Gorynytch, the dragon
and
Dobrynja, the heroe
A highly reknowned heroe was Dobrynja, handsome and fearless. One hot summerīs day he decided
to take a bath in the river. His mother warned him: The riverīs first wave belches fire,
the second wave brings sparks and the third issues steam. But Dobrynja mounted his horse and
rode for hours. At last he reached the river and, being scorched by the sun, he forgot his
motherīs words, took off armour and clothes, and jumped into the waters.
As he swam he wondered about the warning: The river was as calm as a pond. But one instant
later the sky turned black as night without a cloud being seen. Forth flew Gorynytch, a
three-headed dragon with seven tails. Flames poured out of his mouth and heavy smoke issued
from his ears. He had iron claws, and the air around him was saturated with sulphur. "An old
prophecy foretells that one day Dobrynja would slay me", he roared, "but this proves wrong: The
heroe now is my victim!". Dobrynja dived to the shore to fetch his weapons, but his horse
and with it his armour were gone. Nearer and nearer came the dragon. Dobrynja allready felt
the fiery breath upon his skin when suddenly he beheld his helmet. He filled it with sand
and struck it so violently at the dragon that off sprang one head! The heroe soon overwhelmed
his foe. But before he found means to hew the other heads off, Gorynytch started to plead
for his own and his hatchlingsī lives. And the heroe had pity. He believed the foul words
of peace and let him go. The dragon, however, had nothing better to do than to fly to Kiev
and abduct Duke Vladimirīs lovely niece. Dobrynja beheld him carrying his prey back to the mountains.
In spite of his motherīs warning he rode to Kiev. There he found the dukeīs family and
friends mourning the loss of the virgin. But no one dared to ride for her rescue. One of the
guests had beheld Dobrynja and Gorynytch earlier at the river - as he thought - making
friends. Thus he proposed that none but the heroe could rescue the lovely maiden. Dobrynja
was sent out at once.
Wretched and dismal he rode back home. There he told his mother whad had happened. That
night while he was sleeping his mother prepared a seven-fold silky whip. The next morning
she adviced him to get his grandfatherīs horse, which had been neglected for years, and ride
to the dragonīs cave. He would find it unguarded so that he could ride in safely. To kill
the dragonīs hatchlings he just should give his horse a lash with the whip, and it will
trample the brood.
| Dobrynja did as his mother had told him. He had luckily killed the hatchlings and was just
to enter the cave when Gorynytch rushed in. Seeing his dead children he cursed the heroe
for "breaking the oath". Three days the fight between the two deadly enimies lasted. Then
suddenly Dobrynja remembered his motherīs words. He grasped the whip and flogged the
dragon who was soon overwhelmed. This time he had no pity at all and hew off
the three dragonheads. Three days and nights he bathed in the blood of his foe. At last, when
he was nearly killed by its venom, he again used his whip, and the blood disappeared. He
washed and refreshed himself and went to rescue the virgin.
Eleven caves he broke open, hundreds of victims he freed, but not the maiden. She was
imprisoned in the twelth cave, where he found her at last tied to the dump rocky walls
with golden chains. He soon got her out of this foul prison. After a nightīs rest he
brought her back safely to Kiev.
My version of the legend tells nothing about a reward, but I am shure that he married the virgin and gained both fame and wealth.
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Sources
- FRÜH, Sigrid (ed.) (1988): Märchen vom Drachen.
Fischer TB vol. 2875, 172 p.,
Frankfurt a./Main (Fischer). [Text]
- I. Bilibin. Illustration for the Russian fairy-tale Dobrynia Nikitich and the Dragon.
Water Color. The Russian Museum. - Aurora Art Publishers, Postcard No. 4528.3K / 3.1863 [Postcard]
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© MCMXCVIII by J. Georg Friebe
Last changes 22.10.1998
Aktuelle Version 09.06.2002
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