Chelubey

Duel of Peresvet with Chelubey, painting by Viktor Vasnetsov (1914)

Temir-Mirza (Russian: Темир-Мирза; died 8 September 1380; also spelled Temir-Murza), known in most Russian sources as Chelubey (Russian: Челубей),[a] was a Tatar champion who fought in single combat against the Russian champion Alexander Peresvet at the opening of the Battle of Kulikovo in 1380, according to the Tale of the Battle with Mamai,[1] a 15th-century Russian literary work from the Kulikovo cycle.[2][3]

Battle of Kulikovo

In the Tale of the Battle with Mamai, also known as the Tale of the Rout with Mamai,[4] Chelubey is distinguished for his physical prowess and combat skills, where he was regarded as a veteran warrior.[4]

According to the Tale, Chelubey and the Russian champion Alexander Peresvet fought on horseback at the opening of the Battle of Kulikovo in 1380 with spears, and both men killed each other simultaneously. Chelubey's body was knocked off his horse, while Peresvet's body did not fall from his saddle, which the Russians regarded as a good omen.[4]

Dmitry Donskoy and the bodies of Peresvet and Chelubey, illustration by Boris Chorikov (19th century)

In the text of Zadonshchina, Peresvet is instead described as being alive in the midst of battle:

Brave Peresvet galloped across the meadow on his magic white horse telling everyone: 'Brothers! Now is the time for all old men to get young and for all young men to gain honor and to test their backs!'

— Zadonshchina[5]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Also spelled Chelibey (Челибей) and Chalabay (Чалабай)

References

  1. ^ Galeotti 2019, p. 60, "Against Peresvet the Mongol-Tatars fielded Chelubey (some accounts name him Temir-Murza or Tavrulom), a veteran warrior famed for his physical prowess and combat skills alike...".
  2. ^ Ciževskij, Dmitrij (18 February 2013). History of Russian Literature: From the Eleventh Century to the End of the Baroque. Walter de Gruyter. p. 197. ISBN 978-3-11-087101-2. The third work devoted to the Kulikovo Pole is the so-called 'Story (Skazanie) of the Mamai Battle'. The first version was probably produced in the 15th century...
  3. ^ Terras, Victor (1 January 1985). Handbook of Russian Literature. Yale University Press. p. 319. ISBN 978-0-300-04868-1. This Discourse is connected thematically, though not formally, with the Chronicle Account of the Battle with Mamai... and the Tale of the Battle with Mamai... Together with the Zadonshchina, the latter two works form what is conventionally called the 'Kulikovo Cycle'.
  4. ^ a b c Galeotti 2019, p. 60.
  5. ^ Dmytryshyn, Basil (1991). Medieval Russia: A Source Book, 850-1700. Holt, Rinehart and Winston. p. 206. ISBN 978-0-03-033422-1.

Bibliography