The Tale of Bygone Years is one of the most ancient monuments of Russian literature, the creation of which dates back to 1113.
Life of Nestor the Chronicler, creator of "The Tale of Bygone Years"
Nestor the Chronicler was born in Kiev in 1056. At seventeen, he went to the novices at the Kiev-Pechersky Monastery. There he became a chronicler.
In 1114, Nestor died, was buried in the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. On November 9 and October 11, the Orthodox Church commemorates him.
Nestor the Chronicler is known as the first writer to tell the story of Christianity. His first famous work was The Life of Saints Boris and Gleb, and shortly after it was followed by The Life of St. Theodosius of the Caves. But the main work of Nestor, which brought him worldwide fame, is, of course, "The Tale of Bygone Years", a literary monument of ancient Russia.
The authorship of this story does not belong only to Nestor the Chronicler. Rather, Nestor skillfully collected information from a variety of sources and created a chronicle from them. For work, Nestor needed chronicle vaults and old legends, he also used the stories of merchants, travelers and soldiers. In his time, many witnesses to the wars and raids of the Polovtsians were still alive, so he could listen to their stories.
Lists of "Tales of Bygone Years"
It is known that the "Tale of Bygone Years" has undergone changes. In 1113, Vladimir Monomakh donated the manuscript to the Vydubychi Monastery; in 1116, its last chapters were redone by Abbot Sylvester. Hegumen Sylvester went against the will of the rector of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, giving the manuscript to the Vydubychi Monastery.
Significant parts of the "Tale of Bygone Years" later became part of such annals as Lavrentievskaya, Ipatievskaya, First Novgorod.
Usually, any Old Russian chronicle consists of several texts, some of which relate to sources of earlier times. The Tale of Bygone Years, a list of which was made in the 14th century, became part of the Laurentian Chronicle created by the monk Laurentius. Rather, the monk Lavrentiy used the creation of the monk Nestor as the main source for his annals. The name of the “Tale of Bygone Years” lists was usually created by the name of the monk who made the list, or by the place in which the list was made. In the middle of the 15th century, another ancient list of “Tales of Bygone Years” was created under the name Ipatiev Chronicle.
The contents of the "Tale of Bygone Years"
The Tale of Bygone Years begins with biblical stories. Noah after the flood settled his sons - Ham, Shem and Japheth - all over the Earth. The title of the “Tale of Bygone Years” lists also indicates the biblical beginning of these annals. It was believed that the Russian people descended from Japheth.
Then the chronicler talks about the life of the East Slavic tribes and the establishment of the state in Russia. The chronicler indicates a legend according to which Kiy, Schek, Horeb and their sister Lybed came to rule the East Slavic lands. There they founded the city of Kiev. The tribes of the Slavs living in the northern part of Russia called on the Varangian brothers to rule them. The brothers were called Rurik, Sineus and Truvor. The title of the “Tale of Bygone Years” lists also has the goal of exalting the ruling power in Russia, and for this purpose its foreign origin is indicated. From the Varangians who came to Russia, the royal family began in Russia.
Basically, the chronicle describes the war, and also talks about how temples and monasteries were created. Chronicle sees the events of Russian history in the context of world history and directly connects these events with the Bible. The traitorous prince Svyatopolk killed the brothers Boris and Gleb, and the chronicler compares it with the killing of Abel by Cain. Prince Vladimir, who baptized Russia, is compared with the Roman emperor Constantine, who introduced Christianity as the official religion in Russia. Before baptism, Prince Vladimir was a sinful man, but baptism radically changed his life, he became a saint.
Traditions in the "Tale of Bygone Years"
The “Tale of Bygone Years” includes not only historical facts, but also traditions. Traditions served as an important source of information for the chronicler, since he no longer had the opportunity to learn about what happened a few centuries or decades before him.
The legend about the foundation of the city of Kiev tells about the origin of the city and about in whose honor it was named. The legend of Prophetic Oleg, placed in the text of the annals, tells the story of the life and death of Prince Oleg. The legend of Princess Olga, which tells how she severely and cruelly avenged the death of Prince Igor, was also included in the chronicle. The Tale of Bygone Years tells the story of Prince Vladimir. Envoys of different nations came to him and each offered their own faith. But each faith had its flaws. The Jews did not have their own land, Muslims were forbidden to have fun and the use of intoxicating drinks, German Christians wanted to capture Russia.
