A legend about a brave knight, about the prince's son. Bova Korolevich - literary hero

Studying the history of the origin of the Bova surname reveals forgotten pages of the life and culture of our ancestors and can tell a lot of interesting things about the distant past.

The surname Bova is one of the Slavic family names derived from personal nicknames.

The tradition of giving a person a nickname in addition to the name received at baptism has existed among the Slavs since ancient times. Nicknames used in ancient times in Rus' were extremely diverse. There was also such a nickname as Bova, unique for the Russian name book. Bova was the name of the main character of the widely popular “Tale of Bova Korolevich.” The valiant knight Bova Gvidonovich, having run away from home from his evil mother Militrisa Kirbitevna and stepfather King Dodon, ends up with King Zenziviy Andronovich and falls in love with his daughter Druzhevna. In honor of her, he performs miracles of courage, defeating one whole army of contenders for Druzhevna’s hand - kings Markobrun and Lukoper Saltanovich. Thanks to the machinations of an envious courtier, Bova finds himself in a number of dangerous adventures, and is saved only thanks to his courage, a treasure sword and a heroic horse, which no one except Bova dares to mount.

Having developed in medieval France, the tales of the knight Bovo d'Anton traveled all over Europe. This story came to the East Slavic countries in the middle of the 16th century. In the form of an amusing book, “The Tale of Bove” was circulated at court, and in handwritten versions - among the lower classes. Three hundred years, right up to the revolution, it was published in countless popular publications. At the same time, there was an intensive process of “co-creation”, reworking and Russification of the text. So the name of the main character Buovo d'Antona began to be pronounced in the Russian version of the tale as Bova Guidonovich. The name Buovo itself most likely originated as an abbreviation of the Catholic baptismal name Bonaventura, which is based on the Latin roots bona - “kind, good” and ventura - “chance, chance, fate.” In archival documents, references to people bearing the nickname Bova have been found for a long time. Ancient charters record, for example, the Ryazan townsman Bova Semenovich Vorobin (mid-16th century), the Terek streltsy Cossack Bova Gavrilov (1590), the son of the boyar Epifaniy Bogdanovich Bova Skripitsyn (1601) and others.

In the 14th century, the Slavs from Western Europe came the tradition of creating surnames as special inherited family names. Initially, it established itself in Poland, as well as in Ukraine, which at the end of the 14th century united with Poland into a single state, and only then in Russia. Ukrainian and Belarusian lands were characterized by the formation of family names using the diminutive suffixes -enko and -uk/-yuk, or the consolidation of a nickname as a surname without any special family suffix at all. So the personal nickname Bova, without any changes, was transformed into a surname passed on from father to son.

Undoubtedly, the surname Bova has an interesting centuries-old history and should be considered one of the oldest generic names, testifying to the diversity of ways in which Slavic surnames appeared.

Andrey Usachev

Bova the prince

First chapter

King Vidon gave birth to Bova. Queen Militrisa hates Vidon and sends a servant to his sworn enemy, King Dadon. Dadon and his army waylay Bova’s father while hunting and kill him... Although this rarely happens, it does happen sometimes.

In a certain kingdom, in a certain state, in the capital city of Anton, there lived a glorious king Vidon. King Vidon was famous for his deeds: he decorated the city with temples with golden domes: domes and onions.

And the crimson ringing flew from the bell towers:
Ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong...
Long live the Orthodox King Vidon!

And then the cranes purred in the clouds, or the tit sang that it was time for our king to get married.

Vidon heard that in neighboring Demyan-grad, the neighboring king had a daughter, the beautiful princess Militrisa. The face is more beautiful than an Easter egg, the figure is round and chiseled, just like a gilded apple.

Vidon called his faithful servant Richard and said:

- My faithful Richard! Ride like a matchmaker
To our neighbor in Demyan-grad.
I want to marry his daughter Militris...

The servant Richard took the letter and set off. He appeared to the neighboring king with a bow: “I was sent by the glorious King Vidon...

