Attributed to Nestor the Chronicler · Complete work
987: The Envoys Examine the Faiths
987: The Envoys Examine the Faiths of 46. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
Open the complete readerOriginal Old East Slavic
В лѣто 6495. Съзва Вълодимерь бояры своя и старци градскыа и рече имь: «Се приходиша къ мнѣ болгаре, рекуще: „Приими закон нашь“. По сем же приидоша нѣмци, и тые хваляху закон свой. По сих приходиша жидове. Сих же послѣди приходиша и греци, хуляще всѣ законы, свой же хваляще, и много глаголаша, сказующе от начала миру. Суть же хитро сказающе, яко и другый свѣтъ повѣдают быти, и чюдно слышати их: да аще кто, дѣеть, в нашю вѣру ступить, то паки, умеръ, станеть, и не умрети ему в вѣки, аще ли в-ынъ законъ ступить, то на ономъ свѣтѣ в огнѣ горѣти. Да что ума придасте? что отвѣщаете?» И рѣша бояре и старци: «Вѣси, княже, яко своего никтоже не хулить, но хвалить. Аще хощеши испытати гораздо, то имаши у собе мужи: пославъ, испытай когождо ихъ службу, и кто како служить Богу». И бысть люба рѣчь князю и всѣмъ людемъ. Избраша мужи добры и смыслены, числомъ 10, и рѣша имъ: «Идете первое в Болгары, испытайте вѣру ихъ и службу». Они же идоша и, пришедше, видиша сквѣрная дѣла ихъ и кланяние въ ропати, и придоша в землю свою.
И рече имъ Володимѣръ: «Идете пакы в нѣмцѣ и сглядайте такоже, и оттуду идете въ Грѣкы». Они же придоша в нѣмцѣ и сглядавше церковь и службу ихъ, и придоша к Цесарюграду и внидоша къ цесарю. Цесарь же испыта, коея ради вины придоша. Они же исповѣдаша ему вся бывшая. Се слышавъ цесарь и рад бысть, и честь велику створи имъ въ тъ день. Наутрѣя же посла къ патрѣарху, глаголя сице: «Придоша русь, пытающе вѣры нашея, да пристрой церковь и крилосъ и самъ причинися въ святительския ризы, да видять славу Бога нашего». И си слышавъ патрѣархъ и повелѣ созвати крилось всь, и по обычаю створи празникъ, и кадила вьжгоша, и пѣния ликы составиша. И иде и цесарь с ними во церковь, и поставиша я на пространьнѣ мѣстѣ, показающе красоту церковьную, и пѣнья, и службу архиерѣйскы, и предстоянья дьяконъ, сказающе имъ служение Бога своего. Они же въ изумѣньи бывше и удивившеся, похвалиша службу ихъ. И призвавша я цесаря Василѣй и Костянтинъ, и рѣста имъ: «Идете в землю вашю». И отпустиша я с дары великы и с честью. Они же придоша в землю свою.
И созва князь бояры своя и старца, рче Володимеръ: «Се придоша послании нами мужи, да слышимъ от нихъ бывшее», и рече имъ: «Скажите предъ дружиною». Они же рѣша, яко «ходихомъ первое в Болгары и смотрихомъ, како ся кланяють въ храминѣ, рекше в ропатѣ, стояще бес пояса: и поклонивься, сядет и глядить сѣмо и овамо, акы бѣшенъ, и нѣсть веселия у нихъ, но печаль и смрадъ великъ. И нѣсть добръ законъ ихъ. И придохомъ в Нѣмцѣ и видихомъ службу творяща, а красоты не видихомъ никоеяже. И придохом же въ Грѣкы, и ведоша ны, идеже служать Богу своему, и не свѣмы, на небеси ли есмы были, или на землѣ: нѣсть бо на земли такого вида или красоты такоя, недоумѣемь бо сказати. Токмо то вѣмы, яко онъдѣ Богъ съ человѣкы пребываеть, и есть служба ихъ паче всих странъ. Мы убо не можемь забыти красоты тоя — всякъ бо человѣкъ, аще преже вкусить сладка, послѣди же […] не можеть горести прияти — тако и мы не имамъ сде жити». Отвѣщавъша же боярѣ и рѣша: «Аще лихъ бы законъ грѣчкый, то не бы баба твоя Олга прияла кресщения, яже бѣ мудрѣйши всих человѣкъ».
Отвѣщав же Володимѣръ, рече: «То кде кресщение приимемь?». Они же рѣша: «Кдѣ ти любо».
Musean translation
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the Old East Slavic text of the Hypatian Codex (O. V. Tvorogov’s 1997 edition, pinned Russian Wikisource revision), covering the undated introduction and every annal from 6360 to 6625 (852–1117 CE). Worker drafts were checked against the source paragraph by paragraph before publication. Years keep the chronicle’s own reckoning from the creation of the world; subtract 5508 for the approximate year CE, as the chapter titles do.
In the year 6495. Vladimir summoned his boyars and the city elders and said to them: “Behold, Bulgars came to me, saying: ‘Accept our law.’ After them came Germans, and they too praised their law. After these came Jews. Last of all came Greeks, reviling all the laws and praising their own, and they spoke much, telling of the world from its beginning. They tell it cleverly, saying there is another world as well, and it is wondrous to hear them: they say that if anyone steps into our faith, then, dying, he will rise again and will never die forever; but if he steps into another law, then in that other world he will burn in fire. Now what counsel do you add? What do you answer?” And the boyars and elders said: “You know, prince, that no one reviles his own, but praises it. If you wish to test it thoroughly, you have men at your side: send them and inquire into the service of each—who serves God, and how.” And this speech pleased the prince and all the people. They chose men good and wise, 10 in number, and said to them: “Go first to the Bulgars and test their faith and their service.” They went, and when they had come, they saw their foul deeds and their worship in the mosque, and returned to their own land.
