Problems of linguo-poetic reconstruction of proto-Slavic and Old Ukrainian pre-Christian poetry
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17721/um/56(2026).218-239Keywords:
Old Ukrainian (Old Rus’, Kyivan Rus’) language, pre-Christian oral poetry, poetic formulas, “The Tale of Ihor’s Campaign”Abstract
Background. The key role of pre-Christian beliefs in the Ukrainian cultural history is usually accepted, but the reconstruction of such texts was yet not an aim of the previous scientific researches. Two levels of such reconstructions are proposed in this research: Proto-Slavic and Old Ukrainian ones.
Methods. Different types of the Ukrainian folklore texts could represent a material for linguistic reconstructions such as transformations (transpositions) into Old Ukrainian language of Kyivan Rus. The aim of such reconstructions is to eliminate many errors, caused by re-singing and rewriting of the ancient texts. ,
Results. The reconstruction of Old Ukrainian pre-Christian poetry is not only possible but also very promising. It could be based on both Ukrainian folklore and Old Ukrainian texts. Among other genres, Ukrainian mythological kolyadkas, poetic charms in the folktales, and some fragments of the “Tale of Ihor’s Campaign” were chosen as a material for the research. Based on the consonances (considered magical in the ancient thought), several formulas, ascribed to the pre-Christian period, were reconstructed. “The Tale of Ihor’s Campaign” combined models of the folklore wedding and folktale; the latter itself often also based on the wedding scenario. The important feature of the folklore poetry is a variability of the texts and their formulas, like these: *Среди двóра зеленъ яворъ, // Подъ яворомъ чрьни бобьри; середъ моря / зеленъ яворъ, // на яворѣ / три ворона. One among possible results of such reconstructions is the formation of the corpus of formulas – not only stable folklore stamps but also poetic charms which elements are joined by consonances (*добръ дѫб(р)ъ, cf. дѫбрава, *ясьнъ мѣсѧць from *мѧс-ьць, *чьрьнъ воронъ from Proto-Slavic *wornŭ). The most archaic level of formulaic poetic reconstructions in this research is Proto-Slavic one (deeper Proto-Indo-European level is generally omitted here).
Conclusions. The pre-Cristian period of the Ukrainian history was marked by the usage of the oral poetic language, considered sacral because of magical consonances. These consonances helped to remember and transit the poetry through many generations. Mythological kolyadkas (calendrical songs, later linked to the Christmas, but more archaic than Christianity) and poetic charms in the folktales contain very archaic formulas, traced to the pre-Christian period.
Keywords. Old Ukrainian (Old Rus’, Kyivan Rus’) language, pre-Christian oral poetry, poetic formulas, “The Tale of Ihor’s Campaign”
About the author:
Yurii Mosenkis – Doctor of Philology, Professor in the Department of Ukrainian Language and Applied Linguistics at the Educational and Research Institute of Philology, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv
ORCID ID: 0000-0002-9957-0585
e-mail: yu.mosenkis@knu.ua
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Copyright (c) 2026 Юрій Мосенкіс, д-р філол. наук, проф.
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