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Opowieść Kosmasa o Pięciu Braciach Męczennikach i jej potencjalne źródła – krótki przyczynek do dyskusji

100%

Matla M.

Historia Slavorum Occidentis

2014

issue 2(7)

13-38

Apart from the legend scribbled down by Bruno of Querfurt and a mention in the Life of St. Romuald by Peter Damian, the history of the martyrdom of Five Martyr Brothers, was also noted by a Czech chronicler Cosmas, even though is at variance with the other two stories. All manuscripts of the Cosmas’ chronicle contain wider information on Polish eremites, except for the Stockholm copy, that is to say a version in Codex Gigas, generally believed to be an unfi nished copy of the edition of the chronicle prepared when Cosmas still alive. What was the basis of Cosmas version – whether it was a scholarly fi gment of his imagination, or, alternatively, a completion of copyists or information he based on oral sources or a written legend, which had arrived from Poland – has been a subject of much debate among the historians. The comparison of another fragment of the chronicle, which mentions the translocation of the relics of Five Martyr Brothers, seems to indicate that Cosmas completed the original version of his chronicle with a wider version of the legend himself. The analysis of chronological elements of the original version of Cosmas’ chronicle from the Stockholm Codex and later copies containing extensive descriptions devoted to the life of the Five Brothers suggests that apart from a more extensive legend, Cosmas also revised the chronology of events, thereby furnishing a more accurate dating in the second version (the day of death – 11th November, instead of the original 12th November), in accordance with the version of Bruno of Querfurt. Such dating is incompatible with the version that appears in the Czech and Polish calendars starting from the second half of the eleventh century, which means that Cosmas must have found it, along with an extensive legend, in a written version. The analysis of Czech calendars has shown that day of Five Martyr Brothers was not fi xed in Bohemia at the beginning of the twelfth century, which could have disposed Cosmas towards including a broader story of the Polish hermits (whose relics were stored in some Czech centres) in his chronicle, with a view to disseminating their worship. The legend itself, the one Cosmas grounded his story on, is likely to have originated in Bohemia, as evidenced by the unmistakable ignorance of either the Polish realities or the hermits’ life and was probably written down only after Bretislaus I brought the relics of the martyrs to Prague in 1039, thereby creating a burning need for the legend which would disseminate the cult of new saints. This legend is based on oral tradition, formed by the Czech clergy (hitherto cooperating with Bolesław the Brave) coetaneous to the events, and, on the other hand, on an obituary record comprising the names and dates of the brothers and a day date, which could have arisen in Prague shortly after the events. This tradition also recorded the name of the sixth hermit, who escaped death owing to the deputation to Rome – it is reasonable to assume that the hermit frequented Prague to report the ruler with his deputations. Due to the collision of the day of the brothers’ martyrdom and St. Gregory of Tours, in the Czech calendars, the holiday was postponed for 12 November already in the second half of the eleventh century. Writing the fi rst editorial of his chronicles, Cosmas had probably only vintages, vague oral tradition (which retains the name of Barnabas) and an updated calendar at his disposal, hence the manuscript of Stockholm lacks a broader description of the martyrs and 12th November as the date of their death. Before making the fi nal editorial, Cosmas must have discovered a written version of the legend, produced after 1039, and under its infl uence included a more extensive description of events and the modifi ed day date of hermits’ death.

Pięciu braci męczenników. Pierwsi polscy eremici i ich kult

51%

Blaschke K.

Folia Historica Cracoviensia

2016

vol. 22

59-76

Bracia Benedykt i Jan, uczniowie Romualda, na prośbę Ottona III przybyli do Polski, by nawracać pogan. Wkrótce do włoskich pustelników dołączyli polscy bracia Izaak i Mateusz, którzy pomagali im w nauce języka słowiańskiego. Eremici oraz sługa Krystyn ponieśli śmierć w 1003 roku z rąk napastników, którzy chcieli ukraść pieniądze, przekazane przez księcia Bolesława na wyprawę do Rzymu po zgodę papieża na prowadzenie działalności misyjnej. Choć eremici zginęli w napadzie rabunkowym, w dodatku z rąk chrześcijan, papież wkrótce uznał ich za męczenników i zezwolił na kult. Ich żywot jest stosunkowo dobrze udokumentowany – najwcześniejszy i najbardziej wiarygodny żywot pięciu braci, autorstwa Brunona z Kwerfurtu, spisany został już kilka lat po ich śmierci, lecz pozostawał nieznany do 1883 roku. Drugim wczesnym przekazem jest żywot św. Romualda autorstwa Piotra Damianiego, z 1041 roku. Z męczennikami wiązano jeszcze jedno zagadkowe dzieło – tablicę nagrobną, odnalezioną w 1959 roku przy zewnętrznej ścianie północnej absydy romańskiej katedry w Gnieźnie, uważaną przez większość badaczy za najstarszy zabytek epigrafiki na ziemiach polskich. Identyfikacja wspomnianych inskrypcji braci wojowników z jedenastowiecznym męczennikami budzi jednak wiele wątpliwości. Artykuł omawia zarówno te kwestie, jak i związane z rozwojem kultu braci męczenników.

Brothers Benedict and John, students of Romuald, came to Poland at the invitation of Otto III to convert pagans. Soon the Italian hermits were joined by Polish bro- thers Isaac and Matthew, who helped them in learning the Slavic language. The hermits, as well as Christinus, well killed in 1003 by thugs who wanted to steal money given by Duke Boleslav to an expedition to Rome, which was aimed at obtaining papal consent for conducting missionary work. Although the hermits died as victims of a robbery, killed by fellow Christians, the pope canonized them as martyrs. Their lives are relatively well-documented: the earliest and the most credible story of the five brothers by Bruno of Querfurt was written as early as five years after their death, although remained unknown until 1883. Another early account is the life of St. Romuald by Piotr Damiani of 1041. The martyrs have been also associated with yet another mysterious work – a gravestone unearthed in 1959 at the external wall of the north Roman apse of the Gniezno Cathedral, considered by most researchers the oldest epigraphic item on the Polish soil. However, the identification of the warriors mentioned in the inscription with 11th century martyrs raises many doubts. The article discusses the above matters, as well as the subject of the development of the worship of the martyr brothers.

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Opowieść Kosmasa o Pięciu Braciach Męczennikach i jej potencjalne źródła – krótki przyczynek do dyskusji

Pięciu braci męczenników. Pierwsi polscy eremici i ich kult