Puzzle

A visitor to Omniglot would like to know whether anyone knows the name of the painting or can deciper the text on the stone, which is in Old Cyrillic.

Old Cyrillic picture

Close up of the inscription on the Old Cyrillic picture

Here’s a possible transliteration of the text:

kakъ prjamu ěxati
živu izdravęti
??? puti
ni prob?
ni proxožel
ni posъl etnol


Comments (9)

DelodephiusMay 17th, 2010 at 6:43 pm

I don’t know how it is called in Russian, but in English it is something like “Rider/knight at a crossroad”.

DelodephiusMay 17th, 2010 at 6:45 pm

Well I found the painter:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viktor_Vasnetsov

fiosachdMay 17th, 2010 at 6:48 pm

Виктор ВАСНЕЦОВ (1848-1926)
Витязь на распутье 1882 г.

Какъ пряму ехати
Живу не бывати
нетъ пути
ни проезжему
ни прохожему
ни пролетному!

TJMay 18th, 2010 at 9:44 am

umm and the meaning is… ?

Priscila AndradeMay 18th, 2010 at 10:43 am

Hi,

Our “The Top 100 Language Blogs 2010 competition” is doing great, with some really cool blogs eager to get number 1 spot! We’re very glad you have accepted this challenge and joined us.

This post is just to remind you there is still time to get your blog up in the list. The voting goes until May 24th at midnight CET (GMT +1), so get down to business and keep voting!

Wishing you all good luck,

Priscila
On behalf of bab.la and Lexiophiles team

fiosachdMay 18th, 2010 at 11:25 am

Viktor VASNETSOV (1848-1926)
Knight at the Crossroads 1882

If you go straight
you will not survive
there is no way
for anyone walking
riding
or flying!

IvanMay 18th, 2010 at 12:29 pm

The inscription is a recurring motif at crossroads in Russian mythology.

fiosachdMay 18th, 2010 at 12:33 pm

In Cyrillic Old Face and IPA (with slight correction in l.3):

какъ пр8мù 7hati
kakŭ priamu æxati
живù не бывати
ʒivu nɛ byvati
н7тъ пùti
nætŭ puti
ни про7зжомù
ni proæzʒomu
ни проhожемù
ni proxoʒɛmu
ни пролетномù
ni prolɛtnomu

CharlesMay 30th, 2010 at 5:14 pm

Какъ пряму ѣхати
Живу не бывати
нѣтъ пути
ни проѣзжему
ни прохожему
ни пролетному!