Hagiographic Literature Research Articles

Դավիթ Դվնեցու վկայաբանությունը և նրա պատմագիտական արժեքը

The long-term Persian-Arabic rule had a profound impact on Armenian hagiographical literature. The persecutions and ideological pressures of the conquerors compelled the Armenian clergy to devise suitable solutions. In these circumstances, separate martyrdoms were created concerning the conversion of representatives of the conquered peoples. Surhan was also one of the Armenian heroes who was named David after being baptised. It can be recorded that the author of the Martyrdom fulfilled the order of the bishop of Amatunyatsʻ and the Mamikonian princes. This is confirmed by the relic symbols found in the Martyrdom, including the cross and the spear. David's Martyrdom, with its distinctive allegorical structure and plot, nevertheless conveys authentic information about the period of Arab invasions and dominions. The Islamic challenge compelled the author to present David's Martyrdom in a more convincing manner, showcasing novel religious plots and spatial perceptions. The Martyrdom contains numerous references that provide invaluable insights into the economic and political life of Armenia in the second half of the 7th century. The data on the pre-Islamic legal system, in particular the rule of Hudud (Ḥudūd Allāh [God's boundaries]), are also noteworthy.

The Image of Carolingian Expansion into Frisia in the Hagiographic Literature

The Image of Carolingian Expansion into Frisia in the Hagiographic Literature

Иудейская тема в позднеантичной галльской литературной традиции

The article examines the question of how and why the topic of Jews was raised in the Gallic Christian literature of the VI–VII centuries, what image of Jews in the minds of readers was formed by stories whose heroes were Jews, what forms of relations between Christians and Jewish people were consolidated on the basis of literary examples. The main sources are the works of Gregory of Tours, Venantius Fortunatus, as well as anonymous hagiographic works of the VII century. The article is written within the framework of intellectual and new cultural history, in order to obtain adequate conclusions, the authors analyze the language and textual features of narratives. The article shows that the Jewish theme was not independent in either the historical or hagiographic literature of late Antique Gaul, while addressing it allowed late Antique authors to give the reader an understanding of what place Jews occupy in Christian society, and what are the boundaries of relations with them. In particular, it is shown that the Jews were perceived within the framework of the history of Salvation as "sheep of another fold", a source of tension. The sense of danger emanating from them was reinforced in the minds of readers thanks to the anti-Jewish rhetoric. Jews in the eyes of the reader of late Antiquity should have been associated with unbelief, deception, disobedience; they should have caused physical rejection and disgust, they are associated with darkness, blood, and a stench emanates from them. At the same time, since these "others" within the framework of the history of Salvation should become part of the Lord's fold, late Antique literature actively uses the image of a worthy shepherd who devotes himself to preaching the Gospel to Jews and who, by the power of words or miracles, brings them into the bosom of the Church.

The Peculiarities of Hagiographic Literature of the late 20th – early 21st centuries

The article discusses the genre of hagiography and changes in the hagiographic composition of the lives of saints of the 20th century. It is indicated that a distinctive feature of the “new” hagiographies is not only the exact indication of the year and place of birth of the saint, but also the inclusion in the text of interrogation reports, excerpts from diaries, letters, and photographs too. The genre of biographies of Russian martyrs and confessors, canonized at the turn of the 20th–21st centuries, is analysed.

Воин победы — Дмитрий Боброк. К интерпретации исторического образа

<p>Dmitry Bobrok's name stands on a par with his great contemporary, whom he served throughout his life — Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy, who was canonized at the Local Cathedral in 1988. Dmitry Bobrok was an example of genuine service to national interests, the expression of which was the Prince of Moscow. His devotion and loyalty brought him lasting military glory. Having no defeats in military battles, Dmitry Bobrok became a symbol of victory for his contemporaries. His image is of such interest for research as the image of a Christian warrior in hagiographic literature. Based on the cycle of stories about the Battle of Kulikovo, it is argued that the victory in this battle after the victory of Peresvet was largely determined by the actions of Dmitry Bobrok, the commander of the ambush regiment, led by Prince Vladimir Serpukhovskoy.</p>

