the balkan-slavonic influence in central-european protohistory and its latin transformation

The Balkan-Slavonic Influence in Central-European Protohistory and Its Latin

Transformation

Zdeněk Uhlíř

In the Early Slavic period from the sixth to the ninth centuries, Central Europe entered its

protohistorical phase, which ended in the tenth century with the emergence of stable social

and political units whose bases have survived until now. Central-European territory then on

the one hand experienced the repercussions of the so-called Migration of Nations,

characterised by the invasions of the Avars and Protobulgarians, who dissolved into the

majority of the domestic Slavic population, as well as of the Magyars, who did not assimilate,

and on the other became the terrain for the first Christian missions1 of the Irish-Scottish

monks, Frankish2 and Italian priests and later also, on the direct invitation of Duke of Great

Moravia Rastislav, of Byzantine missionaries3. Central Europe thus became the so-called

Young Europe4, different from Old Europe, existing on the territories of the Roman Empire.

The protohistorical and early historical periods of the sixth–twelfth centuries hence

characterise Central Europe as a border area, where Western Christian and Eastern Christian

influences5 converged and where a significant role was played by the barbarian element as

one of the components of the European unity6 being created. It was a Christian unity, which

emerged at that time, based on apostolic people and figures7, and despite the Schism between

Western and Eastern Christianity these two so-called lungs of Christianity8 are perceptible to

this day.

1 See Vavřínek, Vladimír: Církevní misie v dějinách Velké Moravy [Church Missions in the History of Great

Moravia]. Praha: Lidová demokracie, 1963. 2 See Dvorník, František: Byzance, les Slaves et les Francs. Boulogne-sur-Seine, 1949. 3 See Dvorník, František: Les Slaves, Byzance et Rome au IXe siècle. Paris: H. Champion, 1926; Dvorník,

František: Byzantské misie u Slovanů [Byzantine Missions at the Slavs]. Translated by Vladimír Vavřínek.

Praha: Vyšehrad, 1970. 4 See Kłoczowski, Jerzy: Młodsza Europa: Europa Środkowo-Wschodnia w kręgu cywylizacji chrześcijańskiej

średniowiecza [Young Central and Eastern Europe in the Circle of the Christian Civilisation of the Middle Ages].

2nd ed. Warszawa: PIW, 2003. 5 See Avenarius, Alexander: Byzantská kultúra v slovanskom prostředí v VI.–XII. Storočí: k problému recepcie a

transformácie [Byzantine Culture in the Slavic Milieu in the Sixth–Twelfth Centuries: On the Problem of the

Reception of the Transformation]. Bratislava: Veda, 1992; cf. also a German adaptation Avenarius, Alexander:

Die byzantinische Kultur und die Slawen: zum Problem der Rezeption und Transformation (6. bis 12.

Jahrhundert). Wien-München: Oldenburg, 2000. See also Dvorník, František: The Making of Central and

Eastern Europe. London: The Polish Research Centre, 1949; cf. the Czech translation Dvorník, František: Zrod

střední a východní Evropy: Mezi Byzancí a Římem. Translated by Petr Slunéčko. 2nd ed. Praha: Prostor, 2008.

Cf. also Myslivec, Josef: Křesťanský východ a my [The Christian East and Us]. Praha: Ústřední církevní

nakladatelství, 1970; Stejskal, Jan: Řecké dědictví na Západě: Monasticismus, misie a střední Evropa ve

středověku [The Greek Legacy in the West: Monasticism, Missions and Central Europe in the Middle Ages].

České Budějovice: Veduta, 2011. 6 See Dawson, Christopher: The Making of Europe: An Introduction to the History of European Unity. New

York: Meridian Books, 1974; cf. also the Czech translation Dawson, Christopher: Zrození Evropy: úvod do dějin

evropské jednoty. Translated by Miroslav Kratochvíl. Praha: Vyšehrad, 1994. 7 See Strzelczyk, Jerzy: Apostołowie Europy [The Apostles of Europe]. 2nd ed. Poznań: Wydwnisctwo

Poznańskie, 2010. 8 See Špidlík, Tomáš: Spiritualita křesťanského Východu: systematická příručka [The Spirituality of the

Christian East: A Systematic Guide]. Velehrad-Řím-Olomouc: Refugium Velehrad-Roma – Křesťanská

akademie – Centrum Aletti Velehrad-Roma, 2002; Špidlík, Tomáš: Duchovní jednota nové Evropy [The

Spiritual Unity of the New Europe]. Olomouc: Refugium Velehrad-Roma, 2007; Špidlík, Tomáš: Ruská idea:

Jiný pohled na člověka [A Russian Idea: Another Perspective on the Person]. Refugium Velehrad-Roma, 1996.

Cf. also Špidlík, Tomáš: Duše poutníka (v tozhovoru s Janem Paulasem) [The Soul of a Hermit (in an interview

with John Paulas)]. Kostelní Vydří: Karmelitánské nakladatelství, 2004.

The Balkan-Slavonic influence in Central Europe was performed particularly by Sts Cyril and

Methodius, the apostles to the Slavs and patron saints of Europe9. They brought to Great

Moravia Christianity10 and written culture11, which after the installation and stabilisation of

the Přemyslid dynasty and monarchy in the Czech lands12 endured through the tenth century13

and the period of St Adalbert14 and the monk Christianus15 until the eleventh century, when

9 See Benedikt XVI.: Sv. Cyril a Metoděj [Sts Cyril and Methodius]. The speech at the general audience on 4

July 2009. Translated by Milan Glaser. Available at: http://www.radiovaticana.cz/clanek.php4?id=11404

[retrieved on 24 January 2012]; Vavřínek, Vladimír: Apoštolové Slovanů a patroni Evropy [The Apostles to the

Slavs and Patron Saints of Europe]. In: Dějiny a současnost. 12, 1990, No. 1, pp. 4–10. Cf. Pastrnek, František:

Dějiny slovanských apoštolů Cyrila a Metoda: S rozborem a otiskem hlavních pramenů [The History of the

Apostles to the Slavs Cyril and Methodius: Containing an Analysis and Copy of the Main Sources]. Praha:

Jubilejní fond KČSN, 1902; Snopek, František: Konstantinus-Cyrillus und Methodius: Die Slavenapostel.

Kremsier: Academia Velehradensis, 1911; Grivec, Frančišek: Die heiligen Slavenapostel Cyrillus und Methodius.

Olmütz: Academia Velehradensis, 1928; Dvorník, František: Cyrillus und Methodius. Wien: L.W.Seidel, 1931;

Dvorník, František: Les légendes de Constantin et de Méthode vues de Byzance. Prague: Orbis, 1933; Bartůněk,

Václav (ed.): Soluňští bratři: 1100 let příchodu sv. Cyrila a Metoděje na Moravu [The Brothers from

Thessaloniki: 1100th Anniversary of the Arrival of Sts Cyril and Methodius in Moravia]. Praha: Ústřední

církevní nakladatelství, 1963; Vavřínek, Vladimír: Staroslověnské životy Konstantina a Metoděje [The Old

Church Slavonic Lives of Constantine and Methodius]. Praha: ČSAV, 1963. 10 See Třeštík, Dušan: Vznik Velké Moravy: Moravané, Čechové a střední Evropa v letech 791–871 [The Origins

of Great Moravia: The Moravians, Bohemians and Central Europe in 791–871]. Praha: Nakladatelství Lidové

noviny, 2001; Havlík, Lubomír Emil: Velká Morava a středoevropští Slované [Great Moravia and Central

European Slavs]. Praha: SPN, 1964. The Great Moravian issue also found an echo in modern detective literature,

cf. Velinský, Jaroslav: Kočičí princ. Libouchec: Kapitán Kid, 2011. 11 See Vašica, Josef: Literární památky epochy velkomoravské 863–885 [The Literary Monuments of the Epoch

of Great Moravia 863–885]. 2nd ed. Praha: Vyšehrad – Řím: Křesťanská akademie, 1996; Večerka, Radoslav:

Staroslověnská etapa českého písemnictví [The Old Church Slavonic Stage of Czech Literature]. Praha:

Nakladatelství Lidové noviny, 2010. 12 See Třeštík, Dušan: Počátky Přemyslovců: Vstup Čechů do dějin (530–935) [The Origin of the Přemyslids:

The Entry of the Bohemians in History]. Praha: Nakladatelství Lidové noviny, 1997; Třeštík, Dušan: Mýty

kmene Čechů (7.–10. století): Tři studie ke „starým pověstem českým“ [The Myths of the Tribe of the

Bohemians (Seventh–Tenth Centuries): Three Studies on ‘The Ancient Bohemian Legends’]. Praha:

Nakladatelství Lidové noviny, 2003. 13 See Králík, Oldřich: K počátkům literatury v přemyslovských Čechách [On the Origin of Literature in

Přemyslid Bohemia]. Praha: ČSV, 1960; Králík, Oldřich: V příšeří české protohistorie: Kus metodologie a

polemiky [In the Twilight of Bohemian Protohistory: A Piece of Methodology and Polemics]. Praha: SPN, 1969;

Králík, Oldřich: Nejstarší legendy přemyslovských Čech [The Earliest Legends of Přemyslid Bohemia]. Praha:

Vyšehrad, 1969; Králík, Oldřich: Labyrint dávných dějin českých [The Labyrinth of the Ancient History of

Bohemia]. Praha: Vyšehrad, 1970; Kølln, Herman: Westkirchliches in altkirchenslavischer Literatur aus

Großmähren und Böhmen. København: Munksgaard, 2003. 14 See Krásl, František – Ježek, J.: Svatý Vojtěch, druhý biskup pražský: Jeho klášter i úcta u lidu [Saint Adalbert,

the Second Bishop of Prague: His Monastery as Well as His Veneration by the People]. Praha: Dědictví sv.

