Translations from Popular Medieval Russian Compendia
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Translations from Popular Medieval Russian Compendia by Alexey A. Logvinenko 2013 1 © Alexey Logvinenko, 2012, 2013 2 Table of Contents Preface: Introduction - Traditional Compendia in Russia: Note on Translation: Prolog (Synaxarion); 1642/1643 edition, with earlier lections Background: 1. Autumn: 2. Winter: 3. Spring: 4. Summer: 5. Izmaragd (Emerald) 1912 edition of a 16th-century manuscript: 6. Paterik Azbuchniy (Alphabetical Patericon) 1791 edition of a 1654 manuscript: 7. Tsvetnik Svyaschennoinoka Dorofeya (Florilegium of Dorotheos the Monk) 1805 edition of a mid 17th-century text: 8. Kirillova Kniga (Book of Kiril); 1644 edition: Appendix 1: Miscellanea: (Сборник о почитании икон, Виноград Российский… ) Appendix 2: More from Prolog: Appendix 3: More from Izmaragd: Appendix 4: Verses from the famous Menology of Metropolite Makariy: Appendix 5: Saint Basil at drunks: Concluding Remarks and Glossary: Bibliography: 3 Preface This book consists of translations from the popular hagiographical, didactical and polemical compilations that circulated in Russia prior to the modern age and which continue to enjoy popularity in some circles to this day. All the texts translated herein appeared prior to the mid- seventeenth century schism, which is seen by most scholars as the event that set off Old-Russian literature, conventionally termed “mediæval,” from the more modern and reformed literary styles and genres. Students of Old-Russian literature are often tempted to think that the texts which usually draw the attention of today’s researchers, post-Soviet and western, have also enjoyed popularity in whilom times. I am speaking of the various chronicles, historical epics and the other not overtly religious works which are scrutinized by scholars for this very reason. These, however, were never popular, nor were they intended for a general audience. Whereas the writs studied in this book (in addition to the liturgical texts, which were by far the most prevalent) were widely read and therefore did exert a great influence on the minds of people from all walks of life. These articles, often in narrative form, are often found in manuscript and printed books broadly termed: compendia, compilations, florilegia, anthologies, chrestomathies, sborniki or tsvetniki. The stories and tales translated in this book illuminate some of the more concise and vivid of these texts. In the introductions to the chapters I will demonstrate that the translated texts (with the exception of some material in the appendices) were indeed very popular in manuscript and print form. Moreover, many of the books containing them were repeatedly printed in Russia during the short intervals when this was legal (1780s - early 1790s, 1905 - 1918) and when it was not. The type of translation I employed is generally very literal, that is, word-for-word. I tried to preserve as much of the text as possible - not only its content, but also its structure and style. This renders much of the translation difficult to read and inconvenient, but it may help the reader to remember that the passages were intended to be read out-loud, slowly, pausing at the commas (save for those which were inserted because they are absolutely necessary in modern English usage). It also needs to be remembered that these texts, most of which are considered canonical by hundreds of thousands of people, are not without their grammatical flaws, given that most have undergone countless minor adjustments subsequent their translation from the Greek, sometimes via a southern dialect of 4 Slavonic. By no means do I suggest that anything be altered. On the contrary, I have tried not to introduce my own interpretations outside of the square brackets, italicized words and footnotes. However, translation is not an exact science, and there are often numerous ways to render a text, especially one which does not consist exclusively of constructions which may be termed “sentences.” As far as the content - much of it may seem gloomy to a modern reader; there are many descriptions of torment and death; young children should probably refrain from reading it. I have tried to select the most curious, shocking, strange, humorous, and controversial excerpts, many of which are not politically-correct. Be you Catholic or Protestant, Muslim, Jew, or a woman, if you forget the medieval context of the writings you are likely to be offended. I hope that the selections will not be too tedious - they are short and very diverse. Some of the articles were not originally translated from the Greek; these provide an especially interesting glimpse into medieval Russian life. Some of the texts were intended primarily for monastic use, but Orthodox laymen valued and read them too. The texts in this book cover over seven centuries (10th to 17th) and represent many styles. Most of these passages had not previously been translated into English, so this book should be of value to anyone interested in medieval Russian literature, Byzantine martyrology, Orthodox polemic and Old- Believer religious background. I would like to thank Lydia Fetku for sharing her Slavonic expertise and her encouragement, as well as my sister for computer support. 