Cyril of Turaw - Alternative Names and Attributions

Alternative Names and Attributions

Generally, Kirill’s autographs are not available and the manuscript sources are separated from the assumed time of composition by centuries. The medieval habit of anonymity and pseudonymity further complicates the process of attribution. Apart from the very rare “Kirill of Turov’ (even when this designation occurs, it tends to be just one of several variant readings), the headings in ‘his’ manuscripts include “Kirill the monk,” “Kirill the philosopher,” ‘Saint Kirill,” “The Blessed father Kirill,” “the blessed monk Kirill,” “Kirill the unworthy monk,” “the venerable Kirill.” Given this variety of labels, ‘Kirill’s’ texts invite several candidates for being their more likely authors (writers whose existence has been substantiated with historical facts). Hypothetically, each work can be allocated to one of several real Kirills and Cyrils: Cyril of Jerusalem (ca. 315-386); Cyril of Alexandria (d. 444); Cyril of Scythopolis (mid-sixth century); Constantine-Cyril, apostle of the Slavs(d. 869); Metropolitan Kirill I of Kiev (1223–1233); Metropolitan Kirill II of Kiev (1243–1290); Bishop Kirill of Rostov (1231–1262); Kirill of Turov. There are also numerous Kirills who may have been active but were not recorded by chroniclers and hagiographers. Matters are further complicated by the fact, that these labels appear to have been used interchangeably as Simon Franklin points out.