Who is the Serpent Gorynych really. Serpent Gorynych - who is he and where is he from Fairy tale character Serpent Gorynych

Zmey Gorynych and Miracle Yudo are fairy tale characters that used to frighten children in the old days. However, few people know that these are dragons from Slavic folklore. Find out how our lizards differ from dragons from European and Asian myths.

In the article:

Miracle Yudo - a character of Russian folk epics

Miracle Yudo is known to everyone from fairy tales. Despite the seeming frivolity, they are a reflection of mythological ideas about the surrounding reality. Ethnographic literature of the 19th century calls Chudo-Yudo a character of an earlier epic, on the basis of which the culture of our ancestors was formed. Famous Soviet historiographer B. A. Rybakov believed that Miracle Yudo is one of the deepest Slavic images. There is no consensus about its origin to this day. Ethnographers and culturologists offer various versions of the appearance of this hero in Russian fairy tales.

Slavic multi-headed dragon Chudo-yudo

Miracle Yudo appeared both in the form of a negative character and a positive one, but most often it was the personification of a neutral force. In addition, his gender changed over the years. Originally the serpent or whale was female, later - masculine, and closer to our time it is already mentioned in the middle gender. Miracle Yudo has several heads. Sometimes trunks are also attributed to him - they were the main weapon of the creature. True, in the old days, tails were called that. There are usually as many of them as there are heads - 6, 9 or 12. A many-headed dragon can breathe fire, burning entire villages.

Miracle Yudo lives at the bottom of the sea or across the Smorodina River, which can only be crossed along the Kalinov Bridge. He has a stone palace in which wives-sorceresses and a snake mother live. Some legends also mention the horse on which this character arrives at the battlefield.

Outwardly, Miracle Yudo resembles sea ​​monsters from ancient mythology or dragons living underwater. The same applies to the character, the nature of the being. Church Slavonic Dictionary Dyachenko says that the name of the snake is translated from Sanskrit as "sea animal", and the prefix "miracle" indicates that the beast was unusual.

The image of the Miracle in science

According to Khomyakov, the word "miracle" in ancient times meant a giant, which speaks of the huge size of the Slavic dragon. Ancient legends about giants are inextricably linked with snakes. Some tales describe sea kings as huge lizards or endow them with the ability to take on such a shape.

Miracle Yudo whale fish

There is another theory that may lead to the origin sea ​​dragon. The word "yudo" is consonant with the name of Judas, the betrayer of Christ. In the early Christian period, it was customary to call evil spirit. Doctor of Historical Sciences Yu.N. Afanasiev notes that in the tales of the Sea King they call the Okyan-sea. In some epics, his role is transferred to the devil, the snake or Miracle-Yud, reflecting dark side character.

Yu.N. Afanasiev draws a parallel between the Sea King and the Prince of Hell from German folklore. Both characters have traits inherent in . The magic scourge is very similar to lightning. The fabulous ruler of the seas rushes to the milky lake and drinks boiling milk, hinting at rain. After that, it "bursts with a terrible crack" like a rain cloud. According to the scientist, Chudo-Yudo is the name, for the most part, for a mythical snake or dragon, personifying a thundercloud.

Demonologist L.N. Vinogradova claims that ancient Slavic songs point to the existence of Miracle Yuda in the role of a mythological character. From the songs it is clear that the creature is otherworldly and carries danger to people, but it can be expelled.

Georgy Millyar as Tsar Chudo-Yudo

Miracle Yudo is identified with the Pogany Idol, with whom the heroes fight. Idolishche, or Odolishche, is also a hero, but he fights on the side of evil. Some legends and epics call him Tugarin Zmievich. Doctor of philosophical science N.K. Demin believes that Chudo-Yudo is the Russian version of the Gorgon Medusa or the Sea Princess, turned into a monster after a religious upheaval. Some researchers believe that "yudo" is nothing more than a rhyme for the word "miracle" that does not have any meaning. In Bulgarian mythology, Yuda - evil spirit a woman who lives in forests or near lakes and flies through the air.

