Dorottya Uhrin | Eötvös Loránd University (original) (raw)
Papers by Dorottya Uhrin
Annual of Medieval Studies at CEU, 2021
The second year of the research project was the continuation of the previously started fi eld sur... more The second year of the research project was the continuation of the previously started fi eld surveys, conference presentations, public lectures, and teaching. Members of the project team have published several articles, which widen the horizon of the research concerning the Mongol invasion and summarize earlier results. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has strongly affected earlier plans. We planned to continue the fi eld surveys with metal detectors and underwater archaeological research, as we had done in autumn 2019,2 but the emergency situation and the restrictions did not enable us to continue them. The longplanned and fully organized international conference in March was rescheduled to November as an online event.3 However, only one fi eld survey was conducted in August, when the Hungarian regulations and the weather allowed underwater archaeologists to carry out on-site research; the members of the project were forced to work in “home offi ce.” The ceramics that had been excavated earlier from the Hejőkeresztúr-Vizekköze archaeological site have been archaeometrically analyzed with a petrographic methodology; and the project members have published several articles, including a thematic issue of Hadtörténelmi Közlemények.
Hadtörténelmi Közlemények , 2020
Az angol nyelvű tartalomjegyzéket Kántás Balázs fordította. A Szerkesztőség kéziratot nem őriz me... more Az angol nyelvű tartalomjegyzéket Kántás Balázs fordította. A Szerkesztőség kéziratot nem őriz meg és nem küld vissza! HADTÖRTÉNELMI KÖZLEMÉNYEK A Hadtörténeti Intézet és Múzeum folyóirata Az MTA IX. Osztály Hadtudományi Bizottsága által "A" kategóriába sorolt, referált folyóirat Kiadja: a HM Hadtörténeti Intézet és Múzeum A kiadásért felel: a HM Hadtörténeti Intézet és Múzeum parancsnoka © Szerzők, fordítók, szerkesztők, HM Hadtörténeti Intézet és Múzeum, 2020 Szerkesztőség és kiadóhivatal: 1014 Budapest I., Kapisztrán tér 2-4.
ANNUAL OF MEDIEVAL STUDIES AT CEU, 2020
Studies on the Value of Cultural Heritage 21 IL CAPITALE CULTURALE , 2020
Saint Dorothy was highly popular in the fifteenth-century Hungary, however, she was almost unknow... more Saint Dorothy was highly popular in the fifteenth-century Hungary, however, she was almost unknown a hundred years earlier. This phenomenon is not unique and not limited only to this particular saint and territory. The fourteenth century seems to be the period when the cults and legends of virgin martyrs were rediscovered in Europe. How did their cult re-emerged in Central Europe? The present paper analyzes through the Hungarian cult of Saint Dorothy, which circumstances contributed to the proliferation of the cult of virgin martyrs with interdisciplinary method. For that I use all available materials: visual and written sources produced in medieval Hungary. My aim is to show how the general trends in the cult of saints contributed to the spread of Dorothy's veneration. Besides the growing importance of women, the general changes in the cult of saints facilitated the spread of the cult of virgin martyrs. The growing importance of images and sermons contributed to the spread of the old saints' cult, whose venerations were not connected to certain locations.
Művészettörténeti Értesítő, 2018
The present paper analyses the 13th-century mural paintings of Szalonna depicting the legend of S... more The present paper analyses the 13th-century mural paintings of Szalonna depicting the legend of Saint Margaret on the basis of insciptions and written versions of the legend. The representations in Szalonna together with the frescoes of Süvete (today Šivetice, Slovakia) constitute the earliest depictions of the saint in Hungary.
The Calvinist Church of Szalonna was formed with the expansion of a round church in the second half of the 13th century. The fragmented legend of Saint Margaret is situated on the southern wall of the round church which was used as its sanctuary. The legend was depicted before the rebuilding of the church in the 13th century. The mural paintings were found in 1922 and renovated in 1951 and 1972. The art historical literature is aware of the mural paintings and has formed a negative opinion about their quality, style, and the iconographical knowledge of the painter. According to the literature, some of the scenes were borrowed from either the legend of Saint Dorothy or the legend of the Virgin Mary, while other scenes could not be identified.
The present paper shows that the scene which was believed to be borrowed from the legend of Saint Dorothy was actually part of the legend of Margaret. The inscription of the scene was misinterpreted earlier; it was read as Teofi[l] instead of Teoti[mus]. With the help of this and an inscription (Malhu[s]) from another scene of the legend, it could be identified that the depiction of the legend is based on the passio a Theotimo, an early ver-sion of Saint Margaret’s legend. The scenes closely adhere to the written version, which sheds light on the fact that almost half or one third of the representation of Szalonna have been lost. This is evident because the scenes start with the appearance of the devil in the form of a man. It would worthwhile to carefully scrutinize the inscriptions of the Hungar-ian frescoes and compare them to different written versions of the legends of saints, be-cause they can reveal novelties.
Írások a Pray-kódexről, 2019
In this article I analyze the late medieval versions of the legend of Saint Katherine. My focus i... more In this article I analyze the late medieval versions of the legend of Saint Katherine. My focus is on the birth and conversion of the saint. Th e basis of my work is the article of Alfons Hilka, in which he grouped the diff erent versions of the legend. The late medieval Hungarian written versions of the legend of Saint Katherine belong to the so-called Group I. The main difference between them and the other legends of the Group I, is that the Hungarian legends call the astrologer of the legend Alphorabius instead of Alphorius, Alponcius or Macrobius. Alphorabius was a real person, but he was not an astrologer. In my paper, I argue, that naming the astrologer of the legend Alphorabius derives from Pelbartus de Th emeswara. Some of his sermons deal with astrology, the main source for which was Vincent of Beauvais. Th e Speculum Maius of Vincent names Alphorabius an astrologer. Thus, I think, Pelbartus hyper-corrected the name Alphorius to Alphorabius. Moreover, I turn to art historical sources in my article. I mainly focus on the panel painting of Bát, which represents the conversion of Saint Katherine. I argue that the panel painting of Bát represents the version of the legend of Katherine which was marked as Group III by Hilka. In the painting, Saint Katherine holds a mirror, a depiction which can be found literally in this version of the legend.
