Nightingale the Robber

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Nightingale the Robber or Solovei the Brigand (Russian: Соловей-Разбойник, Solovey-Razboynik), also known as Solovey Odikhmantievich (Соловей Одихмантьевич), was a Russian epic robber from bylinas poetry. This bylina is also called "The First Journey of Ilya Muromets," and is one of the most popular Russian epics, having been recorded 132 times (Bailey, p. 25). This monster has partial human and bird like features, being able to fly, and living in a nest, having a human family, and receiving drinks with his hands (Bailey, p. 27). He lived in a forest near Bryansk, sat in a tree by the road to Kiev and stunned strangers with his powerful whistle. It is said that Nightingale the Robber screams "all the grasses and meadows become entangled, the azure flowers lose their petals, all the dark woods bend down to the earth, and all the people there lie dead" (Bailey, p. 34).

Legendarily defeated by Ilya Muromets, who survived even though Razboynik levelled half of the surrounding forest. Nightingale the Robber is shot down with arrows to the eye and temple by Ilya Muromets, who then drags the defeated monster to Vladimir, the prince of Kiev. Vladimir wished to hear Nightingale the Robber whistle, but the creature claimed he was too wounded to whistle. Nightingale the Robber requested wine to drink so that his wounds would disappear, then he would whistle for the prince. When he whistled all of Vladimir's palaces were destroyed and many lie dead. After this, Ilya Muromets took Nightingale the Robber into an open field and cut off his head (Bailey, pp. 28-36).

[edit] References

• Bailey, James and Ivanova, Tatyana. An Anthology of Russian Folk Epics. M.E. Sharpe, Inc. Armonk, New York, 1998.

[edit] Depictions

• Vladimir Toropchin's animated feature, Ilya Muromets and Nightingale the Robber, to be released on July 7, 2007. [1]
• Aleksandr Ptushko's 1956 film Ilya Muromets.

[edit] External links

• Recording of this bylina.
• Ilya Muromets and Nightingale the Robber, as included by A. H. Wratislaw in Sixty Folk-Tales from Exclusively Slavonic Sources
• Reinhold Gliere and his Third Symphony Ilya Murometz

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