Lament Yaroslavna, perhaps the most poetic and beautiful episode of the work... It sounds not just like moaning and prayer, but like a real spell, filled with folk tunes and magical transformations into animals.
Yaroslavna is worried about the unsuccessful campaign of the squad of her husband Prince Igor. In her sadness, she is not ashamed of her tears and turns to the higher forces of nature - the wind, the river and the sun. Her treatment on an equal footing is amazing, Yaroslavna, as it were, condemns and scolds higher powers, like good old friends who did not provide proper support to her husband. With this technique, the author points to the pronounced pagan customs that took place at that time, despite the already adopted Christianity. Nature in weeping is also unusually picturesquely depicted. Such descriptions as transformation into animals are quite characteristic of folklore.
In the image of Yaroslavna, the type of a faithful and devoted wife is successfully combined, who is ready for a lot for the sake of her husband, and they will turn into a cuckoo, and wipe blood from wounds.Also mentions in his song and the glorified feat of Svyatoslav, as if saying that there is something to be proud of, the Russian people It is important that the female image is presented on a par with the male. Thus, the author emphasizes the confidence and self-sufficiency of Yaroslavna.
So, we can conclude that with the help of the presented image, the author is trying to convey the grief, and at the same time the determination of all the women of Rus' - wives and mothers.Each word of Yaroslavna is filled with light and hope for a successful end to the confrontation.
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"The Tale of Igor's Campaign": a brief history of the work and artistic features
The Tale of Igor's Campaign is a mysterious work of Russian literature. Although why only Russian? This text has implications for world literature as a whole. But The Tale of Igor's Campaign is considered a masterpiece and a monument of the Old Russian period. The basis of the plot of the work was the campaign (as the reader knows from history textbooks - unsuccessful for the prince) of the Russian army against the Polovtsian people. The campaign was organized by Prince Igor of Rus', who then ruled the Novgorod-Seversky principality. Events unfold in 1185.
A little about the history of the creation of "The Tale of Igor's Campaign"
However, literary historians have every reason to doubt the authenticity of the find. According to the official version, The Tale of Igor's Campaign was written in the 12th century, almost immediately after the events. A skeptical position regarding the "Word" belongs to a number of researchers (including, in particular, representatives of the skeptical historiographic school - M. Kachenovsky, O. Senkovsky and others). According to this point of view, the authenticity of the text is nothing but a hoax, and in fact, The Tale of Igor's Campaign is the fruit of a craftsman who lived during the Enlightenment, that is, in the 18th century.
Of course, there are a lot of hypotheses that aim to shed light on the origin of the work, but one of the most original positions, of course, belongs to Lev Gumilyov. A Russian writer with a tragic fate, the son of Anna Akhmatova, who survived a difficult period of reaction, believed that the Lay is a literary masterpiece that bears all the signs of genius and antiquity. But the writer also assumed that the work is an allegorical text that was written not in the 12th century, but in the 13th century. The heroes of the Lay are not at all real historical prototypes, but images under which other people are hiding. For example, under the mask of Igor and other Russian princes, according to Gumilyov, Alexander Nevsky, Daniil Galitsky and other personalities who lived a little later than the characters of the Lay hid.
Skepticism about "Yaroslavna's Lament"
Meanwhile, contrary to the conclusions of linguists that the “Word”, nevertheless, should be recognized as an authentic work of ancient Russian literature, various skeptical versions of the origin of the text are extremely popular today. For example, in the article “Yaroslavna’s real cry” (Discourse magazine, article dated March 8, 2016), Dmitry Levchik says: “And how wonderfully the feelings of the Russian princess Yaroslavna are described! How beautiful is her cry.” At the same time, many commentators note that she could not cry on the wall in Putivl, since the city wall was destroyed at that time. But the author of the Word is not up to the wall. He cares about a woman's feelings! Sometimes it seems that it is for the sake of Yaroslavna's Lament that the whole poem was written! The author doubts that the man who allegedly wrote this work anonymously could be such an expert on the female soul and female experiences. In addition, an appeal to the inner world of a person is uncharacteristic of literature before the era of romanticism, when the first sprouts of interest in experiences, emotions, dramas inside the human soul begin to appear.
