Ancient manuscripts prove: Rus' is the birthplace of vampires. At first we worshiped them, and then we simply began to respect them.
After Francis Ford Coppola's film "Dracula" based on the novel by Bram Stoker was released in 1992, some unhealthy interest in vampires awoke in society. They began to write books about them, publish encyclopedias, and make more and more films. The excitement continues to this day. Just look at the Twilight saga about the love between an earthly girl and a vampire. And housewives are crying over the series “The Vampire Diaries”, which tells about the love of two ghoul brothers for a simple schoolgirl. Vampires have become the true heroes of our time, but what time they come from is not known for certain. The doctor came to unexpected conclusions philological sciences, professor at the Russian State Humanitarian University Mikhail Odessky, when he decided to get to the root of the very concept of “vampire”. The first mentions of these semi-mythical creatures, as the scientist proves, are found precisely in Slavic culture. Does this mean that vampires have Russian roots?
From ghoul to vampire
The first mentions of ghouls are found in ancient Russian manuscripts. And “”, written by the Moscow clerk Fyodor Kuritsyn, glorified vampirism almost throughout the whole world
Perhaps the very first mention in world culture of a certain vampire-like creature is found in a monument of ancient Russian writing - the “Afterword” to the “Commentary on the Prophetic Books.” It was preserved in manuscripts of the 15th century, but, as follows from the text itself, the original was written in the 11th century. As Professor Mikhail Odessky, who studied the text, notes, what is curious, first of all, is the very name of the copyist - “Az pop Oupir Lihyi.” Translating into modern Russian - Dashing Ghoul. The name is clearly mysterious and far from befitting the ministers of the church, who in those days were the scribes. Of course, it is difficult to imagine that the monk Ghoul Dashing was a bloodsucker. But where did such a strange name come from? “The name for a monk is quite normal, and in ancient times nicknames were widely used,” explains Mikhail Odessky. - They usually did not come from the good qualities of a person, but from negative or funny ones. And therefore it could well be that the monk was given the name Dashing Ghoul, characterizing him as a timid man.” True, the word “dastardly” in those days also meant various forms of evil, to the point that such an epithet was awarded to Satan himself.
And the Swedish Slavist Anders Schöberg proposed to discard demonism altogether and argued that the Dashing Ghoul was in fact a Swedish rune-cutter named Upir Ofeg, who could well have ended up in the retinue of Ingegerd, the daughter of the Swedish king, who became the wife of Yaroslav the Wise. And then it turns out that in transliteration, Ghoul is the name of the rune-cutter of Epirus, and Dashing is the translation of his nickname...
There is a version that the word “ghoul” had an abusive connotation. The “Message to the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery” by Ivan the Terrible has been preserved. Known for his “subtle” sense of humor and who loved to play tricks on his subjects, this time the sovereign complained about the depravity of the morals of the boyars who took monastic vows and visited the monastery: “And this one doesn’t even know the dress, not just how to live. Or a demon for the son of John Sheremetev? Or is Khabarov a fool for and stubborn?” The infernal context is interesting here. “Upir” appears next to the “demonic son”.
In a certain context, the ancients literary monuments may indeed indicate the infernal, otherworldly meaning of the word “ghoul”. This gives rise to the assumption that ghouls were worshiped as deities. And then the nickname of the scribe Ghoul Dashing is only an indication of his chosenness, closeness to higher powers. For example, in the “Word of St. Gregory” (a list of the second half of the 15th - early 16th centuries) there are inserts about the history of Slavic paganism. In particular, it says the following: “Before Perun, their god, and before that they laid down the demands of the upirs and beregins.” Again, these “upiri” are ghouls to whom, judging by the ancient text, sacrifices were made during pagan services. The text does not directly say who the ghouls and beregins are, nor what kind of sacrifices were made to them. It is assumed that the beregins could be positive, kind deities or creatures, because the words “shore”, “take care”, “protect” evoked exclusively positive associations before and today. It can be assumed that, in contrast to them, ghouls were evil creatures. And sacrifices were made to them for one simple reason - in this way people tried to appease them. However, there is another version - ghouls could be the spirits of ancestors, that is, they personify neither evil nor good.
“The logic is this: a ghoul is a dead man, a dead man is an ancestor, that is, in all likelihood, we are talking about the worship of dead ancestors,” explains Mikhail Odessky. Back in the 19th century, the famous Slavic philologist Izmail Sreznevsky considered the issue of the primordial dogma in paganism about the one, supreme God, the ancestor of all other deities. The researcher spoke about three periods of Russian paganism: the period of adoration of Perun was the last, the period of worship of the “clan and women in labor” that preceded him, and the most ancient - the period of worship of ghouls and beregins. “Sreznevsky cites many cases of mention of ghouls in the folk legends of the Slavs,” says Mikhail Odessky. - This word appears in different forms: V masculine(upir, upyur, vpir, vampire), in the feminine (upirina, vampera) and almost everywhere in two meanings: either a bat, or a ghost, a werewolf, an evil spirit that sucks blood from people.” It was in this second sense that vampires became known throughout the world. And again, our people had a hand in this.
