Author:
Goran Kalogjera
Key words
Sava Hilandarac, monk and librarian of the Hilendar monastery, in his book *The
History and Description of Hilendarcc, accuses the Croatian poet, Antun
Mihanović that in the course of 1840, on occasion of his visit to Mount Athos,
requested from the Hilendar monks to allow him access to the old manuscripts,
and he never returned them. Although this accusation was wholly refuted by
Vladimir Mošin, still the fact remains that Mihanović, if not on Mount Athos, but
in Macedonia, did take possession of some monastery manuscripts in a manner
that cannot be depicted as being honourable. His contemporaries bear witness
to this, in particular the Macedonian educator and writer, Jordan Hadži
Konstantinov-Đinot, who in several places in his discussions and accounts on
his travels, emphasizes Mihanović as an usurper of the Macedonian cultural
heritage. The accusations against Mihanovit call for a reply to the question, did
he sometimes *dishonorably., collecting the literary and historical records, help
or hinder the Macedonian, Serbian and Bulgarian literary heritage? The author
of this article holds that, if we take into consideration the unbearable situation
and for manuscripts the dangerous climate that prevailed at that time in the
southern parts of the Balkans, Mihanović's efforts as a collector, regardless of
his methods, was in essence for a purpose that was noble, useful, fruitful and
sublime.
Translation by Slobodan Drenova
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