Folia Theologica 4. (1993)

Tibor Somlyói Tóth: The forms of religious mentality in the Anjou age

THE FORMS OF RELIGIOUS MENTALITY

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Esztergom; Master Benedek Turóczi and his family is accepted for his deeds by George Augustine prior into their spiritual and prayer community in 1393: that meant that in the Hungarian province every priest celebrated three masses for them.40

Following the crusade of Andrew the Second subjects of the Hungarian King turned up in the Holy Land also in other capacities, as pilgrims. In 1343 Stephen Ravasz, royal knight asked the Pope’ permission to visit Jerusalem and the holy shrines. Thomas Csór royal ambassador in 1344 asks permission for Maestro Töttös to visit: to go on pilgrimage to the Holy Land with six persons. Nicholas Vásári, provost of Esztergom obtaines the Pope’s permission to visit the Holy Land for his Mother and three of his relatives. In 1349 Nicholas and in 1350 quenn Elizabeth request each the same for twelve person.41 A pilgrimage to the Holy Land was not exactly an inexpensive journey and without its dangers. Only those well-off were able to attempt it. Rome, on the other hand was accessible to the relatively poor. Should they have ventured to Jerusalem, however, they might have experienced what happened to the landed gentry Nicholas Tornalljai, one-time commander of the castle of Zára, whose children were — in his absence — chased away from the Sásd estate by bán Benedek Himfi, in a manner that can be hardly called chivalrous.42

This motive is a further indication that the religious mentality of the House of the Anjou, and of Louis the Ist in particular had been determined by two basic concepts. One was the asceticism of the „devotio moderna”, detached from the world. The other was a wish for the realization of valour, occupying a central place in the thinking of the „miles”.

As to the ecclesiastical policy of the Anjous, it is entirely alien to the above, even though that too is imitation. „Imitatio mundi”...

40 G. FEJÉR, Codex Diplomatics, IX/7., 511.; — J. KARÁCSONYI, op.cit. I., 46.

41 Á. BOSSÁNYI, Regesta supplicationum. A pápai kérvénykönyvek magyar vonatkozású okmányai. Avignoni korszak I II., Budapest, 1916-1918,1., 98-115., 214.

42 Monumenta Romana episcopatus Veszprimiensis, Budapest, 1896-1903., I., 353., 368., 378.