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manner in the Icelandic Thidrek saga of the thirteenth
century, which is composed from Saxon songs or
traditions from the twelfth century, there is mention of a
Russian King, Vladimir, and his brother Jarl Ilia from
Greece, which means Russia.[1]
Now and then, as already stated, we hit upon a
passage in the bîlinî of the Kief circle which call to mind
Norse myths and popular traditions. Thus it is said of
Sviatogor, one of the oldest heroic figures, a Titan with
supernatural strength who is sometimes mixed up with
the Bible Samson, that when, one day, he was lying
stretched out on a mountain, Ilia of Murom, the national
hero, the son of a peasant, in whom the saga figure
Mikula seems to have been born again, wished to
challenge him to single combat. But the most vigorous
blows from Ilia’s club were hardly able to awaken
Sviatogor from his dreams. He thought it was
pebbles that were falling on him. At the third blow, he
says to Ilia: “You are strong among men; remain
strong among them; with me you cannot compare
yourself. The ground could not bear me, so I lay down on
this mountain.” Who does not recall the scene between
Thor and the giant who, at the most vigorous blows of
the hammer of the god, thinks that he was hit by a
falling leaf or acorn!
Another adventure also reminds us of Thor and
Utgardloke. It is an account of how Ilia disappears
in the pocket of the sleeping Sviatogor. (The wife of
the latter hides him there to escape the anger of the
giant.) In just the same way, Thor passes a whole night
in Skrymer’s glove. Both Ilia and Thor here are the
lightning which conceals itself for a long time behind
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