Title of the article:

THE NARRATION OF BATU KHAN`S MURDER IN HUNGARY: SPECIFICITY OF GENRE AND PLOT (BASED ON THE NIKON CHRONICLE)

Author(s):

Еkaterina A. Andreeva

Information about the author/authors

Ekaterina A. Andreeva — PhD in Philology, Senior Researcher, А. M. Gorky Institute of World Literature of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Povarskaya St. 25 а, 121069 Moscow, Russia. E-mail: aaa46aaa@yandex.ru

Section

Philological sciences

Year

2019

Volume

Vol. 51

Pages

pp. 90–98

Received

October 26, 2018

Date of publication

March 28, 2019

Index UDK

821.161.1

Index BBK

83.3(2Рос=Рус)4

Abstract

The narration of Batu Khan's death in Hungary, inserted into the Nikon chronicle in 1246, is the brightest and extraordinary piece of art of Old Russian literature in terms of the plot and the genre. The basis of the story is not a real historical event (Batu Khan died in 1255 or 1256), but a legendary telling of Khan's defeat from a Hungarian king Vladislav that came to be the punishment for previous deaths of Russian princes Michail Chernigovsky and Yaroslav Vsevolodovich. The author of the text, Pachomi Serb, as historians suppose, included various symbolic and poetical parts alongside with folk parts in the narration. The main idea of the writing — the opportunity to defeat the enemy and overcome Tartar-Mongols ― determines the choice of the literary form thus the text telling about Bath's death is inhomogeneous in its genre. The researchers involve such definitions as “a tale”, “a word” and “a story” for the genre`s definition. Arguably the most suitable notion is the latest word. Although we meet historical figures (albeit conditional in the text), and, in legends in comparison with stories the centre of narrative is the victory — legendary and fictional events dominate. Unusual choice of topic (the narration of the enemy's death), bright imagery, emotional tension, violation of historical accuracy in order to confirm a specific idea lead to the emergence of a piece of work that is very difficult to define in terms of a specific genre, thus the author arrives at the conclusion about the genres` interaction.

Keywords

Old Russian literature, chronicle, the Horde, khan, genre, plot, legend.

References

1 Gorskij A. A. “Povest' o ubienii Batyia” i russkaia literatura 70-kh godov XV veka [“The Tale of Batu Khan`s Murder” and Russian literature of 70s of the 15th c.]. Srednevekovaia Rus' [Medieval Rus`]. Moscow, Indrik Publ., 2001, vol. 3, pp. 191–221.
(In Russian)

2 Letopisnyi sbornik, imenuemyi Patriarsheiu ili Nikonovskoiu letopis'iu [Chronicle collection named the Patriarch`s or Nikon chronicle]. St. Petersburg, Tipografiia Eduarda Pratsa Publ., 1885, Vol. 10. 244 p. (In Russian)

3 Maiorov A. V. K voprosu ob istoricheskoi osnove i istochnikakh “Povesti o ubienii Batyia” [More on the historical basis and sources of the “Tale of Batu khan`s murder” ]. Srednevekovaia Rus' [Medieval Rus`]. Moscow, Indrik Publ., 2014, vol. 11,
pp. 105–146. (In Russian)

4 Malek E. Obrazu angelov v drevnerusskoi pismennosti (angelu groznue, tichie i milostivue) [Images of angels in Old Russian writing (formidable, quiet and merciful angels) ]. Trudu otdela drevnerusskoi literatury (TODRL) [Researches of the Department of Old Russian literature]. St. Petersburg, Izdatel'stvo AN Publ., 2003, vol. 54, pp. 201–210. (In Russian)

5 Rozanov S. V. “Povest' ob ubienii Batyia” [“Tale of the Batu`s murder”]. Izvestia otdelenia russkogo jazuka i slovesnosti (IORJaS), 1916, vol. 21, book 1, pp. 109–142. (In Russian)

6 Rudi T. R. “Iako stolp nepokolebim” (ob odnom agiograficheskom topose) [Steadfast like a pillar (on one hagiographic topos) ]. Trudu otdela drevnerusskoi literatury (TODRL) [Researches of the Department of Old Russian literature]. St. Petersburg, Izdatel'stvo AN Publ., 2004, vol. 55, pp. 211–227. (In Russian)

7 Serebrianskii N. I. Drevnerusskie kniazheskii zhitiia [Old Russian princely hagiography: an overview of the editions and texts]. Moscow, Sinodal'naia tipografiia Publ., 1915. Part 1. 175 p. (In Russian)

8 Halanskii M. G. Velikorusskie byliny Kievskogo tsikla [Great Russian epics of the Kiev cycle]. Warsaw, Tipografiia M. Zenkevicha Publ., 1885. 237 p. (In Russian)

PDF-file

Download

Illustrations