Belarusian fine art is known to possess and enjoy its own remarkable millennium history that has been saturated with numerous cultural and esthetic phenomena. One of its most complicated and, probably, most important period comprises old literature, which has been represented in this book by various texts of the 11th — 18th centuries. It should be emphasized that mainly within this long period of time the archetype, image and nature of a Belarusian had been formed. The existence of Belarus on a modern map of the world owes primarily to its glorious past with its white-red-and-white banner and a victorious horseman… It does exist in spite of the adverse times and sometimes even tragic conditions of historical development. The fact, that existence of Belarus has been preconditioned by the previous epochs, has been proved by the XIX century when Adam Mitskevich[1] and a large number of his followers were very much concerned about continuity in cultural traditions, awakening of historical memory and formation of national consciousness. History of Old Belarusian literature proves clearly the fact that a written word in ancient Slavonic world tended to often be an active deed and participant of social life; similar tendency could be observed in following epochs as well.

Being an integral part of the overall European context, the Belarusian literature emerged within the frame of the Slavonic cultural and historical type, the latter comprising unique artistic, religious, social and economic conditions. Cultural and historical type of Slavonic formation had developed its expressive outlines at the time of dominance of Holy Roman Empire and Byzantium in Europe, i.e. the two major public and political forces of that time. Belonging to one of them, developing of the adaptation strategy, preconditioned by religious background, as well as adjustment of folklore and ethnic traditions, tended to influence upon the nature of literary development and evolution of artistic genres.

It was mainly Christianization of Eastern Slavonic lands that contributed to development of education and appearance of book-printing and literary tradition. Eastern Slavs had adopted Christianity in 988. This fact can serve as an answer to the question on why the first eastern Slavonic chronicle the „Tale of the Bygone Years” appeared in the Greek, Byzantium version. Ambassadors of Uladzimir, the Duke of Kiev, were sent down to Germans, Bulgarians and Greeks to study their religious rites:

We joined Bulgarians to see how they worship in their temples, called mosques; they would stand there engirdled, or one would bow and sit down looking around like crazy. There is no fun in their worship, only sorrow, plus it stinks everywhere. Their religion is no good. Then we went down to the German lands and observed various services in their temples, but, again, we saw no beauty there. Finally, we came to Greece and they brought us to where they serve their god, and we could not realize whether we were on earth or in heaven, as we have not seen such beauty in real life; we cannot even describe it properly in words. We do only realize that their god is among people and their service is much better as compared to any other countries. We can hardly forget that beauty, as anyone who happened to have tasted something sweet would never eat anything bitter; that is why we cannot worship pagan gods anymore.

It was clear that a definite religion, that was selected to be introduced in Eastern Slavonic lands, was preconditioned by definite historical developments of Eastern Slavs as well as their geographical position, definite political, cultural and economic ties. It is quite obvious that steady dynamics in development of culture and education had been achieved only after adoption of Christianity. It was mainly in Byzantium, where Cyril and Mefodiy, the two brothers, carried out their sacrificial ascetic apostolic duties and borrowed for the Slavs the first systemic alphabet as well as translation of numerous Greek books; all that began to form the Old Slavonic, the Old Russian literary language and book writing. Both Eastern Christian Church and Byzantium (in contrast to Rome) did not prevent, but, on the contrary, favored creation of written language among neophytes, development of folk culture on its basis as well as translation of religious books into local languages and organization of church services in their regional Old Church Slavonic language.

In the „Tale of the Bygone Years” BEAUTY (as the main category of esthetics) had been specified as the major reason why the Eastern Slavs, Russins, had chosen Christianity as their religion. It was mainly on principles of beauty and harmony that the whole world had been created and preserved until nowadays. Ambassadors of Uladzimir had obviously visited the Church of St. Sofia, the main church of Constantinople, which had been erected in 532-537 on the top of the high hill next to the Palace of Emperor. The church could be seen from faraway, both on land and on sea. It served not only as a symbol of power of Byzantium but as the main sacred place of the Christian East. Karip, a that time poet, called the church a wonder of the world, that outshone the beauty and luxury of the Temple of Solomon and which resembled a true reflection of Heaven. Thus, the above quoted fragment of the Chronicle was the first written document, which claimed one of the determinative traits of cultural and historical type of Slavonic formation, i.e. prevalence of feelings, emotions over the artificial mental images and conclusions This trait is of special importance nowadays because the scientific and technical unification, globalization processes caused the realistic danger of loss of identity and individual nature of the whole peoples.