Analysis of the artistic specificity of the work
"The Tale of Igor's Campaign" is attributed to South Russian origin. The author - who is anonymous - admires the great Kyiv prince Svyatopolk, from which some literary critics conclude that the work has not just southern, but even Kiev territorial origin.
The narration - not only in terms of its plot, but also in terms of linguistic features - is a complex and difficult to read text, so at the moment there are many translations of this work into modern Russian and Ukrainian.
A separate remark should be made regarding the genre of the Lay. In principle, medieval texts are an example of genre synthesis. The work, in particular, is marked by the characteristic features of oratorical techniques of eloquence. In literary criticism and criticism, the opinion was established that the "Word" is a heroic poem. Other experts consider the text as a military story with signs of a chronicle and a song. For example, “Lament of Yaroslavna” is a song, the lyrical part of the “Word”, which endows the entire text with a unique emotional charge.
Polyphonism
Medieval literature as a whole is characterized by so-called polyphonism. This feature was noted by Mikhail Bakhtin, who wrote about the polyphony (polyphonism) of Dostoevsky's novels. This means that in The Word it is difficult to single out primary or secondary heroes: all characters are one and act in a world where they are equal in importance. In addition, the "Word" is characterized by symbolic polyphony: each image, action, word of the character carries a symbolic meaning, and the text of the work itself turns out to be as if woven from symbols.
panorama
Another feature of the text is the effect of "panoramic vision", a look that is closely associated with the principle of symbolic polyphonism. Panorama allows you to evaluate the events taking place in the Tale of Igor's Campaign from different points of view, giving an objective assessment of the actions of the characters.
There are not so many female images in The Tale of Igor's Campaign, so against the general background of the narrative, they are noticeably striking to the reader. One of these is the image of Euphrosyne Yaroslavna. This is a real-life historical character, but it is worth noting that in the text her description and characterization do not fully correspond to reality. The author of the "Word" transforms her image, gives additional characteristics, such a process is associated with the peculiarities of the chant at that time.
The main moment of the disclosure of the image of Yaroslavna (in the text she is named exclusively by her patronymic) falls on the time period marked by the defeat of the troops of Prince Igor, her husband. After the news of the tragedy, the woman goes to the walls of the city and announces the cry. This part of the text is better known as Yaroslavna's Lament.
pagan elements
It should be noted that, despite the fact that at the time of writing the text of the "Word" Christianity was already widespread among the Slavs, Yaroslavna's lamentation is actually devoid of any symbols or images associated with this religion. On the contrary, many pagan inclusions form the basis of her speech.
First, let's define the concept of "crying". The word itself is associated with the verb "cry" and means a sad speech with tears for someone. Such weeping was common during funeral processions. This action is not the brainchild of modernity. This tradition has its roots in the pagan past of the people.
Yaroslavna's lament is not far from this tradition. At first glance, this seems strange, because Prince Igor, her husband was captured, but no one took his life. However, it should be noted that the image of Yaroslavna is a collective one. This means that the author does not show us a specific person, but an image endowed with the generally accepted character traits of the ideal woman of that time, therefore, not only the princess speaks through the mouth of Yaroslavna, but virtually any Russian woman who is waiting for her husband from the campaign.
Symbols-images of Yaroslavna's crying
The text of the "Word" is practically devoid of artistic tropes, so it is necessary to make an analysis, first of all, looking at the images-symbols.
I am a sad cuckoo
I'll fly down the Danube
And in the distant river Kayala
I'll wet my sleeve.
Thus begins the speech of the princess. In the very first lines we meet with such a symbol as a cuckoo. In the mythology of the ancient Slavs, this bird was given not the last place. For them, she was first and foremost, a soothsayer. The cuckoo could predict both joyful and sad moments. The present epithet “sad” indicates to us the tragedy of the event, the author chose the image of this bird not in vain - there is still hope for a positive outcome, but it is necessary to look at the fact that the epithet itself is not in the original text, the translator used it to convey the mood dictated by the author .
An important point is the fact that the cuckoo does not have a husband (traditions give a different reason). As you can see, the author from the first lines shows us the dual nature of this character: Yaroslavna's husband is alive, and the husbands of many Russian wives have died, their loved ones have remained "cuckoos" - widows.
