Original scientific paper
19 century popular texts which honour the 'slavic apostles' Cyril and Methodius
Divna Zečević
Abstract
With the idea and the myth of the unity and kinship of Slavic peoples the nineteenth century saw the revival of interest in the appearance and achievements of Cyril and Methodius. Their double brotherood based on blood as well as vocation was an instructive example and the highest symbol of the family ties between all Slavs.
In 1885 the millenary of Methodius's death was celebrated in popular literature by characteristic institutional religious competition manifested in popular texts about the brothers from Thessalonica. The propaganda of popular literature was successful on both sides.
The idea of the purity of Slavic unity was popularized while the Slavic disunion ("gdje su dva Slavena, tuj su tri pameti" = where are two Slavs there are three minds / opinions) and envy was blamed on foreigners, on all others who were not Slavs who have poisoned the purity of the Slavic soul by "hate, selfishness, disunity, malice and envy".
A formula which frequently occured in nineteenth century verse and prose: "Za krst časni i slobodu zlatnu" (For honorable cross and golden freedom) contained not only Christian but other meanings as well: military, combative and heroic, which were connected with an earlier pagan cross. This can be seen in Miodrag Popović's book "Vidovdan i časi krst" / Beograd, 1976/. A typical slogan "Vjerom i prosvjetom k slobodi" (Through faith and enlightment to freedom) is a variant of the decasyllabic syntagm "Za krst časni i slobodu zlatnu!"
It is important to note that texts honouring Cyril and Methodius contain some reflections of the South Slavic as well as Yougoslav orientation.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
14650
URI
Publication date:
30.9.1986.
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