Hatalom, adó, jog. Gazdaságtörténeti tanulmányok a magyar középkorról. Ed. Boglárka Weisz and István Kádas, 2017
The present study focuses on the appearance of the cult of Saint Margaret of Antioch in medieval ... more The present study focuses on the appearance of the cult of Saint Margaret of Antioch in medieval Hungary. Duke Álmos, the brother of King Coloman (1095–1116), founded a monastery at Meszes and a collegiate chapter at Dömös in honour of the saint. Earlier literature has argued that the cult of Saint Margaret already existed in the eleventh century, and used this to explain the church foundations of Duke Álmos, even though analysis of the sources revealed that the veneration of Saint Margaret cannot be proved before the very end of the eleventh century. The name of the saint might have been known to clerics earlier, but the first trace of her veneration in Hungary is the foundations of Duke Álmos. The monastery of Meszes likely was located in his duchy, and thus Álmos must have founded it before King Coloman stripped him of his duchy. This means that he most likely founded it at the very end of the eleventh century. Then Álmos founded a collegiate chapter dedicated to St Margaret in Dömös, the centre of his new territory. The chapter was consecrated in 1108, and thus construction started in the first years of the twelfth century. Imre Orbán argued that Álmos chose Saint Margaret as patron saint because the legend of the saint (i.e. Margaret defeating the dragon) symbolized his struggle against the incompetent ruler (Coloman). This idea might have been inspired from the Chronicon Pictum, which describes Coloman as malformed, though that part of the chronicle is not reliable. Moreover, the legend of Margaret centres upon the confrontation of Christianity with Paganism, rather than her fight with the dragon. While exploring those topics, the present study sheds light on the provenience and the dating of the Saint Margaret Sacramentary, the earliest liturgical book of Hungary. The codex was certainly made for a Benedictine monastery which was dedicated to Margaret. The Hungarian dynastic saints’ cults stand out in the codex which might connect it to the royal family. Consequently, the Sacramentary perhaps was made for the Benedictines of Meszes, but eventually was used in the chapter of Dömös.
Mortun falu. 800 éves Kunszentmárton. 1215-2015
The popularity of female saints increased from the 12–13th century, because women played a greate... more The popularity of female saints increased from the 12–13th century, because women played a greater role in religious life from that period. The early medieval negative image of Eve’s daughter had changed for the High Middle Ages, in which, the cult of early medieval female saints played important role. One of the main models of female sanctity was the late antique martyrs in the High Middle Ages. The heroes of the virgin martyrs’ legends represented the ideal Christian women: they were young, beautiful, chaste and noble. The only difference between the virgin martyrs and the medieval noble nuns was the opportunity to prove one’s love for Christ by martyrdom. The main reason behind the described brutal torments and the humiliations in the legends, was to demonstrate that although the females are “the weaker sex”, through the force of their faith and their spirit, they are equal members of the community of saints. The increasing popularity of the virgin martyrs was parallel with the female religious movement, because the virgin martyrs served as models to pious women who wanted to reach sanctity.
The aim of this article is to survey the cult of St Katherine of Alexandria in towns of medieval ... more The aim of this article is to survey the cult of St Katherine of Alexandria in towns of medieval Upper Hungary (today mostly in Slovakia). In the first part, I briefly summarize the origin of the veneration of St Katherine and the beginning of her cult in Hungary. The geographical scope of my own research is the Upper Hungarian region, mainly the towns. The veneration of St Katherine has left most traces in the towns settled by Germans. Some of her earliest churches were established by families of German origin in the thirteenth century. Interestingly, St Katherine’s cult became significant in several mining towns, presumably from the fourteenth century, and her popularity there suggests that she might have been venerated as a miners’ saint (together with St Barbara). The heyday of Katherine’s cult was the late Middle Ages, when her veneration spread to other towns: confraternities and altars were dedicated to her honor and her life was depicted on several altarpieces.
Micae Mediaevales V., 2016
The aim of this essay is to demonstrate Saint Katherine’s role as a royal patron. Katherine’s roy... more The aim of this essay is to demonstrate Saint Katherine’s role as a royal patron. Katherine’s royal ancestry was emphasised in her legend which appeared in her cult. The members of royal circles easily identified themselves with Katherine because of her noble status. Moreover, Katherine with the other virgin martyrs became a role model for pious women in accordance with the flourishing of female religious movements in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. The legend writers who described the saint princesses of the Árpádian dynasty regarded Katherine as one of the princesses’ figurative and even literal models. According to the Legend of Cunegond of Poland (the daughter of Béla IV), the princess descended from the lineage of Saint Katherine. Saint Margaret, who was another saint daughter of Béla IV, longed for martyrdom. She wanted to live in the age of Christian persecution and to suffer like the virgin martyrs. The image of Katherine depicted the perfect Christian woman. Robert the Wise, in his sermons, compared Saint Elizabeth of Hungary to Saint Katherine; she was called to altera filiis regia. Katherine’s royal or noble status became a significant element of her legend from the twelfth century.
Katherine was also a role model for men because of the erudition which she had demonstrated while she ruled. According to the Hungarian thirteenth-century collection of sermons, the Sermones compilati “Katherine governed her kingdom as a man.” The amount of historical sources in Hungary increased from the fourteenth century (the era of the Angevin dynasty, 1308–1382), and one can track more dedications to Saint Katherine – churches, chapels and altars. However, many of these dedications might have had Árpádian antecedents. The two Angevin kings, Charles I and Louis the Great, played an important role in the promotion of the virgin martyrs – as they might have had personal connections to Katherine. The saint’s legend was represented in the Hungarian Angevin Legendary. In the initial picture found in the Chronicon Pictum, Louis and his wife pray to Katherine, and Louis’s royal funerary chapel was dedicated to her.
Of course, medieval rulers were more likely promote the cult of dynastic saints than those of late antique martyrs whose primary relics were rare in medieval Europe. Nevertheless the cult of Saint Katherine had spread widely from the High Middle Ages. She was believed to be exceptional even among other saints because of her efficacious intercessory power. The nobles and royals easily identified themselves with her because of Katherine’s royal background and her wisdom.
