In Cyril's own words the idea of a script in the Living Slav language had been so dangerous and unusual, that it was enough 'to earn the name of a heretic for anyone who would only give it a thought'. The two brothers dared not only to give it a thought, but also to carry it through, to start a courageous struggle for the equality of the Slav language with all other languages, considered as 'civilized' at that time. What is more, in animated disputes with the most experienced polemicists of the Roman Catholic German church they succeeded in breaking the 'trilingual veto' of Mediaeval Europe, which prohibited any church service that was conducted in a language otheT than the three'holy' languages: Latin, Greek and Hebrew.
The creation of the SLav script was a shield barring all attempts at foreign assimilation, because it contributed to stepping up the self-awareness of the Slav peoples and their joining mankind's universal culture. The cause of the two brothers from Salonika was of great significance not only to the Slav peoples, but also to human progress in general. It was imbued with ideas which have not lost their topicality to this day: humanism, democracy, equality of all peoples. Cyril and Methodius rank among the brightest minds of their times, for in the darkness of the early Mid-dle Ages they sowed the sparks which several centuries later kindled the fire of the Reformation.
Methodius remained in Great Moravia
On February 14, 869 Cyril died in Rome, while Methodius remained in Great Moravia as bishop until his death in 886. His death was also the death of almost everything they had created in that Slav country: the Ger-man clergy launched an irresistible attack against it and won a decisive victory. They destroyed mercilessly all Slav church service books, and subjected to ruthless persecution the numerous disciples of Methodius. The cause of the Slav enlighteners, however, did not perish. It was resurrected and bore rich fruit in another Slav country – Bulgaria.
WordPress.com
No comments:
Post a Comment