Onfim: Our Shared Humanity
Do you remember your time in elementary or high school? And during class, you would doodle on the upper portion of your paper or notebook. You do not have to be embarrassed if you doodled, because classes can be boring sometimes. And most probably we all have done this before… so you are not alone on this one.
The act of doodling is a form of communion with our shared humanity. Because almost everybody does this. But what about those who have gone before? Sadly, we sometimes place them on pedestals. We revere great people as outstanding beacons of morals and virtue. Consequently, this reverence blurred our perception of people from the past. Our shared humanity with them became faint. We no longer see them as human beings but as an abstract notion of a collective.
Here I shall dispel this notion and inflame our shared humanity with the past. But, I will not use great names, or civilizations as a catalyst. No, I shall use a kid named Onfim. And here is his story.
Anthemius of Novgorod, Onfim
One of Russia’s older cities is Veliky Novgorod. Located northwest of Russia’s capital, Moscow. The city lineage goes far back to 859 CE when the Vikings first settled in the region. By the time of the 9th century, it became the center of trade within the region. Novgorod accomplishes this by using the Volkhov river. The river serves as a means to transport goods.
Onfim was a kid who lived in Novgorod around 1260. He was at the ages of 6 or 10 years old during that time. We know about him because of his writings. He is an average folk like most people of the time. Archeologists found Onfim’s works by excavating areas around the city. And it was able to survive today because Onfim wrote on birchbark documents. Onfim wrote his thoughts on the bark of birch trees with a sharp stylus.
Drawings of a 13th-century kid
What is more interesting is his writings. They are similar to what kids write today. Archeologists found one of his homework. They designated this artifact as No. 200. There you will see Onfim practicing to write the Novgorodian alphabet. On the birchbark document, Onfim was writing the first eleven letters, А Б В Г Д Є Ж. Then, it looks like he got bored and started drawing himself as a knight or warrior. He drew himself on top of a horse with a spear impaling another person on the ground. And beside this draw is his signature, ОНѲИМЄ (Onfim).
Archaeologists found more of his works. In homework numbered 203, he was practicing to write a gramota. According to Soviet philologist Artemii Vladimirovich Artsikhovskii, these were conventional and very common phrases in the period. As such, you see Onfim writing, ГИ ПОМОЗИ РАБУ СВОЄМУ ОНѲИМУ. This means, “Lord, help your servant Onfim!”. And below the writing, Onfim has drawn himself fighting a horrible monster.
My Favorite Drawing Made By Onfim.
Archaeologists found many more of Onfim’s works. Sadly, I cannot discuss all of them here. But I will give you one last drawing of Onfim. And for me, this is his most adorable yet. In artifact No. 202, Onfim drew yet again himself on his homework. But this time accompanying is some sort of parental figure. We do not know whether the person with him is his father, brother, or mentor. Nevertheless, this figure puts a smile on me because I too had done this before. I remember during my childhood, I also drew myself with my father as Rohirrim riders fighting Orcs and Uruk-hai. I did this after watching Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings.
Our shared humanity
Onfim simple act of drawing has connected me to his humanity. Even though 800 years of human history separates us from Onfim. We can still commune with him through our shared humanity. Because, we all know what it feels like to be bored, to dream, and to draw. And this commonality connects us all into one human tribe. That is why I, a 21st Century Filipino, can empathize with kids in 13th-century Novgorod
What about you? Comment right if you have a story of the past we can all relate to. Maybe you have an amazing story from the past. If not, then share with us your thoughts about Onfim’s story and his drawings.
