|
"The exist myth about total Swedish destruction of
churches and cloisters in Belarus, which are based on
folk legends and literary images. But they represent
into scientific editions. For example, the Swedes are
accused of the temple in Navaharadak, Catholic church in
Pinsk church in Drysviaty and so on.
By Andrej Kotljarchuk, Södertörns högskola
The stereotypes about the neighbouring people an important role in the foundation of culture of each ethnos. The notion ethnos means the universal form of human existence on the basis of distinguishing the "own" component from the "alien sea". In the opposition "one's own-smb else's", one's own is always positive. Even if it has any drawbacks, they never destroy the positive meaning. On the contrary "smb else's" always conceals dangers, that's why it's cruel and obscure. As a role the ethnic stereotype is non-rational.
Let's remind of the most important dates: 1592-1599 - Sweden and GDL are under the domination of one king- Sigismund Vaza (Zhygimont Vaza in Belarusian). 1622-1710 - Belarusian lands and Sweden have the common boundary line via the territory near of modern border between Latvia and Belarus (Livonia). 1655 - During the Small Northern War, the Swedish army occupied the territory of the present west Belarus. In August- October 1655 the union of Kejdany was contracted, according to which Belarusian Protestant nobility (Janush and Bahuslau Radzivill and other) broke the relations with Catholic Poland and was united GDL with Sweden into one federal state for a short period of time. 1702-1708 - in the course of the Big Northern War Belarus becomes the theatre of operations between the troops of Charles XII and Peter I. The Swedish army (about 40 thousand people) stops thrice on the territory of Belarus (1702, 1706, 1708).
These contacts are particulars, because they were carried out in the condition of military operations. The hard actions of the Swedish troops, destruction are sure to have influenced the forming of the stereotypes of the "Swede". But the subjective reasons are also very important in this respect. In old Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth hatred towards Swedes-Lutherans as Protestant- was cultivated. The image of Protestant of Belarus (GDL) in the Polish culture of the 17-18 centuries meant the image of the traitors. Moreover, the problem was aggravated by the fact on the eve of the unification of GDL and Poland (1569) Lithuania (modern Belarus and Lithuania) became a Protestant country. The majority of its upper body of power- "rada" was made up of Protestant. From 28 members: 17 were Protestants, 9- Orthodox and only 2-Catholics.
1. The description of embassy to Sweden (Opis poselstwa do Szwecij.) Krakow. 1588. The author of the first book, which acquainted the Belarusian reader with Sweden, was Martsin Liesniawolski (about 1554, Drahichyn-1593, Krakow). He was born in old "Ruthenium" (Belarusian) family of GDL, but in 1569 as a result of Lublin Union his native lands of Padliasha were allotted to Polish Kingdom. This event predetermined a lot in his destiny. The father and brothers of M. Liesniawolski were Orthodox and used old Belarusian language and Cyrillic alphabet. M. Liesniawolski adopted Catholicism and wrote his composition in Polish. In 1587 he twice visited Sweden as a member of embassy of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The aim of this embassy was to reach agreement with the Swedish king Johan III on electing prince Sigismund to be Polish king and Grand Duke of Lithuania. During the second embassy (august, 1587) it was Liesniawolski's position, which predetermined the success of the negotiations. He threatened Swedes with the candidature of the Moscow tsarevitch Fyodor and so he persuaded the Swedes to return Sigismund. Liesniawolski's notes are devoted mainly to the negations, but there is also the description of Sweden, its culture and traditions, its biggest cities. 2. Revel. 1655. The author of next work Salomon Rysinski (? Kabylniki, Vitsebsk region- about 1656. Lubcha. Miensk region) - was born, according to his own words, " In rich forests Rus' on the border of severe Moscow land." He originates from past of GDL, which was named Belarus Rysinski took the Latin pseudonym "Leucoruss" (Belarusian). He is the first representative of the Belarusian literature, who chose the modern ethnic term as pseudonym. Rysinski was one of the most famous defenders of Reformation in GDL, closely connected with the Calvinist clan of Radzivill. Rysinski famous as the first investigator of folk proverbs. In response to breaking-off of the relations between GDL and Poland and the Union GDL with Sweden Rysinski wrote a poem "Revel". He welcomed the alliance with Sweden and evaluated differently the actions of Lithuanian (Belarusian) nobility and motives of Swedes in comparison with his contemporary Polish authors. It should be noted that Polish in the middle-2nd half of the 17th century created the whole trend, so call " anti-Swedish satire" in which Lithuanian nobility is treated as traitor, heretics and separatists and Janush Radzivill as a monster ("Moustrum Lithaniae"). According to Rysinski's views, it was patriotism, not separatism that induced Radzivill to entering into an alliance with Sweden. The elite of GDL thought, on the one hand, about the military threat on the past of neighbouring Russian state, on the other hand, about repression in relation to Protestant and Orthodox in the official policy of Polish state. The image of Swedes is also of great interest. The alliance of GDL with Sweden is treated by Rysinski as "equal". It should be noted that treaty of GDL and Sweden really contains clauses about the partners' equality. According to Rysinski the Swedes (not Lithuanian) wanted to enter into alliance with the "famous neighbour" -Lithuania. In reality GDL was practically destroyed at that moment by reason the war with Russian state. But Rysinski wrote contrary:
