THE MEDIEVAL ROUT OF THE SECRET BOOK

THE MEDIEVAL ROUT OF THE 

SECRET BOOK 

MAJA JAKIMOVSKA-TOSIC, 

INSTITUTE OF MACEDONIAN LITERATURE 

sInstitute of MacMsedonian Literature

THE MEDIEVAL ROUT OF THE SECRET BOOK 

When the review on Macedonian fiction film Cannes, Cathars and 

Conspiracy was published in London The Guardian on May 26, 2006, 

which evaluated it high above The Davinci Code, Herbert Lotman, 

one of the leading biographers of modern times introduced the idea 

of writing a novel which will give a possible reconstruction of the 

voyage of The Secret Book. 

The Novel on The Secret Book is expected to be issued in 2010, 

published by MONUM, Carcassone, France, by co-authors Jordan 

Plevnes and Maja Jakimovska-Tosic. The idea to investigate the 

route of The Secret Book through twelve places, from the island of 

Golem Grad in Prespa through South-West of Europe, to the 

Museum of Inquisition in Carcassone, France, has been initiated by 

the search for the original book and its mysterious fate, a mission 

which has been lasting for more than a thousand years.


The Secret Book, a product of the medieval theosophy, 

known in literature as Gospel of John or False Gospel, 

belongs to apocryphal literature with apocalyptic and 

visionary orientation. 

The content of The Secret Book implies heretical elements, 

mainly typical for dualistic doctrines and especially for the 

doctrine of Bogomils. 

In its content it describes the prehistory of creation of the 

world, the creation itself and it also uncovers the future 

history of the mankind, in which, in cosmogony sense, it mixes 

Christian believes with non-Christian ones, based on 

religious-philosophical concept of moderate dualism and 

Gnosticism.


This text, today, is known only through two 

transcripts in Latin, Parisian and Viennese versions, 

known by the names Carcassone and Vienna 

version. 

The translation in Latin is connected with the 

missionary work of bishop Nasaria in Lombardi in 

1170, whose goal was to spread the ideas of 

Bogomils among devotees of Catharism, and that 

was the reason why it was translated in Latin.

THE MEDIEVAL ROUT OF THE SECRET BOOK


Our search for the presumable ubiquity of the path of 

The Secret Book begins in Prespa, along the transversal 

of its trip, which allows us to determine 12 possible 

toponym- markers on its movement through time and 

space, from Golem Grad in Macedonia to Karkason in 

France. 

Here, for the first time, we exclusively present the 12 

presumed places on the map of South-East Europe, Italy 

and South France through which The Secret Book 

passed.


MACEDONIA 

1. PRESPA 

Based on certain Latin sources we could conduct presumable ubiquity 

of the heretic castrum in Macedonia as a possible area where The 

Secret Book came from. Such data are given in documented Latin 

sources, such as The History of Crusade to Jerusalem by Petar 

Tudebod, which refers to The First Crusade, whose participants 

travelled along the important communication route Via Ignacia, 

passing through south-west part of Macedonia. 

The author writes that in the period of 1096-1099 there was a 

fortified heretic settlement (castrrum haereticorum) in Pelagonia, 

situated by some lake (in qodam lacu). The imprecision of this datum 

in science allows more different opinions concerning its ubiquity. It is 

very possible that it is the area around the lake of Prespa.


S. Antoljak connects the modern day village of Asamati on Prespa Lake, 

according to a Greek name , to the sect of Bogomils and 

assumes that the very place of Asamati was the above mentioned town of 

heretics which was situated by a lake, by some lake or near a lake. T. 

Tomovski, in his study Prespa in the Middle Ages points the Island as a 

possible location of the heretic castrum. 

E. Bosoki, in his book about The Secret Book gives his opinion that its voyage 

began exactly in 1096 when the town on Prespa island Golem Grad was 

burnt down. 

Mythical and real stories interweave here, and J. Plevnes found one of 

them in his researches in the library of Vatican, where he discovered a 

written note about a monk-Crusader, who with his tongue cut off carried the 

book from the island , through the Balkans, to Italy and France, a story first 

found somewhere near Venice and written down by the Croatian publicist 

Antonio Jerkov in a magazine Relacion Macedonia, published in Rome in the 

1960s.



