A Debreceni Déri Múzeum Évkönyve 1968 (Debrecen, 1970)

Mesterházy Károly: The spread of Byzantine Christianity in Hungary during the Árpád Dynasty (11th–14th centuries)

The question arises whether any conclusions can be drawn from the map made on the nasis of the catalogue. Various centres stand out on this map marking the spread of locations. Their number would still increase were our material more complete. One of these centres is on the borderline of Fejér and Tolna counties (cat. 303, 218, 162, 307, 230, 231, 48). Right in the centre stands the Greek monastery of Pent ele (Dunapentele, renamed in the meantime, now called Dunaújváros), around it 2 places with St. Kozma and Dámján as patron saints, 3 places for St. Nicholas, one for St. George and one for Hagios Apostolos. Here belongs also the estate of Greek nuns (in Veszprémvölgy), called Szigetfő. A church at Apostag with Hagios Apostagos as patron saint was used even in the last century, and a stone with a Greek inscription was found among its ruins." A Byzantine reliquary cross turned up at Pentele and Cece (from the church of St. Kozma and Dámján).

100 This territory was under Byzantine influence as early as the age of Avars.

101-102 Since there is no trace of Slav elements in place names, these eastern Hungarian territories can be regarded as a proof of effective Byzantine missionary work. The bulk of the group in Baranya county (cat. 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 114, 115, 299, 271, 270, 302) is constituted by the estates of churches with St. Demetrius as patron saint, the monasteries at Szávaszentdemeter (Mitrovica-Sirmium) and the Greek monasteries at Veszprémvölgy. A Byzantine reliquary cross is known to have been found at Pécs and its area.

104 (Pécs is the administrative centre of Baranya county). The group along the eastern border of Somogy county (cat. 221, 222, 248, 250, etc.,) also belongs here to a certain extent, but going westwards the churches of St. Kozma and Dámján show an increase in number and the name of St. Demetrius hardly occurs any more. The territory along the Zala river is densely populated by villages (cat. 35, 132, 225, 227, 141, 23, etc.,), so is the district of Nagykanizsa (cat. 229, 135, 136, 20, 23, 140, 123) and the southern region of Vas county (cat. 36, 158, 41, 234, 33, etc.). The problem arises whether the patron saints of the eastern church can, in any way, be brought into connection with the Slav population in the 9th and 10th centuries. According to the Conversion first the church of Salzburg, then Method did missionary work in this area, but in the course of the activity of the Salzburg church the worship of none of the eastern patron saints caught on. Nothing is known of what Method had done in this respect. The Southern Slav population of the area, however, is likely to have been in contact with their relations on the Balkans.

105-107 The picture of what we know about the spread of the worship of Byzantine patron saints, and the data of the map constructed by István Kniezsa (about the territories populated by Slav people in the 11th century), show an almost complete overlapping.

108 But it is a matter of opinion whether this spread can be better explained by the settling of Slav peoples during the 10th-13th centuries than by any of the above circumstances. The group around Veszprém (cat. 152, 291, 27, 300, 290 etc.,) is by all probability of double origin.

: the worship of Byzantine saints is explained by the historical background of the St. George Chapel at Veszprém (uncovered by H. Katalin Gyürky)

110 on the one hand, and by the history of the Greek convent at Veszprémvölgy on the other. The worship of the above patron saints spread only among the Hungarian population, which is clearly proved by the original Hungarian place names, by various reliquary crosses uncovered from lOth-llth century cemeteries and by other Byzantine finds in the district of Veszprém.

111 The interpretation of data from the northern region of Transdanubia presents a greater difficulty. The Bakony Mountains constitute a dividing line between the north and south. This can indicate that the majority of churches north of this mountain range had a western orientation right from the time of their foundation and belonged to western Christianity. The district of Kalocsa must also be treated here. This town is situated on the borderline between the groups in Fejér and Baranya counties. In the vicinity there are 2 places dedicated to St. George and one to St. Demetrius (cat. 251, 160, 163). Place names indicating the presence of Slav population in the 10th-llth centuries can be encountered in the area south of Kalocsa, along the Danube.

115 During the excavations of the cathedral at Kalocsa two carved marble fragments turned up which show an amazing similarity to the structure of column-qases in the Hagia Sophia.

120

—

m More important however, is the fact that walls made of stone and brick were uncovered in the course of the excavations, and the whole facade appears to have been built of broad-stone alternating with two rows of brick all the way up.

122 This building technique is tipically Byzantine and was chiefly used during the middle Byzantine age. All these circumstances point to the fact, that King St. Stephen had his very good reasons for making Kalocsa the see of an archbishop. The elements of eastern christinanity must have been present here and the King based his plans on them. It seems to be beyond doubt that the first church at Kalocsa had fairly close contacts with Byzantium. Szekszárd is another place of considerable interest. King Béla I established a Benedictine abbey here in 1061 dedicated to our Divine Saviour, but the biulding perished long time ago and a Baroque church was built in its place. But it is something of a riddle how far the builder, Abbot Trautshon made use of the main walls of the previous building, since the ground-plan 12* 179