Tradition & Translation
Maciej Strykowski's Polish Chronicle in 17th Century Manuscripts
[English, Polish & Russian]


By Christine Watson
June 2012
Uppsala University
Distributed by
ISBN: 9789155483081
356 pages
$89.50 Paper original

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In the late 17th century, a large number of books were translated from Polish into Russian at the Diplomatic Chancellery in Moscow. Among others, the Polish historian Maciej Stryjkowski's major work Kronika Polska, Litewska Zmodzka i wszystkiej Rusi from 1582 was translated several times. The chronicle, which relates the origin and early history of the Slavic peoples, was very influential in Russian history writing. One of the translations, made in 1673-79, is the object of this study. Although historians have previously taken an interest in this text, its language is examined here for the first time.

The translation is only preserved in manuscripts, and only small excerpts have previously been published. This thesis contains an edition of three chapters, a summary of the historical and cultural background of the text, as well as a comprehensive study of the language of the translated chronicle. It is shown, on the one hand, that the text reflects a tradition that goes back to early Russian chronicles. On the other hand, it betrays influences from the Polish source text.

 

Studia Slavica Upsaliensia No. 46

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