ON CIRCUMSTANCES FOSTERING HANDWRITTEN CYRILLIC LITERARY CREATION IN THE AREAS OF EAST SLOVAKIA AND FORMER SUBCARPATHIAN RUS

In this contribution, problems of investigating handwritten Cyrillic literary creation are discussed and some aspects of results accomplished so far are pointed out. The author turns his attention above all to some controversial questions related to interpretation of Cyrillic literary creation from linguistic, historical, cultural and religious points of view. Circumstances promoting paraliturgical song creation on the border of two religiously and culturally differing communities - the Slavonic East and the Slavonic West - are explained. Some aspects of the traditional, or stereotypical views on cultural, religious and linguistic coexistence in the investigated area are re-defined. The author emphasizes the urgency of rigorous interpretation and re-interpretation of Cyrillic manuscripts originating from the contact area of Slavia Latina and Slavia Byzantina.