I went too far
Around the same time when the word “ghoul” first appears in ancient manuscripts, that is, in a list of the 15th century, Romania was ruled by the now notorious Vlad III Tepes (Dracula), who later became the prototype of the most famous literary and film vampire. He left behind a rich epistolary heritage. At that time there was no written Romanian language and Dracula wrote in Latin and Church Slavonic. But, perhaps, one of the most reliable, interesting and informative texts about Tepes - “The Tale of Dracula the Voivode” - was written, as scientists suggest, by the Moscow embassy clerk Fyodor Kuritsyn, who served at the court of the Hungarian king. He spent a long time in the Balkans, and upon returning to his homeland, he became famous as a heretic. It should be noted that very quickly in Russia the concept of a vampire began to be associated with a witch or sorcerer, who in turn were associated with the concept of heresy. It was defined as a departure from dogmas considered important for the church. The belief of the Russian people is entrenched in the idea that a person will not find peace after death if it occurs at the moment when he is excommunicated from the church. He could have been excommunicated due to immoral behavior or heresy. Thus, a heretic could become a vampire after death. This fact makes legendary personality Fyodor Kuritsyn and makes us look at his “The Tale of Dracula the Voivode” in a special way, written clearly under the influence of heretical views implicated in folk Slavic legends. It is interesting that he never calls Vlad the Impaler by his real name. The legend begins with the following words: “There was a governor in the Muntyansky land, a Christian of the Greek faith, his name in Wallachian was Dracula, and in ours the Devil.” The nickname Dracula (the ruler himself wrote Dragkulya) is not translated exactly as written by clerk Kuritsyn. In Romanian, “devil” is “dracul”, and “draculea” is “son of the devil”. However, Vlad’s father, Voivode Vlad II, received this nickname not at all because of his connection with evil spirits. Before he had yet taken the throne, he joined the elite knightly Order of the Dragon at the court of Sigismund I of Luxembourg, founded by the Hungarian king to fight the infidels, mainly the Turks. Having become the ruler, he ordered to depict a dragon on coins. "Dracula" primarily means "dragon". But the author of the tale changed everything in a different way. In any case, it was his manuscript that laid the foundation for the perception of Dracula as a man of unprecedented cruelty, the personification of evil. This is exactly how it is presented in modern literature.
Researchers have little doubt that it is in the Slavic roots that one of the main reasons for the modern cult of the vampire lies. “What's the worst thing about Bram Stoker's vampire? - asks Mikhail Odessky. - He is truly scary not in his castle in Transylvania, but when he invades London. Late XIX centuries, the flourishing of civilization, and suddenly something creepy and dark appears from Eastern Europe. This is horror of an unknown creature, of another culture and another society - distant and incomprehensible.”
But what is the phenomenon of the vampire ghoul? Why, of all the mythical creatures that abounded in Slavic legends, are they the only ones that have survived to this day? Why doesn’t anyone particularly remember either Perun or the Beregins? Perhaps the answer lies in the fact that at some point in history, vampire ghouls “descended from heaven to earth.” And people no longer worshiped them, but tried to live peacefully with them.
Opinions
Alexander Kolesnichenko, candidate of philological sciences, associate professor of the department of periodical press of Moscow state university seal named after Ivan Fedorov:
The hypothesis about the Russian origin of the word “vampire” is quite reasonable. Another thing is that we know very little about antiquity and ghouls are mentioned in sources only a few times. It is likely that in each of these cases the meaning of the word could be different. And over ten centuries, the word could even change its meaning to a diametrically opposite one. This happens quite often in the language. But given the geopolitical situation Ancient Rus', there is a possibility that the first vampires in modern meaning this word appeared among us, and we can say with confidence that this creature is Slavic origin. It is likely that they were revered as deities, because then people worshiped natural phenomena and idols equally.
Leonid Koloss, literary historian, candidate of philological sciences:
The word "ghoul" may be of Russian origin, but there is no evidence that vampirism as a phenomenon has our roots. Many peoples of the world had similar legends. Yes, our culture made a significant contribution to the development of the modern cult of vampires, but did not become its ancestor. Using the example of Russian literature, we observe the process of transformation of a mythical ghoul into a specific “living” vampire. Take, for example, the work of Gogol. In Viya it is mythical creatures, and in his later works, the same “ Dead souls“, he describes already quite earthly characters in similar tones. Thus, living people are endowed with qualities folklore characters. This is precisely what is now clearly demonstrated by cinema, which is popularizing legends about vampires with renewed vigor. The popularity of vampires can be explained simply: they are convenient for scaring people, and people want to be scared.
Copyright Magazine "Itogi"
In Germany, they were able to decipher a manuscript written in the 18th century and which at one time served as a guide for sorcerers. It is noteworthy that the library staff at the University of Kassel managed to find out the contents of the manuscript. It is known that this place also houses more than ten thousand other ancient documents of international importance.
