The following excerpt comes from the 1326 provincial statutes of the Uniejów synod (Statuta synodi provincials Uniejoviensis or Statuta synodu w Uniejowie). The synod which was presided by the Gniezno archbishop Janisław. The statutes were preserved, as far as is known, in two manuscripts. One of them remained in Gniezno until the Swedish Wars of 1655. At that point it was stolen by the Swedish army and moved to Upsala. However, in 1741 it was retrieved from Sweden by Joseph Andrew Załuski, a Polish priest. During the reign of the last Polish king Stanisław August Poniatowski, the manuscript was placed by the monarch in the Załuski Library where it was part of the Załuski Collection (because of the Załuski bishops who were the original founders/owners) or Bibliotheca Zalusciana in Warsaw (hence some refer to it as a Codex Zaluscianus). As an aftermath of the Kosciuszko Uprising in 1794, the manuscript, along with the rest of the Załuski Collection was stolen by tsartist forces and removed to Petersburg. Some of them were returned by the Soviets in the 1920s during the feel-good days post-WWI.  It is not clear whether this codex too was returned. In any event, the codices that were returned were destroyed by Nazi troops who set fire to Warsaw. Thankfully, the codex was rediscovered at the Imperial Library and some of it was published in 1856 by Romuald de Hube (a Warsaw University professor who was in Petersburg at the time) in his Antiquissimae constitutiones synodales provinciae Gneznensis maxima ex parte. At about the same time portions of the codex were also published by Antoni Helcel in his Monuments of Old Polish Law (Starodawne prawa polskiego pomniki). De Hube had available also another manuscript of the same from the Stronczynski collection – this manuscript appears to reside at the Wrocław University Library.

From the de Hube edition, the following excerpts found their way to Karl Meyer’s Fontes as Constitutio Synodalis Uniejoviensis.

Archbishop Janisław

Constitutio Synodalis Uniejoviensis
(Constitutio Janislai)
February 19, 1326

De ludo larvatorum

Quoniam sicut ad deceptionem nonnunquam angelus sathanae in lucis Angelum transformatur, sic profecto ad defuscationem imaginis paternae, spiritus creaturae rationalis, in qua divinae operationis effigies, per gratiam dignoscitur elucere, assumere censetur formas spirituum immundorum, statuismus ergo: ut nulli omnino clerici vel laici induti monstris larvarum, ecclesias vel coemeteria ipsarum ingredi praesumant, praesertim dum in illis divina officia peragrantur, quum per hujusmodi ludibriorum spectacula et fervor devotionis tepescat, et honestas ecclesiae et decor clericalis ordinis inquinetur; decernentes, clericos quoslibet et laicos monstruosas et detestabiles imagines hujusmodi deferentes, ipso facto, excommunicationis sententiae subjacere, ab illa, donec poenituerinti, nullatenus absolvendos. Adjicimus insuper: quod clerici vel laici ludos superstitiosos, juxta quorundam locorum abusum, in processionibus ecclesiarum ante natale domini* exercentes, eo ipso poena simili sint constricti.

On the Masked/Monstrous Games/Carollers

“Since sometimes an angel of satan is, as a deception, transformed into an angel of light, in the same way to obfuscate…** so therefore are needed these laws:”

“that neither clergy nor laymen should put on masks of monsters [or] enter [wearing them] into churches or cemeteries, especially while acting in the course of their official religious duties since this manner of games and spectacles reduces piety and lowers the respectability of the church and of the clerical order;”

“(1) we decree that those clergy and laymen who are accused of carrying these monstrous and odious images, become subject, by this reason, to the penalty of excommunication from which they should not be freed until they’ve suffered penance.”***

“(2) we further add that clergy and laymen should not conduct – for such abuses have taken place in certain places – superstitious spectacles/games during church gatherings before the birthday of the Lord and should they do so they will be subject to the same punishment.”****

Modern Carolers – note the rosette symbol

* The “ante natale domini” does not appear in the de Hube version.

