A Heroic Legend (A Russian Bylina)

How the Holy Mountains Let Out of their Deep Caves the Mighty Heroes of Russia

Author

N Misheyev, translated by Gleb Struve and Bernard Pares

Publisher

The Centenary Press, London, 1935

Printing Details

First edition. Card covers with printed titling. 19 × 13.5cm, 31pp.

A modern bylina (a type of Russian oral epic poem) apparently taken down by Misheyev from an "Old Peasant in the Extreme North of Russia" in the early 1920s. This bylina tells how the heroes of Russian epic folklore came from the caves in the mountains, such as Ilya of Murom, Dobynya Nikitch, Alesha Popovich (these three being The Three Bogatyrs), Ivan Gostinov, amd Vaskka Buslayev.

Condition

Good condition. The covers are a little edgeworn and discoloured but the contents remain in strong readable condition. Previous owner's name to ffep (the folklorist Francesca Claremont).