Life and death of Knyaz Mykhailo of Chernihiv in ancient ukrainian literature

Abstract

The article examines ancient Ukrainian literary works about the life and tragic death in the Horde of Prince (Kniaz) Mykhailo of Chernihiv. The article aims to trace the process of literary transformation of the ancient story and to introduce this material into the circle of research in Ukrainian medieval studies. The content of the story reflects events from the life of Mykhailo of Chernihiv, focusing on his journey with boyar Fedir to the Horde in 1245 to obtain permission from Batu Khan to own lands in Rus. There, they refused to bow to the khan according to Mongolian custom, and were killed for it. Ancient authors saw this as a Christian feat, and Mykhailo was proclaimed a saint. This is how he appears in the «life» created by Dmytro Tuptalo. This life (early 18th century) does not fit into the Byzantine hagiographic canon because it does not tell the whole life of Mykhailo, but focuses only on his stay in the Horde, where tragic events occur that are intended to move the reader and evoke sympathy for the martyr, a faithful Christian. In addition, the hagiography was written in the Baroque period, so it is characterized by pomp and circumlocution, emblematic and symbolic images, rhetorical figures, authorial reflections, and quotations from other texts, which ultimately play a role in reinforcing the highly moral image of Mykhailo. The prince is portrayed differently in the Galician-Volhynian Chronicle: it does not emphasize Mykhailo’s feat, but praises Danylo Halytskyi, who obtained permission from the khan by obeying non-Christian customs. The deaths of Mykhailo of Chernihiv and his boyar Fedir in the Horde are striking, and historical events fade into the background, becoming the background for the depiction of strong personalities. It cannot be said that Mykhailo of Chernihiv is a strong personality. Rather, he is a victim of the circumstances. He was credited with heroism, and Danylo Halytskyi with diplomatic wisdom. This is despite the fact that the Mongol-Tatar invasion pushed back the development of the ancient Ukrainian lands for several centuries, bringing decline and languishing on the edge of Europe that survived that horror.