Slovo o polku Igoreve

[Markus Osterrieder]

My main suspicion concerning the authenticity of "Slovo" stems from the
"spiritual message" that it transports. Of course it appeals to a
scientific mind of the 19th or 20th century to have such a expressive
testimony of dvoeverie AND pan-Rus' patriotism in a document from the
late 12th century. But: Who at that time had access to education, was
able to read and write? Where, in which institutions could he learn this?
Place yourself a bit in the mental context of the 12th century. In
Scandinavia, Wales and Eire, there is in fact the transmission of old
pagan lore, but it is always historic. Never, an *author* (someone who
belongs to a elite) would freely mix Pagan and Christian concepts. There
would be confrontation, yes, and christianizing of old spiritual beliefs
and customs (the world of the peasants in many parts of Europe, not only
among Eastern Slavs!, is full of this "dvoeverie" until late in our
century - just have a look to the Bavarian countryside, for instance),
but there would never be an sentimental invocation of the Old Gods as
part of a praise to Svjataja Rus'.  One can argue that the concept of
Rus'kaja zemlja has got pagan roots, but in the 12th century it was
firmly anchored in the Christian sphere, in pravoslavie, and I doubt
whether it would have been possible to bring up the Old World in such
"official" matters without suffering serious consequences.

To give an example: Towards the end of the Slovo, Igor rides "k svjatej
Bogorodici Pirogoshchej". The author sings: "Zdravi knjazi i druzhina,
pobaraja za khrist'jany na poganyja pl''ki!" He opposes the christian
heroes and "poganii", but then he speaks about "vnuci Dazh'bozha" i
"vetri, Stribozhi vnuci". This is nice, poetic, but not medieval, not
even in Rus'. He could have called them grandchildren of their
forefather, but not of a God, because this involves a rather complicated
metaphysical outlook (the question from which God and totem a certain
tribe derives). As a Christian, the author would have never used such
elements to improve his style. And the winds as grandchildren of Stribog?
Snorri Sturleson would have had a good laugh.

This said, the use of the Old Gods seems so modern, it is completely out
of context of the mind of medieval man, but hits exactly the tone of
someone trained by Sturm und Drang and Enlightenment - well, yes, think
of Ossian -, who has not a real spiritual understanding anymore, but just
a sentimental approach. Just compare the use of the supernatural in e.g.
Nibelungenlied and Slovo o polku Igoreve, or Slovo o pogibeli rus'koj
zemli and Slovo o polku Igoreve.

There is a political implication of the Slovo as well, of course, but I
don't need to go into this now. The Slovo *is* great literature, no doubt
about that.



Markus Osterrieder, M.A.

eMail: u9511bw at mail.lrz-muenchen.de