The Reception of Hroswitha of Gandersheim in Hungary

Abstract

The earliest dramatic text in Hungarian language is a translation of Hroswitha’s Dulcitius. It has come down to us in the sixteenth century Sandor-kodex, preserved in Budapest. Hroswitha’s works might have found their way to Hungary via the German Humanist Conrad Celtis, but the codex seems to have been written by nuns, most probably of the Order of St. Claire. An examination of the codex reveals a clear interest in Hroswitha’s work: the codex is entirely focused on virginity as a ‘living martyrdom’. While the text of the play seems to be intended for reading purposes only, there is another Hungarian translation and transformation of Dulcitius from the sixteenth century, which was obviously used for school performances in Transylvania.