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Английский след в ранней летописи, или летописец шутит

2019, У истокови источников: на международных и междисциплинарных путях. Юбилейный сборник в честь Александра Васильевича Назаренко

Abstract

The Rus’ian Chronicle denominates the tribute allegedly paid to the Khazars “per (light) plow” by Vyatichi at the time of Prince Svyatoslav, in the monetary unit “shchelag”. This is shchelag’s only mention in Kievan Rus, except for the description of the Radimichi’s tribute to the Khazars in the time of Prince Oleg. The article shows, however, this use of the term to be a borrowing from the Viatichy episode, part of the re-writing of the Chronicle’s oldest source, the Tale of 1016/7, by the author of the “Primary Chronicle”. The only explanation for the term’s origin is the West European shilling. A shilling of 12 silver denars was also the tax imposed on each “(heavy) plow” by King Ethelred II in England in 1012. Of course, this is not just a coincidence. A comparative study of the ancient tributes mentioned in the Tale shows that scholars were wrong to perceive them (albeit selectively) as historically valid. They belong to the Tale’s literary design: the tribute of a shilling per ralo is as realistic as that of a sword per household (allegedly produced by Poliane). The knowledge of the newly created English tax was probably channeled to Rus’ by Earl Sweyn Haakonsson and his men, who entered Prince Yaroslav’s service in the spring of 1015 after their defeat at the battle of Nesyar. The story of the unusual tax, alien to Rus’ both in regard to its monetary rate and to the unit of taxation, captured the attention of the Tale’s author, who made it part of an episode placed half a century before the time of the tax’s creation. Indications on taxes in the “Slavic Chronicle” of Helmold from Bozau are also examined. The dime of 12 silver coins (bracteates) per “Slavic (light) plow”, described by Helmold as introduced in the mid-10th century, is shown to be an innovation of his contemporary, Duke Henry the Lion.