Remarks on Captives and Warriors in an Old Bulgarian Collection of Miracle Stories

When scholars’ efforts are focused on the ethnic, religious and social diversity in certain parts of the Byzantine commonwealth during the middle ages, the hagiographic literature stands out as a key primary source. One such source is a voluminous early tenth-century collection of miracle stories titled A Tale of the Iron Cross. Its essential role when trying to uncover data, specific information and truths about Bulgaria’s medieval past is undeniable. A number of highly informative records have been found and are well-preserved within the covers of this impressive literary work. Many of them have been used repeatedly in various scholars’ academic initiatives and undertakings. However, other Tale’s records, regardless of their unique peculiarities and immeasurable contemporary information, still remain outside of the main research work when it comes to the subject matter of captivity and warfare.

«Жизнь Константина» Евсевия Кесарийского как «священная история»: типология Моисея-Константина

In the article, the conceptual model of the holy emperor in one of the first monuments of Christian hagiographic literature, “Life Constantine” by Eusebius of Caesarea, is investigated. The analysis is based on the typological comparison of Emperor Constantine with the biblical figure of Moses, conducted by Eusebius. As part of this comparison, the development of a “sacred image” in history is traced, which forms a kind of “sacred history” beyond the biblical framework. Philo of Alexandria’s view of the unity of the laws of nature and the written legislation of Moses as having a single source - the Logos of God, Eusebius extends to the conformity of the biblical character and the contemporary historical figure of the emperor. Following the Logos, Constantine performs the same pattern Moses fulfilled in his life. In the development of the typological line of Moses-Constantine, three moments of the formation of the figure of Constantine in sacred history are traced: receiving the kingdom, accepting the ministry of the priesthood, and gaining the gift of prophecy. The descriptive convergence of the biblical story and modern (to the author) history means not so much the dependence of one narrative on the other but their general dependence on the Logos acting in history as the Law of nature, which guides the course of history and shapes its events. Eusebius reflects in the biography of the emperor the Principle, which equally acts both in the sacred events of the history of Moses and in the relatively recent events for Eusebius Constantine. In this single Beginning, the biblical story, perceived “by ear” and therefore having the “look of a myth”, acquires visible features, and current reality is endowed with the meaning of the sacred biblical story. The “Life of Constantine” thus demonstrates the mechanism of fixation in the memory of sacred events that make up a particular, sacred line of history.

A Critical Comment on T.S. Kuhn’s Views about the So-called Copernican Revolution and Several Current Prejudices – Barriers in Scientific Communities

The article is a case study on the views of the famous T.S. Kuhn about the so-called Copernican revolution. Generally, Kuhn is presented as a very successful historian and philosopher of science: an author of world bestsellers. The division among his supporters, i.e. about so-called left-wing and right-wing Kuhnians, is recalled, and the fact that Kuhn himself vehemently dissociated from a large proportion of his adherents. It is also noted here, that in the last 30 years, in addition to abundant hagiographic literature on T. S. Kuhn, there have also been a few critical studies of Kuhn’s achievements. The rest of the article presents the author’s critical analysis of Kuhn’s views on the so-called Copernican Revolution, which formed the basis of Kuhn’s scheme of scientific development presented in The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (1962); i.e. the world’s most famous monograph in social sciences and humanities so far. The criticism encompasses a genesis, content and reception of Kuhn’s views and the development of his interpretations. The analysis is carried out by the means of methodology of historical sciences and a scientific method, which the author describes as the hypothetico-deductive method of correspondence thinking. The criticism is based on the author’s current publications (developed here further on), which were sadly unnoticed by the researchers, although presented in the world center for the Copernican research, and are available on the Internet freely. This fact leads the author to the assumption that international Kuhnian research is underdeveloped seriously and that strong prejudices – barriers may exist in scientific circles, such as, e.g., primacy of number of citations (and other bibliometric indicators) over content analysis, the Matthew effect, the effect of alleged and actual scientific centers and peripheries, some mental remnants of the Cold War, as well as underdevelopment of scientific communication.