This essay aims to introduce and analyse a less known source called Historia Tartarorum (in Engli... more This essay aims to introduce and analyse a less known source called Historia Tartarorum (in English Tartar Relation) written by C. de Bridia, a Franciscan friar, in July 1247. This text based on Carpini’s work. According to Carpini, the new source is important because its text contains some tribal names in Mongolian language. This is remarkable because it might shed some light on the Mongolian pronunciation in the 13th century. The source writes about the dog-tribe and the dog-headed, cow-footed men. It should be noted that these descriptions located these weird tribes to the edges of the known world. Based on the analysed caputs it can be concluded these tribe-descriptions were not just part of the European imagination, but they were spread across the word. Although the idea of the dogheaded men origins from the Antiquity, probably these ideas existed among the Mongols as well as we saw in the description of Bridia who gave the name of this tribe correctly in Mongolian language. Probably the origins of these imaginations were the dog ancestors of nomads, an image that spread in Europe through Herodotus. The Chinese had direct connection with the nomads so they may have known about their myths. However they got to know a distorted version in which the humans had dog-heads or the humans have the forms of dogs. Maybe the Mongols heard back this wide-spread myth and that is the reason why the Altan Tobči writes about the Land of the Dogs.
Acta Mongolica vol. 14., 2013
This essay aims to introduce and analyse a less known source called Historia Tartarorum (in Engli... more This essay aims to introduce and analyse a less known source called Historia Tartarorum (in English Tartar Relation) written by C. de Bridia, a fransiscan friar, in July 1247. This text based on Carpini’s work. According to Carpini, the new source is important because its text contains some tribal names in Mongolian. This is remarkable because it might shed some light on the Mongolian pronunciation in the 13th century.
It should be noted that these descriptions located these tribes to the edges of the known world. Based on this caputs it can be concluded these descriptions were not just part of the European imagination, but they were spread across the word. Although the idea of the dog-headed men origins from the Antiquity, probably these ideas existed among the Mongols as well as we saw in the description of Bridia who gave the name of this tribe correctly in in classical Mongolian. Probably the origins of these imaginations were the dog ancestors of nomads, an image that spread in Europe through Herodotus. The Chinese had direct connection with the nomads so they may have known about their myths However they got to know a distorted version in which the humans had dog-heads or the humans have the forms of dogs. Maybe the Mongols heard back this wide-spread myth and that is the reason why the Altan Tobči writes about the Land of the Dogs.
Accusations of Maleficium and Veneficium in the Várad Register In Hungary – like all over Eur... more Accusations of Maleficium and Veneficium in the Várad Register
In Hungary – like all over Europe – people believed in the effectiveness of ordeals. However, in the Várad Register the number of those who were convicted by ordeal was low. To explain this, Peter Brown’s theory might help: according to him, ordeals were either only an act on the community's part and behind the scenes they had already decided the outcome of the litigation, or the purpose of the whole ceremony was to make the parties come to an agreement so they would not stir up the social order.
The maleficium and the veneficium – in most of the cases – were directed against women. In several cases these women were elderly and/or widows, thus more defenceless. Moreover, most of the litigants were neighbours or knew each other well. This suggests that they might have wanted to acquire the respondent’s estate through the ordeal. On many occasions the reason behind the lawsuit was the land. This was caused by the economic transformation of the 13th century which also resulted in social change. The most common motivation of the accusations was envy. In Hungary, there were ordeals even after 1215 (when the legislation started to take measures against them), but the number of ordeals was significantly reduced after the social changes caused by the Golden Bull.
Conference Presentations by Dorottya Uhrin
Az Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem Bölcsészettudományi Kar Történelemtudományok Doktori Iskola Közé... more Az Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem Bölcsészettudományi Kar
Történelemtudományok Doktori Iskola Középkori Magyar Történeti, Történelem Segédtudományai és Középkori és Kora Újkori Egyetemes Történeti Programja tisztelettel meghívja a
Középkorral foglalkozó doktoranduszok konferenciájára
A konferencia helye és ideje:
ELTE BTK Történeti Intézet, Szekfű Gyula Könyvtár
1088 Múzeum krt. 6-8. I. em. 115.
2016. május 19–20.
Call for papers/ Konferenciafelhívás by Dorottya Uhrin
Az Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem Bölcsészettudományi Kar Történelemtudományok Doktori Iskola Közé... more Az Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem Bölcsészettudományi Kar Történelemtudományok Doktori Iskola Középkori Magyar Történeti, Történelem Segédtudományai és Középkori és Kora Újkori Egyetemes Történeti Doktori Programja 2016. május 19-20-án konferenciát szervez középkorral foglalkozó doktoranduszok és doktorjelöltek számára. A konferencia 20 perces előadási lehetőséget biztosít, amit 10 perces vita követ. Kérjük, hogy az érdeklődők az előadási szándékukat 2016. március 1-ig jelezzék a tervezett előadás címével és egy legfeljebb 200 szavas összefoglaló elküldésével az eltephdkonf.kozepkor@gmail.com e-mail címre. A konferencia szervezői a beküldött összefoglalók figyelembevételével hívják meg a konferencia előadóit, amelyről az érintettek legkésőbb 2016. március 15-ig kapnak értesítést. A korábbi évek gyakorlatát követve a szervezők a konferencián elhangzó előadások publikálását tervezik. A kéziratok leadásának határideje 2016. augusztus 31. A konferencia tervezett helyszíne Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem Bölcsészettudományi Kara (1088 Budapest, Múzeum krt. 6-8.).
Annual of Medieval Studies at CEU, 2021
The second year of the research project was the continuation of the previously started fi eld sur... more The second year of the research project was the continuation of the previously started fi eld surveys, conference presentations, public lectures, and teaching. Members of the project team have published several articles, which widen the horizon of the research concerning the Mongol invasion and summarize earlier results. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has strongly affected earlier plans. We planned to continue the fi eld surveys with metal detectors and underwater archaeological research, as we had done in autumn 2019,2 but the emergency situation and the restrictions did not enable us to continue them. The longplanned and fully organized international conference in March was rescheduled to November as an online event.3 However, only one fi eld survey was conducted in August, when the Hungarian regulations and the weather allowed underwater archaeologists to carry out on-site research; the members of the project were forced to work in “home offi ce.” The ceramics that had been excavated earlier from the Hejőkeresztúr-Vizekköze archaeological site have been archaeometrically analyzed with a petrographic methodology; and the project members have published several articles, including a thematic issue of Hadtörténelmi Közlemények.
