Chronographic sources on “Bokhmit” (Mohammed)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15407/uhj2023.01.143Keywords:
Medieval Ukraine, Old Rus, textual criticism, Old Russsian chronicles, the baptizing of RusAbstract
The paper explores the story of “Bokhmite” (Mohammed) placed in the texts of the Chronicle by George Monk / Hamartolos and the family of the Chronograph according to the great narration. “Bokhmit” for denotation of the prophet Mohammed appeared in the early East Slavic writings only; South Slavic ones have no traces of such a name. While there are few sources about Muslim prophet in the Old Rus’ian period, the Hamartolos’ Chronicle tells on this topic in detail. The story includes a biography and a medieval description of the teachings of Mohammed, as well as the “Bokhmitic” concept for paradise. The Chronicle infl uenced the Tale of Bygone Years in its account of the preparation for the baptism of Rus’ (986—987) and other Old Russian texts through it. Also, the Hamartolos’ story was included fragmentarily in the Trinity Chronograph, Chronographic Palea, the Ellinsky (Hellenic) Chronicle of the se cond redaction, etc.
The aim of this study is to provide a comparative analysis of chronogra phic texts, as well as to make these sources of the Primary Chronicle easily available to scholars working in the field of medieval Ukraine and Russia. In terms of methods, this study applied textual and literary criticism.
The academic novelty outputs a prime comparative analysis of the story about “Bokhmit” in c hronographic texts. Versions useful in further work on sources are published in the attached tables.
Conclusions. Whereas the author of the Tale of Bygone Years borrowed only content from the Hamartolos’ Chronicle (there are no direct citations), long fragments of later are reflected in the chronographic family. Though the text did not avoid abbreviations of phrases and words and plentiful changes in grammatical forms, there are practically no lexical substitutions. In general, the compiler of the Сhronograph tried to simplify the narration, avoiding opacity and making it more understandable for the reader. Βranches of the Chronograph uncover further transformations of the text. In particular, the Complete Palaea has some of its own omissions, and Ellinsky Chronicle contaminates two versions. The study reveals interesting features of the chronographic texts that clearly indicate that medieval Christian bookmen hard worked with the narration about the teacher of their Muslim neighbors, demonstrating, at the same time, the typical manner of treatment of the sources by the chronographer, which concerned the problems of early Old Russian chronicles.
References
(1997). Lavrentievskaja letopis. In: Polnoe sobranie russkikh letopisej, 1. Moscow. [in Russian; in Old Church Slavonic].
Ostrowski, D., Birnbaum, D., Lunt, H. (Eds). (2003). Th e Povest’ vremennykh let: An Interlinear Collation and Paradosis. Cambridge (Mass.).
(1940). Shakhmatov, A. Povest vremennykh let i ee istochniki. Trudy otdela drevnerusskoj literatury. IV, 9-150. [in Russian].
(1904). Georgii Monachi Chronicon. Carolus de Boor (Ed.). Vol. 1—2. Lipsiae.
(1971). Uspenskij sbornik. Uspenskij sbornik XII—XIII vv. Moscow. [in Russian; in Old Church Slavonic].
Pentkovskaja, T., Shchegoleva, L., Ivanov, S. (2018). Zhitije Vasilija Novogo v drevnejshem slavianskom perevode. 1. Moscow. [in Russian].
Vilinskij, S. (1911). Zhitie sv. Vasilija Novogo v russkoj literature. Ch. II: Texty Zhitija. Odessa. [in Russian].
Shakhmatov, A. (2003). Tolkovaja paleja i russkaja letopis. In: Istorija russkogo letopisanija. 1 (2), 232-295. St. Petersburg. [in Russian].
Andrejcheva, M. (2014). Musulmane, katoliki i iudei v letopisnom rasskaze o vybore very kniazem Vladimirom: obrazy i smysly. In: Odissej. Chelovek v istorii. 402-440. Moscow. [in Russian].
Andrejcheva, M. (2019). Obrazy inovertsev v Povesti vremennykh let. Sankt-Peterburg. [in Russian].
Ioann Damaskin. (2002). Istochnik znanija. Moscow. [in Russian].
Beneshevich, V. (1906). Drevneslavianskaja kormchaja XIV titulov bez tolkovanij. 1. St. Petersburg. [in Russian].
Matveenko, V., Shchegoleva, L. (2006). Knigy vremennye i obraznye Georgija Monakha. Vol. 1 (1): Interpretirovannyj tekst Troitskoj rukopisi. Moscow. [in Russian].
Vilkul, T. (2011). “Vshestvije v Ierousalim” Aleksandra Makedonskoho, “Khronika” Heorhiia Amartola v “Aleksandrii Khronohrafichnii”. Ukrainian Historical Journal, 5, 162-178. [in Ukrainian].
Istrin, V. (1920). Knigy vremennyja i obraznyja Georgija Mnikha. Chronika Georgija Amartola v drevnem slaviano-russkom perevode. T. 1: Tekst. Petrograd. [in Old Church Slavonic].
Vilkul, T. (2019). Letopis i chronograph: Tekstologija domongolskogo kievskogo letopisanija. Moscow. [in Russian].
(1999). Letopisets. Ellinskij i Rimskij. Vol. 1: Tekst. St. Petersburg. [in Old Church Slavonic].
(2001). Letopisets. Ellinskij i Rimskij. Vol. 2: Kommentarij i issledovanije O. Tvorogova. St. Petersburg. [in Russian].
(1950). Novgorodskaja Pervaja Letopis starshego i mladshego izvodov. Moscow; Leningrad. [in Russian].
(1988). Slovar drevnerusskogo jazyka XI—XIV v. 1. Moscow. [in Russian].
"Holovne zibrannia Troitse-Serhiivoi Lavry. [in Ukrainian].
Tvorogov, O. (1989). Materialy k istorii russkikh chronographov. T. 3. Troitskij chronograph. Trudy otdela drevnerusskoj literatury, 42, 287-343. [in Russian].
