Glagolitic
Script
(glagolica) and the Slavs
Glagolitic
Scripts in Slovenian lands
In Slovenia, the 16th century Reformation movement and the introduction
by Primozz Trubar of the Latin script and translation of religious
texts, drew a veil over the use of glagolica, since these
translations came into common usage, being of course much simpler
to read. In addition Trubar was an educationist who began his work
of conversion by preparing the Abecedarium, a manual – with
Latin alphabet and examples of words and letters - for reading Slovenian
in Latin script. Primozz Trubar, who was a disciple of Martin Luther
and leader of the reformation movement in Slovenia continued his
work of translation and laid the foundation to Slovenian literary
language and literacy. Turbar’s work and the work of his successors
in translating religious texts, combined with invention of print
had effectively established both the Slovenian language and the
Latin script in the area of present day Slovenia.
A very important document on this
matter is the evidence of Valvasor,
the 17th century polyhistorian of Carniola. In his book The
Glory of the Duchy of Carniola there is a lengthy description
of the Cyrillic and Glagolitic scripts, a very clear table of
the three alphabets and examples of Slovenian words illustrating
the letters. He reports that both are still used in many places
in Carniola, despite Trubar’s translation of Gospels and
other religious texts a hundred years earlier.
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Plate 1. St. Cyril and
Methodius, defenders of the Slavic Languages
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We learn from Valvasor that the Glagolitic script and the Slavic
mass are well entrenched in Croatia
and Dalmatia. He reports that Glagolitic Missals are actually
printed in Rome and that full approvals has been given to Croatian
clergy for the use of Slavic language in conducting church offices
and the continued use of Glagolitic script (the last Croatian
Glagolitic book/ Missal was printed in Rome in 1905)
Together with Valvasor’s report
regarding the use of glagolica, the discovery made in the
12th century Romanesque Hrastovlje
church in Slovenian Istria, becomes even more significant.
Under several coats of whitewash, were found marvellous Gothic
frescoes and – a great number of Glagolitic inscriptions.
This find clearly indicates, that glagolica and Slovenian
language were not only in common use in this area from 15th to
17th century, but that common people used the language and the
Glagolitic script in their daily life a century after Trubar began
writing in Slovenian using Latin script.
Aleksandra Ceferin, Thezaurus
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