the only
thing a mountain loves.
And
once I bragged to God if there
were just a place to set my feet
I could
carry the weight of the world!
Earth
bound legs were only a shade
of what
would come. If only God
had given
me the sense of my horse
I would
still be alive.
Ilya
tried his best to best
(how
those Kyivan flies can bite).
At
least he could plainly see
the value
of humility.
But even that broad sword
But even that broad sword
of Muromets
could not free
me from
my pride. Now I lay
me down
in sleep, wrapped in wood
and iron.
My brother Muromets,
the mighty
do not fall, they sleep
in beds
they make for themselves.
--------
Svyatogor was a bogatyr
(knight) of the Kyivan-Rus time period (Kyivan-Rus primarily covered
the territory of Ukraine and beyond). Legend has it he was a giant with
shoulders two-three yards wide. Ilya Muromets was briefly his companion.
The name svyatogor means mountain. Legend has it he and Ilya discovered
a coffin on their journey. Svyatogor climbed inside and bid Ilya cover
him with the lid to see if it fit. It fit him perfectly. Unable to
remove the lid, Ilya tried to hack it off but with each blow of his
sword an iron band wrapped itself around the coffin. Svyatogor bid his
companion leave him to his fate and the sorrowful Ilya obeyed.