Popular Reverence and Commercial Publishing in Late Ming Hagiographic Literature

Popular Reverence and Commercial Publishing in Late Ming Hagiographic Literature

Отражение монгольских имперских идей в средневековых русских источниках

The purpose of the research: This research builds upon the author’s previous work focused on exploring the reflection of Mongolian imperial ideology in sources from various countries that were influenced to varying degrees by the Mongolian expansion during the 13th and 14th centuries. The objective is to search for and systematically categorize the manifestations of Mongol ”world-organizing” ideas within Russian sources. Research materials: The primary sources for this study were the oldest Russian chronicles, including the Laurentian, First Novgorod, and Hypatian chroniclew, along with several others. Valuable information was also extracted from collections of yarlyqs (edicts) from Mongol khans to Russian metropolitans, hagiographic literature, and religious records. Comparative materials from Eastern and European sources were utilized to elucidate the identified elements of Mongolian ideology. The works of both Russian and foreign historians, specializing in Russian and Mongolian history, were extensively referenced. The results of the research and scientific novelty: This research reaffirms conclusions made by other experts regarding the limited interest among Russian scribes in the material and spiritual culture of the Mongols. Ideological aspects of Mongolian power are scarcely documented in Russian sources, although in some instances, they can be reasonably reconstructed. The foundations of Mongolian ”universalism,” such as the concept of Eternal Heaven, the deification of Genghis Khan, and the Great Yasa attributed to him, have left traces in chronicles and other historical sources. Russian sources also provide supplementary information highlighting Mongolian “imperialism,” including the Mongol Empire’s system of titles, interactions between the Ulus of Jochi and Karakorum, and the steppe rituals that princes were compelled to perform within the Horde. Overall, Russian materials do not support the notion that the Mongols aimed to conquer ”the whole world.”

Monster Duels in Byzantine Polemological Tradition of X-XIV Centuries

The article is dedicated to a common theme in Byzantine literature, with a particular focus on descriptions of battles between warriors and monsters. According to the authors, the reworking of stories about hunting large predators from ancient mythology is characteristic of the Byzantine and partially Western European military traditions from the 10th to 14th centuries. The authors argue that the ideas of rational warfare permeated not only strict military manuals but also hagiographical literature, historical chronicles, heroic epics, and other narratives. Therefore, the incorporation of the archetypal plot of ‘fighting monsters’ into military settings is at the center of this study. The authors demonstrate that ancient battle stories had no place in the strict orders of real actions by regular armies. The article introduces materials from M. Y. Suzyumov’s personal archive into scientific circulation and draws on sigillography data. The article shows that in medieval texts, such short but intense clashes between two opponents are interpreted not only as entertainment or instruction but also in a philosophical sense as an embodiment of the eternal struggle between good and evil.

Constructing a Saint’s Life between Rome and the Provinces: Jesuit Hagiographical Literature on Peter Canisius

Abstract There is general agreement about the Jesuits’ alertness to media, their crucial role in early modern printing, and their engagement in promoting the sanctity of some of their members through print publication. Despite several efforts to establish central control, most of the Society’s media production remained decentralized. Moreover, there was no pre-conceived publication strategy of hagiographical activities. As a result, the production of hagiographies often sprung up locally and with little initial awareness of each other. Hence, it was nearly unavoidable that projects overlapped and that competition between them arose. Examining two early hagiographic accounts of the life of Peter Canisius, the article sheds light on the Jesuits’ production and publication of hagiographical literature by linking the publication history of both projects to an investigation of the underlying manuscripts. As the paper demonstrates, early modern Jesuit print and manuscript culture cannot be separated.

