ТЕРМИН «ФРЯГИ» РУССКИХ ПАМЯТНИКОВ XII-XVII ВВ. И ЕГО ЗНАЧЕНИЕ

Abstract

Relying on a wide range of sources the article for the first time examines the meaning of the term “Friagi”, which is identified in the Russian monuments of the XII-XVII centuries (chronicles, chronographs, journeys, legends, stories). Their detailed analysis shows that, firstly, this term was used simultaneously in three planes: private - the Italians - and two general planes: geographical - the West Europeans - and confessional - the Catholics, and secondly, that, contrary to the popular belief propagated by historians and philologists, it never meant a “foreigner in general” or an “outsider”.