12th century gusli with zoomorphic decorum from Novgorod: Western European analogies and possible symbolic meaning
https://doi.org/10.28995/2686-7249-2022-1-85-97
Abstract
The article is devoted to the decorum of the wooden gusli (psaltery) found during archaeological excavations in Novgorod the Great in 1969. This artefact, dated from the first half of 12th century, is decorated with two carved dragon’s heads. Also there are depicted graffiti carvings: one with dragon’s heads and another one with a lion and a bird. The similarity between caved dragon’s heads at gusli from Novgorod and decorum of Western European medieval musical instruments (citoles and harps) is found. There is mentioned in the article that images of harps with zoomorphic decorum are known from miniatures with King David depicted in medieval illuminated psalters. Also it is found that the graffiti with a lion and a bird has iconographic parallels in the stone carvings with King David on the walls of the Church of the Interces- sion on the River Nerl (1165) situated near the city of Vladimir in Russia. Therefore a hypothesis about reflection of King David’s theme in the decorum of gusli from Novgorod is expressed.
Keywords
Novgorod the Great,
archaeology,
Middle Ages,
Old Rus,
book illumination,
gusli,
psaltery,
harp,
King David,
dragon,
graffiti
About the Author
A. A. Slapinia
Charitable Foundation “The Private Museum of Russian Icon”
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Anna A. Slapinia
bldg. 1, bld. 3, Goncharnaia St., Moscow, 109240
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Review
For citations:
Slapinia A.A. 12th century gusli with zoomorphic decorum from Novgorod: Western European analogies and possible symbolic meaning. RSUH/RGGU Bulletin: “Literary Teory. Linguistics. Cultural Studies”, Series. 2022;1(1):85-97. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.28995/2686-7249-2022-1-85-97
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