MIKOAJ REJ and His Times Justyna Laska 1

MIKOŁAJ REJ and His Times Justyna Laska 1 TH

Table of Contents - Mikołaj Rej His short biography Father of the Polish Literature His times His ambitions The Heritage

MIKOŁAJ REJ Date of birth : the 4 th February 1505 Place of birth : Żurawno Date of death : the 8 th September 1569 Place of death : Rejowiec The Rej’s Crest Parents: Stanislaw Rej Barbara Herburt Married to: Sophia Kosuwna (since 1531) Children : Andrzej, Mikołaj, Krzysztof, Anna, Dorota, Bogumił, Elżbieta, and Barbara

His Short Biography Mikołaj Rej of Nagłowice – He lived in Żurawno near Halicz. He was born in 1505. In 1514 Rej started learning in school in Skalmierz. Most of his knowledge, however, he gained on his own. He was a well-read man, an expert on the writings of Erasmus of Rotterdam.

Father of the Polish Literature Not all the poet's works have survived. He wrote deliberately in the native language - Polish, however, Kochanowski is called the father of the Polish language. His writings were meant for the people thanks for their universal form. Polish coin collector

Father of the Polish Literature His works shaped the directions of the Polish literature for years. Mikołaj Rej’s manor in Nagłowice That is why he is called the father of the Polish literature.

Focusing on the Bible, Rej treated the heritage of Greece and Rome with some distance. If he imitated the rules of rhetoric, it would be mainly through the Bible, although other sources cannot be ruled out.

Regardless of the Bible, however, he quoted and translated, and even more often, paraphrased commonly known Latin proverbs and maxims. He included stories and anecdotes from the Ancient history and mythology in his works but subjected them to theses fitting into the assumptions of the Christian ethics. Money with Mikołaj Rej’s autograph

The Bible was always present in the life of the author of Żywot Józefa and constituted the basis of his faith, his political and social ideas and his moral principles.

His times Monument of Mikołaj Rej The poet is often reffered to as Mikolaj Rej of Naglowice but he never lived in Nagłowice. He inherited Krakowskie Brzózki village and lived there from 1530. In 1546 he received an old village of Temerowce from King Sigismund.

His ambitions Rej wanted the world to realize that the Polish literature and culture are rich. He wanted to prove to the world: „Niechaj to narodowie wżdy postronni znają, Iż Polacy nie gęsi, iż swój język mają. ” „ Let all the nations know, that the Poles are not geese and they have their own language”

Autograph He was a good host and founding Rejowiec and Oksza towns, he became a wealthy man. He took part in political life. Many times he was a member of parliament enjoying his high authority. Being a religious reformation activist he often participated in the Calvinist synods and he preached in their estate churches and schools, for which he was strongly opposed by the Catholic Church.

The Heritage Humanistic values of Rej’s works are the toy of a man who can enjoy life and feel happy. Thanks to this cheerful affirmation of the world Rej can be called: a poet humanist.

The best known works n n n Zwierciadło z traktatem Żywot człowieka poczciwego (1567/1568) Wizerunek własny żywota człowieka poczciwego (1558) Psałterz Dawidów - tłumaczenie prozą (1546) Żywot Józefa (1545) Kupiec (1549) Rzecz pospolita albo Sejm pospolity Zwierzyniec (1562) Krótka rozprawa między trzema osobami, Panem, Wójtem a Plebanem (1543) Postylla (1557) Apocalypsis (1565) Żywot człowieka poczciwego