‘The Word of Daniil Zatochnik’ as the First Work of Spiritual Satire in Russian Literature
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17072/2073-6681-2025-2-154-163Keywords:
Russian literature of the 12th-13th centuries; ‘The Word/Prayer of Daniil Zatochnik’; Holy Scripture; anti-ideal; apostasy; spiritual satire; homiletics.Abstract
The article analyzes the form and content of The Word of Daniil Zatochnik, a monument of ancient Russian literature. Special attention is paid to a number of late inserts into the original text, which gave it the currently known appearance and created several striking contradictions. The article attempts to explain them by means of relying on the existing scientific experience of studies of The Wordand through deep immersion in the religious and cultural context of its creation. The author of the article believes that the inserts were introduced with the aim of drawing the reader's attention to such personality traits of Daniil as selfishness, individualism, pride, vanity, and arrogance. Some of the inserts reveal details of Daniil's personal life, showing his tendency to violate generally accepted moral and religious norms. In their entirety, the inserts create a holistic image of a person who neglects the traditional spiritual and moral norms of Russian society of the 12th-13th centuries. This type of personality was atypical for that time and attracted the general public’s attention, giving an example of inappropriate behavior. In the author’s opinion, this prompted the representatives of official (princely or ecclesiastical) circles to make an attempt at compromising the image of Daniil in the eyes of the reading public. This is the reason why the inserts were made, turning Daniil’s epistle into the first satirical work of Russian literature. Since the subject of the satire was not social or political but spiritual and moral phenomena, it should be considered a spiritual satire. It is known that works of this kind appeared in the literature of subsequent centuries, showing the type of a clever rascal who achieves his goals by any means. Therefore, the author of the article suggests that The Word of Daniil Zatochnik be considered the first work of this kind.References
Бедина Н. Н. Книжная пародия как факт средневековой культуры («Слово Даниила Заточника») // Культура и цивилизация. 2019. Т. 9, № 1А. С. 99–109. doi 10.25799/AR.2019.44.1.011
Бирнбаум Х., Романчук Р. Кем был загадочный Даниил Заточник? (К вопросу о культуре чтения в Древней Руси) // Труды Отдела древнерусской литературы / Рос. акад. наук, Ин-т рус. лит. (Пушкинский Дом). СПб.: Дмитрий Буланин, 1996. Т. 50. С. 576–602.
Василий Великий (архиеп. Кесарийский). Беседа 8 / Творения: в 2 т. М.: Сибирская благозвонница, 2008. Т. 1. С. 638–645.
Воронин Н. Н. Даниил Заточник // Древнерусская литература и ее связи с Новым временем. Исследования и материалы по древнерусской литературе. М.: Наука, 1967. С. 54–101.
Даль В. И. Толковый словарь живого великорусского языка: в 4 т. СПб.: Диамант, 1996. Т. 4. 688 с.
Достоевский Ф. М. Полное собрание сочинений: в 30 т. Л.: Наука, 1972–1990.
Кранк Э. О. «Слово Даниила Заточника» – первое лирическое произведение в русской литературе // Вестник Чувашского государственного института культуры и искусств. 2022. № 17. С. 51–54.
Лихачев Д. С. «Моление» Даниила Заточника // Великое наследие. 2-е изд., доп. М.: Современник, 1979. С. 241–258.
Миндалев П. Моление Даниила Заточника и связанные с ним памятники. Казань, 1914. 346 с.
Обнорский С. П. Очерки по истории русского литературного языка старшего периода. М.; Л.: АН СССР, 1946. 199 с.
Орлов А. С. Древняя русская литература XI–XVI вв. М.; Л., 1937. С. 161–162.
Пауткин А. А. Древнерусская книжность: историко-литературные альтернативы. Stephanos. 2014. № 6 (8). С. 55–60.
Повесть временных лет // Библиотека литературы Древней Руси. СПб.: Наука, 1997. Т. 1. С. 62–316.
Послание митрополита Киприана игуменам Сергию и Феодору // Библиотека литературы Древней Руси. СПб.: Наука, 1997. Т. 6. С. 412–424.
Сказание о Борисе и Глебе // Библиотека литературы Древней Руси. СПб.: Наука, 1997. Т. 1. С. 328–352.
Скрипиль М. О. «Слово» Даниила Заточника / Труды Отдела древнерусской литературы / АН СССР, Ин-т рус. лит. (Пушкинский Дом). М.; Л.: Изд-во АН СССР, 1955. Т. 11. С. 72–95.
Слово о полку Игореве / Библиотека литературы Древней Руси. СПб.: Наука, 1997. Т. 4. С. 254–268.
Соколова Л. В. К характеристике «Слова» Даниила Заточника (Реконструкция и интерпретация первоначального текста) // Труды Отдела древнерусской литературы. СПб.: Дмитрий Буланин, 1993. Т. 46. С. 229–255.
Толстой А. К. Смерть Ивана Грозного // Толстой А. К. Собр. соч. в 4 т. М.: Правда, 1980. С. 5–145.
Шевырев С. История русской словесности. Т. I, ч. II. М., 1846. С. 210–213.
References
Bedina N. N. Knizhnaya parodiya kak fakt srednevekovoy kul′tury (ʽSlovo Daniila Zatochnikaʼ) [Book parody as a fact of the medieval culture (ʽThe Word of Daniel the Exileʼ)]. Kul′tura i tsivilizatsiya [Culture and Civilization], 2019, vol. 9, issue 1A, pp. 99-109. doi 10.25799/AR.2019.44.1.011 (In Russ.)