The king read the letter and said to his daughter:

- My dear daughter, Militrisa! An ambassador has arrived from King Vidon to woo you!

Militrisa fell on her knees in front of her father:

- Have mercy, Father-Father!
I don’t want to walk down the aisle with Vidon.
Don't let me marry Vidon,
And give me for King Dadon,
Who wooed me in previous years,
Yes, I was small then!

“You’re still small and stupid,” her father tells her. – King Vidon has half a million troops. If he gets angry and goes to war, you will become a prisoner, not a wife!

And he gave his daughter in marriage to Vidon. And a year later their son was born - Bova the Prince.

Bova was of extraordinary beauty:
Teeth are like priceless pearls,
Eyes like two emeralds -
In general, not a boy, but a miracle:
If Bova smiles -
Shines like a little sun
And if Bova is upset -
And the sun and moon will disappear...
He glowed brighter than a light bulb -
To the delight of a happy daddy!

But Queen Militris did not love her son. She walked around the palace with a gilded smile: pouring apple, yes, an apple with a wormhole.

She conceived a crime - she wrote a secret message to King Dadon:

“Great King Dadon!
Come near the city of Anton,
Kill King Vidon
And take me as your wife!”

The queen called faithful Richard:

– Deliver my message to King Dadon
And secretly lead him and his army to the city of Anton.
Let him wait for my signal in the reserved meadow...
And if you disobey, I will slander you -
And they will execute you with a cruel death!

The “faithful” servant did not dare to disobey her: the king was dear to him, but life was also dear! And he went to King Dadon.

Dadon read the letter and began to boil with anger:

-What did your queen think?
Lives with King Vidon for five years,
Their Bova the prince is growing -
Is there any catch here?
Speak up, otherwise it will be bad...

- Great King Dadon! - Richard answers. - Order me to be thrown into a damp dungeon. If I deceived you, I will die a cruel death!

Dadon rejoiced with a black soul: his kingdom was so-so, small. And then they offer him to marry, and to double the boundaries!

He says to Richard:

“I liked your speech, servant.”
You will deceive me: my sword is your head off your shoulders!
And if your words come true -
Your head will be in a boyar's hat!

He gathered a mighty army and moved towards the city of Anton. Dadon's army hid in the stacks that stood outside the city in the royal meadows.

Militrisa saw this from a high tower and went to her husband to plot female intrigues and tricks. She painted her face like an Easter egg and said to King Vidon in a gentle voice:

- My sir, dear Vidon!
I had a dream last night,
That I will give birth to a second child,
If I eat wild pig meat,
Killed by you in the royal meadows... Ah!

Militrisa was a wonderful actress. Vidon had never heard such kind words from his wife:

“You won’t be denied anything, my dear!”

He went hunting in the reserved meadows. And there Dadon’s army was waiting for him. And the glorious King Vidon passed away.

And a mournful ringing floated over the city:
Ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong...
King Vidon was villainously killed!

Chapter two

Bova runs away from the city. The boy is chased. Dadon dreams bad dream. Demands to execute the child Dadon. Militrisa is plotting to poison Bova in prison. But the boy is saved thanks to a brave girl.

King Dadon arrived at the city gates and Militrisa greeted him with great honor. She kissed Dadon’s hands and clothes, and even his horse’s blanket. Then - in full view of everyone - she took her to the palace for various pleasures.

At this time, the knights of Dadon - marquises, counts and barons - surrounded the golden domes like crows, tore the gold from them and forbade them to ring the bells. And darkness hung over the city of Anton.

And little Bova the prince was afraid of strangers and hid in the stable. His uncle Simbalda found Bova and said:

- The prince! Trouble!
Your mother Militrisa with Dadon
They killed their father and took over the throne.
Soon they will wish for your end too,
So that you cannot avenge your father,
Let's run, sir, to the city of Sumin,
Which your father granted me!