2. BOGOMILA The 

Name of the village, on the one side, is connected, to the appellative bogomil. It is 

located in the area of Azot on The Babuna River (the right tributary of The Vardar), 

west of Veles. 

On the other hand, the name has been derived from the same anthroponym, the 

name of the founder of the doctrine, priest Bogomil; while from the semantic point 

of view it has the meaning-the village which belongs to Bogomil. 

According to the existing original material, which mainly comes from Sermon 

Against New Heresy by Presbyter Kosma, it is pointed out that the activity of priest 

Bogomil happened in the time of Bulgarian Czar Petar (in the period between 927 

and 969). 

According to one tradition, priest Bogomil’s place of birth was the village of 

Bogomila, and his grave and a small paraclis were in its vicinity, near the so called 

church-yard, which served as a house of prayers of Bogomils. It is believed that 

during persecutions, priest Bogomil’s tomb was used as a shelter and a house of 

prayers for followers, the right place for The Secret Book.


3. BABUNA 

The meaning of the term babun basically is-a man with a wrinkled face, 

Bogomil, a member of a heretic sect. It is basically acceptable to assume 

that the term babun was used for old, spiritual fathers, probably the ones 

of perfect Bogomils. 

This appellative is evident in many toponym-markers in Macedonia: the 

mountain of Babuna (between Prilep and Veles), The Babuna River, the 

area called Babuna in the western part of Klepa mountain, which is 

situated along the basin of The Babuna River, the village of Babuna, at the 

mouth of The Babuna in The Vardar River. 

D. Dragojlovic explains the heretic appellative babun (from babini, as a 

synonym for Middle East Bogomils), which was brought by Syrian heretics, 

who were sent by Czar John Tsimiski to colonize Tracia and Macedonia. He 

identifies the adaptation of babini into babuna in Macedonia, in the area 

of the mountain with the same name, as a centre of Bogomil herecy.


BOSNIA ( HERCEGOVINA) 

4. TREBINJE 

By the end of the 12 th century and the beginning of the 13 th 

century, Bogomil movement entered Bosnia, and its followers, 

there known as Patarens and Kutugers appeared during the 

reign of Banh Kulin (1180-1204). 

There are controversial opinions concerning the identification 

of Bosnian Church, but in the official science the opinion 

which prevails is that it was a dualistic institution, which had 

similar tendencies to Bogomil movement in questions of 

theology and dogmatism.


In Bosnia we also find culture phenomenon within the domain of material 

culture, known as specific type of grave stones, so called stecci, through 

which the connection with esoteric doctrine of Bogomil and Cathar 

movement is realized and apparent. 

There were two stone-carving art schools on the territory of Bosnia: East- 

Hercegovina and East-Bosnia (sarcophagus, floral motives and similar). 

Central and South-West Bosnia with their specific features represent 

transitive territory. 

According the statistics in the territories of Nevesinje, Konjic, Rogatica, 

Trebinje, Stolac, Ludmer, Livno, the necropolis with stecci are the most 

numerous (2000-3000 pieces), and almost half of the inscriptions comes 

from those areas. 

The vicinity of Dubrovnik to Trebinje might have dictated the development 

of the region, the character of population and its culture and religious role, 

in accordance with the social and political situation. In our opinion those 

circumstances directed the line of movement of The Secret Book, as an area 

which offered favourable conditions for its dispersion and transition.



5. MOSTAR 

The region of Listica in the very viciniry of Mostar, is the area with the 

densest concentration of stecci. In this direction is the rout which could have 

been formed among Trebinje, Bileca, Stolac, Mostar, Imotski and Split, as a 

possible transversal on which The Secret Book moved along. 

The area of Listica, when the number and the location of necropolis is 

considered, was densely populated, before and especially in the 14 th and 

the 15 th century, although Mokro and Ledinac were the central (ruling) 

places in the region. 

