John IV is the only Russian tsar who became the hero of the folk epic.
Ivan the Pious
Fairy tale "Magpies-witches"
Ivan was a formidable tsar, but a pious one. He sacredly honored the Christian commandments and was very sad because a lot of all kinds of evil spirits were spreading on Russian soil. Once he decided to exterminate all witches-sorcerers, and not just to exterminate, but to burn, following the example of the Inquisition. From the fortified cities, the old women-workers were taken to the square in Moscow, covered with straw and set on fire. But our witches turned out to be more nimble than Western European ones: they turned into forty and scattered. However, they failed to escape: Ivan the Terrible was a pious tsar. He cursed the witches, and his righteous curse was stronger than their black spell. The old women remained in their forties forever and, in order not to incur a new misfortune, since then they have not come close to Moscow.
Ivan Singing
Promotional video:
The Tale of Grozny and the Elder
As a pious man, Ivan Vasilievich loved church services. Especially the chants. He himself was not deprived of hearing and voice and was considered an excellent singer. Still, who will contradict the formidable king! There is always a brave man, a sage or a fool. Once the tsar arrived at the Sergiev Monastery for a vigil and heard wonderful, fabulous singing. The local monk sang, whose name the fairy tale did not keep. Captivated by a wonderful voice, Tsar Ivan wanted to know who this old man was, where he was from. But the monk did not respond to questions or prayers and continued to sing. When, at last, Ivan Vasilyevich became angry, the elder calmly replied that during the service in the church one voice should sound - his. Although the tsar wanted to sing, in the end he was forced to admit the correctness of the wise monk and give him a gift for reason.
Ivan Simple
Tale "Gorshenya"
In general, Ivan the Terrible was not an arrogant tsar, a simple one. He loved to communicate with common people, learn about their troubles and hopes, and even argue sometimes. Of course, if the interlocutor came across interesting and intelligent. So, once the king argued with one pottery, that is, a pottery master, pot manufacturer, that he would not be able to sell 10 carts of his goods. And, as usual in fairy tales, he betrayed the sly man. Gorshenya was not only able to sell his products to one boyar, but he also took away the threads. What is there! He drove the boyar himself to the merchant's house, where the king was staying. For which he was granted a boyar, because to deceive a boyar in the mind of a common man means to serve the sovereign.
Ivan the Fair
The tale "Ivan the Terrible and the Lapotnik", as retold by Samuel Collins
In general, judging by the tales, Ivan Vasilyevich treated the people with warmth, and the boyars did not particularly favor any noblemen. Probably because they were looking for personal gain in everything, not for the sovereign. So, one bast shoe gave the king as a gift the best he had: a pair of bast shoes and a large turnip. For such a gift, Ivan (in the tale he is called the emperor) encouraged the lapotnik, and he soon became rich. One nobleman, who dreamed of wealth, decided to do the same, but the just ruler revealed his plan and bestowed it on the same turnip that Ivan Vasilievich had once presented to Ivan Vasilyevich. Although in fairness it is worth noting that in fairy tales not all nobles and boyars get what they deserve, and for disobedience, sometimes ordinary people get from the tsar. For example, those boyars who withstood a blow in the leg with a sharp staff, Grozny brought closer to him. And the inhabitants of Vologda,who did not deliver him a fur cap on time, the king imposed a penalty.
Ivan Goryachny
The song "The anger of Ivan the Terrible against his son", the fairy tale "Ivan the Terrible and Archimandrite Korniliy", the fairy tale "Tsar the Terrible and the peasant son"
Ivan, the wise and just, was extremely hot-tempered and often committed acts that he later regretted. Once he ordered the execution of his son Dmitry. If not for the uncle of Tsarevich Nikita, the robber Malyuta Skuratov would have carried out the infanticide order. On another occasion, no one stopped the tsar, and the Archimandrite of Pskov, Cornelius, lost his head. But - what is not a plot for a mystical story - his body took the severed head and began to follow the king everywhere. Only when Ivan the Terrible began to pray to God for forgiveness of sins, the monk died completely. The third time, the tsar almost killed a two-year-old boy for tugging at his beard. Only the ingenuity of the boy's father, a peasant, at whose guests the tsar quietly, without disturbing anyone, as usual, rested after the hunt, saved the child from death, and Ivan from sin.
Ivan Chudakovaty
The Tale of Shibarsha
In general, Ivan the Terrible is an eccentric character. He could go to the clerk, order him to prepare 200 thousand troops with all weapons within the specified time, and sign a decree: "Your humble servant, Vanka of Moscow." And he could have been looking for a thief for a long time, who cleaned his treasury, led his guards by the nose, and, having met him, became an accomplice in his crimes. Ivan the Terrible has a special relationship with thieves: he often infiltrated a gang undercover and encouraged them to rob the royal treasury. Those thieves who refused and beat him as a state criminal were awarded the next day.
Ivan the Terrible
Fairy tale "The Accession of Ivan the Terrible"
And yet, pious, singing, simple, fair, ardent, eccentric Ivan Vasilyevich, first of all, even in fairy tales, is formidable. And why he is Terrible and how he became a king at all - there is a separate story about that. It turns out that he was not the son of Vasily III and Elena Glinskaya, but a simple peasant. How was the king chosen in the old days? Everyone came to the river and lowered candles into the water. Whoever had a candle lit when he pulled it out of the water became a king. Here Ivan the peasant argued with his boyar who would become the king. Boyarin promised to encourage Ivan if his candle lights up. And Ivan said that he would execute his master if the time came for him, a peasant, to rule. The master laughed, but in vain. Ivan's candle lit up, and when he got married, he did not forget about his promise and executed the boyar. Since then he was nicknamed the Terrible.
Grigory Sablin