THE INFLUENCE OF PAGAN AND CHRISTIAN TRADITIONS ON THE RITUAL COMPONENT OF MERCHANTS-GUESTS OF THE OLD RUSSIAN STATE IN THE IX-XI CENTURIES

ABSTRACT

The article examines issues related to the first trading people of the Old Russian state, the so-called "guests." Their ethnic composition and spheres of trade in the 9th-11th centuries, which largely relied on the religious and worldview basis of the life of the Old Russian warrior.

Keyword: Old Russian state, worldview, guests, merchant, religion, merchant, squad, cult, pagan deities, Perun, Volos, Christianity, Archangel Michael.

Traditionally, with the formation of the Old Russian state in the 9th-11th centuries and the folding of a huge state territory, the total length of the border was about 7,000 kilometers [1, p. 300], and extended in the north along the shores of the Onega and Ladoga Lakes and the Gulf of Finland, in the south - south of Kiev, in the west - along the upper Dniester, Prut and Western Bug, in the east - along the upper Volga. Trade in the three seas - the Baltic, Black and Caspian - was in the hands of this state [2, p. 20].

The Old Russian state at that time was in its infancy and for development, it needed economic resources, which in turn could give military campaigns to the richest neighbor of then Russia - Byzantium.

The ancient Russian princes adhered to this strategy in their foreign policy and the treaties of 907, 911, 945, 971 testify to this, where, in addition to indemnities, trade agreements are mentioned, namely between Byzantine merchants and Russian traffickers – «guests» [3, p. 213].

According to Perkhavko V.V., it was too dangerous and difficult to engage in trade activities in the 9th-11th centuries and people who were already disconnected from the ground, soldiers - warriors had to do this difficult work. It was a warrior in modern times who was a merchant - a «guest» [4, p. 30].

Turning to the ethnic composition of the Old Russian squad, it should be understood that in addition to Slavic tribal unions, it included Scandinavian emigration [5, p. 358].

The most indicative in our opinion is to draw attention to the foreign policy ties of the Old Russian state with the peoples of the north - Norwegians, Danes, and Swedes. The special value for us is represented by information on two Norman leaders Tin Tryuggvason and Harold Sigourdarson mainly stated in drevneskandinavsky sagas "Terrestrial Circle", "Beautiful Skin" where it is mentioned, that in government of the Kiev princes: Vladimir Svyatoslavovich and Yaroslav Vladimirovich they headed their teams, so it is fair to believe were called as «guests» [6, p. 13].

However, the next question remains open, what worldview aspects were inherent in the first «guests» merchants of the young Old Russian state, who influenced their material culture and funeral rite - this is certainly a religion.

Turning to the Arab literary heritage of the 9th-10th centuries, namely to the works of the Arab writer Ibn Fadlan, the message about the Russian merchants is indicative: «When their ships arrived at the anchor, each of them went out, taking bread, meat, milk, onions and hot drinks with him, approached a high pillar inserted into the ground, having a human-like face, and around its small images, and behind these images high pillars inserted into the ground. He is a merchant - a guest approaches a large image and says: O Lord! I came from a far away, with me girls - so many and so many heads, sable so many and so many skins, until he mentions everything that he brought with him from his goods. Then he says this gift I brought you, and leaves him brought in front of the pillar, saying I wish you to deliver me a merchant with dinars and dirhams who would buy from me everything that I wish to sell and would not provoke me in everything that I will not tell him, after he is removed» [7, p. 79].

On the example of this passage, we see that the cult of the pagan god of hair trade was undoubtedly of great importance in the territory of the new state of the Slavs.

However, for the princely squad, pagan patrons in the images of Volos and Perun were dominant, since they were patrons of war and trade.

Turning to the Lavrentiev Chronicle, namely to the agreement of Prince Oleg under 907, we find information that «Tsar Leon and Alexander made peace with Oleg, pledged to pay tribute and went to the mutual oath: they themselves kissed the cross, and Oleg and his husbands took him in an oath according to the Russian law, and swore them with their weapons and Perun their god, and the Hair the god of cattle, and approved the world» [8, p. 221].

However, another agreement is indicative, already by Prince Svyatoslav fixed by the chronicler under 971: «If we do not observe any of the things said before, let me and those who are with me and under me be cursed from the god in whom we believe - from Perun and Volos, the god of cattle, and let us be yellow as gold, and let us cut our own weapons» [9, p. 31].

However, with the introduction to the new Christian faith, the polytheistic pantheon of pagan gods, some of which forever left the historical arena, certainly changed, the other part passed to the level of lower, domestic deities.

With the introduction to the Christian religion, Orthodox holidays, rites, traditions came to Kievan Rus, icons on which Byzantine saints were depicted at the beginning, later local saints, and local images of their patrons began to appear.

The worldview of merchants - warriors has also changed. He was replaced by the cult of St. Basil and the cult of St. Michael, which was reflected not only in the life of the population of Kievan Rus, but also influenced the princely worldview.

In this regard, the most famous of the Old Russian serpents, the so-called «Chernihiv hryvnia», is indicative as an example. This huge serpent belonged, as Rybakov B. A. wrote at one time, to the Prince of Kiev Vladimir Monomakh, who was lost by him on the hunt on the Belovos River near Chernigov, where Vladimir Monomakh, as you know, reigned from 1076/78 to 1094, these years determine the dating of the serpent.

Let us turn to the image of the old serpent itself: so in the center on the front side the image of St. Archangel Michael is given, then the ring Greek inscription "St., St., St.," then the ring wavy line of the world ocean is depicted, and on the outer edge the symbols of plant power are given, facing outward: Let everything around grow and flourish! The reverse side contains the usual spell inscription and the second inscription and help your slave Vasily. Vasily - the godname of Vladimir Monomakh [10, p. 675].

So, first, in our opinion, the first merchant people – «guests» - included, both Slavs and Scandinavians. Second, both traders and soldiers were called guests. - warriors, as evidenced by statistical data, and finally - thirdly, the worldview of the first trading people - "guests" was formed in a difficult living environment and the pagan gods Veles and Perun were peculiar spirits guardians who, with the introduction to the Christian religion, were replaced by the Christian patrons of St. Basil and St. Michael.

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