Discover the apocalyptic Slavic legend of “The Volots,” a sweeping epic of prophecy, divine intervention, and the salvation of the world from serpentine invaders. When a Russian Tsar dreams of a fiery mountain falling from the stars and releasing a race of flying lizard-people, he summons eight volkhvy—wise priests of the old gods—to interpret the vision. Following their counsel, the Tsar builds underground reservoirs, amasses grain reserves, forges fire-breathing ships, and unites the kingdoms of the earth against the coming darkness. But the ultimate weapon lies in the Riphean Mountains, where four giant heroes—Gorynya, Dubynya, Usynya, and Agnivolot—are born from Mother Earth herself, destined to turn the tide of the great war. As the serpent horde sweeps across Rus’ and the world burns, these heavenly volots descend to battle, wielding mountains, forests, and pure fire against the reptilian enemy. This breathtaking bylina weaves together prophecy, elemental magic, and the eternal struggle between light and destruction. Perfect for fans of Slavic mythology, apocalyptic fantasy, and epic tales of world-saving heroes, this beautifully translated legend will captivate readers from beginning to end.
Once, a Russian Tsar had a terrible dream. He saw a fiery mountain fall from the sky, crashing down upon the earth from some distant star. From that catastrophe, the whole world grew hot; the seas and oceans began to evaporate, rivers and lakes boiled away, and many cities perished. All living things fled to the mountains and dense forests, or hid underground in caves. And from that fallen mountain emerged terrible serpents that spread across the entire planet, settling in all the ruined Russian villages. These were not mere reptiles, but people with tails—creatures with serpentine arms and legs, and all of them could fly. The Tsar woke in the dead of night, trembling with dread and anxiety, and could not close his eyes again until morning.
In the morning, the sovereign summoned all the servants of the gods. Eight volkhvy—wise priests—answered the Tsar’s call. Each represented a different god, and the eighth—the oldest and wisest—served Rod, the Heavenly Ancestor himself. The Tsar told them his dream, and they listened with astonishment and unease. At last, the Tsar finished his account and asked:
“Tell me, wise volkhvy, you who know all things, what is the hidden meaning of my dream? What nightmare have I seen?”
The priests fell into thought, each pondering what awaited Mother Earth. The silence stretched long; all eyes turned to the eighth volkhv, and understanding what was to come, they feared to speak the truth to the Tsar. Finally, the wise priest sighed, rose from his seat, bowed to the sovereign, and spoke:
“Tsar, each of us has understood that a great calamity awaits not only our Russian land, but the entire planet. A terrible and merciless sorrow is coming. From a black star will come the serpent people, who will destroy all living things. Our Mother Earth will turn into a stone desert: the seas, rivers, and lakes will evaporate, leaving only sand, stones, and bare cliffs. And then the serpent-people, or lizard-folk, will spread out and establish a new kingdom—a kingdom of reptiles on the ruined earth. But this can be prevented; we have one way out. We must beseech the higher powers of the Creator to help not only the Russian land, but all other peoples to endure. Give us time to think; we will find a solution that saves everyone. I believe in three days we will gather again.”
“Very well, I will await your decision,” said the Tsar, and bowed low to the volkhvy.
The priests rose and silently left the hall.
Three days passed, and all the volkhvy gathered again. The Tsar bowed to them and said:
“Answer me—what have you decided? What path do you see through the calamity that hangs over us? You possess the highest knowledge and wisdom; it is for you to decide what I must do. As you say, so it shall be done. By the tradition of our ancestors, your word shall be law to me.”
Then the first volkhv, servant of Perun, rose and addressed the sovereign:
“Tsar, gather all your warriors, all the Russian army. And place at the head of this army the strongest bogatyr of our Mother Earth—Yeruslan. Only he can withstand the enemy host of serpents. Let him prepare the army for the most terrible battle that may come in this future great war.”
The Tsar bowed to the priest of Perun. Next rose the priest of Veles:
“A strong army is good, but we must fortify our settlements; without defenses, we will not hold out long. Gather the people, build high earthen ramparts, and raise oak walls upon them around the cities. Beyond this, we must dig underground passages to water, to subterranean springs, deepen the wells, and build additional ones—for such scorching heat will come that all water will evaporate—all rivers and lakes. Only the waters preserved in the depths of the earth will remain. Then no one will die of thirst, and homes will not burn in the coming inferno.”
The Tsar bowed to the priest of Veles. The servant of Dazhbog, the sun god, rose:
“We have addressed water, but without bread neither people nor animals will survive. Tsar, you must gather an immense harvest in the last two years. I will ask the higher powers to help make this time the most fertile. Beyond harvesting, you must organize the drying of grain and create reliable storehouses to preserve it. We need enormous reserves to last through the entire war, which will continue for several years—then no one will die of hunger.”
