The image of the warrior maidens is a popular subject in world literature. Amazons, Valkyries, female gladiators in Ancient Rome and Russian “glades” are heroes. The word itself comes from the verb "Pole" - to go to the field on a military mission, look for soldiers and engage in duels with them.
The heroine was the daughter of Mikula Selyaninovich Vasilisa, who became the wife of the boyar Stavr Godinovich from the land of Lyakhovitskaya, Chernigov-grad. At the feast at Prince Vladimir, the boyar boasted to the guests of his wife:
On the advice of the envious boyars, Prince Vladimir put Stavr in an earthen cellar, and sent the heroes Alyosha Popovich and Dobrynya Nikitich for the wonderful Vasilisa. Having learned about the ridicule and the misfortune that happened to her husband, Vasilisa Mikulishna cut off her blond braids, disguised herself as a good fellow and went with 50 horsemen to the capital Kiev city. On the way, I met the heroes-messengers of Vladimir and, posing as the formidable ambassador of Vasilisa Mikulishna Vasily Vasilyevich, deployed the capital's messengers.
The prince gave the young man an honest reception, but Princess Apraksia noticed that a woman was hiding under a man's name: “This is Vasilisa, exactly the daughter of Mikulishna; / She walks quietly on the floor, / Sits on the bench - she squeezes her knees. The brave wife had to go through trials: Vasilisa steamed in a hot "banyushka-parushka", played cards and fought with other heroes. As a result, she demanded that the prince release Stavr Godinovich from imprisonment and went home with her husband.
Nastasya Mikulishna
Vasilisa's sister, the youngest daughter of Mikula Selyaninovich, was the wife of Dobrynya Nikitich. They met in an open field, where the hero went after the battle with the Serpent Gorynych. On the way, he saw a daring hero, decided to check “Or does Dobrynya have no strength in the old way? / Or does he still have no grip? :
In a duel, Polyanitsa defeated Dobrynya. They liked each other, and the bogatyr wooed her: "We had a wedding and finished it." Later, Prince Vladimir sent Dobrynya to the outpost to protect Mother Russia from the steppe riders.
Nastasya Mikulishna, like Penelope, was waiting for her lover for 12 long years. During this time, another well-known hero, Alyosha Popovich, wooed her several times. After six years of Dobrynin's service, he brought news to his wife about his "death", and 12 years later, he arrived with the prince and princess to play a wedding with Polyanitsa. This time "they didn’t take it - they didn’t want it." Dobrynya learned about the celebration in time and came to the feast as an uninvited guest with a harp. He beat Alyosha Popovich, took Nastasya Mikulishna and returned to his white-stone tower.
Nastasya Okulevna
"Soul-maiden" Nastasya Okulevna is one of the heroines of the legend about the hero Mikhailo Potyk. She saved him from the intrigues of his ex-wife, Marya Swan White.
While Mikhailo fought with enemies in an open field, Marya became the beloved of the tsar and left with him. Returning, the hero rushed after her, falling into the traps of his cunning wife on the way: he drank a sleeping potion-wine, fell into a deep hole, was turned into a combustible stone.
The last time, having drunk the hero, Marya crucified him in the basement on a stone wall and left him to die. It was then that the Tsar's sister, Nastasya Okulievna, saved Mikhaila:
She healed of her wounds, and by cunning took out a saber and a hero's club, a good horse, from her brother. Mikhailo returned to the royal chambers, killed both his ex-wife and the king. He married Nastasya Okulevna and began to rule.
Nastasya Korolevichna
Nastasya Korolevichna is the beloved of Danube Ivanovich. The hero met her when he went to Lithuania to woo Prince Vladimir, the princess Apraks.
Apraksya's father, the Lithuanian king Danila Manoilovich, did not give his daughter to the matchmakers, and then the heroes took her away by force. Sister Nastasya went after the “got the bride”.
Danube Ivanovich entered a duel with a daring Polyanitsa and soon - as happened in other epics - made her an offer. And Nastasya Korolevichna accepted him.
Two weddings were celebrated in Kiev. However, Danube Ivanovich and his young wife did not live together for long. The bogatyr somehow boasted of his prowess, and Nastasya Korolevichna objected to him: "But I am not worse than you in any way: my strength is greater than yours, and my grip is farther than you."
Such a phrase hurt his honor - and he challenged his wife to a duel. Each had to hit the silver ring on the opponent's head with an arrow. Polyanitsa hit, but Danube Ivanovich killed his wife. Upon learning that she was carrying a baby in the womb, the hero thrust a spear into himself from grief. From his blood was born the Danube River, and from the blood of Nastasya Korolevichna - the river Nepra.
Daughter of Ilya Muromets
The mysterious heroine is described in the epic "Ilya Muromets and his daughter." In the story, an unfamiliar Polyanitsa - a warrior maiden - appeared next to the heroic outpost:
Passing by, she mocked the heroes. Ilya Muromets invited his associates to fight the daring girl. However, no one dared to engage in a fight with the warrior, who "with one hand picks up a club, like playing with a swan feather." And then the hero himself went to a meeting with Polyanitsa. They fought for a long time - with clubs, and spears, and hand-to-hand - and suddenly they started talking. Having asked where the Polyanitsa came from, Ilya Muromets recognized his daughter as a hero, hugged her and let her go. However, she soon returned back, planning to kill her sleeping father. This time the hero defeated his rival and fed it to the gray wolves and black crows.
In epic plots, Ilya Muromets met more than once with Polyanyts. Among them are the wife of the hero, Savishna, and Zlatigorka, who bore him a son.
Author: Tatiana Grigorieva