The legend of the First Prince Yar and of the Villa Rosi, preserved by the South Slavic “Veda of the Slavs” and the “Book of Veles,” tells about the progenitor of the ancient princely dynasty of the Slavs and Rus. This legend is part of the cycle of tales about Prince Yar (from “Tales of the Slavs about Sorcerers, Princes, and Kinfolk” and others). It also continues the mystery about his father Asgast Svarozhich and his wife Duleba Radogastovna (“Tale of the Sorcerer from Asgrad”). This lubok publication is a retelling and partly a translation of the ancient poetic legend, a mystery that was staged in ancient theaters and at folk festivals. It allows us to transport back to times that are thousands of years away from us, when the Rus of Yar was born.