Identity of Christianity and Homeland Defense in Hagiography

Original Georgian martyrologic literary works cover the whole cycle of an old Georgian literature. It dates back to V-XVIII centuries. Primary reasons of the emergence of the Cult of Saints should be found in the New Testament books. Introduction of the "Martyrdom" literary genre in the hagiographic literature was caused by the martyrdom of the Christ and his apostles. Since hagiography is characterised by its syncretism, it does not even lose its actuality or contemporaneousness because of its ideology. Source criticism materials that are abundantly found in “Martyrdom of St.Eustathius of Mtskheta” make an important basis for doing historical and literary studies and making the corresponding outcomes. The literary work provides information concerning the global issues of the epoch, that is crucial for understanding the persona characteristics and strengths of Eustathius. Due to the Imperial policy of Persians, there was an interregnum period in Eastern Georgia. The supreme power of the king was replaced by the Marzban appointed by the Shah (same as the King) of Persians. At that period of time, Georgian Rulers (known as “Mamasakhlisi”) and gentlefolks were beside Persians, though their rights were rather formal and nominal. At such a difficult period, when the Persians dominated Kartli, recognition of Christianity by Eustathius, who was a Persian by descent, was the great bravery and courage. The Martyr for the Christ had also become the defender of our country’s interests. He is considered as a National hero, as martyrdom for the Christ had been associated as devotion to the country. By his actions and decisions, Eustathius was against to the cruel politics of conquerors, and here, exactly, is revealed not only his religious, but also his human, civil positions and attitudes. This position is better reflected in St. Razhden’s actions, who became an ally of the King Vakhtang. As Abo was constantly beside Nerse Eristavi, it is possible to suppose that he even shared his political ideology. Historical background of that period makes Abo’s torture more valuable and meaningful but not only of his torture, even Abo's civil position is completely explicit. By his deeds, he was apparently against the Arab conquerors that is proved by his preaching the Christian religion and his polemical discussions with Amira. In the original Georgian hagiography, authenticity of Orthodox Church for the national identity preservation is emphasized, and the paths of religious and national salvation are also intersected. Therefore, each saint is considered not only a Martyr of the Christ, but also a national hero and a fighter against aggression.

Педагогический аспект изучения агиографической литературы

The article actualizes the problem of registration in a separate scientific field of teaching the bases of the Orthodox Faith, and as part of it - the methodology of working with hagiographic literature. The purpose of the proposed article is the justification of the pedagogical aspect of working with hagiographic literature, with its emphasis on the semantic, ideological framework of hagiography to solve problems of spiritual and moral development and education of students in the lessons of the basics of the Orthodox Faith. Materials and methods. The leading research methods were the analysis and synthesis of information from contemporary scientific articles, historical and pedagogical literature, normative documents in the field of education, school textbooks; comparison of scientific ideas and concepts, pedagogical experience of the past and the present. Results. The article substantiates the importance of hagiographic literature for solving the problem of spiritual and moral development and education of schoolchildren. The authors of the article proceed from the fact that the task requires at the first stage of its solution the formation of value representations of students, which have a high degree of abstraction, uncertainty in the wording of the relevant concepts. These problems can be solved by hagiographic literature, illustrating in visual and verbal form spiritual and moral qualities of personality, values which are difficult to define precisely, but whose manifestations can be observed through thoughtful reading and analysis of hagiographic literature. The authors of the article offer readers an analysis of pre-revolutionary editions of hagiographic literature for children and focus on the diversity of modern books on the lives of saints, as well as features of the modern presentation of hagiographic text that complicates the work of the teacher and requires him to carefully select books in accordance with the tasks, age and individual characteristics of children. Also the authors offer a sequence and the maintenance of stages of work with hagiographic literature at a lesson with the purpose of realization of a knowledge component, the emphasis on relevance and simultaneously complexity of work on a conclusion of a moral conclusion from the read hagiography is made. Conclusions. The proposed ideas about the importance of hagiographic literature for the formation of ideas about the spiritual and moral qualities of personality and the value foundations of Christianity can be put into the development of a separate topic of scientific research related to the study of hagiographic literature in the pedagogical aspect. To do this you must, firstly, to explore the moral meanings, worldview framework of the lives of saints, and secondly, to develop a method to work with these meanings and worldview attitudes consistent with age, social experience of children and their experience of church life, establishing interdisciplinary links and rationally linking the study of hagiography with other subjects of the school curriculum