Hadtörténelmi Közlemények , 2020
Az angol nyelvű tartalomjegyzéket Kántás Balázs fordította. A Szerkesztőség kéziratot nem őriz me... more Az angol nyelvű tartalomjegyzéket Kántás Balázs fordította. A Szerkesztőség kéziratot nem őriz meg és nem küld vissza! HADTÖRTÉNELMI KÖZLEMÉNYEK A Hadtörténeti Intézet és Múzeum folyóirata Az MTA IX. Osztály Hadtudományi Bizottsága által "A" kategóriába sorolt, referált folyóirat Kiadja: a HM Hadtörténeti Intézet és Múzeum A kiadásért felel: a HM Hadtörténeti Intézet és Múzeum parancsnoka © Szerzők, fordítók, szerkesztők, HM Hadtörténeti Intézet és Múzeum, 2020 Szerkesztőség és kiadóhivatal: 1014 Budapest I., Kapisztrán tér 2-4.
ANNUAL OF MEDIEVAL STUDIES AT CEU, 2020
Studies on the Value of Cultural Heritage 21 IL CAPITALE CULTURALE , 2020
Saint Dorothy was highly popular in the fifteenth-century Hungary, however, she was almost unknow... more Saint Dorothy was highly popular in the fifteenth-century Hungary, however, she was almost unknown a hundred years earlier. This phenomenon is not unique and not limited only to this particular saint and territory. The fourteenth century seems to be the period when the cults and legends of virgin martyrs were rediscovered in Europe. How did their cult re-emerged in Central Europe? The present paper analyzes through the Hungarian cult of Saint Dorothy, which circumstances contributed to the proliferation of the cult of virgin martyrs with interdisciplinary method. For that I use all available materials: visual and written sources produced in medieval Hungary. My aim is to show how the general trends in the cult of saints contributed to the spread of Dorothy's veneration. Besides the growing importance of women, the general changes in the cult of saints facilitated the spread of the cult of virgin martyrs. The growing importance of images and sermons contributed to the spread of the old saints' cult, whose venerations were not connected to certain locations.
Művészettörténeti Értesítő, 2018
The present paper analyses the 13th-century mural paintings of Szalonna depicting the legend of S... more The present paper analyses the 13th-century mural paintings of Szalonna depicting the legend of Saint Margaret on the basis of insciptions and written versions of the legend. The representations in Szalonna together with the frescoes of Süvete (today Šivetice, Slovakia) constitute the earliest depictions of the saint in Hungary.
The Calvinist Church of Szalonna was formed with the expansion of a round church in the second half of the 13th century. The fragmented legend of Saint Margaret is situated on the southern wall of the round church which was used as its sanctuary. The legend was depicted before the rebuilding of the church in the 13th century. The mural paintings were found in 1922 and renovated in 1951 and 1972. The art historical literature is aware of the mural paintings and has formed a negative opinion about their quality, style, and the iconographical knowledge of the painter. According to the literature, some of the scenes were borrowed from either the legend of Saint Dorothy or the legend of the Virgin Mary, while other scenes could not be identified.
The present paper shows that the scene which was believed to be borrowed from the legend of Saint Dorothy was actually part of the legend of Margaret. The inscription of the scene was misinterpreted earlier; it was read as Teofi[l] instead of Teoti[mus]. With the help of this and an inscription (Malhu[s]) from another scene of the legend, it could be identified that the depiction of the legend is based on the passio a Theotimo, an early ver-sion of Saint Margaret’s legend. The scenes closely adhere to the written version, which sheds light on the fact that almost half or one third of the representation of Szalonna have been lost. This is evident because the scenes start with the appearance of the devil in the form of a man. It would worthwhile to carefully scrutinize the inscriptions of the Hungar-ian frescoes and compare them to different written versions of the legends of saints, be-cause they can reveal novelties.
Írások a Pray-kódexről, 2019
In this article I analyze the late medieval versions of the legend of Saint Katherine. My focus i... more In this article I analyze the late medieval versions of the legend of Saint Katherine. My focus is on the birth and conversion of the saint. Th e basis of my work is the article of Alfons Hilka, in which he grouped the diff erent versions of the legend. The late medieval Hungarian written versions of the legend of Saint Katherine belong to the so-called Group I. The main difference between them and the other legends of the Group I, is that the Hungarian legends call the astrologer of the legend Alphorabius instead of Alphorius, Alponcius or Macrobius. Alphorabius was a real person, but he was not an astrologer. In my paper, I argue, that naming the astrologer of the legend Alphorabius derives from Pelbartus de Th emeswara. Some of his sermons deal with astrology, the main source for which was Vincent of Beauvais. Th e Speculum Maius of Vincent names Alphorabius an astrologer. Thus, I think, Pelbartus hyper-corrected the name Alphorius to Alphorabius. Moreover, I turn to art historical sources in my article. I mainly focus on the panel painting of Bát, which represents the conversion of Saint Katherine. I argue that the panel painting of Bát represents the version of the legend of Katherine which was marked as Group III by Hilka. In the painting, Saint Katherine holds a mirror, a depiction which can be found literally in this version of the legend.
