Elvin (also ''Elvinus''; died after 1200) was a Hungarian prelate in the late 12th century, who served as
Bishop of Várad
The Diocese of Oradea ( la, Dioecesis Magnovaradinensis Latinorum, hu, Nagyváradi Római Katolikus Egyházmegye, ro, Dieceza Romano-Catolică de Oradea Mare) is a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical territory in Romania, named after its episcopal s ...
(present-day
Oradea
Oradea (, , ; german: Großwardein ; hu, Nagyvárad ) is a city in Romania, located in Crișana, a sub-region of Transylvania. The county seat, seat of Bihor County, Oradea is one of the most important economic, social and cultural centers in the ...
,
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
) from 1189 to 1200.
Background
Elvin was born into a wealthy and prominent family, but his parentage and origin is unknown. He had a brother (or at least, relative; ''frater'') Boleslaus, also a prelate, who served as
Bishop of Vác
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
from 1193 to 1212. They also had another undentified brother, the father of certain Othmar and Marhard. Based on the geographical location of their landholdings, historian Vince Bunyitay considered that both of them belonged to the ''gens'' (clan) Becsegergely. Early 19th-century historian János Bárdosy claimed both Boleslaus and Elvin were the sons of Both (also Bot or Bat), the ''
ispán
The ispánRady 2000, p. 19.''Stephen Werbőczy: The Customary Law of the Renowned Kingdom of Hungary in Three Parts (1517)'', p. 450. or countEngel 2001, p. 40.Curta 2006, p. 355. ( hu, ispán, la, comes or comes parochialis, and sk, župan)Kirs ...
'' of
Bihar County
Bihar was an administrative county (comitatus) of the Kingdom of Hungary and a county of the Eastern Hungarian Kingdom and Principality of Transylvania (since the 16th century, when it was under the rule of the Princes of Transylvania). Most of ...
. Elvin possessed estates around the episcopal see Várad. He had a palace in Micske in Bihar County (today part of Chișlaz,
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
). He also possessed five vineyards in
Bihar
Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West Be ...
(present-day Biharia, Romania) and several villages along the river White Körös (Fehér-Körös or Crișul Alb).
King
Béla III of Hungary
Béla III ( hu, III. Béla, hr, Bela III, sk, Belo III; 114823 April 1196) was King of Hungary and Croatia between 1172 and 1196. He was the second son of King Géza II and Géza's wife, Euphrosyne of Kiev. Around 1161, Géza granted Béla a ...
sent Elvin to the
University of Paris
, image_name = Coat of arms of the University of Paris.svg
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Coat of Arms
, latin_name = Universitas magistrorum et scholarium Parisiensis
, motto = ''Hic et ubique terrarum'' (Latin)
, mottoeng = Here and a ...
to study
church music
Church music is Christian music written for performance in church, or any musical setting of ecclesiastical liturgy, or music set to words expressing propositions of a sacred nature, such as a hymn.
History
Early Christian music
The onl ...
(melody or
sequence
In mathematics, a sequence is an enumerated collection of objects in which repetitions are allowed and order matters. Like a set, it contains members (also called ''elements'', or ''terms''). The number of elements (possibly infinite) is calle ...
) in 1192. László Solymosi questioned the identification between the prelate and the student, since in 12th century Hungary it was unusual for reigning bishops to be sent abroad to study; the clerics studying in Paris became suffragans after their return, as there are several examples from this time, for instance
Lucas
Lucas or LUCAS may refer to:
People
* Lucas (surname)
* Lucas (given name)
Arts and entertainment
* Luca Family Singers, also known as "lucas ligner en torsk"
* ''Lucas'' (album) (2007), an album by Skeletons and the Kings of All Cities
* ''L ...
,
Job
Work or labor (or labour in British English) is intentional activity people perform to support the needs and wants of themselves, others, or a wider community. In the context of economics, work can be viewed as the human activity that contr ...
and
Adrian
Adrian is a form of the Latin language, Latin given name Adrianus (given name), Adrianus or Hadrianus (disambiguation), Hadrianus. Its ultimate origin is most likely via the former river Adria (river), Adria from the Venetic language, Venetic and ...
. Archivist
György Pray
György Pray (also: ''George Pray'', 11 September 1723 - 23 September 1801) was a Hungarian Jesuit Abbot, canon, librarian of the University library of Buda and important historian.