At first, the employees decided that the text containing the secrets of gaining wealth and love was written in Arabic, since the signs and symbols depicted in the manuscript were made in an oriental manner. But then a hypothesis was proposed that the document was written in German. In addition, the encryption scheme was not very complex - each letter of the alphabet corresponded to its own symbol. Thus, in just a week it was possible to decipher a 90-page manuscript.
The contents of the book consisted of descriptions of spells for summoning spirits, which were supposed to help one gain wealth, love, and be cured of illnesses. The manuscript also described in detail the procedure for performing each ritual, thereby achieving desired result. So, the document stated that one of the spells would only work if it was cast exactly three hours after midnight. Another spell stated that to achieve the effect, it is necessary to place stones in a circle, and then summon the spirit.
In addition, the ancient text contains a lot of Christian symbolism. In particular, in addition to the mention of angels, the name of Christ is also found there. It is noteworthy that it is written in several languages - Latin, German and Greek. Library staff found it difficult to explain this point, saying that this question is within the competence of historians of religion.
The ancient manuscript does not contain the name of a specific author. Apparently this is due to the fact that he was a member of one of the secret societies.
According to scientists, at the end of the 18th century, the greatest interest in magic, alchemy and treasures was shown by Freemasons and Rosicrucians. However, from the contents of the manuscript it is difficult to determine which of them the author belonged to.
Let us remember that the most famous text in the whole world is the so-called Voynich manuscript. Famous cryptologists from all over the world are unsuccessfully trying to decipher it. The document received its name in honor of the antique dealer who acquired it in 1912.
The manuscript is an image codec written in an unknown language. Radiocarbon dating of some pages of the document was carried out, as a result of which it was established that it was written between 1404 and 1438.
In 2003, a system was developed that can be used to create texts similar to the Voynich manuscript. Then scientists came to the conclusion that the ancient manuscript is just a set of random symbols that have no meaning. However, ten years later, physicists Marcelo Montemurro and Damiana Zanette conducted additional research, eventually providing evidence that the text has a semantic model, and is therefore an encrypted message.
Voluntary reader contribution to support the project
OR RNB. F.p. I.5. Ostromir Gospel 1056–1057 L. 66 vol. Initial with a zoomorphic element.
OR RNB. F.p. I.5. Ostromir Gospel 1056–1057 L. 87 vol. Miniature depicting the Evangelist Luke.
At the end of the 10th century. Rus', simultaneously with the establishment of Christianity as state religion, adopted Cyrillic writing, which by that time was already widespread among the southern Slavs.
Collection of Old Russian manuscript books of the Russian National Library in the most in full reflects the history of the Russian handwritten book tradition - from the Ostromir Gospel of the 11th century. to the late Old Believer manuscripts of the early twentieth century.
The subject matter of the material is unusually wide. Here are richly decorated liturgical books and the most important historical monuments– chronicles and chronographic books, books for “spiritual” reading and for practical application- herbalists, medical books, treatises on military affairs, various areas of medieval knowledge, and even textbooks for reading texts written in cursive. Of particular interest are his collections, which contain works of various genres: theological treatises, monuments of teaching eloquence, hagiographic works, plot stories, church polemical works, monuments of Russian journalism, syllabic verses.
OR RNB. Erm. 20. Izbornik. 1076
OR RNB. F.p. I. 36
“Minea Dubrovsky” (Minea service for July).
The exceptional value of the ancient Russian collections of the National Library is emphasized by the fact that it is here that monuments are kept, to which the definition of “first” can rightfully be applied - in the sense of “the oldest that has survived to this day”). First of all, this is the famous Ostromir Gospel of 1056–1057 - the oldest surviving precisely dated Russian handwritten book. A manuscript created during an era of cultural upsurge and flourishing ancient Russian state for the St. Sophia Cathedral of Veliky Novgorod - the main temple of northwestern Rus' - and which witnessed a thousand-year development of Russian culture, is included in the UNESCO Memory of the World Register.
OR RNB. Soph. 1.
Panteleimon's Gospel (Aprakos complete). Con. XII - beginning XIII century (?). Novgorod or Novgorod lands. Scribe Maxim Toshinich
If the Ostromir Gospel is a liturgical book, then the Izbornik of 1076, stored in the Russian National Library, is the oldest precisely dated Russian handwritten book that has survived to this day, that is, a book of literary content. It contains many articles of a moral and Christian nature, addressed to the secular part of ancient Russian society, primarily to the princely elite. These are the Stoslovets of Gennady of Constantinople, the Wisdom of Jesus' son Sirakhov, Athanasius' answers, etc. The collection was compiled in Rus' according to the model of the Izbornik of 1073, which is a copy of the Bulgarian original.
The key source of all Russian historiography is the Laurentian Chronicle of 1377, stored in the Library since 1811 - the oldest accurately dated Russian chronicle that has survived to this day. The Laurentian Chronicle is a date-forming monument Russian statehood– included in the UNESCO Memory of the World Register.
OR RNB. OLDP. F.6.
