Farben und Tiere in Igorlied und Zadonščina in literarhistorischer Sicht

Abstract

Summary The study follows the semantics of colour adjectives and the role of animals in Slovo o polku Igoreve (The Tale of Igor’s Campaign), published in 1800 but allegedly originating from about 1200. Special attention is furthermore paid to the Zadonshchina (The Tale of the Battle beyond the River Don) known in versions from the 15.–17. centuries. The frequency, diversity and semantic combination with phenomena from the immediate environment of man as well as the outer animate and inanimate nature do in no way correspond to their use in Old Eastslavic Literature except for 17th century copies of the Zadonshchina, nor do they fit into European literature before 1700. Instead, they reflect 18th century sentimentalism, as do also the anthropomorphic functions of animals, some significant poetic images, auctorial poetical reflections, the inclusion of pre-Christian culture and elements of fairy-tales. Independently of the question of its authenticity the text moreover appears from the point of view of 1800 as a political manifesto calling for social reforms on the basis of Christian conservatism and inspired even by the ideas of freemasonry.