The Bosnian Church ( Serbo-Croatian : Crkva bosanska / Црква босанска ) was a schismatic Christian church in medieval Bosnia and Herzegovina that was independent from and considered heretical by both the Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox churches.
121-470: Historians traditionally connected the church with the Bogomils , although this has been challenged and is now rejected by the majority of scholars. Adherents of the church called themselves simply Krstjani ("Christians") or Dobri Bošnjani ("Good Bosnians"). The church's organization and beliefs are poorly understood, because few if any records were left by church members and the church is mostly known from
242-724: A "new interpretation of the Bosnian Church", his view is very close to J. Šidak's early theory and that of several other scholars before him. He believes that while there could have been heretical groups alongside of the Bosnian Church, the church itself was inspired by Papal overreach. Some Protestants have attempted to look back on the Bosnian church as their forerunner . Bogomil Bogomilism ( Bulgarian : богомилство , romanized : bogomilstvo ; Macedonian : богомилство , romanized : bogomilstvo ; Serbo-Croatian : bogumilstvo / богумилство )
363-423: A "no-man's land between faiths" rather than a meeting ground between the two Churches, leading to a unique religious history and the emergence of an "independent and somewhat heretical church". Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy predominated in different parts of what is today Bosnia and Herzegovina ; the followers of the former formed a majority in the west, the north, and in the center of Bosnia, while those of
484-691: A Bogomil or Cathar church, whilst more recent scholars such as Noel Malcolm and John Fine maintain that no trace of Bogomilism , Catharism , or other dualism can be found in the original documents of the Bosnian Christians. It was not until Pope Nicholas' Bull Prae Cunctis in 1291 that the Franciscan-led Inquisition was imposed on Bosnia. Bogomilism was eradicated in Bulgaria and the Byzantine Empire in
605-650: A direct outgrowth of surviving Manichean dualists from previous centuries—though by the same logic, Inquisitors who encountered pagan religions on the edges of the Christian world (Such as those encountered in the Baltic Crusades or the missionary efforts in Ireland ) would directly accuse non-Christians of worshiping " Apollo and Mercury ", simply applying previous terms and rhetoric to new contexts in which they didn't accurately apply. Thus medieval scholarship
726-579: A few villages of Paulicians in the Serbian part of Banat , especially the villages of Ivanovo and Belo Blato, near Pančevo . The gradual Christianization of the Bulgarian population, the fact that the service was initially practiced in Greek, which only the elite knew, resulted in a low level of understanding of the religion among the peasantry. Due to the constant wars during the time of Tsar Simeon I ,
847-876: A fictional story of the quest for the original Slavic language "Secret Book", written by the Bogomils in Macedonia and carried to Western Europe during the Middle Ages. A French (and, consequently, an English) word emerged based on twisted perceptions of the Bogomils by the Catholic Church. The words "bouguer" and " buggery " emerged, by way of the word "bougre" in French, from the Latin Bulgarus (Bulgarian). "Buggery" first appears in English in 1330 with
968-469: A major factor in politics that contributed to the Ottoman conquest of Bosnia in 1463 and lasted beyond it. It was also a response due to the very bad relations between Bosnia and Serbia, as Serbia sent no aid to Ninoslav contrary to the traditional alliance. Coloman passed the governorship of Bosnian Banate to Ninoslav distant cousin, Prijezda, who only managed to hold it for two or three years. In 1241,
1089-543: A member of the Bosnian Church himself, had a djed as an advisor at the royal court between 1403 and 1405, and an occasional occurrence of a krstjan elder being a mediator or diplomat. Hval's Codex , written in 1404 in Cyrillic , is one of the most famous manuscripts belonging to the Bosnian Church in which there are some iconographic elements which are not in concordance with the supposed theological doctrine of Christians ( Annunciation , Crucifixion and Ascension ). All
1210-687: A mission was sent to convert Bosnia to Rome but failed. On 15 May 1225, Pope Honorius III spurred the Hungarians to undertake the Bosnian Crusade . That expedition, like the previous ones, turned into a defeat, and the Hungarians had to retreat when the Mongols invaded their territories. In 1234, the Catholic Bishop of Bosnia was removed by Pope Gregory IX for allowing supposedly heretical practices. In addition, Gregory called on
1331-591: A novel by the Italian philosopher and writer Umberto Eco , the plot concerning a widespread secret and mystic conspiracy has its ground in the disappearance of the Bogomils after the fall of the Second Bulgarian Empire under the rule of the Ottoman Empire . The Secret Book is a Macedonian feature film combining the detective , thriller and conspiracy fiction genres, based on
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#17327724071741452-404: A part of the country by the end of the month, including the areas of Donji Kraji, Rama (where he then resided), Hum, and Usora. Throughout the following year, Tvrtko forced Vuk southwards, eventually compelling him to flee to Ragusa. Sanko, Vuk's last supporter, submitted to Tvrtko in late summer and was allowed to retain his holdings. Ragusan officials made an effort to procure peace between
1573-523: A powerful effect on the development of early Bosnian history, under whose rule an age of peace and prosperity existed. In 1189, Ban Kulin issued the first written Bosnian document, now known as the Charter of Ban Kulin , in Bosnian Cyrillic , diplomatic document regarding the trade relations with the city of Ragusa (Dubrovnik) . Kulin's rule also marked the start of a controversy involving
1694-494: A war in 1183 against the Byzantines. Kulin secured peace, although it continued as a nominal vassal to Hungarian king. but there is no evidence that Hungarians occupied areas of central Bosnia. The Pope emissaries of that time reached to Kulin directly and referred to him as "lord of Bosnia". Kulin was often referred as "veliki ban bosanski" (Great Bosnian Ban) by contemporaries, and by his successor Matej Ninoslav. He had
1815-518: Is divided over whether the "Cathars" actually were an offshoot of the "Bogomils", or if the 13th century Inquisition itself simply mistook or conflated "Cathars" for "Bogomils", due to their known tendency for conflation and confusion. A remarkable number of necropolises are found in this part of Europe, conveying an exceptional testimony to medieval European artistic and archaeological heritage. Majority of these necropolises with decorated tombstones were held by Bogomil Vlachs. In Foucault's Pendulum ,
