Abogatyr (Russian:богатырь,IPA:[bəɡɐˈtɨrʲ]ⓘ,Ukrainian:богатир,IPA:[boɦɑˈtɪr]ⓘ) orvityaz (Russian:витязь,IPA:[ˈvʲitʲɪsʲ]ⓘ,Ukrainian:витязь,IPA:[ˈʋɪtʲəzʲ]) is astock character in medievalEast Slavic legends, akin to a Western Europeanknight-errant. Bogatyrs appear mainly inRus' epic poems—bylinas. Historically, they came into existence during the reign ofVladimir the Great (Grand Prince of Kiev from 978 to 1015) as part of his elite warriors (druzhina[1]), akin toKnights of the Round Table.[2] Tradition describes bogatyrs as warriors of immense strength, courage and bravery, rarely using magic while fighting enemies[2] in order to maintain the "loosely based on historical fact" aspect of bylinas. They are characterized as having resounding voices, with patriotic and religious pursuits, defending Rus' from foreign enemies (especially nomadicTurkic steppe-peoples or Finno-Ugric tribes in the period prior to the Mongol invasions) and their religion.[3]
The wordbogatyr is not of Slavic origin.[4] It derives from the Turco-Mongolicbaghatur "hero", which is itself of uncertain origin. The term is recorded from at least the 8th century.[5]
Gerard Clauson suggests thatbağatur was in origin aHunnic proper name, specifically that ofModu Chanyu.[6] Alternatively, a suggestion cited in theBrockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary that the term may be related to the Sanskritbhagadhara.[7]
Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary (1890—1907) claims that the first known use of the word in a Kievan context occurred inStanisław Sarnicki's 1585 bookDescriptio veteris et novae Poloniae cum divisione ejusdem veteri et nova (A description of the Old and the New Poland with the old, and a new division of the same), which states: "Rossi ... de heroibus suis, quos Bohatiros id est semideos vocant, aliis persuadere conantur."[7] ("Ruthenians ... try to convince others about their heroes whom they call Bogatirs, meaning demigods.")
The termvityaz comes fromProto-Slavic*vitędzь, fromProto-Germanic *wīkingaz through aWest Germanic intermediary. The earliest attested form isOld Englishwicing, "pirate", whence modern Englishviking. This in turn probably comes fromLatinvicus with the Germanic suffix*-inga-, indicating belonging. In Germanic and Latin sources, the word has negative connotations. The circumstances of borrowing, and how it came to mean "hero" in Slavic, remain unclear.[8] Alternatively, per Brückner and Machek, the Proto-Slavic term could be of native Slavic origin, "victory" or "trophy".
In modern Russian, the word bogatyr also labels a courageous hero, an athlete or a physically strong man.[9]
ManyRus epic poems, calledbylinas (Ukrainian:билини;Russian:былины), prominently featured stories about these heroes, as did several chronicles, including the 13th centuryGalician–Volhynian Chronicle. Some bogatyrs are presumed to be historical figures, while others, like the giantSvyatogor, are purely fictional and possibly echo figures inSlavic pagan mythology. Some scholars divide the epic poems into three collections: the Mythological epics, older stories that were told before Kiev-Rus was founded and Christianity was brought to the region, and included magic and the supernatural; the Kievan cycle, which contains the largest number of bogatyrs and their stories (Ilya Muromets, Dobrynya Nikitich, and Alyosha Popovich); and the Novgorod cycle, focused onSadko andVasily Buslayev, which depicts everyday life in Novgorod.[10][need quotation to verify]
Many of the stories about bogatyrs revolve around the court ofVladimir I of Kiev and feature in the Kievan Cycle. The most notable bogatyrs or vityazes served at his court: the trio ofAlyosha Popovich,Dobrynya Nikitich andIlya Muromets. Each of them tends to be known for a certain character trait:Alyosha Popovich for his wits,Dobrynya Nikitich for his courage, andIlya Muromets for his physical and spiritual power and integrity, and for his dedication to the protection of his homeland and people. Most of those bogatyrs' adventures are fictional, and often included fighting dragons, giants and other mythical creatures. However, the bogatyrs themselves were often based on real people. Historical prototypes exist both for Dobrynya Nikitich (the warlordDobrynya) and for Ilya Muromets.
TheNovgorod Republic produced a specific kind of hero, an adventurer rather than a noble warrior. The most prominent examples wereSadko andVasily Buslayev, who became part of theNovgorod Cycle of folk epics.[10]
The most prominent heroes in these epics are Svyatogor andVolkh Vseslavyevich [ru]; they are commonly called the "elder bogatyrs".[citation needed]
Later notable bogatyrs also include those who fought alongsideAlexander Nevsky (1221–1263) – including Vasily Buslayev – and those who fought in the 1380Battle of Kulikovo.
Kievan bogatyrs and their heroic tales have influenced figures in Russian literature and art, suchAlexander Pushkin, who wrote the 1820 epic fairy-tale poemRuslan and Ludmila,Viktor Vasnetsov, andAndrei Ryabushkin whose artworks depict many bogatyrs from the different cycles of folk epics. Bogatyrs are also mentioned in wonder tales in a more playful light as in "Foma Berennikov",[11] a story inAleksandr Afanas'ev's collectionRussian Fairy Tales featuring Alyosha Popovich and Ilya Muromets.
Red Medusa Animation Studio,[12] based in Russia, created an animated parody of the bogatyrs called "Three Russian Bogaturs", in which the titular characters—strong and tenacious, but not overly bright—prevail against various opponents from fairy tales, pop culture, and modern life.[13]
Though not as heavily researched, the female bogatyr orpolianitsa [ru] (поляница) is a female warrior akin to theAmazons. Many of the more well-known polianitsas are wives to the famous male bogatyrs, such as Nastas'ya Nikulichna,[14] the wife of Dobrynya Nikitich. While the female bogatyr doesn't quite match the men in strength and bravery, there are stories detailing instances where they save their husbands and outwit the enemy.[14] They are often seen working with the heroes in tales that mention their presence.
Most bogatyrs are fictional, but are believed to be based on historical prototypes:
Some of the historical warriors also entered folklore and became known as bogatyrs:
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Stay in my druzhina and be my senior bogatyr, chief above all the others.
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