A form of traditional Russian epic poetry or folklore narrative, similar to epic poems found in other cultures, featuring heroic tales and legendary characters.
From Russian 'былина' (bylina), from 'быль' (byl) meaning 'what was' or 'actual event,' reflecting how these poems claimed to tell true historical stories. The tradition dates back to medieval Russia and oral storytelling practices.
Russian bylinas are like Russia's answer to Greek epics like the Odyssey, but they developed independently and feature unique heroes called 'bogatyrs' who have almost superpowers—they represent how different cultures create the same type of legendary storytelling for basically identical reasons.
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