THE INVENTION OF MUSIC": THE HISTORY OF TWO MEDIEVAL INTERPRETATIONS
The article examines the notions of the origins of music that were characteristic for European intellectual culture of the Early and High Middle Ages. As an example author examines definitions of a Latin word "musica" from the encyclopaedic treatise of the 7th century "Etymologies" by Isidore of Seville and derivational dictionaries written by Italian lexicographers of XI - XIII centuries (Papias, Uguccione from Pisa, Iohannes Ianuensis) poorly researched by Russian historiographical tradition yet. Author uses her own transcriptions of Papias' and IohannesIanuensis' works (manuscript and incunabula) because of the lack of the critical editions. Isidore and high-medieval lexicographers used the same text repertoire and similar methods of reasoning based on the word formation analysis but interpreted results in different ways. Both content and structure of their definitions transformations depended on actual intellectual needs and destination of the text. All authors are united by their aspiration for fullness and consistency of information that derives from the concept of a language as a real world's mirror. Thus the analysis of word formation acquires ontological sense and becomes a research of the fundamental principles of world's organization planned by the Creator. This method of reasoning helps the author of "Etymologies" to substantiate the place of music in Christian vision of the world and to integrate an intellectual tradition of Antiquity into it. Lexicographers of the High Middle Ages continue his trying to synthesize knowledge in all definitions given in their dictionaries. They construct definitions that supplement each other and let their reader know the full complex of ideas and concepts. Such method of reasoning presupposes deep reflection about content of the definitions given by its author. Therefore contradictions and possible inaccuracies could also be of interest by their researcher. In the examined case the traditional descriptions of the origins of music is helpful not only for showing typical ideas of its content and role, but enables to find out more precise concept of it in special musical theoretical treatises.