Serpent Gorynych - a dragon from Slavic mythology

Dragon

Serpent Gorynych - three-headed fire-breathing dragon from Slavic folklore, which is known to almost everyone. In all epics, he acts as a negative character. Lives in the mountains, keeps his treasures in spacious caves. Some legends say that Gorynych lives near the fiery river and Kalinov bridge, guarding the entrance to the world of the dead, rejuvenating apples, living water and other fabulous artifacts.

It is not a fact that the middle name of the Serpent indicates the habitat, because there was Slavic nameGorynya. That was the name of one of the first heroes of the Russian land. Legends identify these characters, sometimes they call Zmey Gorynych the son of a hero.

Outwardly, the lizard resembles Miracle Yudo - it also has several heads, and their number is always a multiple of three. However, it is most commonly referred to as the three-headed dragon. In most fairy tales, the Serpent Gorynych can fly, but practically nothing is said about wings. According to Afanasiev, they are fiery. In popular prints, he has a tail.

In some tales, the Serpent Gorynych comes out of the water to his opponent, where he lives most of the time, and sleeps on a large stone in the middle of the ocean. His appearance is accompanied by a noise like rain or a thunderstorm, the sky darkens, the wind rises. Despite this, in the south, any hypostasis of the Serpent was considered guilty of a drought and they tried to expel it.

Serpent Gorynych kidnaps young girls, which is typical of dragons from most of the legends of the world. So he intimidates the people, but sometimes plans to eat them. In several legends, the lizard protects the princess from the thirtieth kingdom from outside encroachments.

In general, the image of the most famous Slavic dragon resembles the above-described Miracle Yudo. The differences are so minor that these two characters may actually be one dragon from the mythology of the Slavs, bearing two names. Some researchers believe that Chudo-Yudo and Zmey Gorynych are one character.

Fire Serpent and Fireman - dragons, not indifferent to girls

Fire Serpent, Fireman, Flyer- flying fire-breathing reptiles, records of which began to appear from the 11th century. The chroniclers depict them as winged dragons with three heads and a long tail that writhed during the flight.

According to the descriptions, this Slavic dragon looks like fireball. Falling to the ground, he pours sparks and makes a terrible noise, like thunder. According to legend, Ognyanik lives in the mountains, preferring spacious caves, sometimes legends “settle” him right on the cloud. He knows how to look like a handsome young man.

Legends attribute heroic strength and incredible wealth to the Fire Serpent. It cannot be killed, and the dragon lives forever. He is well versed in herbs, knows how to heal a disease or bewitch a lover with the help of potions. Legends say that if Fireman falls in love with a girl, she will not be able not to return his feelings. The lizard visits single women or widows, which is reminiscent of another character in folklore - the incubus,. By analogy, the love of a Fireman is as destructive as an incubus.

Poloz and Zmiulan - snake kings

Legends call Poloz the king of all snakes and dragons of the Russian land. Its footprint indicates the location of treasures and deposits precious stones and metals - treasure hunters believe in such a legend to this day.

Poloz is easy to recognize - he looks like huge snake from which intense heat radiates. According to legend, grass is burning around the king. Little is known about him, because the lizard eats people he meets on the way.

Zmiulan - the deity of wells and clouds, also the lord of snakes. It is not known whether he was identified with Poloz. The connection of Zmiulan with the element of Water indicates the Navyu nature of the deity. Our ancestors associated water with death - in many cultures, the souls of the dead were transported to the world of the dead along the river. Zmiulan lives in the hollow of an ancient oak tree. Unlike Poloz, he is winged and more like dragon in European representation.

Slavic god Lizard - underground Serpent

Legends about the god Lizard differed depending on the region, as did his names. - Yusha, Rygl, Volkhovets. It was described as looking like an alligator. In some places, the Lizard was considered the patron of rivers and fishing. In others, he was represented as a huge underground snake that called volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.

