Text as world, and world as text (on the symbolic hermeneutics essence inthe European culture of the Middle Ages)

The medieval world-perception was based on the notion of correlation existing between the organizationof the creation and the mode of human thinking. It originated the belief in the intelligibilityof the world comprehensible to human mind. The world is intelligible for God rationally organized it.At the same time a human being is a part of the creation that embodied His image most directly. Aperson is endowed with a mind, which in a little degree resembles the Divine Logos.These views creating the metaphysical base for development of symbolism help to understand thefunctioning of this principle of the medieval perception. The author thinks its functioning was based ontwo general intellectual techniques: analogy and etymology. The sphere of analogy application wasconfined with the universe in its natural and social aspects. Etymology was used par excellence for theScripture explanation.One of the most appreciated objects of etymological analysis was personal names. In the light ofthe symbolic world-view the connection between the name and the referent does not seem to be conventional.Addressing the human mind open to it, the thing intelligibly penetrates it with its idea, orlogos. Owing to it the mind is capable to identify it, as well as to give it a name, which would perfectlyfit its nature.It is not only the creation, which a human mind is noetically linked with due to their common belongingto the Divine Word. The mind is also connected with the meaning of the Scripture in whoseletters the Creator expressed the same ideas. Therefore similar hermeneutical techniques were practiced in both directions of the universe and the text. Used for the needs of biblical exegesis etymologyand analogy served as means of maintenance of the medieval theological typology.The intellectual basis of this typology included the following theses. The true author of the Bibleis God who revealed Himself to people through it and the creation. So, things and phenomena of theuniverse are similar to words. They also are signs referring us to their ideal foundations and further tothe Creator in whose Logos they constantly reside. Thus, the Scripture content is characterized withparallel plurality of meanings. And the main task of a hermeneutist is to detect and perceive them correctly.

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