Hatalom, adó, jog. Gazdaságtörténeti tanulmányok a magyar középkorról. Ed. Boglárka Weisz and István Kádas, 2017
The present study focuses on the appearance of the cult of Saint Margaret of Antioch in medieval ... more The present study focuses on the appearance of the cult of Saint Margaret of Antioch in medieval Hungary. Duke Álmos, the brother of King Coloman (1095–1116), founded a monastery at Meszes and a collegiate chapter at Dömös in honour of the saint. Earlier literature has argued that the cult of Saint Margaret already existed in the eleventh century, and used this to explain the church foundations of Duke Álmos, even though analysis of the sources revealed that the veneration of Saint Margaret cannot be proved before the very end of the eleventh century. The name of the saint might have been known to clerics earlier, but the first trace of her veneration in Hungary is the foundations of Duke Álmos. The monastery of Meszes likely was located in his duchy, and thus Álmos must have founded it before King Coloman stripped him of his duchy. This means that he most likely founded it at the very end of the eleventh century. Then Álmos founded a collegiate chapter dedicated to St Margaret in Dömös, the centre of his new territory. The chapter was consecrated in 1108, and thus construction started in the first years of the twelfth century. Imre Orbán argued that Álmos chose Saint Margaret as patron saint because the legend of the saint (i.e. Margaret defeating the dragon) symbolized his struggle against the incompetent ruler (Coloman). This idea might have been inspired from the Chronicon Pictum, which describes Coloman as malformed, though that part of the chronicle is not reliable. Moreover, the legend of Margaret centres upon the confrontation of Christianity with Paganism, rather than her fight with the dragon. While exploring those topics, the present study sheds light on the provenience and the dating of the Saint Margaret Sacramentary, the earliest liturgical book of Hungary. The codex was certainly made for a Benedictine monastery which was dedicated to Margaret. The Hungarian dynastic saints’ cults stand out in the codex which might connect it to the royal family. Consequently, the Sacramentary perhaps was made for the Benedictines of Meszes, but eventually was used in the chapter of Dömös.
Mortun falu. 800 éves Kunszentmárton. 1215-2015
The popularity of female saints increased from the 12–13th century, because women played a greate... more The popularity of female saints increased from the 12–13th century, because women played a greater role in religious life from that period. The early medieval negative image of Eve’s daughter had changed for the High Middle Ages, in which, the cult of early medieval female saints played important role. One of the main models of female sanctity was the late antique martyrs in the High Middle Ages. The heroes of the virgin martyrs’ legends represented the ideal Christian women: they were young, beautiful, chaste and noble. The only difference between the virgin martyrs and the medieval noble nuns was the opportunity to prove one’s love for Christ by martyrdom. The main reason behind the described brutal torments and the humiliations in the legends, was to demonstrate that although the females are “the weaker sex”, through the force of their faith and their spirit, they are equal members of the community of saints. The increasing popularity of the virgin martyrs was parallel with the female religious movement, because the virgin martyrs served as models to pious women who wanted to reach sanctity.
The aim of this article is to survey the cult of St Katherine of Alexandria in towns of medieval ... more The aim of this article is to survey the cult of St Katherine of Alexandria in towns of medieval Upper Hungary (today mostly in Slovakia). In the first part, I briefly summarize the origin of the veneration of St Katherine and the beginning of her cult in Hungary. The geographical scope of my own research is the Upper Hungarian region, mainly the towns. The veneration of St Katherine has left most traces in the towns settled by Germans. Some of her earliest churches were established by families of German origin in the thirteenth century. Interestingly, St Katherine’s cult became significant in several mining towns, presumably from the fourteenth century, and her popularity there suggests that she might have been venerated as a miners’ saint (together with St Barbara). The heyday of Katherine’s cult was the late Middle Ages, when her veneration spread to other towns: confraternities and altars were dedicated to her honor and her life was depicted on several altarpieces.
Micae Mediaevales V., 2016
The aim of this essay is to demonstrate Saint Katherine’s role as a royal patron. Katherine’s roy... more The aim of this essay is to demonstrate Saint Katherine’s role as a royal patron. Katherine’s royal ancestry was emphasised in her legend which appeared in her cult. The members of royal circles easily identified themselves with Katherine because of her noble status. Moreover, Katherine with the other virgin martyrs became a role model for pious women in accordance with the flourishing of female religious movements in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. The legend writers who described the saint princesses of the Árpádian dynasty regarded Katherine as one of the princesses’ figurative and even literal models. According to the Legend of Cunegond of Poland (the daughter of Béla IV), the princess descended from the lineage of Saint Katherine. Saint Margaret, who was another saint daughter of Béla IV, longed for martyrdom. She wanted to live in the age of Christian persecution and to suffer like the virgin martyrs. The image of Katherine depicted the perfect Christian woman. Robert the Wise, in his sermons, compared Saint Elizabeth of Hungary to Saint Katherine; she was called to altera filiis regia. Katherine’s royal or noble status became a significant element of her legend from the twelfth century.
Katherine was also a role model for men because of the erudition which she had demonstrated while she ruled. According to the Hungarian thirteenth-century collection of sermons, the Sermones compilati “Katherine governed her kingdom as a man.” The amount of historical sources in Hungary increased from the fourteenth century (the era of the Angevin dynasty, 1308–1382), and one can track more dedications to Saint Katherine – churches, chapels and altars. However, many of these dedications might have had Árpádian antecedents. The two Angevin kings, Charles I and Louis the Great, played an important role in the promotion of the virgin martyrs – as they might have had personal connections to Katherine. The saint’s legend was represented in the Hungarian Angevin Legendary. In the initial picture found in the Chronicon Pictum, Louis and his wife pray to Katherine, and Louis’s royal funerary chapel was dedicated to her.
Of course, medieval rulers were more likely promote the cult of dynastic saints than those of late antique martyrs whose primary relics were rare in medieval Europe. Nevertheless the cult of Saint Katherine had spread widely from the High Middle Ages. She was believed to be exceptional even among other saints because of her efficacious intercessory power. The nobles and royals easily identified themselves with her because of Katherine’s royal background and her wisdom.
This essay aims to introduce and analyse a less known source called Historia Tartarorum (in Engli... more This essay aims to introduce and analyse a less known source called Historia Tartarorum (in English Tartar Relation) written by C. de Bridia, a Franciscan friar, in July 1247. This text based on Carpini’s work. According to Carpini, the new source is important because its text contains some tribal names in Mongolian language. This is remarkable because it might shed some light on the Mongolian pronunciation in the 13th century. The source writes about the dog-tribe and the dog-headed, cow-footed men. It should be noted that these descriptions located these weird tribes to the edges of the known world. Based on the analysed caputs it can be concluded these tribe-descriptions were not just part of the European imagination, but they were spread across the word. Although the idea of the dogheaded men origins from the Antiquity, probably these ideas existed among the Mongols as well as we saw in the description of Bridia who gave the name of this tribe correctly in Mongolian language. Probably the origins of these imaginations were the dog ancestors of nomads, an image that spread in Europe through Herodotus. The Chinese had direct connection with the nomads so they may have known about their myths. However they got to know a distorted version in which the humans had dog-heads or the humans have the forms of dogs. Maybe the Mongols heard back this wide-spread myth and that is the reason why the Altan Tobči writes about the Land of the Dogs.