Kyiv Psalter. 1397
The oldest precisely dated illustrated Russian handwritten book that has come down to us is also stored in the ancient Russian funds. This is the famous Kiev Psalter of 1397. The manuscript contains more than 300 miniatures illustrating the text or symbolically interpreting it. Before the Kyiv Psalter Old Russian manuscripts they had only “front” miniatures depicting the author of the text (the evangelists, King David, etc.), members of the princely family, and patron saints of the person who ordered the manuscript.
OR RNB. F. p. I. 2. Psalter. XIV century
Stylistic sophistication decoration, miniatures, initials turn many monuments of ancient Russian writing into original works art. This is the Frolov Psalter of the 14th century, known to all art historians, decorated with headpieces and initials of the teratological style and interesting with the ornamentation of the initials, including numerous inclusions of human figures.
Unlike countries Western Europe, whose culture developed in cities and universities, in Rus' the most important centers of book culture were monasteries, in which book-writing workshops operated, created literary works, rich libraries were formed. The fact that the collections of the oldest Russian book depositories are located here is of particular value to the ancient Russian collections of the National Library. First of all, this is the library of the Novgorod St. Sophia Cathedral, which contains manuscripts created in various book centers of north-eastern Rus', containing unique lists of monuments ancient Russian literature, for example, the author's list of the Life of St. Sergius of Radonezh by the famous hagiographer Pachomius Logofet. The ancient Panteleimon Gospel with a rare iconographic miniature of St. Panteleimon and St. Catherine, the Sofia set of the Great Menaions of the Fourth Metropolitan Macarius, and many other rarities. In the Department of Manuscripts of the Russian National Library, the libraries of the largest Russian monasteries: Kirillo-Belozersky Uspensky and Solovetsky Spaso-Preobrazhensky are preserved in the integrity of their main array. These collections have brought to this day the most valuable monuments of Russian medieval monastic book culture, such as the manuscripts of the cell library of St. Cyril or the encyclopedic collections of the 15th century monk-scribe Euphrosynus.
OR RNB. Q paragraph I. 32.
Blagoveshchensk Kondakar. Con. XII – beginning XIII century
OR RNB. OSRC. F.IV.233
Facial chronicle. Second half of the 16th century. Laptevsky volume.
Old Russian church singing is widely represented in the Sector's funds. These are more than 1000 notated singing codes of the 12th–20th centuries. (including Old Believer): irmology, octoechos, everyday life, stichirari, triodion, holidays; as well as singing alphabet, intended for the practical development of Znamenny singing. One of the five known manuscripts in the world, distinguished by a special system of musical notation, is kept here - the Annunciation Kontakari of the turn of the 12th–13th centuries.
OR RNB. F. XIV. 62.
Collection of Kirsha Danilov. Last quarter of the 18th century
The traditions of ancient Russian singing art were preserved in the Old Believer environment. Due to the large number and fragmentation of Old Believer communities, liturgical singing in almost each of them had its own local characteristics. The funds of the Sector contain manuscripts from the 18th – 20th centuries, representing the singing art of different centers of the Old Believers, differing not only in content, but also in artistic design.
A separate group of manuscripts consists of notolinear codices, which record both liturgical and secular works of the 17th–19th centuries. They contain panegyric cants and genres of spiritual lyrics. In these manuscripts, anonymous texts coexist with the original poetry of Simeon Polotsky, V.K. Trediakovsky, A.P. Sumarokov, M.V. Lomonosov. This group also includes the most valuable monument folk poetry– The collection of Kirsha Danilov is the first collection of Russian epics and historical songs in Russian folklore, provided with notes.
OR RNB. OSRC. F.IV.482
Journal of N.P. Rezanov’s travel from Kamchatka to Japan. 1804–1805
The Sector of Old Russian Funds also stores handwritten books and other handwritten materials of the 18th–19th centuries that are not specifically related to the Old Russian tradition. These are manuscripts of scientific, historical, literary content, works on military affairs, jurisprudence, and other branches of knowledge, personal diaries, maps, plans, travel albums, etc. The Hermitage contains a valuable set of copy materials - made in the 18th century. for Empress Catherine II, clerk's copies from ancient Russian handwritten books and documents.
These books are several thousand years old. They are invaluable both for culture and history, and for us, ordinary readers.
The Tale of Gilgamesh
Most full version poem about Gilgamesh was found in mid-19th century during excavations of the library of the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal in ancient Nineveh. The excavations were carried out by the English archaeologist Austin Henry Layard. The epic was written in cuneiform on 12 clay six-column tablets in the Akkadian language and included about 3,000 verses. Scientists date the epic to the VIII - VII centuries BC. e. The tablets with the text of the epic are kept in the British Museum, where they were given by assistant archaeologist Ormuzd Rasam in 1852.
Thanks to the legend, we have an idea about the religion of ancient people and their philosophy. The main characters of the epic were the demigod Gilgamesh, the king of Uruk and the clay man Enkidu. The great popularity of the epic among modern readers is explained by the story of the Flood, which is included in it.
Book of the Dead
This mystical collection of ancient Egyptian texts includes prayers, chants and spells that were supposed to ease the fate of the deceased in the afterlife.
