The mystery of the Latin inscriptions in Hervartov

the mystery of the Latin inscriptions

inHervart v

SHORT HISTORY CHURCH OF ST. FRANCIS LATIN INSCRIPTIONS | PART 1

SHORT HISTORY Hervartov (500 inhabitants) lies at an elevation of 420 m, in the foothills of the Čergov Mountain range, south of Bardejov, 10 km from the main road to Prešov. The village name is derived from German. One of the possibilities is Heereswarte /German for ‘military watchtower’/ which signifies that the broad view of the surroundings could be made use of. Other sources mention an old lumberjack settlement: Herr war da = ‘the lord was here’.

A third version suggests a modification of the first recorded warden‘s name – Herbert.

1406 First written mention.

15th Cent. (2nd half) Construction of the wooden Gothic church of St. Francis of Assisi.

16th/17th Cent. Reformation and Counter-Reformation.

Church’s owners switch.

1600 There are 21 liege households in the village.

17th Cent. Establishment of the glassworks. Hence the temporary village name, ‘Huta.’ Production until 1912.

1670 The church passes permanently to the Catholics.

1828 478 inhabitants live in 58 houses.

1900 Establishment of the village school.

Early 1900s Construction of private granaries measuring ca 4 x 3 x 5 m. The ones which stand in the protection zone around the church have since 2008 been registered in the National Cultural Heritage List. The best preserved piece is located near the stream opposite the church, and serves as a minimuseum.

SHORT HISTORY

1946 Establishment of the voluntary fire brigade 1955 Village gets electricity supply.

1959 Forced collectivization and establishment of the collective farms system 1967 Founding of the football club and construction of the 2 ha /4,942 acre/ fishpond.

1992–97 Building of the new church in the northern part of the village. It is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

1999 The village is connected to the gas The best preserved granary mains.

2004 Reconstrucion of the street lighting.

2007 3.5 km from the village, on the summit of the Žobrák hill (920 m), an 8 m tall lookout tower is located. Even the High Tatras mountain range can be observed from here.

2008 Registration of the village wooden church, together with seven wooden and articular churches of the Carpathians, in the UNESCO Cultural Heritage List.

2010 Construction of the multifunctional playing field.

2010–11 Reconstruction of the cultural and administrative building.

2011 Hervartov is awarded 3rd place in the ‘Slovak Village of the Year’ competition.

2012–13 Contruction of anti-flood measures in the village and of the Valaský stream basin.

CHURCH OF ST. FRANCIS OF ASISSI Is made up of the nave, the polygonal sanctuary, and the sacristy. The lower part of the belfry also serves as the entrance hall. The church is shingled /German die Schindel, Latin scindula = ‘a split piece of wood’/. It is parially built of European yew /Latin taxus baccata/. This wood type can be characterized as very hard and yet is praised for its elasticity /it was the material of choice of royal bow-makers in the Middle Ages/.

It represents the oldest type of wooden church architecture in Slovakia. Its origins date back to the 15th century. Centuriesold linden trees encompassing the church together with the shingled stone wall emphasize the loftiness of this place.

All the other wooden churches, predominantly of the Orthodox Church, were built at the end of the 17th century and later.

In the middle of the main altar are depicted (from left) St. Barbara, Virgin Mary, and St. Catherine of Alexandria. The sword in Catherine’s hand represents the weapon by which she was murdered /early 4th C./.

Saint Catherine‘s Monastery near Sinai in Egypt is renowned all around the world. According to a legend, St. Barbara /3rd C./ was imprisoned in a castle tower. She too came from Egypt.

These two martyrs, along with St. Dorothy and St. Margaret were especially revered in the Middle Ages and were two of the Fourteen Holy Helpers.

St. Francis of Asissi — to this, presumably most beloved medieval saint (*1181/2–†1226), we owe the idea of the nativity scene and the Stations of the Cross.

Influenced by his wealthy merchant /linen/ father and by his educated mother, he was an admirerer of French culture and literature. The name Francese means ‘Frenchman’ in Italian.

During the war between the inhabitants of Assisi and Perugia /1202/ he was captured and held captive for one year. Subsequently, he converted.

In 1209 he and his three fellows retreated – the origins of the Order of the minor brothers, the Franciscans. The abbreviation next to the name: OFM /Ordo Fratrum Minorum/.

The cloisters, currently unused, are located at Františkánska Street in Bardejov. At the time, Hervartov belonged under the jurisdiction of Bardejov and this could be the explanation for the church dedication.

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Gothic altar painting – depicts the Virgin Mary, St. Barbara to the left, St. Catherine to the right. 1460–70.

Gothic painting – stigmatized St. Francis (Greek stigma = ‘a mark NBEF CZ B QPJOUFE JOTUSVNFOU t 4U $ISJTUPQIFS rd C., Asia MiOPS QBUSPO PG USBWFMMFST t 4U $BUIFSJOF PG 4JFOB th C.). 1460-70.

Last Supper (1653) → Mk (14,22-25), Mt (26,26-29), Lk (22,15-20), 1 Cor. (11,23-25). At this time, the church belongs to the Protestants.

