The Topos of Cave as a Model of Multiplied Space in the Medieval Literature (on the Basis of Kyiv-Pechersk Patericon)

The medieval worldview understands the Universe as a dual system that divides and confronts two worlds, two entities – spiritual and terrestrial. This multiplied space was analyzed by different theologians, philosophers, and astronomers. It was also reflected in the literature of various genres. This structural feature is realized in the various types of spaces. There are an island, desert, city, and cave. All of them are represented in the literary text as models of plural spaces. Therefore, these models have a number of features, functions, and laws which require deeper analysis. In my article, I realize a need for a solid investigation of its features in the context of Antiquity. Historical approach and textual analysis demonstrate an etymological thread of the phenomenon and provide a better understanding of the functioning of the topos of cave in the medieval literature. In fact, Antiquity did not present such a clear polarity of the organization of space as the Middle Ages did. Therefore, Antiquity united the world of gods with the world of people and blurred the boundaries between them. However, this period provided the examples of cave spaces which were implemented in the popular texts of Homer and Plato. Despite the changes in the ideological paradigm, the artistic functions of the topos of cave were inherited from the Antiquity and preserved, transformed, and semantically enriched in medieval literature. However, if the cave of Plato was associated with false beliefs about the world, the medieval topos of cave concentrated true knowledge. In particular, this pattern is applied to the Kyiv-Pechersk Patericon as a prominent example of Eastern European medieval literature.