The name “Book of the Dead” was coined by Egyptologist Karl Lepsius, although the collection also has a more accurate title: “Chapters on the Exit to the Light of Day.”
It was created from the 6th to the 1st centuries BC. e. Most of the texts were found in the burials of the city of Thebes, where they were written on papyri and decorated with excellent drawings depicting scenes of the burial of the dead and the afterlife judgment.
The most significant papyri are kept in the British Museum.
Codex Sinaiticus
The oldest book of the format familiar to us, the Codex Sinaiticus, dates back to the 4th century AD. e. The first 43 pages of the codex were found by the German scientist Constantin Tischendorff in 1844 in the library of the Monastery of St. Helena on the Sinai Peninsula.
The scientist found them in a pile of waste paper prepared for destruction. He found another 86 pages as a result of targeted searches. Tischendorf took them to Europe and made them public. He wanted to return to the monastery to take out the rest, but the monks did not even let him look at the pages.
The situation was saved Russian Emperor Alexander II, who paid 9 thousand rubles, after which Tischendorf took the pages to Russia. On the thinnest white parchment on Greek an incomplete text of the Old Testament was recorded, a complete text of the New Testament and two works of early Christian authors: “The Epistle of Barnabas” and “The Shepherd” of Hermas. Until 1933, Codex Sinaiticus was kept in the Imperial National Library in Russia, but the Bolsheviks decided to get rid of it and “gave it” to the British Museum.
The 347 pages of this book now have four owners: National Russian library, British Museum, University of Leipzig and St. Helena Monastery.
Garima Gospels
The two Garima Gospels are kept in Ethiopia, in the monastery of St. Garima, which is located near the city of Adua. Created between 330 and 650. According to legend, Saint Garima copied them according to his vow in one day. The Gospels are written in the sacred written language of ancient Abyssinia, Ge'ez.
The gospels were found by British art historian Beatrice Plane in 1950. But the books ended up in the hands of a barbarian bookbinder, who wove 15th-century pages into one of them. It was only in 2006 that scientists were able to return the books to their original condition and date them. Unfortunately, it was not possible to restore the books, and they remained in the monastery.
The Gospels are written in the same manner, but written in different handwritings. The first book has 348 pages and 11 illustrations, the binding is made of boards covered with gilded copper. The second book contains 322 pages, 17 miniatures, including portraits of the four evangelists. The binding is made of silver. Scientists have found that the artist and copyist worked simultaneously, and the illustrations were made by African artists.
Diamond Sutra
The Diamond Sutra, the world's second printed book containing the fundamental text of Buddhism, was printed using woodblock printing. The book is a scroll of six sheets of text and one engraving depicting the Buddha.
The scroll, almost five meters long, was found by archaeologist Mark Stein in Magao Cave near the city of Danhuan in western China in 1900. He bought the scroll from the Taoist monk Wan Yuanlu and took it to Great Britain. The book was printed by a man named Wang Ji on behalf of his parents on the 15th day of the 4th moon of the Xiantong year, that is, May 11, 868. Kept in the British Library.
Torah
In 2013, the most ancient manuscript Torah. It is a 36-meter-long scroll made of soft sheepskin.
Nothing was known about the book due to an error in determining the age of the book, which occurred in 1889. Then the librarian dated the book to the 17th century.
The error was discovered by university teacher Mauro Perani. He examined the manuscript and saw that the narrative style belongs to the tradition ancient Babylon, which means the parchment may be older. In addition, the text contained details that had been prohibited from reproduction since the 12th century. The age of the Torah was determined using radiocarbon dating twice: in Italy and in the USA. It became clear that the Torah was written more than 850 years ago.
Ostromir Gospel
The oldest accurately dated book of Rus'. Stored in the Russian National Library (St. Petersburg). Written in 1056-1057 by Deacon Gregory for the Novgorod mayor Ostromir, a relative of Prince Izyaslav Yaroslavovich. The book is unique in that, after the canonical text, the deacon wrote in detail about the circumstances of its production and indicated the date from the creation of the world.
The Gospel was found among the property of the Resurrection Church of the Verkhospassky Cathedral in 1701. By order of Peter I she was sent to St. Petersburg. Rediscovered in the chambers of Empress Catherine after her death and presented to Alexander I. The Emperor transferred the Gospel to the Imperial Public Library.
It was thanks to the Ostromir Gospel that the modern dictionaries and grammar of the Old Church Slavonic language.
Erica Orloff
The Mystery of the Ancient Manuscript
To my children. May each of you have something as meaningful as the Book.
I saw another dream...
The inscription, like a trace of someone’s ghostly breath on the window, quietly whispers its message to us through the centuries.
Even books have their secrets. Come on, tell us something else,” said Uncle Harry, turning to the manuscript. He seemed to want to get her to talk. Bending over the crumbling pages, he carefully studied the manuscript like a true scientist of antiquity.
Secrets? - I asked, and my question echoed in the spacious hall of the auction house. In this building with marble floors and high ceilings, even a small noise turned into a measured rustling of the leaves of the trees.