Painting of Calvary, restored by Andrej HafÄ?Ă­k of Bardejov (1650).

Depiction of John the Baptist → next column.

Depiction of Paul the Apostle. Created in 1803 by Jozef MireiovskĂ˝ of Bardejov. They are part of the Triumphal Arch.

Baptistery from the 17th c. The south wall (8-13) adorns the church.

Adam, Eve, and the Tree of Life /Latin Arbor vitÌ/ → Gen. (3,2); Jer. (5,16n); Apoc. (2,7; 22,2); Rom. chap. 9-11.

Wise and foolish virgins → Mt. (25,1-13).

St. George (†303) vs. the dragon, → Apoc. (12, 7-9).

Text in the vernacular → opposite page.

Woodcarving ‘Jesus on the cross’, 1710.

Woodcarving ‘St. George’, 1741.

Crib, 19 century.

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Statue of St. Sebastian.

He was allegedly shot by archers during the Roman emperor Diocletian‘s (284–305) persecution of Christians.

Patronage: soldiers, plagues, archers.

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Resurrected Christ → Mk. (16,1-8); Mt. (28,1-10); Lk. (24,1-12); Jn. (20, 15-18).

Statue of Pope St. Fabian (papacy: 236–250). The 20th successor of St. Peter. Venerated as a martyr. Patronage: potters and tin casters.

Tabernacle from the rococo period.

Depiction of Calvary, restored by Andrej HafÄ?Ă­k of Bardejov, 1650.

CHURCH OF ST. FRANCIS

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BETHLEHEM: THE PLACE WHERE EVEN THE LATIN BIBLE ITSELF WAS BORN The task of historical importance – to prepare the final, complete translation of the Bible from the Hebrew and Greek sources to Latin – was executed by St. Jerome (347?–420?). His work is known as the Vulgate (Latin vulgus = ‘common people’).

Under Pope Damasus I. he was given duties in Rome (382–384) and undertook a revision of the Latin Bible. Though he did not realize it yet, translating much of what became the Latin Vulgate Bible would take many years and be his most important achievement.

Et verborum ordo mysterium est (Even the order of words is a mystery): sighed often the erudite man, acclaimed in the West as in the East.

The text on the horizontal cross-beam is illegible. „–1650–Pastor–“, it signifies that at that time the church belonged to the Protestants.

On the cross are, clockwise from the bottom, the symbols of the Evangelists: bull – St. Luke, man – St. Matthew, eagle – St. John and lion – St. Mark.

Anno 1803 DIE X. AUGUSTUS PARIES HIC PICTURA NOVA DECORATUS SUMPTIBUS COMMUNITATIS ET ECCLESIÆ SUP PLEBANATU A:R:D PETRI ZAVACZKY, 1*/9*5 .*3&*074,: 1t# On 10 August 1803, financed by the community and the Church, this wall was redecorated under priest Peter A:R:D (?) Zavaczky, QBJOUFE CZ .JSFJPWTLZ 1t# The text is located left of the sanctuary.

ECCE, AGNUS DEI Behold, the Lamb of God → Jn. (1,29b) In the New Testament mentions Luke the Evangelist his return → Lk. (1,6n; 1,36n). Herod Antipas beheaded him → Mk. (6,14 -29).

Feast day: 24 June.

John the Baptist The painting is located right of the sanctuary.

The Latin inscription right of the sanctuary: LAUS DEO SEMPER PER LIGNUM SERVI FACTI SUMUS. PER LIGNUM SANCTI CRUCIS LIBERATI SUMUS. FRUCTUS ARBORIS SEDUXIT NOS. FILIUS DEI, IN SANCTA CRUCE REDEMIT NOS. Translation: Praise be to God forever, through the wood have we become slaves. Through the wood of the Holy Cross have we been freed. The fruit of a tree seduces us, The Son of God, through the Holy Cross redeemed us.

On a global scale, between 1555 and 1648, it was the Jesuits who contributed to the spread of Latin the most. In their curriculum they combined, similarly to the Protestants, religion and Latin humanism, to which were added their own educational, theatrical plays.

There were no tuition fees → Mt. (10,8): Gratis accepistis, gratis date (Latin ‘freely ye have received, freely give’). During the Baroque, the public greatly enjoyed the Jesuit passion plays (the Passion = ‘the suffering and death of Jesus’, Latin pati = ‘to suffer’). Dozens of students performed there.

The author created the following chronogram. The sum of the red characters gives the year of this brochure’s publication.

HERVARTOV, HERVARTOV, the small wooden church.

PARVA L I GNEA EC C L ESI A. Many roads M V LTÆ V I Æ lead to you.

I B I D V C V N T. Pause and ponder, SISTE QVOQVE PV TO pilgrim – tourist!

V I ATOR! Enter!

INTRA!

I x8 + V x11 + X x0 + L x3 + C x3 + D x1 + M x1 = 2013

LATINSKÉ NÁPISY – ČASŤ 1.

A gem among the Latin inscriptions in the church is the following one which combines the rudiments of the Old and New Testament.