Biography
He was born at Érsekújvár (Nové Zámky) on 11 Sep ...
recorded the diploma (which has since disappeared) from memory in a letter in 1779, so it is possible that the year is wrong and that Elvin studied in Paris sometime before 1189. This data was utilized by French music historian and composer
Jean-Benjamin de La Borde
Jean-Benjamin François de la Borde (5 September 1734 – 22 July 1794) was a French composer, writer on music and '' fermier général'' (farm tax collector). Born into an aristocratic family, he studied violin under Antoine Dauvergne and composi ...
in his work ''Essai sur la musique ancienne et moderne'' (vol. 1) in 1780.
Bishop
According to the list of bishops by the cathedral chapter of Várad, Elvin was elected Bishop of Várad in 1189, succeeding Vata. During his episcopate, King
Ladislaus I of Hungary
Ladislaus I ( hu, László, hr, Ladislav, sk, Ladislav, pl, Władysław; 1040 – 29 July 1095), also known as Saint Ladislas, was King of Hungary from 1077 and King of Croatia from 1091. He was the second son of King Béla I of Hungary and ...
– whose corpse laid in the cathedral of Várad – was canonized by
Pope Celestine III
Pope Celestine III ( la, Caelestinus III; c. 1106 – 8 January 1198), was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 30 March or 10 April 1191 to his death in 1198. He had a tense relationship with several monarchs, ...
in 1192, at the initiative of Béla III with the support of Job, Archbishop of Esztergom and Elvin. Prior to that, Cardinal Gregorius de Crescentio and other legal scholars visited the diocese in order to investigate the miracles of Ladislaus' tomb in 1191. Several months of solemn ceremony took place in the diocese during 1192. Literary historian László Dobszay considered the subsequent official hymn of St. Ladislaus with French influence reflects the studies of Elvin in Paris. After the exhumation, Elvin donated pieces of the relic to several churches, for instance to the newly founded
collegiate chapter In Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canons: a non-monastic or "secular" community of clergy, organised as a self-governing corporate body, which may be presided over by a ...
of
Szeben
Szeben was an administrative county (comitatus) of the Kingdom of Hungary. Its territory is now in central Romania (southern Transylvania). The capital of the county was Nagyszeben (present-day Sibiu).
Geography
Szeben County shared borders wit ...
(present-day Sibiu,
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
).
Following the death of Béla III, his eldest son
Emeric
Emerich, Emeric, Emerick and Emerik are given names and surnames. They may refer to:
Given name Pre-modern era
* Saint Emeric of Hungary (c. 1007–1031), son of King Stephen I of Hungary
* Emeric, King of Hungary (1174–1204)
* Emeric Kökénye ...
ascended the Hungarian throne in 1196. Upon Elvin's request, Emeric confirmed the diocese's right of possession over the castle of Bihar and the river duty at
Körös
The Körös () or Criș () (German: ''Kreisch'') is a river in eastern Hungary and western Romania. Its length is from the confluence of its two source rivers Fehér-Körös (''Crișul Alb'') and Fekete-Körös (''Crișul Negru'') to its outflo ...
in 1198. The monarch also donated additional estates to the diocese. Elvin was involved in a conflict with his cathedral chapter. According to the complaint, Elvin deprived several canons from their offices in mid-1197, including the provost and the ''
cantor
A cantor or chanter is a person who leads people in singing or sometimes in prayer. In formal Jewish worship, a cantor is a person who sings solo verses or passages to which the choir or congregation responds.
In Judaism, a cantor sings and lead ...
''. Accusing Elvin with oath-breaking and
simony
Simony () is the act of selling church offices and roles or sacred things. It is named after Simon Magus, who is described in the Acts of the Apostles as having offered two disciples of Jesus payment in exchange for their empowering him to imp ...
, the plaintiffs appeared in person before the metropolitan archbishop
Saul Győr
Saul from the kindred Győr ( hu, Győr nembeli Saul; died early 1202) was a prelate in the Kingdom of Hungary at the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries. He was Bishop of Csanád (now Cenad in Romania) between 1188 and 1192, then Archbishop of K ...
of
Kalocsa
Kalocsa (; hr, Kaloča or ''Kalača''; sr, Kaloča or Калоча; german: Kollotschau) is a town in Bács-Kiskun county, Hungary. It lies south of Budapest. It is situated in a marshy but highly productive district, near the left bank of the ...
, who ruled in favor of them since Elvin omitted to present before his court. Saul instructed Elvin to compensate the canons and reinstate them to their positions. Elvin appealed against the archbishop's verdict. The case became a marginal chapter in the conflict between Emeric and Duke Andrew. Saul Győr excommunicated Elvin in 1198, because he did not carry out the sentence and unlawfully he did not reinstate the canons to their positions. Elvin appeared before the archbishop, admitted his offense and asked for absolution. Saul Győr set conditions to suspend Elvin's excommunication: Elvin had to admit that he had committed the offense in a letter with his own seal and the archbishop required his compulsory pilgrimage to the Roman Curia to exercise penance by the deadline 8 September 1198 too. After Elvin met the request, Saul lifted the excommunication.