1936-582: Is transferred to Archbishop Ugrin Csák Hungarian king's ambitions remained unchanged long after Kulin's death in 1204. Kulin's policy was poorly continued since the Ban's death in 1204 by his son and heir, Stjepan Kulinić , who seems to have remained aligned with the Catholic Church. Stjepan was eventually deposed in 1232. The Bosnian Church forcibly replaced Kulinić with a nobleman called Matej Ninoslav (1232–50). This caused bad relations with Serbia as
2057-545: The Balkans , gradually expanding throughout the Byzantine Empire and later reaching Kievan Rus' , Dalmatia , Serbia , Bosnia , Italy , and France ( Cathars ). The term Bogomil in free translation means "dear to God", and is a compound of the Slavic words for "god" ( Common Slavic : *bogъ ) and "dear" (Common Slavic: *milъ). It may be also a translation of the Greek name Theophilos , literally "dear to God; loved by
2178-739: The Bulgarians , by whom they were called pavlikiani (the Byzantine Greek word for Paulician). In 1650, the Roman Catholic Church gathered them into its fold. Fourteen villages near Nicopolis , in Moesia , embraced Catholicism, as well as the villages around Philippopolis. A colony of Paulicians in the Wallachian village of Cioplea [ ro ] near Bucharest also followed the example of their brethren across
2299-555: The Catholic Bishop of Bosnia was removed by Pope Gregory IX for allowing heretical practices. In addition, Gregory called on the Hungarian king to crusade against the heretics. However, Bosnian nobles were able to expel the Hungarians. In 1252, Pope Innocent IV decided to put Bosnia's bishop under the Hungarian Kalocsa jurisdiction. Such decision provoked the schism of the Bosnian Christians, who refused to submit to
2420-455: The Christian cross , nor build churches , as they revered their gifted form and considered their body to be the temple. This gave rise to many forms of practice to cleanse oneself through fasting or dancing. The Bogomils rejected the ecclesiastical hierarchy . Their primary political tendencies were resistance to the state and church authorities. This helped the movement spread quickly in
2541-512: The Danube . The Gnostic social-religious movement and doctrine originated in the time of Peter I of Bulgaria (927–969), alleged in the modern day to be a reaction against state and clerical oppression of the Byzantine church . In spite of all measures of repression, it remained strong and popular until the fall of the Second Bulgarian Empire in the end of the 14th century. Bogomilism
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#17327724071742662-560: The Dinaric Alps to the seashore by Via Narenta , where they were bought chiefly by the Republics of Ragusa and Venice. Access to Via Narenta was crucial for Bosnian economy, which was possible only after ban Stephen II managed to take control of the trading route during his conquests of Hum . The main trading centres were Fojnica and Podvisoki . Christian missions emanating from Rome and Constantinople started pushing into
2783-692: The High Middle Ages , the Bishop of Bosnia was a local cleric chosen by Bosnians and then sent to the Archbishop of Ragusa solely for ordination . Although the Papacy already insisted on using Latin as the liturgical language , Bosnian Catholics retained Church Slavonic language . The Franciscans order arrived in Bosnia in the later half of the 13th century, aiming to eradicate the teachings of
2904-585: The Krka River as well as the Fruška Gora . Bosnia was part of Byzantium from 1167 to 1180, but as Bosnia was a distant land, rule over it was probably nominal. In the time of emperor Manuel I Komnenos death (1180), Bosnia was governed by Ban Kulin who managed to free it from Byzantine influence through the alliance to Hungarian king Béla III , and with help of Serbian ruler Stefan Nemanja and his brother Miroslav of Hum , with whom he successfully waged
3025-713: The Messalians in Greek and Slavonic documents from the 12th-14th centuries. The members are referred to as Babuni in Church Slavonic documents, which originally meant "superstition; superstitious person" (Common Slavic: *babonъ, *babunъ *babona ). Toponyms which retain the name include the river Babuna, the mountain Babuna , the Bogomila Waterfall and village Bogomila , all in the region of Azot , today in central North Macedonia , suggesting that
3146-414: The Papacy already insisted on using Latin as the liturgical language , Bosnian Catholics retained the Church Slavonic language . Vukan , ruler of Dioclea , wrote to Pope Innocent III in 1199 that Kulin , ruler of Bosnia, had become a heretic, along with his wife, sister, other relatives, and 10,000 other Bosnians. The Archbishop of Spalato , vying for control over Bosnia, joined Vukan and accused
3267-571: The Republic of Ragusa , and Bosnia's bishop was under the jurisdiction of Ragusa. This was disputed by the Hungarians , who tried to achieve their jurisdiction over Bosnia's bishops, but Bosnia's first Ban Kulin averted that. In order to conduct a crusade against him, the Hungarians turned to Rome, complaining to Pope Innocent III that the Kingdom of Bosnia was a centre of heresy , based on
3388-582: The Tatars invaded Hungary, so Coloman had to fall back from Bosnia. Matej Ninoslav immediately retook control, while Prijezda fled to Hungary in exile. King Bela IV was on the retreat which enabled Ninoslav to restore control over most of Bosnia. The Tatars were fought off by the Croats, sending them back across Bosnia, bringing more destruction to the land. The edict to Ragusa was re-issued in March 1244. Ninoslav
3509-691: The Trinity . In the Bogomil and Cathar text " The Secret Supper " the book starts with: " In the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen." The Catholic Church considered Bogomilism a heresy due to the duality in the Bogomil cosmogony, wherein the earthly sinful corporeal life is a creation of Satan, an angel that was sent to Earth. Karp Strigolnik , who in the 14th century preached
3630-702: The abjuration of Bilino Polje , Kulin succeeded in keeping the Bosnian Diocese under the Ragusan Archdiocese, thus limiting Hungarian influence. The errors abjured by the Bosnians in Bilino Polje seem to have been errors of practice, stemming from ignorance, rather than heretical doctrines. The bid to consolidate Catholic rule in Bosnia in the 12th to 13th centuries proved difficult. The Banate of Bosnia held strict trade relations with
3751-612: The ecclesiastical jurisdictions of the See of Rome and the See of Constantinople . The East–West Schism then led to the establishment of Catholicism in Croatia and most of Dalmatia , while Eastern Orthodoxy came to prevail in Serbia . Lying in-between, the mountainous Bosnia was nominally under Rome, but Catholicism never became firmly established due to a weak church organization and poor communications. Medieval Bosnia thus remained
