160 PRINCE— TROYAN AND BOYAN IN OLD RUSSIAN. 



discussed above vuider Troyan. The ancient Slavonic world 

 abounded in singers similar to the Celtic bards and the Scandinavian 

 skalds, and, granted a word Boyan-Bayan=:" singer, poet, sayer," 

 already existing in the popular language, the author of the Slovo 

 probably introduced the Troyan-epithet, to indicate Russia by as- 

 sonance with Boyan. Boyan was for the author of the Slovo the 

 poet par excellence, who had given the ancient norm of Russian 

 song, the traditions regarding whom are unknown to the modern 

 world. It is highly likely, therefore, that Troyan — having in itself 

 a basis of "Trojan" with a possible superimposition of the later 

 " Trajan " influence — was used for the country, of which the then 

 known Boyan sang, i. e., of Russia. Even if it be supposed that 

 Boyan was Magnus's somewhat dubious Yan, the principle of asso- 

 ciation remains the same ; viz., it was necessary to have behind the 

 Slavonianized Hellenic influence of the Slovo poem some poet- 

 name — and a name in assonance with Troyan would naturally 

 suggest itself — so that, in a sense, our Boyan is really an echo of 

 Homer himself, although perhaps not consciously Homer in the 

 mind of the author of the Slovo. Vyazemski held that Boyan was 

 unequivocally Homer, but it is not necessary to imagine that the 

 ancient author of the Slovo had so direct a tradition, in order to 

 account for the divine Boyan, who is especially made the descendant 

 of the essentially Slavonic Veles, the god of cattle. 



