Bitola inscription

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The Bitola inscription is a medieval stone inscription written in Old Bulgarian. It was found in 1956 during the demolition of an old Ottoman mosque in the town of Bitola, Republic of Macedonia and it is now kept at the Institute and Museum of Bitola.[1] The text commemorates the fortification works on the fortress of Bitola under one Tsar Ivan. It is believed to date from c.1015, in which case the monarch in question would be Tsar Ivan Vladislav of Bulgaria, According to some scholars, the stone is from the 13th century, in which case it would be Tsar Ivan Asen of Bulgaria.[2][3]

Contents

[edit] Text

The text of the inscription is heavily damaged. The readable parts have been translated as follows:

“ In the year [...] since the creation of the world, this fortress, built and made by Ivan, Bulgarian autocrat, was renewed with the help and the prayers of Our Most Holy Lady and through the intercession of her twelve supreme apostles. The fortress was built as a haven and for the salvation of the lives of the Bulgarians. The work on the fortress of Bitola commenced on the twentieth day of October and ended on the [...] was Bulgarian by birth [...] pious son of Aaron [...] they both defeated [...] where was taken [...] and this Tsar [...] 6522 (1014) since the creation of the world [...] at the end." ”

A fuller reconstructed version, with conjectures made by Vladimir Moshin and Iordan Zaimov, reads as follows:[4] [5]

“ In the year 6523 (1015) since the creation of the world, this fortress, built and made by Ivan, Tsar of Bulgaria, was renewed with the help and the prayers of Our Most Holy Lady and through the intercession of her twelve supreme Apostles. The fortress was built as a haven and for the salvation of the lives of the Bulgarians. The work on the fortress of Bitola commenced on the twentieth day of October and ended on the [...] This Tsar was Bulgarian by birth, grandson of the pious Nikola and Ripsimia, son of Aaron, who was brother of Samuil, Tsar of Bulgaria, the two who routed the Greek army of Emperor Basil II at Stipone where gold was taken [...] and in [...] this Tsar was defeated by Emperor Basil in 6522 (1014) since the creation of the world in Klyutch and died at the end of the summer. [6] ”

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ "Among the most significant findings of this period presented in the permanent exhibition is the epigraphic monument a marble slab with Cyrillic letters of Jovan Vladislav from 1015/17." The official site of the N. I. Institute and Museum of Bitola, retrieved on October 9, 2007.
  2. ^ Lunt, Horace (1982): On dating Old Church Slavonic bible manuscripts. In: A. A. Barentsen, M. G. M. Tielemans, R. Sprenger (eds.), South Slavic and Balkan linguistics. Rodopi. p.230.
  3. ^ Mathiesen R. (1977): The Importance of the Bitola Inscription for Cyrilic Paleography. The Slavic and East European Journal 21: 1-2.
  4. ^ Мошин, Владимир. Битољска плоча из 1017. год. // Македонски jазик, ХVІІ, 1966, с. 51-61
  5. ^ Заимов, Йордан. Битолският надпис на цар Иван Владислав, самодържец български. Епиграфско изследване, София 1970 For criticism of this reconstruction, see: Lunt, Horace G. (1972): [review of Zaimov]. Slavic Review 31: 499.
  6. ^ The reconstruction of the Macedonian scientist Ugrinova-Skalovska is very similar to the recunstruction made by Russian/Yugoslavian Moshin and Bulgarian Zaimov - Угриновска-Скаловска, Радмила. Записи и летописи. Скопје 1975. 43-44


[edit] References

  • Божилов, Иван. Битолски надпис на Иван Владислав // Кирило-методиевска енциклопедия, т. І, София, 1985, с. 196-198. (Bulgarian)
  • Бурмов, Александър. Новонамерен старобългарски надпис в НР Македония // сп. Пламък, 3, София, 1959, 10, с. 84-86. (Bulgarian)
  • Заимов, Йордан. Битолски надпис на Иван Владислав, старобългарски паметник от 1015-1016 // София, 1969. (Bulgarian)
  • Заимов, Йордан. Битолският надпис на цар Иван Владислав, самодържец български. Епиграфско изследване // София, 1970. (Bulgarian)
  • Заимов, Йордан. Битольская надпись болгарского самодержца Ивана Владислава, 1015-1016 // Вопросы языкознания, 28, Москва, 1969, 6, с. 123-133. (Russian)
  • Мошин, Владимир. Битољска плоча из 1017. год. // Македонски jазик, ХVІІ, Скопjе, 1966, с. 51-61 (Macedonian)
  • Мошин, Владимир. Уште за битолската плоча од 1017 година // Историjа, 7, Скопjе, 1971, 2, с. 255-257 (Macedonian)
  • Томовић, Г. Морфологиjа ћирилских натписа на Балкану // Историjски институт, Посебна издања, 16, Скопjе, 1974, с. 33. (Serbian)
  • Џорђић, Петар. Историjа српске ћирилице // Београд, 1990, с. 451-468. (Serbian)
  • Mathiesen, R. The Importance of the Bitola Inscription for Cyrilic Paleography // The Slavic and East European Journal, 21, Bloomington, 1977, 1, pp. 1-2. (English)
  • Угринова-Скаловска, Радмила. Записи и летописи // Скопjе, 1975, 43-44. (Macedonian)
  • Lunt, Horace. On dating Old Church Slavonic bible manuscripts. // A. A. Barentsen, M. G. M. Tielemans, R. Sprenger (eds.), South Slavic and Balkan linguistics, Rodopi, 1982, p. 230. (English)

[edit] See also

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