Prokopa, 1898; Shula, Jiří: Svatý Vojtěch a jeho doba [Saint Adalbert and His Time]. Hradec Králové: Tiskové

družstvo, 1921; Holinka, Rudolf: Svatý Vojtěch [Saint Adalbert]. Brno: Brněnská tiskárna – Břevnov:

Benediktinské opatství, 1947; Dvorník, František: Svatý Vojtěch, druhý pražský biskup [Saint Adalbert, the

Second Bishop of Prague]. Olomouc: Matice cyrilometodějská, 1997; Polc, Jaroslav V. (ed.): Svatý Vojtěch:

Sborník k mileniu [Saint Adalbert: A Collection at the Millenium]. Praha: Zvon: 1997; Třeštík, Dušan –

Žemlička, Josef (ed.): Svatý Vojtěch, Čechové a Evropa [Saint Adalbert, the Bohemians and Europe]. Praha:

Nakladatelství Lidové noviny, 1998. Cf. also Králík, Oldřich: Slavníkovské interludium: K česko-polským

kulturním vztahům kolem r. 1000 [The Slavník Interlude]. Ostrava: Profil, 1966; Králík, Oldřich: Šest legend

hledá autora [Six Legends Seeking an Author]. Praha: Mladá fronta, 1966; Králík, Oldřich: Filiace vojtěšských

legend [Filiation of the Legends of Saint Adalbert]. Praha: Academia, 1971. The Slavník and Saint Adalbert’s

issues found a response also in the modern detective literature, cf. Erben, Václav: Denár v dívčí dlani [A Denar

in a Girl’s Hand]. Praha: Československý spisovatel, 1980; Praha: Svoboda, 1992; Praha: MOBA, 2003; Praha:

MOBA, c2008. 15 See Ludvíkovský, Jaroslav (ed.): Kristiánova legenda: Život a umučení svatého Václava a jeho báby svaté

Ludmily [Christianus’ Legend: The Life and Passion of Saint Wenceslas and His Grandmother Saint Ludmila].

they were applied at the cloister in Sázava16, founded by St Prokopius17 and still preserved in

the memory of the chronicler Cosmas18. However as a result of the Great (Eastern) Schism,

which occurred in 1054, the Old Church Slavonic liturgy aroused great suspicion in the Czech

lands, although it actually remained only at Sázava, and so eventually after the death of King

Vratislaus (1061–1092), the Slavonic monks were expelled from Sázava and the monastery

was occupied by Benedictines coming from the earliest Bohemian monastery (founded in

993) in Břevnov19. The tradition of Cyril and Methodius, which later surfaced at Velehrad in

Moravia20, is vague in the Middle Ages and cannot be considered as continuous. And when

Charles IV in 1347 founded the monastery of Emmaus21 in Prague’s New Town and settled it

Praha: Vyšehrad, 1978. See also Pekař, Josef: Die Wenzels- und Ludmila-Legenden und die Echtheit Christians.

Prag: Alois Wiesner, 1906; Chaloupecký, Václav: Prameny X. století legendy Kristiánovy o svatém Václavu a

svaté Ludmile [The Sources of the Tenth Century of Christianus’ Legend of Saint Wenceslas and Saint Ludmila].

Praha: Národní výbor pro oslavu svatováclavského tisíciletí, 1939; Urbánek, Rudolf: Legenda tzv. Kristiána ve

vývoji předhusitských legend ludmilských i václavských a její autor. I–II [The Legend of the So-Called

Christianus in the Development of the Pre-Hussite Legends of Saints Ludmila and Wenceslas and Its Author].

Praha: ČAVU, 1947–1948; Fiala, Zdeněk: Hlavní pramen legendy Kristiánovy [The Main Source of Christianus’

Legend]. Praha: Academia, 1974; Uhlíř, Zdeněk: Literární prameny svatováclavského kultu a úcty ve vrcholném

a pozdním středověku [The Literary Sources of the Cult and Veneration of Saint Wenceslas in the High and Late

Middle Ages]. Praha: Národní knihovna ČR, 1996; Kølln, Herman: Die Wenzelslegende des Mönchs Christian.

København: Munksgaard, 1996. Pro balkánsko-slovanský kontext cf. also Havlík, Lubomír Emil: Dukljanska

hronika i Dalmatinska legenda [The Duklja Chronicle and the Dalmatian Legend]. Podgorica: Grafo Crna Gora,

2008. 16 See Petr, Jan – Šabouk, Sáva (ed.): Z tradic slovanské kultury v Čechách: Sázava a Emauzy v dějinách české

kultury [From the Traditions of the Slavic Culture in Bohemia: The Sázava and Emmaus Monasteries in the

History of Czech Culture]. Praha: Univerzita Karlova, 1975; Reichertová, Květa: Sázava: Památník

staroslověnské kultury v Čechách [The Sázava Monastery: A Monument of Old Church Slavonic Culture in

Bohemia]. Praha: Odeon, 1988; Králík, Oldřich: Sázavské písemnictví 11. století [The Sázava Literature of the

Eleventh Century]. Praha: ČSAV, 1961. 17 See Krásl, František: Sv. Prokop: Jeho klášter a památka u lidu [St Procopius: His Monastery and Memory

with People]. Praha: Dědictví sv. Prokopa, 1895; Kadlec, Jaroslav: Svatý Prokop [Saint Procopius]. České

Budějovice: Sdružení sv. Jana Neumanna, 1995; Sommer, Petr (ed.): Svatý Prokop, Čechy a střední Evropa

[Saint Procopius, Bohemia and Central Europe]. Praha: Filosofia, 2005; Sommer, Petr: Svatý Prokop: Z počátků

českého státu a církve [Saint Procopius: From the Origin of the Bohemian State and Church]. Praha: Vyšehrad,

2007. 18 Cf. Třeštík, Dušan: Kosmova kronika: Studie k počátkům českého dějepisectví a politického myšlení [Cosmas’

Chronicle: A Study on the Origin of Czech Historiography and Political Thinking]. Praha: Academia, 1968;

Králík, Oldřich: Od Radima ke Kosmovi: K nejstarším dějinám české vzdělanosti [From Radim to Cosmas: On

the Earliest History of Czech Learning]. Praha: SPN, 1968; Králík, Oldřich: Nejstarší rodokmen české literatury

[The Earliest Genealogical Tree of Czech Literature]. Praha: Československý spisovatel, 1971; Králík, Oldřich:

Kosmova kronika a předchozí tradice [Cosmas’ Chronicle and the Previous Tradition]. Praha: Vyšehrad, 1976. 19 Cf. Břevnov: První klášter černých benediktinů na půdě slovanské [Břevnov: The First Monastery of the Black

Benedictines on Slavic Soil]. Praha: author’s edition, 1931; Dragoun, Zdeněk – Preiss, Pavel – Sommer, Petr:

L´abbazia di Břevnov. Praha: Oswald, 1992; Benediktinské arciopatství Břevnov: Pamětní tisk k mileniu (993–

1993) [The Benedictine Archabbey of Břevnov: A Memorial Sheet for the Millenium (993)]. Praha: Documenta,

1994; Bláhová, Marie – Hlaváček, Ivan (ed.): Břevnov v českých dějinách [Břevnov in Czech History]. Praha:

FFUK, 1997. 20 Cf. Hurt, Rudolf: Dějiny cisterciáckého kláštera na Velehradě. I. 1205–1650 [The History of the Cistercian

Monastery at Velehrad]. Olomouc: Akademie velehradská, 1934; Cinek, František: Velehrad víry: Duchovní

dějiny Velehradu [Velehrad of Faith: The Spiritual History of Velehrad]. Olomouc: Lidové knihkupectví a

nakladatelství, 1936; Cibulka, Josef: Velkomoravský kostel v Modré u Velehradu a začátky křesťanství na

Moravě [The Great Moravian Church in Modrá at Velehrad and the Beginnings of Christianity in Moravia].