And Vladimir said to them: “Go now to the Germans and observe likewise, and from there go to the Greeks.” They came to the Germans, and having observed their church and their service, they came to Constantinople and entered to the emperor. The emperor asked for what reason they had come. They told him all that had happened. Hearing this, the emperor rejoiced and showed them great honor that day. On the next day he sent to the patriarch, saying: “Rus' has come to inquire into our faith; prepare the church and the clergy, and array yourself in hierarchal vestments, that they may see the glory of our God.” Hearing this, the patriarch commanded all the clergy to be gathered, and held the feast according to custom; the censers were kindled, and the choirs were arrayed in song. And the emperor went with them into the church, and they were placed in a spacious place and shown the beauty of the church, and the singing, and the hierarchal service, and the deacons standing in attendance, as they told them of the worship of their God. They were in amazement and marveled, and praised their service. And the emperors Basil and Constantine called them and said: “Go to your own land.” And they sent them away with great gifts and with honor. And they came back to their own land.
And the prince summoned his boyars and elders, and Vladimir said: “Behold, the men we sent have come; let us hear from them what happened,” and said to them: “Tell it before the retinue.” They said: “We went first to the Bulgars and saw how they worship in their temple, that is, in the mosque: they stand ungirt, and a man, having bowed, sits and glances this way and that like a madman, and there is no joy among them, but gloom and a great stench. Their law is not good. And we came to the Germans and saw them performing their service, but saw no beauty in it at all. And we came to the Greeks, and they led us to the place where they serve their God, and we did not know whether we were in heaven or on earth: for there is on earth no such sight, no such beauty, and we cannot tell it. Only this we know: that God dwells there among men, and their service is better than in all other lands. We cannot forget that beauty—for every man, if he has once tasted sweetness, afterward […] cannot accept bitterness—so we cannot remain here any longer.” The boyars answered and said: “If the Greek law were evil, your grandmother Olga would not have accepted baptism—and she was the wisest of all men.”
Vladimir answered and said: “Where, then, shall we receive baptism?” They said: “Wherever you please.”
Plain English translation
Mouseia’s complete Plain English edition, made independently and directly from the same Old East Slavic text of the Hypatian Codex, paragraph for paragraph, and checked against the source before publication.
In the year 6495. Vladimir summoned his boyars and the city elders and said to them: “See, the Bulgars came to me, saying: ‘Accept our law.’ After that came the Germans, and they too praised their law. After them came the Jews. And after these came the Greeks, reviling all the other laws and praising their own, and they said much, telling from the beginning of the world. They tell it skillfully, saying that there is another world: if anyone, they say, enters our faith, then after dying he will rise again and will never die; but if he enters another law, then in that other world he will burn in fire. So what do you advise? What do you answer?” And the boyars and elders said: “You know, prince, that no one reviles his own, but praises it. If you want to examine it thoroughly, you have men at hand: send them to find out about each one's service, and how each serves God.” And the speech pleased the prince and all the people. They chose good and wise men, 10 in number, and said to them: “Go first to the Bulgars and test their faith and their worship.” They went and, having come there, saw their filthy deeds and their worship in a mosque, and came back to their own land.
Vladimir said to them: “Go again to the Germans and examine them likewise, and from there go to the Greeks.” They came to the Germans and examined their church and worship, and came to Constantinople and went in to the emperor. The emperor asked for what reason they had come. They told him everything that had happened. Hearing this, the emperor rejoiced and showed them great honor that day. The next day he sent to the patriarch, saying this: “Rus' has come to inquire about our faith; prepare the church and the clergy, and put on the hierarchal vestments yourself, so that they may see the glory of our God.” Hearing this, the patriarch ordered all the clergy assembled and held a feast according to custom; they lit the censers and set the choirs in singing. And the emperor went with them into the church, and they placed them in a spacious place, showing them the beauty of the church, the singing, the hierarchal service, and the deacons standing in attendance, explaining to them the worship of their God. They were astonished and marveled, and praised their service. Emperors Basil and Constantine called them and said: “Go back to your land.” And they sent them away with great gifts and with honor. They came back to their own land.
The prince summoned his boyars and elders, and Vladimir said: “See, the men we sent have come; let us hear from them what happened,” and said to them: “Speak before the retinue.” They said: “We went first to the Bulgars and saw how they worship in a building, that is, in a mosque, standing without belts: when one has bowed, he sits and looks this way and that, like a madman, and there is no joy among them, only sorrow and a great stench. Their law is not good. And we came to the Germans and saw them performing worship, but we saw no beauty at all. And we came to the Greeks, and they led us to the place where they worship their God, and we do not know whether we were in heaven or on earth: for there is no such sight or such beauty on earth, and we cannot describe it. We only know that God dwells there among men, and their worship is better than in all other countries. We cannot forget that beauty — for every man, if he has first tasted the sweet, afterwards […] cannot accept the bitter — so we do not want to live here any longer.” The boyars answered and said: “If the Greek law were bad, your grandmother Olga would not have accepted baptism; she was wiser than all men.”
Vladimir answered and said: “Where, then, shall we receive baptism?” They said: “Wherever you please.”