Simbalda was like Bova’s nanny: he fed him, dressed him, and washed him in the bathhouse. I went to church with him, played war with him and wiped my nose with a gold-embroidered handkerchief.

Simbalda saddled two fast horses, put Bova in the saddle, and they galloped to the city of Sumin. But traitorous townspeople were found: they reported that the guy and Bova had run away.

Dadon ordered the chase to sound the trumpet:
- Catch Bova and kill Simbalda.

Simbalda saw that the knights were catching up with them - he hit his horse with a whip and flew like a bird: he galloped to the city of Sumin and managed to take refuge in it.

And Bova the prince was small -
And he fell from his good horse to the ground.
They caught him and tied him up
And they were sent under guard to Queen Militrisa.

King Dadon and his army arrived at Sumingrad and laid a circular siege on it. It stands almost under siege whole year- and the city will not be taken by storm or by cunning.

The townspeople pour tar and boiling water over the knights: help yourself, dear guests, with honey and tea!

Such a treat gives guests a terrible feeling.

Once Dadon was sleeping in a camp tent, and Dadon had a dream at dawn: as if Bova the prince had become an adult and pierced his heart with a sharp spear!

BOVA KOROLEVICH – literary hero. In the second half of the 16th century, European " chivalric novels" The first place among them is occupied by “The Tale of Bova Korolevich”. Its source is a French-Italian novel about the exploits of Bovo d’Anton, but it came to us through South Slavic media (in a Belarusian retelling). Usually the Russian texts of this story were called: “The story of a certain brave knight and a glorious hero about Bova Korolevich.” It was used in the form of amusing books at court, and in handwritten versions among the lower classes.

This was not just a translation: a foreign work received a Russian coloring, various kinds of details were introduced into it, giving it a Russian flavor, the content was deliberately associated with Russian life, and the heroes became similar to Russian people.

ORIGIN: Bova was the son of King Guidon and Militrisa, daughter of King Kirbich. The father gave Militrisa to Guidon against her will, the matchmaker was Lichard's equerry. Militrisa, hating her husband, entered into an agreement with King Dodon: he came with an army to the appointed place, she sent Guidon there to hunt, and Dodon hacked him to death. Sinbalda, Bova’s uncle, told him about what had happened and tried to take him away, but Dodon managed to capture the boy. Dodon had a dream that Bova, armed with a treasure sword and a spear, was ready to pierce his heart. Having learned about this, Militrisa, for the love of Dodon. She decided to persecute her son, put him in prison and did not give him food. Then she sent him three loaves of bread soaked in poison. The girl, bringing Bova bread, warned him, he threw the bread to the dogs, and they immediately died. Bova cried bitterly, and the girl also cried, looking at his beauty. When leaving, she did not lock the dungeon, and Bova fled.

APPEARANCE: His appearance played a significant role in his fate: the beauty of a boy, and then a young man, is spoken of more than once. “Bova had bright eyes, and hair as yellow as silk, and a face as ruddy as gold.”

THE ADVENTURES OF BOVA: Bova is picked up by a ship, he pretends to be the son of a sexton and a washerwoman. He is taught to read and write, and he “blooms like a flower on the ship, his face shines like a ray of sunshine.” He becomes the property of King Zinzowei, who appoints him chief groom. Zinzovey's daughter, captivated by Bova's beauty, asks her father to allow him to come to her chambers. When he came for the first time, “the chamber lit up with his face, but the beautiful Druzhnena and the girls could not sit still.”