Birnbaum H., Romanchuk R. Kem byl zagadochnyy Daniil Zatochnik? (K voprosu o kul′ture chteniya v Drevney Rusi) [Who was the mysterious Daniil Zatochnik? (On the reading culture in Ancient Rus')]. Trudy Otdela drevnerusskoy literatury [Works of the Department of Old Russian Literature (Institute of Russian Literature (The Pushkin House) of the RAS]. St. Petersburg, Dmitriy Bulanin Publ., 1996, vol. 50, pp. 576-602. (In Russ.)
Vasiliy Velikiy (Basil of Caesaria, archbishop). Beseda 8. Tvoreniya [Сonversation 8. Works]: in 2 vols. Moscow, Sibirskaya blagozvonnitsa Publ., 2008, vol. 1, pp. 638-645. (In Russ.)
Voronin N. N. Daniil Zatochnik [Daniel the Exile]. Drevnerusskaya literatura i ee svyazi s Novym vremenem. Issledovaniya i materialy po drevnerusskoy literature [Old Russian Literature and Its Connections with the New Time. Research and Materials on Old Russian Literature]. Moscow, Nauka Publ., 1967, pp. 54-101. (In Russ.)
Dal V. I. Tolkovyy slovar′ zhivogo velikorusskogo yazyka [Explanatory Dictionary of the Living Great Russian Language]: in 4 vols. St. Petersburg, Diamant Publ., 1996, vol. 4. 688 р. (In Russ.)
Dostoevsky F. M. Polnoe sobranie sochineniy [Fyodor Dostoevsky. Complete Works]: in 30 vols. Leningrad, Nauka Publ., 1972-1990. (In Russ.)
Krank E. O. ʽSlovo Daniila Zatochnikaʼ – pervoe liricheskoe proizvedenie v russkoy literature [ʽThe Word of Daniel Zatochnikʼ as the first lyrical work in Russian literature]. Vestnik Chuvashskogo gosudarstvennogo instituta kul′tury i iskusstv [Bulletin of the Chuvash State Institute of Culture and Arts], 2022, issue 17, pp. 51-54. (In Russ.)
Likhachev D. S. ʽMolenieʼ Daniila Zatochnika [‘The Prayer’ by Daniil Zatochnik]. Velikoe nasledie [Great Heritage]. 2nd exp. ed. Moscow, Sovremennik Publ., 1979, pp. 241-258. (In Russ.)
Mindalev P. Molenie Daniila Zatochnika i svyazannye s nim pamyatniki [The Prayer by Daniil Zatochnik and Related Monuments]. Kazan, 1914. 346 p. (In Russ.)
Obnorskiy S. P. Ocherki po istorii russkogo literaturnogo yazyka starshego perioda [Essays on the History of the Russian Literary Language of the Old Period]. Moscow, Leningrad, Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union Publ., 1946. 199 p. (In Russ.)
Orlov A. S. Drevnyaya russkaya literatura XI-XVI vv. [Ancient Russian Literature of the 11th-16th Centuries]. Moscow, Leningrad, 1937, pp. 161-162. (In Russ.)
Pautkin A. A. Drevnerusskaya knizhnost′: istoriko-literaturnye al′ternativy [Ancient Russian bookishness: historical-literary alternatives]. Stephanos, 2014, issue 6 (8), pp. 55-60. (In Russ.)
Povest′ vremennykh let [The Tale of Bygone Years]. Biblioteka literatury Drevney Rusi [Library of Literature of Ancient Rus']. St. Petersburg, Nauka Publ., 1997, vol. 1, pp. 62-316. (In Russ.)
Poslanie mitropolita Kipriana igumenam Sergiyu i Feodoru [Metropolitan Cyprian’s Message to Abbots Sergius and Theodore]. Biblioteka literatury Drevney Rusi [Library of Literature of Ancient Rus']. St. Petersburg, Nauka Publ., 1997, vol. 6, pp. 412-424. (In Russ.)
Skazaniye o Borise i Glebe [The Tale of Boris and Gleb]. Biblioteka literatury Drevney Rusi [Library of Literature of Ancient Rus']. St. Petersburg, Nauka Publ., 1997, vol. 1, pp. 328-352. (In Russ.)
Skripil′ M. O. ʽSlovoʼ Daniila Zatochnika [ ‘The Wordʼ of Daniil Zatochnik]. Trudy Otdela drevnerusskoy literatury [Works of the Department of Old Russian Literature (Institute of Russian Literature (The Pushkin House) of the RAS]. Moscow, Leningrad, Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union Publ., 1955, vol. 11, pp. 72-95. (In Russ.)
Slovo o polku Igoreve [The Tale of Igor's Campaign]. Biblioteka literatury Drevnei Rusi [Library of Literature of Ancient Rus']. St. Petersburg, Nauka Publ., 1997, vol. 4, pp. 254-268. (In Russ.)
Sokolova L. V. K kharakteristike ʽSlovaʼ Daniila Zatochnika (Rekonstruktsiya i interpretatsiya pervonachal′nogo teksta) [On ‘The Word’ by Daniil Zatochnik (Reconstruction and interpretation of the original text)]. Trudy Otdela drevnerusskoy literatury [Works of the Department of Old Russian Literature (Institute of Russian Literature (The Pushkin House) of the RAS]. Moscow, Dmitriy Bulanin Publ., 1993, vol. 46, pp. 229-255. (In Russ.)
Tolstoy A. K. Smert′ Ivana Groznogo [The Death of Ivan the Terrible]. In: Tolstoy A. K. Sobranie sochineniy [Collection of Works]: in 4 vols. Moscow, Pravda Publ., 1980, vol. 3, pp. 5-145. (In Russ.)
Shevyrev S. Istoriya russkoy slovesnosti [History of Russian Literature]. Moscow, 1846, vol. 1, pt. 2, pp. 210-213. (In Russ.)