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3872-469: The "Kalēki perehozhie" and other similar productions owe their dissemination to a large extent to the activity of the Bogomils of Bulgaria, and their successors in other lands. The Bogomils also made use of many apocryphal writings, such as Apocalypse of Abraham , 2 Enoch , and the Vision of Isaiah . In their original Monarchian dualist story, Bogomils taught that God had two sons, the elder Satanail and
3993-527: The "Lord's Prayer" in high respect as the most potent weapon against Satan, and had a number of conjurations against "evil spirits". Each community had its own twelve "apostles", and women could be raised to the rank of "elect". The Bogomils wore garments like those of mendicant friars and were known as enthusiastic missionaries, travelling far and wide to propagate their doctrines. Healing the sick and exorcising evil spirits, they traversed different countries and spread their apocryphal literature along with some of
4114-600: The 12th century, rulers within the Banate of Bosnia acted increasingly autonomously from Hungary and/or Byzantium. In reality, outside powers had little control of the mountainous and somewhat peripheral regions which made up Bosnian Banate. Ban Borić appears as the first known Bosnian ruler in 1154, as a Hungarian vassal, who participated in the Siege of Braničevo as part of the Hungarian King's forces. In 1167 he
4235-548: The 13th century, but survived in Bosnia and Herzegovina until the Ottoman Empire gained control of the region in 1463 . The Bosnian Church coexisted with the Catholic Church (and with the few Bogomil groups) for most of the Late Middle Ages , but no accurate figures exist as to the numbers of adherents of the two churches. Several Bosnian rulers were Krstjani , while others adhered to Catholicism. Stjepan Kotromanić shortly reconciled Bosnia with Rome, while ensuring at
4356-497: The 5th century, although similarities between Marcionism and Paulicianism , a sect in the same geographical area, indicate that Marcionist elements may have survived. Paulicianism began in the mid-7th century, when Constantine of Mananalis , basing his message solely on his personal interpretation of the New Testament, began to teach that there were two gods: a good god who had made men's souls, and an evil god who had created
4477-616: The Albigenses who resided within the confines of Bulgaria" (see also Nicetas, Bogomil bishop ). Groups such as the Cathars , Patarenes , Waldenses , Anabaptists , and the Russian Strigolniki , and Spiritual Christians , have all, at different times, been either identified with the Bogomils or closely linked with them, despite several being unrelated and/or non-dualistic. Considerable scholarly debate has arisen about
4598-466: The Archbishop of Ragusa of neglecting his suffragan diocese in Bosnia. Emeric, King of Hungary , a supporter of Spalato, also seized this opportunity to try to extend his influence over Bosnia. Further accusations against Kulin, such as harbouring heretics, ensued until 1202. In 1203, Kulin moved to defuse the threat of foreign intervention. A synod was held at his instigation on 6 April. Following
4719-516: The Balkans in the 9th century, Christianizing the South Slavs and establishing boundaries between the ecclesiastical jurisdictions of the See of Rome and the See of Constantinople . The East–West Schism then led to the establishment of Roman Catholicism in Croatia and most of Dalmatia , while Eastern Orthodoxy came to prevail in Serbia . Lying in-between, the mountainous Bosnia
4840-417: The Banate of Bosnia was a de facto independent state for most of its existence. It was founded in the mid-12th century and existed until 1377 with interruptions under the Šubić family between 1299 and 1324. In 1377, it was elevated to a kingdom. The greater part of its history was marked by a religiopolitical controversy revolving around the native Christian Bosnian Church condemned as heretical by
4961-628: The Bogomil and Cathar text The Secret Supper Jesus calls God his father and it says that Mary received Jesus through the Holy Spirit. Bogomils have been accused of believing that John the Baptist comes from Satan in the Book of Boril . Supporters of the Baptist successionism theory argue that allegations of Bogomil doctrines are largely false, due to most sources being hostile. Possible source texts for Bogomil doctrine include: Bogomils accepted
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5082-815: The Bosnian Radoslav, and published in vol. xv. of the Starine of the South Slavonic Academy at Agram , shows great resemblance to the Cathar ritual published by Cunitz, 1853. There are still over ten thousand Banat Bulgarians in Banat today in the villages of Dudeştii Vechi , Vinga , Breştea and also in the city of Timișoara , with a few in Arad ; however, they no longer practice Bogomilism, having converted to Roman Catholicism . There are also
5203-678: The Bosnian throne of the Kulinić dynasty , count Sibislav of Usora, son of former Ban Stjepan, started to attack Ninoslav positions, attempting to take Banate for himself. Pope Gregory IX replaced the heretical Bosnian bishop in 1235 with John of Wildeshausen , then Master General of the Dominican Order and later declared a saint, and confirmed Duke Coloman as the new legitimate Ban of Bosnia. The Bosnian Crusade led by bishop John and Coloman lasted for five full years. The war only funnelled more support to Ninoslav, as only Sibislav took
5324-401: The Bulgarian lands ( Manichaeism and Paulicianism ), which were considered very dualistic , influenced the Bogomil movement. Manichaeism's origin is related to Zoroastrianism ; that is why Bogomilism is sometimes indirectly connected to Zoroastrianism in the sense of its duality. Most probably, as Samuil of Bulgaria revolted against the Byzantine Empire, he relied on the popular support of
5445-415: The Bulgarians to the Eastern Church considered heretical". Bogomil Cove on Rugged Island in the South Shetland Islands , Antarctica , is named after Priest Bogomil. The Bogomils make a significant part in the Thomas Pynchon novel Against the Day , when Cyprian Lakewood becomes a postulant and gives up his life of sodomitic servitude as a spy. In Olga Tokarczuk 's novel The Books of Jacob ,
5566-461: The Cross, and the disputes between body and soul, right and wrong, heaven and hell, were embodied either in "Historiated Bibles" (Paleya) or in special dialogues held between Christ and his disciples, or between renowned Fathers of the Church who expounded these views in a simple manner adapted to the understanding of the people (Lucidaria). The Bogomils were the connecting link between both Eastern and Western sects considered heretical. They were also
