Орловская М. М. Матроним как маркер власти женщины-соправительницы в древнесеверном историческом нарративе [Электронный ресурс] // Vox medii aevi. 2020. Vol. 1–2(6–7). С. 229–251. URL: https://voxmediiaevi.com/2020-1-2-orlovskaya
DOI: 10.24411/2587-6619-2020-10007
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Masha Orlovskaia
Assistant, Project Laboratory for Intellectual Competitions in Humanities, National Research University “Higher school of economics” (Moscow)
mash_orlovskaya@mail.ru
Matronym as a Marker of Woman’s Reign in Old Norse Historical Narrative
By the 12th–13th c. the Icelandic saga narrative developed specific techniques and formulas that were used to describe kings and their typical functions. These formulas are highly relevant to such a phenomenon as the woman’s reign in the 10th c., which is also called the Saga Age. Although usually the king description formulas are formed around the patronym, there are several known cases when the patronym is replaced by the matronym. The analysis of matronyms allows us to claim the existence of the co-reign of Gunnhildr konungamóðir and her sons. Based on Heimskringla, Jómsvíkinga saga and skaldic poetry, the following research shows that the matronymic construction Gunnhildar synir is regularly used in sagas towards Gunnhild’s children as a frequent substitute for the patronym Eiríks synir. The paper considers a specific model of coregency “mother + son/sons” and analyses functional distribution of patronyms and matronyms in the corresponding saga narratives. Moreover, the article examines a similar example of the co-reign found in the Old Russian Primary Chronicle, namely the case of Olga of Kiev and her son Svyatoslav I.
Key words: Icelandic Sagas; Medieval Russia; Old Norse Literature; Onomastics; Patronyms.