Lizard - the god of water among the ancient Slavs

The lizard was considered the absorber of the Sun, which daily leaves the world and floats along the underground river to the east, in order to rise again in the sky in the morning. He was worshiped and, like any dark god, tried to appease. The underground dragon loved the harp and rewarded everyone who played this instrument in his honor. In the legend of Sadko, the Lizard presented the performers with goldfish.

The sanctuaries of the deity were located on the banks of rivers and lakes, sometimes near swamps. They had perfect round shape. As a requirement, black chickens were thrown into the pond. Sometimes young girls were sacrificed, and the love of dragons and serpents for them is reflected in many legends of the world. Later, human sacrifice was replaced by drowning an effigy in a leaky boat. In some settlements, a horse was given as a gift. The sacrifice to the Lizard was brought during the spring ice drift.

RUSSIAN MYTHOLOGY

DRAGON

Serpent Gorynych in Russian epics and fairy tales, a representative of the evil inclination, a dragon with 3, 6, 9 or 12 heads.

Associated with fire and water, flies through the sky, but at the same time correlates with the bottom - with a river, a hole, a cave where wealth is hidden from him, a stolen princess (or three princesses), a noble bride, "Russian full"; there is also the numerous offspring of 3mey Gorynych - “serpents” (however, they are often “in the open field”, where they are “trampled” by the epic hero with his horse). 3mey Gorynych is not always clearly distinguishable from other similar images - the Serpent Tugarin, Zmiulan, the Fire Serpent, just the Serpent, etc. In epics, 3mey Gorynych (“fierce snake”, etc.) usually appears in the plot “Dobrynya and the Serpent” , at its two culminating points: the first time, when Dobrynya Nikitich bathes in the Puchai River, and the second time, when the same hero descends into the holes of 3. G. and frees Prince Vladimir's niece, Zabava Putyatishna.

The hero whipped his horse with a whip between his ears, the horse soared and rushed the hero straight to Mount Sorochinskaya. And on the mountain near the serpent's lair, the serpents are basking in the sun - count them, do not count them! How the horse went to trample them! The Serpent Gorynych saw that the serpents were dying, gnashed his teeth:
“You won’t get Zabava Putyatichna!” He ran into Dobrynya, and they began to fight not for life, but for death. It’s hard for the Russian hero: he only cuts off one snake’s head, and in its place three new ones grow. For three days he wrestled with the serpent. By the evening of the third day, Dobrynushka despaired: “It can be seen that the filthy Serpent cannot be overcome. God help me!" I just thought like that, as I heard a voice from heaven: - Dobrynya, Russian hero, do not despair! Hold on for only half an hour more - and you will overcome the Serpent, the unclean power.
And so it happened. With a new, unprecedented force, Dobrynya Snake hit with a whip. The Serpent fell - it is clear that the Lord helped the Russian hero. Dobrynya rushed to the snake's cave. He entered - and does not believe his eyes: how many captives - good Russians are here! They are all chained together. Dobrynya swung, cut the chain and freed the captives. Where is Fun? The niece of the prince is not visible! He went to the next cave and sees: Zabavushka is sitting in a dark corner, chained to the wall with a golden chain. Dobrynya Zabava Putyatichna freed, put her with him on a horse and set off, to the capital city of Kyiv, to Vladimir the Red Sun.

The appearance of 3mey Gorynych is accompanied by a formidable noise, like “it rains” and “thunder rumbles”. The main weapon is fire. Dobrynya manages to inflict a crushing blow on him with "a cap (hat) of Greek land." The serpent Gorynych fell on the damp ground and begged Dobrynya for mercy, offering to write "considerable great records" not to gather in an open field and not to arrange bloodshed. Dobrynya agrees and releases the Serpent Gorynych to freedom.

Returning to his place and flying over Kiev, however, 3mey Gorynych violates the "records" and kidnaps Zabava Putyatishna, hiding her in his holes. Prince Vladimir sends Dobrynya to free his niece. Along the way, in an open field, Dobrynya "trampled" "a lot of snakes."

