Beda Czcigodny i bohaterowie "Historii kościelnej narodu angielskiego" w polskim piśmiennictwie religijnym XVI-XVIII wieku

Abstract

Celem pracy jest przedstawienie sposobu kreowania sylwetki Bedy Czcigodnego oraz bohaterów jego najsłynniejszego dzieła - "Historii kościelnej narodu angielskiego" w polskim piśmiennictwie religijnym XVI-XVIII w. Zakres podjętych rozważań obejmuje również kwestie sposobów modyfikowania pierwotnego przekazu kroniki przez twórców analizowanych tekstów (żywotopisarstwo, kaznodziejstwo, zapisy o charakterze kronikarskim).

The aim of the book is to present Bede the Venerable (673–735) and the characters of The Ecclesiastical History of the English People in Polish religious literature of the 16th-18th centuries. The sources under discussion are mainly collections of the lives of saints, religious historiography, collections of examples, selected sermons and other, minor sources (e.g. prayerbooks). The first part of the book, consisting of two chapters, aims at presenting the profile of Bede, shown as a perfect Benedictine monk, priest and scholar. Old Polish texts were inspired by the earliest biographical Anglo-Saxon sources (e.g. Bede’s autobiography and Cuthbert’s letter on the hero’s death). Following the directions of the Trent Council, they aimed at emphasizing Bede’s qualities required from the then clergy – an in-depth spiritual life, thorough knowledge, writing and teaching skills. The characters of The Ecclesiastical History, discussed in Part Two, have been divided into three categories. Chapter One, dedicated to the presence of Bede’s bishops (especially the earliest Archbishops of Canterbury) in Polish religious literature, emphasizes the problem of the unity between the young English Church and the Holy See. Like Bede, Polish authors stress the role the Church hierarchy played in the process of the conversion of the British Isles, mainly as spiritual instructors to the Anglo-Saxon rulers and their nations. The characters under discussion also realized a perfect model of a ‘good shepherd’ and a faithful imitator of the apostolic style of life. The representatives of monastic life (Chapter Two) serve as role models of the realization of the virtues traditionally associated with the life of a religious: humility, poverty, chastity and faithfulness to the rules. The visions they experience are not only to meet the requirements of the readers eager to see ‘the other’ world, but also to make them change their lives and exist in accordance with God’s commandments. A separate category of characters is former Anglo-Saxon queens and princesses, renouncing married life and royal splendour to embrace religion and dedicate themselves entirely to God. Chapter Three is dedicated to secular role models, especially Anglo-Saxon kings. The heroes discussed in this section play an important role in the process of Christianization of their kingdoms. The problem of the balance between two powers: secular and ecclesiastical is an underlying theme of both The Ecclesiastical History and relevant fragments of Polish religious writings of the post-Trent era. The crucial element of Bedan pattern of kingship, emulated by Polish authors, is faithfulness and obedience towards the Church and its representatives. The accounts under discussion unfold the idea of royal conversions as moments of historical significance, achieved as a result of relations between the Church and state. Characteristic traits of a model sovereign is to defend and die for the faith, faithfully-execute the duties of a monarch and support the poor and sick. The Ecclesiastical History is not only the source of role models, but also sets the criteria of their evaluation. Therefore the Polish authors respect both the chronicle’s sequence of events and Bede’s opinions on particular characters. As a result, the only English Doctor of the Church is treated as an unquestionable authority, quoted by numerous writers, often without any comment. Noticeable modifications of the original text of The Ecclesiastical History usually result from the specific features of a literary genre or the influence of other sources.