LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Lietuvos Didžioji Kunigaikštystė (LDK; Grand Duchy of Lithuania; GDL); Archyvai; Dokumentai; Raštininkai; Raštija; Metrika; Legal documents; Archives; Writing.
ENThe aim of our research is to find out the origin of the document, and also its functions, place, role, value and status at early stages of its existing in the Grand Duchy Lithuania. We name document such written record which participated in the procedures of confirmation and proof of legal act. The main conclusions of the research are the following. As a precondition to the emergence of the document were secularization and pragmatization of social consciousness and relations. Their reflection was the fade into the background of the principles, views and norms of base institute of the Middle Ages, old ways, the decrease of the level of its experience. Religious ritual, its certain kinds such as oath and "Divine truth" as part of old ways, lost their value. The processes of secularization and pragmatization created such life conditions when the realization of social tasks became impossible using only natural abilities of person - memories, only one means of oral communications - oral word. It took the technology to keep a large amount of trustworthy information about the past. The main mission of the document was to take the place of religious ritual as the means of legalisation. The advancement of the document was the reflexion and simultaneously the stimulus of global assertion of the new order of authority organisation, court and administration. The secular authority and the means effected by were the centre of this order. The growth of the value and the authority of the document is the indication of the development of that authority which appropriated and transformed the previous rights of religion and tradition. The secular ruler given exclusive power became to introduce rational means of administration and justice. Documentary writing was one of such means. [...]. [From the publication]