Illustration by Bilibin. Dobrynya and Zabava Putyatishna.

Throwing back the iron supports and pushing back the copper locks, he descends into snake holes and, first of all, frees the "full": princes and boyars, mighty Russian heroes. After that, he brings Zabava Putyatishna out of the holes from 3rd Gorynych. Serpent Gorynych accuses Dobrynya of violating the "records" and destroying the "serpents", invading "serpent holes" and does not agree to give Fun to Putyatishnu "without a fight, without a fight, bloodshed." But the second duel did not take place: Dobrynya pointed out that the first violation of the "records" was the work of Zmey Gorynych.

In fairy tales, a number of motives are associated with the Serpent Gorynych: he fell in love with the princess; he teaches her to kill her brother-tsarevich, but dies, being torn apart by the "hunt" of Ivan Tsarevich; in another story, Serpent Gorynych serves as a cook for Ivan, the merchant's son, seduces his wife Elena the Beautiful, harasses Ivan, the merchant's son, with her, but dies. In the lower folk mythology, the Serpent Gorynych is also well known: he poses a special danger to women, entering into a relationship with them.

His name refers to the image of the Fire Serpent, known both in the Slavic (cf. Serbian Serpent Fire Wolf) and in other traditions (cf. Iranian Azhi Dahak, lit. “Snake Gorynych”; Gorynych as Gorynya, Baba Goryninka, etc. - from the verb "burn" and only secondarily from the word "mountain": sometimes the motive of the Serpent Gorynych appears on the mountain).

Probably everyone knows that the Chinese worship dragons. They even call themselves "children" or "descendants" of this mythological lizard. However, dragons are found not only in the myths and legends of our eastern neighbors. In Slavic folklore there are such colorful characters as and the serpent Gorynych. In terms of strength and power, the Russian dragon is not inferior to its "relatives" from the Middle Kingdom.

The historical homeland of the snake Gorynych - Kievan Rus. Although it would be more accurate to say that the “homeland” of this mysterious lizard is heaven. The mythical creature appears surrounded by smoke and flames, "like a bolt from the blue." His power is truly colossal, only a real epic hero can survive in a battle with such an adversary.

The image of the snake Gorynych

Ancient legends give quite detailed description the Gorynych snake, what the mythical dragon looks like today is known to every child. However, few people know where this image came from. There is a version that old legend was born during the time of Genghis Khan, during the Mongol invasion of Rus'.

By the time the Russian-Mongolian war began, the troops of Genghis Khan had a solid arsenal of gunpowder weapons, which they inherited from Northern China. It is possible that it was the action of this artillery that formed the basis of the epic about the three-headed dragon. However, judge for yourself.

Gorynych means "to burn"

So what do we know about the mighty snake? That's right, he has three heads, and his flight is accompanied by a roar and whistle. Chinese fire shells had a spherical shape, which can be compared with the head of an unknown monster. In flight, such a projectile emits a rather loud whistle, and during the explosion - a roar.

In the legend, the serpent Gorynych always appears unexpectedly, "in the midst of a clear sky." This has a practical meaning, because in rainy weather, shelling with gunpowder weapons was difficult or even impossible. Downpour is able to extinguish ignited shells.

Another curious fact is that the legendary lizard has black blood, which "the Russian land does not accept." This "blood" could be a black oily liquid that leaked from unexploded shells. By the way, oil and really very poorly absorbed into the soil.

Ancient legends

The serpent has copper claws that can easily tear apart the hero's chain mail. The air around him smells of sulfur, and terrible horned heads spew flames. Seven tails hit the ground, so he is no less dangerous from behind than from the front. The snake has offspring - numerous small snakes living "in an open field." Epic hero tramples them with his horse.

The Russian dragon loves gold and beauties of the princely family. So he happened to kidnap the niece of the Kyiv prince Vladimir - Fun Putyatishnu. Gorynych kept his captive in a cave and did not let anyone near her. Many good fellows perished in an attempt to free the young princess. But only the Russian hero Dobrynya Nikitich managed to defeat the three-headed dragon and return the captive to the free world.