Callie, every object, like a person, has its own secrets. Including books. And my task is to lure them out.
He brought the ultraviolet lamp closer to the pages of the manuscript and suddenly exhaled loudly.
What's there? - I whispered, looking over his shoulder. I felt a shiver run down my spine.
He pointed with his finger:
Look at the fields!
In the bluish light of the lamp, I could barely discern a thin web of illegible and seemingly unearthly words.
It seems that the lines of the manuscript were already written on top of this inscription,” I said quietly and squinted to get a better look at the find.
I knew that Uncle Harry, working at the Royal auction house Manhattan, as an expert on medieval illuminated manuscripts, lived by these ancient works of the monks. Ancient legends could be heard in the rustle of their pages. He could talk endlessly about them over breakfast and dinner. He read about them. He studied them. And no matter what was written in the margins, it was the realization of my uncle’s dream.
Do you know what this is? This is a palimpsest!
Palimp... what?
In response, he smiled widely, and dimples immediately appeared on his cheeks, and his azure eyes glowed with happiness. Uncle Harry was a tall man, six feet tall, and the first streaks of silver were already beginning to appear in his blond hair. He's the one smart person of everyone I know. He has an amazing photographic memory and an encyclopedic knowledge of history. But I’m never bored with him: it seems that history comes to life in his mouth.
Palimpsest! A thousand years ago, paper was still rare. People wrote on parchment or vellum, that is, on pieces of animal skin. When the book itself or part of it was no longer needed, they washed off the inscription with a mixture of oat bran soaked in milk, or simply erased it with a pumice stone. And the pages could be used again, because the inscriptions disappeared. People believed it was without a trace.
I began to carefully examine the squiggle, barely noticeable in the light of the lamp, similar to the stroke of a pen.
So I see an inscription that is a thousand years old? And someone wanted to hide it? Maybe this is a secret message? - I asked my uncle.
He nodded.
Sometimes fortune smiles on us. The stars align, and fate gives us a gift... in the form of such a miracle. It's priceless. Usually time and nature destroy all traces.
I looked at the manuscript again. The black lines were drawn with a skilled hand, they were so even that each was a work of art. Not a single letter was out of order, not a single blot - perfection itself. At the top of the page was a golden miniature that time had passed by. The knight and lady were painted in shades of dark blue and green, as bright as the feathers of a peacock.
What a beauty! - I said.
But what makes this thing special is the lettering. All the secrets are coming out, Callie. This is true. Traces always remain, even a thousand years later.
Does the person who put the manuscript up for auction know that it is a palimpsest?
Uncle Harry shook his head.
The owner of the lot inherited from his father a collection of rare books and manuscripts. But my son is only interested in money. - Uncle again glanced with envy at the ancient lines: - He can’t even imagine what secrets these pages hide. The price will reach hundreds of thousands, and maybe even millions of dollars. I will be able to evaluate the book more accurately once I know more about its fate.
He fell silent and shook his head again:
It's sad, isn't it?
Some people spend their entire lives building a collection of books or antiques. They think this will help them stay in people's memories. And then their children come along, who simply don’t care about the parents’ efforts, and they sell everything out. Apparently, passion for a hobby cannot be instilled.
Perhaps you're right. But on the other hand... here we are,” I said, “and here are the words in the margins.” And you care.
I still can't believe it. And I know one more person who will be delighted with the find. I need to call Peter Sokolov.
Who is this?
World renowned specialist in rare books and medieval manuscripts.
Even more special than you? I doubt.
He was my supervisor. And yes, he knows much more than me. He is the only one who understands your crazy uncle and shares his love for ancient documents. - Uncle Harry kissed the top of my head: - I told you that this summer would be memorable.
I rolled my eyes.
Great. You found an old manuscript. And really very ancient. From parchment or vellum. And with its secrets. But I don't think that makes it a successful summer - at least not for me. Dad left me and went to Europe with his next blonde passion. Are they really getting younger and blonder, or is it just me?
You're not the only one who thinks so. I could never understand your father either. Just as I didn’t understand why my sister married him. - Uncle Harry frowned. - Although I shouldn’t have told you that.
Why? It's true. And only the mystery of an old dusty manuscript can compare with this mystery.
How could I tell him that I was hoping for a romantic acquaintance this summer. Or even an adventure.
Patience, Callie,” my uncle winked at me. - Remember what I said about secrets.
What does it mean?
You never know where a secret will lead you. It's like playing hide and seek through the centuries. - He said these words in a mysterious and playfully disgusting voice. - I need to call. You can stay here for now and study the manuscript. But don't touch it with your hands!
He headed to his office and, without looking back, called after him:
And don't breathe on her!
I leaned over the table and began to examine the tiny, barely visible squiggle. However, I could not make out the words.
And then I saw her. There was a signature at the bottom.
...
I also saw another dream: behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars worship me...
Touch the stars. Dream about them.
