The Verse about the Book of the Dove (Голубиная книга, Golubinaya Kniga) is a medieval Russian spiritual verse [ru].[1] At least 20 versions are known. They vary in length from 30 to over 900 lines. The poem is generally thought to have been written ca. 1500 in the Novgorod region, though Russian nationalists postulate its great antiquity. The earliest extant manuscript is dated to the 17th century.[2]
The kings of the Earth reading the Book of the Dove, a Symbolist painting by Nicholas Roerich
The main part of the Dove-Book is a long sequence of riddles. In a series of answers to those riddles, King David explains the origin of light, sun, moon, and social classes. He also mentions a mysterious stone "clept the Alatyr". Isabel Florence Hapgood describes the content of one version in the following terms:[3]
"The Dove Book" falls from Alatyr, the "burning white stone on the Island of Buyan", the heathen paradise, which lies far towards sunrise, in the "Ocean Sea". The heathen significance of the stone is not known, but it is cleverly explained in "The Dove Book" as the stone whereon Christ stood when he preached to his disciples. This "little book" ("forty fathoms long and twenty wide") was written by St. John the Evangelist, and no man can read it. The book is somewhat suggestive of the "little book" in Revelation. The prophet Isaiah deciphered only three pages of it in as many years. But the "most wise tsar David" undertakes to give, from memory, the book's answers to various questions put to him by Tsar Vladimir (as spokesman of a throng of emperors and princes). A great deal of curious information is conveyed - all very poetically expressed - including some odd facts in natural history, such as: that the Straphyl is the mother of birds, and that she lives, feeds, and rears her young on the blue sea, drowning mariners and sinking ships. Whenever she (or the Indrik-Beast) moves, an earthquake ensues.
The poem's folk cosmology and the title have been derived by Vladimir Toporov from the Bundahishn.[4] The root "golub" (dove) in title "Golubinaya" is not about birds. It is believed to be derived from the root "glub" (depth, deep), which refers to depth of concepts described in the book. Also it could originate from "sefer torah": truncated "sefer tor" can be translated to Russian as "dove book".[5]
^Ranchin, A. M. "ДУХО́ВНЫЕ СТИХИ́" [Spiritual Poems]. bigenc.ru.
^Mochulsky, V.N. (1887). Историко-литературный анализ стиха о Голубиной книге [Historical and literary analysis of the poem about the Dove book]. Warsaw: Mikhail Zemkevich Printing House.
^Hapgood, Isabel F. (1902). A Survey of Russian Literature, with Selections. New York; Chautauqua; Springfield; Chicago.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^ Toporov, V.N. (2006). Исследования по этимологии и семантике: Индоевропейские языки и индоевропеистика [Research on etymology and semantics: Indo-European languages and Indo-European studies]. pp. 225–226. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
^Arkhipov, A.A. "К истолкованию названия "Голубиная книга"" [To the interpretation of the name "Dove Book"] (PDF). inslav.ru (in Russian). pp. 174–177. Retrieved 14 January 2019. Этнолингвистика текста. Семиотика малых форм фольклора. I Тезисы и предварительные материалы к симпозиуму / ред. коллегия : Вяч. Вс. Иванов и др. ; Академия наук СССР, Институт славяноведения и балканистики. М., 1988
External linksEdit
Two versions of the poem (in Russian)
October 18, 2023
dove, book, verse, about, book, dove, Голубиная, книга, golubinaya, kniga, medieval, russian, spiritual, verse, least, versions, known, they, vary, length, from, over, lines, poem, generally, thought, have, been, written, 1500, novgorod, region, though, russia. The Verse about the Book of the Dove Golubinaya kniga Golubinaya Kniga is a medieval Russian spiritual verse ru 1 At least 20 versions are known They vary in length from 30 to over 900 lines The poem is generally thought to have been written ca 1500 in the Novgorod region though Russian nationalists postulate its great antiquity The earliest extant manuscript is dated to the 17th century 2 The kings of the Earth reading the Book of the Dove a Symbolist painting by Nicholas RoerichThe main part of the Dove Book is a long sequence of riddles In a series of answers to those riddles King David explains the origin of light sun moon and social classes He also mentions a mysterious stone clept the Alatyr Isabel Florence Hapgood describes the content of one version in the following terms 3 The Dove Book falls from Alatyr the burning white stone on the Island of Buyan the heathen paradise which lies far towards sunrise in the Ocean Sea The heathen significance of the stone is not known but it is cleverly explained in The Dove Book as the stone whereon Christ stood when he preached to his disciples This little book forty fathoms long and twenty wide was written by St John the Evangelist and no man can read it The book is somewhat suggestive of the little book in Revelation The prophet Isaiah deciphered only three pages of it in as many years But the most wise tsar David undertakes to give from memory the book s answers to various questions put to him by Tsar Vladimir as spokesman of a throng of emperors and princes A great deal of curious information is conveyed all very poetically expressed including some odd facts in natural history such as that the Straphyl is the mother of birds and that she lives feeds and rears her young on the blue sea drowning mariners and sinking ships Whenever she or the Indrik Beast moves an earthquake ensues The poem s folk cosmology and the title have been derived by Vladimir Toporov from the Bundahishn 4 The root golub dove in title Golubinaya is not about birds It is believed to be derived from the root glub depth deep which refers to depth of concepts described in the book Also it could originate from sefer torah truncated sefer tor can be translated to Russian as dove book 5 Several major Russian poets and artists of the early 20th century such as Nicholas Roerich and Andrey Bely were inspired by the Dove Book The Russian Orthodox Church had it banned as a heretical mixture of apocryphal Christian tales with pagan lore References Edit Ranchin A M DUHO VNYE STIHI Spiritual Poems bigenc ru Mochulsky V N 1887 Istoriko literaturnyj analiz stiha o Golubinoj knige Historical and literary analysis of the poem about the Dove book Warsaw Mikhail Zemkevich Printing House Hapgood Isabel F 1902 A Survey of Russian Literature with Selections New York Chautauqua Springfield Chicago a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint location missing publisher link Toporov V N 2006 Issledovaniya po etimologii i semantike Indoevropejskie yazyki i indoevropeistika Research on etymology and semantics Indo European languages and Indo European studies pp 225 226 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a work ignored help Arkhipov A A K istolkovaniyu nazvaniya Golubinaya kniga To the interpretation of the name Dove Book PDF inslav ru in Russian pp 174 177 Retrieved 14 January 2019 Etnolingvistika teksta Semiotika malyh form folklora I Tezisy i predvaritelnye materialy k simpoziumu red kollegiya Vyach Vs Ivanov i dr Akademiya nauk SSSR Institut slavyanovedeniya i balkanistiki M 1988External links EditTwo versions of the poem in Russian Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Dove Book amp oldid 1048929760, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