Praha: ČSAV, 1958; Pojsl, Miloslav (ed.): Cisterciáci na Moravě: Sborník k 800. výročí příchodu cisterciáků na

Moravu a počátek Velehradu [The Cistercians in Moravia: An Anthology on the 800th Anniversary of the

Arrival of the Cistercians in Moravia and the Beginning of Velehrad]. Olomouc: Univerzita Palackého, 2006. 21 See Poche, Emanuel – Krofta, Jan: Na Slovanech: Střebí a umělecký vývoj pražského kláštera [Emmaus: The

Construction and Artistic Development of the Prague Monastery]. Praha: SNKLHU, 1956; Stejskal, Karel:

Klášter Na Slovanech [The Emmaus Monastery]. Praha: Odeon, 1974; Petr, Jan – Šabouk, Sáva (ed.): Z tradic

with Croatian Glagolitic Benedictines, the situation was already entirely different and new,

because these were undoubtedly Roman Catholics and the Glagolitic literature which

flourished there was in Czech22.

The original Balkan-Slavonic impetus was thus preserved, but it succumbed to distinct

Western Christian, i.e. Latin, transformation and only thanks to it integrally flowed into the

cultural reservoir of further centuries, mainly in the Czech lands, less so in Hungary and

Poland. What is particularly important are the hagiographic (on the other hand, we

encounter liturgical monuments but for exceptions only in the area of Eastern, Orthodox

Christianity) and historiographic sources, where the hagiographic sources come almost

exclusively from Bohemia and Moravia, whereas the historiographic sources are generally

spread regularly all over the Central-European territory. It is also evident that the Latin

transformation of the Balkan-Slavic influence, i.e. of the influence of Cyril and Methodius, in

Central Europe proceeds from two sources, of which one is Italian and the other Bohemian.

That Italian beginning is Vita Constantini-Cyrilli cum translatione sancti Clementis (the

Italian Legend)23, whereas the Bohemian source is the famous Christianus’ legend24. They are

further followed by the legend of Cyril and Methodius Tempore Michaelis imperatoris (the

Moravian Legend)25, Ludmila’s legend Diffundente sole26, its treatment from the Old Czech

Passional27, the legend of Cyril and Methodius Quemadmodum28, of St Wenceslas Legenda

Karlova [Charles’ Legend]29, as well as its adaption from the Old Czech Passional30, the

slovanské kultury v Čechách: Sázava a Emauzy v dějinách české kultury [From the Traditions of the Slavic

Culture in Bohemia: The Sázava and Emmaus Monasteries in the History of Czech Culture]. Praha: Univerzita

Karlova, 1975; Benešovská, Klára – Kubínová, Kateřina (ed.): Emauzy: Benediktinský klášter Na Slovanech

v srdci Prahy [The Emmaus Monastery: The Benedictine Emmaus Monastery in the Heart of Prague]. Praha:

Academia, 2007. 22 See Pacnerová, Ludmila: Staročeský hlaholský Pasionál [The Old Czech Glagolitic Passional]. In: Listy

filologické. 99, 1976, No. 4, pp. 211–220; Pacnerová, Ludmila (ed.): Staročeské hlaholské zlomky [Old Czech

Glagolitic Fragments]. Praha: Academia, 1986; Pacnerová, Ludmila: Hlaholice v české písařské praxi [The

Glagolitic Script in the Czech Scribes’ Practice]. In: Listy filologické. 112, 1980, No. 1, pp. 30–40; Pacnerová,

Ludmila (ed.): Česká bible hlaholská: bible Vyšebrodská [The Czech Glagolitic Bible: The Vyšebrod Bible].

Praha: Euroslavica, 2000; Pacnerová, Ludmila (ed.): Staročeský hlaholský Comestor [The Old Czech Glagolitic

Comestar]. Praha: Euroslavica, 2002; Pacnerová, Ludmila: Staročeské literární památky a charvátská hranatá

hlaholice [Old-Czech Literary Monuments and the Croatian Square Glagolitic Script]. In: Slovo. 56–57, 2006–

2007, pp. 405–420. 23 See Bartoňková, Dagmar – Havlík, Lubomír – Ludvíkovský, Jaroslav – Masařík, Zdeněk – Večerka, Radoslav

(ed.): Magnae Moraviae fontes historici. II. Textus biographici, hagiographici, liturgici. Brno: UJEP, 1967, pp.

120–133. See also the other editions and the relevant literature there. 24 For the respective part of Christianus’ Legend concerning the topic of Cyril and Methodius, or Great Moravia,

see Bartoňková, Dagmar – Havlík, Lubomír – Ludvíkovský, Jaroslav – Masařík, Zdeněk – Večerka, Radoslav

(ed.): Magnae Moraviae fontes historici. II. Textus biographici, hagiographici, liturgici. Brno: UJEP, 1967, pp.

186–199. See also the other editions and the relevant literature there. 25 See Bartoňková, Dagmar – Havlík, Lubomír – Ludvíkovský, Jaroslav – Masařík, Zdeněk – Večerka, Radoslav

(ed.): Magnae Moraviae fontes historici. II. Textus biographici, hagiographici, liturgici. Brno: UJEP, 1967, pp.

255–268. See also the other editions and the relevant literature there. 26 See Bartoňková, Dagmar – Havlík, Lubomír – Ludvíkovský, Jaroslav – Masařík, Zdeněk – Večerka, Radoslav

(ed.): Magnae Moraviae fontes historici. II. Textus biographici, hagiographici, liturgici. Brno: UJEP, 1967, pp.

276–283. See also the other editions and the relevant literature there. 27 See Bartoňková, Dagmar – Havlík, Lubomír – Ludvíkovský, Jaroslav – Masařík, Zdeněk – Večerka, Radoslav

(ed.): Magnae Moraviae fontes historici. II. Textus biographici, hagiographici, liturgici. Brno: UJEP, 1967, pp.

284–288. See also the other editions and the relevant literature there. 28 See Bartoňková, Dagmar – Havlík, Lubomír – Ludvíkovský, Jaroslav – Masařík, Zdeněk – Večerka, Radoslav

(ed.): Magnae Moraviae fontes historici. II. Textus biographici, hagiographici, liturgici. Brno: UJEP, 1967, pp.

289–296. See also the other editions and the relevant literature there. 29 For the relevant part of Charles’ legend which deals with the topic of Cyril and Methodius, or Great Moravia,

see Bartoňková, Dagmar – Havlík, Lubomír – Ludvíkovský, Jaroslav – Masařík, Zdeněk – Večerka, Radoslav

legend of Cyril and Methodius Beatus Cyrillus31, the legend of Cyril and Methodius Tradunt

annales32, Život svatých Crha a Strachoty (The Life of Sts Cyril and Methodius, from the

second incunabulum of the Passional from 1495)33.

And besides this, there are historiographic sources, chronicles and annals which build on the

same basic sources. Those from the Central-European area including the Czech and Polish

lands, Hungary, or even Bavaria, are particularly Chronicon by Gallus Anonymus34, Chronica

Bohemorum by Cosmas of Prague35, Gesta Hungarorum by Simon de Keza36, Chronicom

pontificum et imperatorum by Martin of Opava37, Kronika tak řečeného Dalimila [Chronicle

of the So-Called Dalimil] in Czech38, Latin39 and German40 mutations, Annales Bohemici41,

(ed.): Magnae Moraviae fontes historici. II. Textus biographici, hagiographici, liturgici. Brno: UJEP, 1967, pp.

297–298. See also the other editions and the relevant literature there. 30 For the relevant part of the Czech translation of Charles’ legend which deals with the topic of Cyril and

Methodius, or Great Moravia, see Bartoňková, Dagmar – Havlík, Lubomír – Ludvíkovský, Jaroslav – Masařík,

Zdeněk – Večerka, Radoslav (ed.): Magnae Moraviae fontes historici. II. Textus biographici, hagiographici,

liturgici. Brno: UJEP, 1967, pp. 298. See also the other editions and the relevant literature there. 31 See Bartoňková, Dagmar – Havlík, Lubomír – Ludvíkovský, Jaroslav – Masařík, Zdeněk – Večerka, Radoslav

(ed.): Magnae Moraviae fontes historici. II. Textus biographici, hagiographici, liturgici. Brno: UJEP, 1967, pp.

