ABSTRACT
Dobrynya Nikitich is the central figure in several songs, from which four have been selected for this anthology: “Dobrynya and the Dragon,” “Dobrynya and Marinka,” “Dobrynya and Vasily Kazimirovich,” and “Dobrynya and Alyosha.” In them Dobrynya is depicted as a diplomat entrusted by Prince Vladimir with special missions; he is a musician and chess player, an archer and wrestler, and is noted for his special “knowledge” or “courtesy.” Above all, Dobrynya represents the “dragon slayer” in the Russian tradition (Propp 1958b: 179–206; Putilov 1971a: 31–53). He is often considered to have come from the city of Ryazan southeast of Moscow, but his social origin is not presented consistently.
