The Amazons, the heroines of ancient Greek myths, are probably known to every contemporary. However, the Russian land was once famous for its mighty warriors, fighting on the spot (literally and figuratively) with their beauty and dexterity of the stronger sex. Our ancestors called these virgins Polyanitsa, but now only a few legends and legends have preserved their memory.
Daring fighters
According to the epics, the Russian heroes had many "vile opponents", but in addition to the well-known adversaries such as the Serpent Tugarin or Idolische Poganoe, they had to fight with the mighty Polyany. These armored and well-armed ladies from a mysterious tribe living in the distant southern steppes were in no way inferior to the famous warriors, and sometimes even surpassed them in strength and dexterity. Most often, glades appeared at the Russian borders alone and demanded a combatant, i.e. Opponent to match. I must say that there were few of them, and the brave, who accepted the challenge of the Polyana, often gave up their lives in battle with the warlike maiden. Having defeated the combatant, the meadow chopped off his head, took it with her as a trophy, after which she went home, dissolving without a trace in the wide steppe.
However, it also happened that a well-trained army of daring Polyanyts besieged the capital Kiev-city, terrifying Prince Vladimir himself. I must say that often from such raids the capital of the Russian principality was saved not by force, but by diplomacy, when, after lengthy negotiations, the warriors, having received their tribute, consolidated a short peace by drinking, sitting down at the banquet tables next to their opponents.
Husband in your pocket
An interesting fact is that the warlike maidens went on a campaign not only for the sake of a noble profit in the Russian lands, but also in order to improve their personal life on occasion. The epics say that only one hero, Ilya Muromets, could cope with the Polyanets in battle, and the meeting with them promised a quick parting with bachelor freedom for the rest of the heroes.
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An example of this is the story of Dobrynya Nikitich. Somehow, in an open field, he met the powerful warrior Nastasya and challenged her to a duel. However, after the very first blows, it became clear that the Russian hero was much weaker than his opponent. Having easily coped with Dobrynya, Nastasya put him in a casket and, hiding her trophy in her pocket, calmly went on. At the halt, Polyanitsa remembered the hero. She took him out of the shameful prison, after which she offered Dobryna to become her husband. Moreover, in case of refusal, he was threatened with inevitable death, so that the famous hero simply could not refuse such an offer.
Ladies of Ilya Muromets
The epics say that another knight, Ilya Muromets, had relations with the Polyanyts in a completely different scenario. He was the only Russian hero who could give a worthy rebuff to the insolent virgins, and therefore earned great respect in their circles. It was thanks to his military glory that the knight met with the famous woman Gorynika. Having heard about the valiant knight, Polyanitsa went to the borders of the Kiev principality in order to test his heroic strength in battle. However, when the maiden approached the border, Ilya was not at the outpost - he went on business to Kiev, and therefore Alyosha Popovich decided to fight with Polyanitsa. This short fight ended deplorably for the young warrior, and he just miraculously did not lose his life, but Ilya Muromets, who arrived in time, saved him.
The fight between the hero and Baba Gorynika lasted for three days and three nights, after which the opponents agreed to a combat draw. Apparently, during the battle, mutual sympathy arose between them, and therefore the recent opponents retired for three days in the tent of the meadow. But, apparently, the parting of the warriors did not go entirely smoothly: offended by something, Gorynik's woman left the hero, refusing to become his wife. Returning to their lands, Polyanitsa gave birth to a son in due time (according to another version - a daughter) - Sokolnichka, whom she raised in the traditions of her tribe. Having reached adulthood, the son of the hero, like his mother, began to raid Russian lands and once died in a hot battle at the hands of his father.
Another epic tells about a certain meadow Savishna, who was defeated by a hero in a duel, after which she became Ilya Muromets' faithful and tender wife. For many years, Savishna did not even remember her daring youth, and only once did she have to take up arms. Once, in the absence of Ilya, the Serpent Tugarin attacked Kiev, and none of the princely warriors could cope with him. It seemed that a little bit more, and the city would surrender to the mercy of the invader, but the situation was saved by the wife of Muromets. Having put on the armor of her husband and girded with his sword, Savishna rode out to meet Tugarin and gave a worthy rebuff to the "hated thief."
Sarmatian tribe
Today, only epics and legends tell us about the mysterious meadows, but modern researchers believe that warlike maidens existed in real history. The ancient Greek historian Herodotus, after his travel to the Northern Black Sea region, recorded the stories of Greek colonists about the Sarmatian tribe of female warriors who annoyed his compatriots. These ladies were skillful riders, they shot well from a bow, and in close combat they easily defeated even famous warriors. The Sarmatian Amazons had a custom that forbade a girl to marry until she showed herself in the heat of battle or presented the head of a slain enemy to the military leader. If a boy was born to a Sarmat woman in marriage, he was immediately killed or maimed.
Confirmation of these records of Herodotus was obtained in our days, when during the excavations of the Sarmatian mounds, the burials of very young girls were found - the youngest of whom was 14 years old - in full military attire. Whereas the men of this tribe were buried with clay pots and other household utensils. An interesting fact is that such burials date back to the 4th-2nd centuries BC, after which weapons and armor "passed" to men. This allows us to judge that it was at that time that the meadows ceded power to their sons and husbands.
Polyanitsa of new time
And although the traces of the daring meadows are now lost in the darkness of the centuries, the ancient traditions of educating women warriors existed for a long time on the Russian land. Old Russian chronicles say that Slavic female warriors took part in the campaigns of Prince Svyatoslav, whose gender was revealed to the enemies only after they, looting, took off the armor from the killed opponents.
Many historical sources telling about the Mongol-Tatar invasion also speak of fearless women who took an active part in the defense of cities and fought alongside their husbands and brothers.
But in the Cossack villages, a girl with a weapon in her hands was quite common for several centuries. Military historian Vasily Potto noted in his works that the Cossack woman has always been considered a full-fledged fighter among men, ready to give the enemy a worthy rebuff.
And how could it be otherwise, if until the 19th century, village girls were brought up on a par with boys, learning to ride a horse, throw a lasso, shoot a bow, and also own firearms. And I must say that such skills were not in vain. An example of this is the famous feat of the Cossacks of the village of Naurskaya. In 1774, a detachment of 10 thousand Turks surrounded the village, and since the combatant Cossacks were on a campaign at that time, their wives and daughters had to take up arms. For several days, one and a half hundred Cossacks repelled the onslaught of the enemy, firing at the Turks with buckshot from cannons, pouring hot tar from the stanitsa shaft and even cutting off the heads of the adversaries with scythes.
For courage and daring, Empress Catherine II ordered to award medals to the valiant defenders, and also established a new holiday in memory of their feat - Mother Cossack Day, which the Cossacks have been celebrating on December 4 for more than two centuries.
Elena Lyakina