Evolution of artistic word and culture illustrates the fact how spiritual of a people arises from the mental one (1 P. Paul Karif.; 15:44). In the literary monuments of the past one can trace a difficult transition path from the pagan times to the Old Testament state of Christianity as well as visualize the struggle between light and darkness of the human soul. Until the present time humankind had not invented anything more of current importance in its moral and ethical essence, more universal than the eternal ancient Ten Commandments as well as the call to master moral capabilities of people, expressed by Jesus Christ during his Sermon on the Mount. These commandments get only explained, interpreted, verified or retold as one can not invent laws of evolution, cosmic rhythms, i.e. they can only be learned and cognized to some extent. It is remarkable that the sources of Belarusian, Russian and Ukrainian education and fiction goes back in their roots to the books of the Holy Bible, the latter having been translated into the Old Church Slavonic, which had served as a common language for all Slavs until the 12th century. Right after adoption of Christianity the works by Yafrem Siryn, Iaan Damaskin, Iaan Zlatavust had become of major importance. It had been already in the 9th-10th century when hymn by famous Byzantium poets Gregory Naziyanzin and Iaan Damaskin had been already translated in Eastern Europe, i.e. Bulgaria and Serbia. The belles-lettres works had also been widely popularized, i.e. Greek and Byzantium chronicles, Christian Topography, A Six-Day Book, Physiologist, novels Alexandria and Troy as well as the number of other fiction books. It is clear that translated works had to significant degree served as a good example and stimulus for creation of original belle-lettres works. Periodization of old Belarusian literature is based on historical and chronological principle, i.e. major periods in development of literature have been specified in compliance with cornerstones in the history of Belarusian people and their state organization.

Acquaintance with Old Literature should start with the „Tale of the Bygone Years”, which is known to serve as a common literary and historical work of all the three East Slavonic peoples.

Literature of common East Slavonic period (11th -13th centuries) or Literature of Ancient Rus’ (Russia) belongs equally to Belarusians, Russians and Ukrainians. It emerged as the result of bloom of Ancient (Old) Rus’ with its center in Kiev (10th — 12th centuries), strengthening of the Polatsk principality as well as development of the Charnihau and Turava-Pinsk principlaties. It was mainly within the frame of ethnographic Belarusian lands when the most luxurious belle-lettres activities developed at that time. In about 1050-1055 Duke Usiaslau had erected the Church of St. Safiya in Polatsk, which was the third magnificent one in Eastern Europe and the fourth one in the world. Erection of that church served as a proof of state independence of the Polatsk principality (which was actually the first Belarusian state), its equality with powerful southern and northern neighbors; in Kiev the Church of St. Safiya had been constructed within 40 years and in Nouharad — in 1050).

Kiryla Turauski was recognized as another Zlatavust, only in Belarus (Iaan Zlatavust (347-407), a citizen of Byzantium, was known to be the first famous representative of belles-lettres style). His eight sermon-words, several novel-parables, two canons and about thirty prayers, which had reached our times, represent our legendary citizen of Turau as the greatest poet of Slavonic world of the second half of the 12th century. Although all his works had been created for needs of Church and Kiryla Turauski did not obviously consider himself to be a writer and a poet, nevertheless, they are soaked with harmonious balance of an idea as well as content and form of presentation of this idea. That very spiritual matter, which was created by his hand and mind, had to be beautiful, effective in order to inspire and change the environment in general and man as its integral part. Two other famous Belarusian enlighteners, i.e. Yefrasinnia Polatskaya and Auramiy Smalenski also served the same honorable goal.

