Bova Korolevich () is a bogatyr, or hero, who appears in Russian folklore and is also depicted in lubok prints; he most probably originated as a retelling of the French romance recounting the exploits of Bevis of Hampton.
Genesis Most probably, the character originated in the chivalric romance , which appeared in the second half of the 16th century in Russia.Кузьмина В.Д. Рыцарский роман на Руси: Бова, Петр Златых Ключей. Москва, 1964 In the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, it was translated from Serbo-Croatian into Old Ruthenian in the 1540s.Сяргей Кавалёў, РЫЦАРСКІ РАМАН У БЕЛАРУСКАЙ ЛІТАРАТУРЫ, Acta Albaruthenica 5 It was a retelling of the French romance recounting the exploits of Bevis of Hampton. For some time, it was thought that it came into Russia through Italian sources, such as I Reali di Francia ("The Royals of France") by Andrea da Barberino, alongside with the French-based Italian poem Buovo d'Antona about Bevis. Valiant bogatyr Bova the Prince fights Polkan (lubok print)
Plot
The Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary gives the following plot.
References
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