My mother has always been a palimpsest for me. She died when I was six years old, and all my life I searched for secret messages from her, hoping that she would convey them to me in the same way that the marginal notes spoke to Uncle Harry. It's a passion that has never left me. Sometimes when I see one of my friends hugging their mother, I feel sharp pain in the heart. And that night I again sat alone in my room in Harry’s apartment, legs tucked under me, looking at old photographs of my mother.
My “room”—and I should put quotation marks here—was what Manhattan realtors call a second bedroom, although in truth it was more like a niche in the wall with another wall attached to it. But I had enough space, especially since Uncle Harry kept photographs of my mother here and here I hoped to find secret messages from her. He was her brother, and so I constantly asked him questions about her. I always wondered if I looked like her... I know I’m not like my father.
My father and I have spent our entire lives trying to avoid each other - in some ways, we are terribly lucky that he is almost never at home. During my studies, I tolerated his presence in our home in the Boston suburbs. Luckily, he traveled a lot, so I spent half of my time with my friend Sofia's family. Or I was left in the care of a neighbor living opposite our apartment. But my favorite time of year is summer, because I always reserve it for Uncle Harry, his friend Gabe and New York. We usually spent our time playing games and going to the beach, and one day we even went to Toronto.
And this year? Oh, I was especially glad to get out of the house. I was facing a summer code-named “Meeting My Stepmom,” as my father was already looking for diamond rings for his newest and blondest girlfriend, Sharon. I felt sick just thinking about the upcoming celebration.
After looking at photos and chatting on Facebook with Sophia, who was spending the summer at a sports camp, I fell asleep without turning off the TV.
Waking up, I stared at the ceiling, then turned my gaze to the plasma screen hanging on the wall. The morning news anchor, her hair perfectly styled and styled, cheerfully announced that it was already six o'clock in the morning.
Mmmrmrrmrr! - I purred to Uncle Harry’s cat. His name was Aggi, short for Agamemnon. He is a Silver Persian by breed, and one eye is green and the other yellow. As befits his breed, he leaves his fur everywhere. - It's summer now, I can finally get some sleep. Why on earth am I awake?
In response, I heard the meow of Aggie, who began to stomp on my stomach until he lay down, purring like a car engine. Reaching for the remote control, I switched channels. I was too lazy to get up, but I was already so awake that now I definitely couldn’t fall asleep.
About twenty minutes later Uncle Harry knocked on the door.
Are you up? - he called me.
Unfortunately, yes.
He stuck his head through the door.
What will you wear to work today?
I looked at my closet: its doors were wide open, clothes were lying around on the floor.
Mmm... I don't know. Pants with some sweater: it’s so cold in your office. And since when are you interested in my appearance? I'm just bringing you coffee. In general, I haven't decided yet. It's too early to decide anything.
How about this? - And he threw a branded package from the Barney's store on my bed.
I sat up in bed and ran my hand through my curls. I heard Gabe in the shower singing another hit from the musical Guys and Dolls, in which he played the role of the inveterate debater Sky Masterson. My uncle went to this show twenty times and always sat in the first row of the stalls in the middle. If you count, he spent a small fortune on this, and after each performance he stood at the door of the theater with a yellow and black program in his hands to get Gabe's autograph. It was a sickeningly touching story from the “How We Met” series. And the rest, as they say, is history.
It's sad when your uncle's love life is as good as it will never be for you. The fact that I am an honorary member of the Smart Club already means that there is something wonderful missing in my personal life. Of course, my grandmother still believes that the whole point is that Uncle Harry simply did not meet “the right” girl. But at least he is now definitely in the trend of all fashionable new items.
I pulled the box out of the bag, tore off the gift wrapping and looked at Uncle Harry.
Are you kidding?
I pulled the package out of the box and unwrapped it. I found a small one in my hands black dress. It truly was amazing. I looked at the price tag.
Three hundred fifty dollars? Are you crazy?
No, I didn't. I've always wanted to buy a dress inspired by Audrey Hepburn from Breakfast at Tiffany's. But I had no one to give it to. Until you showed up. Come on, don't you like it?
I nodded dumbfounded. This is probably the most chic thing in my wardrobe.
It's amazing! It’s just a pity that only your dusty manuscripts will see me in it.
You can never look too good to work with parchment.
I grinned.
Thanks, I really really like it.
After the shower, I decided not to straighten my hair and leave the curls. The weather forecast promised high humidity, which meant there was no point in fighting the true nature of my hair. They will tangle anyway, and the result will be something between asparagus bushes and steel wool.
After applying lip gloss and eyelashes, I put on black ballet flats - I also decided that I wouldn't struggle with being five foot three. But really, I'm kidding myself because I'm five foot two inches tall, plus a little hair on my head. I have naturally pale skin, dotted with freckles, which I also don’t bother hiding, and my eyes are bright gray. I glanced at the bookshelf where my uncle had framed black and white photographs of my mother. She looks straight into the camera lens and laughs as the wind blows through her hair. In the photo she is dressed exactly like Madonna from the 80s, and in some amazing way it all suits her mother.
