Discover the timeless epic of “Ilya Muromets: The Three Journeys of Ilya Muromets,” a tale of wisdom, justice, and the hero’s final choice. At a crossroads marked by a prophetic stone, the old Cossack Ilya reads three fates: death, marriage, or wealth—and chooses the path of danger first, defeating three hundred bandits with ease. Returning to the stone, he then rides the path of marriage, where a treacherous maiden tries to trap him—but Ilya’s sharp wit turns her own trick against her, freeing forty imprisoned grooms. After clearing two paths, Ilya refuses the third, leaving the fortune for a younger hero to claim. This classic bylina reveals the legendary hero’s unmatched strength, cunning, and humility in his later years. Perfect for fans of Slavic folklore, heroic legends, and tales of moral choice, this beautifully translated story celebrates the enduring spirit of Rus’ greatest bogatyr. With its satisfying conclusion, this tale reminds us that true heroism lies not in wealth or glory, but in service to others.
Across the open field, across the wide expanse, rode the old Cossack Ilya Muromets. He came upon a crossroads where three paths diverged. At the fork lay a white, combustible stone, and upon it was carved an inscription: “If you ride straight ahead—you shall be slain. If you ride to the right—you shall be wed. If you ride to the left—you shall grow rich.”
Ilya read the inscription and fell into thought:
“Death in battle is not written for me, an old man. Let me ride where I am to be slain.”
He rode for some time—whether long or short, who can say—when bandits and robbers leaped onto the road. Three hundred thieves—highwaymen—blocked his path, shouting and brandishing their clubs:
“Let us kill the old man and rob him!”
“Foolish people,” said Ilya Muromets, “you divide the bear’s skin before you have killed the bear!”
He unleashed his faithful horse upon them. He thrust with his spear, struck with his sword, and not a single murderer remained alive.
He returned to the crossroads and erased the inscription: “If you ride straight ahead—you shall be slain.” He stood by the stone for a moment, then turned his horse to the right:
“I have no need, old as I am, to be wed—but I will go and see how people marry.”
He rode for an hour or two and came upon white-stone chambers. A fair maiden ran out to meet him. She took Ilya Muromets by the hands and led him into the dining hall. She fed and watered the bogatyr, urging him:
“After bread and salt, go and rest. You must be weary from the road!” She led him to a special chamber and pointed to a soft feather bed.
But Ilya was sharp and quick-witted. He sensed something amiss. He threw the fair maiden onto the feather bed—and the bed spun, tilted, and the mistress of the house tumbled into a deep dungeon beneath.
Ilya ran out of the chambers into the courtyard, found the deep dungeon, broke down the doors, and released forty prisoners—unlucky grooms—into the white light. The fair maiden he locked securely in the underground prison.
After that, he returned to the crossroads and erased the second inscription. He wrote a new inscription on the stone: “Two paths have been cleared by the old Cossack Ilya Muromets.”
“I will not ride in the third direction,” he said. “Why should I, an old and solitary man, grow rich? Let some young man find that wealth.”
He turned his horse, the old Cossack Ilya Muromets, and rode to the capital Kiev to perform his military service, to fight with enemies, to stand for Great Rus’ and for the Russian people!
And on that, the tale of the glorious, mighty bogatyr Ilya Muromets comes to an end.