At the end of the 12th century the common culture of Belarusians, Ukrainians and Russians gave birth to an outstanding literary world monument named Narrative about Campaign of Igor. The anonymous author of the poem demonstrated profound knowledge of the events current in Polatsk of that time. Description of the Niamiha battle of 1067 served as a symbol of self-destructive slaughter, as the result of which Mensk had been unmercifully turned into ruins. As a literary genre Narrative is recognized as a complicated artistic phenomenon, which combines an epic song, a military and heroic novel as well as the declamatory word. All levels of the poem are saturated with a universal theme, i.e. love to Motherland, call to unite in the fight against common enemy. In the light of further historical development of Eastern Slavonic lands that had finally served as the arena of two world wars in the 20th century, wise patriotism of the author of Narrative had become even more up to date and gained additional moral and ethical grounds for its survival. It has already become a tradition that from ancient times the Slavs had to withstand the danger of physical annihilation as well as spiritual and national assimilation.

Literature of common Eastern Slavonic period had been created on the basis of the Old Church Slavonic language, the latter being often called Old Russian, as it comprised also the regional lexicon of native speakers who had been scattered all over the vast territories of the Old Russian state. Live accents of the Dryhavichy, Kryvichy and Radzimichy, i.e. the tribes, which played the decisive role in formation of the Belarusian people, predetermined specific features of the Belarusian language and displayed through it their psychophysiological and spiritual background. Any language is known to be closely connected with the way of thinking, perception of reality, development of various skills and creative capabilities. The Old Russian state, comprising vast geographical terrain, had inevitably evolved into consolidation of peculiarities of three eastern Slavonic ethnical unities, i.e. Belarusians, Russians and Ukrainians as well as their own languages and culture. It is worth mentioning that the name of Belaya Rus’ (White Rus’) had been specified in the literary monuments of abroad in the middle of the 13th century while in the native chronicles it had been mentioned about for the first time in 1315 (the Ipatsyeuski Chronicle).

Period of formation of authentic Belarusian literature (14th — 15th century) had been directly connected with the rise of the Grand Duchy of Litwa, i.e. the second example (after Polatsk) of the Belarusian state organization. Belarusian ethnic element tended to dominate in political, economic and cultural life of the Duchy; Belarusian lands comprised the bulk of its territories. The Belarusian language had been developed to such an extent that it could serve the purposes of state administration and was recognized as the national (state) language. The Belarusian language was used to create all legislation acts of the Grand Duchy of Litwa: i.e. The Vislitski Charter of 1423-1438, Legal Code of Kazimir Yahailavich of 1468, Charters of 1529, 1566, 1588, the Tribunal of 1586 as well as the large number of documents attributed to the Metrics of the Grand Duchy of Litwa, i.e. archives that comprised numerous hundreds of volumes. Novaharodak became the first capital of the newly formed state in the second half of the 13th century. Mikola Yermalovich, a famous Belarusian historian, had clearly proved the fact (based on numerous references) that the Old Litwa was originally located in the upper part of the Nioman River within the territory of modern Belarus and it has nothing in common with the territories of present-day Lithuania, the historical center of the latter being Zhamoitsiya (Lower lands — Transl.) and Aukshtaitsiya (Upper lands — Transl.). How did Old Litwa, having been conquered by the neighboring Novaharodak, manage to have saved its name and even expanded it? According to M. Yermalovich, it was to a great degree due to the fact that it occupied the central place among the historic Belarusian lands, i.e. Polatsk, Turau and Novaharodak. European history also remembers the fact when the conquered Baltic land (Prussia) had not only saved its authentic name but managed to have expanded it westwards and reached Berlin. M. Yermalovich has soundly stated that Grand Duchy of Litwa was a polyethnic state; however, according to the history of its formation within the territory of Belarus (where its nucleus was located), in compliance with dominance of Belarusian culture and the Belarusian language in the state, the Duchy was primarily a Belarusian state.[2] It is also worth mentioning the fact that mainly the „Pahonia”, the Coat of Arms of Novaharodak, had become the state coat of arms of the Grand Duchy of Litwa. Unfortunately, for centuries the Belarusian past had been deliberately and thoroughly falsified by both neighbors from the east and west. It can be explained by the fact how geopolitically attractive the Belarusian lands were.