** compare this with the statutes of Wrocław Bishop Nanker from the year 1331: “Quoniam sicut ad deceptionem nonnumquam angelus sathane in lucid angelorum transformatur, sic perfecto ad defuscacionem ymaginis paterne, spiritus creature racionabilis, in qua divine operacionis effigies per graciam dinoscitur elucere, assumere censetur forms spirituum immundorum, statuimus igitur [nulli omnin]o clerici vel layci induti monstris larvarum ecclesias…” 

*** This 1326 prohibition against masked “caroling” and pagan “theatrical” plays (interestingly, as part of church services!) is basically a repetition of the prohibition issued by Innocent III in 1207 with respect to Polish territories (per insolentiam corundum [that is folio rum clericorum] interdum ludi fount in ecclesia theatrales et… ad ludibriorum spectacle introducuntur monster larvarum…). It also encapsulates additional concepts found in the prohibitions of Pope Clement V found in his Gravi nimirum turbatione.

**** This 1326 prohibition against pagan games during church processions that took place during the last days of the Advent and during Christmas Eve. Similar practices are also reflected in Clement V’s Gravi nimirum turbatione. The same admonitions are repeated in Poland in the 1420 statutes of Bishop Andrew nearly 100 years later (De ludis festorum – Item in vigilia Nativitatis Christi prohibeantur ludi et superstitiosae opiniones, quae – proh dolor! – in hac vigent patria.).

Janisław’s seal

For more on the rosette symbol in the star above, see here.

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When Meyer put out his Fontes historiae religionis slavicae, he included in the Appendix portions of the Saxon-directed Capitulatio de partibus Saxoniae – basically, a list of a series of transgressions that, according to Charlemagne, should be punished, generally by death. Some of these harsh rules are quite interesting, like the Christian decree against pagans burning (or eating) witches – burning or eating a person believed by the pagans to be a witch was thus punishable by death – what a change a few hundred years makes. The rules themselves were decreed around 780 by Charlemagne for the territory of Saxony and include several mentions of local paganism that Meyer thought either related to Slavs or could have related to Slavs (highlighted and translated below). Notice, for example, the mention of the “striga” or witch which has cognates in Slavic languages with strzyga. The Slavic strzyga is, supposedly, a borrowing from the Latin and that, in turn, perhaps, comes from ancient Greek (στρίγξ) in which it refers to an owl – “screecher” (witches supposedly took the form of an owl as they flew around).  This, however, is merely an assertion made by Brueckner for which he provided no support (as for most of his assertions).  Interestingly, it seems the word does not survive in modern Greek. Curiously too, the word appears among only Western Slavic languages – Polish, Slovak and Slovene – but not among other Slavs (East or, importantly, South).  Also, interesting, is the fact that the word also appears in Venetian, Ligurian, Italian, Romanian and certain other Romance languages. The word does not appear in Germanic languages except, perhaps, in Lombard. This text appears in two manuscripts – here we follow the Vaticanus Palatinus 289:

Capitulatio de partibus Saxoniae

Constitute sunt primum de maioribus capitulis. Hoc placuit omnibus, ut ecclesiae Christi, que modo construuntur in Saxonia et Deo sacratae sunt, non minorem habeant honorem sed maiorem et excellentiorem quam vana habuissent idolorum.

