Chronicles and Deeds of the Dukes and Princes of Poland

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Page from the Codex Zamoyscianus

The Chronicle and deeds of the Dukes and Princes of Poland ( Latin Cronicae et gesta ducum immersive principum Polonorum ) are medium-Latin of Gallus Anonymus probably in the years 1113 to 1116 in Krakow wrote Gesta . The work covers the deeds of the Polish rulers from prehistory to 1113, after which the work ends abruptly. The focus is on the deeds of Bolesław III. Crooked mouth . The work is the first Polish chronicle.

Lore

The original manuscript was probably lost as early as the 12th century. The history is handed down in three manuscripts from the late 14th and 15th centuries.

The oldest and only manuscript from the late 14th century (probably written between 1380 and 1392) is in the so-called Codex Zamoyscianus (fols. 20v – 54v), which is now kept in the Biblioteka Narodowa in Warsaw under the signature BOZ cim.28 becomes. This parchment manuscript contains other historiographical and hagiographical texts and was most likely made in Krakow . It was owned by the Łaski family until the 15th century and then came into the possession of the Gnesian canon Sędziwoj von Czechło, a friend of Jan Długosz . This handwriting, designated as Z in the text edition , is considered the best and most incomplete.

A copy of this manuscript was made for Sędziwoj von Czechło between 1434 and 1439. This paper manuscript is therefore called Sędziwoj Codex ( S ) and, in addition to the chronicle (fols. 242–307), contains other texts on historiography, hagiography and law. It is now kept in the library of the Czartoryski Museum in Cracow under the shelf number 1310.

The third and independent textual witness is the so-called Heilsberg Codex ( H ), which was written between 1469 and 1471 and is based on a text from Krakow that has not survived. In addition to the chronicle (fols. 119–247), this paper manuscript also contains other historiographical texts. Like the Codex Zamoyscianus, this manuscript is also kept in the Biblioteka Narodowa under the signature 8006. This manuscript is incomplete and ends with the 15th chapter of the third book. In addition, some chapters are completely or partially missing. Nonetheless, it provides a better reading in many places.

swell

Only a few written sources were probably used to compose the chronicle , including annals that are no longer extant today (probably the older chapter annals ), the lost Liber de passione martyris sancti Adalberti and possibly documents from the ducal chancellery . The main source is the oral tradition of the chancellors, such as Michał Awdaniec , and church dignitaries.

In addition, the author was familiar with ancient Latin and Christian authors. He only quotes explicitly from the Bible with around 150 adoptions and from the historical work De bello Iugurthino by Sallust . In addition, however, there are literal assumptions or analogies and the like. a. from the De bello Gallico by Julius Caesar , only occasionally from the works of Cicero and Pliny the Elder , more often from the works of Virgil , Horace , Ovid , Lukan and Sulpicius Severus . In addition, he was familiar with the chronicle of Regino von Prüm and the Vita Karoli Magni von Einhard . However, his knowledge of some of these authors may have been limited to a Florilegia .

Structure and style

The work is divided into three books. Each of these books is preceded by a dedication letter ( epistola ) and an introductory poem ( epilog ). The actual books are written in prose , but several poems are built in. The Chronicle is thus in the tradition of other prosimetric works, such as The Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius or The Marriage of Philology with Merkus by Martianus Capella . However, this form was not adopted in historiography . This makes the work of Gallus Anonymus the first chronicle in Europe to mix prose and poetry.

The work is written under the influence of the Ars dictandi in rhythmic and partly rhymed art prose. Almost every sentence ends with a cursus , the cursus velox alone making up more than half and the cursus spondiacus one fifth. In addition to the mostly two-syllable rhymes at the end of a sentence, there are often rhymes in any combination (pair rhymes, cross rhymes, triad rhymes, etc.) inside the sentence. In this respect, the Chronicle resembles the style in the works of Hildebert von Lavardin .

Art prose is also characterized by a large number of stylistic figures , in particular metaphors , comparisons , epithets , alliterations , parallelisms and paronomies . With regard to the use of these rhetorical means, a dichotomy can be made out in the work. They are found in the discursive parts, such as the dedication letters, speeches and narrator comments, whereas they take a back seat in the actual narrative in order to convey a direct and vivid impression of what happened.

content

First dedication letter

The first dedication letter with the incipit Domino Martino Dei Gratia summo pontifici… is addressed to several Polish bishops, namely the Archbishop of Gniezno Martin , the Bishop of Płock Szymon , the Bishop of Posen Paweł , the Bishop of Krakow Maur , the Bishop of Wroclaw Siroslaus I. , as well as to the Chancellor Michał Awdaniec.

first book

After the introductory poem Bolezlauus dux inclitus… the first book begins with a Proöm in which the geographical location of Poland is described and the country and its people are praised. The following 31 chapters cover the prehistory up to the year 1086. The story of the legendary rulers Popiel (Chapter 1), Piast (Chapter 2), Siemowit , Lestek and Siemomysł (Chapter 3) is told. This is followed by the deeds of Mieszko I (chapters 4–5), Bolesław I (chapters 6–16; with the mourning poem De morte Bolezlaui carmina ), Mieszko II. Lambert (chapter 17), Kasimir I Karl (chapters 18– 21), Bolesław II. (Chapters 22–28), Mieszko Bolesławowic (Chapter 29) and Władysław I. Herman (Chapters 30–31).

Second dedication letter

The first dedication letter with the Incipit Domino Paulo Dei gratia Poloniensi reverende discretionis episcopo… is only addressed to Bishop Paweł and Chancellor Michał Adwaniec.

second book

After the introductory poem Nobis astate, nobis hoc opus recitate… the second book begins, which in 50 chapters covers the events of the years 1086 to 1109 and the deeds of Bolesław III. Describing wrymouth since childhood. A miracle act by the late Adalbert of Prague is also told, whose bones are kept in the cathedral of Gniezno (Chapter 6). Chapter 28 also contains the poem Pisces salsos et fetentes… .

