Историческа пропаганда в средновековна България
Article about how Medieval Bulgarian rulers used History for political uses.
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Article about how Medieval Bulgarian rulers used History for political uses.
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Editorial article for Saints Cyril and Methodius, recognized for their missionary in Great Moravia and much more.
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This article discusses the use of the cult of the Holy King in the context of the Baltic Crusades at the end of the 12th century and in the early 13th century. The analysis is based on the account of the miracle of St Olaf performed in Estonia, the story of the King’s visit to the island of Gotland reflected by Gutasagan and the spatial relation of St Olaf’s churches to the landscape. It also discusses three Danish sources which have previously not received attention from historians dealing with the Baltic Crusades, but which actually can change our understanding of the history of the Baltic Sea region and the foundation of the town Reval as well. Particular focus will be placed on the commercial interest of the Danes in communication with the Rus’ and its reflections in the building of St Olaf’s churches.
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The article analyses images on the ancient Russian breast crosses-reliquaries of St. Nicholas of Myra, one of the most esteemed saints in Russia. The iconography of the ancient Russian encolpia is studied against the background of the Byzantine tradition. The iconography passed through two stages in its development. At the first stage (XI-XII cc.), the central images of Christ and the Virgin are supported by images of saints of the oecumenical church of the highest order and the holy warriors (most often St. George), and St. Nicholas. The exception are encolpia with the central image of St. Boris and Gleb. At the second stage (early XIII c.), encolpia have images of creators of liturgy – St. John, Basil, Gregory, the anargiri Cosma and Damian and other protectors. The study covered a very extensive material (over 1000 objects) to reveal that the changes in the contents and composition of the images on the ancient Russian encolpia reflect: 1. The highest level of respect to St. Nicholas in the ancient Russia (equally to the Apostles, Evangelists, and holy warriors) shown already at the first stage (late XI-XII cc.) of cross-encolpia manufacturing. In Byzantium, a similar tradition can be traced on crosses-reliquaries and processional crosses since IX-X cc. 2. Focus of attention on protective and healing power of St. Nicholas, made null and void after introduction of such saints as Cosma and Damian, St. Sisinius and Sihail, St. Panteleimon, St. Nikita (XIII c.) into the iconographic programme of Nicholas’ encolpia.
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The article studies rather rare but interesting icons of St. George on Throne which appeared in XII-XIII and widely spread by XV-XVII. An icon made of bone recently found in Chersoneses, however, suggests a need to review the theory. From the stylistic and iconographical viewpoint, the artifact found in Crimea is connected with the late Macedonian neoclassicism of the second half of X - early XI c., which supports an earlier origin of the image. It seems to be connected with contamination of iconographies of emperors and saints, which, according to A. Grabar’, can be observed most often. The Medieval written records on St. George do not contain direct references to appearance of the icons with the saint on throne. It is an explanation to their later appearance and limited spread. If this icon was to be met rarely in XII-XIII cc., when along with St. George, St. Dimitri and St. Theodor were depicted in the same way, then already from the late XIV - early XV c. it becomes typical only to St. George. This is the period by which the icon from Sofia was dated, and it is the most delicate image of St. George on throne. So far, this icon has been dated by XVI c., but its style and iconographical analysis reveal late Paleolog stylistic features of the late XIV - early XV c. St. George on Throne icons got widest spread in the late XV - XVII cc. Particularly, on banners, St. George is depicted wearing Moldavian princes’ crown in the form of a lily. Taking into account a downcast dragon lying at his feet, one can see here a contamination of the images of a saint-triumphant and an emperor-triumphant – a tradition with roots already in Byzantine art of X c., spread thereafter from the post-Byzantine territory in XV c.