5687-448: The Hungarian King, seeing that he had lost the war, made peace in 1348. Ban of Croatia Mladen II Šubić was greatly opposed to Stephen II's policy, accusing him of treason and the relations between the two Bans worsened ever afterwards. By 1342 the Franciscan Vicariat of Bosnia was established. During the reign of Stjepan II Kotromanić all three churches (Bosnian Church, Orthodox, Catholic) were active in Bosnian Banate. Tvrtko, however,
5808-422: The Hungarian crown. In 1284 this contiguous territory was granted to King Ladislaus IV of Hungary 's brother-in-law, the deposed Serbian king Dragutin . The same year Prijezda arranged the marriage of his son, Stephen I , with Dragutin's daughter Elizabeth . The marriage had great consequences in the subsequent centuries, when Stephen and Elizabeth's Kotromanić descendants claimed the throne of Serbia. Prijezda
5929-470: The Hungarian king to crusade against the heretics in Bosnia. However, Bosnian nobles were able to expel the Hungarians once again. In 1252, Pope Innocent IV decided to put Bosnia's Bishop under the Hungarian Kalocsa jurisdiction. This decision provoked the schism of the Bosnian Christians, who refused to submit to the Hungarians and broke off their relations with Rome. In that way, an autonomous Bosnian Church came into being, in which many scholars later saw
6050-426: The Hungarians and broke off their relations with Rome. In that way, an autonomous Bosnian Church came into being, in which some later saw a Bogomil or Cathar Church, while in reality no trace of Bogomilism, Catharism or dualism can be found in the original documents of the Bosnian Krstjani, as they called themselves. It was not until Pope Nicholas' Bull " Prae cunctis " in 1291 that the Dominican-led inquisition
6171-514: The Manichaean dualistic conception of the origin of the world. This has been partly preserved in some of their literary remains, and has taken deep root in the beliefs and traditions of Balkan nations with substantial Bogomil followings. The chief literature of all the heretical sects throughout the ages has been that of apocryphal Biblical narratives, and the popes Jeremiah or Bogumil are directly mentioned as authors of such forbidden books "which no orthodox dare read". Though these writings are mostly of
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#17327724071746292-586: The Neretva to Konavle, with areas significant Orthodox population under Archbishopric of Ohrid and mixed Orthodox and Catholic population in coastal areas and around Ston. He also expanded into Završje , including the fields of Glamoč , Duvno and Livno . Immediately after the death of Serbian King Stefan Uroš II Milutin in 1321, he had no problem in acquiring his lands of Usora and Soli , which he fully incorporated in 1324. In 1329, Ban Stephen II Kotromanić pushed another military attempt into Serbia , assaulting Lord Vitomir of Trebinje and Konavle , but
6413-484: The New Testament is itself dualistic. Satan is simply the adversary of man and God". In 970, the Byzantine emperor John I Tzimiskes transplanted 200,000 Armenian Paulicians to Europe and settled them in the neighbourhood of Philippopolis (today's Plovdiv , Bulgaria). Under Byzantine and then later Ottoman rule, the Armenian Paulicians lived in relative safety in their ancient stronghold near Philippopolis , and further northward. Linguistically, they were assimilated into
6534-478: The Ottoman Empire gained control of the region in 1463. Some scholars, who sought certain ideological backgrounds and justifications for their political narratives, argue that both Catholics and Orthodox persecuted the Bogomils as heretics and according to them, the pressures drew Bosnia to Bogomilism. It has purportedly been said that, with the introduction of Ottoman rule, Bosnians were often more likely to convert to Islam since some of them were not adherents of either
6655-403: The Pope's side in the Crusade. Ninoslav issued an edict to the Republic of Ragusa on 22 May 1240, stating that he placed it under his protection in case of an attack by Serbian king Stefan Vladislav . The support from Ragusa was essential to support Matej Ninoslav warfare. The only significant impact the Bosnian Crusade had was augmenting the anti-Hungarian sentiment among the local population,
6776-492: The Roman Catholic or Serb Orthodox churches. However, these claims have been rejected by some as an anachronism from the Austro-Hungarian era. From Bosnia, their influence extended into Italy ( Piedmont ). The Hungarians undertook many crusades against the heretics in Bosnia, but towards the close of the 15th century, the conquest of that country by the Turks put an end to their persecution. Few or no remnants of Bogomilism have survived in Bosnia. The Ritual in Slavonic written by
6897-405: The Serbian council deemed Bogomilism a heresy , and expelled them from the country. Large numbers, the majority of whom were of Vlach origin, took refuge in Bosnia and Dalmatia where they were known under the name of Patarenes ( Patareni ). In the time of Samuel , Bogomilism spread into Serbia and Bosnia. The most active area became west Bosnia, centred on the valley of the River Bosna . In
7018-444: The books of the Old Testament, deeply influencing the religious spirit of the nations and preparing them for the Reformation. For Bogomils, "the Logos was not the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity , the Eternal Word incarnate , but merely the spoken word of God, shown in the oral teaching of Christ". Although Bogomils regarded themselves as "Trinitarian", anathemas against Bogomils (circa 1027) charge Bogomils with rejection of
7139-492: The character Antoni Kossakowski (Moliwda) lives in a Bogomil aligned community. De facto independent Bulgarian states from the Second Empire First Bulgarian Empire Banate of Bosnia The Banate of Bosnia ( Serbo-Croatian : Banovina Bosna / Бановина Босна), or Bosnian Banate ( Bosanska banovina / Босанска бановина), was a medieval state located in what is today Bosnia and Herzegovina . Although Hungarian kings viewed Bosnia as part of Hungarian Crown Lands ,
7260-406: The congregation and not by any specially appointed minister. The congregation were the "elect", and each member could obtain the perfection of Christ and become a Christ or "Chlist". Marriage was not a sacrament. Bogomils refused to fast on Mondays and Fridays, and they rejected monasticism. They declared Christ to be the Son of God only through grace like other prophets, and that the bread and wine of
