Compilation works

Nicholas Zharkikh

Since the mid-16th century Lithuanian chroniclers in search of materials for the history of Lithuania began to turn to print Polish chronicles. With the spread of European (Latin) education, these works became more and more accessible, and due to their use there was a group of works, which can be called compilations.

The purpose of this section is to find out what "Lithuanian" and "Belarusian" chronicles were used in these compilations.

Conclusions

1. Compilation works reviewed by us are divided into two chronological groups: to Stryjkowski’s chronicle inclusive and thereafter. The works of the first group used a manuscripts of "Lithuanian" chronicles, works of the second group had not used any manuscript, and used exclusively printed works Alexander Guagnini and Stryjkowski.

2. There are no traces of "Belarusian" chronicle in the compilations – just a "Lithuanian" one.

3. The greatest interest for compilers has caused "Fabulous emergence of Lithuania", which in almost every product has experienced modifications.

4. As one move from the fabulous times to the historical – increased part of the text compilers borrowed from Polish chronicles; for a time from 15th and even late 14th century these data strongly prevail over what was taken from the "Lithuanian" chronicle.

5. Compilers do not have and did not use any new sources for the history of Lithuania, except the Polish chronicles.

6. The basic law of the development of products considered – the transformation of the chronicle genre (like reliable information about the past events) in the historical genre (as a collection of interesting, exciting stories with a tendency to glorify the great ancestors), ie the conversion the documentary in the fiction.

7. With regard the artistic presentation – these products can be a source for the history of literature, the history of social and historical thought, but can not serve as a source for finding past events.