On a One Unnoticed Reminiscence from the Bible in the Tale of Boris and Gleb and on the Problem of Quotation in Old Russian Literature

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Category: Hermeneutics of Old Russian Literature: Issue 25
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Abstract:

The article examines the problem of distinguishing between quotations — functional references to the donor text in the recipient text — and non-functional inclusions from a “foreign” text — borrowings, using the material of Old Russian literature. The issue of boundaries between quotations, borrowings, and topoi is also analyzed. It is shown how a quotation and borrowing become topoi, moving from work to work. An inclusion from a “foreign” text, even without attribution, retains its quotation character if it is a statement from an authoritative text (primarily from the Holy Scripture), if the meaning of a fragment in the recipient text is unclear without recipient texts, if the reminiscence contains rare vocabulary or a rare combination of lexemes. The article focuses on the expression from the Tale of Boris and Gleb изъмълкъшьмь грътаньмь (izъmъlkъshьmь grъtanьmь), which goes back to Psalm 68: 4 and corresponds to the Greek ἐβραγχίασεν ὁ λάρυγξ μου — ‘my throat has grown hoarse’. It is proven that in the Tale of Boris and Gleb it functions as a quotation. It is demonstrated how in later copies of the Tale измълкъшм грьтаньмь there is a replacement for измълкшъм гласъмь. It is shown how, on the basis of this variant, the topos рука измолкнетъ (ruka izmolknetъ) / руки измолкоша (ruki izmolkosha) is formed in Old Russian literature.
Keywords: Old Russian literature, quotation, borrowing, topos, attribution, The Tale of Boris and Gleb
Author: Andrey M. Ranchin
Information about the author:

Andrey M. Ranchin, DSc in Philology, Professor, Philological Faculty, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie gory, 1, 119991 Moscow, Russia.

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0414-5106

E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
For citation:

Ranchin, A.M. “On a One Unnoticed Reminiscence from the Bible in the Tale of Boris and Gleb and on the Problem of Quotation in Old Russian Literature.” Germenevtika drevnerusskoi literatury [Hermeneutics of Old Russian Literature]. Issue 25. Ed.-in-chief O.A. Tufanova, sci. ed. M.V. Kaplun. Moscow, IWL RAS Publ., 2026, pp. 430–450. https://doi.org/10.22455/HORL.1607-6192-2026-25-430-450 (In Russian)
EDN:

https://elibrary.ru/PYEEJI
UDC: 821.161.1.0
Publication Type: Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.22455/HORL.1607-6192-2026-25-430-450

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