From Gertruda’s litany to Nawojka’s litany

Abstract

The 11th-century Codex of Gertruda, the daughter of Mieszko II the King of Poland, contains ten prayers in the form of litany. The article analyses two of them: ‘Ut me miseram famulam Tuam Gertrudam custodire digneris…’ and ‘Ave Maria gratia plena dominus tecum…’. The stylistic features of the first litany indicate that the text was intended to be accepted by the duchess as her individual prayer reflecting her point of view, and perhaps containing quotations from her own utterances. Therefore Gertruda may be regarded as the author of the text, although somebody else probably fulfilled the act of writing. The second litany is a prayer similar to the text from the 12th-century Paris manuscript, edited by G. G. Meersseman. It might be the basis for the later western copy, or both records originated (directly or indirectly) from the same source. Some sentences from both versions repeat in the 15th-century Polish prayer ‘Zdrowa bądź Maryja, miłości pełna…’ from Nawojka Prayer Book.

Keywords

• Litania, modlitewnik, Kodeks Gertrudy, Psałterz Egberta, Modlitewnik Nawojki, historia, modlitwa, gatunki języka religijnego, Gertruda Mieszkówna, średniowiecze