Marked Bodies: Skin as Communicative Entity in Late Antique Hagiography

This article analyses the communicative function of the skin, taking a Christian hagiographic text written in the early seventh century in the Sassanid Empire as a case study. The aim is to illustrate the creation of speech codes in Christian communities in the Sassanid Empire and their expression in the hagiographic literature, focusing on the representation of one aspect: the presence or absence of marks on the skin. By analysing these references and comparing them with other hagiographic testimonies, I shall explore how Christian communities in late antiquity constructed systems of meaning around the skin and used them to articulate their religious identity in relation to other communities. The Speech Codes Theory developed by Greg Philipsen is of relevance here, helping to elucidate how Christian communities, embedded in an agonistic socio-cultural, political, legal, and religious context where Zoroastrianism occupied the hegemonic spheres, developed a constellation of very specific meanings around the skin that enabled a perpetual process of creating, negotiating and defining a message of religious affiliation.

На страже прошлого: жития местночтимых святых в контексте англо-валлийского противостояния конца XI — XII в.

In the second half of the 11th century, having completed the political conquest of England, William I undertook to establish control over the local church. To do this, he initiated a religious reform in his new possessions, which was led by the Archbishop of Canterbury Lanfranc (1070–1089) and his followers. This reform, directed against the “old” clergy, endangered the position of many religious centers associated with local cults. The reaction to it was the emergence of a wave of hagiographic literature, designed to legitimize both the cult itself and the status of the community representing the saint. The article is devoted to the analysis of the main features and assessment of the political role of hagiography of the late 11th — early 12th centuries, based on the case of the Lives of St. David and St. Beuno, which were directed against the reforms of both Lanfranc and his successors. From the beginning of the 12th to the beginning of the 13th century the appeal to the image of St. David and his Life were the main tools of the bishops of St. Davids in their struggle to gain the status of an archbishopric, which would remove the issue of the subordination of the Welsh clergy to Canterbury. Each stage of the confrontation was accompanied by the appearance of a new edition of the text. The Life of St. Beuno, which displayed signs of actualization at the beginning of the 12th century, expressed the fear of local religious communities to lose part of their income due to active hostilities in East of Wales. Despite all the efforts of the Welsh clergy, by the end of the 13th century the influence of the king of England and English church hierarchs on local dioceses was already unquestionable.

Начало исландской церкви в древнеисландской хронике «Пробуждающая голод» («Hungrvaka»)

The paper discusses ways of representing the beginning of the Icelandic church in the chronicle of the 13th century Hungrvaka (‘Awakening Hunger’), which includes ‘portrait’ bi-ographies of the first five bishops of Skálholt, a farmstead in the south of Iceland, where the first church diocese arose. The prologue to the chronicle reveals the cultural atmosphere in which the anonymous author worked, and the motives that prompted him to write his work. Written fixation acts for him as a means of preserving knowledge acquired through oral tra-dition. The main motives are the desire to introduce young people to the history of Christi-anity, to show the remarkable qualities of its adherents in Iceland, as well as to instill in his audience a love for literature in the Icelandic language. The Anonym is guided not only by didactic, but also by aesthetic goals. It should be noted that in his narrative there are only a few miracles and biblical allusions, but mythic and epic notions can be traced sometimes. As for the attitude of the Anonym to his work, one can see different stages of the evolution of literary consciousness in it. The topoi of medieval hagiographic literature are used only sporadically, and the history of the Skálholt diocese is presented more like a history of the ‘ancestral nest’ and its inhabitants with their numerous relatives, which brings this work closer to the family sagas. Along with the foreign relations of the Icelandic hierarchs (their relations with popes, continental archbishops and Norwegian kings), much attention is paid to the relationship of bishops with the Icelandic leaders, so that church history is considered within the framework of local history. The biographies of the bishops contain realistic de-tails of everyday life, although there is also an attempt to link human existence with the events of Sacred history. At the same time, the correlation of the Icelandic bishops with their foreign contemporaries shows that the Anonym considers the history of the Icelandic church not only in a local perspective, but as part of world history, in which his compatriots have a significant place.