The next one Yaroslavna addresses is the wind:
Wind, wind in an open field,
Fast-moving, dear friend,
Willingly or willingly
Do you blow so hard around?
The wind god Stribog was one of the most important gods in the pantheon of the ancient Slavs. His cult lasted for an unusually long time. The Slavs unconditionally considered him the only ruler of the airspace and the ruler of all birds.
The epithet “fast-flying” is also absent in the original, this is the author’s interpretation of the deity’s functions - at that time it was a difficult action to move oneself or transmit any information over a considerable distance, and the wind could do it quickly, besides bypassing all obstacles.
The next image is a river:
My glorious Dnieper! You are in the open
Waves rushed fast ...
This symbol also carries a dual principle. On the one hand, the river is a source of food (fish) and water, which means life. On the other hand, this is a rather insidious element - failures during navigation, floods can cause death. The symbolism of death is reinforced by the tradition of some ancient Slavic tribes to arrange funeral bonfires on the banks of the river. Thus, the author again emphasizes the thin line between life and death.
The last image that can be seen in crying is the Sun.
The sun, the golden sun, You burn brightly in the sky, The sun is red, dear, You give warmth and light to everyone.
Such an appeal is based not only on a heavenly body, but also on a pagan god. Dazhbog (the god of the sun) was endowed with two functions. The first was to be a source of light, without which life could not exist. The second was rooted in the ideas of the ancient Slavs about the origin of princely families. Based on beliefs, we can conclude that in society the image of the sun was a source of princely power, but it is impossible to say that the image of Prince Igor is hidden under the image of the sun. The rhetorical question (in the original: “Why, sir, stretch your hot beam on the fret howling?”), Followed further, confirms this fact.
Other tropes and stylistic figures present in the text
In second place, after images-symbols, in terms of frequency of use are rhetorical appeals and questions. Yaroslavna asks questions to the wind and the sun. In both the first and second cases, the question contains a certain reproach, which is opposed to the achievements or power of the elemental deity.
Yaroslavna says to the wind (in the original): “Why are the Khinov’s arrows mooing on your easy wings in my frets howl?” In literal translation, this means: why are you throwing the arrows of the khan on your wings, at the soldiers of my husband? (reproach of action). In contrast to this, the woman exclaims: “woe under the clouds, cherish the ships on the blue sea” (you breeze under the clouds, cherish the ships on the blue sea).
In relation to the sun, which gives warmth to everyone, the princess exclaims: “Why, sir, did you spread your hot rays on the warriors of my fret?
In a waterless field, thirst twisted their bows, grief shut up their quivers?
The only person Yaroslavna turns to with a request is the Dnieper. “Courage, sir, my dear one to me,” she says.
A woman refers to all the deities, using a common appeal: “O Dnepr Slovutich!”, “O wind, sail”, “Bright and thrice bright sun”. There are also non-common forms of address in the text: “master”, “lord”, they perform an expressive function.
There are also other tropes in the text in small numbers.
With the help of epithets (“light”, “blue”, “hot”, “waterless”), either the power of the lord-element or the tragedy of what happened is emphasized.
They enhance the expression of the metaphor: “I dispelled my fun on the feather grass” - brought grief; “You extended your hot rays on the warriors of my fret” - indicates heat and heat; “Grief shut up their quivers” - indicates the degree of despondency.
Thus, the cry of Yaroslavna is not only a personal expression of the grief of the princess, it is a cry for all the soldiers who failed in the Polovtsian lands. The presence of pagan symbols, a wide system of addresses, rhetorical questions, the use of epithets and metaphors partially bring the princess's speech closer to prayer, in which the personal and the public are mixed, requests for the successful completion of the campaign and the praise of the strength and power of the elements.
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That central place in it is given to the chronicle work "The Tale of Igor's Campaign" or simply "The Lay ...". This is truly a masterpiece that has managed to reach our days, revealing to the world the unique culture of our ancestors in its purest form. The image of Yaroslavna in The Tale of Igor's Campaign is not the main one, but it can be safely called one of the best. But let's talk about everything in order.
The plot of the epic
Before considering the image of Yaroslavna in The Tale of Igor's Campaign, it is worth knowing the whole plot of the work. It begins with an introduction in which the author (he is unknown) sings of the heroism of the history of his people. In short lines, he mentions the legendary singer Boyan, and Trajan, and epic heroes, and talks about the battles of the princes of the Russian land. There are also echoes of pagan beliefs in them: the author speaks of the deities of the sun, winds, livestock, which were worshiped by the ancestors of the Russians.