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To oppose dominating theories of Thraco-Romanian ethnic origin of the Wallachians (“Carpathian” and “Balkan” and their multiple synthetic and local varieties), the author advances a hypothesis that the Wallachians, a medieval ethnicity known as the closest ancestors of the modern Romanians, Moldovans, Moravian Vlachs and other east-Roman nations and ethnographic groups, were not originally autochthonous people in the Carpathian-Balkan region, but rather came here from the Eastern Europe in the epoch of the Great Migrations. The research relies on analysis of numerous Greek, European Latin, Old Russian and Oriental written records, while special attention is paid to evidences of those medieval authors, who are known to scholars, but who are traditionally ignored, because they contradict theories of Traco-Roman and Celtic-Roman origin of the Wallachians. The essence of the advanced hypothesis may be reduced to the point that the Wallachians are foreign to the Carpathian-Balkan region, and in this regard they join numerous migratory peoples who happened to be in this region in the early medieval period – the Slavs, early Bulgarians, Hungarians. But like in the case of other migratory peoples, not every one of the Wallachians had moved to the west. The remaining Wallachians in the Eastern Europe faced their own different historical destiny. We know their descendants in the early Russian period from various written records where they are called volkhvy (the magi), in the Russian literature, blokumenn (in Scandinavian literature), ulah (in Oriental literature), etc. The volkhvy had to play a very important role in the history of the Old Russia where, as the main pillar of paganism, they conducted a ferocious fight against the Kiev knyazs, who wanted to force Christianity into the country. The essence of this hypothesis has conditioned the structure of the paper – two main chapters dedicated to the history of the Wallachians in the west and in the east in perspective of the hypothesis advanced by the author. The third chapter attempts to outline searches for ancestors of the historical Wallachians (connections of the Wallachians’ origin with the Celtic-German world on the turn of eras), as well as to consider and to coherently combine evidences of all so far known written records in one reconstruction of the early Wallachians’ history. The fourth chapter treats the issue of date when the Wallachians first appeared in Moldova. Based on the analysis of the available written records, the author makes conclusion that one can assert existence of the Wallachians in this region only as early as XII-XIII c.; there is no evidence to prove their existence here in an earlier period. The key-note of the paper is the author’s idea that any answer to the issue of the ethnic genesis and the early history of the Wallachians shall always remain only a reconstruction due to scarce and fragmentary data; in other words, it will always remain only a hypothetical construction, more or less grounded but always debatable.
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The article is dedicated to the social interpretation of female burials of the Viking Age that contained trade utensils. We are talking about folding scales of bronze and small weights of bronze or iron covered by bronze, of various forms. They are dated by the late IX-XI c. It is widely known that the scales and weights are directly connected with trading, even though their usage is possible for other purposes. Trade inventory is usually regarded as belonging to a male tradesman. The presence of such kind of inventory in female burials is usually either not explained or is not discussed as an attribute of trading. The interpretations that can be encountered in the scientific literature regard trade utensils in female burials as anomaly that demands a special interpretation. The author of the article believes that the housewife is buried together with the trade utensils belonging to her family on which she had the same right as her husband, replacing him or, maybe, being his widow. In such case trade utensils in the burial are a sign of the profession of the family, not of a certain person. On the basis of the analysis of archaeological data and written records the author suggests that women could play the role of tradesmen at the Viking Age in their society.
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The elements of Ancient Russian female costume are considered in the article. They are reconstructed by using evidence collected from the burials in the Upper Volga area dated by 11—13 cc. The ancient costume elements find analogies in ethnographic costume of Tver area in 18—19 cc. Headdresses with high front part and cylindrical are localized in the western part of Upper Volga territory, proved by both archeological, and ethnographic material. Sarafan-like clothes were found in the burials of the western and eastern part of the Upper Volga area. In this territory dresses with straps (18—19 cc.) preserved the archaic cut. In the east of the Upper Volga region the archaic clothes with straps can be connected with the Finno-Ugric component in the rural population, both in 11—13, and 16—19 centuries.
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Crimea; Aluston; Justinian I; medieval fortification; Alushta towersHistory of Alushta, which developed from a small Byzantine outpost to a small urban center — i. e. Genoese commercial trading post with a powerful fortress — distinguishes five main construction horizons connected with erection of specific fortification structures:1 — early Byzantine (560s — second half - late 7th c.),2 — Khazar (8th c. — first half of 10th c.),3 — Byzantine (950s — late 13th c.),4 — Golden Horde (late 13th — 1380s),5 — Genoese (1380s — 1470s).The fort was founded by Justinian I (527—565) and first represented a trilateral court fenced by powerful walls, erected atop a small hill at the seaside. In the 9th — 10th cc., the area of the fortress extends towards the field side owing to a smal trading quarter fenced by a defensive wall from the outside. The wall was destroyed in 10th c. and was not restored ever after. For a number of centuries, the initial fort served as the only protection for the urban dwellers. The second line of defense reemerged in 1420s. The most important changes in fortifications happened in 1460s, and hence the fort acquired its accomplished form. It included capital reconstruction of the external wall, then out-of-date and worn. The obsolete curtains were replaced by a new, more powerful wall, which was erected outside, in the immediate vicinity with the old curtains, and which was fortified by three towers at the field side.
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The article analyzes a collection of rings with Christian symbols dated by the late 10th — 17th centuries from Kursk region (Russia). Images are divided into several types — people, birds, animals, plants, geometric symbols (pentagram, swastika). Some of these characters are associated with Jesus Christ, some find direct links with biblical scenes. According to the author, most of the rings considered in the paper is of Eastern Christian (Ancient Russia, Byzantium, Balkans) origin, while some of them may be cheap Byzantine decorations. Byzantine inlfuences can be traced until the end of the 17th century. Influence of the Catholic world is less noticeable, and rings with swastika may be such possible borrowing.
