Quotation in hagiography (a case study of written records of the late north Russian hagiographical tradition)

The article considers functioning of quotations from the Holy Writ texts in hagiographies belonging to the late North Russian tradition. The quotations, revealed through the analysis of characteristic features typical of quotes, demonstrate different methods of their introduction into the textual structure of hagiographies. They appear to be made with either a direct reference to the quotation source (sacramental text) or to the person stating the idea. Double marking is also possible. In most cases there are no clarifying indications and quotations are only marked with speech verbs. A considerable number of quotations are not marked in a special way but included into the text as if they come from the author. It is especially difficult to identify such unmarked quotations because their lexis, grammar and syntax are usually transformed. Cases and methods of combining different types of quotations (citation blocks) within one hagiographical text are of special interest. The quotations analyzed clearly demonstrate that citation has two important (and interrelated) functions in hagiography - stylistic and text-forming. From the quotations it is also possible to get a clear idea of the features of North Russian, in particular Vologda region, hagiography.