It is believed that the whole region was populated with different 

fraternities, and there were one or more necropolis on each territory of the 

fraternities. 

Several specially carved stecci stand out at these necropolis, which were 

probably carved for the leaders of those fraternities. At some of the 

necropoles the finer hierarchy is even evident, with images of chiefs, khmets, 

and ordinary people.



CROATIA-DALMATIA 

6. IMOTSKI 

Acts of Cathar Assembly, held in 1167 in San Felix de Carmen, near 

Toulous, France, represent an important historic source when the question of 

existence of heretic church organizations is considered. 

Pope Nikita of Constantinople, who belonged to heretic church of 

Dragovitia, known for its strict dualistic orientation, chaired the Assembly. 

There he speaks of existence of churches of Romania, Drogometia, 

Melingia, Bulgaria and of Dalmatia, and points out that they are 

separated and fortified and that they live in peace. 

It is probable that The Secret Book from Macedonia and Bosnia arrived in 

Croatia, and then was transferred to Lombardi, a strong center of Cathars. 

The very region of Imotska kraina, the area between The Cetina and The 

Neretva River, kept its strategic and trading importance throughout the 

Middle Ages as an important communication rout in Dalmatia hinterland.


Such a position of Imotski can be followed through 

recorded necropoles, which represent a type of marker 

of demographic-economic and religious situation of the 

region itself. 

Through the transitional area of Makarska cost 

(Makarsko primorje), Kasteli and Trogir hinterland 

(Trogirska zagora), where, almost exclusively, steccislabs 

with a sword and a shield, a cross and solar-lunar 

symbols are found, these signs of iconography enter 

towns in Dalmatia (Omis, Split, Trogir). 

The Secret Book followed this communication connection 

as a line which includes in itself much deeper symbolism.


7. SPLIT 

The foundation of Dalmatian heretic church could have been realized in two 

different ways: one of them, because of the vicinity of extremely strong 

Bosnian Bogomil center, and the other through strong trading connections 

between Constantinople and Dalmatia, where Split and Trogir are centers, 

and where the route of movement of Cathars and dualists can be followed 

in the period of the year1250. 

Although the influence of the Split archbishopric, which gained its primacy 

during the time of Tomislav (the beginning of 10 th century) on basis of 

historic right, is also very strong, it narrows its jurisdiction during the 11 th 

and 12 th century, when the influence of Hungarian church rises, as well as of 

Zagreb, Zadar and Dubrovnik archbishopric. Nevertheless, Split as an 

important political, trading, diplomatic and communicational centre of 

medieval period fulfilled the role of a bridge for goods and religious 

movements from East to West. Through Split, as through an important 

communication crossroad of the Middle Age, the message of The Secret 

Book was probably transferred to the western world.



8. KRK 

Before the translation in Latin appeared, the original 

linguistic and language features of The Secret Book, 

and its original glagolic alphabet, found a fertile soil 

on the island of Krk, where the centuries long tradition 

of glagolic alphabet is evident. 

Banh Zvonimir ensured stable position and reign in 

towns in Dalmatia in the second half of the 11 th century 

(he was pronounced King in 1075 in the basilica of St 

Peter in Solin). He strengthens the Benedictine monastic 

order in the monasteries in Dalmatia.


The well known incrription on the Basca slab (Bascanska ploca-around 

AD1100), from the island of Krk, proves it; written in 13 lines in 

Glagolic alphabet. The inscription writes that two Benediction monks 

founded the monastery on the island of Krk, and whose ktitor was 

King Zvonimir. 

In the period when the slab was carved and inscribed King Zvonimir 

was already assassinated, foreseeing hard, tragic times for his 

subjects and countrymen and a long period of political (and 

religious) turmoil. Indeed, after his death a long period of turmoil 

and chaos set in, in Croatia, which does not exclude religious turmoil 

as well. 

The Secret Book with its dualistic orientation followed the line of 

events at the times, while its content made allusions to apocalyptic 

predictions of its contemporaries. Its transfer from the island of Krk 

towards West had already been prepared.



