We return to the Homiliarium quod dicitur de Opatoviz with the benefit of the Juan Antonio Álvarez-Pedrosa, Julia Mendoza Tuñón and Sandra Romano Martín translation (again, mostly kept as is except where something would read better or where they chose not to translate a few lines otherwise found in Meyer).

For the first part see here.

---

I, 84 Deum solum colendum (fol. 136r–137r)

Of One God That Should be Worshipped

Each man will on judgment day have to account for his deeds and will be judged for his actions for which he deserved a reward. Therefore, the lies that the devil teaches people – to their own damnation – 

“Given that each person will have to answer for their own deeds on judgment day and shall be repaid for their deeds and receive an appropriate reward, that is, everlasting torment for the wicked, bliss and everlasting glory for the righteous, it is essential to reject the falsehood taught by the devil with his veneration of idols for the purpose of misleading men, and believe in the one true God and confess His holy name forever. Any other thing which men worship instead of God, with the aid of the seduction of the devil, they do so for their own perdition, for they do not realize nor reconsider that those same gods which they worship are incapable of providing them with anything good or of use and can neither give nor take away even a piece of straw.”

Quoniam de suis actibus puisque in die iudicii redditurus est racionem et accepturus est pro operibus suis, quale hic premium promeretur, sive pro mails supplicium infinitum, sive pro bonis beatitudinem et gloriam sempiternam, ideoque falsitatem, quam diabolus ad perdendos semet ipsos homines in idolorum cultibus docet, respuere omnino necesse est et unum verum deum credere et confiteri nomen eius sanctum in secula. […] Alia vero quecunque pro deo homines colunt fallaente et seducente diabolo, ad suam quique perniciem faciunt, quia non perpendunt nec recogitant, quod ipsi dii, quos colunt, nihil eis boni nihilque utilitatis adhibere valent, nec unam parvissimam stipulam cuiiquam dare vel adimere possunt.

---

I, 85 Item unde supra deum colendum (fol. 138r–138v)

Some More on the One God To Be Worshipped

“Therefore, let not our faith be in this, let us not worship nor believe in any other creature in place of God. Let not our faith be in any phantasmagoria; for any truth is better than all of the things that can derive from human opinion. Not even the human soul, which is the soul of truth, should we worship when it conjures false things. Neither should we worship angels nor men nor any creature as if it were God. Let not the product of human works form part of our religion, for though the makers of such things excel, we should not worship them in place of God. Neither should we on any account perform sacrifices to any animal, nor to the trees, nor to the springs, for such things provoke the wrath of God. Thus, let us take care that the worship of the dead does not enter our religion; for if they led just lives, they do not seek such honors but rather wish us to worship Him whom they themselves worshipped and by whose grace they did all the good things they did and wish us to participate in their virtue. Therefore, let them be honored by imitation and not worshipped as a religious duty. The cult of demons does not form part of our religion, for all superstition is the damnation of men and a dangerous straying from the path, for their [the demons’] purpose is to lead them to everlasting torment. We venerate the true God, in which sole God we believe, whom we serve and from whom we will learn the eternal reward.”

Ideoque non sit fides nostra in eo, ut aliquam creaturam pro deo colamus aut credamus; non sit fides nostra in aliquo fantasmate, melius est enim qualecunque verum, quam omne quicquid pro arbitrio surgi potest. Et tamen ipsam animam hominis, que vere anima est, cum falsa imaginatur, colere non debemus. Et ideo non angelos, non homines, nullam utique creaturam colere vel pro deo credere debemus. Et ideo non sit nobis religio humanorum operum cultus; meliores enim sunt artifices, qui talia faciant, quamvis nec eos pro deo colere debemus, ac nequaquam bestiam aliquam, non ad arbores, non ad fontes sacrificia ullo modo facere, quia talibus causis ad iracundiam deus provocetur. Quamobrem caveamus, ut non sit nobis religio cultus hominum mortuorum; quia si pie vixerunt, non tamen tales querant honores, sed illum a nobis coli volunt, quem ipsi colebant et cuius gracia operati sunt, quecunque bona fecerunt, nosque eorum meritis desiderant esse consortes, honorandi ergo sunt propter imitacionem, non adorandi propter religionem. Non sit nobis religio cultus demonum, quia omnis supersticio, cum sit magna poena hominum et periculosissima turpitudo, tamen finis illorum ad eternum tendit supplicium. Nos vero deum verum colamus, cumque deum solum credamus, eique serviamus, qui ab eo eterna premia percipiemus.