I wish I knew what made her laugh so much. Uncle Harry doesn't remember this. I look a lot like her - just a different hair color, but the same pale skin type. Alas, the sun's rays immediately turn me into boiled crayfish. But that seems to be where the similarities end. Because in every photo, mom looks like a model, or like a bohemian artist, or like someone glamorous from a life like a fairy tale.
I looked at myself again from head to toe in the closet mirror in my room. I looked... almost like an adult. Smiling at my reflection, I walked out into the narrow corridor. It was covered with posters and posters of Uncle Harry and Gabe's favorite musicals - Guys and Dolls, 42nd Street, Contact, Chicago, Spamalot. I turned right and walked into the kitchen. It was huge by Manhattan standards, tiny by Boston standards, with shiny and sparkling appliances, maple-colored cabinets and granite-topped kitchen tables. I reached for the coffee grinder.
“There’s no time, darling,” said Harry. - We'll stop at Starbucks on the way. We have to go.
Gabe came up to me.
Are you wearing a kimono? - I asked, touching the blue and green silk.
Cool, can I borrow it from you sometime?
If I were you, I would never take off this dress. Yes, it’s not a pity to die for him. You look incredible.
Thank you. - I stood on my tiptoes and kissed him goodbye. - By the way, I liked your shower chants today.
Did you hear me sing?
Every note.
Harry rolled his eyes playfully.
Holy innocence! He knows very well that we can hear him.
Having gone down the elevator from the fortieth floor and looked into Starbucks (I will die if I don’t drink coffee in the morning, this is the source of life for me), my uncle and I rushed into the morning crowd of people rushing to work - but we did not go to the auction house.
Where are we going?
Home to Dr. Sokolov.
I thought he would come to your work to see the manuscript. Isn't this manuscript what all your medieval specialists live for?
Harry threw back his head and laughed.
I'm afraid this is impossible.
He has agoraphobia.
I tried to remember what kind of phobia this was.
Harry turned around and looked at me:
He never leaves his home. Never.
At all? Does it work?
Yes, he writes scientific articles, conducts research. Gives lectures via video link and records podcasts. Modern technologies make friends with people like him. People bring books to his house. Well, or in my case, I'll show him the video.
Strange... Never go outside. Where does he get his food from?
Callie, honey. We're in New York. Here everything can be ordered to your home.
Well, okay, but there must be things for which he leaves the apartment?
Probably yes. But for such cases he has an assistant.
We got into a yellow taxi and ten minutes later, having barely avoided a dozen accidents, pale and completely sick, we were already leaving at the gates of a four-story mansion in Greenwich Village. On the other side of the street, trees raised their branches to the sky, spreading them over the road and trying to overcome the concrete barriers. Two long, highly polished limousines were parked next to the houses.
“It’s an amazing street,” I said, getting out of the taxi. - This part of the city seems so quiet and secluded.
I looked at my uncle.
That building over there is a typical house highly paid actress. I can't even tell you how many times I've met Uma Thurman here. Oh, or my idol Anderson Cooper. One day I saw him speeding by on his bike. - The uncle nodded towards the three-story stone mansion located on the other side of the road. - I think someone lives there famous writer. One way or another, Doctor Sokolov, as they say, has golden blood. This house has belonged to his family for more than a hundred years, since the days when carriages drove along this street. Do you want me to tell you about incredible fact from history?
I'm not sure.
But this is absolutely necessary when it comes to such a luxurious home. For example, the reason why it is multi-story is rooted deep in history, in a time when the rich could only live on the upper floors, away from the stench of horse manure. It was...
Better stop there,” I groaned. Sometimes Uncle Harry's love of history was too obvious for me.
I looked around the street and wondered what it would be like to live here. The street was calm and serene, and for a second I felt like I had stepped back in time. I even heard the chirping of birds hiding in the trees. Approaching the door of Dr. Sokolov's house, I noticed a sign hanging next to the doorbell. It read: “Sokolov and Sons, antiques experts.” My uncle called, and we heard the overflowing ringing of a bell echo through the house.
The massive door, four meters high, polished to a shine, opened, but instead of an agoraphobic elderly expert on antiquities, I found myself face to face with the most handsome guy the one I've ever seen. At that very moment I felt myself blush.
“Oh, hello, Harry,” he smiled at my uncle, two dimples appeared on his cheeks. Then he looked at me, and it seemed to me that he saw something through me. Or inside. I backed away and bumped into my uncle.
Calliope, meet August Sokolov, Professor Sokolov’s invaluable assistant and also his son.
Hello! - I tried to find my breath again.
There was a long pause. I managed to get a good look at August: he had green eyes, brown hair curled slightly at the collar of his shirt. One ear was pierced - there was an earring with the Yin-Yang symbol. The left eye had a scar that resembled a horseshoe. The guy stared at me and, blinking, said:
Come in, my father is waiting for you.
I stepped over the threshold, Uncle Harry followed me. August led us through the marble foyer; As we walked past paintings and real (really, really) knight's armor, I glanced over my shoulder at my uncle.
"What?" - Uncle Harry said silently with the most innocent look.
But I didn't take my eyes off him.