BYLINY Heroic Tales of Old Russia by Alexander Pronin PossEvTo Barbara, For the Englishing iustations by WN. 1 Niolenko © Copyright 1971 by Poaev-Verlas. Possy-Veriag, D-e20 Frankfurt/Main 60, Flursdeldewes 19 Printed in GermanySADKO IN THE UNDERWATER KINGDOM ‘This tale belongs to the cycle of Novgorodian byliny, in Novgorod was quite different from that of Kiev in the south. Far removed from the steppes ond unmolested by nomads, Novgorod developed a ‘trade with Western Europe. Some of the life of Nov- gorod is depicted in “Sadko." Sadko becomes rich and ‘arrogant and is condemned by the people because he places himself above the city of Novgorod, It is pos- sible that the prototype of Sadko was historic fig- ‘ure of Novgorod, Sadko Sytinetz, whose name is entered under the year 1167 in the Novgorodian Chronicle in connection with the founding of a stone ‘Ghurch in honor of saints Boris and Gleb, This church survived in Novgorod until the 17th Century. The Russian composer N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908) dased his opera "Sadko” on this bylina. ‘Once upon a time a young man named Sadko lived in Great Novgorod, rich and famous for its stone pal- ‘aces, the abundance of its markets, its wide squares, and tall churches, and its numerous bridges over the River Volihov. The ships in the harbor were as nu- ‘merous as flocks of swans on a lake. But young Sadko did not possess palaces, abundant stores, or white-masted ships. Sadko had only one pos- session, and that was his gusli. His fingers touched the golden strings like white swans, and his voice was like ‘water flowing in a stream, Sadko went from house to house playing his gusli at gay feasts and entertaining the guests. In Rus there was no feast without a song, 115and in Novgorod there was no better guslar than Sadko. ‘After the guests had had enough to eat and drink at one such feast, they began to boast about their money, their goods, and their stores. At last Sadko became annoyed. He stopped playing, struck the table with his fist, and eried “Akh, you rich guests, why do you stay in Novgo- rod then? If I had that much money, I would not sit here growing fat, but would load ships with goods, and sail the oceans to faraway lands!” “The guests were angered by Sadko's words and put, him out. ‘A day went by and no one called on Sadko to hear his songs. Then a second day went by, and hungry ‘Sadko walked about in Novgorod, looking in the win dows. Everywhere people were seated at tables, chewing pies, and drinking mead, and Sadko had not even a crust of bread for himself. Sadly he took his gusli to the shore of Lake Imen, where he sat by the ‘water singing a melancholy song. The lake was as still as glass. But no sooner had Sadko begun to play than ‘waves broke on the lake. Sadko was alarmed and fled. ‘Toward evening of the second day, Sadko was still hungry, and, as he was tired of looking at other peo- ples feasts, he went again to the lake and again began to play. And again the lake suddenly became stormy. High waves broke, the water clouded, and the Sea ‘Tsar rose from the water. Sadko was frightened, but ‘the Sea Tsar said: “You please me with your song, guslar Sadko, and now I will do something for you. Return to Novgorod 116 ‘Sadko in the Underwater Kingdomand bet the rich merchants that there is a_golden- feathered wonderfish in Lake IImen. ‘They will wager their stores and goods, and you needn’t be afraid to wager your own head. When they lower their net into Lake Iimen, I will throw a wonderful golden-feathered fish into it.” Sadko thanked the Sea Tsar happily and returned to Novgorod, where he stationed himself in the city square and shouted: “You eat and drink abundantly at feasts, and you boast of your riches. But you do not know that there isa fish with golden feathers in Lake Imen!” Gathering, the merchants said, “Why do you lie, guslar? There is no such fish in the world, and there is no such fish in Lake Tmen.” But Sadko continued to provoke them. “Let us have a bet," he said. “I will wager my head against your stores and goods.” ‘Three merchants made the bet with Sadko, and then, taking a silver net with them, they all went to Lake Tmen and lowered the net into the water. The Jake became stormy, and when they raised the net there was a wonderful golden-feathered fish in it, ‘Thus the merchants gave Sadko nine stores full of costly goods. Now Sadko began to trade, and luck was with him, Every day he lived better and better. He built himself white-walled palaces, dressed himself in rich foreign clothing, and held feasts at which guslary entertained. And he grew vain and stopped greeting people in the town. Once he held a great feast to which he invited all the rich and important people of Novgorod, and there he began to boast of his own wealth. 