---

I, 104 Ammonicio sive predicacio sancti Bonifacii episcopi de abrenunciacione baptismatis (fol. 171r–171v)

Admonition or the Sermon of Bishop Saint Boniface About the Acceptance of Baptism

“Listen brothers and think through carefully what it is that you accept through [your] baptism. You renounce the devil and all his works and all his depravities. What then are the works of the devil? The following: pride, idolatry, envy, hatred, defamation, lies, perjury, fornication, adultery, any kind of promiscuity, murder, robbery, false testimony, rapine, avarice, gluttony, drunkenness, blasphemy, disputes, anger, poisoning, enchantments, the consulting of oracles, belief in witches and werewolves, the performing of abortions, being disobedient to your lords, the use of amulets.”

Audite, fratres, et adtencius cogitetis, quid in baptismo renunciastis. Abrenunciastis diabolum et omnibus operibus eius et omnibus pompis eius. Quid sunt ergo opera diaboli? Hec sunt superbia, idolatria, invidia, odium, detraccio, mendacium, periurium, fornicacio, adulterium, omnis pollucio, homicidium, furta, falsum testimonium, rapina, avaricia, gula, ebrietas, turpiloquium, contenciones, ira, veneficia, incantaciones et sortilegos exquirere, strigas et fictos lupos credere, abortum facere, dominis inobedientes esse, filacteria habere.

---

I, 122 Sermo de christianitate vel de operibus bonis (fol. 208v–209r)

A Sermon on Christianity and Good Deeds

“Let nobody worship idols nor drink or eat that which is sacrificed to idols. persuaded to do so by their gluttony. Whosoever commits this sin and receives not a just penance, shall be forever damned. He who has been baptized must avoid profane things; nor resort to nor hurry to consult any wizard, (herbalist) or seer or sorcerer on any matter, borne by a sacrilegious pleasure. Let nobody hang an amulet or magic binding, for should any person commit this sin and not receive his penance, he shall lose the grace of the sacrament of baptism.”

Nullus idola adoret, vel que idolis immolantur, gula suadente bibat aut manducet. Qui hoc malum fecerit, nisi digna penitencia subvenerit, peribit in eternum. Qui baptizatus est, debet profana vitare, nullos carios, (herbarios vel imprecarios) aut divinos aut precantatores sacrilega voluptate de qualibet infirmitate adhibeat aut interrogare presumat. Nullus filacteria aut ligaturas sibi aliquas adpendat, quia quicumque fecerit hoc malum, si non penitencia subvenerit, perdet baptismi sacramentum.

[…]

“Therefore, whosoever by means of wizards and seers or sorcerers and devilish amulets kills his soul, through the prayer of the priests or the alms in the churches can heal his soul and his flesh: because the illness of the body is related to that of the heart, for God punishes in this world those whom he loves.”

Quare ergo per carios (per erbarios) et divinos (et per imprecarios), per cantores (per incantatores) et filacteria diabolica occidit animam suam, qui per oracionem sacerdotum vel elemosinam aecclesiarum potest sanare animam et carnem suam.

---

I, 131 Sermo ad populum (fol. 225r–225v)

A Sermon For the People

“The priests warn the people in every way possible that in the event of animals dying of plague, of an illness or of any other misfortune, not to seek the aid of wicked men or women or of seers, witches, sorcerers, false scriptures, trees, springs or of any other thing but of God, of his saints and of the Holy Mother Church and, in the event of illness, that of Christian doctors, without using spells; whosoever does otherwise, let him perform a pure penance and confession and not do the same thing again; be vigilant in order to eradicate this mistaken custom of laypeople when they go to a feast, and say to the priests or the clergy: allow me to eat meat today and sing a mass for me or many psalms and they wish not to perform the penance ordered. Let the priests for this reason not sing masses for them but teach them to live in a sober and pious manner and to constantly think how to reduce their sins.” 

