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In the Middle Ages the Chilandar Monastery played a major role in spreading of riting and literature in Serbian lands, certainly in the Serbian variant of Old Slavonic language. A precondition for the flourishing of literature at Chilandar monastery was the creation of a library, which has occured in the 13th century. In Chilandar and Karyes typika the books are mentioned, and in some later charters. Also, each of Chilandar's kellia had to have its own library in order to satisfy the basic requirements of liturgical activity (Gospels, Apostles, Epistles, Liturgiaria, Euchologia, Psalters, Horologia, Octoechos, Triodion, Pentekostarion, Menaion for feasts ... ), as well as typikon and synaharion with Saint's Lifes (hagiography), which was read aloud in the refectory. In Chilandar there are some parchment manuscripts from the 12th and 13th centuries, as they are: the Karyes typikon with St. Sava's signature, an early copy of the Chilandar typikon, and many other.
In its rich archives there are 172 Greek, 154 Serbian and two Bulgarian charters from the Middle Ages. When it is combined with other sources it is possible to reconstruct in detail the Chilandar's history in the 13th and 14th century. So, Chilandar may be called as the centre of medieval Serbia's spiritual life and an intermediary and representative in Serbia's relations with Byzantium.
The manuscript copying was also one important precondition for Chilandar to become the main Serbian literary centre in the Middle Ages, which started as early as in the 13th century, both in the Monastery and in its kellia and pyrgoi.  Theodore Grammaticus was a well-known scribe of the Transfiguration Tower, who was responsible for the notable Hexaemeron of 1263, which is now in Moscow, Russia. The greatest Serbian midieval writers were working at Chilandar at that time, such as: Domentian, who was Theodor's patron and spiritual father. At the end of 13th century Theodosius lived in Chilandar monastery. The workshop in the Karyes kellion was very well known during the 14th century. In 1336, the elder Theodulus copied there the Theodosius's Life of St. Sava.  There are also known monk-copyers: Romanus, Theoctistus, Damian, Job, Dionysius, Joseph, Mark, Athanasius, abbot Dorotheus... This copying work led to creation of a scriptorium which exerted a great influence on the morphology of Cyrillic writing in Serbia and played an important role in the development of Serbian orthography and grammar in the 14th century.
The text of St. Simeon's charter on 1198, and of St. Sava's Chilandar typika, served as the nucleus from which Serbian biographical writing was to develop. St. Sava was both first Serbian writer of the Nemanjic period and the first Chilandar writer.
Very intensive copying and traslating activity at Chilandar monastery has occured at the end of the midieval period. The works of the contemporary theologians and hermits of that time were read and translated, as for instance the works of Gregory Palamas, Gregory of Sinai, Callistus and many others, etc. |