And Prince Vladimir eventually settled on the Greek branch of Christianity.
The Role of the Signs in The Tale of Bygone Years
If you carefully read the text of the chronicle, it becomes obvious that the chronicler pays great attention to various natural phenomena, linking them with divine powers. He considers earthquakes, floods and droughts a punishment of God, and solar and lunar eclipses, in his opinion, are a warning from heavenly forces. Solar eclipses played a special role in the life of the princes. Researchers note that symbolism of dates and the name "Tale of Bygone Years" are also influenced by natural phenomena and the timing of time.
Prince Igor Svyatoslavich sees a solar eclipse in 1185 before the start of his campaign against the Polovtsy. His warriors warn him, saying that such an eclipse is not good. But the prince disobeyed them and went to the enemy. As a result, his army was defeated. Also, a solar eclipse usually foreshadowed the death of the prince. During the period from 1076 to 1176, 12 solar eclipses occurred, and after each of them the death of one of the princes took place. The chronicle was determined that the end of the world, or the Last Judgment, would come in 1492, and prepared its readers for this. Droughts and eclipses foreshadowed war and the imminent end of the world.
Style Features of "Tales of Bygone Years"
The name of the lists of "Tales of Bygone Years" is determined by the genre features of these annals. First of all, chronicles are typical works of Old Russian literature. That is, they contain features of different genres. These are not works of art and not just historical works, but they combine the features of both. The Tale of Bygone Years, a list of which was found in Novgorod, also has these features.
The chronicle itself was obviously a legal document. Scientist N.I. Danilevsky believes that the annals were not intended for people, but for God, who was to read them at the Last Judgment. Therefore, the chronicles described in detail the acts of the princes and their subordinates.
The task of the chronicler is not the interpretation of events, not the search for their causes, but simply a description. The present is conceived in the context of the past. The "Tale of Bygone Years", about which legends go, has an "open genre" in which features of different genres are mixed. As you know, in ancient Russian literature there was still no clear division of genres; only written annals existed from written works, therefore, they combined the features of a novel, poem, novel and legal documents.
What does the name "The Tale of Bygone Years" mean?
The name of the vault was given by the first line of the chronicle “This is a story of temporary years ...”. “The Tale of Bygone Years” means “The Tale of Past Years”, since the word “summer” in Old Russian meant “year”. Many are trying to find out what the name "Tale of Bygone Years" means. In its broadest sense, this is the story of the existence of this world, which sooner or later awaits the judgment of God. The Tale of Bygone Years, a list of which was found in the monastery, is considered the earliest work.
Previous vaults
The Tale of Bygone Years was subjected to a thorough textual analysis. And it turned out that it was compiled on the basis of earlier chronicles.
The "Tale of Bygone Years" and the arches preceding it form a single whole, that is, the "Tale" largely repeats what was written before it. Modern history is of the opinion of Academician A.A. Shakhmatov, who studied all the ancient chronicles using the comparative method. He discovered that the very first chronicle was the Ancient Kiev Annalistic Codex, created in 1037. It dealt with when the history of mankind began and when Russia was baptized.
In 1073, the Kiev-Pechersk Chronicle Arch was created. In 1095, the second edition of the Kiev-Pechersk arch appeared; it is also called the Initial Arch.
Symbols of dates
Calendar dates in The Tale of Bygone Years were considered to be of particular importance. If for a modern person calendar dates do not matter, then for a chronicler every date or day of the week in which events occurred was filled with a special historical meaning. And the chronicler tried to mention more often those days or dates that had great meaning and carried more value. Since Saturday and Sunday were considered special or sacred days at that time, these days are mentioned in the Tale of Bygone Years 9 and 17 times, respectively, and weekdays are mentioned less frequently. Wednesday is mentioned only 2 times, Thursday three times, Friday five times. Monday and Tuesday are mentioned only once. It can be argued that the symbolism of dates and the name "Tales of Bygone Years" are closely related to the religious context.
The "Tale of Bygone Years" was closely connected with the religious worldview, therefore, all its features were based on this. The chronicler sees all events only in the context of the coming Doomsday, so he looks at what is happening from the point of view of divine powers. They warn people of impending wars, droughts and wrecks. They punish the villains who committed murders and robberies, and they bring the innocent to the divine throne. The relics of saints acquire unusual qualities. This is evidenced by the legends of the lives of saints Boris and Gleb. Temples are also sacred places where the wicked and pagans cannot penetrate.