ITALY 

9. LOMBARDI 

The appearance of its translation in Latin is connected with the 

missionary activities of bishop Nasari in Lombardi, which had a goal 

of spreading the ideas of Bogomols among the Cathar devotees. 

Bacause Nasari in 1170 already presented a part of its content to 

the audience, it is believed that it had been translated around the 

mid 12 th century. In the second half of the 13 th century we find an 

allusion on The Secret Book made by Reiner Saconi, who, in 1230, 

when writing-about Cathars and the poors of Lion-points out that he 

learnt that illusion from the elder son of Bulgarian church-Nasari, 

about 60 years earlier.


10. CONCOREZZO 

In the connection with point of Concorezzo as a possible place of 

transfer of The Secret Book, we would like to mention the comment of 

the Italian theologian and inquisitor Anselmo of Alexandria in his 

Treatise on Heretics, written from 1260 to 1270, who at the end of 

Carcasson transcript underlines: “This is a secret of the heretics of 

Concorezzo, full of illusions, brought from Bulgaria by their bishop 

Nasari”. 

Recently Borst found out that in the radically dualistic Octicania by 

the end of the 13 th century, the doctrines of ancient-bogomil 

moderate dualism often appeared and that Italian Cathar envoys 

often visited their mother bishoprics on the Balkans, which also 

proves their intensive relations in the later periods. This on the other 

hand supports the relevance of the idea of continuous transfer of 

ideas in the medieval period.


FRANCE 

11. CARCASSON 

The irrefutable evidence that The Secret Book passed through Carcasson is 

the Carcasson transcription in Latin itself. Admitting that Cathar in Albia was 

a very strong movement between 1185 and 1227, Ellie Grif says that it is 

still not possible to conclude that in those places Cathars were numerous or 

a majority because there are no evidence of that. For the time being it can 

only be given a relative picture of the number of Cathar strength. 

This point of view can be broaden by a dynamic examination of Cathar 

movements in Okcitania in northern Italy, especially in Lombardi, which 

became a promised land to heretics after the surrender of Monsegur in 

1244. In the second book of Inquisition Gerard mentions ductores 

hereticorum, as well as names of people whom those leaders transferred 

from Okcitania through the Mediterranean Alps, Nice and Col de Tend to 

Rokavionea and from there to the valley of Kunea, known as introitis 

Lombardiae. This is the evidence of living and dynamic connections of 

Cathars in the region of Okcitania and Lombardi.


12. MONSEGIR 

In the town of Monsegur in 1196, a hundred years after 

the presumed writing of The Secret Book, the biggest 

execution of Cathars was committed. 

Upon the order of Simon de Monfor 3260 Cathars 

were burnt alive. When Monfor was asked if all should 

be burnt as there were righteous ones from whole 

Europe who believed the true God, Monfor stated the 

known statement: 

“Burn them all, and in Heaven God will 

recognize the righteous ones”.


The process of dispersion of The Secret book still 

represents a not-completely solved puzzle, as the 

sources are not entirely precise, and a great many of 

them are destroyed because of their heretic character. 

It is necessary to determine more concrete ubiquity of 

presumptuous movement of the book, through relevant 

supportive evidence, from Bosnia and Dalmatia to Italy 

and France, in fact-the route of the active transfersal 

which is one of the biggest mysteries in modern Europe, 

and which was, on its spiritual level, initiated by the fate 

of one book.

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старпслпвенска култура“ – Прилеп 2004 

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Бпгпмилствптп на Балканпт вп светлината на најнпвите истражуваоа, Збпрник пд симппзиумпт пдржан вп 

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Драгпљуб Драгпјлпвић, Истприја филпзпфске мисли у Срба еппхе феудализма, Нпви Сад 1998. 

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Т. Тпмпвски, Преспа вп среднипт век, Истприја XV/2, Скппје 1979. 

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commentaire, Paris, Beauchense, 1980. 

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secret, Slavia occitania, Bogomiles, Patarins et Cathares, Numéro 16, Toulouse 2003, 393-398. 

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THE MEDIEVAL ROUT OF THE SECRET BOOK

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