Serbian Learning Community and Resource

Serbian Copyist Medieval Schools 

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In the annals of medieval Serbia, the Resavska school stands as a testament to the enduring legacy of copyist tradition and scholarship. These schools of transcription, often situated within monasteries and scriptoria, played a pivotal role in preserving and disseminating knowledge during a time of cultural and political upheaval. 

The Resavska school, named after the famed Monastery of Manasija in Resava, emerged in the 15th century under the patronage of Despot Stefan Lazarević, a renowned patron of arts and learning. It was within the walls of this monastery that a dedicated cadre of scribes and scholars diligently transcribed and illuminated manuscripts, ranging from religious texts to secular works of literature and philosophy. 

The creation of the Resavska school was a response to the growing need for intellectual and spiritual enlightenment in medieval Serbia. The history of the Resavska school is intertwined with the broader narrative of Serbian medieval history, marked by periods of prosperity and decline. The Resavska school persevered, serving as a beacon of learning and enlightenment in turbulent times. 

At the heart of the Resavska school lay the art of transcription, a meticulous process that involved copying manuscripts by hand onto parchment or vellum. Scribes painstakingly reproduced texts in the Cyrillic script, the predominant writing system used in medieval Serbia. These manuscripts, adorned with intricate illuminations and decorative motifs, served not only as repositories of knowledge but also as objects of beauty and reverence. 

The language predominantly written in these manuscripts was Old Church Slavonic, a liturgical language used in Orthodox Christian worship and scholarship. Old Church Slavonic served as a lingua franca of sorts among Slavic peoples, facilitating communication and cultural exchange across disparate regions. 

The importance of the Resavska school and similar institutions cannot be overstated in the context of the Serbian language and culture today. These schools played a pivotal role in shaping the linguistic and literary heritage of the Serbian people, laying the groundwork for the development of the Serbian language as we know it today. 

Moreover, the manuscripts produced by the Resavska school continue to serve as invaluable historical and cultural artifacts, offering insights into the intellectual and spiritual life of medieval Serbia. They provide a window into the minds of scholars and scribes who labored tirelessly to preserve the treasures of the written word for future generations. 

In conclusion, the Resavska school stands as a testament to the enduring spirit of Serbian scholarship and cultural resilience. In the face of adversity, it remained a bastion of learning and enlightenment, safeguarding the rich legacy of the Serbian language and culture for posterity. As we reflect on the legacy of the Resavska school, we are reminded of the profound impact of knowledge and the enduring power of the written word to transcend time and space. 

The monastery library of Hilandara is the first and oldest surviving Serbian library, consisting of manuscripts and printed books. It has over 1000 old Slavic manuscripts from the 12th to the 19th century

Fun fact: 

The Resava school in slang is symbolically used for actions such as copying, repeating, cheating, or falsifying someone else's work or idea, in whole or in parts, without investing special effort or understanding, before which indicates unoriginality, worthlessness, and even the harmfulness of the results thus obtained, since it is understood that the copy is worse than the original.

We write in the dictionary: