Uslad
Uslad (Russian: Услад) is a Slavic pseudo-deity, whose name appeared from the misreading of the words 'усъ златъ' ("golden moustache") from the Primary Chronicle. This misinterpretation / misreading was recognized already in the 19th century, by e.g., Izmail Sreznevsky (1812–1880).[1]
History
Original misinterpretation
When reading the Primarily Chronicle in the part in which
И нача къняжити Володимеръ въ Кыевѣ единъ, и постави кумиры на хълмѣ вънѣ двора теремьнаго: Перуна древяна, а главу его сьребряну, а усъ златъ, и Хърса Дажьбога и Стрибога и Сѣмарьгла и Мокошь.
Modern English translation:[3]
Vladimir then began to reign alone in Kiev, and he set up idols on the hills outside the castle with the hall: one of Perun, made of wood with a head of silver and a mustache of gold, and others of Khors, Dazh'bog, Stribog, Simar'gl, and Mokosh'.
Herberstein's translation:
Volodimerus multa idola Kioviae institut: primus idolum Perun dictum capite argento, caetere lignea errant; alia, Uslad, Corsa, Dasva, Striba, Simaergla, Macosch vocabitur
Polish historian Maciej Stryjkowski in his 1582 Chronicle duplicated this misreading:[4]
drugie bałwany były mianowane Usład, Korssa, Dassuba, Striba, Symaergla, Makosz
A reference to this deity was subsequently copied by a number of other authors.[5]
This mistake was further propagated by German traveler Johann David Wunderer, who traveled in Russia from 1589 to 1590 and described Pskov in his memoir, mentioned the statues of Khors and Uslad that were supposed to be located near Pskov:[6]
In front of the town we saw two idols, set up in olden times by the priests who worshipped them, namely, Usad, whose stone statue holds a cross in his hand, (and) Khors, who stands on a serpent, with a sword in one hand and a thunderbolt (literally, a ray of fire - A.K.) in the other.
Russian archaeologist Anatoliy Kirpichnikov questioned Wunderer's interpretation of the find.[7]
Cabinet mythology
Since 18th century a number of Russian authors started embellishing scarcely described Russian paganism with various speculations, with patriotic intentions of creating "Russian antiquity". Endeavors of this kind were derisively named "
Russian neopaganism
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References
- ^ Izmail Sreznevsky, "Additional Comments", p. 121, in: Adolf Patera, Чешские глоссы в Mater Verborum, 1878 (Russian translation)
- ISBN 83-7120-688-7.
- ^ Cross, Samuel Hazzard; Sherbowitz-Wetzor, Olgerd P. (1953). The Russian Primary Chronicle, Laurentian Text. Translated and edited by Samuel Hazzard Cross and Olgerd P. Sherbowitz-Wetzor (PDF). Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Mediaeval Academy of America. p. 325. Retrieved 26 January 2023., p.93
- ^ Słownik starożytności słowiańskich: T-W, Polska Akademia Nauk. Komitet Słowianoznawstwa, 1977, p. 276
- ISBN 978-5-85219-501-2, p.138
- ^ Anatoly Beskov, От мифов древности к мифам историографии: проблема древнерусского бога Хорса как симптом болезни науки о мифах, Вестник Томского государственного университета, 2020, no. 66, pp. 118—129.
- ISBN 5-02-009419-6.
- ^ Кася Денисевич. "Кто и зачем придумывал древних славянских богов? (Курс № 14 Русский эпос)". Arzamas.academy.
- ^ Glinka Gregory, a Saint Petersburg State University article
- ^ s:ru:Древняя религия славян (Глинка)/Боги выспренние