azjurandvor.com

STONE TABLET OF BAŠKA

Stone tablet of Baška is the left side of the former closure screen (saeptum) of the Benedictine Church of St. Lucy in Jurandvor near Baška, in which in c. 1100 a glagolitic inscription was sculptured – testimony of abbot Držiha about a piece of land which the Croatian King Zvonimir donated to the St. Lucy Convent. The abbot Dobrovit wrote that he built there a church.
Stone tablet of Baška, written in Glagolitic script, is a «birth certificate», that is, the documented beginning of Croatian literature. Stone tablet of Baška is an epigraphical legacy of special national and culturological importance for Croatian history and probably the most famous monument of the early Croatian literacy. The historical importance of the stone tablet of Baška lies in the fact that in this inscription for the first time in Croatian language the word «Croatian» is mentioned alongside the name of an Croatian ruler – King Zvonimir (1075-1089).

Written in the contemporary English language, the text would run as follows:

I, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. I,

abbot Drziha, wrote this about the plot of land which

Zvonimir, the Croatian King, in

his days gave to St. Lucy (Sv. Lucija) and witnesses (are):

Desimir, Prefect of Krbava, Martin (Mratin) in

Lika, Pribineza, clerk in Vinodol, Jacob (Jakov) on the

island. If anyone denies it, let him be cursed by God and 12 Apostles and 4

Evangelists and St. Lucy (Sv. Lucija), amen. Let anyone who lives here

pray God for them. I, abbot Dobrovit,

built this church with my nine brethren

at the time of Prince Kosmat who ruled

the whole Country (Krajina). In those days

Mikula in Otocac was with St. Lucy (Sv. Lucija) together.