Kupalo/a & the Stoglav

[Jack Kollmann]

	To the best of my knowledge, the word "Kupalo/Kupala" does not occur in
the "Stoglav" (from the Moscow Church Council of 1551), but I'm reminded of
the "Stoglav" passage relating to the festivities.  I won't go into the
question here of what the "original" text of the "Stoglav" is.  My
dissertation (1978, U. of Mich.) addressed that question, and work by E. V.
Emchenko confirms my basic conclusions that we have a long redaction text
that dates from the time of the Council.  Hoping that someone will find
this interesting, I offer the following rough draft translation of
"Stoglav" Chapter 41, Question 24.  It's hard to say to what extent the
description of the festivities reflects mid-16th-c. reality.  The Council's
"Answer" is somewhat similar to a ruling published in "Russkaia
istoricheskaia biblioteka," VI, no. 6, col. 100, item 8, Metropolitan
Kirill II, regarding a 1274 church council in Vladimir.  As a previous
contributor noted, the scene evokes the relevant scene in Tarkovski's
"Andrei Rublev."
	My translation of the "Stoglav" dates from decades ago and has been on the
to-be-published back burner all these years.  Should I whip it into shape
for publication?  Are there potential readers out there?  Hollywood movie
rights?

Jack Kollmann
Lecturer in Russian Studies, Stanford University


	"Question 24.  At the pagan festivities (rusal'i) around [Saint] John's
day [June 24] and on the eves of Christ's Nativity and His Baptism
[=Epiphany, January 6], men, women, and maidens are gathering for nocturnal
licentiousness, indecent conversation, diabolic songs, dancing, leaping,
and [committing] sacrilegious acts.  Boys are being corrupted and girls
depraved.  And as night is departing they go to the river with great
screaming, as if from devils, and bathe in the water.  And when the bells
begin to ring for matins, they depart to their homes and collapse, as if
dead from the great turmoil.
	Answer concerning this.  In accordance with the Tsar's command, all
prelates -- each in his own district, throughout all cities and villages --
shall send out to priests their charters (gramoty) containing instruction
and great prohibition, so that around [Saint] John's day, and on the eves
of Christ's Nativity and of Christ's Baptism, men, women, and maidens shall
absolutely not gather for nocturnal licentiousness, indecent conversation,
diabolic songs, dancing, leaping, and [committing] numerous sacrilegious
acts, and so that they shall not indulge in such ancient devilish
Hellenistic practices, but shall cease forever.  For all these Hellenistic
seductions have been prohibited by the Holy Fathers in the sacred canons,
and it does not befit Orthodox Christians to commit such acts.  But they
[Christians] should respect and celebrate divine holidays and those of the
saints, to the glory of God.

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