ZIGMAS ZINKEVIČIUS

JONAS JAKNAVIČIUS

GOSPELS

AT THE END OF THE 18TH CENTURY

A review of the visitation records of the deaneries of Breslauja, Pabaiskas, and Ukmergė for 1782–1784, recently published by the Lithuanian Catholic Academy of Sciences and carried out at the instruction of Vilnius Bishop Ignoto Jokūbo Masalskio, reveals a wealth of interesting information about the use of Jono Jaknavičiaus’s Gospels in the churches of that period.

As was customary at the time, the title Gospels is written in abbreviated and inaccurate form in the visitation records, giving rise to some uncertainty and doubt.

A nearly complete, though inaccurate, title, Ewange(i)eliczka polska i litewska, appears in the visitation records for these localities: Alanta, Apytalaukis, Balninkai, Daugėliškis, Šešuoliai, Tauragnai, Žeimiai, and Žemaitkiemis. There is also the variant Ewangeliczka polska z litewską: Kuktiškės, Vidžiai, Zarasai (Suvieko parish). Why the diminutive form ewangeliczka was used can only be guessed.

However, by far the most common entry is the single-word Ewang(i)eliczka or plural Ewang(i)eliczki: Adutiškis, Anykščiai, Apsas (3 copies), Breslauja (as many as 5 copies), Čiobiškis, Deltuva, Drūkšiai (2 copies), Dubingiai, Gelvonai (2 copies), Giedraičiai, Ikaznė, Inturkė, Joniškis (Pabaiskas Deanery), Kavarskas (2 copies), Kuktiškės, Kurkliai (2 copies), Labanoras, Lyduokiai, Miorai, Musninkai, Molėtai, Naujamiestis, Palūšė, Pasaminė (Breslauja Deanery), Pumpėnai, Račkiškė (Breslauja Deanery), Raguva, Ramygala (2 copies), Salakas (2 copies), Senasis Panevėžys (Ukmergė Deanery), Skiemonys, Šėta, Smalvos, Strūnaitis (2 copies), Širvintos, Taurapilis (Breslauja Deanery), Tverečius, Ukmergė (2 copies), Upininkai, Vadokliai, Vidiškiai (Ukmergė Deanery), and Zarasai. Some entries note that the book was new (e.g., Skiemonys), or that it was an old book (Čiobiškis, Giedraičiai, Salakas, and others). It is difficult to say whether this referred to the book’s degree of wear or the age of the edition.

The list of localities shows that Jaknavičius’s Gospels were used even in places where Polish later took hold (e.g., Dubingiai, Giedraičiai, Inturkė), and even beyond the borders of the Republic of Lithuania (Apsas, Breslauja—with several copies each—Drūkšiai, Ikaznė, Miorai...). Apparently, priests in all these places could not do without them.

The tradition of abbreviating the title of Jaknavičius’s Gospels to the word Ewangeliczka (Ewangeliczki) may have been inherited from earlier times. A hundred years ago, the Bishop of Samogitia

Pastabos / Notes

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In Kazimieras Paco’s visitation records, we also often find Evangeliczki recorded (e.g., Alsėdžiai, Betygala, Kelmė – 2 copies); once, Ewangelijki małe (Radviliškis), alongside longer titles: Ewangeliczka polska i litewska (Žeimiai), Ewangeliczki polskie y litewskie (Tryškiai), Ewangeliczki polskie z litewskim (Baisogala), and Ewangelijki polskie y litewskie (Žagarė), as well as the Latin Liber evangeliorum, idiomate polonico et samogitico (Lygumai). There is another entry beside the latter: Rosarium idiomate samogitico—probably to be translated as A Rose Garden in the Samogitian language. What kind of book is this? The word samogitica apparently referred to the variant of the Lithuanian written language used at the time for the needs of Samogitia, whose foundation was laid by the dialect of the present-day central Lithuanian lowlands.

It is difficult to say whether, in fact, the abbreviation Ewangeliczka (Ewangeliczki) denotes Jaknavičius’s Ewangelijas in all the cases cited. This is doubtful in the case of the early visitation records of the Samogitian diocese, since they also contain Ewangeliczki polskie—with i litewskie (“and Lithuanian”) omitted: is this a Polish book of Gospels? (In Užventis.) Instead of Ewangeliczki, we also find Ewan(g) elijki (in Pakruojis, Pušalotas). In general, a Latin or Polish book of Gospels is designated Liber evangeliorum (e.g., in Smilgiai, Vilkija).

Be that as it may, there is no doubt that Jaknavičius’s Ewangelijos was still a much-needed and widely used book at the end of the eighteenth century. Priests could not manage without it, especially those who knew Lithuanian poorly or not at all. This is evident from the visitation records examined. The picture would become even clearer if the many surviving manuscript visitation records were examined. However, owing to his failing health, they were not accessible to the author of this article. This will have to be done by future researchers.

It is gratifying that LKMA continues to publish documents from the visitation campaign organized by Bishop Ignoto Masalskio. The collection of documents from the Kaunas deanery is already being printed. Publication of other documents, not only those of Bishop Masalskio, is also planned.

ŠALTINIAI

Breslaujos dekanato vizitacija 1782–1783 m., atlikta Vilniaus vyskupo Ignoto Jokūbo Masalskio parėdymu (Lietuvos istorijos šaltiniai 7), par. Romualdas Firkovičius. Vilnius: Katalikų akademija, 2008.

Pabaisko dekanato vizitacija 1782–1784 m., atlikta Vilniaus vyskupo Ignoto Jokūbo Masalskio parėdymu (Lietuvos istorijos šaltiniai 9), par. Algirdas Antanas Baliulis. Vilnius: Katalikų akademija, 2010.

Ukmergės dekanato vizitacija 1784 m., atlikta Vilniaus vyskupo Ignoto Jokūbo Masalskio parėdymu (Lietuvos istorijos šaltiniai 8), par. Sigitas Jegelevičius. Vilnius: Katalikų akademija, 2009.

Žemaičių vyskupo Kazimiero Paco 1675–1677 m. sudaryti vizitacijų aktai (Lietuvos istorijos šaltiniai 10), par. Mindaugas Paknys. Vilnius: Katalikų akademija, 2011.

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Acta Linguistica Lithuanica LXIV–LXV