Third dedication letter

The first dedication letter with the Incipit Domino Paulo Dei gratia Poloniensi reverende discretionis episcopo ... is not addressed to a named addressee, but to the ducal chaplains and other clerics. This longest of the three dedication letters is also the most personal and contains the author's views on literary theory.

Third book

After the introductory poem Deo vero laus et honor… the third book begins, which includes the events of the years 1109 to 1113 in 26 chapters. Chapter 11 also contains the poem Bolezlaue, Bolezlaue, dux gloriosissime… .

reception

From the few surviving manuscripts it can be concluded that the chronicle quickly lost its importance. A hundred years after its publication, Wincenty Kadłubek used it intensively for his own chronicle, which put the work of Gallus Anonymus in the background for several centuries. Only with the Enlightenment did it find more interested readers and was first praised by the historian Tadeusz Czacki . For the historians Adam Naruszewicz and Joachim Lelewel , it provided the basis for their own writings.

expenditure

  • Karol Maleczyński (Ed.): Galli Anonymi cronicae et gesta ducum sive principum Polonorum (=  Monumenta Poloniae Historica. Nova Series . Volume II ). Polska Akademia Umiejętności, Kraków 1952.
  • Josef Bujnoch (Ed.): The beginnings of Poland . Gallus Anonymus: Chronicles and Deeds of the Dukes and Princes of Poland. Verlag Styria, Graz et al. 1978, ISBN 3-222-10554-5 .
  • Paul W. Knoll and Frank Schaer (eds.): Gesta principum Polonorum. The deeds of the princes of the Poles (=  Central European medieval texts . Band 3 ). Budapest 2003, ISBN 963-9241-40-7 .

literature

  • Teresa Michałowska: Średniowiecze (=  Wielka Historia Literatury Polskiej . Volume 1 ). Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, Warsaw 2002, ISBN 978-83-01-12851-7 , p. 107-129 (first edition: 1995).
  • Teresa Michałowska: Kronika, Anonim Gall . In: Literatura Polskiego Średniowiecza . Leksykon. Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, Warsaw 2011, ISBN 978-83-01-16675-5 , p. 446-449 .
  • Teresa Michałowska: Listy dedykacyjne, Anonim Gall . In: Literatura Polskiego Średniowiecza . Leksykon. Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, Warsaw 2011, ISBN 978-83-01-16675-5 , p. 487-489 .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Karol Maleczyński (Ed.): Galli Anonymi cronicae et gesta ducum sive principum Polonorum (=  Monumenta Poloniae Historica. Nova Series . Volume II ). Polska Akademia Umiejętności, Krakau 1952, p. I-X .
  2. ↑ a b Paul W. Knoll and Frank Schaer (eds.): Gesta principum Polonorum. The deeds of the princes of the Poles (=  Central European medieval texts . Band 3 ). Budapest 2003, ISBN 963-9241-40-7 , pp. XX .
  3. ↑ Karol Maleczyński (Ed.): Galli Anonymi cronicae et gesta ducum sive principum Polonorum (=  Monumenta Poloniae Historica. Nova Series . Volume II ). Polska Akademia Umiejętności, Krakau 1952, p. X-XII .
  4. ↑ Karol Maleczyński (Ed.): Galli Anonymi cronicae et gesta ducum sive principum Polonorum (=  Monumenta Poloniae Historica. Nova Series . Volume II ). Polska Akademia Umiejętności, Krakau 1952, p. XIII-XX .
  5. ^ Paul W. Knoll and Frank Schaer (eds.): Gesta principum Polonorum. The deeds of the princes of the Poles (=  Central European medieval texts . Band 3 ). Budapest 2003, ISBN 963-9241-40-7 , pp. XX-XXI .
  6. ↑ Karol Maleczyński (Ed.): Galli Anonymi cronicae et gesta ducum sive principum Polonorum (=  Monumenta Poloniae Historica. Nova Series . Volume II ). Polska Akademia Umiejętności, Krakau 1952, p. LX-LXVI .
  7. ^ Paul W. Knoll and Frank Schaer (eds.): Gesta principum Polonorum. The deeds of the princes of the Poles (=  Central European medieval texts . Band 3 ). Budapest 2003, ISBN 963-9241-40-7 , pp. XXXVIII .
  8. ↑ Ryszard Gansiniec : Liryka Galla Anonima . In: Pamiętnik Litearcki . Czasopismo kwartalne poświęcone historii i krytyce literatury polskiej. No. 49/4 , 1958, pp. 356-357 .
  9. ↑ Karol Maleczyński (Ed.): Galli Anonymi cronicae et gesta ducum sive principum Polonorum (=  Monumenta Poloniae Historica. Nova Series . Volume II ). Polska Akademia Umiejętności, Krakau 1952, p. LIV .
  10. ^ Paul W. Knoll and Frank Schaer (eds.): Gesta principum Polonorum. The deeds of the princes of the Poles (=  Central European medieval texts . Band 3 ). Budapest 2003, ISBN 963-9241-40-7 , pp. XL .
  11. ↑ Teresa Michałowska: Średniowiecze (=  Wielka Historia Literatury Polskiej . Volume 1 ). Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, Warsaw 2002, ISBN 978-83-01-12851-7 , p. 118 (first edition: 1995).
  12. ^ Paul W. Knoll and Frank Schaer (eds.): Gesta principum Polonorum. The deeds of the princes of the Poles (=  Central European medieval texts . Band 3 ). Budapest 2003, ISBN 963-9241-40-7 , pp. LX .