|
Ruslan and Ludmila
Ruslan and Ludmila is a poem by Alexander
Pushkin, published in 1820. It is written as an epic fairy tale
consisting of a dedication, six "songs" or "cantos", and an
epilogue. It tells the story of the abduction of Ludmila, the
daughter of Prince Vladimir of Kiev by an evil wizard and the
attempt by the brave knight Ruslan to find and rescue her.
Pushkin began writing the poem in 1817, while
attending the Imperial Lyceum at Tsarskoye Selo. He based it on
Russian folktales he had heard as a child. Before it was published
in 1820, Pushkin was exiled to the south of Russia for political
ideas he had expressed in other works such as his ode to
"Freedom”. A slightly revised edition was published in
1828.
A feature film based on the poem was produced in
the Soviet Union in 1972, directed by Aleksandr Ptushko and
starring Valeri Kozinets and Natalya Petrova as the title
characters. Other film versions include a 1915 silent produced by
the Russian production company Khanzhonkov, directed by Wladyslaw
Starewicz, and a 1996 made-for-TV version based on Glinka's opera,
directed by Hans Hulscher and produced by NHK.
Pushkin dedicates the poem to unnamed young
beauties, the “queens of my soul”, and states that his
reward is the hope that some lovesick girl will read the poem in
secret.
Song 1
In a brief prologue, the narrator of the story
describes a green oak by the sea, and makes reference to several
other elements common in Russian folktales, such as a hut on
hen’s legs, Baba Yaga, and King Koschei. Bound to the tree by
a golden chain is a story-telling cat. The narrator remembers one
of the cat’s stories in particular, namely the one that
follows. This prologue was not part of the original 1820 edition;
it first appeared in the 1828 edition.
The story opens with a feast given by Prince
Vladimir to celebrate the marriage of his daughter, Ludmila, to the
bold warrior Ruslan. Among the guests are Ruslan’s jealous
rivals, the bold warrior Rogday, the boastful Farlaf, and the young
khazar Khan Ratmir.
On their wedding night, as Ruslan prepares to
consummate the marriage, a strange presence fills the bedroom,
accompanied by thunder and lightning. Ruslan finds that his bride
has mysteriously vanished.
On hearing of Ludmila's disappearance, the
angered Vladimir annuls the marriage and promises his
daughter’s hand to whoever is able to return her safely.
Ruslan and his three rivals set off on horseback.
Ruslan encounters an old man in a cavern who
tells him that Ludmila had been abducted by the sorcerer Chernomor,
and that Ruslan would find her unharmed. The old man himself is a
Finn who tells the story of how he had fallen in love with a
beautiful young maiden, Naina, who spurned his attention. In order
to win her love he tried to become a glorious warrior, but when she
rejected him, spent years learning the magical arts instead. He
finally cast a spell to win Naina’s love, only to find that
she herself was actually an old crone, who now was bent on
revenge.
Song 2
Rogday decides to abandon the quest for Ludmila
and to find and kill Ruslan instead. Seeing a rider, he attacks,
only to find it is Farlaf and not Ruslan, and leaves him shaken but
alive. An old woman appears and points Rogday to the direction in
which to find Ruslan. She then advises Farlaf to return to Kiev to
await his trophy.
She finds herself in a lavish chamber where
three maidens are ready to fulfill her every desire. Opening the
chamber door, she discovers a marvelous garden to rival
Solomon’s. However, she feels empty without Ruslan.
She is startled by a hunchbacked dwarf
approaching her, carried by ten manservants. She lashes out and he
tumbles to the ground, tripping over his long beard. It is the
wizard Chernomor, who leaves his hat as he flees.
Song 3
Chernomor is visited by a flying dragon who
turns out to be Naina, pledging her alliance in defeating the Finn.
Encouraged, he decides to go to Ludmila and make advances toward
her, but she is nowhere to be found. She had tried on the
wizard’s hat and found that she could vanish and reappear at
will by varying its position on her head.
