Литовский князь и индийский царевич: в поисках сходства (История о Войшелке)
The Lithuanian Prince and Indian Tsarevich: looking for similarities (A History of Vojshelk)

Summary/Abstract: This paper aims to show that history of Vojselk is not just a series of metamorphoses of the memory of the real prince-monk, but also the history of the ancient literary plot about the wise ruler, who left his power to achieve harmony with the universe. The article develops the occasional remark of Małgorzata Smorąg-Rożycka about the connection between the fate of Vojselk and ideological meaning of Christian story of the novel Barlaam and Joasaph in Byzantine culture. Fragments of Galician-Volhynian Chronicle which constitute semi-agyographical biography of Prince under 6770 (1262) - 6776 (1268) years, shows signifi cant plot similarities with the story of Barlaam and Joasaph: Vojselk plays the role of Joasaph, Mindovg - of Abner, Gregory Poloninsky - of Barlaam and Shvarn Danilovich - Barachias. It is probable in light of the hypotheses of David Goldfrank and Tetyana Vilkul which concerns the time of editing of the Vojselk's biography, that extant version was made in Vladimir Vasilkovich's rule (died 1288), when the earlier reports of Galician-Volhynian Chronicle were transformed in the direction of simalarization to Joasaph's biography. Imitation of the story of the Indian prince could be drafted in hortatory, but in light of comments by Arturas Dubonis about the political situation in the Lithuanian principality after the death of Traidenis ca. 1282, political motives of redaction are not excluded - for Volhynian compiler Vojselk could have become a symbol of loyalty of the Lithuanian princes to Vladimir Vasilkovich, in the time of struggle between his Lithuanian allies with the group of nobility, which was close to died duke Traidenis.

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