Duke of Polotsk Vseslav Bryachyslavych fought with the children of Yaroslav the Wise, though very long, but took the Kyiv throne, and in the Chronicles and legends this Prince is portrayed fantastic personality. It was called prophetic, magician, and even a werewolf-the werewolf.


Epic hero-werewolf Volh Vseslavich, whose prototype was Vseslav

Vseslav was the son of Polotsk Prince brjachislava Izyaslavich - grandson of the Baptist of Russia Vladimir. His mother data is not preserved. But in the "Tale of bygone years" there is mention about the mysterious birth of the future Prince-the wizard. It says that the mother has given birth from Vseslav of magic. It was stated that "on his head were Asino". The Magi had commanded mother:

Is Asino bind him, let him carry him to death.

Among researchers there are two versions that chroniclers meant by the word
"Asino". Some believe that this is a special birthmark, which later Vseslav was covered with a bandage. According to another version, the Prince was born "in a shirt", or "dressed". So the common people call the cases when the child is born to prisoners in the amniotic membrane of the bubble. Subsequently Vseslav could have a piece of this skin as a talisman.

Commemorative coin with the image of Vseslav Polotsk



By the way, nowadays you can often hear the expression "born in the shirt" against the man, narrowly escaped disaster. This is an echo of ancient beliefs. However, the ancient Slavs believed birth "shirt" is not only a sign of luck, but of lycanthropy. According to legends, such a person could receive the gift of being converted into a beast and learn magic.

Sorcerer's apprentice

In Russian folk tales have this character - hero Volh Vseslavich, famous not only strength and prowess, but also the ability to turn into different animals. Many historians believe that it Vseslav became its prototype. Describing in the epic maturing Volga, national storytellers noted that he almost from his infancy began to learn stopping and wear armor. When he was seven, his mother sent him to learn, and "diploma of Volha in science goes." And with ten years Bogatyr began to learn the ancient wisdom: contact clear Falcon, grey wolf and Gnedin tour with Golden horns. Of course, these are only myths. And yet chroniclers mentioned repeatedly supernatural abilities Polotsk Prince and have named it as a Magician. For example, as presented Vseslav in "the Word about Igor's regiment":

...himself in the night warrior scoured;
To Petukhov it from Kyiv managed to X,
City great wolf he way pareiskimas.

Signs

V, his father died Vseslav, and the Prince had inherited his father's Polotsk Principality. Ten years of his reign died ruler of Kievan Rus Yaroslav the Wise, and the state was ruled by three of his sons: Izyaslav, Svyatoslav and Vsevolod. At first Vseslav got along well with the Yaroslavichi and even in 1060, together with them went to the military campaign against the nomads, Torquay. But then ' their relationship soured. Because of what there was a conflict, history is silent, but the difference reached the point that Vseslav gathered an army and went to war with Kievan Rus. It is notable that this event was preceded by quite mystical events.

In 1063, flowing near Novgorod river Volkhov five days flew back. The sages interpreted this as a bad omen, having decided that in the near future, the city faces a terrible disaster. By the way, according to historians, during the Volkhov river in the opposite direction - not a myth. This, though very rarely, but sometimes, for which there is a scientific explanation.

The second sign that happened two years later. In the sky in the West there was a huge star with red rays. It within seven days come up every night and shone before dawn. "This star was as though bloody, foretelling to blood the shed," he wrote in Chronicles. Most likely, it once again flew past Earth Halley's comet, which occurs every 75-76 years. By the way, the same comet, the British considered a harbinger of death of king Edward the Confessor and the subsequent invasion of England by William the Conqueror.



In the same year occurred and the third sign is a solar Eclipse. About it in the "Tale of bygone years", said, "the Sun has changed and did not become light, but was as a month, about such sun of the ignorant people say that it is eaten away. Of course, from that mark did not expect anything good.

But that's not all. Soon after the Eclipse fishermen on the river Setoml caught in the net strange creature. It was a child, but very ugly. As noted by historians: "on the face he had both parts, and otherwise it is impossible to say shame's sake." Frightened, fishermen threw creature back into the river. This ghastly discovery is also considered a harbinger of disaster.

Epics about Volge - one of the oldest in Russia. Its hero, the hero-werewolf, born from the serpent and the woman.

In the garden green
Went-was walking a young Princess Martha Salavova -
Stepped on a snake fierce.
Wrapped fierce snake
About Chabot green Morocco,
About chulochki silk,
The trunk has a white thighs.
That sometimes the Princess conceived,
Conceived and in due time gave birth to:
And and in the sky illuminate bright month -
And in Kiev was born the mighty hero,
Young Volh Vseslavovich.
He podrezala land of cheese,
Sucralose glorious Kingdom Indian,
Sea blue got noisy
For the sake of birth heroic,
Young Volha Of Vseslavich.