7381-402: The credibility of the Latin documents in which the Bosnian Church is described as heretical. It is thought today that the Bosnian Church's adherents, who were persecuted both by the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches, predominantly converted to Islam upon the arrival of the Turkish Ottomans , thus adding to the ethnogenesis of the modern-day Bosniaks . According to Bašić, the Bosnian Church
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#17327724071747502-632: The cross' or 'christians'). Some of the adherents resided in small monasteries, known as hiže ( hiža , 'house'), while others were wanderers, known as gosti ( gost , 'guest'). It is difficult to ascertain how the theology differed from that of the Orthodox and Catholic. The practices were, however, unacceptable to both. The Church was mainly composed of monks in scattered monastic houses. It had no territorial organization and it did not deal with any secular matters other than attending people's burials. It did not involve itself in state issues very much. Notable exceptions were when King Stephen Ostoja of Bosnia ,
7623-431: The danger of false teachings but he was not specific about heresy as such. Bogomilism was a native Slavic sect from the middle of the 10th century began to flourish while the Theophylact of Constantinople warned Peter I against this new heresy. The Bogomils spread westwards and settled in Serbia , where they were to be known as Babuns ( Babuni ). At the end of the 12th century, Serbian Grand Prince Stefan Nemanja and
7744-402: The direct progenitors of the Cathars. The Inquisition reported the existence of a dualist sect in Bosnia in the late 15th century and called them "Bosnian heretics", but this sect was according to some historians most likely not the same as the Bosnian Church. The historian Franjo Rački wrote about this in 1869 based on Latin sources, but the Croatian scholar Dragutin Kniewald in 1949 established
7865-399: The doctrine in Novgorod , explained that St. Paul had taught that simpleminded men should instruct one another; therefore they elected their "teachers" from among themselves to be their spiritual guides, and had no special priests. There is a tradition that the Bogomils taught that prayers were to be said in private houses, not in separate buildings such as churches. Ordination was conferred by
7986-414: The dominant Chalcedonian Christian churches, namely the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches, with the Catholic Church being particularly antagonistic and persecuting its members through the Hungarians. In 1136, Béla II of Hungary invaded upper Bosnia for the first time and created the title " Ban of Bosnia", initially only as an honorary title for his grown son Ladislaus II of Hungary . During
8107-429: The entire physical universe including the human body. His followers, who became known as Paulicians , were not marked by extreme deviance in lifestyle compared to contemporaries, despite their belief that the world was evil, and were renowned as good fighting men. However, it is not certain that the Paulicians were Dualistic, as in the Key of Truth it is said that: "The Paulicians are not dualists in any other sense than
8228-427: The eucharist were not physically transformed into flesh and blood; that the last judgement would be executed by God and not by Jesus; that the images and the cross were idols and the veneration of saints and relics idolatry. These doctrines have survived in the great Russian sects, and can be traced back to the teachings and practice of the Bogomils. But in addition to these doctrines of an adoptionist origin, they held
8349-595: The exact relationship between dualist groups that arose in different times and places across medieval Europe, questioning whether it was indeed a single movement or belief system which was spread from one region to the next, or if it was multiple movements which arose independently across Europe. Furthering this confusion is that many medieval sources themselves, such as the 13th century Papal Inquisition in France, would often simply assume that all dualistic groups were directly connected to previous movements, regardless of location. Inquistors often described 13th century Cathars as
8470-490: The feuding brothers, and in 1368, Vuk asked Pope Urban V to intervene with King Louis I on his behalf. Those efforts were futile; but by 1374, Tvrtko had reconciled with Vuk on very generous terms. The death of Dušan the Mighty and the accession of his son Uroš the Weak , in December 1355, was soon followed by the breakup of the once-powerful and threatening Serbian Empire . It disintegrated into autonomous lordships that, by themselves, could not resist Bosnia. This paved
8591-402: The four Gospels, fourteen Epistles of Paul , the three Epistles of John , James , Jude , and an Epistle to the Laodiceans , which they professed to have. They sowed the seeds of a rich, popular religious literature in the East as well as the West. The Historiated Bible, the Letter from Heaven , the Wanderings through Heaven and Hell, the numerous Adam and Cross legends, the religious poems of
8712-609: The fourteenth century, Stephen ruled the lands from Sava to the Adriatic and from Cetina to Drina . He doubled the size of his state, and achieved full independence from surrounding countries. Ban Stephen II played Venice and Hungarian kings against each other, slowly ruling more and more independently and soon initiated a conspiracy with some members of the Croatian and Hungarian nobility against his Hungarian liege and father-in-law. In 1346 Zadar finally returned to Venice, and
8833-537: The gods," from theos "god" + philos "loved, beloved". It is difficult to ascertain whether the name was taken from the reputed founder of that movement, the priest Bogomil , or whether he assumed that name after it had been given to the sect itself. The word is an Old Church Slavonic calque of Massaliani , the Syriac name of the sect corresponding to the Greek Euchites . The Bogomils are identified with
8954-513: The heretic sect of the Bogomils came to be identified with each other, due to the scarcity of documents after the Ottoman conquest. In 1203, Pope Innocent III , with the aid of the King of Hungary, forced an agreement of Kulin to acknowledge Papal authority and religion, but in practice this was ignored. On the death of Kulin in 1216, a mission was sent to convert Bosnia to Rome but failed. In 1234,
9075-545: The impeccably orthodox theological character of Bosnian Christian writings and claimed the phenomenon can be sufficiently explained by the relative isolation of Bosnian Christianity, which retained many archaic traits predating the East-West Schism in 1054. Conversely, the American historian of the Balkans, John Fine , does not believe in the dualism of the Bosnian Church at all. Though he represents his theory as