1. Si quis confugiam fecerit in ecclesiam, nullus eum de ecclesia per violentiam expellere praesumat, sed pacem habeat usque dum ad placitum praesentetur, et propter honorem Dei sanctorumque ecclesiae ipsius reverentiam concedatur ei vita et omnia membra. Emendet autem causam in quantum potuerit et ei fuerit iudicatum; et sic ducatur ad praesentiam domni regis, et ipse eum mittat ubi clementiae ipsius placuerit.
2. Si quis ecclesiam per violentiam intraverit et in ea per vim vel furtu aliquid abstulerit vel ipsam ecclesiam igne cremaverit, morte moriatur.
3. Si quis sanctum quadragensimale ieiunium pro despectu christianitatis contempserit et carnem comederit, morte moriatur; sed tamen consideretur a sacerdote ne forte causa necessitatis hoc cuilibet proveniat ut carnem commedat..
4. Si quis episcopum aut presbyterum sive diaconum interficerit, similiter capite punietur.
5. Si quis a diabulo deceptus crediderit secundum morem paganorum, virum aliquem aut feminam strigam esse et homines commedere, et propter hoc ipsam incenderit vel carnem eius ad commedendum dederit vel ipsam commederit, capitali sententiae punietur. If he who is deceived by the devil, believes in accordance with pagan custom, that any man or woman is a witch and eats people, and for this reason burns such a person or eats such person’s flesh or delivers it to be eaten [?], will be punished by death.
6. Si quis corpus defuncti hominis secundum ritum paganorum flamma consumi fecerit et ossa eius ad cinerem redierit, capitae punietur.
7. Si quis deinceps in gente Saxonorum inter eos latens non baptizatus se abscondere voluerit et ad baptismum venire contempserit paganusque permanere voluerit, morte moriatur.
8. Si quis hominem diabulo sacrificaverit et in hostiam more paganorum daemonibus obtulerit, morte moriatur. If any person sacrifices to the devil and, in accordance with pagan custom, makes offerings to demons, will suffer death. 
9. Si quis cum paganis consilium adversus christianos inierit vel cum illis in adversitate christianorum perdurare voluerit, morte moriatur; et quicumque hoc idem fraude contra regem vel gentem christianorum consenserit, morte moriatur.
10. Si quis domino regi infidelis apparuerit, capitali sententia punietur.
11. Si quis filiam domini sui rapuerit morte morietur.
12. Si quis dominum suum vel dominam suam interficerit, simili modo punietur.
13. Si vero pro his mortalibus criminibus latenter commissis aliquis sponte ad sacerdotem confugerit et confessione data ageri poenitentiam voluerit, testimonio sacerdotis de morte excusetur.
14. De minoribus capitulis consenserunt omnes. Ad unamquamque ecclesiam curte et duos mansos terrae pagenses ad ecclesiam recurrentes condonant, et inter centum viginti homines, nobiles et ingenuis similiter et litos, servum et ancillam eidem ecclesiae tribuant.
15. Et hoc Christo propitio placuit, ut undecumque census aliquid ad fiscum pervenerit, sive in frido sive in qualecumque banno et in omni redibutione ad regem pertinente, decima pars ecclesiis et sacerdotibus reddatur.
16. Similiter secundum Dei mandatum praecipimus, ut omnes decimam partem substantiae et laboris suis ecclesiis et sacerdotibus donent: tam nobiles quam ingenui similiter et liti, iuxta quod Deus unicuique dederit christiano, partem Deo reddant.
17. Ut in dominicis diebus conventus et placita publica non faciant, nisi forte pro magna necessitate aut hostilitate cogente, sed omnes ad ecclesiam recurrant ad audiendum verbum Dei et orationibus vel iustis operibus vacent. Similiter et in festivitatibus praeclaris Deo et ecclesiae conventui deserviant et secularia placita demittant.
