pre-Christian Period Research Articles

Tracing the Application of Modern Principles of International Humanitarian Law in the pre-Christian War between King Duṭugamunu and Elāra in Sri Lanka

The war between King Duṭugamunu and Elāra is the most significant singular war that took place in the pre-Christian period in Sri Lanka. It has the elements of modern international armed conflict (IAC). A local monarch waged it to unify the nation against an invading foreign force led by a foreign ruler who seized power through regicide. This historical conflict sparked extensive debates, criticisms, and varying interpretations, contributing to distortions of factual accounts. The studies analysing this battle from the perspectives of the modern International Humanitarian Law (IHL) is minimal. The branch of public international law that deals with IAC is International Humanitarian Law (IHL). The research problem that was investigated is 'Did the Sri Lankan monarch comply with the modern principles of international humanitarian law when there were no such laws at that time in the world and thereby, does that monarch deserve to be called as the founder of IHL? Accordingly, this study aims at analysing the motives, intentions, and conduct including the pre-conflict, in-conflict, and post-conflict behaviour of key actors and the war's outcome from the perspectives of IHL. The methodology used for this study is literature review. It is qualitative and interpretative in nature. The historical sources, international conventions and national legislations were used as primary and secondary sources for this purpose. The focus of the analysis is the evaluation of IHL principles in the context of the historical war. This study provides a unique analysis that suggests the application of principles akin to modern IHL by the ruling monarch nearly two millennia before the formal establishment of such principles. The major finding is that some 2019 years prior to the international community introduced the modern IHL principles such as humanity, avoidance of unnecessary suffering, proportionality of damages, humane treatment of prisoners of war (POW) etc., the ruling Sri Lankan monarch has recognised and applied them in this war and has recognised the new principle of Eternal Honour to POWs which is yet to recognise by IHL. Keywords: Humanitarian; International; Law; Vijiṭapura; War

Sostav i osobennosti zoomorfnyh imen dohristianskogo perioda u yakutov (po materialam yasachnyh vedomostej 24 vilyujskih volostej 1776 g.)

The study attempts to conduct the content analysis of yasak statements compiled in 1776 by E. Kychkin. The purpose of this study is to determine the features of the semantic system of the connections between people and animals within the framework of historical anthroponymy of the pre-Christian period. The novelty of the research lies in the introduction into scientific circulation of the unique document that recorded in onetime period within the local habitat of the Vilyui group of the Yakuts the number and names of yasak payers. As a result, it is revealed that the usage of zoomorphic names and totems in pre-Christian culture was one of the ways of mental exploration of space.

ДРЕВНЕРУССКИЙ "ГЕРОЙ" В ИСТОРИОСОФИИ А.С. ПУШКИНА

The article, based on various historical sources, examines the question of the origin of A.S. Pushkin’s interest in Russian history, its «heroic», pre-Christian period» (IX-XI centuries). The authors focus on the ancient Russian princes Oleg the Prophetic, Igor the Old, Princess Olga, legends about them preserved in chronicles and other ancient Russian sources. In this historical context, Pushkin’s historicism is considered in his poetic works, in the «Songs about the Prophetic Oleg», his historiosophy of Ancient Russian history in the deeds of its heroes mentioned above.

The transformation of the vowel system in Gallic Latin as evidenced in inscriptions and the problem of dialectal positioning of Roman Gaul

