Ятровь in the Old Russian Chronicles
National Research University “Higher School of Economics”
Financing: The publication was prepared using the results of the project “Languages and Texts of Russian Culture in the 11th–18th Centuries: Problems of Interpretation”, which was carried out within the framework of the HSE Fundamental Research Program in 2024.
For citation: Kostomarova, Ksenia P., Litvina, Anna F., Uspenskij, Fjodor B. Ятровь in the Old Russian Chronicles // Drevneishie gosudarstva Vostochnoi Evropy (The Earliest States of Eastern Europe). 2025: Ways and Means of Conflict Resolution / Editor of the volume Т.N. Jackson. Мoscow: GAUGN-Press, 2025. S. 1–1.
DOI: 10.32608/1560-1382-2025-46-1-1
Abstract: This article explores the semantics and usage of the word ятровь which has fallen out of use in modern Russian and refers to a specific non-blood relative. The authors examine the term’s distinctive application in the narrative of the oldest Russian chronicles, highlighting its divergence from meanings recorded in dictionaries. Special attention is given to the role of ятровь within the system of kinship terms, its semantic connection to the word brother, and the androcentric perspective of dynastic relationships. The study reconstructs the dynastic profiles of women referred to as ятровь, emphasizing their roles in political and familial conflicts within princely clans. The authors demonstrate that in the chronicles, the term ятровь is predominantly applied to princesses who are connected to ruling families through marriage. This terminological specificity reflects gender and social dimensions of kinship, wherein a man consistently serves as the reference point for defining kinship relations. The study reveals that ятровь in the chronicle tradition exclusively refers to the wives of blood relatives (up to and including third cousins) and does not extend to the wives of шурья or other kinsmen. Additionally, the article examines the place of ятровь within the broader system of kinship-related terms in the chronicles, demonstrating the minimal politicization of property-related terminology for women and the absence of a systematic conversion of these terms into consanguinity terminology. The second part of the article focuses on the contextual activation of property terms in the chronicles, using ятровь as a case study in the description of dynastic conflicts. The analysis highlights the degree to which the appearance of the term depends on the political circumstances described in the narrative. Particular attention is given to the unique status of widows within the princely hierarchy and the historical narrative, showing the direct connection between the use of such terms and events like the death of a husband or the violation of kinship norms. The findings of this study provide new insights into the specificity of kinship and property terminology in the oldest Russian chronicles and the role of the lexeme ятровь in the construction of dynastic narratives.
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