Presbiteri per omnia populumh ammoneant non pro mortalitate animalium, non pro pestilencia, non pro infirmitate aliqua neque pro variis aliis evenientibus ad malos viros aut feminas aut ad auguratrices aut ad maleficas aut incantatores aut falsas scripturas aut ad arbores vel ad fontes aut alicubi nisi ad deum et sanctos eius et ad sanctam matrem ecclesiam dei auxilia querere, nisi ad medicos fideles adiutoria pro infirmitatibus variis sine incantacione; et quisquis hoc fecisset, puram inde agat penitenciam et confessionem. Et de cetero, ne amplius faciet, caveat, ut prava consuetudo auferatur, quod laici faciunt, cum ad convivium veniunt, clamant ad presbiteros seu ad clericos: Iube me hodie carnem manducare et canta mihi unam missam vel psalmos tantos et nolunt datam penitenciam observare. Presbiteri illis eo modo mossas non cantent, sed doceant eos sobrie, pie vivere et pro peccatis suis minuendis iugiter cogitare.

---

I, 135, 3 De muliere, que cum duobus fratribus fornicata est (fol. 232r–233v)

About a Woman Who Committed Adultery With Two Brothers

“Should a nun fornicate with another nun by means of witchcraft, she shall do penance for six years. Should a woman fornicate with another woman, she shall do penance for three years. Let her do the same penance if she mixes a man’s semen with her food in order to receive his love.”

Si sanctimonialis cum alia sanctimoniali per aliquod machinamentum fornicate fuerint sex annos peniteant. Mulier si cum muliere fornicata fuerit annos tres peniteant.

---

I, 135, 4 De eadem re (fol. 233v)

On the Same Matter

“Should anyone, whether to fulfill a lewd desire or out of hatred of the fact that he shall have offspring, give a man or a woman a filter to dirnk so that he or she may not beget or conceive, let that person be adjudged a murderer.”

Si aliquis causa explende libidinis vel odii meditatione, ut ex eo soboles nascantur hominum vel ad potandum dederit, ut non posses generare aut concipere, ut homicida teneatur.

---

I, 135, 5 De viciis gule et ebrietatis (fol. 237v)

The Vices of Gluttony and Drunkenness

“The woman who takes the blood of her husband as remedy, let her do penance for forty days. If she takes her husband’s semen, let her do three years of penance.”

Uxor, que sanguinem viri pro remedio gustaverit, quadraginta dies peniteat. Sic et illa, que semen viri sui accipiat, tres annos peniteat.

---

I, 135, 7 De operibus die dominico (fol. 242v)

Regarding the Works on God’s Day

“And nothing should be read or sung in church except that is dedicated to the authority of God or of the church fathers, and let not there be worship of false angels but only those taught in the writings of the prophets and the Gospels, that is Michael, Gabriel, Raphael…” 

Ut aliud in ecclesia non legatur aut cantetur nisi ea, que auctoritatis divine sunt et patrum orthodoxorum sanxit auctoritas, nec falsa angelorum nomina colant, sed ea tantum, que prophetica et evangelica docet scriptura, id est Michael, Gabriel, Raphael […].

---

Copyright ©2021 jassa.org, All Rights Reserved.

We mentioned before that the Czech sources for most of the Czech Gods are rather behind the times coming mostly (outside of the controversial Mater Verborum glosses) only starting in the 16th century.  We also mentioned that that was not entirely correct and that we had some ideas for earlier sources.  The time has come:

Here is Abbott Neplach of Opatovice, associated with the court of Charles IV.  He was apparently “born in Hoříněves to a poor family, then was sent to the Benedictine monastery in Opatovice in 1328.  In 1334 he took the vows of the Benedictine Order, and in 1340 he studied in Bologna.  He became abbot of the Opatovice monastery in 1348.” [quoting after Brill].  He wrote a history of the world with a particular reference to that most important part of it, i.e., Bohemia (Summula chronicae tam Romanae quam Bohemicae).  It seems that this was at the request of Charles IV and followed an earlier crappier attempt by another writer.  Neplach’s effort was also rather lousy and eventually it was left to Pulkava to please the sponsor.  However, Neplach does say under the year 894 the following (carryover paragraph):

“A.d. DCCCXCIV incipiunt acta ac gesta ducum et regum Boemie, quorum quidam pagani fuerunt et idcirco, quo tempore vel quibus annis domini regnaverint, non est curandum.  Habebat enim quoddam ydolum, quod pro deo ipsorum colebant, nomen autem ydoli vocabatur Zelu.  Sed obmissis materiis de illis virginibus, de quibus fit mencio in principio cronice Boemice, de sola Lybossa phitonissa brevissime dicendum est.”