Strengthening of political centralization, activation of the process of formation of a Belarusian people had been obviously preconditioned by the development of the business written language and creation of chronicles, the latter comprising the new patriotic and state concept. At the same time, solid connection of ideal and artistic traditions of the previous epoch was present. Actually, from the point of view of esthetic peculiarities, the 11th-15th centuries are known to be one universal period, which is specified as a medieval literature with its theocentrical vision of the world and man’s place in it. It is symptomatic that traditions of Kiryla Turauski had been continued at the beginning of the 15th century in the Grand Duchy of Litwa by Hryhoriy Tsamblak who was known to be a gifted and very active personality; he contributed immensely to the development of that time Bulgarian, Serbian and Rumanian literature.

The period between the 16th and the first half of the 17th century is known to be the most productive in the history of the development of Old Belarusian literature. The Golden Age in development of Belarus was opened by Frantsysk Skaryna from Polatsk, who pioneered his monumental publishing and educational activities. Having absorbed wisdom of books and gotten educated in Krakow, Padua and Prague, he realized how productive Renaissance process for Belarus could be in its Byzantium-Slavonic form.

Experience in creation of cultural and historical type of Slavonic formation as well as controversial realities of modern times (when the issues of primitive survival of man come above all) make us reevaluate to a definite extent the role of Western European Renaissance in the world history. Its orientation towards antiquity and frontal rejection of deep Christian values happened to be alien to the Slavonic world, which for centuries was forced to heroically withstand Islamization of Europe, had to defend their Motherland, ethnic and spiritual ideals. Philosophical, ethnic, social, political, esthetic as well as state and legal views of F. Skaryna could primarily serve as the result of comprehension of life as a gift presented to us by the Lord.

His activities aimed to develop and master the spiritual principles in national identity as well as spiritual growth of an individual. Huge heritage of the Belarusian enlightener is full of Christian and ethical concept of life.

The Song about Bison by Mikola Husouski is truly recognized to be the pearl of the Belarusian literary Golden Age. The poet demonstrated himself in his works as a successor of early Christian values and his world outlook matched the ideas of Slavonic and Byzantium Renaissance. The 16th century had significantly served as the Golden Age for Belarusian literature as it revived spirituality, developed and cultivated at the times of Yeufrasinnia Polatskaya, Kiryla Turauski. Mikola Husouski was well aware of the requirements of the Renaissance esthetics, which denied medieval conditional character, idealistic vision of the world; Renaissance was expecting from him the works full of concrete life matter. In the final part of his poem, i.e. in the prayer for Motherland, for Christianity, for beliefs of Jesus Christ, Mikola Husouski reaches the top of human spirit and mainly spiritual experience of the present. It means that his Song with its temporal perspective splits into the historical expanse. The poet’s words sound as a specific will at the thorny paths of the Belarusian national ascension.

The Chronicle of Byhavets turned out to be an important stage in development of Belarusian historical prose of ancient times. This written monument emerged on the basis of the Belarusian First and Second Codes as well as some other sources. In reality it serves as the third Belarusian Chronicle Code, being all-state and all-Belarusian as well as more complete as compared to the previous ones. At the same time more than half of the Chronicle comprises the original text, in which the authors conveys his attitude towards the events, personalities and demonstrates himself as a talented writer. Primarily, he acts as a patriot and a true citizen of Belarus as the central topic of his Chronicle concentrates on military and patriotic issues.