ВИКТОР УЛЬЯНИЧ: ОСОБЕННОСТИ ОРКЕСТРОВОЙ ДРАМАТУРГИИ ПОЭМЫ О ВЕЧНОЙ ЛЮБВИ «ПЕТР И ФЕВРОНИЯ»

The article is devoted to analyzing the symphonic Poem about eternal love “Peter and Fevronia” by the modern Russian composer Victor Ulyanich, who is among the few authors who turn to hagiographic literature in his work. Understanding the category of love through the Christian worldview, perceiving it not as a game of passions, but as a feeling of Divine origin, determines the composer’s appeal to hagiography. However, the musical work itself is not an illustration of Life, but a generalized picture of the eternal confrontation of Heaven and Earth, Love and Enmity. The Poem is characterized by figurative concentration, sufficient density of musical material, an unusual form modelled on the Golden Ratio point system, and a principle original for a musical work based on cinematic montage as a succession of frames. The thematic material of the Poem is based on five main elements, which are continuously modified. Depending on the context, they can form various, including opposite figurative beginnings. The article reveals the features of form construction, timbre-orchestral dramaturgy, as well as the spiritual and aesthetic connection between the musical work and the literary source.

Žitije Svetog Petra Koriškog — istorija ispitivanja duše

This paper presents The Life of Saint Peter of Korisha, written by Teodosije the Hilandarian and indicates the influence of the Byzantine hagiographic literature through the comparison with The Life of Saint Anthony, written by Athanasius of Alexandria. It also shows certain similarities as well as differences and aberrations from the Byzantine way of writing a biography. The paper describes the historical circumstances in which this biography was created, the influence of the family on the withdrawal and the solitude in the desert and it especially emphasizes the psychological conflicts within the main character as well as the temptation of the demons. This research also connects Peter of Korisha with Job from the Old Testament due to the similar psychological characterizing. Finally, it studies how suffering of a monk is presented as the major factor on the path to deification.

Генезис юродства в византийской традиции

In this article, an attempt was made to make a preliminary religious analysis of the phenomenon of foolishness from the perspective of the modern methodology of the Dutch researcher J. Waardenburg. It was noted that earlier in the Russian science of religion, this phenomenon practically did not become an independent object of study. The systematic concept of J. Waardenburg assumes a consistent consideration of religious facts from the perspective of four approaches of equal importance: historical, comparative, contextual and hermeneutic. The collection and primary analysis of empirical data is a necessary and preliminary condition for a full-fledged study of the phenomenon of foolishness. Foolishness arises in Byzantine society and is perceived ambiguously by the contemporaries. The article indicates the sources of the phenomenon of foolishness in the Byzantine tradition: ancient cynicism in the person of Diogenes Laertius, healed the demoniacs who spend a lot of time near temples, Old Testament prophets. This work also reflects the historical process of the gradual separation of foolishness as an independent rank of holiness. Its biblical justification is the multiple references on the pages of the Gospel to the madness of the world and the wisdom of the unwise. The fact that the foolishness was known to the culture of the Romans is evidenced by the fact of the spread of the phenomenon of false ugliness, which the official Church tried to fight. The reason for the appearance of foolishness in Byzantium can be called the extinction of spiritual life after its rise in the first centuries of the spread of Christianity. The tradition of honoring extraordinary ascetics, as well as the formation of iconography, was slow. Only at the end of the VIII century the process began to gain momentum, which was connected with the approval at the Seventh Ecumenical Council of the veneration of saints as a necessary element of Christian dogmatics. In the Byzantine Church, six holy fools were canonized. Despite their small number, the hagiographic literature of Christian ascetics of the first centuries often offers examples of episodic foolishness. The article concludes that the genesis of foolishness in the Byzantine tradition required a long time for its development. In Russian culture the phenomenon of foolishness has found its full-fledged development, becoming an integral part of Russian culture. The author assumes, that this phenomenon requires its further empirical study as an objective religious fact.