Mikša Pelegrinović (or Michiele Pelegrinovich) (c. 1500 – 26 December 1562) was a Croatian poet.

Biography

Pelegrinović was born around the year 1500 in the town of

Hvar Hvar (; Chakavian: ''Hvor'' or ''For'', el, Φάρος, Pharos, la, Pharia, it, Lesina) is a Croatian island in the Adriatic Sea, located off the Dalmatian coast, lying between the islands of Brač, Vis and Korčula. Approximately long, wi ...

on the island of the same name. He came from a noble family originating in the Apulian town of

Barletta Barletta () is a city, '' comune'' of Apulia, in south eastern Italy. Barletta is the capoluogo, together with Andria and Trani, of the Province of Barletta-Andria-Trani. It has a population of around 94,700 citizens. The city's territory be ...

and was a son of Marijan and Nikolica. He attended a

humanist Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential and agency of human beings. It considers human beings the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry. The meaning of the term "human ...

school in his town of birth and he studied

law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...

Padua Padua ( ; it, Padova ; vec, Pàdova) is a city and ''comune'' in Veneto, northern Italy. Padua is on the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice. It is the capital of the province of Padua. It is also the economic and communications hub of the ...

. In 1530, as a lesser nobleman he accepted the responsibilities of a Hvar

defensor Defensor (Latin, 'one who defends') may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Defensor (comics), a character in ''Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions'' * Defensor (''Transformers''), a character in the media franchise People *Defensor, a ...

. In the same year, he became a

Korčula Korčula (, it, Curzola) is a Croatian island in the Adriatic Sea. It has an area of , is long and on average wide, and lies just off the Dalmatian coast. Its 15,522 inhabitants (2011) make it the second most populous Adriatic island after ...

n Notary and, at the end of 1538, he made his return to Hvar. On 5 February 1548, Pelegrinović was elected as a chancellor in the

Zadar Zadar ( , ; historically known as Zara (from Venetian and Italian: ); see also other names), is the oldest continuously inhabited Croatian city. It is situated on the Adriatic Sea, at the northwestern part of Ravni Kotari region. Zadar ser ...

council. He travelled twice to

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The isla ...

, in 1556 and 1557, probably to publish ''Jeđupka'' or his other works. It was at that time that he met Livija Martinušević, whom he married in 1558 and with whom he had a daughter, Julija, and a son, Julije. He lived in

until his death. Two days prior to his death, he dictated his Last Will before a Notary.Pjesme Nikole Nalješkovića, Andrije Čubranovića, Miše Pelegrinovića i Saba Mišetića Bobaljevića i Jegjupka neznana pjesnika
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Literary works

Pelegrinović's literary work is not very well known. It is certain that in 1527 he composed a miscellany of carnival songs, ''Jeđupka'', and in 1556 he wrote an epistle addressed to the Ragusan poet Sabo Bobaljević, written in octosyllabic quatrains with a comical theme on curing old-age (). However, from the preserved writings of his contemporaries (

Nikola Nalješković Nikola Nalješković ( it, Niccolò Nale) (around 1500, Dubrovnik - 1587, Dubrovnik) was a Ragusan poet, playwright and scholar. He wrote poetry, romantic canzones, masques (carnival songs), epistles, pastoral plays, mythological plays, farce, c ...

Mavro Vetranović Mauro Vetrani ( hr, Mavro Vetranović) (1482–1576) was a writer and Benedictine monk from Ragusa. Biography Born in Ragusa (modern Dubrovnik), then the Republic of Ragusa, in 1482, he entered the Benedictine Order in 1507 on the island of Mlje ...

Petar Hektorović Petar Hektorović (1487 – 13 March 1572) was a Croatian writer. Hektorović, also known as Pietro Ettoreo or Piero Hettoreo, was born and died in Stari Grad, Hvar. He was a poet and collector of Hvar's fishermen songs, and an important ...

etc.) we know that Pelegrinović had written much more literary material. In 1525, the historian

Vinko Pribojević Vinko Pribojević ( la, Vincentius Priboevius mid-15th century – after 1532) was a Venetian Slavic historian and ideologue, best known as one of the founders of the early pan-Slavic ideology. Life Pribojević was born on the island of Hvar, i ...

mentioned Pelegrinović in his speech on the origin of

Croats The Croats (; hr, Hrvati ) are a South Slavic ethnic group who share a common Croatian ancestry, culture, history and language. They are also a recognized minority in a number of neighboring countries, namely Austria, the Czech Republic, ...

, when speaking of famous poets.

dedicated to Pelegrinović in 1528 his translation of

Ovid Pūblius Ovidius Nāsō (; 20 March 43 BC – 17/18 AD), known in English as Ovid ( ), was a Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a contemporary of the older Virgil and Horace, with whom he is often ranked as one of the th ...

Remedia Amoris ''Remedia Amoris'' (''Love's Remedy'' or ''The Cure for Love'') . 2 ADis an 814-line poem in Latin by Roman poet Ovid. In this companion poem to '' The Art of Love'', Ovid offers advice and strategies to avoid being hurt by love feelings, or to ...

(''Od lika ljubenoga'').

Works (editions)

*''Pjesme Nikole Nalješkovića, Andrije Čubranovića, Miše Pelegrinovića i Saba Mišetića Bobaljevića i Jegjupka neznana pjesnika'' (biographies written by Luka Zore and

Franjo Rački Franjo Rački (25 November 1828 – 13 February 1894) was a Croatian historian, politician and writer. He compiled important collections of old Croatian diplomatic and historical documents, wrote some pioneering historical works, and was a key f ...

; text for printing edited by Sebastijan Žepić), JAZU, Stari pisci hrvatski, book VIII., Zagreb, 1876 *''Mikša Pelegrinović: "Jejupka"'', Mogućnosti, XX., 1973, pp. 781–808 *''Počinje Jejupka gospodina Miše Pelegrinovića vlastelina hvarskoga'', Mogućnosti, XXI., 1974, pp. 684–710

References

*Dukić, Davor: ''Lirika u 16. stoljeću II.: Ostali žanrovi'', Katedra za stariju hrvatsku književnost Filozofskog fakulteta u Zagrebu, 200./2008 *Kolendić, Antun: ''"Jeđupka" i njen autor'', Republika, XVIII., 1962, pp 79–92, 155–162, 253–260 *Kolendić, Antun: ''Mikša Pelegrinović i njegova "Jejupka"'', Mogućnosti, XX., 1973, pp. 771–780 * {{DEFAULTSORT:Pelegrinovic, Miksa 16th-century Croatian poets 16th-century male writers 1500 births 1562 deaths People from Hvar (city) 16th-century Croatian people Republic of Venice poets Venetian Slavs Croatian male poets