The text written in the local dialect is illegible.

3rd line: PRIMUM PRÆCEPTUM DIVINIUM First Holy Commandment

AMEN, AMEN DICO VOBIS: QUI SERMONEM MEUM AUDIT ET CREDIT EI, QUI MISIT ME, HABET VITAM ÆTERNAM ET IN IUDICIUM NON VENIT, SED TRANSIIT A MORTE IN VITAM. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and b that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into c but is passed from death unto life. Jn. (5,24)

see section Latin inscriptions | Part 1

[DIXIT IESUS] EGO SUM PANIS VIVUS, QUI DE CÆLO DESCENDI. SI QUIS MANDUCAVERIT EX HOC PANE, VIVET IN ÆTERNUM. [Jesus said] I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever. Jn (6,51a)

see section Latin inscriptions | Part 1

IESUS SPONSUS VERUS VIGILATE, IESUS? SPONTE OBVENIT DORMIENTIBUS AUTEM CLAUDIT IANUAM. Jesus, the right bridegroom, stay awake, … ? Jesus ? … first sees them asleep and closes the gate. → Mt. (25,10)

INGREDIMINI PORTAS, DEUM CELEBRATIONE, ATRIA EUM CUM LAUDE CELEBRATE ILLUM ET BENEDICITE NOMINI EIUS, IN S Æ CULA S ÆCULORUM .

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. Psalm (100,4)

QUAM DILECTA TABERNACULA TUA, DOMINE VIRTUTUM! How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! Psalm (84,2)

VENITE, EXSULTEMUS DOMINO; IUBILEMUS DEO SALUTARI NOSTRO. QUONIAM DEUS MAGNUS DOMINUS, ET REX MAGNUS SUPER OMNES DEOS. O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the roc For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. Psalm

believeth on him condemnation; )

ck of our salvation. m (95, 1 and 3)

IUBILATE DOMINO, OMNIS TERRA, ...

SCITOTE QUONIAM DOMINUS IPSE EST DEUS; IPSE FECIT NOS, ET IPSIUS SUMUS, POPULUS EIUS [ET OVES PASCUÆ EIUS].

Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Psalm (100,2a and 3)

Ku czti a ku chwale Blaho(slavenÊ) Tro( jicy) Swa(tÊ) a na ozdobu Domu BoŞího totu stranu swoim kostem ay kelczike(m) dal malo(vat) uczliwi muŞ Ku(n)drat Prokop iz manselku svu.

Note: These lines are written in the then-used liturgical language based on the biblical Czech, which the Lutherans used.

Kostem = pertaining to the costs, (German die Kosten = costs, expenses); kelczik = expenditures (dialect), uczliwi = revered.

CONCUPISCATIO CARNIS = The lust of the body CONCUPISCATIO OCULORUM = The desire of the eyes AMOR FRUCTUS = The love of the fruit

SUPERBIA VITÆ = The pride of life PRUDENTIA HUMANA = The human prudence SANCTUS, SANCTUS, SANCTUS DOMINUS DEUS SABAOTH. PLENI SUNT CÆLI ET TERRA GLORIA TUA. HOSANNA IN EXCELSIS. Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. → Isaiah (6,3b) and Apocalypse (4,8)

SOURCES: NESTLE-ALAND, NOVUM TESTAMENTUM LATINE, Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft Stuttgart, %SVDL t XXX WVMHBUB WB t ,JOH +BNFT 7FSTJPO #JCMF

HERVARTOV

Road distances in km: – Bardejov: 10; – Košice: 77 – Prešov: 42;

The department of services and tourism (opposite the church), inclusive overnight accommodation ☎ +421 54 / 472-87-81| +421 908-879-664 | +421 918-678-260 PL

Jedlinka

Frička

Lukov

Krivé

Tročany

Kožany

In the district of Bardejov there are six more wooden churches.

The road distances from Hervartov in km are: Frička (28), Jedlinka (25), Kožany (30), Krivé (11), Lukov (21), Tročany (15).

In the open-air museum at Bardejovské Kúpele there are two more wooden churches, though only the one in Hervartov is registered in UNESCO‘s Heritage List.

We also recommend the maps: SHOCart PIENINY, SEVERNÝ SPIŠ, ŠARIŠ 1: 100 000 → www.shocart.cz BARDEJOV, BARDEJOVSKÉ KÚPELE 1: 10 000 Map of the Surroundings 1:50 000, VKÚ Harmanec Financed from the Programme of the Village Renewal

© Jozef Soročin, 2013 © Layout & Translation: Jozef Soročin, Jr., www.about.me/sorocin don‘t forget to check out the © Photos: Peter Olekšák, peter.oleksak@centrum.sk e-version: © For Obec Hervartov 84, SK-086 22 Kľušov ☎ +421 54 / 472 37 60 | www.hervartov.sk issued by: Jozef Soročin JSL, Rázusova 6, SK-071 01 Michalovce sorocin23@gmail.com t www.issuu.com/VydSorocinJ © Printed by: Rotaprint, s. r. o., Barčianska 68, SK-040 17 Košice