Book of Henryków
Encyclopedia
The Book of Henryków is a Latin
chronicle of the Cistercian abbey in Henryków
in Lower Silesia
. Originally created as a registry of belongings looted by the Mongol raids of 1241, with time it was extended to include the history of the monastery. It is notable as the earliest document to include a sentence written entirely in what can be interpreted as an early Old Polish language
or Czech
or Silesian language. Currently the book is on exhibition in the Diocesan Museum in Wrocław.
The first part of the 100-page-long book is devoted to the early history of the abbey, from its foundation by Henry the Bearded in 1227 until 1259. The second part includes the later history until 1310. In the record for 1270 a semi-anonymous peasant from the nearby village named Brukalice
is reported to say to his wife "Day, ut ia pobrusa, a ti poziwai", which could be roughly translated as "Let me, I shall grind, and you take a rest".
The circumstances under which this sentence was written closely reflected the cultural and literary conditions in Poland in the first centuries of its national existence. It appeared in a Latin chronicle, written by a German abbot. The man who reportedly uttered the sentence almost one hundred years earlier was Bogwal, a Czech (Bogwalus Boemus), a local settler and subject of Bolesław the Tall, as he felt compassion for his wife, who "very often stood grinding by the quern-stone
".
Medieval author of this phrase cysterian monk Peter from Henryków monaster noted "Hoc est in polonico" ("In Polish"). Although the sentence has also been recognised as being in ether Silesian or Czech
.
The sentence "Day, ut ia pobrusa, a ti poziwai" contains elements characteristic of (alphabetically) Czech, Polish, and Silesian languages: "day" (modern Polish ending "-aj", in modern Czech and Silesian "-ej"), "ut" (modern Czech "ať", Silesian "dyć", Old Polish language
"ać"), "pobrusa" (Silesian ending "-a", Polish "-ę" - yet Old Polish
"-ã", Czech "-ím"). In Silesian till today functions the verb form "pobrusa" (Silesian infinitive brusić, Czech brousit - both meaning "to sharpen", modern Polish "ostrzyć") but this word was not use in this meaning in the Book of Henryków.
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
chronicle of the Cistercian abbey in Henryków
Henryków, Lower Silesian Voivodeship
Henryków is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Ziębice, within Ząbkowice Śląskie County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. Prior to 1945 it was in Germany....
in Lower Silesia
Lower Silesia
Lower Silesia ; is the northwestern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia; Upper Silesia is to the southeast.Throughout its history Lower Silesia has been under the control of the medieval Kingdom of Poland, the Kingdom of Bohemia and the Austrian Habsburg Monarchy from 1526...
. Originally created as a registry of belongings looted by the Mongol raids of 1241, with time it was extended to include the history of the monastery. It is notable as the earliest document to include a sentence written entirely in what can be interpreted as an early Old Polish language
Old Polish language
Old Polish is a name used to describe the period in the history of the Polish language between 9th and 16th centuries.-History:...
or Czech
Czech language
Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...
or Silesian language. Currently the book is on exhibition in the Diocesan Museum in Wrocław.
The first part of the 100-page-long book is devoted to the early history of the abbey, from its foundation by Henry the Bearded in 1227 until 1259. The second part includes the later history until 1310. In the record for 1270 a semi-anonymous peasant from the nearby village named Brukalice
Brukalice
Brukalice is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Ziębice, within Ząbkowice Śląskie County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. Prior to 1945 it was in Germany....
is reported to say to his wife "Day, ut ia pobrusa, a ti poziwai", which could be roughly translated as "Let me, I shall grind, and you take a rest".
The circumstances under which this sentence was written closely reflected the cultural and literary conditions in Poland in the first centuries of its national existence. It appeared in a Latin chronicle, written by a German abbot. The man who reportedly uttered the sentence almost one hundred years earlier was Bogwal, a Czech (Bogwalus Boemus), a local settler and subject of Bolesław the Tall, as he felt compassion for his wife, who "very often stood grinding by the quern-stone
Quern-stone
Quern-stones are stone tools for hand grinding a wide variety of materials. They were used in pairs. The lower, stationary, stone is called a quern, whilst the upper, mobile, stone is called a handstone...
".
The Czech, Polish or Silesian sentence
"Bogwali uxor stabat, ad molam molendo. Cui vir suus idem Bogwalus, compassus dixit: Sine, ut ego etiam molam. Hoc est in polonico: Day, ut ia pobrusa, a ti poziwai." - Book of Henryków (Liber fundationis claustri Sancte Marie Virginis in Henrichow) 1270
Medieval author of this phrase cysterian monk Peter from Henryków monaster noted "Hoc est in polonico" ("In Polish"). Although the sentence has also been recognised as being in ether Silesian or Czech
Czech language
Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...
.
The sentence "Day, ut ia pobrusa, a ti poziwai" contains elements characteristic of (alphabetically) Czech, Polish, and Silesian languages: "day" (modern Polish ending "-aj", in modern Czech and Silesian "-ej"), "ut" (modern Czech "ať", Silesian "dyć", Old Polish language
Old Polish language
Old Polish is a name used to describe the period in the history of the Polish language between 9th and 16th centuries.-History:...
"ać"), "pobrusa" (Silesian ending "-a", Polish "-ę" - yet Old Polish
Old Polish language
Old Polish is a name used to describe the period in the history of the Polish language between 9th and 16th centuries.-History:...
"-ã", Czech "-ím"). In Silesian till today functions the verb form "pobrusa" (Silesian infinitive brusić, Czech brousit - both meaning "to sharpen", modern Polish "ostrzyć") but this word was not use in this meaning in the Book of Henryków.