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Slavic Paganism in Medieval Christian Writings
Ink, Cross, and Pagan Gods
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How did medieval Christian writers shape our understanding of Slavic paganism? What prompted men like Thietmar of Merseburg, Saxo Grammaticus, Cosmas of Prague, or the anonymous Old Russian preacher to write detailed accounts of Slavic rituals, deities, and nearly forgotten tales? This volume examines the discursive strategies these authors used to describe, distort, and redefine pre-Christian Slavic religion. Through over a dozen case studies, the author explores texts, archaeological evidence, and ethnographic data that reveal how Christianity attempted to reframe pagan traditions. With innovative interpretations and interdisciplinary methods, this book offers novel perspectives on the study of Slavic pre-Christian religions in the Middle Ages.
JiÅÃ Dynda, Ph.D. (2021), Charles University, is a religious studies scholar working at the Institute of Slavonic Studies of the Czech Academy of Sciences. His research focuses on Slavic pre-Christian religion, the Christianization of the Slavs, and the pagan-Christian syncretism in medieval popular culture.
Acknowledgements
List of Figures and Tables
Abbreviations
6 Introduction
â1âTopics, Structure, and Terminology
â2âMedieval Christian Views of Paganism
â3âInterpretatio Christiana and the Problem of Emic versus Etic
7 Paganism as an External Enemy
âThe Construction of Paganism as an Active Religion
â1âPatristics and the Early Middle Ages
â2âCase Studies
â3âConclusions of Chapter 2
8 Paganism as a Defeated Enemy
âTriumphal Reports of Christianization
â1âChronicles and Legends
â2âCase Studies I: Chronicles
â3âCase Studies II: Hagiographies
â4âConclusions of Chapter 3
9 Paganism as an Enemy Within
âSyncretism in Medieval Popular Religion
â1âPagan Survivals: Outlining the Problem
â2âA Case Study: Old Russian Anti-pagan Sermons
â3âConclusions of Chapter 4: Folk Culture and Religious Survivals
10 Conclusion
â1âThe Interpretatio Christiana in the Sources
â2âExternal, Vanquished, and Internal Enemies
â3âInk, Cross, and Pagan Gods
Appendix 1: Scientific Transliteration of Cyrillic Scripts
Appendix 2: Polabian Slavic Ethnonyma
Bibliography
Index
List of Figures and Tables
Abbreviations
6 Introduction
â1âTopics, Structure, and Terminology
â2âMedieval Christian Views of Paganism
â3âInterpretatio Christiana and the Problem of Emic versus Etic
7 Paganism as an External Enemy
âThe Construction of Paganism as an Active Religion
â1âPatristics and the Early Middle Ages
â2âCase Studies
â3âConclusions of Chapter 2
8 Paganism as a Defeated Enemy
âTriumphal Reports of Christianization
â1âChronicles and Legends
â2âCase Studies I: Chronicles
â3âCase Studies II: Hagiographies
â4âConclusions of Chapter 3
9 Paganism as an Enemy Within
âSyncretism in Medieval Popular Religion
â1âPagan Survivals: Outlining the Problem
â2âA Case Study: Old Russian Anti-pagan Sermons
â3âConclusions of Chapter 4: Folk Culture and Religious Survivals
10 Conclusion
â1âThe Interpretatio Christiana in the Sources
â2âExternal, Vanquished, and Internal Enemies
â3âInk, Cross, and Pagan Gods
Appendix 1: Scientific Transliteration of Cyrillic Scripts
Appendix 2: Polabian Slavic Ethnonyma
Bibliography
Index
This book is intended for graduate students and scholars of medieval studies, Slavic studies, the history of religion, studies of ancient European paganisms, and Slavic and Latin philology.