This character is one of the brightest and most famous in the Slavic epic epic. Usually, the Serpent Gorynych is an anti-hero, insidious and terrible, with whom the hero fights. At the same time, he does not have an anthropomorphic image, but the appearance of a relic dinosaur. The villain also has multiple heads and spews flames. Where did this outlandish image come from in Russian fairy tales?

The image of evil

In the myths of many peoples there are dragons - snake-like monsters, which could also have several heads, such as the ancient Greek Lernean Hydra or the ancient Persian Azhi-Dahaka, in which, among the three faces, one was human. They also belched flames, like the Sumerian dragon god Zu, and almost all of them flew, and some also swam.

There are also a number of references in the biblical texts to the dragon-like sea monster Leviathan.

All these lizards, including the Slavic Serpent Gorynych, symbolize the test that the main character must go through in order to accomplish a feat and get a treasure. Accordingly, monsters are the personification of evil.

Some researchers of Slavic epics suggest that under collectively The Gorynych Serpent lurks countless hordes of Tatar-Mongolian or other steppe nomads.

The invasions that the local heroes tried to repel were endless, like the heads of a monster: you cut off one, two grow in return. In addition, historians confirm that all nomadic attacks were accompanied by terrible conflagrations and sometimes they began long before the enemy troops broke through into the fortified settlement.

There is a number of evidence that the Tatar-Mongolian warriors in Rus' used gunpowder, or at least something like napalm with its addition, apparently borrowed from the Chinese. As you know, this people invented gunpowder as early as one and a half thousand years before the birth of Christ. But for the ancient Slavs, the clubs of fire flying outside the city walls were probably akin to the breath of the Serpent Gorynych, spewing flames.

A terrible reality in the form of endless attacks, accompanied by fiery whirlwinds and hundreds of deaths, coupled with the mythological perception of the world, possibly gave rise in the human mind to the image of a monster that destroys settlements and takes relatives and friends into captivity.

Guardian of the Dead

The well-known culturological work of Vladimir Propp "The Roots of a Fairy Tale" states that almost all Slavic myths are associated with the ritual tradition of initiation. The ancient communal life assumed that the growing boys, in order for them to become men and warriors, should be sent “to the ends of the world”, where they will accomplish a feat, “die, rise again”, and then return home different, adults and strong.

In some epics, the origin of the Serpent Gorynych is seen as the son of Viy, the lord of the Middle Underworld. Therefore, the monster has the nickname Gorynych, because it is so powerful and heavy that Mother Earth Cheese, for which it is alien, cannot carry it on itself.

Accordingly, this monster lives in the mountains and guards the entrance to realm of the dead. Meanwhile, young Slavic hero, according to fairy tale, you need to go to Underworld in order to “die and rise again”, which means that you need to kill the Serpent Gorynych, that is, to accomplish a feat.

The appearance of the guardian of the world of the dead among the Slavs was obviously formed on the basis of the most ancient cosmogonic myths. One of them says that all life on earth, both good and evil, came from an egg hatched by a sacred serpent. Well, the Underworld is that bunch of the unknown and incredible, knowing which, you can understand the universe.

Echoes of reality

There is a well-founded opinion that the prototype of mythological dragons in the culture of all peoples are dinosaurs that once lived on earth. And if mankind hardly encountered relic animals themselves, then people probably found their skeletons, and so all sorts of myths arose.

