Calvin Synod Herald, 1974 (74. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1974-04-01 / 4-5. szám

4

CALVIN SYNOD HERALD

went as far as southern Hungary and even further and there had a great influence on the church and people.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the Waldenses, the followers of Peter Waldo, greatly influenced Europe. Later the “Lollards”, the followers of John Wyclif, and still later, the “Hussites”, the followers of John Huss, spread their influence throughout Europe and the church. These so called prereformers and pre-reformation movements emphasized the national languages of the people. Their aim was to speak to the people in their own language. This “national” emphasis brought with it the need of translating the Bible into tbe languages of the people. Out of these movements there developed a political feeling of national entity, or as Féja states not only national, but humanistic and social interpretations and claims,1 and a literary endeavor as the Bible was translated into different languages. This movement was originated primarily by priests and it brought about their persecution by the official church. These movements were cheerfully accepted by the people and were well spread. Now that the Bible was translated into the languages of the people, they became acquainted with the Bible itself and appreciated it more than the official interpretation of the church.2

These movements — through young people learning in Western universities and through the spread of the persecuted, followers of these movements — were spread over Europe and had a great influence on the church and people. As these refugees moved about, they took with themselves their faith and sacred books, and where ever they settled, they continued their missionary movement.

Tibor Kardos, writing about the “Hussite Bible” states that a group of Italian refugees from Milano were settled in southern Hungary in two settlements Kovil and Franca villa.3

Later, through the students studying in Prague, the Hussite movement was spread to southern Hungary, and still later through all of Hungary. When in 1428 the Bohemian army invaded Northern Hungary, the movement was spread throughout the entire land.

In conclusion to the above mentioned, it can be stated that the pre-reformation wants put the emphasis on the national languages and anticipated the translation of the Bible.

Since the Bible and other religious books were written in Latin and were for the use of priests, monks and nuns, and because many of them were not highly educated, translations had to be made into the national languages.

With the above statements in mind, we will approach the codices containing the text in parts of the Hungarian Bible.

Parts of the Hungarian Bible are preserved in three codices: in Bécs (Vienna), in München (Munich) and the Apor codex.

The Vienna codex contains the following parts

of the Bible, (old testament): Ruth, Judith, Esther, Maccabees, Baruch, Daniel and the minor prophets (12) not in the order of the Vulgata.

The Munich codex contains the four gospels, and the Apor codex contains Psalms 55—150.

The text of these three codices is a copy of a former Hungarian Bible, of the so called “Hussite Bible.” Their dialect and orthography are the same.4 The language of these codices is archaic and strictly conforms to the Latin translation. The translator is looking for the right words to use. He struggles with the language and if he cannot find the right word or expression he makes up new words.5 However, if we compare this early Hungarian language from the time of King Matthias with our present Hungarian, we find the same principles in the language.

The text of these codices presupposes an original Hungarian Bible translation, the Hussite bible.

The Hussite reformation was spread through Hungary. One of their strongholds was in the south, in the city of Kamenica. The Kamenica congregation sent a young man, Balázs, to the university in Prague, for further studies. Later, two other young men, Bálint and Tamás studied in Prague and became spiritual leaders of the Kamenica congregation. Studying in Prague, they became even more faithful followers and messengers of the new doctrine, and were acquainted with Huss’s writings, including the “Tractatus” a handbook on Czech orthography, which had a great influence on the Czech, Polish, as well as on the Hungarian orthography.

The Pope sent Jakab of Marchia, a Franciscan inquisitor, to Hungary to oppress the Hussite movement. Under his cruel leadership, Kamenica was invaded. Their priest, Balázs, escaped, but later was captured and under torture, returned to the Roman Catholic Church. Tamás, the priest of Kamenica, and Bálint, priest of Beocsin, escaped from Kamenica with many of their followers, and fled to Moldavia. This happened during the year of 1438 and the beginning of 1439.6

These two priests were identified by Jirecek, a Czech scholar who found their names in the register of the University of Prague, during the time of Huss (1399-1411) as “Valentinus de Újlak” and “Thomas de Pécs”.7

Paul Tóth-Szabó states that the two scholars studying in Prague were not the same Tamás de Pécs and Bálint de Újlak.8 However, at the present time, the translation of the Bible into Hungarian is accorded to Tamás de Pécs and Bálint of Újlak.

Was the above mentioned translation a Hussite translation or was it done by priests or monks? The Roman Catholic priests state that the translation was made by members of the Pauline, Franciscan, Benedictin or Premonstrant orders. A Franciscan cronicle tells us that the translation was made by Tamás and Bálint.9 Protestant church historians: József Pokoly and Mihály Zsilinszky, agree that Tamás and Bálint10 translated the Bible.11 Kálmán Timár fights for the Hussite12 origin, and Rezső Gálos for the Benedictin