Matveev A. Arabic Sources on Russes and Slavs: Problems of Interpretation of the Text // Manuscripta Orientalia. Vol. 2. No. 3. September 1996. P. 16—26.
Oriental sources provide some of the most important evidence
when it comes to the early period of Slavonic and
Scandinavian history. The information they contain does
not, however, lie on the surface: it is hidden under a thick
cover of “cultural layers”, through which it is not so easy to
penetrate. Even if we put aside the complicated composition
of these sources. problems connected with the origin,
transition and dating of information. which could be solved
by the traditional methods of textual analysis, these sources
still possess much of what is determined by the cultural and
literary tradition and by the general characteristics of their
authors’ mentality. Problems of this kind usually do not attract
special attention of scholars. partly because they appear
too evident, partly because of a lack of interest to such
questions. However, if we ignore the specific features of
Arabic literary works and of the tradition they follow, we
shall never be able to comprehend adequately the information
they contain...
PDF-файлы
