Day of Ilya Muromets (Avegi of Perun) among the Slavs

The Day of Ilya Muromets (Avegi of Perun) is celebrated on January 1st. The epic hero from ancient legends, on the tales of which a great many generations of people grew up, actually existed. This man, endowed with remarkable strength, was born in the village of Karacharovo, not far from the city of Murom. In those days, in this territory, there lived tribes of Finno-Ugrians, whose neighbors, the Meadow Mari, even today adhere to the beliefs of their ancestors - that is, they are pagans. In many old Slavic legends, Ilya Muromets is identified with Perun himself. Despite his wide popularity among many Slavic (and not only) peoples, the personality of Ilya Muromets remains very mysterious and mysterious. The epic hero of the Russian epic is famous for his numerous exploits, about which legends and songs were composed. Despite such fame and glory, the name of the hero is not mentioned in any Russian chronicle. At the same time, Ilya Muromets is one of the most popular heroes not only of our epics. His name appears frequently in German epic poems of the 13th century, all of which were written based on other, earlier tales. In each such legend, the image of Ilya Muromets is unchanged - he appears before us as a mighty knight, a courageous defender of the fatherland, a fearless and invincible hero.