AbstractThe present study analyzes the transformation of the vowel system and especially the process of vowel mergers based on the Latin inscriptions of the Gallic and Germanic provinces. With the help of the Computerized Historical Linguistic Database of the Latin Inscriptions of the Imperial Age (http://lldb.elte.hu/), it tries to draw and then compare the phonological profiles of the selected provinces and to describe the dialectal position of Gaul and the Germanic provinces regarding vocalism in three periods (AD 1–300, 301–500 and 501–700). The analysis, which also covers comparisons with certain provinces of Italy, Spain and Dalmatia, is carried out considering four aspects: the ratio of vocalic versus consonantal changes, the ratio of vowel mergers compared to vocalic changes, the ratio of e-i and o-u mergers compared to each other, and the ratio of vowel mergers by stressed and unstressed syllable. As a result of the present study, it was revealed that Gallic provinces cannot be treated as a unit or as clearly separate from the other areas studied according to either aspect of the study, especially not in the early, pre-Christian period. Gallic provinces appear to behave in the same or a levelled manner at most in the later and/or latest periods. The Germanic provinces, especially Germania Superior, have, albeit with some delay, adapted to the Gallic provinces in their late development. The present study, which continued József Herman's research, managed to explore the hitherto little-known linguistic and dialectological features of Latin in the Gallic and Germanic provinces.

ՍԻՐԱՄԱՐԳԻ ՊԱՏԿԵՐԱԳՐՈՒԹՅՈՒՆԸ ՀԱՅ ՄԻՋՆԱԴԱՐՅԱՆ ՔԱՆԴԱԿԱՅԻՆ ԱՐՎԵՍՏՈՒՄ

The ornament representing the peacock has been known since the pre-Christian period yet. It was also widely spread in the Christian art, initially being perceived as a symbol of Christ's resurrection. It was also manifested in other symbolic meanings over time, expressed in different iconographic solutions. The mentioned features are also noticeable in the compositions of peacocks found in Armenian sculptural art, which were grouped and interpreted according to iconographic and symbolic features for the first time.

Myth and History in Celtic and Scandinavian Traditions

Myth and History in Celtic and Scandinavian Traditions

Проявление архаической религиозности в образах севернорусских юродивых в эпоху Средневековья (XIII–XIV вв.)

St. Sergius of Radonezh lived at a crucial time for formation of Russian Orthodox religiosity. This period is characterized not only by the growing popularity of the monastic system of life according to the model set by the founder of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, but also by the appearance of bright personalities who carried the feat of foolishness for Christ (St. Procopius of Ustyug, St. Nikolay Kochanov and St. Theodore of Novgorod). Being an alternative way of ascetic order of religious life, foolishness expressed at the same time as the most understandable and evoked the sympathy and respect of the people of the gospel qualities (self-denial, asceticism, testimony of the truth of God, denunciation of social injustice), and rather archaic ideas of holiness, dating back to the pre-Christian period of the existence of the Slavs and associated with the idea of an excess of vital forces. Such a paradoxical combination of two ideological systems in the phenomenon of foolishness, one of which — Christianity — continued to be professed by the people, and the second — paganism — remained in the consciousness and everyday life of people, revealed a special «cultural dialect» of Russian Orthodoxy. Foolishness became a type of holiness, the closest to the archaic worldview. Being largely a legacy of religious beliefs and practices of previous eras, it was a wild branch, grafted by the labors of many ascetics of faith to the tree of Christian tradition and became a «community of the root and juice of the olive tree» (Rom. 11, 17) of the Gospel Truth.

An exploration of the changing understandings of physical impairment and disability in early medieval England: a bioarchaeological, funerary, and historical approach

This paper explores experiences and perceptions of physical impairment and disability in early medieval England, contrasting pre-Christian (AD 5th–early 7th centuries) and Christian (AD late 8th–11th centuries) communities through a combination of bioarchaeological, clinical, funerary, historical, and theoretical analyses. By comparing understandings of physical impairment and disability in the pre-Christian and Christian periods, this paper investigates how political rearrangements and the growing power of the Church might have influenced changing contemporary perceptions of physical impairment and disability. This research has found that the funerary treatment of individuals with physical impairment in the pre-Christian period was extremely variable within and between cemeteries, and there is evidence for arguably positive, normative, and potentially negative burial treatment. Although mortuary treatment of Christian-era individuals with physical impairment was somewhat variable, this variation was much more subtle. This reflects the overall Christian-era pattern in burial form, and strongly negative or positive mortuary treatment was not identified among the individuals with physical impairment. Based on this evidence, it is proposed that administrative and judicial standardisation, conversion to Christianity, and the spread of Christian morals and doctrine influenced the reduction in mortuary variability observed in individuals with physical impairment and/or disability in the 8th–11th centuries in England.

