Literary_activities First_Bulgarian_Empire

distribution of cyrillic script worldwide

the development of old church slavonic literacy had effect of preventing assimilation of south slavs neighbouring cultures, while stimulating formation of distinct bulgarian identity. translation byzantine greek of texts on theology, history , geography priority. literary activities flourished during reign of simeon i had personal interest in literature. gathered many scholars in court translated enormous number of books greek , wrote many new works. among prominent figures constantine of preslav, john exarch , chernorizets hrabar, believed historians had been simeon i himself. wrote hagiographies, panegyrics, acolouthia, poetry, liturgical hymns, treatises on church music, etc.

a page alphabet prayer constantine of preslav

one of first original works on letters (О писмєньхъ) chernorizets hrabar, defended cyrillic alphabet against byzantine greek critics , proved not right existence superiority greek alphabet arguing greek letters neither oldest known man, nor divine. in form of rhetoric questions , answers on letters demonstrated excellent historic , linguistic knowledge of chernorizets hrabar, indicated god did not first create hebrew or greek language, syrian adam spoke... , underlined before greeks had no alphabet of own wrote speech phoenician letters. constantine of preslav , john exarch combined translated , adapted byzantine works original texts. latter compiled shestodnev (Шестоднев – hexameron) included valuable first-hand evidence bulgarian empire under simeon i. constantine of preslav s didactic gospel first systematic work treating sermons in slavic literature featured poetic preface azbuchna molitva (Азбучна молитва – alphabet prayer), first original poetry in bulgarian language. later, cosmas priest wrote anti-bogomil treatise sermon against heretics apart theological arguments contained criticism on contemporary bulgarian society, particular attention religious , social issues.

apart official literature, apocryphical texts written , received impetus after second half of 10th century, imperial patronage ceased during byzantine conquest , subsequent byzantine rule in bulgaria. 1 such work expressing bulgarian aspirations , fears tale of cross tree jeremiah priest considered heretical , banned orthodox church.

the flourishing literary activity , experimentation various genres developed style, flexibility , expressiveness of language. literature produced in old bulgarian language spread north , became lingua franca of balkans , eastern europe. bulgarian scholars , works influenced of slavic world, including kievan rus , medieval serbia, , medieval croatia, non-slavic medieval wallachia , moldavia. thriving activity came abrupt end byzantine conquest of bulgaria. in following 150 years byzantines systematically destroyed texts in old bulgarian language. none of works of first empire have survived in original within territory , have survived later copies reproduced abroad, in russia.