The Tsar bowed to the priest of Dazhbog:
“I will do all that is in my power.”
Rising from her seat, the priestess of Lada, the Mother—beautiful and wise—spoke:
“Great Tsar, resistance is possible only if all the peoples of the earth unite into a single force. Find a way to gather the principalities related to us around your kingdom, and all the tribes of other peoples into one vast union. Negotiate with all princes and rulers. Send friendly envoys to all distant and nearby lands: to India, Iran, Scandinavia, and the West, in all directions where Russian people live. Let the envoys explain the purpose of unification and help gather into one whole all who can stand against the coming calamity as a united front. Then there is a chance to defend our Mother Earth from being seized by the serpents.”
The Tsar bowed to the priestess of Lada:
“I will find the best envoys and immediately write to all princes and rulers about the coming battle. We will find a way to unite.”
The volkhv of Stribog rose, a tall, gray-haired old man, and spoke:
“Tsar, you are wise and understand all things. So that enemies do not catch us unawares, we must create powerful heroic outposts on the borders of the state. And these reliable people, as soon as they see or learn of the fallen fiery mountain, will immediately inform you. We must know everything that happens around us, possess all information from every border. And not only you, but all princes and rulers. Only then will we have time to gather all our forces for the defense of Mother Earth.”
The Tsar bowed:
“So be it, as you have said. Your every word is law.”
Then rose the servant of Samargl:
“Tsar, gather laborers and Russian warriors. Send them to the high mountain called the World Mountain. Deep within this mountain, a great hall must be built and covered with stone slabs, so that the people who shelter there will not burn alive. There, during the war, you will gather all the princes who will direct the great battle.”
The Tsar bowed to the priest of Samargl:
“I understand all, and thank you for your wisdom.”
The volkhv of Svarog rose and spoke:
“We will have reserves of water and bread, and an army—that is good. But we need a strong fleet. Arm all ships with powerful fire-breathing tubes that will hurl fire and sulfur over great distances. Issue a decree to establish many forges throughout the Russian land. Let these forges work day and night. They must arm not only the vast army, but the mighty fleet, without which we cannot withstand the serpent people.”
The sovereign bowed to the priest of Svarog.
“All will be done as you command me.”
The last volkhv remained—the servant of Rod, the Heavenly Ancestor himself. The oldest and wisest of all assembled.
He rose before the priests and said:
“That everything will be ready for war, I am certain. But there is something more. Only you, sovereign, and those sitting in this hall shall know of it. This is the final task, but the most important. Tsar, give me the most reliable people and the mightiest horses. These people will never appear in Rus’ again, for they must remain with me. We will go to the Riphean Mountains and there build a terem. In this house, four great bogatyrs will be born from Mother Damp Earth. And they will grow not by days, but by hours. You must supply all necessities for the warriors born of Rod himself, including teachers who will instruct the great bogatyrs of Rus’ and all Mother Earth in wisdom. These are the people I need. You must understand, Tsar, that our salvation lies not so much in armies, fortresses, and fleets, as in these four heroes. For it is they who will decide the battle for the earth. Therefore, in the Riphean Mountains, they must receive their upbringing from the best people and these volkhvy who sit in this hall.”
The Tsar bowed low to the priest of Rod:
“I understand all, priest, and will surely find you the best of the best.”
And so it was decided.
The Tsar gathered the most reliable people and did everything as he was commanded. He built a road to the mountains, which is still visible in the Urals. He equipped everything necessary for raising the children, found the best horses, and sent it all to the terem being built, where the sons of Rod, the Heavenly Ancestor—the volots, the heavenly heroes—were to be born from Mother Damp Earth.
At last, the construction of the terem was completed. And indeed, in the main hall of the house, in each of the four corners, four boys appeared. And on each infant bogatyr were swaddling clothes, on which the name of the child was written.
One boy was named Gorynya. When he grew up, he would be so strong that he could tear mountains up by their foundations and hurl them any distance.
The second child was named Dubynya. He could uproot any oak and throw it as far as he wished. And these trees would blaze in his hands as mighty bonfires.
The third was Usynya. He would have such mustaches that he could fell trees with them and seize enemies.
The most terrifying was that they could transform into a torch, crawl along the ground, and burn everything in their path.
The last volot was the mightiest, named Agnivolot. His breath was pure fire. When he exhaled, tongues of flame flew for many versts forward, destroying any obstacle or enemy.