119“Thave a rich treasury and enough money in it to buy up all the goods in Novgorod until there would bbe nothing left to sell.” ‘The guests bet him forty thousand rubles that he could not buy up all the goods in Novgorod. So early in the morning Sadko rose and wakened his servants, ‘gave them money, and sent them out to buy up all the goods in town, Toward evening he went out to look around Novgorod, and he saw that all the markets ‘were empty, the stores were empty, even the wharves, were empty. In all of Novgorod not even a string or a thread remained. And Sadko became arrogant, be~ Vieving that he had won the bet. But the next day he went to the market and saw ‘that the stores were full of merchandise again, the market full of goods, and the wharves loaded with barrels and sacks, And Sadko thought: “T eannot by myself win over the whole of Great Novgorod and all of its people! As soon as T buy up the Novgorodian goods, the Moscow goods arrive. People do not keep ‘their hands in their pockets — they work. During the night they spin fabrics and bake fresh pies. Now T must pay the bet — forty thousand rubles!” ‘Thereafter Sadko did not challenge Novgorod, but paid his debt and was obliged to work again to be- come as rich as he had been before. Thus he built thir- ty ships which he ornamented magnificently. ‘The bows were fashioned like eagles, with precious stones for eyes. These ships he loaded with goods, and he sailed for twelve years in foreign lands. The thirty ships sailed like geese, and one ship flew like a falcon, and this ship belonged to Sadko. 120 ‘A sudden storm arose one day. The blue sea be- came wild, the wind ripped the sails to ribbons, and the masts bent like twigs. The sailors gathered on Sadko's ship, asking, “What shall we do, Sadka? How can we escape disaster?” Replied Sadko: “My friends, sailors, it looks as if the Sea Tsar is angry with me. We have sailed the seas for twelve years but have never paid him tribute. ‘We have given him neither bread and salt nor silver. Now, take a barrel of pure silver and cast it into the sea, and perhaps the Sea Tsar will pardon us.” A barrel of silver was cast into the sea, but the storm raged even harder than before. “Ttappears that this is not enough,” said Sadko, and he ordered a barrel of gold to be thrown into the sea. But the storm struck the ships with even greater force, and Sadko spoke sadly. “Tt is plain that the Sea ‘Tsar needs neither silver nor gold but wants a human head.” Now they would cast their lots into the sea, and whoever's lot sank to the bottom would follow it into the sea, ‘The sailors cut elm twigs and threw them into the water, and they all remained afloat except Sadko's, which sank directly to the bottom. Sadko grew ap~ prehensive, saying, “These lots were not right, Let ‘us use metal ones.” The sailors cast metal lots into the water, but Sadko cast a wooden one. And this time all of the metal lots floated on the surface, but Sadko's wooden lot sank rapidly fo the bottom. But Sadko did not want to go into the sea. 124“Let us cast lots once again, friends,” he said, “And this time let us cast lots made of elm, and those that float will have to go into the sea.” ‘And the sailors cast their twigs into the water, but ‘Sadko threw a piece of iron weighing 320 pounds. The ‘wooden sticks sank to the bottom, but Sadko's iron ‘weight floated on the water like a swan. ‘Then Sadko, the rich merchant, cried: “Misfortune has come and cannot be eluded. I must go down to the Sea Tsar.” ‘And so saying, Sadko began to take leave of the world and his brave crew, the blue sky, and the beau- tiful sun, and asked that farewells be conveyed to his wife, his children, and his mother. ‘The