Hval Manuscript
Encyclopedia
The Hval Manuscript or "Hval's Miscellany" is a 353 page 15th century Bosnian Church
codex
.
It was written in 1404 by Hval Krstyanin in Bosnian/Croatian Cyrillic Script (bosančica or bosanica) in ikavian dialect with a Glagolitic introduction that reads, "in honour of praised sir Hrvoje
, duke of Split
and the knight of Lower Country and others." It has been decorated with miniatures
and other artistic elements. The codex contains parts of the Bible
, hymns and short theological texts. The tradition of the Bosnian/Croatian Cyrillic Script goes back to the 12th century and lasted continuously until the 18th century, with sporadic uses even in the 20th century. This beautiful book is a translation from the Glagolitic original. Moreover, Glagolitic letters can be found on two places in the book.
The codex is one of the most famous manuscripts belonging to the Bosnian Church in which there are some iconographic elements which are not in concordance with the supposed theological doctrine of Bosnian Christians ( Annunciation, Crucifixion and Ascension). All the important Bosnian Church books (Nikoljsko evandjelje, Sreckovicevo evandelje, the Manuscript of Hval, the Manuscript of Krstyanin Radosav,....) are based on Croatian Glagolitic Church books, probably because Croatia
embraced Christianity
before Bosnia.
The Hval Manuscript is kept in the University Library
in Bologna
, Italy
.
New analyses of style and painting techniques show that they were inscribed by at least two miniaturists. One painter was painting on the blue background, and the other was painting on the gold background in which the miniatures are situated in a rich architectonic frame. These miniatures belong to medieval Bosnia, but according to their iconographic and artistic values, to the Gothic art
probably from the Dalmatia
n painters in the 15th century.
Bosnian Church
The Bosnian Church is historically thought to be an indigenous branch of the Bogomils that existed in Bosnia during the Middle Ages. Adherents of the church called themselves simply Krstjani...
codex
Codex
A codex is a book in the format used for modern books, with multiple quires or gatherings typically bound together and given a cover.Developed by the Romans from wooden writing tablets, its gradual replacement...
.
It was written in 1404 by Hval Krstyanin in Bosnian/Croatian Cyrillic Script (bosančica or bosanica) in ikavian dialect with a Glagolitic introduction that reads, "in honour of praised sir Hrvoje
Hrvoje Vukcic
Hrvoje Vukčić Hrvatinić was a Ban of Croatia, Grand Duke of Bosnia and a Herzog of Split. He was the most prominent member of the Croatian noble House of Hrvatinić and the strongest of the three main large feudalists of early feudal medieval Bosnia...
, duke of Split
Split (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...
and the knight of Lower Country and others." It has been decorated with miniatures
Miniature (illuminated manuscript)
The word miniature, derived from the Latin minium, red lead, is a picture in an ancient or medieval illuminated manuscript; the simple decoration of the early codices having been miniated or delineated with that pigment...
and other artistic elements. The codex contains parts of the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
, hymns and short theological texts. The tradition of the Bosnian/Croatian Cyrillic Script goes back to the 12th century and lasted continuously until the 18th century, with sporadic uses even in the 20th century. This beautiful book is a translation from the Glagolitic original. Moreover, Glagolitic letters can be found on two places in the book.
The codex is one of the most famous manuscripts belonging to the Bosnian Church in which there are some iconographic elements which are not in concordance with the supposed theological doctrine of Bosnian Christians ( Annunciation, Crucifixion and Ascension). All the important Bosnian Church books (Nikoljsko evandjelje, Sreckovicevo evandelje, the Manuscript of Hval, the Manuscript of Krstyanin Radosav,....) are based on Croatian Glagolitic Church books, probably because Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
embraced Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
before Bosnia.
The Hval Manuscript is kept in the University Library
University of Bologna
The Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna is the oldest continually operating university in the world, the word 'universitas' being first used by this institution at its foundation. The true date of its founding is uncertain, but believed by most accounts to have been 1088...
in Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
New analyses of style and painting techniques show that they were inscribed by at least two miniaturists. One painter was painting on the blue background, and the other was painting on the gold background in which the miniatures are situated in a rich architectonic frame. These miniatures belong to medieval Bosnia, but according to their iconographic and artistic values, to the Gothic art
Gothic art
Gothic art was a Medieval art movement that developed in France out of Romanesque art in the mid-12th century, led by the concurrent development of Gothic architecture. It spread to all of Western Europe, but took over art more completely north of the Alps, never quite effacing more classical...
probably from the Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
n painters in the 15th century.
See also
- Glagolitic alphabetGlagolitic alphabetThe Glagolitic alphabet , also known as Glagolitsa, is the oldest known Slavic alphabet. The name was not coined until many centuries after its creation, and comes from the Old Slavic glagolъ "utterance" . The verb glagoliti means "to speak"...
- Bosnian CyrillicBosnian CyrillicBosnian Cyrillic or Croatian Cyrillic, widely known as Bosančica, is an extinct Cyrillic script, that originated in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was widely used in Bosnia and Croatia . Its name in Bosnian and Croatian is bosančica or bosanica, which can literally be translated as Bosnian script...
- Hrvoje's MissalHrvoje's MissalThe Hrvoje's Missal is a 15th century Croatian Glagolitic missal, often considered the most beautiful and the most interesting Croatian Glagolitic book....
- Hrvoje VukčićHrvoje VukcicHrvoje Vukčić Hrvatinić was a Ban of Croatia, Grand Duke of Bosnia and a Herzog of Split. He was the most prominent member of the Croatian noble House of Hrvatinić and the strongest of the three main large feudalists of early feudal medieval Bosnia...
- History of Bosnia and Herzegovina (958–1463)
External links
- The Hval Manuscript
- http://www.posta.hr/main.aspx?id=193&idmarke=494