The image of Yaroslavna in "The Tale of Igor's Campaign" will appear only in the third chapter, and before that, an unknown poet tells about Igor, the Novgorod-Seversky prince, who is going on a campaign against the Polovtsians. He encourages his warriors and goes on a campaign, despite the strange signs bestowed by fate. He ignores the eclipse, which promises bad luck, and throws the army into battle. Inspired by the first success, he is in no hurry to return, for which he pays cruelly. When the main forces of the nomads arrived, the Russians were not ready. As a result, almost the entire squad of the prince perishes, and the surviving soldiers are captured.
The news of the tragedy quickly spreads throughout the Russian land, overtaking the young wife of Prince Igor in Putivl. The Grand Duke of Kiev gathers all the rulers of the specific principalities, calling for unity and redemption of Igor from captivity. The so-called golden word of Svyatoslav calls on the Russians to unite, because then they will become a thunderstorm for everyone. Then Igor's flight from captivity is described, the chase sent by the nomads after him. But he successfully reached his native lands and returned to his faithful wife.
The image of Yaroslavna in "The Tale of Igor's Campaign"
Yaroslavna is a young princess, Igor's wife. She remained in Putivl to wait for her husband's return from the campaign. It was there that she was caught by the news of the tragedy that happened to him, it is in the castle of this city that the reader is introduced to her by The Tale of Igor's Campaign. It is impossible to briefly describe the image of Yaroslavna, although the author took only a few lines to the woman. But she appears before us, as if alive. She has a thin, vulnerable soul, a strong character, self-sacrifice is close to her. She does not think about herself and all her thoughts are next to her beloved.
The image of Yaroslavna in The Tale of Igor's Campaign is not only a portrait of a loving wife who is ready to do anything to help her husband. She is ready to turn into a bird to wash his wounds, she appeals to the forces of nature with a reproach why they allowed this. But she thinks not only about Igor, but also about his army, which shared the fate of their prince. Therefore, the image of Yaroslavna in The Tale of Igor's Campaign is a collected portrait of all Russian women whose husbands went to war with the enemy. This is the image of the keeper of the hearth, the protector of the family, because the husband will definitely return, since he is so much expected.
In those few lines one can feel the woman's great love, her compassion, her desire to be near the chosen one, her deep sadness and tenderness. That is why Yaroslavna's Lament has attracted writers and readers for so many years.
Other images in the "Word"
The main character of the work is Igor, who organized an unsuccessful campaign. This event was preceded by another campaign - a successful military campaign of the Russians with joint forces, in which many princes of Rus', except for Igor, participated. Therefore, he acts as one who thought about glory, and not about good preparation for war. He is short-sighted, because he does not pay attention to bad sounds, he craves only fame and rewards.
Another image is Prince Svyatoslav of Kiev, into whose mouth the author puts the idea of unification. This is the actual problem of Rus' at that time: they went for the supreme power. Therefore, the country suffered from external enemies who tried to tear off a tidbit from it, and from internal ones. Only together it was possible to repulse the offenders, and this is what the author calls for.
The meaning of the work
This is a special essay. “The Tale of Igor's Campaign” (the image of Yaroslavna, the princes in particular) makes it possible to draw up a general picture of the life of Rus' at the end of the 12th century, its way of life, its reality. Melodic, full of comparisons and epithets, the language of the work is a source of inspiration for creative people - poets, writers, artists. But the ancient author also teaches a lesson to future generations, an old but forgotten truth: only together can we repulse enemies, only together can a people be invincible.
Especially the "Word" is also the fact that it can be called a folk epic with all the contradictions. For example, the author often refers to the image of nature and phenomena, Yaroslavna also speaks with the wind, the sun, the river, she does not pray to God, although the country has long been considered Christian.
Instead of an afterword
It is a pity that such a work as "The Word" was lost in the original version. It is sad that we do not know the author of this literary masterpiece. But, fortunately, we have the opportunity to read it in translations and admire the depth of images, the sincerity of feelings and the relevance of the problem described almost a thousand years ago.
