Bylina

A Bylina or Byline ( Russian Былина ) describes a medieval Russian hero song , folk song or a folk tale with mythological elements ( epic ). The songs always have a historical background.

The term was coined by the ethnographer Ivan Sakharov in the 1840s. The first bylins were probably made in the 11th century. They were performed by wandering singers and documented in writing in the 18th and 19th centuries. The most important byylines include Sadko , Ilja Muromets , Prince Roman, Khan Otrok and the Dragon Forest as well as The Story of the Life and Courage of the pious and great Prince Alexander (meaning Alexander Newski ).

literature

• Russian Revue: Quarterly for the customer of Russia , St. Petersburg 1875, Volume 6, p.4
• Karl-Heinz Kasper: Byline . In: Herbert Greiner-Mai (ed.): Small dictionary of world literature . VEB Bibliographisches Institut Leipzig 1983. p. 57.

Web links

• Assembly of Russian bylin (Russian)