Странное заимствование: «гишпанские королевичи» в русской литературе конца XVII – первой половины XVIII вв.

Abstract

The article deals with the history of Russian manuscript tradition from the period since the end of the 17th – first half of the 18th century that is a version of the so-called European “popular literature.” These books were addressing mass audience interested in fictional literature, and contained secular and entertaining stories, mainly based on amorous adventures. Part of this Russian tradition was represented by translated novels, including the trend that might be aptly defined as “novels on Spanish princes.” This description is systematically used in the titles of corresponding texts, and that facts looks rather strange, considering almost total lack of knowledge of Spanish literature or language, or any contacts with Spain in the Russian culture of the time. Through the analysis of a number of these texts (“The Novel of Brun,” “The Story of Decoronij,” “The Story of Doltorn,” and several others), the author comes to a hypothetical explanation of the origin of this peculiar genre that becomes a specific appropriation of Spanishness in Russian literature.