Renowned specialist in history and culture Ancient Rus' academician Boris Rybakov believed that the inhabitants of Novgorod IV - V centuries worshiped a certain lizard - the ruler water element. On this occasion, in his writings, he wrote: “... Of particular interest are the authentic harp of the first half of the 12th century from excavations in Novgorod. (...) The left (from the harp) side of the instrument is sculpted like the head and part of the torso of a lizard. Under the head of the lizard, two small heads of "lizards" are drawn. On reverse side goose depicted a lion and a bird. Thus, in the ornamentation of the goose, all three vital zones are present: sky (bird), earth (horse, lion) and undersea world(lizard). The lizard dominates everything and, thanks to its three-dimensional sculpture, unites both planes of the instrument ... "

Also, during excavations in the Novgorod and Pskov regions, archaeologists found numerous images of lizards made on the structures of window casings and on the handles of ladles. All of them represent by no means a fabulous, but a very real image of a large beast with an elongated muzzle and a huge mouth with clearly defined large teeth.

In one of the annals of the 11th century, "The conversation of Gregory the Theologian on the testing of hail" in the section on fishing and related pagan rites, tells about a crocodile lizard that came out of the river and devoured the victim left to it by the local population.

The ethnographer of the 19th century and the collector of folk songs Pavel Yakushin, during his trip to the Novgorod region, wrote down the story of the appearance of the Yuryevsky Skete from the words of one elder: the saint stands (...). Every night this Snake Beast went to sleep in Ilmen-Lake ... "

An unknown chronicler in the 16th century, who traveled around Russia, wrote that “... In the summer of 7090, fierce crocodiles came out of the river and the path closed behind them, they ate a lot of people. People fled in horror all over the earth and prayed to God. They hid and he ran away…”

And these are far from all the very strange records of ancient years about the existence of certain "crocodile lizards" in the rivers of Rus'. Therefore, it is possible that the origin of the fairy-tale character Zmey Gorynych has a very real basis.

How often, when reading fairy tales or watching cartoons, do we meet Zmey Gorynych?

Battles with the great Russian heroes, the abduction of Slavic beauties, the horror induced everywhere - this is what is associated with this character.

But does it really exist? Or is it a folklore image that lived in Rus'?

The appearance of the Serpent Gorynych is described as follows: a dragon with several heads. As a rule, the number was a multiple of 3 - 3, 6, 9, 12, but could be 5 or 7.

His heads breathed fire, and if one of them was cut off, a new one instantly grew. clawed paws, a long tail with spikes and small wings that allow him to fly everywhere, had a mythical character.

It was called differently in different countries ah: Zmok - Slovenia and the Czech Republic, Zmiy - Ukraine, Zmay - Croatia.

Each country added new features to the image of Goryn, arguing whether he was a dragon or a snake.

Serpent Gorynych is not vulnerable, and therefore practically invincible. But there is only one place, thanks to which it was possible to destroy it - a small patch of scales next to the head.

Once in this place, the head disappears, but a new one immediately appears in its place.

The weapon capable of killing him was called the "Seven-Tailed Whip" in the legends.

But it was possible to destroy Goryn only by cutting off all his heads at the same time. Another weak point snakes are his cubs. They are defenseless, but exactly until the scales begin to turn to stone.

The emergence of a mythical patronymic

Why Gorynych and where does the mysterious snake live? It turns out that the patronymic, or nickname, is directly related to the habitat of the mythical character. There are several versions:

• The serpent, as a creature, can belong to two elements: fire and water. Therefore, the first version of the lair is in the middle of the sea on a stone.
• According to legends, the Serpent is the guardian of the transition between two worlds: the world of the living and world of the dead. He lives on the Kalinov Bridge, which is thrown over the Smorodina River.
• The mountain or cave, thanks to which the patronymic was received. This assumption appeared as a result of one fairy tale. Everything around his habitat is lifeless and dead: grass does not grow, birds do not sing, animals bypass.
• Goryn - from the word to burn. The fire that spewed from the mouth of the monster destroyed all life in its path.
• The last, no less common version, where the Serpent Gorynych could live - chambers of gold and silver - also appeared thanks to epics in which he keeps kings and rulers at bay, collecting tribute from them and living in luxury. In this regard, there is an assumption that Goryn is a wave of a reasonable being.