Acta Mongolica vol. 14., 2013
This essay aims to introduce and analyse a less known source called Historia Tartarorum (in Engli... more This essay aims to introduce and analyse a less known source called Historia Tartarorum (in English Tartar Relation) written by C. de Bridia, a fransiscan friar, in July 1247. This text based on Carpini’s work. According to Carpini, the new source is important because its text contains some tribal names in Mongolian. This is remarkable because it might shed some light on the Mongolian pronunciation in the 13th century.
It should be noted that these descriptions located these tribes to the edges of the known world. Based on this caputs it can be concluded these descriptions were not just part of the European imagination, but they were spread across the word. Although the idea of the dog-headed men origins from the Antiquity, probably these ideas existed among the Mongols as well as we saw in the description of Bridia who gave the name of this tribe correctly in in classical Mongolian. Probably the origins of these imaginations were the dog ancestors of nomads, an image that spread in Europe through Herodotus. The Chinese had direct connection with the nomads so they may have known about their myths However they got to know a distorted version in which the humans had dog-heads or the humans have the forms of dogs. Maybe the Mongols heard back this wide-spread myth and that is the reason why the Altan Tobči writes about the Land of the Dogs.
Accusations of Maleficium and Veneficium in the Várad Register In Hungary – like all over Eur... more Accusations of Maleficium and Veneficium in the Várad Register
In Hungary – like all over Europe – people believed in the effectiveness of ordeals. However, in the Várad Register the number of those who were convicted by ordeal was low. To explain this, Peter Brown’s theory might help: according to him, ordeals were either only an act on the community's part and behind the scenes they had already decided the outcome of the litigation, or the purpose of the whole ceremony was to make the parties come to an agreement so they would not stir up the social order.
The maleficium and the veneficium – in most of the cases – were directed against women. In several cases these women were elderly and/or widows, thus more defenceless. Moreover, most of the litigants were neighbours or knew each other well. This suggests that they might have wanted to acquire the respondent’s estate through the ordeal. On many occasions the reason behind the lawsuit was the land. This was caused by the economic transformation of the 13th century which also resulted in social change. The most common motivation of the accusations was envy. In Hungary, there were ordeals even after 1215 (when the legislation started to take measures against them), but the number of ordeals was significantly reduced after the social changes caused by the Golden Bull.
Az Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem Bölcsészettudományi Kar Történelemtudományok Doktori Iskola Közé... more Az Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem Bölcsészettudományi Kar
Történelemtudományok Doktori Iskola Középkori Magyar Történeti, Történelem Segédtudományai és Középkori és Kora Újkori Egyetemes Történeti Programja tisztelettel meghívja a
Középkorral foglalkozó doktoranduszok konferenciájára
A konferencia helye és ideje:
ELTE BTK Történeti Intézet, Szekfű Gyula Könyvtár
1088 Múzeum krt. 6-8. I. em. 115.
2016. május 19–20.
Az Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem Bölcsészettudományi Kar Történelemtudományok Doktori Iskola Közé... more Az Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem Bölcsészettudományi Kar Történelemtudományok Doktori Iskola Középkori Magyar Történeti, Történelem Segédtudományai és Középkori és Kora Újkori Egyetemes Történeti Doktori Programja 2016. május 19-20-án konferenciát szervez középkorral foglalkozó doktoranduszok és doktorjelöltek számára. A konferencia 20 perces előadási lehetőséget biztosít, amit 10 perces vita követ. Kérjük, hogy az érdeklődők az előadási szándékukat 2016. március 1-ig jelezzék a tervezett előadás címével és egy legfeljebb 200 szavas összefoglaló elküldésével az eltephdkonf.kozepkor@gmail.com e-mail címre. A konferencia szervezői a beküldött összefoglalók figyelembevételével hívják meg a konferencia előadóit, amelyről az érintettek legkésőbb 2016. március 15-ig kapnak értesítést. A korábbi évek gyakorlatát követve a szervezők a konferencián elhangzó előadások publikálását tervezik. A kéziratok leadásának határideje 2016. augusztus 31. A konferencia tervezett helyszíne Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem Bölcsészettudományi Kara (1088 Budapest, Múzeum krt. 6-8.).
Programja 2015. május 21-22-én konferenciát szervez középkorral foglalkozó doktoranduszok és dokt... more Programja 2015. május 21-22-én konferenciát szervez középkorral foglalkozó doktoranduszok és doktorjelöltek számára. A konferencia 20 perces előadási lehetőséget biztosít, amit 10 perces vita követ. Kérjük, hogy az érdeklődők az előadási szándékukat 2015. március 9-ig jelezzék a tervezett előadás címével és egy legfeljebb 200 szavas összefoglaló elküldésével a phd.elte15@gmail.com e-mail címre. A konferencia szervezői a beküldött összefoglalók figyelembevételével hívják meg a konferencia előadóit, amelyről az érintettek legkésőbb 2015. március 23-ig kapnak értesítést. A korábbi évek gyakorlatát követve a szervezők a konferencián elhangzó előadások publikálását tervezik. A kéziratok leadásának határideje 2015. augusztus 31. A konferencia tervezett helyszíne Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem Bölcsészettudományi Kara (1088 Budapest, Múzeum krt. 6-8.).
The present thesis discusses Saint Dorothy’s cult in medieval Hungary. How did the cult arrive? W... more The present thesis discusses Saint Dorothy’s cult in medieval Hungary. How did the cult arrive? Who were the promoters? What were the main features of the cult?
The first two chapters provide the historical circumstances of the formation of virgin martyrs’ cult and the emergence of Saint Dorothy’s cult in Europe. Saint Dorothy was a young virgin, who during the reign of Emperor Diocletian suffered martyrdom in Cappadocia in the Late Antiquity. Legends were produced about her life from the early Middle Ages, however, only from the mid-fourteenth century did she become popular in various European regions, including Italy and Germany. She was particularly popular in German-speaking territories.