299–303. See also the other editions and the relevant literature there. 32 See Králík, Oldřich – Kristen, Zdeněk: Cyrilometodějšká legenda „Tradunt annales“ [The Legend of Cyril and

Methodius Tradunt annales]. In: Příspěvky ke starší literatuře na Moravě. 2. Blansko: Okresní archiv, 1965–

1966, pp. 3–9. 33 See Bartoňková, Dagmar – Havlík, Lubomír – Ludvíkovský, Jaroslav – Masařík, Zdeněk – Večerka, Radoslav

(ed.): Magnae Moraviae fontes historici. II. Textus biographici, hagiographici, liturgici. Brno: UJEP, 1967, pp.

314–316. See also the other editions and the relevant literature there. 34 For the relevant part of the Chronicle of Gallus Anonymus which deals with the topic of Cyril and Methodius,

or Great Moravia, see Bartoňková, Dagmar – Havlík, Lubomír – Masařík, Zdeněk – Večerka, Radoslav (ed.):

Magnae Moraviae fontes historici. I. Annales et chronicae. 2nd ed. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2008, p. 197.

See also the other editions and the relevant literature there. 35 For the relevant part of the Chronicle of the Bohemians by Cosmas of Prague which deals with the topic of

Cyril and Methodius, or Great Moravia, see Bartoňková, Dagmar – Havlík, Lubomír – Masařík, Zdeněk –

Večerka, Radoslav (ed.): Magnae Moraviae fontes historici. I. Annales et chronicae. 2nd ed. Brno: Masarykova

univerzita, 2008, pp. 208–212. See also the other editions and the relevant literature there. 36 For the relevant part of Gesta Hunnorum et Hungarorum by Simon Kézai which deals with the topic of Cyril

and Methodius, or Great Moravia, see Bartoňková, Dagmar – Havlík, Lubomír – Masařík, Zdeněk – Večerka,

Radoslav (ed.): Magnae Moraviae fontes historici. I. Annales et chronicae. 2nd ed. Brno: Masarykova univerzita,

2008, pp. 282–286. See also the other editions and the relevant literature there. 37 For the relevant part of the Chronicle of the Popes and the Emperors by Martin of Opava which deals with the

topic of Cyril and Methodius, or Great Moravia, see Bartoňková, Dagmar – Havlík, Lubomír – Masařík, Zdeněk

– Večerka, Radoslav (ed.): Magnae Moraviae fontes historici. I. Annales et chronicae. 2nd ed. Brno:

Masarykova univerzita, 2008, pp. 292–294. See also the other editions and the relevant literature there. 38 For the relevant part of the Czech Chronicle of the So-Called Dalimil which deals with the topic of Cyril and

Methodius, or Great Moravia, see Bartoňková, Dagmar – Havlík, Lubomír – Masařík, Zdeněk – Večerka,

Radoslav (ed.): Magnae Moraviae fontes historici. I. Annales et chronicae. 2nd ed. Brno: Masarykova univerzita,

2008, pp. 295–298. See also the other editions and the relevant literature there. 39 For the relevant part of the Latin Chronicle of the So-Called Dalimil which deals with the topic of Cyril and

Methodius, or Great Moravia, see Uhlíř, Zdeněk (ed.): Nově objevený zlomek latinského překladu Kroniky tak

řečeného Dalimila [A Newly Discovered Fragment of the Latin Translation of the Chronicle of the So-Called

Dalimil]. In: Knihovna – knihovnická revue. 16, 2005, No. 2, p. 165. See also the other editions and the relevant

literature there. 40 For the relevant part of the German Chronicle of the So-Called Dalimil which deals with the topic of Cyril and

Methodius, or Great Moravia, see Brom, Vlastimil (ed.): Di tutsch kronik von Behem lant. Die gereimte deutsche

Übersetzung der alttschechischen Dalimil-Chronik. Rýmovaný německý překlad Dalimilovy kroniky. [A Rhymed

German Translation of the Chronicle of the So-Called Dalimil] Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2009, pp. 198–206.

See also the other editions and the relevant literature there. 41 For the relevant part of the Annales Bohemiae which deals with the topic of Cyril and Methodius, or Great

Moravia, see Bartoňková, Dagmar – Havlík, Lubomír – Masařík, Zdeněk – Večerka, Radoslav (ed.): Magnae

Granum catalogi praesulum Moraviae42, Episcoporum Olomucensium series by Augustine of

Olomouc43 , Rocznik Krasińskich44 , Historia Bohemica by Aeneas Silvius Piccolomini45 ,

Historia Polonica by John Longinus (Długosz)46, Chronica Hungarorum by Johannes de

Thurócz 47 , Epitome rerum Hungaricarum by Petrus Ransanus 48 , Rerum Hungaricarum

decades quinque (libris XLV comprehensae) by Antonio Bonfini49 and Annales Boiorum by

Johannes Aventinus50.

The Latin tradition associated with the theme of Cyril and Methodius and Great Moravia

emerges in Italy as a work by a contemporary of the brothers from Thessaloniki Cyril

(originally Constantine, in Old Czech Crha) and Methodius (in Old Czech Strachota), Bishop

Gauderich of Velletri. The Life of St Cyril is connected in it with the legend of the translation

of the relics of St Clement. This so-called Italian Legend circulated in the later Middle Ages

under the name of Bishop Leo of Ostia (d. 1115), who had however more or less faithfully

Moraviae fontes historici. I. Annales et chronicae. 2nd ed. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2008, p. 341. See also

the other editions and the relevant literature there. 42 For the relevant part of the Granum cathalogi praesulum Moraviae which deals with the topic of Cyril and

Methodius, or Great Moravia, see Bartoňková, Dagmar – Havlík, Lubomír – Masařík, Zdeněk – Večerka,

Radoslav (ed.): Magnae Moraviae fontes historici. I. Annales et chronicae. 2nd ed. Brno: Masarykova univerzita,

2008, pp. 343–347. See also the other editions and the relevant literature there. 43 For the relevant part of the Catalogus episcoporum Olomucensium by Augustinus of Olomouc which deals

with the topic of Cyril and Methodius, or Great Moravia, see Bartoňková, Dagmar – Havlík, Lubomír – Masařík,

Zdeněk – Večerka, Radoslav (ed.): Magnae Moraviae fontes historici. I. Annales et chronicae. 2nd ed. Brno:

Masarykova univerzita, 2008, pp. 348–351. See also the other editions and the relevant literature there. 44 For the relevant part of the Rocznik Krasińskich which deals with the topic of Cyril and Methodius, or Great

Moravia, see Bartoňková, Dagmar – Havlík, Lubomír – Masařík, Zdeněk – Večerka, Radoslav (ed.): Magnae

Moraviae fontes historici. I. Annales et chronicae. 2nd ed. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2008, p. 355. See also

the other editions and the relevant literature there. 45 For the relevant part of the Historia Bohemica by Enea Silvio Piccolomini which deals with the topic of Cyril

and Methodius, or Great Moravia, see Bartoňková, Dagmar – Havlík, Lubomír – Masařík, Zdeněk – Večerka,

Radoslav (ed.): Magnae Moraviae fontes historici. I. Annales et chronicae. 2nd ed. Brno: Masarykova univerzita,

2008, pp. 356–359. See also the other editions and the relevant literature there. For the newly produced further

editions, see Martínková, Dana – Hadravová, Alena – Matl, Jiří – Šmahel, František (ed.): Enea Silvio: Historia

Bohemica. Historie česká. Praka: Koniasch Latin Press, 1998, pp. 38–42 and Hejnic, Josef – Rothe, Hans (ed.):

Aeneas Silvius Piccolomini. Historia Bohemica. I. Historisch-kritische Ausgabe des lateinischen Textes. Köln-

Weimar-Wien: Böhlau, 2005, pp. 90–100. 46 For the relevant part of the Annales seu cronicae incliti Regni Poloniae by Jan Długosz (Johannes Longinus)

which deals with the topic of Cyril and Methodius, or Great Moravia, see Bartoňková, Dagmar – Havlík,

Lubomír – Masařík, Zdeněk – Večerka, Radoslav (ed.): Magnae Moraviae fontes historici. I. Annales et

chronicae. 2nd ed. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2008, pp. 360–361. See also the other editions and the relevant

literature there. 47 For the relevant part of the Chronica Hungarorum by Johannes de Thurócz which deals with the topic of Cyril

and Methodius, or Great Moravia, see Bartoňková, Dagmar – Havlík, Lubomír – Masařík, Zdeněk – Večerka,

