The Bosnian Church: A New Interpretation: A Study of the Bosnian Church and Its Place in State and Society From the 13th to the 15th Centuries

467 Pages·1975·8.984 MB·English

by  John V. A. Fine

EAST EUROPEAN MONOGRAPHS, NO. X
THE BOSNIAN CHURCH:
A NEW INTERPRETATION
A Study of the Bosnian Church and Its
Place in State and Society from the
13th to the 15th Centuries
JOHN V. A. FINE, JR.
EAST EUROPEAN QUARTERLY, BOULDER
DISTRIBUTED BY COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESS
NEW YORK AND LONDON
1975
John V. A. Fine jr. is Associate Professor of History
at The University of Michigan
Copyright © 1975 by East European Quarterly
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 75-6226
ISBN 0-914710-03-6
Printed in the United States of America
TO MY PARENTS

CONTENTS
Acknowledgments i
Terminology iv
Abbreviations vii
Map ix
INTRODUCTION 1
FOOTNOTES TO INTRODUCTION 6
CHA PTER ONE: RELIGION IN BOSNIA ’S PEASANT SOCIETY 9
I : Peasants and Religion 9
II: Language, Experience & Thought 20
III: Family Structure 25
IV : Bases of Moral Order 27
V : Relations Between Rulers and Peasants 28
VI: Contact with and Spread of New Ideas 30
VII: Unrealistic Historical Models of Conversion 32
FOOTNOTES TO CHAPTER ONE 33
CHAPTER TWO: AN EXAMINATION OF THE SOURCES 41
Native South Slav Sources 42
Catholic Church Sources 46
Papal Sources 47
Inquisition Documents 54
Franciscan Sources 59
Chronicles 62
Pius II 63
Orbini and Pietro Li vio of Verona 65
Luccari and Resti 73
Western 13th Century Chronicles 74
Franciscan Chronicles 75
Defters and Turkish Laws 77
The Gospel Manuscripts 81
The Apocryphal Tales 83
Traditions 84
Gravestones 88
Churches 93
FOOTNOTES TO CHAPTER II : 94
APPENDIX A FOR CHAPTER TWO: On Forged Documents 106
Footnotes to Appendix A 108
APPENDIX B FOR CHAPTER TWO: An Alleged Tract of Jacob de Marcia
Against Dualists in Bosnia 110
Footnotes to Appendix B 111
CHAPTER III: BOSNIA FROM THE END OF THE TWELFTH CENTURY
TO THE ACCESSION OF STJEPAN KOTROMANIC, ca 1315 113
I : Background : Catholicism and Orthodoxy in Bosnia and Environs 113
II : Heresy in the Balkans and Dualism 115
III: Ban Kulin and Catholicism 121
IV : Charges of Heresy and Foreign Interference 123
V : The Bilino polje Renunciation 126
VI: Religious Affairs from 1203 to the 1220’s 134
VII: Charges of Heresy in the 1220’s 135
VIII: Papal Action and the Hungarian Crusades in the 1230's 137
IX : Bosnian Catholic Church Subjected to Kalocsa 145
X : Establishment of the Bosnian Church 148
XI: Reference to Heretics from the 1280’sto 1305 153
XII: Djed Miroslav of the Bosnian Church 155
FOOTNOTES TO CHAPTER THREE 157
CHAPTER FOUR: BOSNIA FROM Ca. 1315 to 1391 167
I : Ban Stjepan Kotromanic: Early Political Successes and Relations
with the Different Faiths 167
IT. Continued Papal Concern About Heresy in Bosnia 1325-1338 177
III : The Establishment of the Franciscan Bosnian Vicariat 180
IV : Tvrtko Establishes Himself in Power : Relations with the
Different Faiths 187
V : Papal Letters About Bosnia in the 1370’s 192
VI: T vrtko ’s Involvement in the Hungarian Civil War 197
VII : Italian Documents about Dualists in Bosnia 199
