Mykoła Szarlemań i polowania Andronika I – rewizja. Przyczynek do historii ukraińskiej zoologii

The paper presents the results of a reevaluation of Mykola Charleman’s views on the distinction between the names tur (the aurochs) and żubr (the European bison), as well as his claim that the latter name came to designate the European bison after the extinction of the aurochs. Charleman based his argument on evidence from the Old Rus’ Latopis and a Byzantine chronicle describing events from the mid-12th c. However, a critical review of the sources has led to the rejection of the Ukrainian zoologist’s claims. An analysis of related publications and correspondence sheds light on how and when the researcher made this error. The paper further illustrates how scholars from various disciplines uncritically adopted Charleman’s flawed conclusions. Finally, the study calls for new, critical analyses of Niketas Choniates’s History, emphasizing the importance of a critical approach to evaluating the work of our predecessors.