Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.15291/csi.4891
From Azazel to Azazello: Evil Characters in the Slavonic Pseudepigrapha
Liudmila Navtanovich
; Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
*
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
The paper deals with the importance of the Old Testament
Slavonic Pseudepigrapha as a source of cultural information
that might have influenced contemporary thinking and culture. The evil character analysed in the article can be found
in the two Old Testament Slavonic Pseudepigrapha: The
Apocalypse of Abraham and 2 Enoch. The character’s name
is Azazel, and it is widely known nowadays thanks to its
echo in Bulgakov’s novel Master and Margarita, as well as
in Akunin’s novel Azazel, which was translated into English
under the title The Winter Queen. The paper explains how
the character of Azazel is presented in the Old Testament
Slavonic Pseudepigrapha, and it highlights the significant
transformation of its role from one Old Slavonic text to the
other. The paper also discusses the origin of the expression
scapegoat in Russian.
Keywords
Old Testament Slavonic Pseudepigrapha; evil characters; Аzazel; 2 Еnoch; The Apocalypse of Abraham; scapegoat
Hrčak ID:
342351
URI
Publication date:
26.12.2025.
Visits: 526 *