In Russia, writing appeared after baptism in 988. With the adoption of the Christian faith, Old Russian literature began to develop. Cyril and Methodius, who came from Byzantium, brought a religious and book heritage to the territory of Russia.
Old Russian literature was preceded by folklore. Among all genres can be distinguished epics, novels, teachings and legends. To find out what a legend is and how to distinguish it from other works of the prehistoric era, you need to have an idea of the genres available at that time.
All genres of Old Russian literature can be divided into 2 groups: primary and unifying. Primitive genres include primitive genres in the form in which they existed in the 9th-11th centuries. Later, they united and turned out to be more extensive chronicles, chronographs, and more.
Genres of Old Russian Literature
Old Russian literature includes a huge number of genres. Many works have been lost over time. This is due to military operations taking place on the territory of Russia: the Mongol-Tatar invasion, World War II, the Great Patriotic War, and much more.
Among the primary genres of Old Russian literature should be highlighted:
- Eloquence. This genre, like the Christian faith, came to us from Byzantium - one of the most progressive states of that time. Eloquence is a form of oratory.
- Lecture. Of the most famous teachings, the "Preaching of Vladimir Monomakh" should be highlighted . They made recommendations for princes and ordinary people. These were tips on military training, family and parenting.
- Word. This genre includes the most striking monument of ancient Russian literature - "The Word of Igor's Campaign".
- Story. The story was a story of princely strife or military campaigns.
Among the unifying genres can distinguish a chronicle and a legend. The value of the surviving texts is great for our country, because they are not only literary, but also historical monuments.
The terms patericon and apocrypha are rarely used. Paterik is a description of the life of the holy father. Apocrypha also refers to religious literature, but its content is more secret and mysterious.
What is a legend?
The legend is the general name of works of a folklore character. What is a legend and how to distinguish it from other genres of Russian literature? Legends include legends, epics, etc. Their feature is considered to be the historical basis: in most cases, the legend tells of real events that actually happened. However, one should also take into account the unreliability of some facts about which the legend tells. The definition of this genre can be formulated as follows: a legend is a special genre of Old Russian literature that tells about historical and legendary events.
Among the most prominent works of Russian literature can be distinguished such legends as, for example, “The Legend of Boris and Gleb” or “The Legend of the Mamaev Massacre”.
Church narratives
So, we examined what a legend is. Let's try to classify them. In connection with the advent of Christianity in Russia, literature began its development. But what to write about? Of course, scribes began to cover the most pressing events of that time. Such is the "Legend of the Baptism of Rus."
Popular tales of the exploits of saints. Perhaps most of them are fantastic. Such is the "Legend of Mercury of Smolensk", which alone came out against the Mongol-Tatar horde and with the help of prayer was able to protect its people.
Secular legends
Most church legends have anonymous authors. Secular literature appeared much later, in the XVII-XVIII centuries. Secular literature is not related to religion. She can tell not only about heroes, but also about ordinary people. Among the secular monuments of literature is The Legend of the Peasant Son. It tells about a man who was involved in hooliganism and fraud.
From ancient Russian literature to the modern, many genres have come. These include the genre called "legend". The concept and meaning of the word has changed over time. It should be said about its etymology. It came from the pre-Slavic form of "Cossack", which meant "to speak", "to read a sermon." Formed by attaching the prefix "c", the suffix "ani" and the ending "e".
Now the legend belongs to the folklore genre.