VIII : Tvrtko, Catholicism and the Bosnian Church 200
FOOTNOTES TO CHAPTER FOUR 201
CHAPTER FIVE: BOSNIA FROM 1391 to 1443 211
I : Character of the Bosnian State 1391 -1443 211
II: Three Religious Sources: The Serbian Anathemas, theBatalo
Gospel, the Gospel of H val Krstjanin 212
III: Political Events 1391-1421 and Role of the Bosnian Church 219
IV : Patarins in Secular Service and Relations Between Secular
Leaders and the Various Faiths 238
V : Jacob de Marchia and the Franciscan Mission 244
VI : Bosnia and the Church Council at Basel 248
VII : Roman Catholic Gains in Bosnia 250
VIII: The Kosa^a Family : Church Building and Relations with the
Orthodox Church 251
IX : Political Events from the late 1430’s to 1443 and the Secular
Role of Patarins 254
X : Pa tar in H izas and Dubrovnik 256
XI: Gravestone Inscriptions Giving Information about the
Bosnian Church 260
XII : Patarin Diplomats 264
XIII : Social and Political Position of the Bosnian Church 267
FOOTNOTES TO CHAPTER FIVE : 277
CHAPTER SIX: BOSNIA FROM 1443 to 1463 295
I : Increased Mention of Dualism in Sources from the 1440’s 295
II : Civil War Between Stefan Tomas and Stefan Vuk&c 299
III : King Stefan Tornas Accepts Catholicism 301
IV : The Bosnian Church : The Dragisic Charter and Radosav Ritual 303
V : Progress of Catholicism from 1446 305
VI: Papal Mention of Manichees 1447-1453 307
VII: Stefan Vuk&é’s Political Affairs (1448-1451) and Religious
Associations 310
VIII: The Herceg’s Economic Problems—War with Dubrovnik 312
IX: Peace Treaties of 1453-54 — Role of Gost Radin 317
X : The Pavlovici and Patarins in the 1450’s 321
XI: The Herceg’s Dealings with Catholicism and Orthodoxy 322
XII : The Question of Kudugers 324
XIII : Catholic-Orthodox Rivalry Begins in Bosnia 326
XIV : The Turkish Threat and Proposed Leagues to Meet it 328
XV : Kotruljic’s Evidence 329
XVI: Catholic Progress in the Final Years of Stefan Tomas 330
XVII: Persecution Launched Against the Bosnian Church in 1459 332
XVIII : Three Bosnians Abjure Fifty Manichee Errors in Rome 335
XIX: The Turkish Conquest of Bosnia and Part Played by Religious
Differences 338
XX : The Position of the Bosnian Church in the Last Years of the
Kingdom 341
XXI : Mention of Religion in the Hungarian Banate of Jajce 345
FOOTNOTES TO CHAPTER SIX : 346
APPENDIX A FOR CHAPTER SIX: The 50 Points Renounced Before
Cardinal Torquemada and their Irrelevance for the Bosnian Church 355
CHAPTER SEVEN: HERCEGOVINA FROM 1463 to 1481 363
I : Patarins in Hercegovina after 1463 363
II : The Herceg’s Relations with Different Faiths in his Last Years 364
III : The Testament of Gost Radin 365
IV: Patarins in Hercegovina After 1466 370
FOOTNOTES TO CHAPTER SEVEN 373
CHAPTER EIGHT: RELIGION IN BOSNIA AFTER THE TURKISH
CONQUEST 375
I : Patarins and Other Heterodox Christians in the Turkish Period 375
II: Main Trends in Bosnian Religious History 1463-1600 377
FOOTNOTES TO CHAPTER EIGHT 387
BIBLIOGRAPHY 391
Information about the Organization of the Bibliography 391
Key to Abbreviations Used in the Bibliography 393
I : PRIMARY SOURCES 395
A: Written 395
B : Archaeological and Epigraphical 401
II: Secondary Works 406
REGISTER OF PERSONAL AND PLACE NAMES 435