The image of the Serpent in history

The symbolism of the image of the Serpent Gorynych is multifaceted in Russian mythology. At the time of the appearance of this creature, the Russian land was tormented by wars and raids of nomads.

It is possible that the snake is the embodiment of all the troubles of that time. Another version that came out of fairy tales: snakes are universal evil, opposed to good.

The history of the emergence of legends about the Serpent Gorynych originates in paganism.

The Slavs who lived in the north worshiped a certain snake as a deity, making sacrifices. And for the southern Slavs, he was a demon.

Christians interpret the image of the serpent as a symbol of the fall into sin.

It was believed that the snake and the dragon are the Devil in a different guise.

After all, it was because of the tempting serpent that Adam and Eve were expelled from Eden.

Goryn's main occupation, according to legend, was destruction: he burned villages and cities, took hostages and captives, forced to pay tribute, instilling fear of death.

In this image, he acts as an enemy invader.

Symbols of the many faces of evil are the numerous heads of the serpent. And the struggle between good and evil is depicted by the battles of the heroes with him.

In the mythology of different countries, the image of a snake is associated with other monsters.

For example, in the myths about Hercules, the Lernean hydra was described. A snake with 7 or more heads could spew flames and regenerate severed heads. Hercules destroyed it in battle, just as the Russian heroes defeated Goryn.

Gorynych in art

Gorynychi turned out to be incredibly common in culture. Nowadays, thanks to films, cartoons and fairy tales, the image is more benevolent. There are no bloodsheds, battles and kidnappings.
sculptures:

• Petrazavodsk, 2000. In the year of the dragon, a snake sculpture was erected.
• Kharkov, 2000 Wood Serpent on the banks of the Lopan River.
• Novosibirsk, 2013. Fountain with heroes of Russian fairy tales, including the Serpent.
• Lipetsk. there is a huge statue.

Painting:

• V.M. Vasnetsov "Fight of Dobrynya Nikitich with the seven-headed Serpent-Gorynych"
• AND I. Bilibin "Fight of Dobrynya with the Serpent", "Dobrynya Nikitich frees Zabava Putyaticna from the Serpent-Gorynych"
• S. Moskvitin "Dobrynya Nikitich"
• N.K. Roerich "Victory"

Movies:

• "Vasilisa the Beautiful", Alexander Rou.
• "Ilya Muromets", Alexander Ptushko.
• "Fire, water and... copper pipes”, Alexander Rowe.
• "There, on unknown paths”, M. Yuzovsky.
• “They sat on the golden porch”, B. Rytsarev.

The most popular Zmey Gorynych became in various animated films.

The most popular of them is a series about Russian heroes: “Dobrynya Nikitich and the Serpent Gorynych”, “Three heroes and the Shamakhan queen”, “Three heroes on distant shores”, “Three heroes and the sea king”.

Here, the serpent is a friend of the heroes, helping them in all the fabulous ups and downs.

In literature, the Serpent Gorynych is mentioned in such works as: the epic “About Dobrynya Nikitich and the Serpent-Gorynych”, the fairy tale story “Until the Third Roosters”, “Monday Starts on Saturday” by the Strugatsky brothers.

Serpent among us

It is quite obvious that the Serpent Gorynych is a completely mythical creature.

It was created in epics and legends as an image of universal evil and invaders in Rus'. No evidence of its existence has been found. And the drawings found in the annals are just an accompaniment to stories about the heroes who liberated Rus' from invasions.

In fairy tales, the Serpent was friends with Baba Yaga and Koshchei the Immortal: together they committed evil deeds. But they are all just fairy tale characters.

Although, there are skeptics who claim that the Serpent could exist. And do not exclude the possibility of its existence even now. According to the modern version, the Serpent is a reptilian, a humanoid and a snake in one guise. He could turn into a human to charm the captives, and then destroy them.

Assumptions about the existence of reptilians are put forward not for the first time. Someone believes that they will take over the Earth and enslave humanity, but for now they live among us, trying to develop a plan to take over.

Accordingly, it is possible that the Serpent lives among us!