9196-597: The important Bosnian Church books (Nikoljsko evandjelje, Sreckovicevo evandelje, the Manuscript of Hval, the Manuscript of Krstyanin Radosav) are based on Glagolitic Church books. The phenomenon of Bosnian medieval Christians attracted scholars' attention for centuries, but it was not until the latter half of the 19th century that the most important monograph on the subject, "Bogomili i Patareni" (Bogomils and Patarens), 1870, by eminent Croatian historian Franjo Rački ,
9317-548: The important fortress of Ključ , but Vukac Hrvatinić succeeded in defending the Soko Grad fortress in the župa of Pliva , forcing the Hungarians to retreat. In Usora, the Srebrenik Fortress held out against a "massive attack" by the royal army, which suffered the embarrassment of losing the King's seal. The successful defense of Srebrenik marked Tvrtko's first victory against Hungarian king. The unity of
9438-469: The indigenous Bosnian Church (a branch of Bogomilism ), a Christian sect considered heretical by both the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Church . Under him, the "Bosnian Age of Peace and Prosperity" would come to exist. In 1203, Serbian Grand Prince Vukan Nemanjić accused Kulin of heresy and lodged an official appeal to the pope. At Bilino Polje Kulin signed abjuration stating that he
9559-530: The lands near the Byzantine border ( Thrace ) were devastated, and the people living there were left without occupation. The constant change of authority over these lands, and the higher taxes during the time of Tsar Peter I, gave birth to a great social discontent at the beginning of the 10th century. Moreover, the corruption of the church as an institution led to grave disappointment among its recently converted flock. The existence of older Christian heresies in
9680-460: The latter were a majority in most of Zachlumia (present-day Herzegovina ) and along Bosnia's eastern border. This changed in the mid-13th century, when the Bosnian Church began eclipsing the Roman. While Bosnia remained nominally Catholic in the High Middle Ages , the Bishop of Bosnia was a local cleric chosen by Bosnians and then sent to the Archbishop of Ragusa solely for ordination . Although
9801-547: The local magnates waned as soon as the Hungarians were defeated, weakening Tvrtko's position and that of a united Bosnia. The anarchy escalated, and in February the following year, the magnates revolted against Tvrtko and dethroned him. He was replaced by his younger brother Vuk , Tvrtko and Jelena took refuge at the Hungarian royal court, where they were welcomed by Tvrtko's former enemy and overlord, King Louis. Tvrtko returned to Bosnia in March and reestablished control over
9922-502: The main portion of his force was defeated by the Young King Dušan who commanded the forces of King Stefan Dečanski at Priboj . The Ban's horse was killed in the battle, and he would have lost his life if his vassal Vuk had not given him his own horse. By doing so, Vuk sacrificed his own life, and was killed by the Serbian troops in open battle. Thus the Ban managed to add Nevesinje and Zagorje to his realm. Throughout his reign in
10043-526: The means the Bogomils employed to carry on their teachings. Much may also be learned from the doctrines of the numerous variations of Bogomilism which spread in Medieval Kievan Rus' after the 11th century. One of the earliest Christian dualist sects, Marcionism , originated in Armenia (in the eastern part of present Turkey). The church Marcion himself established appeared to die out around
10164-630: The most active in disseminating "heretical" teachings in the Kievan Rus' and other European kingdoms . In the 12th and 13th centuries, the Bogomils were already known in the West as "Cathars" or as "Bulgari", i.e. Bulgarians (българи). In 1207 the Bulgarorum heresis is mentioned . In 1223, the Albigenses are declared to be the local Bougres, and in the same period mention is made of the "Pope of
10285-411: The movement was very active in the region. Much of their literature has been lost or destroyed by the contemporary Christian Churches . The earliest description of the Bogomils is in a letter from Patriarch Theophylact of Bulgaria to Peter I of Bulgaria . The main source of doctrinal information is the work of Euthymius Zigabenus , who says that they believe that God created man's soul but matter
10406-629: The movement. There are no sources of Bogomil persecution during his reign (976–1014). оучѧтъ же своꙗ си не повиновати сѧ властелемъ своимъ; хоулѧще богатꙑѩ, царь ненавидѧтъ, рѫгаѭтъ сѧ старѣишинамъ, оукарꙗѭтъ болꙗрꙑ, мрьзькꙑ богоу мьнѧтъ работаѭщѧѩ цѣсарю, и вьсꙗкомоу рабоу не велѧтъ работати господиноу своѥмоу. učętǔ že svoja si ne povinovati sę vlastelemǔ svoimǔ; xulęšte bogatyję, carǐ nenavidętǔ, rǫgajǫtǔ sę starěišinamǔm, ukarjajǫtǔ boljary, mrǐzǐky bogu mǐnętǔ rabotajǫštęję cěsarju, i vǐsjakomu rabu ne velętǐ rabotati gospodinu svojemu. They teach their followers not to obey their masters; they scorn
10527-624: The one maintained by the posterior Cathars . Their adoptionist teaching apparently came from Paul of Samosata (though at a later period the name of Paul was believed to be that of the Apostle). They rejected the Christianity of the Orthodox churches, though did not accept the docetic teaching of some of the other gnostic sects. They also opposed established forms of government and church, alike to later Christian anarchist beliefs. In
10648-524: The possessions and privileges of the noblemen of "all of Bosnia , Donji Kraji , Zagorje , and the Hum land ". At the start of his personal rule the young Ban somehow considerably increased his power. Although he constantly emphasized his subordinance to the King, Tvrtko started regarding the loyalty of the Donji Kraji noblemen to Louis as treachery against himself. In 1363, a conflict broke out between
10769-468: The previous ruler was related to the Nemanjić dynasty . . Around this time, a relative of Ninoslav, Prijezda I , converted back to Catholicism (he previously switched to the Bosnian Church for a short period of time). Ninoslav eventually became a protector of the Bosnian Church. In 1234 Hungarian king Andrew II gave the Banate of Bosnia to Duke Coloman . To make matters worse, the legitimate successor for
10890-453: The province of Hum (modern Herzegovina ) the Bogomils were also strong, in the cities of Split and Trogir Bogomils were numerous but later they took refuge in Bosnia. Providing refuge to those labeled heretics, including Bogomils, was a recurrent pretext for Hungarian rulers to declare crusades against Bosnia and extend their influence in the region. A first Hungarian complaint to the Pope
11011-462: The refuge that some Cathars (also known as Bogomils or Patarenes ) had found there. To avert the Hungarian attack, Ban Kulin held a public assembly on 8 April 1203 and affirmed his loyalty to Rome in the presence of an envoy of the Pope, while the faithful abjured their mistakes and committed to following the Catholic doctrine. Yet, in practice this was ignored. After the death of Kulin in 1204,
