1288-00-00-Leprosy in Rus
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| Date startStart date of the disease. | 1284 | + |
| Date endEnd date of the disease. | 1288-12-10 Friday | + |
| SeasonSeason (spring, summer, fall or winter) | ||
| Date otherOther mentioned dates. | ||
| PlacePlace(s), city or location of the disease. | ||
| RegionHistorical region(s) | Volhynian Rus | |
| CountryCurrent country | ||
| RiverMentioned river(s) | ||
| Natural eventMentioned natural event(s) | ||
| PersonMentioned persons(s) | ||
| GroupGroup(s) of people mentioned | ||
| VictimIndication of victims | + | |
| AnimalMentioned animal(s) | ||
| DiseaseMentioned disease(s) | ||
| Epidemic waveAssociated epidemic wave | ||
| Social responseSocial response that happened in reaction to the disease | ||
| LanguageLanguage of the original text | Cyrillic | |
| KeywordFurther keyword(s) | Leprosy, Mortality | |
| last edited | 23. 12. 2025 by EpiMedDat-Bot. |
Example of leprosy in Rurikids dynasty. Illnes of Vladimir Vasylkovich prince of Volodymyr-Volynsky[1].
Text originalOriginal text
Кнѧѕю же Вълѡдимероу лежащю в болести своей пол[ъ]но д҃ лѣт[а]. Болезнь же его сице скажем[ъ]. Нача емоу гнити исподнѧа оустна – пръвого лѣта мало, на дроугое и на третїе бол[ь]ма почѧ гнити. И еще ж[е] емоу не вел[ь]ми бол[ь]ноу сѫщю, но ездѧше на кони, когда хотѧше”. […] Исходѧщю ж[е] д҃-мү лѣтоу и наставши ѕѣмѣ, начѧ бол[ь]ма нечимо: опада емү все мѧсо съ брады и зоубы исподнїи выгниша вси, и челюсть бороднаа перегни. Съй же быс[ть] вторыи Ӏевъ. […] и ѡт[ъ]пада емоу мѧсо все съ бороды, кость борѡд[ь]наа перегнила бѧше, и быс[ть] видѣти и гортан[ь]. И не въкоуша по з҃ недел[ь] ничтож[е], развѣ одиное воды, и тое ж[е] поскоудоу. И быс[ть] в че[твьрто]к[ъ]: на ноч[ь] поча изнемогати, и ӕко быс[ть] в коуры, и позна в собѣ д[оу]хь изнемагающь ко исходоу д[оу]ши.
Text translationEnglish translation of the text
Prince Vladimir lay suffering in great pain a full four years. We will tell of his pain in the following way. His lower lip began to rot. Only a little in the first year but in the second and third year, it decayed even more, and yet he was not very ill, but rode his horse when he wanted to[2] […] As the fourth year was coming to a close and winter [had] set in, [Volodimer's illness became worse]. All his flesh parted from his chin, his lower teeth rotted away completely, and his lower jaw [also] decayed. He was [indeed] the second Job. […] All his flesh parted from his chin and the bone had decayed [to such an extent] that one could see his larynx. And for seven weeks he did not take anything except water and that very little. By nightfall Thursday he began to fail in strength, and when it was time for the cock to crow, he knew that his spirit was failing to allow his soul to leave [his body].
- ↑ Fedir Androshchuk and Anna Chel’strem have established that the prince probably suffered from leprosy (Аndrоshchuk Fedīr, Chеl’strеm Anna 2007. “Se zhе byst’ vtоry Iеv″”: bоlеzn’ kniazia Vlаdimirа Vаsil’kоvichа i ee bibеĭskiе pаrаllеli, “Ruthenica” 4, 2007, p. 243-258)
- ↑ Cf. Adrian Jusupović, The Chronicle of Halych-Volhynia and Historical Collections in Medieval Rus’, Leiden-Boston: BRILL 2022, p. 172-173.
