Рукописна та книжкова спадщина України (Jan 2023)
Ukrainian 16th century ecclesial chant ABCs in national and foreign scientific bibliography
Abstract
The goal of the research is to systematize aspects of analysis and to comprehend the results of some scientific researches where two neumatic (znamenny) ABCs from the Ukrainian ecclesial chant collections (1540s-1560s and 1590s) have been discussed. Methodology. Among the used general scientific and empirical methods, the major ones are: analytical review of researches content (using critical approach), systematization of diverse aspects of ABCs’ descriptions, and comparison of the scholars’ results with the originals. Scientific novelty. The analysis of researches dedicated to the Ukrainian 16th century’s ABC-lists was performed for the first time. The comparison of scholars’ results with originals has found both correct and incorrect statements. As of today, the extent of our knowledge is insufficient and does not allow us to prove that ABCs origin is indeed in Ukraine in mid-to late 16th century. Conclusions. During the last thirty years, the ABC dated back to 1590s (Lavr) from the Heirmologion, that allegedly originated from the West Ukrainian Lavrov Convent, has been studied by Dmitry Shabalin, Daniel Sawicki and Maria Kachmar. The authors have added supplementary data to their neume registers: “names” of Byzantine neumes (the predecessors of Ruthenian ones), note descriptions, verbal comments of how neumes were chanted, spiritual and symbolic meaning of signs etc. However, the main content of the ABCs lacks exhaustive characteristic. Graphic shapes and definitions of some signs are not correct. Unusual ABCs’ features are mostly not marked. Transliteration of ABC “names” of the Polissia Heirmologion includes misrepresented lexemes. Since particularities of ABCs are not precisely defined, they are perceived as typical monuments. The general description leads to scholars’ conclusion that Ruthenian ABCs are similar to 15th - 16th centuries’ Russian ABC-versions. This statement is partly correct as the ABCs do indeed have a lot in common, however, no identical monuments of traditional content exist. Thus, the differences between ABCs Lavr and Polissia are to be discovered by comparison of their detailed specifications, that should allow to recognize their uniqueness as well as geographical and time-origin.
