The notions about the Fear of God in the “Tale of Bygone Years” and the “Instruction” of Vladimir Monomakh
https://doi.org/10.28995/2686-7249-2022-9-15-26
Abstract
The category of the Fear of God has changed over time despite its apparent immutability. The article discusses the semantics of the concept of the Fear of God and the notions associated with it, based on the “Tale of Bygone Years” and Vladimir Monomakh’s “Instruction”. The author of the article analyzes all mentions of “the Fear of God” in the selected sources, paying special attention to the context of the expression. The research has shown that, to describe the Fear of God, the chronicler mainly uses quotations, especially from sacred texts. With their help, the chronicler conveys his ideas about the studied category. The analysis of the sources reveals that the Fear of God should not be considered as an emotion, but as a long-term state or feeling that positively influenced the person’s way of life. The Fear of God was the result of a conscious choice and the basis for the life of a pious Christian. In addition, the Fear of God was close to the states of awe and joy that emerge during worship. Particularly important for the chronicler was the connection between the Fear of God and the concept of wisdom, which was believed to spring from the former. The Fear of God was the basis of knowledge perceived as a process of understanding God.
About the Author
S. A. Borisova
Russian State University for the Humanities
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Svetlana A. Borisova
125047, Moscow, Miusskaya Square, bld. 6
References
1. Adrianova-Peretts, V.P. (1974), “On the question of the reading of Old Russian writer”, Trudy otdela drevnerusskoi literatury [Proceedings of the Department of Old Russian Literature], vol. 28, Nauka, Leningrad, Russia, pp. 3–29.
2. Antonov, D.I. (2009), Smuta v kul’ture srednevekovoi Rusi: evolyutsiya drevnerusskikh mifologem v knizhnosti nachala XVII veka [The Time of Troubles in the culture of medieval Rus’. The evolution of Old Russian mythologemes in the book culture of the early 17<sup>th</sup> century], RGGU, Moscow, Russia.
3. Antonov, D.I. (2019), Tsari i samozvantsy: bor’ba idei v Rossii Smutnogo vremeni [Tsars and impostors. Struggle of ideas in Russia in the Time of Troubles], RGGU, Moscow, Russia.
4. Borisova, S.A. (2020), “The concept of Fear in Tolkovaya Paleya” (The Explanatory Palea) // RSUH/RGGU Bulletin. “Literary Theory. Linguistics. Cultural Studies” Series, no. 5, pp. 96–111.
5. Dzyuba, E.V. (2010), “The features of the content of the concept ‘mind’ in the language of Ancient Russia”, Izvestiya Ural’skogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Seriya 2, Gumanitarnye nauki, no. 3 (79), pp. 175–187.
6. Gippius, A.A. (2003), “Works of Vladimir Monomakh. An essay on textological reconstruction. I” // Russkii yazyk v nauchnom osveshchenii, vol. 2, no. 6, pp. 60–99.
7. Izard, K.Eh. (2007), Psikhologiya ehmotsii [The psychology of emotions], Piter, Saint Petersburg, Russia.
8. Naidenova, L.P. (2013), “Understanding the ‘fear of God’ in the Russian Middle Ages”, Gritskova, V.V (ed.), Russkii istoricheskii sbornik [Russian historical collection], no. 5, Kimeriiskii tsentr, Moscow, Russia, pp. 40–48.
9. Naidenova, L.P. (2014), “Love and fear. On the character of Russian Medieval religiosity”, in Luchitskaya, S.I. (ed.), Sub specie historiae sulturalis: Sbornik pamyati A.L. Yastrebitskoi [Sub specie historiae sulturalis. Collection dedicated to the memory of A.L. Yastrebitskaya], IVI RAN, Moscow, Russia, pp. 274–288.
10. Pustovoit, Yu.V. (2017), “From the Fear of God to anxiety. The semantic range of ‘fear’ in the monuments of Old Russian literature”, Kul’turologicheskii zhurnal, no. 3 (29), available at: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/ot-straha-bozhiya-do-boyaznisemanticheskiy-diapazon-straha-v-pamyatnikah-drevnerusskoy-pismennosti (Accessed 14 July 2022).
11. Pushkareva, N.L. (1997), Chastnaya zhizn’ russkoi zhenshchiny: nevesta, zhena, lyubovnitsa (X – nachalo XIX) [Private life of a Russian woman. Bride, wife, mistress (10<sup>th</sup> – early 19<sup>th</sup> century)], Ladomir, Moscow, Russia.
12. Vendina, T.I. (2002), Srednevekovyi chelovek v zerkale staroslavyanskogo yazyka [Medieval man in the mirror of the Old Slavonic language], Indrik, Moscow, Russia.
13. Voskoboinikov, O.S. (2014), Tysyacheletnee tsarstvo (300–1300): ocherk khristianskoi kul’tury Zapada [The Millennial kingdom (300–1300). Essay on the Christian culture of the West], Novoe literaturnoe obozrenie, Moscow, Russia.
Review
For citations:
Borisova S.A. The notions about the Fear of God in the “Tale of Bygone Years” and the “Instruction” of Vladimir Monomakh. RSUH/RGGU Bulletin: “Literary Teory. Linguistics. Cultural Studies”, Series. 2022;(9):15-26. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.28995/2686-7249-2022-9-15-26
Views:
137
Email this article 