Stryjkowski’s Chronicle (1582)

Nicholas Zharkikh

Shortened text of the section. Full text in ukrainian version

"Chronicle Polish, Lithuanian, Samogitian and All Russia", written by Matthew Stryjkowski (1547 – 1586..1593) was in Königsberg in 1582. There was used usual for Polish editions Gothic script. It made a huge impact on all subsequent historiography. From the fables, introduced by Stryjkowski, history of the countries of Eastern Europe are not released until today, and it is not known, available to ever do.

In 1846, Nikolai Malinovsky in Warsaw made a reprint chronicle in 2 volumes (. ), which is much easier to read.

There is no scientific publication of the work up to date.

Conclusions

1. The primary source of the group "Lithuanian and Russian chronicles" appears in Stryjkowski was Lit1L, systematically used throughout the "Chronicle." This is not news, this fact had been established by Ignatius Danilovich [J. Danilovich About Lithuanian chronicles. – Journal of the Ministry of Education, 1840, number 11, Dep. 2, ch. 5: Bychowiec chronicle is the same as the chronicle of princes Zaslavsky, about what Stryjkowski talked] and before him – even I. Klimashevsky (1830), whose article went unnoticed. Our analysis confirms this first achievement in the field of study "Lithuanian" chronicles.

All attempts by many authors point out the differences in the annals used Stryjkowski from Lit1L are inconclusive.

2. In addition, one can quite clearly say on the use in the "Chronicle" Vit4L copy.

3. The third "Lithuanian" chronicle, which probably was used by Stryjkowski, determined less confident. There is no doubt that it belonged to a group derived from Lit0L. There is some reason to believe that it was Lit5L, but it still requires further study.

4. Any "Belarusian" chronicles Stryjkowski had not used. All the fragments that come from Bil0L – are among borrowings from Bil0L in "Vytautas" chronicle (apparently the same Vit4L).

5. Any Moscow chronicle Stryjkowski had not used. All references and citations of this kind are derived from S. Herberstein extracts of Moscow chronicles.

6. As the transition from the fabulous times to the historical ones part of information borrowed from the "Lithuanian" chronicles decreases, while the part of loans from Polish chronicles growing rapidly.

7. Stryjkowski not limited to a simple copying of fragments "Lithuanian" chronicles, he rearranges them according to his understanding, choosing often the smallest details that escaped from their natural context and fall into a new one. In addition, Stryjkowski not hesitate to complement this information own imagination works, sometimes quite skillfully stylized like "Lithuanian" chronicles. This fact excludes the possibility of reconstruction of lost places "Lithuanian" chronicles on the basis of the Stryjkowski text.

8. "Chronicle" Stryjkowski can not be used as a historical source – it can only be used to study the history of social thought and historiography (the history of historical thought), to determine the level of historical knowledge and techniques scripture stories 4th quarter of the 16th century.

9. "Chronicle" should be removed from the shelf "historical sources", where it was placed "an oversight and does not cope with the matter," and move on the shelf "fiction" – between the songs of Ossian-Macpherson, and the novel "Zakhar Berkut". As a fiction book, one can read the chronicle "with pleasure and not without moral."