Radoslav (ed.): Magnae Moraviae fontes historici. I. Annales et chronicae. 2nd ed. Brno: Masarykova univerzita,

2008, pp. 362–365. See also the other editions and the relevant literature there. 48 For the relevant part of the Epitome rerum Hungaricarum by Petrus Ransanus which deals with the topic of

Cyril and Methodius, or Great Moravia, see Bartoňková, Dagmar – Havlík, Lubomír – Masařík, Zdeněk –

Večerka, Radoslav (ed.): Magnae Moraviae fontes historici. I. Annales et chronicae. 2nd ed. Brno: Masarykova

univerzita, 2008, p. 366. See also the other editions and the relevant literature there. 49 For the relevant part of the Rerum Hungaricarum by Antonio Bonfini which deals with the topic of Cyril and

Methodius, or Great Moravia, see Bartoňková, Dagmar – Havlík, Lubomír – Masařík, Zdeněk – Večerka,

Radoslav (ed.): Magnae Moraviae fontes historici. I. Annales et chronicae. 2nd ed. Brno: Masarykova univerzita,

2008, pp. 376–370. See also the other editions and the relevant literature there. 50 For the relevant part of Annales Boiorum by John Aventine which deals with the topic of Cyril and Methodius,

or Great Moravia, see Bartoňková, Dagmar – Havlík, Lubomír – Masařík, Zdeněk – Večerka, Radoslav (ed.):

Magnae Moraviae fontes historici. I. Annales et chronicae. 2nd ed. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2008, pp. 373–

414. See also the other editions and the relevant literature there.

transcribed the original text by Gauderich51. The Italian Legend presents more briefly than the

complementary Old Church Slavonic Life of Constantine and Life of Methodius information

on the life and activities of Constantine-Philosopher as well as Methodius with a significant

regard to their relation to Great Moravia. What is accented is particularly the translation of

Pope St Clement and in connection with that also the journey to Rome. This excluded

Slavonic pistols from the suspicion that they might be participants in a certain tension

between Byzantium and Rome known under the name of the Photian Schism52. The Italian

Legend does not contain at all the so-called polemics against trilingualists, who recognised in

religious texts only Hebrew, Greek and Latin, which was to serve in the Old Church Slavonic

legends as a support of the Old Church Slavonic translation of the Bible and introduction of

Old Church Slavonic into religious services53. From the perspective of Central Europe, the

Italian Legend is nothing more than brief information on the introduction and propagation of

Christianity, where there is also a mention of the domestic language but without any

explanatory commentary and entirely missing any justification. Hence, from the very

beginning, the Latin tradition understands the story of Cyril and Methodius in the Western,

Latin context and in the sense of the Western Latin perception of Catholicism. On such a basis,

it is possible to set and develop through the auspices of Cyril and Methodius a medieval type

of the patriotism of the land community, modern land nationalism but not the modern

linguistic nationalism or culturally ethnic nationalism of the Blut und Boden type. In the

Italian Legend, the figures of the saints are only particularisations and concretisations of

universal Catholic values.

The second initial source for the Latin transformation of the theme of Cyril and Methodius is

Christianus’ Legend. Its essential spirit is patriotism projected onto the figures of the saints,

or patron saints54. However, beside this, there are also (although somewhat cautious) polemics

51 See Devos, Paul – Meyvaert, Paul: Trois énigmes Cyrillo-Méthodiennes de la Légende Italique résolues grâce

à un document inedit. In: Analecta Bollandiana. 73, 1955, pp. 375–461; Devos, Paul – Meyvaert, Paul: La date

de la première rédaction de la „Légende Italique“. In: Cyrillo-Methodiana: Slavistische Forschungen. Bd. 6.

Köln-Graz, 1964, pp. 57–71. 52 See Dvorník, František: The Photian Schisma. Cambridge: University Press, 1948; cf. Also the Czech

translation Dvorník, František: Fotiovo schizma: Historie a legenda. Translated by Terezie Heiderová. Olomouc:

Refugium Velehrad-Roma, 2008. 53 In the Italian legend, there is a single mention of Old Church Slavonic, see Bartoňková, Dagmar – Havlík,

Lubomír – Ludvíkovský, Jaroslav – Masařík, Zdeněk – Večerka, Radoslav (ed.): Magnae Moraviae fontes

historici. II. Textus biographici, hagiographici, liturgici. Brno: UJEP, 1967, p. 128: Cumque ad partes illas, Deo

prosperante, venissent, cognoscentes loci indigene adventum illorum valde gavisi sunt, maxime cum reliquias

beati Clementis secum eos ferre audierant et evangelium in eorum linguam a Philosopho predicto translatum.

The only other mention of liturgical or perhaps jurisdictional differences is entirely vague, see Bartoňková,

Dagmar – Havlík, Lubomír – Ludvíkovský, Jaroslav – Masařík, Zdeněk – Večerka, Radoslav (ed.): Magnae

Moraviae fontes historici. II. Textus biographici, hagiographici, liturgici. Brno: UJEP, 1967, p. 131: Precepit

autem sanctus apostolicus, ut omnes tam Greci quam Romani clerici ad exequias eius occurrerent cum psalmis

et canticis, cum ceres et thymyamatibus, et non aliter ei quam ipsi quoqu apostolico funeris honorem

impenderent. 54 See Emler, Josef (ed.): Křišťanův život sv. Ludmily a sv. Václava [Christianus’ Life of St Ludmila and St

Wenceslas]. In: Fontes rerum Bohemicarum. I. Vitae sanctorum et aliorum quorundam pietate insignium. Praha:

Nákladem Musea království Českého, 1873, pp. 199–200: Sed inprimis hoc dicendum, quod si talium tamquam

precipuorum sanctorum, atque ydoneorum testium Christi gleba in partibus Lutheringorum seu Carlingorum

ceterarum uel christianarum gencium contineretur, insignium miraculorum virtutibus vernans, olym gesta hec

aureis, ut ita dixerim, apicibus depinxissent responsoriorum, cantilenarum cum antiphonis adiectis; sermonum

exhortacionibus, decorassent et cum plurimorum minibus cenobiorum, quamuis ipsi horum similium sanctorum

martyrum, confessorum, virginum, reliquorumque sanctorum exultent possidere venerabilia pignora. At nos

horum carentes cunctorum, hos, ut ita fater, post deum solos habentes, quasi indigne tractamus, eorumque de

die in diem indigni virtutes videntes, veluti increduli manemus, eis seruire dissimulamus. Hactenus de nostra

desidia dixisse sufficiat.

against trilingualism55. The topic of Cyril and Methodius and Great Moravia then fluently

changes into a narration of the barbarian beginnings of Bohemian history56. Nevertheless, in

the end the Bohemians accept civilisation from Great Moravia by Methodius’ baptism of

Duke Bořivoj57. And although it no longer concerns the topic of Cyril and Methodius or Great

Moravia, the most important part is the conclusion itself of Christianus’ Legend, in which

Saint Wenceslas in a miraculous episode describing the victory over the Duke of Kouřim

assumes the form of the Bohemian (dynastic, land, national) patron saint 58 . Christianus’

Legend proceeds from both universal and local Latin literature59, but it also builds on the

purely domestic Czech, or Moravian, tradition, namely both oral and written, in that

55 See Christiani monachi Vita et Passio sancti Wenceslai et sancte Ludmile ave eius. In: Bartoňková, Dagmar –

Havlík, Lubomír – Ludvíkovský, Jaroslav – Masařík, Zdeněk – Večerka, Radoslav (ed.): Magnae Moraviae

fontes historici. II. Textus biographici, hagiographici, liturgici. Brno: UJEP, 1967, pp. 189–190: Cumque

quodam tempore memoratus Quirillus Romam causa oracionis adisset, a summo pontifice vel a reliquis

sapienbtibus et rectoribus ecclesie redarguitur, ut quid contra statuta canonum ausus ferit missarum sollempnia

instituere canere Sclavonica lingua. Illo humiliter satisfaciente illis nec omnino mitigare eos valente, arrepto

psalterio versum psalmigraphi in medium recitavit, quo dicitur: Omnis spiritus laudet Dominum. Et ipse versui

alludens: „Si, inquit, omnis spiritus laudet Dominum, cur me, patres electi, prohibetis missarum celebritatem

modulare sclavonice seu alia queque de Latino vel Greco verbo eorum vertere in sermonem? Si enim quivissem

ullo modo subvenire populo illi, ut ceteris nacionibus lingua Latina vel Greca, omnimodo id non presumpsissem.

