berkovec

[Andrew Jameson]

The Vasmer Etymological Dictionary has a nice little article
but still gives the value as 400 puds. The Slovar R Y-a XI-XVIIvv.
just lists and cites without comment.
Maybe the H-RUSSIA list can help? It has more historians.
Andrew Jameson
Chair, Russian Committee, ALL
Languages and Professional Development
1 Brook Street, Lancaster LA1 1SL UK
Tel: 01524 32371  (+44 1524 32371)

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> From: Ralph Cleminson <ralph.cleminson at port.ac.uk>
> To: SEELANGS at CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU
> Subject: berkovec
> Date: 22 June 1999 12:06
>
> Can anyone help with the weights and measures of mediaeval Rus'?
> In the Kievan Chronicle we find, s.a.6654, that when Izjaslav
> Mstislavich plundered Svjatoslav Ol'govich's property at Putivl',
> vpogrebekh bylo 500 berkovezk' medu, a vina 80 korchag'.  Now,
> according to all the reference books that I can find, a
> berkovesk/berkovec is equal to ten puds, that is to say 400 Russian
> pounds.  500 berkovec would therefore be over eighty tons, or nearly
> 82,000 Kg.  Did Svjatoslav really have this much honey in his cellar,
> or did the berkovec not always weigh this much?
>
> R.M.Cleminson,
> Professor of Slavonic Studies,
> University of Portsmouth,
> Park Building,
> King Henry I Street,
> Portsmouth PO1 2DZ
> tel. +44 1705 846143, fax: +44 1705 846040