Geographical location of Belarus in the center of Europe, at the interfaces between western and eastern micro-regions, i.e. Pax Slavia Orthodoxa and Pax Slavia Latina, preconditioned polyphonic nature of its historical, civic and cultural types of development as well as its cultural and religious structure. At the beginning of 16th century the peoples of Grand Duchy of Litwa worshipped not only Christianity (in the form of Orthodox and Catholic religion) but also Judaism and Islam, which coexisted and cooperated pretty well together. Reformation has also found cordial support in the hearts of Belarusian magnates. Such outstanding representatives of reformation movement as Symon Budny and Vasil Tsiapinski, following traditions of F. Skaryna, contributed to expansion of education and development of the Belarusian language. V. Tsiapinski in his famous Foreword to the bilingual edition of the Old Testament tried to prove the fact that the Holy Bible should enter the soul of a man in his native language, at least on analogy with any other books.

The Belarusian Golden Age developed at the background of continuous struggle among public ideological and religious-political movements. Reformation results in counter-Reformation, which had to liquidate aftermath of the previous period and to take the revenge in the Grand Duchy of Litwa for the number of defeats of Catholicism in Western Europe. The Liublin State Union of 1596 and the Brest Church Union of 1596 turned out to be a serious trial for the citizens of the Duchy. Under the conditions of acute anti-feudal, national and religious struggle the role of literature had significantly increased. Publishing houses had bee set up in cities and smaller towns. For example, in 1568-1570 Ivan Fiodarau and Piotr Mstsislavets worked hard at the estate publishing house, owned by Ryhor Hadkevich, publishing various materials. The Suprasl’ monastery turned out to be the forefront of Christianity at the western borders of the Duchy. It had been founded in 1499 by Iosif Soltan and Aliaksandr Hadkevich. Initially at this monastery the books we manually re-written and later on numerous religious as well as civic books had been published there.

The epoch of counter-Reformation gave birth to appearance and rise of polemic literature of various orientations, i.e. the one edited by Catholics, Orthodox believers, Protestants and Uniats (Greek Church believers). Of course, the forces were not equal as both Catholics and Uniats enjoyed support on the part of the state with its numerous tools of influence upon the population. And sometimes even such experienced personalities like Mialetsiy Smatrytski would break down and fail to withstand that influence. However, from the perspective of the bygone centuries one can see that sacrifice of such activists like Liavontsiy Karpovich, Afanasiy Filipovich, the Zizaniy brothers was not in vain. They have embodied an example of patriotic servitude, loyalty to values granted to man at birth.

Belarusian literature of the 16th — the first half of the 17th century impresses with its genre- and plot-related versatility. Poetry had been conceived and successfully developing at that time. Its rise had been associated with the name of Frantsishak Skaryna. At the initial stage priority was given to poetry composed in Latin, on analogy with numerous other European literatures. Latin was used by Yan Vislitski to glorify historical victory at Grunwald in his poem The Prussian War, by Mikola Husouski to express his patriotic feelings in his poem Song about Bison as well as by Symon Budny who composed his panegiric poems. Almost simultaneously, i.e. in the second half of the 16th century works in Old Belarusian began to appear. Andrei Rymsha, Liavon Mamonich as well as the number of anonymous authors developed Belarusian syllabic poetry primarily in the form of epigrams and poems-addresses. Evolution of their poetry ranged from glorification of famous people to expression of patriotic feelings.

Historical and memoir prose has been introduced in this book by the Letters of the Orsha city elder Filon Siamionavich Kmita-Charnabylski, correspondence of members of the Royal Board of the Grand Duchy of Litwa. Secret reports about life in the area along the boarder line, military actions, plans of Ivan the Terrible, a Russian tsar, can also serve as examples of old belles-lettres style, which was characterized by presence emotional coloring, artistic expression, presence of numerous epithets, nimble comparisons, sayings and proverbs. At the age of 57 a Navahrudak resident Fiodar Mihailavich Yelashouski began writing his memoirs. His rich life experience had been presented in the form of annual notes that were typical for the chronicle style. He obviously used his diary notes from the past. Such form of self-expression, necessity to put a pen to paper and to relive again the events of the past and to cast a glance at them from the distance of time became rather popular among representatives of the Belarusian gentry. In such cases self-rating of each individual had been confirmed as well as his/her unique role in the world. The Barkalabauski Chronicle also presents a great deal of interest as it concentrates mostly on public and political life of the epoch in contrast to Memoirs by F. Yeulashouski.