sailors lowered an oak raft, and Sadko took neither bread nor sweet wine with him, but only his gusli, saying, “I cannot live without music, even in death.” Then he stretched himself out on the raft ‘while his sailors wept. And Sadko began to strum his gusli, and suddenly the waves died and the wind calmed, The ships sailed on to Novgorod, and Sadko drifted away on his raft. His gusli could barely be heard, his eyes were closed with fear, and he fell into a deep sleep. How long he slept he did not know, but when he awoke and opened his eyes he was at the bottom of the sea. All above him was sea water through which he could scarcely see the sun. Before him he saw a magnificent whitewalled palace. Entering the palace, Sadko saw the Sea Tsar and Tsarina, their thrones surrounded by fish, sea monsters, and great lobsters. ‘There were also a catfish with great whiskers, an eel, 122 sturgeon, and many other creatures of the sea, all of them staring at Sadko who was half dead with terror. ‘Then the Sea Tsar thundered: “You, Sadko, have sailed the seas for a long time and have never paid me tribute! It is good that you have come. I wish to hear your songs, and you shall play your gusli from morning to night!” Sadko took up his gusli and began to play, and he played well, The Sea ‘Tsar was pleased and jumped up and down on his throne. Sadko played louder, and the ‘Sea Tsar jumped down from his throne and danced about in the whitewalled palace. He struck the ground with his feet and swung his coat, and it was as if great wind had swept through the chamber. The fish disappeared, the sea monsters fled, the floor bent under the Sea Tsar, and the cupolas shook on the palace. Someone touched Sadko's right shoulder. He looked around, and there stood the Sea Tsarina. “Enough, Sadko! Break your golden strings and pegs! To you it appears that the Sea Tsar is dancing in his own palace. Tn reality he is leaping through the seas and rivers, and his dancing has raised storms. Rivers are overflowing their banks! Russian people are dying, and ships, sailors, and goods are sinking in- to the sea!” Sadko tore out the strings and broke the gusli, and the Sea Tear stopped dancing and lepine The Bue seas became calm, the rivers returned to their beds, and the Russian people were saved. And the Sea Tsar said to Sadko: “You have made my soul happy, fine 123fellow! Rus has good singers, but there is none like you in the whole world! How can T thank you? Would ‘you like me to marry you to a beautiful girl?” “Flere in the sea, you are master,” said Sadko. ‘The Sea Tsarina told Sadko quietly: “You will see three hundred beautiful maidens, but do not look at ‘them. The last maiden will be dark and called Cher- navka, and she is for you. But if you wish to return to Rus, do not kiss her.” "The Sea Tsar clapped his hands and the maidens began walking by, each more beautiful than the last. Sadko neither looked at them nor selected one. At the end was the dark girl called Chernavka. Her face was not pretty, and she was not well-dressed. “T like this one best,” said Sadko to the Sea Tsar, “and I would like her to be my bride.” ‘The Sea Tsar did not refuse his request, but gave him Chernavka and a feast was begun. But Sadko had. not forgotten that the Sea Tsarina had warned him not to kiss his bride, He left the feast quietly, lay down, and fell asleep. ‘When he awoke next morning lying on a bank of the River Chernavka that flows near Novgorod, he saw the beautiful sun, the green grass, and the world. Rising, he went to Lake Tlmen, and there he saw his thirty ships, the thirtieth all in. black sails. At the wharf stood his wife weeping, “Sadko has not re- ‘turned from beyond the seas.” ‘But Sadko's druzhina saw him standing on the high bank of the lake, and they were frightened. “We wept over Sadko's disappearance into the sea, but now he meets us in Novgorod!” 124 Sadko's wife kissed him happily and said, “Mj dear, my support, please do not go beyond the seas again. Do not make me grieve for you. Please stay at hhome with me and the children. It is time for you to stop sailing the seas and tempting fate.” Sadko listened to his wife and put an end to his voyaging, and he lived quietly and peacefully in Nov- gorod until he died. 125