18. Similiter placuit his decretis inserere, quod omnes infantes infra annum baptizantur; et hoc statuimus, ut si quis infantem intra circulum anni ad baptismum offerre contempserit sine consilio vel licentia sacerdotis , si de nobile generi fuerit centum viginti solidos fisco conponant, si ingenuus sexaginta, si litus triginta.
19. Si quis prohibitum vel inlicitum coniugium sibi sortitus fuerit, si nobilis solidos sexaginta; si ingenuus triginta, si litus quindecim.
20. Si quis ad fontes aut arbores vel lucos votum fecerit aut aliquit more gentilium obtulerit et ad honorem daemonum commederet, si nobilis fuerit solidos sexaginta, si ingenuus triginta, si litus quindecim. Si vero non habuerint unde praesentaliter persolvant, ad ecclesiae servitium donentur usque dum ipsi solidi solvantur. If anyone, after the rustic fashion, makes offerings to streams, trees or groves, and holds feasts to honor the demons, will pay sixty solidi if a noble, thirty if a freeman, fifteen if a serf. And if he should not have the money, then he shall work off his debt in the service of the Church.      
21. Iubemus ut corpora christianorum Saxanorum ad cimiteria ecclesiae deferantur et non ad tumulus paganorum.
22. Divinos et sortilegos ecelesiis et sacerdotibus dare constituimus.
23. De latronibus et malefactorihus, qui de una comitatu ad alium confugium fecerint, si quis eos receperit in suam potestate et septem noctibus secum detenuerit, nisi ad praesentandum, nostrum bannum solvat. Similiter si comis eum absconderit et ad iustitiam faciendam praesentare noluerit et ad hoc excusare non potest, honorem suum perdat.
24. De pignore: ut nullatenus alterum aliquis pignorare praesumat; et qui hoc fecerit, bannum persolvat
25. Ut nulli hominum contradicere viam ad nos veniendo pro iustitia reclamandi aliquis praesumat; et si aliquis hoc facere conaverit, nostrum bannum persolvat
26. Si quis homo fideiussorem invenire non potuerit, res illius in forbanno mittantur usque dnm fideiussorem praesentet. Si vero super bannum in domum suum intrare praesumpserit, aut solidos decem aut unum bovem pro emendatione ipsius banni conponat, et insuper unde debitor exstitit persolvat. Si vero fideiussor diem statutum non observaberit, tunc ipse tantum damni incurrat quantum manus sua fideiussoris exstitit; ille autem qui debitor fideiussori exstitit duplum restituat, pro eo quod fideiussorem in damnum cadere permisit.
27. De praemiis et muneribus: ut munera super innocente nullus accipiat; et si quis hoc facere praesumpserit, nostrum bannum solvat. Et si, quod absit, forte comis hoc fecerit, honorem suum perdat.
28. Ut universi comites pacem et concordiam ad invicem habere studeant; et si forte inter eos aliqua discordia aut conturbium ortum fuerit, aut nostrum solatium vel perfectum pro hoc non demittant.
29. Si quis comitem interficcrit vel de eius morte consilium dederit, hereditas illius ad partem regis eveniat et in ius eius redicatur.
30. Dedimus potestatem comitibus bannum mittere infra suo ministerio de faida vel maioribus causis in solidos LX; de minoribus vero causis comitis bannum in solidos XV constituimus.
31. Si cuilibet homini sacramcntum debet aliquis, aframeat illum ad ecclesiam sacramenta ad diem statutum; et si iurare contempserit, fidem faciat, et solidos quindecim componat qui iactivus apparuit, et deinceps causam pleniter emendare faciat.
32. De peruriis, secundum legem Saxonorum sit.
33. Interdiximus ut omnes Saxones generaliter conventus publicos nec faciant, nisi forte missus noster de verbo nostro eos congregare fecerit; sed unusquisque comes in suo ministerio placita et iustitias faciat. Et hoc a sacerdotibus consideretur, ne aliter faciat.