Appearance of heroi-comical and satirical works, represented by Speech of Mialeshka and A Letter Addressed to Abuhovich, is recognized to be a significant event in the history of development of the Belarusian literature of the 17th century. These works occupied an important place in prose heritage of that period. In contrast to historical and business notes, which had been written in a spontaneous way, the authors of Speech of Mialeshka and A Letter Addressed to Abuhovich had deliberately domesticated the comic style, imitated the Soym speech and a business letter. These works were written using a bright and picturesque language, which was close to the rural dialects.

The epoch of counter-Reformation gave birth to the Baroque style, which was characterized by its mystic, paradox, combination of real and unreal, contrast of scales and dramatic environment. Poetry of Baroque favored enucleating of complicated, controversial civic and political processes in the Grand Duchy of Litwa in the 16th — first half of the 17th century. M. Smatritski with his Trenas is treated within the course of history of belles-lettres style as a founder of Belarusian Baroque in literature.

Specific features of late Baroque style prevailed in literature of the next period as well, the latter being recognized as a transitional one and which covered the second half of the 17th and the 18th century. Simiaon Polatski is known to be the most outstanding representative of that epoch who had contributed so much to the Belarusian syllabic as well as Russian poetry. Creative work of Simiaon Polatsky had gradually shifted from one epoch into another. That was at the time of Baroque when the pioneer works of Belarusian drama had emerged. Those were small intermedial plays staged between the intervals of the drama plays at school theaters.

The eve of the new Belarusian artistic tradition had developed under the most adverse economic and political conditions. The Belarusian language was pushed out of everyday life. All publishing houses, but for the one in Mahiliou, had been closed down. Belarusian literature returned again to manuscripts and anonymous works. Within the transitional period the majority of local authors used either Polish, Latin of Old Church Slavonic and later or Russian to create their works.

It is quite clear that the age of Enlightenment with it cult of knowledge, science and wisdom in life of man could not miss the Belarusian literature as well. It has been displayed in literature through classical and sentimental tendencies, which served as the basis for overcoming the long-lasting crisis in the Belarusian literature. Such poetic anonymous works like the Resurrection, Song of Belarusian Soldiers as well as the Comedy by Kaetan Marasheuski serve as the representatives of the newly-born artistic tradition; this can be seen both in contents and language of the works.

Aliaksandr Belski (1834-1916), a Belarusian ethnographer, historian and economist, who was well known in broad public and cultural circles of Belarus, Poland, Russia and Ukraine, made an attempt in his article Adam Mitskevich in Belarus to ascertain the historical sense of national idea. He wrote:

„ Every time when it goes about Mitskevich and his modest home place, involuntarily it arises the question on why so many outstanding men of home science and art like Hadkevich, Nesialouski, Reitan, Kastsiushka, Bahushevich, Maniushka, Mitskevich, Chachot, Kandratovich, Zan, Zdanovich, Prozar, Bartashevich, Semiradski, Krasheuski and many others had been given birth here in this land? This must be a very rich soil to have given such a generous harvest!...

Also, this people that isscattered over vast territories, i.e. from the waterhead of the Dniapro to the Buh and the Narva, from the Viliya to the Prypiats, enjoys ancient history. Its home cradle is the stronghold of ancient Slavic traditions, the country of heroes, guslars, patriarchal relations and sacrifice for noble ideals!”[3]

The above are obviously the words that have not been written by a inhabitant of some kind of a „Russian province” but by an inheritor and a citizen of a large and recently well-developed European state with its own language, law, remarkable culture as well as with its former enviable historic destiny. It is clear that A. Yelski had all the reasons to be proud of the past of his Motherland.

Translated by Ivan BURLYKA

From: Halina Tvaranovich Starabelaruskaya litaratura XI-XvIII st.st. (Old Belarusian Literature of the 11th-18th century). Vydavetstva -Universitet u Belastoku, 2004.

Halina Tvaranovich is a professor of the Bialystok University, Poland