Sed cernens populum dure cervicis fore et omnino ydiotas et ignaros viarum dei, solum hoc ingenium

Omnipotente cordi meo inspirante comperi, per quod eciam multos illi acquisivi. Quapropter ignoscite mihi,

patres et domini, siquidem et beatus Paulu apostolus, doctor gencium, in epistola ad Corinthios inquit: Loqui

linguis nolite prohibere.“ At illi hec audientes et admirantes tanti viri fidem, auctoritate suaq statuunt et firmant

suprascripto sermone partibus in illis missarum sollempnia ceterasve canonicas horas ymnizari. 56 See Christiani monachi Vita et Passio sancti Wenceslai et sancte Ludmile ave eius. In: Bartoňková, Dagmar –

Havlík, Lubomír – Ludvíkovský, Jaroslav – Masařík, Zdeněk – Večerka, Radoslav (ed.): Magnae Moraviae

fontes historici. II. Textus biographici, hagiographici, liturgici. Brno: UJEP, 1967, p. 192: At vero Sclavi Boemi,

ipso sub Arcturo positi, cultibus ydolatrie dediti, velut equus infrenis sine lege, sine ullo principe vel rectore vel

urbe, uti bruta animalia sparsim vagantes, terram solam incolebant. 57 See Christiani monachi Vita et Passio sancti Wenceslai et sancte Ludmile ave eius. In: Bartoňková, Dagmar –

Havlík, Lubomír – Ludvíkovský, Jaroslav – Masařík, Zdeněk – Večerka, Radoslav (ed.): Magnae Moraviae

fontes historici. II. Textus biographici, hagiographici, liturgici. Brno: UJEP, 1967, pp. 193–195: Sicque a clade

et multiplici peste tandem eruti, dehinc a supra memorato principe ex sobole eius rectores seu duces preposuere

sibi, servientes demoniorum simulacris et prophanis sacrificiorum ritibus bachantes, donec ad extremum

dominatus eiusdem regni pervenit ad unum ex eisdem principibus ortum, vocitatum Borivoi. Hic cum

excellentissime forme et egregie iuventutis flore nitesceret, quodam tempore negocii sui populique sibi commissi

causa ducem suum vel regem Zuentepulc Moravie adiit, a quo benigne suscipitur et ad convivium pariter cum

reliquis adsciscitur. [...] Mane facto ipsum ducem cum suis triginta, dui advenerant, cathezizans, peractis

ieiuniorum ex more sollempniis, sacrosancto baptismatis fonte innovavit, pleniterque eum de fide Christi

instruens, multis ad propria redire sacerdotem nomine Caych. 58 See Emler, Josef (ed.): Křišťanův život sv. Ludmily a sv. Václava [Christianus’ Life of St Ludmila and St

Wenceslas]. In: Fontes rerum Bohemicarum. I. Vitae sanctorum et aliorum quorundam pietate insignium. Praha:

Nákladem Musea království Českého, 1873, p. 227: In bello eciam concertantibus sepe deus huius sancti

supplicacionibus, miraculis laudabilibusque factis suscinet: omnes Wenceslaum inuocantes adiuuat: sicut ipsum

non semel neque bis, dum pereat, viuis et claris signis adiuuerat. Nam urbs quedam, Kurim vocata, populosa

dum erat, extollitur, atque principe, qui inerat, huis sancto resistere moliebatur. Sed dum utraque parte sat cedis

factum fuisset, consultum mox omnibus placuit, ut si quis ducum duobus tantummodo dimicantibus victor

existeret, ipse preesse deberet. Dum procedunt duces, congredi volentes, Kurimensi celestis deus celestes reserat

visiones: sanctum videlicet Wenceslaum imaginem crucis sancte in fronte nitentem portare. Hec ut vidit, longe

abiectis armis, ad pedes ruit, protestabaturque, nullum posse tum vincere, dum deus vellet in tali signo iuuamen

ferre. Hunc talia narrantem in pacis oscula dux sanctus subleuat, atque ipsum ciuitatemque sue dicioni pacifice

firmat, donans illi ciuitatem regere, quamdiu viueret ipse. Vere crucem viderat, quia Christum imitabatur,

feliciusque peruenit ad regnum, ubi Christus regnat cum patre et spiritu sancto in secula. 59 See Ludvíkovský, Jaroslav: Crescente fide, Gumpold a Kristián. In: Sborník prací filosofické fakulty brněnské

university – řada D. 1, 1955, pp. 57–66.

also Church Slavonic60, and perhaps also on the tradition of Southeast Europe61. What is

however essential for Christianus’ conception is that he understands the theme of Cyril and

Methodius and Great Moravia, despite the wide scope of real or anticipated sources and

models, exclusively as a component of the Bohemian theme, i.e. he does not see it

independently or in connection with the Balkan lands, particularly with the first Bulgarian

kingdom, but he understands it as a protohistorical civilisation and acculturation phase of

Czech history, in the course of which the Moravian, or more specifically Great Moravian,

kingdom fluidly transformed into the Bohemian Přemyslid duchy. In the background of the

events in the entire region of Central Europe in the tenth and eleventh centuries, it is hence

possible in the case of the world of the ideas of Christianus’ Legend to speak of the

emergence of two concepts, namely translatio regni ad Bohemos62 and St Wenceslas as the

eternal duke (the Bohemian patron saint in various senses).

However we look at the question of Slavonic religious service and Church-Slavonic literature

in Central Europe generally and in the Czech lands, i.e. especially in Bohemia and Moravia, it

is evident that for the Latin integration of the topic of Cyril and Methodius and Great Moravia,

or even of the tradition as a whole, it does not play any role. Although Christianus’ Legend

unlike the Italian Legend reflects the polemics against trilingualism and in no way excludes

tolerance towards the Slavonic religious service and Church-Slavonic literature, it appears

entirely unequivocally in the context of Latin, Western Christians, or Christianity, and is

entirely indifferent to particular language questions. It is aware of the ethnicity of the local

people based on a linguistic basis, but it predominantly emphasises Christian civility (rather

than simply the Christian faith) and formulates the cult of St Wenceslas as the introductory

stage of the idea of a political nation. It seems that this was lacking with Slavonic Christianity

in (Great) Moravia or in Bulgaria in the ninth and tenth centuries and that in that the

Bohemian Latin tradition conceived in the intentions of Christianus’ Legend differs from it

significantly. It is proof of the gradual divergence of the two Christian branches; the definitive

break came roughly sixty years later.

The concept of the continuity of all Central-European lands, or patrimonial monarchies of the

Přemyslids in Bohemia, or in Moravia, the Piasts in Poland and the Árpáds in Hungary, with

the period of Cyril and Methodius and Great Moravia and connection to it as well as the idea

of translatio regni were common in Bohemia, Poland and Hungary. With the exception of

Christianus’ Legend, however, they are explicitly reflected neither in Bohemian nor in Polish

nor Hungarian written sources, and it is necessary to proceed from more or less complicated

combinations of source and event interpretations. The Chronicon by Gallus Anonymus

presents the effort of Bolesław I the Brave to seize Bohemia and Moravia63; the Chronica

60 See Ludvíkovský, Jaroslav: Great Moravia Tradition in the 10th Century Bohemia and Legenda Christiani. In:

Javůrek, Josef (ed.): Magna Moravia: Sborník k 1100. výročí příchodu byzantské misie na Moravu. Praha: SPN,

1965, pp. 525–566; Havlík, Lubomír Emil: Morava v 9.–10. století: K problematice politického postavení,

sociální vládní struktury a organizace [Moravia in the Ninth and Tenth Centuries: On the Issue of the Political

Position, Social Government Structure and Organisation]. Praha: Academia, 1978. 61 Havlík, Lubomír Emil: Dukljanska hronika i Dalmatinska legenda. Podgorica: Grafo Crna Gora, 2008. 62 See Kalhous, David: České země za prvních Přemyslovců v 10.–12. století. I. Čeleď sv. Václava [The Czech

Lands under the First Přemyslids in the Tenth through Twelfth Centuries: I. The Servants of St Wenceslas].

Praha: Libri, 2011. Cf. also Kalhous, David: K mocenskému obrazu středovýchodní Evropy z vlády Vratislava II.

(1055–1092) [On the Power Image of Central-Eastern Europe under King Vratislaus II (1055–1092)]. Brno: MA

thesis at the Historical Institute of the Faculty of Arts of Masaryk University, 2011. Available at:

http://davidkalhous.webzdarma.cz/KalhousMGR.pdf [26 January 2012]. 63 See Galli chronicon, in: Bartoňková, Dagmar – Havlík, Lubomír – Masařík, Zdeněk – Večerka, Radoslav

(ed.): Magnae Moraviae fontes historici. I. Annales et chronicae. 2nd ed. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2008, p.

