KRK

U naseljima i zaseocima, na sveukupnom oto~kom
podru~ju kroz minula stolje}a podignuti su brojni
pu~ki sakralni objekti izrasli iz duhovnog obzorja
oto~kog puka. Stoje te crkvice i kapelice kao pouzdani
svjedoci vjere i duha zajedni{tva. Sljubljene s krajolikom,
uglavnom malene i skromne, promi{ljeno su
raspore|ene na klju~nim to~kama odakle su njihovi
naslovni sveci, za{titnici, vr{ili svetu za{titu polja,
{uma, pasi{ta, stoke, mora. U pravo vrijeme u skladu
vjere i ritma `ivota prirode prema tim crkvicama vijugavim
pra{njavim putevima i uskim kamenitim
stazama stolje}ima su se kretale procesije s blistavim
kri`evima, pozla}enim pokaznicama, ~udesnim
mo}ima svetaca u srebrnim relikvijarima, s miomirisnim
kadionicama i {kropionicama punim svete vodice.
Uz zapaljene vo{tanice blagoslivljala se i {kropila
zemlja, pa{njaci, usjevi, stoka, more, brodovi, barke,
mre`e.
Iz skupocjenih glagoljskih misala i brevijara ~itale
su se molitve, izvaci iz Svetog pisma, pjevali psalmi,
litanije. Molilo se i prosilo za sve: za zdravlje, za
dobru ljetinu, sunce i ki{u, “da nas Bog oslobodi od
groma i zla vrimena, od bi~a potresa, od glada i
rata”. Iz kadionica {irili su se miomirisi tamjana
prema rajskim visinama nose}i molitve i zazivanja
Svevi{njem, Mariji i svecima za{titnicima.
Danas vi{e desetaka ovih pu~kih sakralnih objekata
od kojih neki i sa zagonetnim glagoljskim natpisima
uklesanih dlijetom u kamen ili iscrtanim starim
crte`ima svjedo~e o hrvatskoj izvornoj kulturnoj
ba{tini poput crkvica Sv. Jurja kraj Vrbnika u kojoj
nalazimo najstariji crte` starohrvatskog broda iz 13.
stolje}a. Do Sv. Jurja je najlagodnije do}i barkom jer je
crkvica u uvali sv. Juraj gotovo na samom `alu uz
more i izvor pitke vode. Ova malena ru{evna jednobrodna
crkvica s izbo~enom polukru`nom apsidom od
davnina je bila vlasni{tvo kr~kih knezova Frankopana
koji su je vjerojatno i dali sagraditi. Promatraju}i u
njenoj unutarnjosti oronule zidove prekrivene dijelom
mahovinom, li{ajevima i tragovima crvene boje zapaziti
}ete sliku trbu{astog jedrenjaka, srednjovjekovnu
“nav” iz vremena kri`arskih ratova, oko koje plivaju
ribe. Statva na pramcu broda jako je povijena prema
unutra i tvori oblik karakteristi~an za hrvatsku
brodogradnju, koja se u toj pojedinosti sa~uvala u
gradnji bracera. Jedrenjak ima tri jarbola ali nema
kormila ve} na krmi ima dva vesla pomo}u kojih se je
Freska jedrenjaka iz crkvice Sv. Jurja
The fresco of a sailing ship in the church of St. George
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censers and aspersoria filled with holy water ventured
toward these churches along the winding dusty roads
and narrow stone paths. The soil, pastures, crops, cattle,
the sea, ships, boats and nets were blessed and
sprinkled by the light of wax candles.
The precious Glagolitic missals and breviaries were
used to read prayers, excerpts from the Scriptures, and
sing the psalms and the litanies. One prayed and
begged for everything, health, good crop, the sun and
the rain, “may God deliver us from the thunder and
bad weather, the scourge of the earthquake, the hunger
and war.” The fragrance of the incense emanated from
the censers toward heavenly heights carrying prayers
and invocations of the Almighty, Mary and patron
saints.
Today, several dozen of these folk sacral structures,
some of which feature mysterious Glagolitic inscriptions
carved into the stone or old drawings, bear witness
of the genuine Croatian cultural legacy. Among
them is the church of St. George by Vrbnik in which
the oldest drawing of an early Croatian ship from the
13 th century can be found. St. George is easiest reached
by boat since the church is located almost on the beach
next to a source of fresh water. This small dilapidated
single-nave church with a protruding semicircular
apse has since time immemorial been property of the
Frankopan dukes of Krk who probably had it built.
Observing the dilapidated inside walls covered partly
by moss, lichen and traces of red paint, you will notice
a drawing of a paunchy sailing ship, the medieval
“nava” from the times of the Crusades, surrounded by
swimming fish. The stem is bent inward which is typical
for Croatian shipbuilding and which characteristic
was preserved in the construction of brazzeras. The
sailing ships feature three masts but no rudder.
Rather, on the stern were placed two oars for steering
the ship. Since the rudder which rotated around an
axis was invented only in the 13 th century, experts
believe that this is the earliest drawing of a Croatian
ship from the 12 th or the 13 th century. Next to this ship
on the other wall the image of St. George is represented.
Could it be that the dukes of Krk had this church
erected and their men and ships placed under the
patronage of St. George when in 1217 they assisted
King Andrew II in the Crusade in the Holy Land, or
when, upon the invitation of the king and Pope Honorius
III they fought in 1220 against the lords of the
Neretva, Ka~i} and the Bosnian heretics?
At the time of the Crusades, namely, St. George
became the patron saint of the knights and warriors
for the ideals of the Christian faith, the ideal character
of the Christian fighter against the evil. In the 11 th
and the 12 th century, he became a famous saint who
had achieved as great a popularity among the masses
as well as the highest strata of the society as no saint
had managed before, equally honored both in the
Christian East and the West. On Kvarner, St. George
was the patron saint of the three main economic
sources: cattle raising, agriculture and seafaring, and
these crucial features were reflected in his cult and
iconography. He was honored by peasants and shepherds
since he was the patron saint of the flora and