Here is a document from the synod at Włocławek from the 14th century (perhaps early 15th century). The text is a set of interrogatories to be asked of witnesses brought before the synod. I only translated the pieces that made their way into Karl Meyer’s Fontes historiae religionis Slavicae. The text drew the attention first of Antoni Helcel, then of Władysław Abraham, then of Aleksander Brueckner and then, importantly, of Meyer. The Wisłocki list of Jagiellonian Library manuscripts also makes brief mention of the text. Of course, the pictures are courtesy of the same library. The English translation corresponds to the green portions of the full Latin text that follows. Note that some of the superstitions which are listed below (such as worshipping trees) were frequently listed in other religious texts throughout Europe so that their attestation in Poland is not certain. They may have been part of “standard” anti-paganim formulae trotted out by Christian religious writers. On the other hand, some of the other rites such at the specifically named amulets were, likely, at least under the name described below, unique to Poland or to Slav lands. 

Exhortatio Visitationis Synodalis Vladislaviensis

“[The following should be asked about in front of the synodal inquisition]…And too those who call on demons or believe in or worship more than one God the creator of everything or if they bow down or worship as Gods birds or trees or other creatures. And those too that are enchantresses and who are, for example, digging out herbs, attaching them as small amulets around [people’s] necks, which [the amulets] are commonly called nawęzły [or nawęzy], or on the hands of those people that they are examining, pouring wax [or] liquid lead, examining fire, water, birds and predicting the future from those… And those who have secret and suspect gatherings from which springs suspicion of the faith. And if baptized Jews or pagans relapse into the rites of the unbelievers.”

Fratres!

nos sumus missi per dominum nostrum Episcopum et eius capitulum omnibus sibi comissis in salutem; et est intencionis domini nostri predicti et suorum, peccata euellere et virtutes plantare in cordibus Christi fidelium. Et quia est opus misericordie et magnum apud Deum meritum proximum ab errore reuocare ut vir impius derelinquat viam et vir iniquus cogitaciones suas, ideo ne et vos qui vestra bona fama deferente magis honesti et senes estis deputati in ista parochia, ex aliqua criminis taciturnitate forte tamquam ex quodam consensu videamini peccata approbare, dicentes meram veritatem de qua interrogati fueritis de omnibus excessibus et peccatis que obuiant saluti animarum comissis hic in parrochia vel alibi ubicunque in isto Episcopatu que ad uos peruenerunt ex visu auditu vel fama vel quomodocunque, pro illo diuinam retribucionem expectaturi. Sed, quia testis qui veritatem quam nouit occultat et eciam is qui mendacium dicit reus est, primus quia prodesse non wlt, secundus quia nocere desiderat, sancti patres decreuerunt iuramenta esse exigenda ab hiis, qui ut testes interrogati veritatem dicere debent, ergo iurabitis sub hac forma et quiuis seorsum: Ego enim iuro ad sanctorum dei reliquias, quod quecunque noui aut audiui, que contra voluntatem dei et totam christianitatem in ista parrochia facta sunt, aut eciam in aliis vicinis parrochiis, quod ea nec propter parentelam nec propter amorem nec propter timorem nec propter precium nullatenus cellabo Episcopo meo aut eius misso seu missis sed interrogatus veritatem dicam quam scio, sic me deus adiuuat et iste sanctorum reliquie. Si vero viderint presentatos per parrochianos senes grandewos, honestos, bone fame tunc pretermisso iuramento nisi quod eis insinuetur qualiter deberent iurare si non essent tam honeste persone, sic ad inquisicionem procedatur:

Item an per negligenciam aliqui homines neglecti fuerint in sacramentorum percepcione maxime tempore infirmitatis vel mortis aut decesserint sine confessione aut sine baptismo et ex quorum negligentia hoc factum est. Item si aliqui plebani aut sacerdotes manifestauerint confessionem sibi confitentium verbo signo vel nutu vel quocunque alio modo. Item si aliqui sacerdotes missam celebraverunt aut celebrant horis canonicis pretermissis.

Item si qui plebani aligenos parochianos suscipiant ad missas in contemptum aliorum plebanorum et absque eorum licencia maxime in diebus dominicis et festivilatibus magnis aut sacramenta vel ad alia iura parochialia vel ad ecclesiasticam sepulturam.

Item si qui sacerdotes negligant celebrare populo saltem in festiuitatibus uel diebus dominicis aut aliis temporibus quibus de consuetudine fuerit celebrandum.

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