The direct name - in Russia in the XIV - XVI centuries, the Christian name , which the baby named after the saint, whose memory was celebrated on the day of his birth (or on the 8th, etc., there were different payment systems).
Was an additional, "non-public" name; in the overwhelming majority of cases, a person was called by another, main name, which was a traditional name in his family [1] . Best of all, the phenomenon of such doubleness is studied in the Rurikovich family (see the Generic Names of Rurikovich ). There is evidence of the existence of such a double-mindedness and outside the princely family, and even among ordinary people (where, like the princes, she also continued the pagan-Christian tradition).
The non-public direct name, as it were, came “by itself”, did not depend on the will of the parents of the infant, and was determined by divine providence. And the public princely name, on the contrary, was chosen deliberately, and corresponded not only to the calendar, but also to dynastic interests [2] .
Feature
By origin, this two-name, obviously, is associated with the previously existing pagan-Christian two-name, when Rurikovich bore a family pre-Christian name (used most often officially) and a baptismal Christian (used only in church context): for example, Yaroslav-George (the Wise) , Vladimir- Basil (Monomakh) and others. By the beginning of the 15th century, the pagan names of the princes were practically not used, but the custom to have a “throne” name (already Christian), appealing to the names of ancestors, and an “unofficial” name appealing to The fixed calendar, although in a transformed form, has been preserved.
F. B. Uspensky points out that the transformation of this ambiguity from semi-pagan to fully Christian could have as an example a completely normal system from the point of view of Orthodoxy — when a person actually had two Christian names, but received the second upon tonsure [3] .
The reason for the emergence of such a tradition, researchers consider the “pressure of the calendars”, in which the child was obliged to receive the name according to the calendar, however, this did not correspond to the goals of the generic names, and therefore a similar exit appeared [4] . In addition, the presence of several patron saints at the prince fully answered the ancient tradition. In addition, “she was no stranger to some esotericism, the“ shadowing ”of one of the prince’s naming” [4] . “Throughout the history of Rurik, there is a clear pattern: the prince must have a“ public ”name and a“ non-public ”name. Initially, the “public” are the original pagan names, and the “non-public” are Christian. As soon as Christian names become the main, so to speak, official names, become the property of the gens, a second layer of Christian naming is formed, one way or another connected with the date of birth and the personal fate of the prince, a set of additional, “non-public” Christian names ” [5 ] .
The names of these persons used in public life (Dmitry, Ivan, Vasily) were generic, dynastic names of Rurikovich, but were also named, of course, in honor of certain saints ( Dimitri Solunsky , John of the Ladder , John the Forerunner , etc.). Thus, both saints - “calendar” and “throne” - were considered the heavenly patrons of man. To ascertain exactly which of these names was baptismal is, in many cases, difficult [2] . The owners of the names worshiped both their patrons: for example, St. John and St. Titus are depicted on the preserved icons and panagias of Ivan the Terrible.
- One of the first examples in the XIV century is Prince Dmitry Konstantinovich Suzdal ( 1323 - 1383 ), who by the end of his life had 3 Christian names. According to the chronicles, he was called in baptism by the name “Thomas”, and before his death he accepted monasticism under the name “Theodore”, chosen for the baptismal name [6] .
- Ivan III , who was born on the day of St Timothy , is called “Timothy-John” in some sources.
- His son Basil III had a "direct name" Gabriel. In the tonsure, he took the name Barlaam.
- Son of Vasily III, Ivan IV the Terrible - Tit, the name Smaragd is also used.
- The two dead in childhood son of Tsar Ivan the Terrible, the eldest (1552–1553) and the famous younger (1582–1591), Tsarevich Dmitry, were probably namesakes and by their “direct name” - both called Uarami, named after the martyr Uara (Vara), the celebration of which falls on October 19 - the birthday of one of them.
- The patron saint of Boris Godunov was Theodotus of Ancyra . In the tonsure he was named “Bogolep” (tracing from the Greek “Theoprepy” - “befitting of God”) [7]
The first signs of the birth of this tradition can be seen at the end of the XII century, when in the annals messages about the birth of a baby are already recorded in the format: “born on the day of the memory of Saint A, and named in baptism by the name B” [8] .
By the seventeenth century, the "direct" name was out of use; The kings and princes of the Romanov family already use only one Christian name.
Notes
- ↑ Litvin AF , Uspensky F. B. The choice of the name of the Russian princes in the X — XVI centuries. Dynastic history through the prism of anthroponymy . - M .: Indrik , 2006. - 904 p. - 1000 copies - ISBN 5-85759-339-5 . . P. 176
- ↑ 1 2 Litvin ... There. Pp. 202
- ↑ Litvin ... Ibid. P. 177.
- ↑ 1 2 Litvin. In the same place ... p. 205
- ↑ Litvin ... Ibid. Pp. 214
- ↑ Litvin ... Ibid. P. 197
- ↑ “For the first time, the art historian V.I. Antonov was able to solve the mystery of the second name of Boris Godunov, compiling a catalog of icons of the Tretyakov Gallery [720]. The image of the patron saint Godunov - Theodotus of Ancyra is also found in the paintings of the church of the village of Vyazemy, and in the famous contributions of the Godunov family to the Trinity-Sergiyev monastery: the so-called “pearl” cover “The Cross on Golgotha”, which was under the icon of the Trinity of Andrei Rublev, and put on the coffin Sergius of Radonezh "(Vyacheslav Kozlyakov - Boris Godunov. The tragedy of the good king)
- ↑ Litvin ... Ibid. Pp. 211