The problem of good and evil in Armenian culture of the pre-Christian period

The problem of good and evil in Armenian culture of the pre-Christian period

Mythological Xullyukuns in Beliefs of Yakuts (Sakha) (Expedition Materials)

Information about the mysterious supernatural water creature “xullyukun” is summarized in the article. It is emphasized that it takes its place in the pantheon of deities among the Yakuts (Sakha) — one of the indigenous peoples in the North-East of the Russian Federation. It is noted that Russian and foreign travelers, political exiles, and research scientists wrote about the traditions, life and religion of the Yakuts (Sakha) at different times. The descriptions of the beliefs of the Yakuts (Sakha) are given, in which there are references to the water creatures “xullyukuns”. The author has reviewed the literature where the “xullyukuns” are mentioned. The version proposed by scientists is analyzed, that “xullyukun” is a blending of the ancient spirit-master of water and an evil demon, which became possible due to the fact that this image correlated with the idea of the migration of aquatic animals from water to land and back. The author of the article is critical of such judgments. The data collected by the author of the article during numerous expeditions to the north-east of Yakutia, where the old image of the creature of the pre-Christian period has been preserved, is presented. On the basis of research, the author comes to the conclusion that the image of “xullyukun” is incomparable with the devil. It has been proved that “xullyukun”, according to ancient beliefs, is a creature — the arbiter of human destinies, and the new image is associated with Christmas divination, where the influence of Christianity is seen. The author of the article shares the original sources. Information collected in the field during conversations with informants is introduced into scientific circulation.

Names and places: Vėlaičiai, Vėlekiemis

The study is focused on analysis of names of Lithuanian places from the point of view of landscape geography. It is intended for the analysis of the Vėlaičiai (Laties) and other similar place names. According to data from linguists, such place names are derived from personal names. But the root of the word Late does not answer what the personal name means itself. In Lithuanian language the Laties word shares the same root with: late - time of day, the end of a season or ghost - the spirit of a dead person? With which of these meanings could be associated with communities, areas that are still marked in the 19th and 21st century beginning maps? Hypothesis made that if in the past the meaning of such communities or areas would be linked to a world of the dead, in or in the surrounding of them should be some objects from the pre-Christian period. In search for possible connections first the oldest cultural layer - the archeological heritage was analyzed, and then the natural environment of the areas. In total the 29 locations were studied.

Формирование принципа добровольности брака в российском семейном праве

We consider the issues of origin and development of voluntary marriage principle, which is the basis of legal regulation of family relations in modern Russia. The purpose of the study is to examine the features of development of voluntary marriage principle of in Russian law. We use general scientific methods (dialectical, logical, systematic), private scientific methods (historical, statistical, sociological), as well as special legal (comparative legal, formal legal). We note that the voluntary nature of the marriage union is revealed through the freedom of marriage and freedom of its dissolution. The following stages are distinguished in the development of voluntariness principle: the pre-Christian period, the period after adoption of Christianity before the reign of Peter I, the period of empire, the Soviet and post-Soviet periods. We conclude that the development of voluntary condition was consistent and corresponded to the democratization of society. We note that the definition of the boundaries of the freedom of divorce in domestic law was of a fluctuating nature: from the tightening of divorce to its liberalization. We draw attention to the fact that the issue of divorce freedom legal regulation is to find the most optimal balance of the personal interests of spouses who are dissolving their marriage, their children, as well as society and the state.