11132-502: The rich, they hate the Tsars, they ridicule their superiors, they reproach the boyars , they believe that God looks in horror on those who labour for the Tsar, and advise every serf not to work for his master. From the imperfect and conflicting data that is available, one positive result can be gathered that the Bogomils may have been gnostics , adoptionists or dualists . Their dualism
11253-408: The same origin as those from the older lists of apocryphal books, they underwent a modification at the hands of their Bogomil editors, so as to be useful for the propagation of their own specific doctrines. In its most simple and attractive form—invested with the authority of the reputed holy author—their account of the creation of the world and of man, the origin of sin and redemption, the history of
11374-560: The same time the survival of the Bosnian Church. Notwithstanding the incoming Franciscan missionaries, the Bosnian Church survived, although weaker and weaker, until it disappeared after the Ottoman conquest. Outsiders accused the Bosnian Church of links to the Bogomils, a stridently dualist sect of Gnostic Christians heavily influenced by the Manichaean Paulician movement. The Bogomil heretics were at one point mainly centered in Bulgaria and are now known by historians as
11495-534: The sense "abominable heresy", though "bugger" in a sexual sense is not recorded until 1555. The Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology quotes a similar form—"bowgard" (and "bouguer"), but claims that the Bulgarians were heretics "as belonging to the Greek Church, sp. Albigensian". Webster's Third New International Dictionary gives the only meaning of the word "bugger" as sodomite, "from the adherence of
11616-557: The south remained independent, but we do not know its rulers, successors of ban Ninoslav. He was inherited by Prijezda II who ruled independently from 1287–1290, but later together with his brother Stephen I Kotromanić . During the end of the 13th and about the first quarter of the 14th century, till the Battle of Bliska Bosnian banate was under the rule of Croatian bans from Šubić family. After defeat in Battle of Bliska, Mladen II
11737-469: The suffix il (meaning God ), in which his power resided. Satanail was thus transformed into Satan. However, through Satan's machinations the crucifixion took place, and Satan was the originator of the whole Orthodox community with its churches, vestments, ceremonies, sacraments and fasts, with its monks and priests. This world being the work of Satan, the perfect must eschew any and every excess of its pleasure, though not so far as asceticism. They held
11858-719: The throne; as the Bosnian Church desired someone from their own sphere of interest, and the Hungarians side desired someone that they could easily control. Eventually, King Bela IV conquered and pacified Bosnia and succeed in putting Ninoslav 's Catholic cousin Prijezda as the Bosnian Ban. Ban Prijezda ruthlessly persecuted the Bosnian Church. In 1254 the Croatian Ban shortly conquered Zahumlje from Serbian king Stefan Uroš I during Hungary's war against Serbia, but peace restored Zahumlje to Serbia. Another Hungarian campaign
11979-454: The two men. By April, the Hungarian King had begun amassing an army An army led by Louis himself attacked Donji Kraji , where the nobility was divided in its loyalties between Tvrtko and Louis. A month later an army led by the Palatine of Hungary Nicholas Kont and the Archbishop of Esztergom Nicholas Apáti struck Usora. Vlatko Vukoslavić deserted to Louis and surrendered to him
12100-448: The way for Tvrtko to expand towards the east, but internal problems prevented him from seizing the opportunity immediately. By the mid-14th century, Bosnian banate reached its peak under young ban Tvrtko Kotromanić who came into power in 1353, and had himself crowned on 26 October 1377. The second Bosnian ruler, Ban Kulin strengthened the country's economy through treaties with Dubrovnik in 1189 and Venice . Charter of Ban Kulin
12221-427: The writings of outside sources — primarily Catholic ones. The monumental tombstones called stećak that appeared in medieval Bosnia, as well as Croatia , Serbia , and Montenegro , are sometimes identified with the Bosnian Church. Christian missions emanating from Rome and Constantinople started pushing into the Balkans in the 9th century, Christianizing the South Slavs , and establishing boundaries between
12342-520: The younger Michael . Satanail rebelled against the father and became an evil spirit. He created the lower heavens and the Earth and tried in vain to create man, though in the end he had to appeal to God for the Spirit. After creation, Adam was allowed to till the ground on condition that he sold himself and his posterity to the owner of the Earth, Satanail. In order to free Adam and his offspring, Michael
12463-483: Was a Christian neo-Gnostic , dualist sect founded in the First Bulgarian Empire by the priest Bogomil during the reign of Tsar Peter I in the 10th century. It most probably arose in the region of Kutmichevitsa , today part of the region of Macedonia . The Bogomils were dualists or Gnostics in that they believed in a world within the body and a world outside the body. They did not use
12584-557: Was a trade agreement between Bosnia and the Republic of Ragusa that effectively regulated Ragusan trade rights in Bosnia written on 29 August 1189. It is one of the oldest written state documents in the Balkans and is among the oldest historical documents written in Bosančica . The export of metal ores and metalwork (mainly silver, copper and lead) formed the backbone of the Bosnian economy, as these goods along others like wax , silver , gold , honey and rawhide were transported over
12705-804: Was always a faithful Catholic, and saved Banate of Bosnia from outside intervention. In 1203, Kulin moved to defuse the threat of foreign intervention. A synod was held at his instigation on 6 April. Following the Abjuration of Bilino Polje , Kulin succeeded in keeping the Bosnian Diocese under the Ragusan Archdiocese, thus limiting Hungarian influence. The errors abjured by the Bosnian nobility in Bilino Polje seem to have been errors of practice, stemming from ignorance, rather than heretical doctrines. Kulin also reaffirmed his allegiance to Hungary, but despite this, Hungary's authority remained only nominal. Andrew II in 1225 gave Bosnia to Pope who expected that king as lord of Bosnia do cleaning of heretics but it
12826-481: Was an outcome of many factors that had arisen in the beginning of the 10th century, most probably in the region of Macedonia. It was also strongly influenced by the Paulicians who had been driven out of Armenia . Slav peasantry in parts of Bulgaria were very likely the first to come into in closer contact with Bogomilism and the young Bulgarian church was aware of the danger. Pope Nicholas I warns Boris I of