Pope Innocent III
Pope Innocent III ( la, Innocentius III; 1160 or 1161 – 16 July 1216), born Lotario dei Conti di Segni (anglicized as Lothar of Segni), was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 January 1198 to his death in 16 J ...
warned Elvin in his letter with the date 18 July 1198, not to forget to come to
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
. King Emeric strongly opposed Saul's decision, but the archbishop wished to keep the secular sphere out of church affairs. As Elvin continued to delay the execution of the judgment, the canons also appeared before the Curia. Pope Innocent decided that the case should be reheard in Hungary. In February 1199, the pope ordered Job, Archbishop of Esztergom, Gerardo Offreducci da Marostica,
Bishop of Padua
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Padua ( it, Diocesi di Padova; la, Dioecesis Patavina) is an episcopal see of the Catholic Church in Veneto, northern Italy. It was erected in the 3rd century.John, Bishop of Csanád to investigate charges of simony against Elvin.
Despite Emeric's aforementioned donations, Boleslaus and Elvin, by the year 1199, were considered staunch supporters of Duke Andrew, who struggled for the Hungarian throne against his elder brother Emeric. The two bishops, along with other lords and prelates, were involved in a conspiracy against the king, which, however, was uncovered in March 1199, when Emeric and his soldiers arrived to the Vác Cathedral and forced Boleslaus to give him documents that proved the conspiracy against him. As Boleslaus' envoys were forbidden to leave Hungary, his brother Elvin departed to the
Holy See
The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of Rome ...
to file a formal complaint against the king (alongside his own conflict with his cathedral chapter). In order to finance his journey, Elvin sold his palace and the surrounding lands at Micske, in addition to his five vineyards, in Bihar County to his brother for 400
marks
Marks may refer to:
Business
* Mark's, a Canadian retail chain
* Marks & Spencer, a British retail chain
* Collective trade marks, trademarks owned by an organisation for the benefit of its members
* Marks & Co, the inspiration for the novel '' ...
. Pope Innocent III sent a letter to Emeric on 21 June 1199, which reflects Elvin's report. Accordingly, Emeric and his soldiers violently broke into the cathedral. The king himself physically assaulted Boleslaus, while his troops broke the lock, looted the treasury and confiscated the privilege letters of the diocese. Pope Innocent entrusted Saul Győr, the Archbishop of Kalocsa to investigate the conflict, but Emeric hindered his activity by preventing his visitation to the royal court.
Emeric sent a reply letter to the pope shortly after. He denied any physical abuse and narrated that Boleslaus and Elvin, in addition to John, Bishop of Veszprém were leading prelates of Andrew's conspiracy against him. Emeric narrated that, when he dismissed Mog – who betrayed him and defected to the court of Duke Andrew – from the position of
Palatine of Hungary
The Palatine of Hungary ( hu, nádor or , german: Landespalatin, la, palatinus regni Hungariae) was the highest-ranking office in the Kingdom of Hungary from the beginning of the 11th century to 1848. Initially, Palatines were represe ...
and attempted to install his partisan
Mika Ják
Mika (I) from the kindred Ják ( hu, Ják nembeli (I) Mika; died after 1202) was a Hungarian influential lord in the Kingdom of Hungary at the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries.Markó 2006, p. 233.
Family
Mika (also Mike or Michael) belonged to ...
excommunicated
Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to end or at least regulate the communion of a member of a congregation with other members of the religious institution who are in normal communion with each other. The purpose ...
the lord, because he had formerly captured one of the bishopric's clergymen, who functioned as a messenger of the king's enemies who supported Duke Andrew. In addition, Emeric also claimed that the neglect of Saul Győr was due to the safety of the archbishop, whose lives would have been endangered by the adherents of Elvin. Elvin's bishopric lasted until 1200, according to the cathedral chapter's list of bishops. He was succeeded by
Simon
Simon may refer to:
People
* Simon (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name Simon
* Simon (surname), including a list of people with the surname Simon
* Eugène Simon, French naturalist and the genus ...
, who is first mentioned in this capacity in 1202. Historian Géza Érszegi considered Elvin's disappearance after 1200 was a result of the attempt of Pope Innocent's mediation between Emeric and Andrew.