The Spiritual Universe of Hryhorii Skovoroda’s Fables: Meanings and Symbols

Abstract

This article examines the spiritual universe of the fables of Hryhorii Skovoroda and explores the distinctive features of their relationship with the biblical tradition. The main objective is to clarify the modes of interpreting the Holy Scriptures in the philosopher’s fables, to identify the levels of the Bible’s presence in these texts, and to analyse the role of biblical motifs in shaping the author’s moral, ethical, and philosophical ideas. The study adopts a comprehensive methodological approach that integrates literary, hermeneutic, and comparative methods. This approach makes it possible to trace the specific features of the interpretation of biblical texts in the fables, to compare individual plots and images with their biblical counterparts, and to identify the artistic characteristics of the works. It is established that Skovoroda’s fables constitute a coherent spiritual and philosophical system in which ethical and religious components are organically intertwined. The Bible emerges as one of the key sources shaping the ideological content of the fables and is represented through direct quotations, a system of intertextual connections, allusions, and symbolic structures. The fables may be provisionally classified into two groups according to the degree of engagement with biblical material: texts with an implicit presence of biblical ideas and those containing explicit quotations. The concept of “related labour” (“srodna pratsia”) is interpreted within the framework of Christian ethics and the doctrine of human vocation. Through a system of allegorical images, the author examines human virtues and vices, affirming the primacy of spiritual values. Skovoroda’s fables are not merely literary works but also profound philosophical and theological texts that reflect the author’s understanding of truth. The writer emphasises the necessity of direct engagement with the Holy Scriptures as the ultimate source of truth, contrasting this with superficial interpretations and erroneous exegesis. His fables affirm the superiority of the spiritual over the material, the idea of harmony between humanity and nature, and the importance of self-knowledge, faith, and the knowledge of God.