Celtic druids and their influence on the culture of other ethni groups

The purpose of the study is to analyze the cultural heritage of the Druids and identify common features in the Celtic pagan culture and the culture of the ancient Slavs. The research methodology assumes the unity of such methodological approaches as a system-historical and comparative analysis method. The system-historical method allows revealing of the cultural traditions of the Celts of the pre-Christian period. The comparative method helped to identify similarities in the cultural systems of the Celts and Slavs. Scientific novelty lies in an attempt to comprehend the religious and spiritual life of the Druids as part of the Celtic culture, as well as in substantiating the influence of the culture of the Druids on the culture of other ethnic groups. Conclusions. The origins of Celtic civilization are rooted in Indo-European antiquity. Druids are a symbol of Britain. Ancient authors, in their few historical works, consider the spiritual life of Celtic Druid priests through the prism of their own views and judgments, which does not give a complete picture of Druidism, in general. The Christianization of Britain led to the persecution and physical extermination of the Druids and their spiritual heritage. Celtic traditions were dissolved in the Christian religion. It was revealed that the Celts and the ancient Slavs had a similar picture of the creation of the world, solar symbolism, ritualism and the sacrifice system, which suggests that the pagan traditions of the Celts penetrate deeper into the European continent.

Походження та функціонування антропонімів у романі Романа Іваничука «Четвертий вимір»)

The article reveals the functioning of anthroponyms in a historical novel, presents the etymological analysis of proper names, highlights the achievements in anthro-ponymic research of Ukrainian linguists. Such names have been known since the pre-Christian period, and in fi ction play a specifi c function – the creation of temporal and spatial background.Each literary and artistic anthroponym in the work must perform certain func-tions. R. Ivanychuk often chooses the names of the characters, determining the na-tionality, age, personality, appearance, and so on. The writer’s own names become a powerful expressive factor. Often they provide invaluable information in the text for the interpretation of the whole work, sometimes such that it is not expressed in other ways in the work. They express the text stylistically, color it.Anthroponymy in a literary text not only contains semantic information, but also expresses non-textual parameters of the author’s image, as the choice of anthroponyms for a writer is a manifestation of his literary individuality and artistic skill against the background of real socio-historical reality and his background knowledge.In the works of Roman Ivanychuk, anthroponyms are an eff ective method of ex-pressing the author’s point of view, which is one of the components of the structural and textual parameters of the author’s image.Nominative literary and artistic anthroponyms are the basis of artistic onomas-ticon. The presence of such onyms confi rms the authenticity of the characters and events. The main part of literary anthroponyms that perform a nominative function are names, surnames, drawn by the author from real life.

ДОХРИСТИАНСКИЕ АРХЕТИПЫ КАК ФАКТОР СОХРАНЕНИЯ СТАРООБРЯДЧЕСКОЙ РЕЛИГИОЗНО-КУЛЬТУРНОЙ САМОБЫТНОСТИ

The article considers the foundations of the cultural identity of the Old Believers as an ethno- confessional community within the Russian people, the most important feature of which is a genetic connection with the culture of the Middle Ages, characterized by the presence of elements of a traditional culture dating back to the pre-Christian period, largely lost by the New Orthodoxy. Excessive saturation with magical rituals, remnants of pre-Christian ideas gave the Old Believers the originality of their cultural appearance that made them a bearer of great Russian traditions in their medieval version.

Architectural and spatial organization of fortified settlements in Western Alania

The article is dedicated to the medieval settlements architectural peculiarities revealing in Western Alania. These settlements were situated in the river ravines in the Karachay-Cherkessia territory. According to the planning criterion two types of settlements have been revealed: traditional and contaminated. The traditional type was formed during the pre-Christian period. Its three-part structure was the universe mythological model spatial manifestation. The contaminated type appeared during the Christian period. The peculiarities of its architectural and spatial organization are connected to the fact that its planning structure developed according to the byzantine Christian city scheme with the traditional Alan culture understanding. These types developed following the fortified settlement pattern, whose planning structure consisted of a citadel, a fortress and a fortified hillfort, but both types had different fortifications. According to the fortification criteria and the location in the landscape the above-mentioned types are united within a group of three kinds fortified settlements: the main fortresses (the vanguards), naturally protected settlements and guarded settlements (cultural and ideological centers, trade and craft centers).

