Święci władcy Słowian południowych

Abstract

The problem of the sanctity of rulers, lively discussed in science, especially in the times closer to us, due to the extent of the issue, was only signaled in the introductory part of the article. In the science to date, at least outside the Balkans, this question has been raised rather exceptionally and briefly. It deserves attention, however, since the phenomenon of the cult of the rulers, as far as medieval Slavdom is concerned, occurred in more developed forms (apart from the case of St. Wenceslas in Bohemia) only in Kievan Rus, during the period of Mongolian domination, and (again apart from the isolated and questionable case of Carantania) in two regions of southern Slavdom: to a modest extent in the early Bulgarian state and on a much larger scale in Serbia. The article depicts the development of the cult of the holy rulers in these countries, factors conducive to it, their importance in spiritual life, and political turmoil (especially after the conquest of the Ottoman Turks - the tradition of the Battle of Kosovo), also gives some examples of relevant hagiographic literature, mainly developed by the Serbs.