The famous Homiliarium quod dicitur de Opatoviz serves as a fascinating listing of Czech, Moravian & Slovak pagan practices and superstitions and found its way into Karl Meyer’s list of Latin & Greek sources on Suavic paganism. The translation (in this case Czech) of this document was most recently published by Jiří Dynda. The Homiliarium is a long document so here is just the initial part.
I, 5 Alia [In natali] (fol. 6r–6v)
Other Matters [On the birth of the Lord]
“All the generations of man have been tarnished by him [that is the first man Adam] with countless sins and especially the worship of idols. For they had forgotten their Lord Creator. Some worshipped the Sun, the Moon and the stars, and others rivers and fire, yet others mountains and rivers, even as so many pagans do till this day. And many still in this land of ours worship demons and they are only called Christians [in name] and are worse than pagans. But because God wished to end and destroy all these errors and delusions in this land, he established law, sent prophets to turn the people away from these sins, created wonders and signs in the heavens and on Earth and he punished them [the people] with countless scourges, hunger and pestilence.”
Omne statim genus humanum ab illo [primo hominum Adam] innumerabilibus iniquitatibus inquinatum est et maxime in idolorum cultura, quia obliviscentes domini sui creatoris, alii solem et lunam et sidera colebant, alii flumina et ignes alii montes et arbores, sicut et adhuc pagani multi faciunt et plurimi et iam in hac terra nostra adorant demonia et tantummodo christianum nomen habentes, peiores sunt quam pagani. Volens autem deus hoc peccatum et hos omnes errores terminare ac delere de terra, primo costituti hominibus legem, prophetas misit, qui eos averterent ab iniquitatibus suis, fecit signa et miracula de celo et terra et innumerabilibus flagellis eos castigavit, fame et pestilencia.
I, 30 Sancti Wencezlai (fol. 41v-42r)
On the Day of Saint Wenzeslaus
“We admonish all Christians… to keep their priests in reverence, to faithfully serve their princes and lords, and not to place trust in [drawing] lots and [drawing] characters, but to put all their hope in the Lord.”
Omnes simul christianos ammoneamus, ut […] sacerdotibus suis honorem impendant, suis principibus et suis dominis fideliter serviant, sortes et caracteres pro nichilo ducant, sed omnem spem suam in domino ponant.
I, 31 De sacerdotibus (fol. 45r)
On the Priests
“Forbid the signing and female dancing in the vicinity of the church. Do not permit the devil’s songs that the folk used to sing in the hours of the night over the dead and the laughter that such folk [utter] in challenge to the Almighty God.”
Cantus et mulierum choros in atrio ecclesie prohibete. Carmina diabolica, que super mortuos nocturnis horis vulgus facere solet, et cahinnos, quos exercet in contestacione dei omnipotentis, vetate.
I, 52 [Religio Christiana] (fol. 83v–84r)
[On the Christian Religion]
“And as each of you knows, everyone should celebrate the year’s holy days with due reverence for the glory of God and his Saints and should go to church more often. And when he goes there [to the church], he should humbly pray to God and [should] not make jokes and empty [gesture] chants. Let no one dare to cover up the incantations, witchcraft and all these strange things and those who you discover doing such things, you should report either to us or to your priest. Let these people be set right for the law says of them: ‘you will not leave the witches alive for they not only hurt themselves but also many others. If it becomes known to you that unclean marriages had taken place [where you live], do not let these be covered up but tell of them so that we can correct those [and so that] others do not fall into them. And those women who collect poisons or kill their unborn children or of whom it is said that they can cause hail, expose them by all means, bring them into the open and let them do penance. Whatever the people who had been lured and deceived by the devil worship as God, they do this towards their own destruction for they do not understand that what they do is neither good nor useful nor beneficial for them nor can it help them. Therefore, let them be punished by torments not only those whom the devil teaches with all their companions but all who are capable of of evil and little faith and who deceive through evil deeds.”
Dies quoque festos in anno propter reverenciam dei et sanctorum eius noverit se unus quisque cum honore debito celebrare debere et ad ecclesias frequencius venire et cum ibi veniet, oret deum suppliciter et ioca et cantaciones inanes ibi nullo modo quis faciat, incantaciones et maleficia omnes omni novitate et eos, quos talia nostis colere, nullus ex vobis celare audeat, sed aut nobis eos dicat, aut presbitero suo, ut ad emendacionem provocentur, quia lex dicit de eis: Maleficos non paciaris vivere, qui non solum sibi, sed et multis aliis nocent. Incestas nupcias, ubicunque scitis inter vos fieri, nolite illas celare, sed dicite eas, ut tales corrigantur, ne multis sint in ruinam delicti. Illas vero feminas, que venenum congerunt sive partus suos necant, vel que dicuntur grandinem excitare posse, modis omnibus manifestate, ut publice arguantur, et aliquando possint pervenire ad satisfactionem. Quemcunque vero pro deo homines colunt falente et seducente diabolo, ad suam quippe perniciem faciunt, quia non perpendunt, quod ipsi, quos colunt, nihil eis boni neque utilitatis prestare valent nec tollere. Ideo eos diabolus credere docet, ne solus cum suis sociis puniatur in supplicio, sed omnes, quos valet malis artibus, incredulitate et in malo opere studet decipere.
I, 79 Omelia de diversis tribulationibus (fol. 129v)
A Sermon About Various Tribulations
“It is especially through the lack of faith, the source of all evil, that the devil tries to tempt us towards [our] fall, so much so that many Christians, we are not happy to admit this, [he] persuades [to act] as soothsayers and enchanters and to deny the Christian faith. And because he knows that all Christians are born again through baptism into an eternal life, he convinces some bad women, but also men, to refuse baptism so that they should not receive the life and glory which he himself is denied so that they, like him are sent towards eternal death and eternal suffering.”
Nos maxime in infidelitate, unde omne malum in nos diabolus potissimum conatur iniere, in tantum, ut multos etiam christianos, auguria et incantationes, multa etiam, quod coacte [invite] dicimus, fidem christianam negare persuadet. Et unde omnis scit cristianos ad vitam renasci perpetuam per baptismum, quasdam feminas iniquas seu etiam viros denegate suadet, non ut vitam aut gloriam, unde ipse exors est, tribuet, sed ut ad eternam mortem ad eternaque supplicia in talibus sibi consentientes pertrahat.
[…]
(fol. 129r–130v)
“Indeed, it is necessary to maintain the true faith against faithlessness not only with words but also with demonstrate the faith through deeds. Threrefore, [people who engage in] witchcraft of all sorts, chants, sacrilege and refusal of the faith and baptism may – by the grace of the Almighty God and the prayers of the saintly and righteous people – earn forgiveness, mercy and proper remediation through unwavering repentance, through constant confession to God and priests and through good works.”
Nam contra infidelitatem tenere necesse est veram fidem, non solum verbis, sed etiam factis signa fidei demonstrare. Maleficie autem genera omnia et incantaciones et sacrilegia vel denegatio fidei atque baptismi cum misericordia dei omnipotentis et sanctorum atque iustorum hominum oracione cum poenitencia perseverante et confessione incessante deo et sacerdotibus et indulgenciam ac veniam cum instancia bonorum operum et emendacionem condignam possunt promereri.
For the continuation see here.
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