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The path along which an American of non-Balkan origin travels
before reaching the decision to study a small medieval Balkan state could
hardly have been direct ; thus it is only fitting to acknowledge the in­
fluence of those who introduced me to this field. During my un­
dergraduate years at Harvard four scholars had great influence on me :
Professor Robert L. Wolff had the greatest impact in attracting me to
History in general and to medieval Eastern Europe in particular.
Professor Albert B. Lord introduced me to the culture and folklore of the
South Slavs. Father Georges Florovsky introduced me to medieval Slavic
Church History and the late Professor Clyde Kluckhohn opened up to
me the fascinating world of Anthropology and the importance of ap­
plying its methods to the study of History. Upon graduation I received a
Jugoslav Government Grant (through the Institute of International
Education) to attend courses at the Filozofski fakultet in Beograd during
the year 1961-1962. There the excellent lectures of Professor Sima
Cirkovic introduced me to the fascinating history of medieval Bosnia.
With the above background and Professor Wolff’s encouragement,
when the time came for me to choose a topic for my doctoral thesis what
could have been a more natural subject that heresy in medieval Bosnia?
Once again I was fortunate to be able to spend a year in Jugoslavia
(1966-67). This time Harvard University provided travel funds and the
Jugoslav Government (through its Commission for Cultural Affairs
with Foreigners) generously awarded me a stipend for a year’s support.
This time I was based at the Filozofski fakultet in Sarajevo. This in­
stitution helped me in every possible way ; it provided me with an office,
use of its library and contact with its stimulating faculty. There, I had
the rewarding experience of working with the late Professor Ante Babic.
He was a remarkable guide through the maze of sources; he not only
made sure that I missed none but also that I should be aware of the
innumerable complications connected with them. Through my many
discussions with him I was saved from numerous pitfalls and faulty
hypotheses. I also want to thank the following members of the Sarajevo
History Department who all helped me in every way they could:
Professors Milorad Ekmecic, Desanka Kovacevic, Rade Petrovic,
Marko Sunjic, and Milan Vasic.
I am also grateful to the Zemaljski muzej of Sarajevo which made
available to me all of its facilities — its library and exhibits (Ar­
chaeological and Folkloric). There I had the opportunity to spend many
valuable hours with its stimulating scholars — both Anthropologists
and Archaeologists — who warmly received me and shared with me
11 Medieval Bosnian Church
experiences from their field work. In particular I acknowledge the help
and advice of Doctors Mario Petrie and Vlajko Palavestra with whom I
spent many hours of fruitful discussion and friendly debate. The staff of
the Commission for the Preservation of Cultural Monuments was also
helpful to me. There I am particularly grateful to Professor Zdravko
Kajmakovic with whom I spent many stimulating hours. At the
Oriental Institute I am most appreciative of the long discussions I was
able to have with the late Hazim Sabanovic about Bosnia at the time of
the Turkish conquest as well as about the Turkish sources for the
period. I am also indebted to the Narodna Biblioteka in Sarajevo which
allowed me to use its valuable collections.
The Jugoslav grant was generous enough to allow me to travel about
Jugoslavia. Thus I had the opportunity to visit many villages and
medieval sites in Bosnia and^ercegovina. I was also able to spend time
in Beograd where Professor Cirkovié was helpful to me. In addition I was
able to visit and use^the archives at Dubrovnik and Zadar. At Dubrovnik
Professor Zdravko Sundrica was most helpful to me and at Zadar I am
most appreciative of the assistance of Professors Foretic and Usmijani.
I returned to Harvard in the fall of 1967 and the thesis was written
during that academic year. I am grateful to the Russian Research Center
— which had previously (1964-66) given me fellowships — which then
gave me a double fellowship for 1967-1968 so as to enable me to devote
a full year (without having to teach) solely to writing the thesis which
made it possible for me to finish the writing in one year. It is hard to find
the words to express my debt and appreciation to Professor Wolff, whose
advice and encouragement throughout was always helpful, but whose
guidance through the writing process was instrumental. I am also in­
debted to Dr. Angeliki Laiou, the second reader of my thesis, who
though tackling a work not in her field gave the text a most careful
reading and who suggested many helpful improvements. Both Professor
Wolff’s and Professor Laiou’s comments were valuable for the work’s
revision into its present form as were the comments of two friends who
have read the complete manuscript: Professors Edward Keenan and
especially Barisa Krekic whose careful reading spared me from a variety
of embarrassing errors. Professor William Lockwood in Anthropology
read and made helpful suggestions concerning my chapter on peasants
and religion. Of course, none of the scholars and friends, whose help is
ackowledged above are responsible for any errors of fact or of in­
terpretation that may remain, and neither will they all necessarily agree
with the conclusions I have advanced.
The text was revised for submission to the press in the course of
1968-1973. The Russian Research Center of Harvard awarded me a