Background of a History: Cappadocia Houses

Cappadocia has hosted many cultures with its history. There are works of art in the region belonging to the pre-Christian period, the period when Christianity arose and developed, and the periods of Islam. The architectural structure of the region is shaped by the features offered by the geographical structure. It has created the identity of the region with its striking architecture on the surface and mysterious underground cities underground. Having a heritage of a large number of different structure types of buildings, province of Nevsehir, and especially Cappadocia region in Turkey with structures and groups of structures is very important for the whole world. 60 million years ago; the region formed by the eroding of the soft layers formed with the lava and ashes erupted by Erciyes, Hasandagi and Gulludag, by rain and wind for millions of years, has hosted many beliefs and civilizations with its historical and architectural texture dating back to the Paleolithic period. The main purpose of the paper is to discuss the architectural works of the Cappadocia region, which provides integrity with the geographical location, in terms of history, the concept of space and the organization of the space and to reveal a research.

Traditions and Current Development of the National Professional School of Education of Actors and Directors

The aim of this paper is to analyze the national professional school of the education of actors and directors from traditions to modern development. Research methodology applies the logical and comparative methods. A specific methodological approach makes it possible to reveal the issues of the national professional school for the training of actors.Results. The results of the study suggest that the main challenge of the development of the Ukrainian theater is the unwillingness to explore and find the truth of the genetic code of the ethno-national tradition in the work of actors and directors of the Ukrainian Coryphaeus Theater in the twenty-first century. The analysis has shown that the concepts of “market relations”, “capitalization”, “contract system” lead to the “commercialization” of the repertoire of the contemporary Ukrainian theaters. It is emphasized that the purpose of the young artists should not just be a desire, but a credo — to save a huge layer of achievements of their ancestors in the field of theatrical art of Ukraine.Novelty. An attempt is made to describe the historical making of the Ukrainian theater: from its origin stages in the pre-Christian period to the period of development (the activity of the Coryphaeus Theater, Les Kurbas, etc.) and modern times.The practical significance. The article will enable young artists to understand the great traditions of Ukrainian national theatre and cinema in the present and their practical application in a complex system of professional work of theatre and cinema.

Sāmoan settlement pattern and star mounds of Manono Island

The small island of Manono, positioned between 'Upolu and Savai'i in the Samoan Archipelago, is known in oral traditions of West Polynesia as having had an important political role during the immediate pre-Christian period. An archaeological programme carried out between 2012 and 2015 has mainly concentrated on the mapping of parts of the northern half of the island, around Salua Village. This has allowed us to study in detail a portion of the slope as well as the central plateau of Manono, known to preserve a star mound first mapped in the 1960s during the large-scale programme organised under the direction of R.C. Green and J.M. Davidson. Our mapping of the 9ha fortified ridge has identified another 13 star mounds of different shapes and types, representing the largest concentration of this specifically Samoan layout known to date in this part of the archipelago. These are associated with another two structures of distinctively Tongan typology, referred to as 'sia heu lupe'. Initially we present the general settlement pattern of the northern part of Manono Island. This is followed by a review of the main characteristics of the 14 mapped star mounds and data on their chronology. The diversity of size, height and number of arms is addressed, showing significant differences in work expenditure between individual platforms. This variability is best illustrated by the identification of three star mounds that lack central fill and are only recognised as wild pigeon-snaring structures by the presence of raised branches/arms. Finally, the Manono settlement pattern data are positioned in relation to the larger study of the pre-Christian history of Samoa.

The phenomenon of charity in Russia: characteristic features

The history of Russian charity is full of vivid and amazing examples, as well as perspectives that distinguish it from Western analogies. The article reveals the characteristic features of the phenomenon of charity, which help to comprehend it more deeply. One of its fundamental foundations is defined as a deep and all-round relationship with Orthodoxy, as well as traditions of mercy that were formed in the pre-Christian period of the Russian history, and then became an organized public system for helping the needy. As a separate aspect of domestic charity, the relationship with entrepreneurship is considered, which left a unique phenomenon of the “golden age of Russian patronage” in history at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.