Frontmatter -- TABLE OF CONTENTS -- I. THE RUSSIAN FOLK EPOS AND THE FAIRY TALE -- II. THE EPOS AND THE FAIRY TALE IN RUSSIAN LITERARY CRITICISM -- III. THE HERO'S MIRACULOUS BIRTH AND ENDOWMENT -- IV. THE NEW AESTHETICS OF THE EPOS -- V. HISTORY AND THE BYLINY -- VI. THE BYLINA: A FAIRY-TALE HISTORY OF KI EVAN RUS' -- VII. THE DEMISE OF THE EPIC HERO -- VIII. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS -- BIBLIOGRAPHY -- APPENDIX -- GENERAL INDEX