As Ruslan rides on, he finds himself in the
midst of a deserted battlefield, strewn with bones, dead horses,
and war relics. He momentarily mourns his own fate, then realizes
it is an opportunity to arm himself. He leaves with a lance,
helmet, coat of armor, and a battle horn. He could not, however,
find a suitable sword.
Continuing, he finds his path blocked by a huge
hill emitting strange sounds. Closer inspection reveals it to be a
giant slumbering human head. Ruslan awakens the head, which becomes
angered and begins to taunt him. It sticks out its tongue. Ruslan
seizes the opportunity and thrusts his lance into the tongue, then
into its cheek. As the startled head leaps away, Ruslan finds a
bright sword where it had been. As Ruslan prepares to attack with
the sword, the head pleads for mercy.
The head tells his story: He was once a mighty warrior, the
brother of Chernomor, who envied him. Chernomor’s magic power
lay in his beard, and he told his brother that they must secure the
sword, which had the power to kill the both of them –
Chernomor, by cutting his beard, the brother, by severing his head.
They set off in quest of the sword, but then disputed to whom it
should belong once they found it. Chernomor proposed that they both
put their heads to the ground and the sword would go to the one who
first heard a sound. Instead, he used the sword to sever his
brother’s head, which magically remained alive.
The head tells Ruslan that he bears no grudge
and will be grateful if Ruslan uses the sword to defeat
Chernomor.
Song 4
Ratmir is interrupted in his journey by a young
maiden who beckons him into a castle, where he finds himself
enveloped in luxury. He soon forgets Ludmila. Ludmila eludes
Chernomor’s henchmen by remaining invisible, but then is
tricked by the wizard into revealing herself when he takes the form
of Ruslan and calls to her in his voice. He is thwarted by the
sound of a horn and hurries off, leaving his hat behind.
Song 5
Chernomor confronts Ruslan, who has arrived at
the wizard’s lair. They trade blows, and Chernomor flies off,
with Ruslan holding on to his beard. For two days they fly, with
Ruslan snipping away at the beard, until the bedraggled wizard
pleads for mercy and agrees to take Ruslan to Ludmila. Ruslan
searches the palace and wanders into the garden, all the time
calling for Ludmila, who remains hidden. Finally, a chance thrust
of his flailing sword knocks the hat from her head. However, his
lover is in a trance and does not hear him calling. He hears the
Finn’s voice from a distance telling him to return Ludmila to
Kiev where she will awaken.
Ruslan comes to rest at a stream and is met by a fisherman, who
turns out to be the Khan Ratmir. He explains that he has met his
true love and no longer yearns for Ludmila. The two part as
friends.
Naina appears to Farlaf and tells him that his
hour has arrived. He saddles up and rides off, finding Ruslan
encamped and thrusting his sword into him as he sleeps. As Farlaf
rides off with his prey, Ruslan lies unconscious and finally
succumbs to his injuries.
Song 6
Chernomor awakens and is joyful to see Ruslan
lying dead. Farlaf returns Ludmila to Vladimir, whose initial
happiness soon turns to mourning as he finds that she cannot be
awakened from her deep slumber. Farlaf hangs his head in remorse.
To make matters even worse, the city of Kiev is under siege.
The Finn finds Ruslan and resurrects him with
magical waters. He gives Ruslan a ring which will break
Ludmila’s spell, but tells him that he must first save the
city from its attackers. Ruslan returns to Kiev, Chernomor still in
tow, and leads the city’s warriors to victory.
Ruslan touches Ludmila’s face with the
ring and she awakens. Vladimir gives the couple his blessing.
Ruslan forgives both Farlaf and Chernomor.
Chaliapin as Farlaf, by Alexander Golovin
Epilogue
Another editorial comment by the author, who bemoans better days
gone by.
|
Entdecken Sie den Veranstaltungskalender für Sammler!
Entdecken Sie den Veranstaltungskalender