Funny details testify to their love. King Markobrun with an army of two hundred thousand approaches the city and demands Druzhnena as his wife. King Zinzovei is forced to agree, but Bova defeats the aliens in tournament fights, including Markobrun. Tsar Saltan Saltanovich appears with a hundred thousand army; he wants to marry his son Lukaper to Druzhnen. Bova enters into a duel with Lukaper - “ glorious hero three fathoms high” - and cuts his head in two with the wonderful treasure sword that Druzhnena gave him. Having freed Zinzovey and Markobrun, captured by Saltan, Bova reminds his master that he himself is waiting for liberation. Druzhnena begs her father to give her to Bova, the son of King Guidon, and receives consent.
Now - instead of a happy fairy-tale ending - the story about Bova takes on such an incredible turn, is filled with such dizzying adventures that the previous Russian reader could not even think about. Bova's rivals manage to send him far away; he does not have time to warn his bride, and she is forced to agree to marry Markobrun, although she has negotiated a year's delay for herself.
Bova many times finds himself on the verge of death, robbed, losing his name, heroic horse and treasure sword. He is forced to wander under the guise of a poor old man, is imprisoned by Tsar Saltan, and his daughter tries to convert Bova “to the Latin faith.” Fortunately for Bova, his wonderful sword returns to him, and he again wins victory after victory. On the way to Druzhnene, he learns about the condition she accepted - to wait for him for a year, and meanwhile more has passed since their separation. He receives a “potion” that allows him to change and restore his appearance. Unrecognized by the bride, he goes with her to the stable where his heroic horse is chained. At the sight of its owner, the horse broke 70 chains, “jumped onto Beauvais’s throat, and placed its front hooves on his shoulders.” Then Bova reveals himself to Druzhnena, they run, the chase rushes after them, and the most important of the pursuers - Polkan - a man from waist to head, and a dog from waist to feet) fights with him desperately until Druzhnena reconciles them. One adventure builds on another - first Bova disappears, then Druzhnena and her two children. Bova ends up in her native place and deals with Dodon, meets the children whom Druzhnena sent to search for her husband... Everything comes to a happy end.

“THE TALE OF BOD” is the most entertaining, most intricate work of intrigue and richest in adventurous events. Ancient Rus'. Bova combined in himself at the same time the features epic hero, a fairy-tale prince and a courageous and successful knight, external beauty which was in harmony with the nobility of actions, directness and determination, loyalty and heartfelt sensitivity. Bova did not remain a hero only of Ancient Rus': the story passed into modern times, in the 18th century popular retellings of it (with pictures) appeared, it turned into an oral fairy tale, and many generations read and listened to the entertaining story about the brave knight. Have you noticed how many familiar names there are: Guidon, Dodon, Saltan, Polkan? These names came from “Bova” in Pushkin’s fairy tales and poems.

(221) Information found on the Internet and partially edited.

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• \n\n\n

  Since there is an ocean, everything is connected. Here is a medieval gesture, a song about deeds, a typical example of the French heroic epic, traveling across Europe, reflected in the mirrors of the English, Irish, and Welsh languages. By the end of the 12th century, the knight “Bev of Anton” reaches Italy, where in the Venetian dialect he turns into “Bovo d'Antona”.

  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

  And Usachev managed to update the language of the fairy tale in the same way. It reads like a ready-made script for a puppet theater; the rhythmic prose with poetic inserts fits so clearly into the format of the folk theater that I wouldn’t be surprised if somewhere the actors have already stolen the roles. So I’m reading “Bova” to my son and waiting for “Eruslan Lazarevich” from the same author and in the same publishing house..ru.

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  “Bova the Prince” is a modern poetic retelling of the heroic story about valiant knight Bova Gvidonovich. Having run away from home from his evil mother Militrisa and stepfather King Dadon, Bova ends up with King Zenziwei and falls in love with his daughter Druzhneva. In her honor, he performs miracles of courage and alone defeats the insidious contenders for Druzhneva’s hand - kings Markobrun and Lukoper.

  \n

  The roots of this story go back to the Middle Ages heroic epic European peoples. In our country in the 17th-19th centuries, the adventures of Bova the Prince were very popular both among the people and among the educated class. Even Radishchev and Pushkin turned to this story.

  \n

  In a modern book about Beauvais the Prince published by Rosman, Andrei Usachev retold old story modern language, and Larisa Ryabinina, in her illustrations for the book, masterfully conveyed the intricacy and simplicity of Russian popular print.

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