Original scientific paper
Marital chastity or Baroque hagiography
Pavao Knezović
Abstract
During the Baroque period of Croatian Latinity a large number of biographies were written, namely hagiographies (I. Tomko Mrnavić, R.Ritter Vitezović, N. Ogramić), which mainly remain unexplored with regard to the novelty of the genre. Having an insight into the genre matrix (“hagiographies” written by Mrnavić and ones written by Vitezović), it can be noticed that Ogramić introduced some novelty to the genre. Ogramić, which is in line with the Catholic Reformation. Narrating the life of new saint Sebastian of Aparicio, who connects the Old (Europe) and the New (South America) World, at the same time Ogramić had created a repertory of virtues that simultaneously represented hagiography and scientific explanation of how to achieve virtues that make somebody saint. In particular by fusing scientific explanation of the role of virtues and flaws on the one hand, and on the other hand showing how to achieve those using the example of Sebastian of Aparicio, Ogramić introduced significant originality into hagiography genre of the Croatian Latinity of the Baroque period, particularly by using typical heavily ornamented Baroque expression in his narration.
The glorification of his “virginity” in his three marriages that he “saved” after he had married three beautiful and young girls, who also were condemned to the life in “virginity”, is a clear example of the abuse of the human being which in the baroque style was considered the great virtue.
Keywords
Croatian Latinity; Baroque; hagiography/compendium of virtues
Hrčak ID:
142224
URI
Publication date:
23.7.2015.
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