only with the name Smorodina).

However, if you understand that for the awesome weapon of the Nightingale the Robber could use the prototype of this character, it may very well be that he really possessed an extraordinary physical strength, especially since there is a direct mention in the bylinas and in this respect. It is enough to refer to the original texts.

Conclusion

As can already be seen, speaking of what the formidable weapon of the Nightingale the Robber represented, three most prominent aspects can be singled out: a nightingale whistle, a roaring beast and a heroic force. And, as the bylinas say, the robber did not use his power, because only by whistling and roaring "the grasses are weaved, the flowers are showered, the forests are tending to the ground, and the people are lying dead."