197: Numquid non ipse Moraviam et Bohemiam subiugavit, et in Praga ducalem sedem obtinuit, suisque eam

Bohemorum by Cosmas of Prague other than an anecdote of Svatopluk’s disappearance

presents only a brief mention of Bořivoj’s baptism in Great Moravia with a reference to

unknown sources64; the Gesta Hungarorum by Simon Kéza on the other hand speaks of the

factual seizure of Great Moravian territory in Central Europe by the Magyars65. Indirect

testimony on the connection of the Central-European lands to the Great Moravia of Cyril and

Methodius and on the inert traditions of Cyril and Methodius and Great Moravia in Central

Europe is provided by the endeavours of Bohemian and Polish dukes and the Hungarian

chiefs to acquire the royal title for themselves (the prototype of Svatopluk) and for their land

the archbishop’s pallium (the prototype of Methodius). In the earlier period (in the tenth and

at the beginning of the eleventh centuries), this tradition in its oral form was still sufficiently

strong and in Poland and Hungary had effective results (the acquisition of the royal title and

an archbishopric), so it did not need to be written down and we can simply use the

argumentum e silentio here. In the Czech lands, which were a phase ahead in development, a

collapse occurred at the end of the tenth century (earlier than in Poland and Hungary) and it

was not possible to achieve effective results, so that this tradition was expressed as an implicit

claim, or rather reflected in written form in Christianus’ Legend. From the middle of the

eleventh century, i.e. from the moment of the Eastern Schism, this theme was rather

unwelcome in Central Europe and elsewhere and hence vanished for a long period.

In the subsequent centuries, Chronicon pontificum et imperatorum by Martin of Opava

preserves the tradition of the Italian Legend by speaking of the translation of St Clement by St

Cyril66; all of the language mutations of the Chronicle of the So-Called Dalimil on the other

suffraganeis deputavit? Numquid non ipse Hungaros frequentius in certamine supravit, totamque terram eorum

usque Danubium suo dominio mancipavit? 64 See Cosme Pragensis Chronica Bohemorum, in: Bartoňková, Dagmar – Havlík, Lubomír – Masařík, Zdeněk –

Večerka, Radoslav (ed.): Magnae Moraviae fontes historici. I. Annales et chronicae. 2nd ed. Brno: Masarykova

univerzita, 2008, pp. 209 and 211: Anno dominice incarnacionis DCCCLXXXXIIII Borivoy baptizatus est primus

dux sancte fidei catholicus [...] Qualiter autem gracia Dei semper preveniente et ubique subsequente dux

Borivoy adeptus sit sacramentum baptismi, aut quomodo per eius successores his in partibus de die in diem

sancta processerit religio catholice fidei, vel dui dux quas aut quot primitus ecclesias credulus erexit ad laudem

Dei, maluimus pretermittere, quia iam ab aliis scripta legimus: quedam in privilegio Moraviensis ecclesie,

quedam in epilogo eiusdem terre atque Boemie, quedam in vita vel passione sanctissimi nostri patroni et

martyris Wencezlai; nam et esce execrantur, que sepius sumuntur. 65 See Simonis de Keza Gesta Hungarorum, in: Bartoňková, Dagmar – Havlík, Lubomír – Masařík, Zdeněk –

Večerka, Radoslav (ed.): Magnae Moraviae fontes historici. I. Annales et chronicae. 2nd ed. Brno: Masarykova

univerzita, 2008, pp. 283 and 285: Surrexit tandem Zvataplug filius Morot, princeps quidam in Polonia, qui

Bracta subiugando Bulgaris Messianisque imperabat, incipiens similiter in Pannonia post Hunnorum

exterminium dominari. Hunc quidem Hungari de fluvio Hung variis muneribus allectum et nunciis explorantes,

considerata militia illius immunita, ipsum Zvataplug irruptione subita prope fluvium Racus iuxta Banhida, in

quodam oppido, cuius interrupta adhuc eminent, cum tota militia peremerunt, et sic Pannonie populis, qui

superius sunt notati, inceperunt dominari [...] Tandemque Zuatapolug interempto, quemadmodum superius est

narratum, in VII exercitus sunt divisi, ita quidem, ut unus exercitus sine centurionibus decurionibusque unum

haberet capitaneum, cui tamquam duci deberent unanimiter intendere ac parere. Habebat enim unus exercitus

XXX millia virorum armatorum exceptis decurionibus ac praefectis. Egressi ergo vexillis erectis cum uxoribus,

liberis et armentis Danubium in Pest et in portu Zub transierunt, ubi castrum quoddam circa Danubium, in quo

erant milites Zuataplug recollecti, qui fuere erepti per fugam, quando dominus ipsorum interierat, expugnarunt.

In quo quidem affinem Morot nimis vetulum cum aliis perimentes, usque hodie fabulose Morot ipsum fuisse

asseverant. Ex istis ergo capitaneis Arpad, filius Almi, filii Elad, filii Vger de genere Turul rebus ditior erat et

potentior gente. Hic igitur Arpad cum gente sua Ruthenorum Alpes prior perforavit, et in fluvio Ung primus fixit

sua castra ... Et cum transmeato Danubio Pannoniam introissent, ipse Arpad in loco illo fixit tabernacula, ubi

modo Albensis civitas est fundata. For more on the Hungarian context, cf. Pražák, Richard (ed.): Legendy a

kroniky Koruny uherské [The Legends and Chronicles of the Hungarian Crown]. Praha: Vyšehrad, 1988. 66 See Martini Opavensis Chronicon pontificum et imperatorum, in: Bartoňková, Dagmar – Havlík, Lubomír –

Masařík, Zdeněk – Večerka, Radoslav (ed.): Magnae Moraviae fontes historici. I. Annales et chronicae. 2nd ed.

Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2008, p. 293: Huius tempore sanctus Cyrillus, Moravorum et pene omnium

hand present the account of Slavonic religious service in connection with Methodius and

Bořivoj’s baptism and list Velehrad as Methodius’ residence in Moravia.67 By creating a

connection between Methodius and Velehrad, the traditions of Cyril and Methodius and Great

Moravia in the High Middle Ages distinctly regionalise and begin to be tied particularly to the

bishopric of Olomouc and to Moravia as one of the components of the Lands of the Bohemian

Crown. This change is reflected both in the compilations of Granum catalogi praesulum

Moravice from the beginning of the fifteenth century 68 and Episcoporum Olomucensium

series by Augustine of Olomouc from its end69, with the treatise by Augustine of Olomouc

Sclavorum apostolus, corpus sancti Clementis pape ab Oriente Romam detulit et Laterani in ecclesia eiusdem

sancti Clementis per papam et populum Romanum honorifice est reconditum. 67 See Daňhelka, Jiří – Hádek, Karel – Havránek, Bohuslav – Kvítková, Naděžda (ed.): Staročeská kronika tak

řečeného Dalimila. 1. Vydání textu a veškerého textového material [The Old Czech Chronicle of the So-Called

Dalimil. 1st Edition of the Text and All of the Text Material]. Praha: Academia, 1988, p. 308: A jakž brzo by po

stole / prosi krsta Bořivoj ot Svatopluka krále, ot moravského, / a Mutudějě, arcibiskupa velehradského. / Ten

arcibiskup Rusín bieše, / mši slovensky slúžieše. / Ten u Velhradě krstil Čecha prvého, / Bořivojě, knězě českého,

/ léta ot narozenie syna božieho / po osmi set po devietidcát čtvrtého. See Uhlíř, Zdeněk (ed.): Nově objevený

zlomek latinského překladu Kroniky tak řečeného Dalimila [A Newly Discovered Fragment of the Latin

Translation of the Chronicle of the So-Called Dalimil]. In: Knihovna – knihovnická revue. 16, 2005, No. 2, p.

