I have gone right into the heart of "Holy Russia," to Kiev and
Novgorod and the borders of the Caspian, in an endeavour to show by
means of some of the early legends the ideals and point of view of the
Russian nation while it was in the process of being made. The stories
of the song-cycles of Kiev and Novgorod tell of a barbaric, though
not a barbarian, world, full of high colour and spirited action,
of the knock-down blow followed quickly by the hand of friendship
freely extended to pick up the fallen foeman--if indeed he has had
the hardihood to survive.
The land of Vladimir and Ilya of Murom the Old Cossáck is a Christian
land, with the Christianity of the Greek Church, and it is before all
else an Easter land, where the Christian Festival of the Resurrection
means infinitely more than it can ever do in countries which are not
ice-bound for several winter months. The country is, moreover, an
outpost of Christianity towards the East--uninfluenced by Renaissance
or Reformation--and must therefore have developed interesting
characteristics entirely different from those of Western lands. I
think that such characteristics are clearly shown in these stories,
but I must leave those of my older readers who are interested in
this matter to find them out and to discover the Arthur, Guinevere
and Galahad of Russia; for my first concern is to tell a tale which
will please healthy-minded boys and girls in their early teens.
This book might have been written by a Russian who thoroughly
understands our language, or by an English author who has
spent the best part of a lifetime in studying Russia and the
Russians, illustrated by a native artist, and decorated by a Russian
designer. When such a volume does appear, it will have a great interest
for me. Meanwhile, I submit that there is some artistic unity, also,
in a volume of Russian stories, written by an Englishman, illustrated
by an English artist, and decorated by an English designer, the whole
production being for an English child.
One cannot delve far into these folk-lore records without becoming
indebted to Miss I. F. Hapgood's English renderings from the
collections of Kirshá Danilóv, P. B. Kirýeevsky, A. T. Gillferding,
Rybnikof, P. A. Bezsónof and others, published in New York in 1885;
to J. Curtin's literal translations from the Naródniya Rússyika
Shazki of A. N. Afanásieva; to W. R. S. Ralston's books on Russian
folk-song and fable; and to the writings of the Hon. Maurice Baring and
Mr. Stephen Graham. To all of these I desire to express my indebtedness
for help and guidance, though the responsibility for the telling
and interpretation of the tales is entirely my own. If this little
collection makes the British child more sympathetic towards Russia
and helps it to understand the Russian people to a small degree its
purpose will have been achieved.