Daniil Zatochnik is the author of one of the most famous works in ancient Russian literature. His work is the subject of long scientific discussions, it is included in the educational program at the historical faculties. The reason for this attitude is that his work is the brightest monument of the era, reflecting the idea of a representative of the middle layers of society.
Briefly about the biography
Daniil Zatochnik, whose biography is almost unknown, most likely came from people who were somehow related to the princely service. At least that's what most historians think. Some believe that he was a craftsman in his profession, but the bulk of the experts nevertheless agree that he was close to the princely circle, since in his works he discovers knowledge of how things went with the rulers.
In science, opinions are expressed that, perhaps, he was a member of the younger squad, while others suggest that he was an adviser to the prince (a thinker in Old Russian terminology). But the abundance of colloquial vocabulary, popular aphorisms, sayings in his writings testifies to the fact that he was close to popular circles. Most historians agree that he was a native of the city of Pereyaslavl. In his works there are appeals to the ruler of this city. Subsequently, he was exiled, imprisoned, or he voluntarily took over the forced labor on Lache Lake (Olonets region). One of the annals mentions that it was in this area that he lived. Historians believe that Daniel the Sharpener lived in the 12th century, but some attribute the years of his life to the 13th century.
Features of the works
This man was remembered for his writings, dating, the contents of which are still controversial among specialists. Researchers cannot decide whether the two monuments that have reached us, the authorship of which are attributed to him, are one composition, but in different editions, or are they still different works belonging to different people. The “Prayer” of Daniel the Sharpener is an appeal to the prince, in which the author complains about his unjust fate, complains about the misfortunes that befell him, and asks his ruler to help him, save him from trouble, as he himself put it. A characteristic feature of this monument is that for the first time the idea of the needs and aspirations of the middle nobility was distinctly voiced in it. At least that is how scientists characterize these sources. The "word" of Daniil the Sharpener is textologically close to the above source, so they are often considered as a whole. However, this makes it difficult to determine the dates of compilation of these works.
Value in the literature
These works were very popular in Russia: they corresponded, appended, and, obviously, were perceived as sources of worldly wisdom. These various strata and layers are very difficult to determine the original source text, and nevertheless, historians as a whole have reconstructed these monuments in their original form. According to a number of researchers, the “Prayer” by Daniil the Sharpener is an interesting monument to the nobility of journalistic thought, which subsequently influenced the development of public consciousness. It is this circumstance that explains a similar interest in the monument, since it is a peculiar reflection of the interests and aspirations of one of the main estates in Ancient Russia.
Tongue
The narrative style has long been the subject of interest of many historians, as it demonstrates the range of interests of the author. These works contain quotes from scripture and other famous books. Daniil the Sharpener seems to be a very educated and well-read person. He himself admitted that he loved to read, in which he found comfort for himself. The work contains quotes from other works. This indicates a great well-read and educated author. However, the work has many sayings and proverbs, as well as aphorisms, which the author calls worldly wisdom. The content of the “Prayer” by Daniil the Sharpener is interesting in that it shows the broad outlook of the author.
The combination of book quotes and folk expressions proves that the writer was fluent in the literary syllable, because, obviously, he belonged to an educated circle of people. He also referred and quoted passages from Izbornik, a work that was written in 1073. The work from a lexical point of view is also extremely interesting: it includes a prayer, a request, a petition, and at the same time it contains satire, pamphlet attacks, teachings, allegories.
Addressee Problem
In science, the question of who exactly Daniil Zatochnik addressed his work did not resolve. It is believed that the first edition was addressed to the son of Vladimir Monomakh, Yaroslav, but many scholars dispute this version, believing that it was sent to Yuri Dolgoruky or his brother Andrei Dobrom. There are no such discrepancies regarding the second edition. Most authors acknowledge that the message was intended for the prince, who ruled in Pereyaslavl.
Historical context
The mention of the possibility of the Tatars conquering Russian land suggests that the work was written in the 13th century, just at a time when there was a real threat of the invasion of the Mongols. Daniil Sharpener, whose works reflected the realities of that era, the court of text, reacted very vividly to the events around him and, despite the imprisonment, was knowledgeable, observant, which increases the value of the source. In it, the writer asks the prince to return him to serve as an adviser. The author himself, although he speaks of himself in a derogatory tone, nevertheless, quite obviously, knows the value of his knowledge. This suggests that in the 12-13 centuries the role of the nobility under the prince increased, moreover, the circle of knowledgeable and educated people expanded.
The “Prayer” of Daniil the Sharpener, the analysis of which allows a better understanding of the structure of Old Russian society, is a vivid monument of the time studied, because the author reflected the realities of the social structure of Ancient Russia of the 12-13 centuries. On its basis, readers can judge what constituted estates on the eve of the Tatar-Mongol invasion. The essay contains a description of the princely administration (the author speaks about tiuns, princely managers of the economy), the social structure (the author speaks about Ryadovich), and there is also some information about the grand-princely administration (there are references to the estate and the court of the ruler). All this is an expressive sketch of ancient Russian life in the centuries mentioned. The creation of the Prayer by Daniil the Sharpener is the most important stage not only in the Old Russian annals, but also in Russian literature in general. As a journalistic monument, he, in addition, is an expression of the interests of the nobility.
The ratio of two works
It has already been said above that in science the question of how these two monuments are interconnected has not yet been resolved. There is a point of view in science that the second option (meaning “Prayer”) is more specific and historical, and that one can more or less trace the fate of the author. Judging by the context, he suffered humiliation from the boyars or was in some kind of dependence on them. Obviously, he found himself in poverty and legal incompetence, and therefore seeks protection and support from the prince. In addition, the second version contains a number of historical facts, while the first version is more generalized and therefore received the name "Word". In ancient Russian literature, this meant a genre that involved reasoning on a topic with the goal of convincing the person you were talking to.
Era influence
The author is credited with yet another work - “The Word on the Ruin of the Russian Land”. However, this opinion has not been firmly established in the literature. This work was written after the ruin of the Russian lands by the Mongol-Tatars. Some historians believe that the author of this work was a South Russian scribe. This monument, along with the writings of Daniil Zatochnik, should be considered in the context of the development of Old Russian literature, which in the era under review reacted very vividly to the events around. Their authors not only described what was happening around the event, but also expressed their attitude to them and gave their assessments of the various incidents whose contemporaries they became. One of the most striking examples is the work “The Word on the Perdition of the Russian Land” written in the 13th century, in which the author expressed sorrow over the ruin of Russian regions and cities.