Many months passed after this great event. The volots grew and had immense stature—as tall as a lofty pine. The four bogatyrs were raised by their teachers and the seven volkhvy who were placed with them. The Tsar’s finest warriors trained them in all martial arts. The bogatyrs knew they were Russian, knew their Motherland, but none of them had the right to leave their terem. Thus passed their training and life in the mountains.
At last, what all awaited with dread and anxiety came to pass—the Tsar’s dream became reality. One night, the stars went out, the earth trembled, and all people saw a vast black mountain approaching. This mountain, touching the sky, blazed with bright flame and crashed down somewhere far to the south. From the impact, Mother Earth shuddered and groaned. Scorching winds blew from the south, and such heat came that all living things on earth caught fire: steppes, meadows, fields, forests—nothing could survive in that flame. People poured water on their homes, saving the cities. Thanks to the wells, reservoirs, and underground springs, there was enough water. The ocean, seas, and rivers began to evaporate; only large lakes connected to underground waters remained. The Tsar gave the order to prepare the army for the coming of the serpents. And then news came from the outposts that the lizard-folk had begun to move, emerging from the fallen mountain. They leaped, flew, and traveled vast distances.
Then the sovereign ordered Yeruslan to move the entire army, and the great warrior threw his forces against the serpents. Several battles the bogatyr won at the border, but under the pressure of the growing lizard army, the Russian warriors began to retreat. Only thanks to the servant of Rod and the Tsar himself did Rus’ hold back the enemies with its last strength. These two directed all the forces that Mother Earth could muster.
Their helpers were all the great princes and rulers who had hidden beneath Mount Meru. They carried out all the decrees of the Tsar and the priest: rode to the borders, returned, led armies, and prepared new troops. A heavy struggle continued; Rus’ was growing exhausted, and it became clear that the Russian land could not defeat this invasion of serpents. Then the Tsar turned to the supreme volkhv:
“Tell me, wise one, when will we unleash the strongest weapon of Rus’ against the enemies? Do you not see we are holding on by our last strength?”
But the priest answered the Tsar:
“I know you worry for your people and love them; you are a true sovereign. But it is still too early.”
The struggle continued. People fell from exhaustion; strength was running out; supplies of weapons dwindled; more and more bad news came from the borders of Rus’. Again the Tsar turned to the priest with the same question, and the volkhv answered:
“Too early. Be patient. We must wait until the enemies gather all their armies and forces into one and hurl themselves at Rus’. Then we will call upon the volots for aid.”
And the moment came when from all outposts the same news arrived: the land was conquered; some peoples were destroyed, others had accepted the lizard-folk as their masters.
Now the entire army of serpents gathered at the borders of great Rus’ and encircled it in a ring. Their troops, advancing deep into the country, destroyed and burned all living things. On land, the lizard-folk besieged Russian cities; despite the desperate resistance of the inhabitants and warriors, they took them by storm. Only at sea could Russian ships, hurling sulfur and fire, hold back the pressure of the serpents.
And it became clear that Rus’ could not hold out much longer. Then the great guardian of Rod himself went to the volots. He came to them, bowed low, and asked for their help. The volots, raised in Russian tradition, understood that a great calamity had come upon the earth and swore to stand against the serpent people.
And when four Russian bogatyrs began to descend from the Riphean Mountains, the earth trembled beneath their feet. The giants dispersed, each to his own direction, to the borders of Rus’.
Gorynya tore up mountains and hurled them into the hordes of lizard-folk. Dubynya uprooted vast forests and showered the enemies’ paths with burning branches. The serpent-people burned alive, but the giants burned too, for fiery strikes rained upon them. The whole earth shook with battle. Usynya seized serpents with his mustaches, strangled them, cut them down, and burned them in a blazing bonfire. Striding across the steppe, he burned everything in the path of the enemy armies. Everything burned beneath the feet of the reptiles. But the strongest of the brothers, Agnivolot, waited for the main force to appear before him—the army of serpent-bogatyrs. Together with the host of great Yeruslan, he met it face to face. With his breath he burned all the serpents that existed, and Yeruslan’s army finished off the wounded and retreating—none remained alive.
Victory was on the side of the Russian land. The volots trampled the last lizard-folk who tried to hide beneath the earth. And then the giant Gorynya took the fiery mountain from which the lizards had emerged and hurled it into the middle of the great ocean-sea, to the deepest place. The mountain sank, and there were no more terrible monsters on earth who had come to conquer the whole world. Thus the heavenly volots saved Mother Rus’ and all the peoples of the earth. And to this day, legends and tales are preserved about them as great and mighty bogatyrs.