The third chapter presents the arrival of Saint Dorothy’s cult in Hungary and shows that she was unknown in the Árpádian period. It seems that the cult emerged during the Angevin era. Her veneration became widespread only from the 1360s. Probably Dorothy’s cult connected to clerics from Poland, who arrived in the entourage of Queen Elizabeth Piast, wife of Charles I. Other traces suggest German origin, since her cult was mostly popular in the German-speaking territories of Hungary. The two origins do not exclude each other, because the Polish towns were also frequently populated by Germans. Dorothy’s veneration centered in Szepesség in Hungary, where an extensive fresco cycle commemorates her suffering.
The fifteenth and sixteenth-century textual and pictorial representations emphasize the importance of Dorothy’s intercessory power. Besides her imago, the most frequent depiction was her rose miracle. On late medieval altarpieces she accompanied Virgin Mary with other virgins, which refers to her status as sponsa Christi and to her intimate relationship with the mother of Christ. Interestingly, hospitals were also dedicated to Saint Dorothy (usually she was a co-patron), which might have derived from the fact that she promised that she would help to rescue people from poverty.
The cult of Saint Katherine of Alexandria was wide-spread in Europe from the eleventh century. On... more The cult of Saint Katherine of Alexandria was wide-spread in Europe from the eleventh century. One of the continental centers of her veneration was Rouen because it was a legend that her relics was brought there. People came to her shrine to experience her power to intercede and work miracles. In other parts of Europe, we can hardly find any primary relics of Katherine, thus it is difficult to point out a central place in the countries where she was venerated. Subsequently, her cult in Hungary can be compared to her early English and Byzantine veneration because there her veneration manifested mostly in liturgy and arts.
The first evidence of Katherine’s veneration in medieval Hungary can be traced back to the end of the twelfth century [Pray codex (1192–1195)]. This is a century later compared to her cult in Europe’s other parts. In the thirteenth century several monasteries were dedicated to her. In the first foundations the role of the mendicant orders was significant. They supported the female religious movements and promoted the cult of woman saints. The Hungarian king, Andrew II (1205–1235), from his campaign to the Holy Land bought the skull of St Margaret of Antioch. This helped the spread of the cult of the Virgines Capitales. The first promoters of the virgin martyrs might have been the German hospeses since the cult of Katherine can be detected mainly in German-habited places. Simultaneously, the cult of the Fourteen Holy Helper was also spread by the German hospeses in Hungary.
From the fourteenth century (the era of the Angevin dynasty) the amount of the sources increases, and we can find much more dedications to Saint Katherine – churches, chapels and altars. However, many of the dedications might have had Árpádian antecedents. Two Angevin kings, Charles I and Louis the Great, played an important role in the promotion of the virgin martyrs – as they might have had personal connection to Katherine. Both of them had their dauphins in their older ages, and – as we can see on the first initial picture of the Cronica Picta – Louis and his wife begged to Katherine to have a child. European analogies prove that the kings preferred to choose Katherine as a patron saint partly because she also had royal background.
The first Hungarian written source of Katherine’s legend is dated back to the end of the thirteenth century, beginning of fourteenth century. The Sermones compilati in studio generali Quinqueecclesiensi in regno Ungariae contains three sermons about Katherine. These sermons emphasize the importance of chastity and science, presenting Katherine as an example. Art historical sources prove that the conversion story in her legend was known in Hungary from the fourteenth century. In the fifteenth century the Franciscan Pelbartus de Temesvár published her legend with his sermons. This became the basic source for the later legends in the Érdy-codex, the Érsekújvári-codex and the Debreceni-codex.
The cult of Saint Katherine became popular in the towns in the fifteenth century but it spread more widely from just the beginning of the sixteenth century. She was the patron saint of the miners, thus her cult can be found in mining centers like Cremnicium or Krickerhau. In medieval Hungary seven guilds were dedicated to her from the almost 80 guilds that András Kubinyi detected. The earliest guild dedicated to her was founded in 1368 in Klausenburg by Jacobus Bulkescher, Nicholas Mün and Christian Baumann. Bulkescher and Baumann studied at the University of Vienna and the patron saint of the university was Katherine.
During the Middle Ages, the cult of Saint Katherine spread through all social classes because everyone could find a favorable element in her legend. Because of her royal background she was popular among the royal circles, her erudition and discussion skills made her popular among the clerics, university students, scholars, and humanists. She was a model for women. Her chastity was a model for the nuns, and because of her milk miracle she was celebrated by the married women who wanted or already had children.
Hungarian translation © Fodor Áron Szabolcs (183-195. és 268-284. oldal), Szilágyi Magdolna (394-... more Hungarian translation © Fodor Áron Szabolcs (183-195. és 268-284. oldal), Szilágyi Magdolna (394-401. oldal) Készült az NKFIH K-128880. számú "A tatárjárás Magyarországon és a mongol hódítás eurázsiai összefüggései" című pályázat keretében. A könyv a Nemzeti Kulturális Alap támogatásával jelenik meg. A borítót Boldog Zoltán grafikájának felhasználásával Karcagi Klára tervezte. Térképek: Pénzes Szabolcs Jelen kiadvány a jogtulajdonos írásos engedélye nélkül sem részben, sem egészben nem másolható, sem elektronikus, sem mechanikai eljárással, ideértve a fénymásolást, számítógépes rögzítést vagy adatbankban való felhasználást is.
A 14-16. századi könyvkultúra interdiszciplináris megvilágításban
A kötet megjelenését az Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem Bölcsészett udományi Karának Hallgatói Önko... more A kötet megjelenését az Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem Bölcsészett udományi Karának Hallgatói Önkormányzata támogatt a.
BUKSZ- BUDAPESTI KÖNYVSZEMLE, 2017
![Research paper thumbnail of Marianne Sághy, Szent Márton. Krisztus Katonája [Sv. Martin, Kristov vojnik], Szülőföld Kiadó, Szombathely 2018., 192 str.](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/59650302/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](Zbornik Odsjeka za povijesne znanosti Zavoda za povijesne i društvene znanosti Hrvatske akademije znanosti i umjetnosti, 2018
Ocjene i prikazi Zb. Odsjeka povij. znan. Zavoda povij. druš. znan. Hrvat. akad. znan. umjet., 36... more Ocjene i prikazi Zb. Odsjeka povij. znan. Zavoda povij. druš. znan. Hrvat. akad. znan. umjet., 36 (2018), str. 259-334 Marianne Sághy, Szent Márton. Krisztus Katonája [Sv. Martin, Kristov vojnik], Szülőföld Kiadó, Szombathely 2018., 192 str. Kao što je Marianne Sághy sažela na prvim stranicama svoje knjige, sv. Martin bio je prvi svetac koji je bio proglašen svetim zbog svoje Christoformitas, a ne načina smrti, odnosno mučeništva. Tijekom zadnjih godina, nekoliko članaka i knjiga bavio se životom sv. Martina, međutim, Marianne Sághy je bila prva osoba koja je sv. Martinu, sinu Panonije, posvetila monografiju na mađarskom jeziku.