To translate:

“There began the deeds and acts of the dukes and kings of Bohemia,  some of whom were pagans and, therefore, at what time or in what years they ruled is of no importance. And they had an idol whom they worshipped as a god and the name of this idol was Zelu.  But now let us focus on the matter of those maidens of whom mention was made at the beginning of this chronicle and briefly mention Lybossa [Libuse] the witch…”

Now, the interesting thing is that the German (and, apparently, only the German) translation of the Dalimil Chronicle contains a similar reference (perhaps based on this text above):

Now, Zelu seems to be the same as Zelon sive Dobropan, (interpretatio romana Mercury) from Stredovsky.  In fact, perhaps Stredovsky based his Zelon on the above reference of Neplach’s…

Curiously, a similar Godname appears either in Laskowski or in the De diis Samagitarum caeterorumque Sarmatarum et falsorum Christianorumi where, in discussing Baltic Gods, the author, if I recall correctly, mentions Zelus.

Update: Other Neplach entries included by Meyer are the following (from the new compilation by Juan Álvarez-Pedrosa Núñez, with him as well as Julia Mendoza Tuñón and Sandra Romano Martín translating):

Sub Anno 1336

“In the year of our Lord 1336, Phillip, son of the king of Majorca, accompanied by twelve noblemen from the kingdom entered the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin on the eve of the Nativity of Christ; and in Bohemia, close to Kadan, along with a solider in the town of Blov, a pastor named Myslata died. And he, rising from this tomb each night, would wander all of the nearby towns, terrorizing and slitting the throats of the people, and he would speak.When pieced with a stick, he said: ‘Much damage you have done me, since you have given me a cane to defend myself from the dogs;’ and when he was exhumed to burn him, he swelled like an ox and gave a hair-raising roar. When they put him in the fire, soemone took a stck and drive it through him, and he bled without stopping, as if he were a tanakrd. In addition, when they disinterred him and put him in a cart, his legs shrunk as if he were alive, and when he was burned, all of his evil was dispelled, and before being burnt, all those whose names he spoke at night would die within eight days.”

“A.d. MCCCXXXVI Philippus, filius regis Maiorikarum, cum XII nobilibus regni ordinem fratrum Minorum in uigilia Natiuitatis Christi ingreditur et in Boemia circa Cadanum ad milliare unum in villa dicta Blow quidam pastor nomine Myslata moritur. Hic omni nocte surgens circuibat omnes villas in circuitu homines terrendo et iugulando et loquebatur. Et cum fuisset cum palo transfixus dicebat: Multum nocuerunt michi, nam dederunt michi baculum, ut me a canibus defendam; et cum cremandus effoderetur, tumebat sicut bos et terribiliter rugiebat. Et cum poneretur in ignem, quidam arripiens fustem fixit in eum et continuo erupit cruor sicut de vase. Insuper cum fuisset effossus et in currum positus, collegit pedes ad se sicut vivus, et cum fuisset crematus totum malum conquievit, et antequam cremaretur, quemcumque e nomine in nocte vocabat, infra octo dies moriebatur.”

Sub anno 1344

“Year of the Lord 1344. In Levin a woman died and she was buried. Bu then she would come out of her tomb and murder many and then she would attack anyone. And when she was pierced, the blood flowed as if she were a live animal, and she had devoured more than half of her own shroud, which, when taken out of her, was covered in blood. When they went to bur her, they could not get any type of wood to light except for the wood from the roof of the church, according to the testimony of some old women. Although they had pierced her, she continued to rise up; but, when they were able to burn her, all of the evil she had was dispelled.”

“A.d. MCCCXLIV Quedam mulier in Lewin mortua fuit et sepulta. Post sepulturam autem surgebat et multos iugulabat et post quemlibet saltabat. Et cum fuisset transfixa, fluebat sanguis sicud de animali vivo et devoraverat slogerium proprium plus quam medium, et cum extraheretur, totum fuit in sanguine. Et cum deberet cremari, non poterant ligna aliqualiter accendi nisi de tegulis ecclesie ad informacionem aliquarum vetularum. Postguam autem fuisset transfix adhuc semper surgebat; sed cum fuisset cremata, tunc totum malum conquievit.”

Copyright ©2014 jassa.org, All Rights Reserved