5 Introduction: Traditional Compendia in Russia Literate Slavs likely appeared in the Russian Land around the beginning of the 10th century, the exact age is impossible now to ascertain. By the middle of the century there were Christians in Kiev and it is safe to assume that in their services they used books which can be termed, compilations. Once the inhabitants turned to Christianity en masse at in the eleventh century, a literary culture began to spread throughout the empire. Among the more famous early compendia are the Izbornik of 10731 and that of 1076, which influenced many later compilations. An early version of Prolog might have appeared in this century.2 Other medieval Russian compilations of relatively stable content include the following names: Zlataya Tzep’,3 which is distantly related to the Pandekti [catenae] of Antiochus, the Pandekti of Nikon of the Black Mountain,4 Zlataya Matitza, Pchela,5 Rai, Izmaragd, various Nomokanoni (penitentiaries, such as Zonar), Appended Psalters and various patericons - collections of stories of monastic life.6 Some compilations describe the natural world, such as the Tolkovaya Paleya. Others are service books, such as the Torzhestvennik (Panegyricon).7 Hagiographic compilations include the 1 See, Изборник Святослава 1073 года. (Facsimile) Москва: Книга, 1983. 2 Such is the opinion of L. V. Prokopenko, who studied the lexicography of the earliest Slavonic version of the book. See, Прокопенко, Л. В. et al. ed. Славяно- Русский Пролог по Древнейшим Спискам. Синаксарь. Сентябрь - Февраль Tome 2. Moscow: Institute of the Russian Language, Russian Academy of Sciences, 2011. p. 680 3 Encyclopedic compendia of three types go by this name; some are related to the abovementioned izborniki. Taken together they contain up to 3000 articles and their fragments, by up to 200 Slavic and Byzantine authors. See, Крутова, М. С. Книга Глаголемая. Москва: Пашков дом, 2010. p. 195 Zlataya Tzep’ exists in Greek and Latin under various names: Σέιραι’, Catena aurea, Glossa... ibid. p. 196 4 This text had been translated into Slavonic as early as the 12th century. See, Максимович, К. А. Пандекты Никона… TODRL, Tome LIX. St. Petersburg: Наука, 2008. p. 46 5 Translated in Russia in the 12 - 13 c., this compilation had been popular until the 18th c. This work contains excerpts from the various philosophers and historians of antiquity along with those of the church fathers. See, Прокофьева, И. И. Сокровища Древнерусской Литературы: Древнерусская Притча. Москва: Советская Россия, 1991. p. 483 6 the Sinai Patericon (Limonar’), the Skit Patericon, the Mt. Athos Patericon, the Jerusalem Patericon, the Alphabetical Patericon, the Roman Patericon, and others 7 For the early Slavonic history of this book and its relation to Zlatoust see, Черторицкая, Т. В. О начальных этапах… Источниковедение литературы Древней Руси. Д. С. Лихачев et al., ed. Ленинград: Наука, 1980. p. 96 6 voluminous and rare Lectionary Menology (Menaia, Menologion), in which the vitae of the saints are arranged according to the days of the year. Titles later termed “ascetic compilations”8 include versions of Starchestvo.9 Compilations attributed to a single author were also popular. These include: Dioptra; Lestvitza (of John the Sinite); Postnichestvo (of Basil the Great); Taktikon (of Nikon of the Black Mt.); Zlatostrui;10 Margarit;11 and Zlatoust.12 The latter three are associated with John Chrysostom, but contain articles by other writers as well. Other anthologies, such as: Sobornik 71go Slova, Kirillova Kniga, Sbornik o Pochitanii Ikon and Kniga o Vere were printed in Moscow in the 1640s.13 Tsvetnik Svyaschennoinoka Dorofeya, and Α&Ω, “a true encyclopedia of old- Russian literature,”14 appeared around this time, but were not printed until the end of the eighteenth century, along with the abovementioned Zlatoust.15 Later compilations printed in this era include a book with a 8 See, M. S. Egorova. Russian Ascetical Compilations of the 14th-16th centuries, as a Compilation Type. TODRL, Tome LVI. St. Petersburg: Дмитрий Буланин, 2004. She also identifies encyclopedic, historical, hymnographycal and other types. Other researchers, she writes, have used the terms “monastic compilation,” “patristic compilation,” and “otechnik.” ibid. p. 182. The content of most such compendia, she writes, is like a kaleidoscope, in its diversity. p. 201 9 A popular version of this guidebook for novice monks was likely compiled in the first half of the 16th century. See the article by S. A. Semyachko in TODRL, Tome LVIII 10 One of the earliest compendia, this book dates to the 11th-12th centuries. See, Фомина, М. С. Древнейшие списки сборника Златоструй… P, Tome XLVII. St. Petersburg: Дмитрий Буланин, 1993 11 Popular in the 15th-18th centuries, this book was printed in Warsaw, in 1788. (The word means “pearls” in Greek.) See, Черторицкая, Т. В.