That names of former gods were invoked in Polish Christian ceremony and that various pre-Christian ceremonies and customs survived the Baptism of Poland, we know from many sources. Here are the 1408 statutes of the Cracow (& Sandomierz?) diocese. These statutes contain prohibitions dealing with practices such as sorcery/fortunetelling, invocations of pre-Christian Gods at Christian events (around the Pentacost again) and practices around Christmas (calends).
The source for these is a publication by Bolesław Ulanowski in the Archive of the Historical Commission volume 5 (as printed in Scriptores Rerum Polonicarum volume 13). The manuscript is in the collection of the Cracow Cathedral library and may perhaps one day be viewable here.
Part I
Of Fortune-Telling
“Also we prohibit, lest anyone or some damnably [should] presume to tell and assert fortune-telling and divinations; when [to] no one does this [behaviour] appear to be harmful but [rather] beneficial [and if they say that] it is not a sin, those who say that, err in the faith.”
(De sortilegiis. Item prohibemus, ne aliquis vel aliqua dampnabiliter presumat dicere et asserere sortilegia et divinaciones, quando nulli videntir esse in dampnum sed in profectum, non esse peccatum, quia hoc est dicere in fide errare.)
Part II
Of the Pagan Ritual Hitherto Preserved By Christians
“And, it is not without great contempt for the divine name that certain Christian cults presume to practice idolatry, especially at the time that the Holy Spirit with his gifts [asks]. Therefore, we prohibit pagan songs at the time of the Pentacost, in which the names of idols are invoked and venerated, but [with] all the strength of Christ’s faithful should be pointed out and excluded to diminish idolatry and to strengthen the Catholic faith being conducive to their welfare.”
(De ritu paganico hucusque seruato per christianos. Item non sine magno contemptu nominis divini aliqui specie christiani cultim ydolatrie presumunt exercere, presertim tempore quo spiritus sanctus cum suis donis est querendus. Ideo prohibemus, ne tempore Pentecosthen fiant cantus paganisci, in quibus ydola invocatur et venerantur, sed totis viribus populus Christi fidelis inducatur et arceatur ad dimittenda ydolatica et ad amplecantanda fidei katholice congrua et saluti eorum proficua facienda.)
Part III
Of the Carolling* Done By the Commoners
“Also at the instigation of the devil perverse men fell into the custom of walking among people before, during and after Christmas and at whatever other time [per columbacianem], where they would commit many murders, thefts and many other crimes. We therefore prohibit such things from happening in the future; and you should restrain your parishioners from the above.”
No fighting and everyone ends up at the manger – that’s the public version
(De columbacione per laicos exercenda etc. Item ex instinctu dyaboli et hominum peruersorum abusu uenit in consuetudinem aput laycos ante, citra et post festum Natiuitatis domini et quocunque alio tempore ambulare per columbacianem, ubi contiugunt multa homicidia, furta et alia plura crimina. Nos igitur prohibemus, ne de cetero talia fiant; et vos rectores animarum vestros subditos a predictis curetis cohibere.)
* These were the people walking around villages kalendae or calends (going back to the Latin “first of the month). See also: Welsh Calennig. These were very much like the English carolers. Earlier on the same topic we also have Bishop Nanker’s order against similar practices from 1323 entitled De columbacionis solucione.
More on similar happenings in Croatia here and here more on similar (but later – circa 1420) prohibitions from Greater Poland (the above presumably refer to practices around Cracow, i.e., in Little Poland).
Copyright ©2016 jassa.org All Rights Reserved