The bernardine texts of the Croatian middle ages

Abstract

When in the 13th century Croatian literature turned to the West for the source of its themes and motifs it was opened up to the influence of St Bernard of Clairvaux the great Cistemcian mystic. In the article the author describes the paths of dissemination of Bernard's works and ideas from France to Croatia, shows the significance of monastic communities (especially of the Cistercians, the Templars and the Franciscans) in mediating these works and ideas and lays down the cultural conditions enabling such a transfer (shools, printing houses, libraries and similar venues). However, of more importance than the preconditions and the context of the reception of the great mystic is the list of Bemardine texts which have been preserved, those ascribed to him (that is, are somehow related to him) or those that describe him and his life. All three types of texts have been preserved in Croatian, particularly in the Glagolitic literaure of die Middle Ages but but there were also Cyrilic and Latin texts written a long time ago. These texts can be found all over the entire Croatian territory. Some of them have not been published and are therefore not accessible to the wider public. Their publication ought to be one of the tasks of Croatian paleoslavistic studies. However, the most significant fact still remains that the most famous Medieval texts bear some connection with Bernard of Clairvaux: Prenje duse s tijelom (Controversy of soul and body) and the unique poem S(vi)t' se kon'ca (The World Ends). In addition, one of the most beautiful poetic expressions of Cistemcian mysticism, the hymn Jesu dulcis memoria, has also been preserved in a Croatian translation. Finally, Marko Marulić also had important and numerous connections to Bernard's works.