The Swedish king is surprised,
3. The King looks for his Swedish officers (Krol szwedzki oficerow swych szuka); Despair of the Swedish king (Desperatia krola szweckiego)- 1657. The author of these two poems is the famous Belarusian and Russian writer Simiaon Polatski (Samuil Petrovski-Sitnianivich, 1629. Polatsak- 1680. Moscow). He was polyglot (wrote in four languages) and he entered the history of Belarus as a model of political and religious conformist. He was Orthodox by birth, but entered the Vilna Jesuitical Academy, where he adopted Catholicism in accordance with Byzantine ceremony. When the war with Russia start Polatski returned to his native town and took Orthodox again. He organised the solemn meeting of the Russian tsar Aleksei Mikhailovich. When he moved to Moscow he became of the main ideologist of seizure of all formed Orthodox lands. He became the personal teacher of Peter the Great. But during the Belarusian period Polatski was absolutely loyal to Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. For instance, there has been recently discovered a poem-epitaph, belonging to Polatski in which the Russian troops are treated rather negatively. "The Swedish poems" of Polatski are not original. They are based on popular in Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth anonymous " anti-Swedish satire". Like the Polish authors Polatski writes his verses in form of a dialogue between the Swedish king Charles X and his generals and allies. Only real historical personages and facts are used. But unlike the Polish variants Polatski didn't criticise the pro-Swedish policy of Janush and Bahuslau Radzivill, although they are mentioned in poetry. The hero of the poems the Swedish king Charles X considers the under-estimation of Polish force, anti-Swedish revolt in Samogitia, treachery of fortune:
I should not have underestimated the Poles
4. The sketch of home misfortunes (Abrys domowej nieszczesliwosci). 1721. The author of this almost unknown work is a Greek-Catholic monk Jan Aleszkouski from Vitsebsk. In fact it is the Belarusian view on all events of the Great Northern War. Aleszkouski writes a lot about the split within the Belarusian nobility into the Swedish and Russian parties, the hatred of the Russian general Aleksej Menshikov towards the Greek-Catholic Church. We know that 75% of Belarusians belonged to its Church in 18th century. Also he noted that Swedes didn't justify Belarusian hopes. It was Aleszkouski, who for the first time mentioned the folk proverb, reflecting the situation of the Great Northern War. Later it was excluded from all publications of the Belarusian folklore of the Soviet period:
From there Swedes, from there Russians
5. Chronicle of Mahileu. (Kroynika) The events during 8.07. -5.08.1708.
The situation in Belarus in the 19th century was very difficult for the historical prose. The Belarusian history was mainly preserved and interpreted in folklore. The first "History of Belarus" in Belarusian, written by the Belarusian historian Vatslau Lastouski for the Belarusians, was published only in 1910. That's why, the very folklore becomes the source of ideas, themes, subjects of historical literature. So, Vintsent Dunin-Martsinkievich underlined this connection in the preface to his poem "Liucynka or the Swedes in Lithuania":
6. Navahradski temple. 1819. The author of this ballad was famous Belarusian writer Jan Chachot, one of the nearest friends of Adam Mitskievich. Apart from literature Chachot had collected and published four volumes of Belarusian folk song. He is the author of one of the first scientific works about Belarusian language. In 1823 he was arrested by the Russian police and exited to the Ural. He came back only in 1841. While studying in Navaharadak gymnasium, Chachot began interested in the Belarusian folklore. As Ihnat Damejka later recollected:
There were puffs of smoke over the city
In the opposition "one's own-smb.else's" Chachot doesn't admit the destruction of the positive stereotype of "one's own". He stresses the fact that the commandant of the temple, who betrayed Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, loving the Swedish woman , was stranger:
I don't know, where he comes from
As far as historical sources are concerned, they are not criticised. The history, based on folklore, acquires features of myth. Charles X is mentioned in the ballad instead of Charles XII. But there were no Swedes in Navahradak in the middle of the 17th century. They came only in 1706. According to the ballad the temple was destroyed by the Swedes. All the commentaries in the poem evidently display it. In reality the temple was destroyed by the Russian troops in 1660. The whole ballad is saturated with sharp irony of "the forgotten history":
You can see only the framework of the temple,
From the commentaries it is impossible to recognise the exact legend, which is the basis of this poem. I managed to find the publication of this legend:
7. Luicynka or the Swedes in Lithuania (Lucynka, czyli Szwedzi na Litvie. Opowiadania historyczne). 1861. The author of this poem is the greatest Belarusian writer of the 19th century, Vincent Dunin-Martsinkievich. He is known in the Belarusian literature by a number of wonderful comedies, and as a first translator of the Adam Mickiewicz's poem "Pan Tadeusz" into Belarusian. The publishing of this poem was confiscated by the Russian policy. Dunin-Martsinkievich was arrested during the revolt 1863-1864.
