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