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Bylina

Epic and Heroic Narrative

A bylina, also popularly known as a starina, is a type of Russian oral epic poem.

Facts
Place of Origin
Kievan Rus 1
Notable Example
Ilya Muromets 1
Defining Trait
A specific verse meter known from Russian sung epics, ballads and humorous songs 1
Sources
1. Bylina - Wikipedia
  • Origins section, paragraph 1
    byliny originate from the times of Kievan Rus'.
  • Major characters and prototypes section, Ilya Muromets row
    Saint Ilya Pechersky, monk of Kiev Pechersk Lavra.
  • Terminology section
    In a strict academic sense, byliny can be defined as a specific verse meter known from certain Russian sung epics, ballads and humorous songs.
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Frequently Asked Questions

Where and when do byliny come from?

Byliny originate in Kievan Rus.

Byliny originate from the times of Kievan Rus. The bylina, also called a starina, is a Russian oral epic poem, and its best known hero in the atlas record is Ilya Muromets.

Is bylina a strict literary term?

Academically it can mean a specific verse meter.

In a strict academic sense, byliny can be defined as a specific verse meter known from certain Russian sung epics, ballads and humorous songs. So the word can point to a meter as well as to the epic poems themselves.
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