The Swedish bird of prey
According to the opposition "one's own-smb else's" cruel Swedes are set off against generous Lithuanian nobility. The author inserts also the theme of a joust between Belarusian knight Uladzislau Daliva and Swedish officer Lars. In this case the image of Swede is devoid of negative. But naturally their "own" wins in this fight:
It should be noted that this plot, the defence of the cloister-holy place against the heretical Swedes, was very popular in Polish culture, especially the history about cloister in Chenstokhova, which was known by every Catholic in Poland and Belarus. Dunin-Martsinkievich used this theme for the construction of the regional tradition. There three Swedish personages in this poem at once. Firstly is the commander of all the Swedish troops in Lithuania, who the author call Suderman. The commentators consider him to be an invented personage. Maybe his prototype was the Swedish king Charles IX Suderman, a brother of Polish king Sigismund Vaza. But we know that he there was not in Belarus. Practically Suderman is meant instead of Charles XII:
Suderman master on our land
The second Swede in poem is the real historical person: general Carl Gustaf Creutz (1660-1728). By order of Charles XII he and his detachments destroyed a number of estates in West Belarus in 1706, which belonged to Radzivill. The aim of this policy was to make Radzivill support the Swedes. It worked well. Dunin-Martsinkievich underlines Creutz's persistence:
Day and night he fires,
8. Ballad about Charles XII (???? ? ?????? XII). About 1863. The author of this poem is one of the most interesting Belarusian poets of the 19th century, Alhierd Abukhovich. He was born in Slutsak district, one of the centres of Reformation in Belarus, in the family of nobleman-Calvinists. He finished Slutsak Protestant gymnasium and studied at the Geneva University. He was named by his parents in honour of the outstanding Grand Duke of Lithuania Alhierd. Abukhovich was one of the first local authors, who called himself not "Lithuanian" but "Belarus". As a member of the Belarusian- Lithuanian revolt against tsarist Russia 1863-1864 headed by Belarusian Kostus Kalinouski, he was exiled to Siberia. After his return, Abukhovich gave out all his lands gratis to the peasants. That is why he acquired the reputation "mad" among local nobility. As a Protestant and Belarusian patriot he was rejected by the Polish nobility and the Russians officials.
The dawns of the North burn with blood,
This is not just metaphor. It's the forgotten Belarusian ancient sign: On the eve of the Great War when the skies become dark, the northern side becomes red like blood. This redness gradually fills the whole space. There is noise, crack and thunder in the sky at this moment.
The main hero is Charles XII, but Abukhovich creates absolutely new for the Belarusian literature image of the Swedish king. If Peter I is shown as "murderer of peoples", Stanislau Leszczynski- adventurer, Charles XII is the ideal knight, who struggled for independence and freedom of nations. According to Abukhovich Charles XII longed for "people's happiness", "yours brave heart beat for their fame."
Ballad about Charles XII
The dawns of the North burn with blood,
There are three heroes-and everyone leaves his shelter,
The first (Leszczynski) longed for the king's crown.
The second (Peter I) was born in the North to be a king,
The third (Charles XII) on the highest rock standing,
The dawns covered the skies, water and soil
Fortunately, your brave heart
The dawns grew dark, the glory faded,
The analysis of Belarusian literature of the 19th centuries were obliged to rest upon folklore And on this basis they created the image of the Swedes. Side by side with historical truth "unscientific" universal model of "smb else's" ethnos, created in people's culture plays the dominant role. The image of the Swede differs a little from the image of a Frenchman, typical of Belarusian folk culture in the 19th century after the war in 1812.
From there Swedes, from there Russians
Notes mentioned in the text will come! More about Swedish-Belarusian links:
(In Swedish)
|
