Russian Folktales · Chapter
The Tale of Alexander of Macedon explained
This chapter recounts the legendary exploits of Tsar Alexander of Macedon, a great and invincible knight who conquered all the kings of the earth.
What happens
This chapter recounts the legendary exploits of Tsar Alexander of Macedon, a great and invincible knight who conquered all the kings of the earth. He journeyed to the edge of the world, where he encountered fearsome peoples such as the Gogs and Magogs, including one-eyed, three-eyed, and one-legged beings. After a long war, he chased them into mountains, rolled one mountain over them and another roof-wise on top, placed trumpets on the arch, and returned home. The winds blow through the trumpets, causing a fearsome roar, and the Gogs and Magogs, still alive, fear Alexander and will only escape before the end of the world.
Themes in this chapter
Good vs. Evil
Alexander represents a civilizing, heroic force battling the wild, man-eating Gogs and Magogs, embodying the struggle between order and chaos.
Fate and Divine Justice
The imprisonment of the Gogs and Magogs under the mountains and their prophesied escape before the end of the world reflects a cosmic fate and divine judgment.
Characters to notice
- Alexander of Macedon
The great Tsar and knight who conquers all kings and battles the wild Gogs and Magogs at the edge of the world.
Key passages
“Whomsoever Tsar Alexander of Macedon might go to combat, he would conquer, and he numbered under his sway all the kings of the earth.”
Alexander defeated every opponent he faced and ruled over all earthly kings.
Establishes Alexander's unparalleled martial prowess and dominion.
“He rolled one mountain over them, and then another roof-wise on top; on the arch he put trumpets, and he went back to his own land.”
He sealed the Gogs and Magogs under a double mountain, placed trumpets on the arch, and returned home.
Describes the method of imprisonment and the trumpets that create a fearsome roar.