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The article analyzes spatial distribution of pogost centers in Koporye, Yam and Oreshek counties of Vodskaya pyatina. These centers are known from 15th—16th centuries and analyzed against the background of settlement in I — beginning of II millennium BC, landscape and geographical features of Izhora Plateau. It is established that pogost centers of 15th—16th centuries were located in the marginal zone of the highlad, skirting its slopes and foothills. In the central part of the plateau there are no pogost centers, in spite of a dense network of settlements of 12th—15th centuries. This can apparently be explained by the presence of the Ingrian elevated water sources in the marginal zone— springs, creeks and small rivers originating on its slopes. Only 3 of the 17 studied pogost centers are located closer to the arid central plateau. Six pogost centers are located in the ancient foci development and their beginning relates to the first centuries BC and is associated with the culture of stone tombs with fences. Their area covers the northern and western outskirts of the hill. In most cases (13 of 17) pogosts are located in the centers Russian medieval settlement in 12th—13th centuries, which is marked by barrow cemeteries. At the same time, pogost centers of 15th—16th cc. are not related to the forts of the preceding period. It is noteworthy that pogost centers of 15th—16th centuries and barrow burials with swords of 12th—13th centuries gravitate to wards the marginal zone of the plateau, to the sources of rivers.
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The article is devoted to the reflection of historical and social realities of the era of Vladimir Svyatoslavich in epic folk tales and myths. The author finds parallels and correspondence of the epic biography of Vasily Buslaev to the real biography of his namesake — the Grand Prince Vladimir (baptized as Vasily) Svyatoslavich of Novgorod and Kiev.The article shows how the realities reflected in the “Tale of a Serfs’ town” do reflect the social components of the inner life of the early medieval Novgorod. The comparison between the chronicle and folk tradition allows to make an attempt of interpretation of the reasons for “the establishment of Perun cult” on the territory of Novgorod land in the late 10th century.
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The article aims to present the word formation in Konstantin Preslavski's original hymnographic works by following the main trends of the author – his preferences for hemispheric or diffuse derivatives. The approach consists of word-formation analysis and diachronic comparison with texts, which arose at the same time - in the early Old Bulgarian period.
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The paper examines Disciplina Clericalis: a Medieval treatise from 12th century composed in Latin. In Disciplina Clericalis, the author – Petrus Afonsi – combines numerous stories, tales and proverbs of Eastern origin (both Hebrew and Arab). The book does not have an analogue in Western literature at that time and has been an inspiration for Western writers for centuries to come. The prologue of Disciplina Clericalis is where the voice of the author is most easily recognised. Petrus reaffirms himself in it as a Christian author and states the aims, purpose and origins of his book. The structure and topics of the prologue bear a surprising resemblance to the prologue of one of the most eminent philosophical treatises of medieval Jewish thought: the Book of Beliefs and Opinions by Saadia Gaon.
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In this work based on primary sources, the author investigates the chronology of the appearance of the Bulgars and their movement around Europe. Historical facts show that the formation of the Volga Tatars as an ethnicity was in large part based on the cultural traditions of the Bulgars. In light of the information contained in the article, the Bulgars cannot be considered direct ancestors of the Chuvash people.
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The article compares the copy from the Zograf miscellany 107 of the Encomion for archangels Michael and Gabriel with some of the closest to it witnesses. A separate group of copies is this way wihdrawn and a new critical edition is proposed.
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The article gives general characteristics of male and female Cumans’ costume on the basis of iconographic, linguistic, and archaeological data. The results of data analysis indicate that the complex of male costume consisted of tunic-like shirt, skinny pants with wide step, a coat, boots, the shaft of which was attached to the belt, and a conic hat. A distinctive feature of the male costume are the straps. Women’s costume consisted of a shirt, pants and a coat, the cut of which did not differ from men’s clothing, boots, and a sophisticated headdress, which varied depending on the age and social position of women. Costume of Cumans’ tribes was a stable complex, common to the various Cumans’ unions, and has many similarities with the traditional costume of the Turkic ethnic groups of Central Asia and the North Caucasus.
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This paper is dedicated to rare words and hapax legomena used in the Didactic Gospel (Homiliary) of Constantine of Preslav, a medieval Bulgarian writer and translator, one of the most important men of letters working at the Preslav Literary School at the end of the 9th and the beginning of the 10th century. The lexemes are given in the form of dictionary articles. Being “rare” is considered every word attested in up to fi ve sources apart from the Didactic Gospel (according to the lexicographical sources used as well as indices of words of published medieval sources and the research of the author of this paper). These rare words are viewed in the context of writings that are regarded as originating from the Old Bulgarian period (late 9th–11th c.) but surviving in later copies. As a result of this largescale comparison, it is established with which Old Bulgarian texts Constantine’s Homiliary shows the greatest lexical proximity.
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