Original scientific paper
Four heralds of the good news of Constantine the Philosopher
Frane Paro
Abstract
The Glagolitic script has been invented by an author. As any artistic work, the Glagolitic script can be seen as a result of imagination and talent as well as knowledge and practical skill. While the component of knowledge may be approached by analytical methods, the invention and talent, being in the close relation to unexplainable, escape from the instruments of the rational judgement. Invention and a creative
game are from the God’s “workshop”. The basis of the author’s presented hypothesis about the origin of the proto-Glagolitic script is the possibility that Constantine the Philosopher created his system of the Glagolitic characters on the idea of the quadrant planning field – the symbols of the four Gospels. However important the content of the symbol filled ideas may be, even more important was the Constantine’s competence in geometry of quadrant and circle, his knowledge of functions and proportions which these two geometric figures generate and which are the basis of all the knowledge of the architectural planning of secular and sacral buildings of that period. The quadrant becomes a planning fi eld when the cross is drawn in it – the first character of the azbuka. The division of the quadrant into four fields also creates nine junction points (the sum of these nine points added vertically, horizontally and diagonally is 24). An ideal example of the quadrant geometry and its nine points can be found in the leaf header of the Sinai Euchologion – eight nodes of the two wide ribbons were constructed in quadrant by a skilful use of a caliper. Constantine finds a method of creating artistic configurations (character forms) in a game ninemen’s morris (Croatian mlin, German Mühlespiel; the game comes from the Old Egypt). In that game the early Christian world recognised the worshipping of the Holy Trinity therefore this game was recommended in places where gambling was strictly forbidden. Since a little circle is the dominant element in the proto-Glagolitic script the author of this article presumes that, instead of the game winning three points, Constantine took four pebbles – for each Gospel one. By their arrangement in the nine points he opened a rich repertoire of possible figures – those are so called topographic permutations with repetition. The stimulating trinitarian game thus becomes tetragonic. The four member symbol of the God’s name tetragrammaton is connected with the four Gospels and the monogram of the Christ’s name. The Constantine’s systematic series of signs/symbols is opened by the sign of the cross – signum absolutus, and is closed by signum totus – the four member character M (Mir = world); Constantine puts it – by no chance! – in the middle of the azbuka sequence into the position of the number 60 – the symbol of the great cosmic fullness. (In the Constantine’s culture of that time the character Χ (Chi) from the Greek alphabet is in that place – the monogram of the Christ’s name Christos.)
Keywords
proto-Glagolitic script; Constantine the Philosopher; creative game; geometry of the quadrant; Holy Trinity; character forms; four Gospels
Hrčak ID:
22375
URI
Publication date:
29.3.2008.
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