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Title Interaction of Various Generic Forms in the 12th–17th Century Texts and the Mindsets of Old Russian Authors
Author(s) Anatoly S. Demin.
Information about the author(s) Оld Russian literature, poetics, generic types of narration, phraseology.
Received July 25, 2016
Published September 25, 2016
Issue Vol. 1, no 1–2
Department Russian literature
Pages 239-255
DOI DOI:10.22455/ 2500-4247-2016-1-1-2-239-255
UDK 821.161.1.0
BBK 83.3(2Рос=Рус)1
Abstract The essay focuses on the understudied question of the poetics of Old Russian literature: it is the first study of the kind that analyzes semantic interaction of different generic forms in the works of the period. The essay is comprised of five section each devoted to a specific work. The first section examines historical narrative in its relation to sermons, eulogies, and biblical excerpts in The Tale of Bygone Years (the beginning of the twelfth century) and comes to the conclusion that the chronicler was not content with the negligence of his listeners and readers. The second section examines the interrelation of factual material and sermon in Novgorodskaa First Chronicle (the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries) and reveals the chronicler’s severe attitude towards his contemporaries. The third section examines a series of two works by Moscow Dyak Rodion Kozhuh as part of Sofiyskaya Second Chronicle and shows the author’s personal inclination to the expressiveness of style. The fourth section examines a combination of prosaic and rhymed fragments from the Saying of Avraamy Palitsyn written in the 1620s and comes to the conclusion that the author was inclined to philosophically reflect on the Time of Troubles. Finally, the fifth section examines a combination of the rhymed narrative with poetical sermons in The Story of Unfortunate Misfortune (1660s) and shows the author’s pessimistic mindset. The essay ends with a very tentative conclusion: the interaction of different generic forms of narration was typical for the whole оf Оld Russian literature. The variety of purposes and mindsets prompted authors to employ various generic types of narration.
Keywords Оld Russian literature, poetics, generic types of narration, phraseology.
Works cited 1 Abramovich D. I. Zhitiia sviatykh muchenikov Borisa i Gleba i sluzhby im [The life of martyrs Boris and Gleb]. Petrygrad, IORIaS Publ., 1916. 205 p. (In Russ.) 2 Demin A.S. O khudozhestvennosti drevnerusskoi literatury [On Old Russian fiction]. Moscow, Iazyki russkoi kul’tury Publ., 1998. 848 p. (In Russ.) 3 Demin A.S. Obmanchivost’ «zhitiia» kak khudozhestvennaia ideia «Povesti o GoreZlochastii». Germenevtika drevnerusskoi literatury [Hermeneutics of Old Russian Literature]. Moscow, Znak Publ., 2008, collection 13, pp. 701–710. (In Russ.) 4 Likhachev D.S. Novgorodskaia letopis’ XIII–XIV vv. Istoriia russkoi literatury [Novgorodskaya Chronicle of the 13th–15th centuries and history of Russian literature]. Moscow, Leningrad, 1946. Vol. 2: Literatura 1220-kh–1580-kh gg., part 1, pp. 114–121. (In Russ.) 5 Lur’e Ia.S. Obshcherusskie letopisi XIV–XV vv. [United Russian chronicles, 14th-15th centuries]. Leningrad, Nauka Publ., 1976. 286 p. (In Russ.) 6 Novgorodskaia pervaia letopis’ starshego i mladshego izvodov [Novgorodskata first chronicle], izd. podgot. A.N.Nasonov. Moscow, Leningrad, Izd-vo AN SSSR Publ., 1950. 642 p. (In Russ.) 7 Pamiatniki literatury Drevnei Rusi (PLDR): XVII vek. Book 1 [Literary works of Old Rus,’ 17th century]. Moscow, Khudozh. lit. Publ., 1988. 704 p. (In Russ.) 8 Pamiatniki literatury Drevnei Rusi (PLDR): XI — nachalo XII veka [Literary works of Old Rus’, 11th — the beginning of the 12th centuries]. Moscow, Khudozh. lit. Publ., 1978. 413 p. (In Russ.) 9 Pamiatniki literatury Drevnei Rusi (PLDR): XII vek [Literary works of Old Rus’, 12th century]. Moscow, Khudozh. lit. Publ., 1980. 704 p. (In Russ.) 10 Povest’ vremennykh let [The Story of bygone times], izd. podgot. D.S.Likhachev. St. Petersburg, Nauka Publ., 1996. 668 p. (In Russ.) 11 Polnoe sobranie russkikh letopisei [Complete collection of Russian chronicles]. Moscow, Iazyki russkoi kul’tury Publ., 1997. Vol. 1 / tekst letopisi podgot. E.F.Karskii. 496 p. (In Russ.) 12 Polnoe sobranie russkikh letopisei [Complete collection of Russian chronicles]. St. Petersburg, Tip. E. Pratsa Publ., 1853. Vol. 6. 364 p. (In Russ.) 13 Simoni P.K. Povest’ o Gore-Zlochastii… [The story of unfortunate misfortune] Sbornik Otdeleniia russkogo iazyka i slovesnosti (ORIaS) [Collection of works the Dep]. St. Petersburg, 1907, vol. 83, no 1, pp. 1–88. (In Russ.) 14 Skazanie Avraamiia Palitsyna [Saying of Avraamy Paitsyn], izd. podgot. O.A.Derzhavina i E.V.Kolosova. Moscow, Leningrad, Izd-vo AN SSSR Publ., 1955. 346 p. (In Russ.)
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