Századok, 2019
A szentkultusz kutatása különösen népszerűvé vált az utóbbi évtizedekben, és a tárgyban több alap... more A szentkultusz kutatása különösen népszerűvé vált az utóbbi évtizedekben, és a tárgyban több alapvető mű is született, például a késő középkori nyugat-európai szentkultusz jellemzőinek vizsgálata André Vauchez tollából (La sainteté en Occident aux derniers siècles du Moyen Age: D'après les procès de canonisation et les documents hagiographiques. Rome 1981). Üdvözlendő, hogy e sorban a Marie-Madeleine de Cevins és Olivier Marin által szerkesztett kötet Közép-Európára összpontosít. Maga a tanulmánykötet előszava is Vauchez-ra refl ektál, jelezve, hogy a nyugati szentkultuszéhoz hasonló elemzés Közép-Európáról még nem készült. Az előzménykonferenciák nyomán született kötet sem szintézis, sokkal inkább tanulmányok sorozata három alapkérdésre -a régi és új szentek kultuszának együttélése, a koldulórendek felemelkedése és a behozott vagy épp "őshonos" szentkultuszok -felfűzve.
The saints of Rome have always been among the most venerated and the most popular heavenly patron... more The saints of Rome have always been among the most venerated and the most popular heavenly patrons in Christendom, grafting the noble air of universality and integration onto emerging Christian cultures. From the apostles and Early Christian martyrs through the Early Modern period and beyond, the textual and material dissemination of Roman saints made a significant impact on the rise of the cult of the saints. Saints living in Rome (from Bridget of Sweden to Catherine of Siena and from Francesca Ponziani to Filippo Neri) were role models all over the Christian world. Post-Tridentine Roman cults spread by the Society of Jesus and the revival of catacomb cults brought a new wave in the world-wide cult of the saints of Rome in the early modern period.
What strategies, mechanisms and considerations informed the spread of the cult of the saints of Rome? Who were the actors: Roman ecclesiastical hierarchy or local communities? How did these cults transform through local reception in diverse local contexts? How did pilgrimages and Jubilees promote the cults of Roman saints ? Did „Romanness“ assure efficacious links with the centre of Christendom or possess a symbolical meaning? In what ways did the saints of Rome impact local saints‘ cults?
The conference aims at discussing the ways in which the cults of the saints of Rome were accepted and negotiated, defined and redefined over the centuries in Latin Christianity. What is the politics of the export and import of Roman saints? To what extent do Roman saints shape and define medieval and Early Modern Latin culture in the new Christianities of Europe, Asia, and America? Does the export of the saints conform to individual and regional interests or rather to the political and cultural agenda of the papacy? Inquiries on these issues in various media (texts, images, relics, devotional objects and architecture, liturgy, music) are welcome.
by Associazione Italiana per lo Studio della Santità dei Culti e dell'Agiografia AISSCA, Alessandra Bartolomei Romagnoli, Marco Guida, Scuola Superiore di Studi Medievali e Francescani, Peloux Fernand, Rodrigo Furtado, Alessandro Serra, Antonio Antonetti, Antonio Tagliente, Mario Loffredo, David Franz Hobelleitner, Ines Ivić, Dorottya Uhrin, Iliana Kandzha, Giuseppe Capriotti, Laura Carnevale, Gabriella Zarri, Giuseppe Caputo, and Daniele Solvi
I Cantieri dell'Agiografia hanno lo scopo di favorire lo scambio scientifico tra gli studiosi e d... more I Cantieri dell'Agiografia hanno lo scopo di favorire lo scambio scientifico tra gli studiosi e di far emergere i principali o più innovativi campi di ricerca e orientamenti metodologici degli attuali studi agiografici. L'evento si svolge ogni anno nel mese di gennaio e prevede la presenza di seminari tematici (panels), composti da un numero limitato di relatori – da tre a cinque, ciascuno con un tempo di 20 minuti a disposizione – coordinati da un proponente e con un discussant designato dal Comitato scientifico.
of PhD dissertation DOROTTYA UHRIN
La quarta edizione dei cantieri dell'agiografia, come sempre promossa dall'AISSCA, sarà dedicata ... more La quarta edizione dei cantieri dell'agiografia, come sempre promossa dall'AISSCA, sarà dedicata al tema: "Comunicare la santità». Sono previsti i seguenti panels: "Comunicare la santità" nel variegato mondo della Riforma (Coordina: STEFANO CAVALLOTTO); Intorno alla comunicazione della ricerca agiografica. Santi in Cammino, Cammini di Santi (Coordina: LAURA CARNEVALE); Una Bibliotheca Sanctorum a Bisanzio: vite esemplari e apparizioni in Fozio (Coordina: IMMACOLATA AULISA); Communicating sainthood: Preachers and Saints in Central Europe and in Italy (Coordina: DÁVID FALVAY); The Use of Saints’ Iconographical Attributes in Communication of New Devotional Concepts (13th - 17th c.) (Coordina: ANA MARINKOVIĆ); Comunicare la fede con il corpo e con il sangue: dinamiche del martirio
(Coordina: RENATA SALVARANI); Il santorale delle scrittrici mistiche
(Coordina: ALESSANDRA BARTOLOMEI ROMAGNOLI); Comunicare la santità tra trattatistica e agiografia nella tradizione francescana: alcuni specimina (Coordina: JURI LEONI); Fra ordinata propaganda e fama popolare. Una riflessione metodologica sui linguaggi della santità
(Coordina: LEONARDO ROSSI); Agiografie pop: dagli ex voto ai meme
(Coordina: JENNY PONZO)