The fish went in sea depth,
The bird flew high into the heavens,
Tours Yes deer went over the mountains,
Hares, foxes on cedicam,
And wolves, bears on spruce,
Sable, marten island hopping...

Became Volh grow to maturity,
Learned Volh many other useful things:
Pike-fish go
Volha blue seas,
Gray wolf to scour the dark forests,
Gnedin round - the Golden horn to scour the field,
Clear the Falcon fly under the cloud...


[VOLH VSESLAVICH]

The arrival of the werewolf

The trouble has not kept itself waiting in 1065, Vseslav started an open war against the Kievan Rus. At first it with the squad raided a neighbouring Principality, including plundered and Kiev land. Then attempted to capture the city of Pskov, but in vain: the city withstood a siege, and the Prince was forced to retreat. And in 1067 something happened that he feared the Novgorod: Polotsk army seized Novgorod, and burned Vseslav the city". While the Prince was removed from the Novgorod Sophia Cathedral bell and put them on your own Polotsk Sophia Cathedral. Vseslav was built specially to demonstrate that the Polotsk worthy to take on Russia position equal to Kiev and Novgorod. In General, the princes of Polotsk, genus which also came from the Rurik, never recognized the seniority of Kiev on the Russian land, which often led to strife.

Describing the campaign Vseslav in 1065, the authors of "the Word about Igor's regiment" do not forget to mention the magical essence of the Prince: savage beast at midnight he jumped from Belgrade, Sineu haze obochiny. In the morning as strekozy put up, opened the gates Novogorod Glory beat Yaroslavovo, Wolf ran with Dodatok

On mentioned the river Nemiga squad Vseslav Charodey met with army Yaroslavychi. Learning about the taking of Novgorod, those gathered an army and hurried to stop the invaders. The battle took place in early March, the soldiers had to fight in the dead of winter, buried in snow. As we already wrote in # 32. in the story about the Union of the Yaroslavichi, Vseslav was defeated. And yet he managed to avoid the death and return to Polotsk.

Involuntary ruler

A few months later, the Prince received a message from Kiev: Yaroslavychi offered to make peace and invited him to come to the table. Vseslav agreed to stop the quarrel and went on the boat in the city of Orsha. where stood the camp of the enemy army. For their safety, he was not worried, because the rulers of Kievan Rus kissed the cross, guaranteeing him immunity. But the invitation to peace talks turned out to be a trap: Yaroslavychi broke his oath. They grabbed Vseslav, was taken to Kiev and had put him in prison.

It is unknown how much lasted imprisonment Vseslav, if in 1068 army Yaroslavychi not defeated Polovtsy. Kiev decided that the reason for the defeat was a bad Board their Prince Izyaslav Yaroslavich and magistrates Konacki. In the town rebellion broke out. While the townspeople remembered languishing in prison Vseslav Charodey. Although the Polotsk Prince raided the Kievan Rus, he used the Russian people have a great respect and was known as a skillful warrior. "He certainly is able to deliver us from the enemy" - decided to people.

Seeing that conceived the Kyiv team, the team advised Izyaslav:
"Come right man to Vseslav. Let deception will call him to the window and a sword will pierce.

But Izyaslav refused, saying that there will be a killer relative. After all, Vseslav was his great-nephew. In the Izyaslav had to flee the city, and Vseslav, unwittingly, took the throne of the Kiev Russia. However, his reign did not last long, only seven months. The following year Izyaslav, with the support of the Polish army, he returned to win the Kiev throne. First Vseslav decided to give it a fight, and even proposed to meet the Kiev team. But... either he realized that not prevail, and may not want to fight for the Principality left to him against his will while he was waiting for the native Polothe Central Committee...
In General, when Kiev the army camp in Belgorod, Vseslav the Magician of the night left him and returned home. Having lost Prince, the people went home and soon opened the city gates to the old ruler.

Izyaslav not forgive Vseslav this, albeit involuntary, but the seizure of power. Again assuming the throne of Kiev Russia, he went on a campaign to Polotsk, took it by storm, and I put down princes of his sons: first Mstislav (which died), and then Sviatopolk. But in 1071, Vseslav the Magician was able to regain his Principality. After that he reigned in Polotsk another thirty years, all these years without stopping the fight against the rulers of Kievan Rus, and died by his death on April 14, 1101