Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.31745/s.74.15
The Glagolitic Books Mentioned by Matej Sović († 1774), Archdeacon of Osor, in His Correspondence with Alberto Fortis
Franjo Velčić
orcid.org/0000-0002-5088-4217
; Diocese of Krk, Krk, Croatia
Abstract
The National and University Library (NSK) in Zagreb holds a copy of part of the correspondence between Archdeacon of Osor Matej Sović († 1774) and Italian explorer and travel writer Alberto Fortis, the originals of which are held at the National and University Library in Ljubljana. This correspondence shows that they discussed the Psalter by Nikola Rabljanin, which many believe to be the oldest book written in the Old Slavonic language and Glagolitic script. The correspondence shows that Sović owned three extremely rare parchment codices. The first codex, described by Sović as “un codex affumicato”—a ‘smoked codex’ from the mid-15th century—is a collection of various biblical, apocryphal, hagiographical, legendary, and other significant texts. Today, this codex is known as the Oxford Codex under signature MS. Canon. Liturg. 414.
The second codex, “manoscritto volgare” from 1445, is a translation of the Mediaeval Latin work Speculum humanae salvationis, translated into Old Church Slavonic under the name Zrcalo človečaskago spasenja, currently held at the Vatican Apostolic Library under signature Borg. ill. 9.
The third codex, which Sović calls the “Codice Bosnese”—known in the literature as the Codex of the Christian Radosav, a member of the medieval Bosnian Church—is written in Cyrillic script and is also held at the Vatican Apostolic Library under signature Borg. Ill. 12. Sović’s correspondence reveals his interest in and love for Old Church Slavonic literature and language, as well as some of his linguistic misconceptions about the development of the Slavic languages.
Keywords
Matej Sović; Alberto Fortis; Glagolitic codices; rare books
Hrčak ID:
325743
URI
Publication date:
31.12.2024.
Visits: 25 *