Dove Book facts for kids
The Verse about the Book of the Dove (called Golubinaya Kniga in Russian) is an old Russian spiritual poem. It's like a long song or story that shares deep ideas. There are at least 20 different versions of this poem. They can be short, with only 30 lines, or very long, with over 900 lines!
People generally think this poem was written around the year 1500. It likely came from the Novgorod region in Russia. However, some Russian people believe it's much, much older. The oldest copy we have today was written in the 1600s.
Contents
What is the Book of the Dove?
The main part of the Dove-Book is a long series of riddles. These riddles ask about big questions. For example, they ask about how things in the world began.
Mysteries and Riddles
In the poem, King David gives answers to these riddles. He explains how light, the sun, and the moon came to be. He also talks about different groups of people in society. King David also mentions a mysterious stone. This stone is called the Alatyr.
Isabel Florence Hapgood described one version of the poem. She said the "Dove Book" itself falls from Alatyr. Alatyr is described as a "burning white stone." It's found on the Island of Buyan, which is a mythical paradise. This island is said to be far towards the sunrise in the "Ocean Sea."
The poem explains that Alatyr is the stone where Christ stood. He stood there when he taught his followers. The "little book" itself is described as being huge. It's "forty fathoms long and twenty wide." That's about 240 feet long and 120 feet wide!
The poem says St. John the Evangelist wrote this book. But no ordinary person can read it. The prophet Isaiah tried to read it. He could only figure out three pages in three years! However, the "most wise tsar David" remembers the book's answers. He shares them with Tsar Vladimir and other rulers.
The poem shares many interesting facts. Some are about nature. For example, it says the ostrich is the mother of all birds. It also says ostriches live on the blue sea. They feed there and raise their young. The poem claims they can drown sailors and sink ships! It also mentions the Indrik-Beast. Whenever the ostrich or the Indrik-Beast moves, an earthquake happens.
What Does "Dove" Mean?
The title "Golubinaya Kniga" means "Dove Book." But the word "golub" (dove) in the title doesn't actually mean the bird. Experts like Vladimir Toporov believe it comes from a different root.
The root "glub" means "depth" or "deep." So, the title might refer to the deep ideas in the book. It talks about the deep meanings of the world. Another idea is that the name comes from "sefer torah." This is a Hebrew term for a holy book.
Its Impact and History
The Dove-Book has inspired many people. Famous Russian poets and artists loved it. For example, Nicholas Roerich and Andrey Bely were inspired by this ancient verse.
However, the Russian Orthodox Church did not like the Dove-Book. They banned it. They saw it as a mix of Christian stories and old pagan beliefs. They thought it was not proper for their faith.
