600TH ANNIVERSARY OF HVAL'S MANUSCRIPT

The stamp has been issued in a 20-stamp sheet, and there is also the First Day Cover (FDC). Motif: Page from the Hval's Manuscript, 1404 Different from Hrvoje's Missal, the Croatian Glagolitic manuscript that has to thank its name to the eminent Bosnian nobleman, the Duke of Split, Hrvoje Vukčić Hrvatinić, for whom it was written, Hval's manuscript, a Cyrillic codex also written for Duke Hrvoje, was named after the scribe who had written it in the year 1404. Admittedly, there are two sheets in the Missal clearly indicating the owner: a miniature portrays Hrvoje Vukčić Hrvatinić on a beautiful white horse at a gallop, with a flag in his hand, on the other sheet there is his coat of arms and title in the Latin script, written in Latin: Arma domini Chervoe ducis Spalatensis. Both of these precious codices were written at the same time, at the very beginning of the 15th century, the Missal in the Glagolitic and the Manuscript in the Cyrillic script of western, Bosnian characteristics that can be found in the 15th century manuscripts. They are remnants of a more sumptuous literary heritage in Bosnia, and Hval's manuscript bears testimony to the highly developed written culture nurtured in the fold of the Bosnian Church. Hval's manuscript was written on a fine parchment, and has 353 sheets: it has been illuminated with numerous initials and miniatures, among which images of Apostles and Evangelists can be found, Jesus Christ crucified on Golgotha, with Mary and John beneath the cross, the figure of Our Lady with the Child, the stoning of St.Stephen and other scenes. In two instances Hval had written: «I wrote in gold as well as in black ink» which indicated that he was both the scribe and illuminator, miniature painter. It is clearly evident from the manuscript that it had been illustrated by two artists («two hands»), only nowadays we cannot define which «hand» did particular miniatures: part of them have a golden background (these might be in Hval's «hand»), the others have a blue background. The manuscript contains four Gospels: (according to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John – for the last one in the manuscript the eastern variant of the name is used); following are the Acts of the Apostle's, Paul's and Catholic epistles, the Book of Revelations to John. At the end of the codex there is also the Book of Psalms, all 150 psalms attributed ascribed to King David. There are also other texts in the manuscript, like important introductory treatises into specific New Testament books and a number of apocryphal texts. Hval's manuscripts looks well after the archaic Old Slavonic language fund. The graphic and orthographic characteristics link Hval's manuscript to an older tradition, which is they prove it was copied from Glagolitic models. Regarding the language, it follows the characteristics of the western Croatian štokavian forms, where the old letter yat was pronounced as /i/ and these changes were also proved in Hval's manuscript. By changing the writing of yat an error occurred: e.g. měr written instead of mir. Hval signed the manuscript as Christian; he says he wrote his manuscript «in the days of episcope and teacher and acting dignitary of the Bosnian Church, old Radomir». The manuscript was copied «to the honour of the glorious sire, Hrvoje, Duke of Split and Duke of Doljnji kraj (the lowlands) and many other lands». Hrvoje was master to Hval who expressed it with the Hungarian word «uram», meaning «my sire and master». Presently, Hval's manuscript is kept in the University library of Bologna in Italy. The library received it as a gift from Pope Benedictus XIV who, in turn, got it from the well-known Italian philologist G.Facciolati. It is unknown as to how the codex arrived in Italy. In 1986 a marvellous facsimile of this famous codex was published in Sarajevo, together with the critical edition of the text – transcription and commentary - of the complete codex.