12947-514: Was averted by the public abjuration of the Bosnian ruler Ban Kulin , whose sister was married to Miroslav of Hum , in 1203. A second Hungarian crusade against Bosnia on the pretext of Bogomil heresy was launched in 1225, but failed. In 1254, rebelling against the Papal order to accept a Hungarian bishop, the Bosnian Church chose the schism. In the following centuries, the Bosnian Church and
13068-489: Was captured by Charles I who took him to Hungary, which sparked Kotromanić dynasty restoration. Stephen II was the Bosnian Ban from 1314, but in reality from 1322 to 1353 together with his brother, Vladislav Kotromanić in 1326–1353. By 1326 Ban Stephen II attacked Serbia in a military alliance with the Republic of Ragusa and conquered Zahumlje (or Hum) , gaining more of Adriatic Sea coast, from mouth of
13189-514: Was dualist in character, and so was neither a schismatic Catholic nor Orthodox Church. According to Mauro Orbini (d. 1614), the Patarenes and the Manicheans were two Christian religious sects in Bosnia. The Manicheans had a bishop called djed and priests called strojnici (strojniks), the same titles ascribed to the leaders of the Bosnian Church. The religious centre of the Bosnian Church
13310-458: Was forced to withdraw from the throne in 1287 due to his old age. He spent his last hours on his estate in Zemljenik . Hungarians reasserted their authority over territories as Soli, Usora, Vrbas, Sana in the early 13th century. Territory that Ban Prijezda, a loyal Hungarian vassal, controlled was possibly in northern parts of today's Bosnia between rivers Drina and Bosna. Banate of Bosnia to
13431-422: Was imposed on Bosnia. The Inquisition reported of the existence of a dualist sect in Bosnia in the late 15th century and called them "Bosnian heretics", but this sect was most likely not the same as the Bosnian Church . Bogomilism was eradicated in Bulgaria, Rascia (a Serbian medieval state) and Byzantium in the 13th century, but some smaller elements survived in Hum (present day Herzegovina) and Bosnia until
13552-440: Was initially moderate (or "monarchian"): according to their teachings, God created and rules the spiritual part of the world, and Satan the material, but Satan is ultimately inferior to God and his side by virtue of being God's son. However, Bogomils were not quite free from the absolute dualism of Manichaeism and Paulicianism , and over time adopted an absolute position too, believing God and Satan as eternal opponents, similar to
13673-426: Was involved in offensives against the Byzantines when he provided troops for Hungarian armies. War ended with the retreat of Hungarian army in Battle of Sirmium , near Belgrade in 1167. Borić's involvement in the war indicates that Bosnia was part of the Hungarian kingdom at that time. The Hungarians sued for peace on Byzantine terms and recognised the empire's control over Bosnia , Dalmatia , Croatia south of
13794-584: Was involved in the civil war that erupted in Croatia between Trogir and Split , taking Split's side. King Bela IV of Hungary was greatly frustrated and considered this a conspiracy , so he sent a contingent to Bosnia, but Ninoslav subsequently made peace. In 1248, Ninoslav cunningly saved his lands from yet another papal crusade requested by the Hungarian archbishop. The remainder of his reign, Ban Ninoslav Matej dealt with inner matters in Bosnia. His death after 1249, possibly in 1250, brought some conflicts over
13915-509: Was launched against Bosnia in 1253, but there was no evidence that they reached the Bosnian Banate. However, Hungary did control northern regions of Usora and Soli through their vassal rulers. Bosnian banate continued to exist as de facto independent entity even after Ninoslav. Prijezda I's realm (founder of Kotromanić dynasty ) was significantly smaller than Ninoslav's, the northern regions of Usora and Soli having been detached by
14036-594: Was located in Moštre , near Visoko , where the House of Krstjani was founded. Some historians contend that the Bosnian Church had largely disappeared before the Ottoman conquest in 1463. Other historians dispute a discrete terminal point. The Bosnian Church used Slavic language in liturgy . The church was headed by a bishop, called djed ('grandfather'), and had a council of twelve men called strojnici . The monk missionaries were known as krstjani or kršćani ('adherents of
14157-423: Was nominally under Rome, but Catholicism never became firmly established due to a weak church organization and poor communications. Medieval Bosnia thus remained a "no-man's land between faiths" rather than a meeting ground between the two Churches, leading to a unique religious history and the emergence of an "independent and somewhat heretical church". While Bosnia remained at least nominally Catholic in
14278-564: Was only about fifteen years old at the time, so his father Vladislav governed as regent . Soon after his accession, Tvrtko traveled with his father throughout the realm, to settle relations with his vassals . Jelena Šubić , Tvrtko's mother, replaced Vladislav as regent upon his death in 1354. She immediately traveled to Hungary to obtain consent to Tvrtko's accession from King Louis I , his overlord. Following her return, Jelena held an assembly ( stanak ) in Mile , with mother and son confirming
14399-479: Was published. Rački argued that the Bosnian Church was essentially Gnostic and Manichaean in nature. This interpretation has been accepted, expanded and elaborated upon by a host of later historians, most prominent among them being Dominik Mandić , Sima Ćirković , Vladimir Ćorović , Miroslav Brandt , and Franjo Šanjek . However, a number of other historians ( Leo Petrović , Jaroslav Šidak , Dragoljub Dragojlović , Dubravko Lovrenović , and Noel Malcolm ) stressed
14520-524: Was sent in the form of a man, becoming identified with Jesus Christ , and was " elected " by God after the baptism in the Jordan. When the Holy Ghost appeared in the shape of the dove, Jesus received power to break the covenant in the form of a clay tablet ( hierographon ) held by Satanail from Adam. He had now become the angel Michael in a human form, and as such he vanquished Satanail, and deprived him of
14641-624: Was the invention of Satan , God's older son, who in seducing Eve lost his creative power. Concerning the Bogomils, something can be gathered from the polemic Against the Newly-Appeared Heresy of the Bogomils written in Slavonic by Cosmas the Priest , a 10th-century Bulgarian official. The old Slavonic lists of forbidden books of the 15th and 16th century also give us a clue to the discovery of this heretical literature and of
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