165: Dux hoc audito erubuit / et quam cito fuit post prandium, / rogavit baptismum Borzivoy a Swatopluk rege

Moravie / et a Nuchidiegie archiepiscopo Welegradensi. / Iste archiepiscopus Ruthenus erat, / missam

Sclavonice celebrabat, / hic in Welegrado baptizavit Boemum primum / Borzivogium ducem honestissimum. /

Anno a nativitate filii dei / post octingentos viginti quatuor / ungitur dux Borzivoy; / ita statum suum commutavit,

/ mundum contempnens ad devocionem se permutavit. See Brom, Vlastimil (ed.): Di tutsch kronik von Behem

lant. Die gereimte deutsche Übersetzung der alttschechischen Dalimil-Chronik. Rýmovaný německý překlad

Dalimilovy kroniky [A Rhymed German Translation of the Dalimil Chronicle]. Brno: Masarykova univerzita,

2009, p. 201: Der herczog sich schemet, du ir horte; / vnd als schir ez noch dem tisch wort, / herczog Worziwous

gert der tauf hern, / von konig Swathopluk czu Merhern. / „Gar gern, do ir sein bat!“ / sprach der erste bischof

czu Welrat. / Der bischof waz Rupertus gnant, / der sang eine windisse messe czu hant. / Er toufte czu Welrad

den erstin Bemin, / den erborn Worziwoum mit dem nom - / nach Crist gebort achthundirt iar, / dar nach in dem

vier vnd czwenczistin iar. 68 See Granum catalogi presulum Moraviae, in: Bartoňková, Dagmar – Havlík, Lubomír – Masařík, Zdeněk –

Večerka, Radoslav (ed.): Magnae Moraviae fontes historici. I. Annales et chronicae. 2nd ed. Brno: Masarykova

univerzita, 2008, pp. 343–345: Anno domini 886 Swatopluk senior rex Moravie a beato Cirillo est baptizatus.

887 idem rex procuravit beatum Cirillum in archiepiscopum Welegradensem sublimari. 891 beatus Cirillus

corpus sancti Clementis pape et martyris de ecclesia sua Welegradensi (in) curiam resignavit archiepiscopatum

Welegradensem et ad eundem substituit beatum Metudium. 894 beatus Metudius Borziwoy ducem Boemie

maritum sancte Ludmile baptizavit. 900 beatus Cirillus Rome in basilica beati Clementis migravit ad Christum

et sepultus iuxta corpus beati Clementis. Eodem anno Deo devotus rex Swatopluk senior vita est functus. Cui

successit in regnum iuvenis Swatopluk, princeps doli et cupidus vane glorie. Hic contumaciter aspernabatur

legem Domini ipsumque beatum Metudium et sacerdotes Dei plurimis iniuriis affecit. Quapropter in ipsum

regem et sathalites eius et in omnes gades ipsius excommunicacionis sentenciam fulminavit. Eodem anno beatus

Metudius Romam abiit, beatum Cirillum secum reducere volens ad sedandum seviciam Swatopluk principis

frontosi. 901 beatus Metudius a Johanne papa VIII ad vocacionem ipsius regis Swatopluk ad ecclesiam suam

Welegradensem remittitur, papali benediccione fulcitus. 907 Arnolphus imperator o[b] rebellionem regis

Swatopluk regnum Moravie ferro et igne devastavit. Anno Domini eodem beatus Metudiusflens et eiulans

desolacionem sui gregis et destruccionem regni Moravie a sede sua Romam ad basilicam sancti Clementis

profectus est. 912 beatus Metudius ibidem defunctus est et iuxta corpus fraternum beati Cirilli honorifice est

sepultus. Post cuius decessum sedes episcopalis Maravie fere per quinquennium vacavit. 915 regnum Moravie

per Arnolphum impertorem una cum uxore Swatopluk regi restitutum fuit. 916 terra Moravie aliqualiter

reformata Johannes episcopus Moraviensis primus beato Metudi episcopatum successit et apud Welegrad

quondam sedem metropolitanam in ecclesia sancti Petri annis viginti quinque resedit ibidemque obdormivit in

pace. 69 See Augustini Olomucensis Episcoporum Olomucensium series, in: Bartoňková, Dagmar – Havlík, Lubomír –

Masařík, Zdeněk – Večerka, Radoslav (ed.): Magnae Moraviae fontes historici. I. Annales et chronicae. 2nd ed.

Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2008, pp. 348–350: Ss. Cyrillus et Methodius (Inter annos 863. et 894. a Christo)

Primus archiepiscopus Moraviae Cyrillus, natione Graecus, prius Constantinus Philosophus dictus, a Nicolao

primo Pontifice maximo, anno Christi octogesimo septimo supra octingentesimum sedem Velehradensem

suscepit, postquam Triballos primum, inde Swatoplukum Moravorum regem cum universa gente (quae Vistula,

connecting the story of Cyril and Methodius transferred to Velehrad (and to Olomouc) with

the history of St Wenceslas as well as reflecting an earlier tradition and veneration of Cyril

and Methodius in Olomouc70. From whence, there is already a direct route to the Moravian

veneration of Cyril and Methodius that has continued from the Late Middle Ages until this

day.

From the fifteenth century along with the afterglow of medieval historiography, there appears

also humanistic historiography, which is already guided by the ideas, views and concepts that

we still consider historical71. Although the criticism on which historiography has been based

since the eighteenth century has not yet been fully appreciated, the linearity of national history

and its continuity all the way to protohistoric, if not prehistoric, times already stands on other

foundations than religious confessional or strictly political-ideological.

Danubio ac Vago fluvio terminabatur) in fide Christi initiarat. Fuere hi Marcomanni veterum quondam historiis

celebratissimi. Hic quum ecclesiae quinque ferme annis praesedisset, Archiepiscopatui cessit, Adrianique

Pontificis nutu Methodium fratrem ecclesiae Velehradensi prefecit. Qui cum a juniore Swatopluko multis injuriis

ac contumeliis cum clero suo afficeretur, ecclesiae huic sacris interdixit, Romamque concessit, revocatusque non

multo post, quum nihilo remissius rex in clerum saeviret, omnibusque sceleribus et vitiis homo sanguinarius

flagraret, beatus Methodius gregis sui perditionem ferre non valens, Romam iterum rediit, atque illic anno

Christi noningentesimo septimo, ex hac luce migravit, in ecclesia divi Clementis (cujus corpus Cyrillus ex

Chersona ponti Romam attulerat) sepultus; post cujus obitum sedes Episcopalis quinquennium fere vacavit.

Joannes I. (Inter anos 900. et 916. vel 926. a Christo) Joannes ex Moraviae Episcopis primus beato Methodio in

pontificatu successit, episcopalemque sedem in oppido Polessowicz in ecclesia sanctorum Petri et Pauli

Apostolorum annis XXVI ferme rexit, religioseque administravit. Hujus tempore Venceslaus, quum ducatum

Boemiae moderaretur, ab impio Boleslao fratre (qui virtutibus ipsius vitaeque sanctimoniae regnandi cupidine

aemulabatur) occisus, gloriosam martyrii lauream suscepit, inter divos non multo post relatus. Otho vero

Caesar, qui tum Germanis praeerat, tam immane parricidium ferre non valens, Boleslaum usque adeo

persequutus est, ut bello contra eum moto, hunc castris exuerit, eoque miserabiliter exstincto, Boemiam etiam

ditioni suae subjecerit. Tradunt nonnulli, sedem episcopalem non in Polessowicz sed in Kunovicz fuisse. 70 Cf. Řezanina, Dušan: K problematice kultu sv. Cyrila a Metoděje v období Lucemburků [On the Issue of the

Cult of Sts Cyril and Methodius in the Period of the Luxemburgs]. Praha: Krajský národní výbor, 1983;

Řezanina, Dušan: Bohu i lidem milí: Ze středověkých liturgických textů o sv. patronech Čech, Moravy a Slezska

[Dear to Both God and People: From the Medieval Liturgical Texts on the Patron Saints of Bohemia, Moravia

and Silesia]. [S.l.]: [S.t.], [1970]. 71 On the issue of historiography, cf. Kutnar, František – Marek, Jaroslav: Přehledné dějiny českého a

slovenského dějepisectví: Od počátků národní kultury až do sklonku třicátých let 20. Století [A Synoptic History

of Czech and Slovak Historiography: From the Beginnings of National Culture until the End of the 1930s].

Praha: Lidové noviny, 1997; Guenée, Bernard: Histoire et culture historique dans l´Occident médiéval. 2nd ed.

Paris: Aubier-Flammarion, 2011; Macůrek, Josef: Dějepisectví evropského Východu [The Historiography of the

European East]. Praha: Historický klub, 1946; Beneš, Zdeněk: Česká humanistická historiografie 16. a 17.

století: Typologie historických textů [Czech Humanistic Historiography of the Sixteenth and Seventeeenth

Centuries: Typology of the Historical Texts]. Praha: Univerzita Karlova, 1988; Beneš, Zdeněk: Historický text a

historická skutečnost: Studie o principech českého humanistického dějepisectví [Historical Text and Historical

Reality: A Study of the Principles of Czech Humanistic Historiography]. Praha: Karolinum, 1993; Beneš,

Zdeněk: Praha: Historický text a historická kultura [Historical Text and Historical Culture]. Karolinum, 1995.