Myjava and Chvojnica in the notitia of the Nitra County
(historical-geographical analysis and interpretation)
Matthias Bel in his work Notitia Hungariae Novae historico-geographica offered a contemporary view of the condition, significance, response and specific features of Hungarian counties within the Habsburg monarchy. The aim of the present study is the historical-geographical analysis and interpretation of SectionsVIII and IX of the Paragraph V in the natural history work of Notitia of the Nitra County in which Matthias Bel described rivers of the Lower Morava River basin – Myjava and Chvojnica. The historical-geographical “probe” into time characteristics of these rivers was realised through critical commentary of the translation of the original (Latin written) text using professional literature, old maps, results of field research and own knowledge of the given area. Phenomena described by Matthias Bel in the given paragraphs naturally not always correspond with today´s level of knowledge. Nevertheless, information about the Myjava and Chvojnica rivers reflects not only the time view of specific water streams of the examined territory. It also serves as an evidence of Bel´s method and creativity of this enlightener – Magnum decus Hungariae. We do not consider the historical-geographical research of the examined area to be completed. We see possible continuation e.g. in the studies of the development of historic names of settlements or in the application of a specific method of analysing and interpreting further sections (paragraphs) of the part on nature of the “Nitra” Notitia.
Keywords: Matthias Bel, Notitia, Nitra County, water streams, Chvojnica, Myjava
1. For the structure of Notitia see Katarína Rácová, Trenčín pohľadom Mateja Bela, Nitra, FF UKF, 2012, p. 16-22.
2. Comitatus Nitriensis, In: Bel, Matthiae. Notitia Hungariae novae Historico-Geographica divisa in partesquatuor, quarum prima, HungariamCis-Danubianam, altera Trans-anubianam, tertiaCis-Tibiscanam; quarta Trans-Tibiscanam: universim XLVIII comitibus designatam, ex promitregionissitus, terminos, montes, campos, fluvios, locus, thermas, coeli, solique ingenium, naturae munera et prodigia, incolasvariarum gentilium, atqueharum mores, rovinciarum magistratus illustres familias, urbes, arces, oppida et vicos prope modum omnes, singulorum praeterea, ortus et incrementa, belli pacis que conversiones, et praesentem habitum fide optima, adcuratione summa, explicat, opus, hucusque desideratum, et in commune utile, sacratissimis auspiciis Caroli VI. caesaris, et regis indulgentissimi elaboravit Matthias Bel. Accendunt Samuelis Mikovini mappae singulorum comitatuum, method astronomico-geometrica concinnatae.Tomus Quartus. Viennae Austriae: Impensis Paulli Straubii Bibliopolae. Typis Johannis Petri van Ghelen, typographi caesarei. Anno MDCCXLII,p. 291-522. Article avilable at the web adress: http://oldbooks.savba.sk/digi/Lyc_B_VIII_33_IV/LKB_LYC_B_VIII_FOL_2ZZI/SK/1_1 _LYC_B_VIII_FOL_2ZZIN00291-522P.htm (14.2.2014). The fourth volume, except of the mentioned Nitra County contains the description of the Novohrad, Tekov, Hont and Malohont Counties.
3. Juraj Žudel. Administratívne členenie Slovenska v prvej polovici 18. storočia podľa Belovho diela Notitia Hungariae novae Historico-geographica. In: Slovenská archivistika 1984, 19/1, p.43-54.
4. Ľubomír Prikryl, V. Matej Bel a jaskyne na Slovensku. In: Slovenský kras, 22/1, 1984, p. 5-24. Idem, Matej Bel ako geograf. In:Geografický časopis 36/1, 1984, p. 3-18. Idem, Prvky ge ografie obyvateľstva v diele Mateja Bela. In: Geografickýčasopis, 46/1, 1994, p. 87-93.
5. Mathiae Bel, COMITATUS NITRIENSIS, PARS GENERALIS, MEMBRUM PRIUS PHYSICUM, de situ, natura, opportunitatibusComitatus Nitriensis, § V., p. 296-300. Article avilable at the web adress: http://oldbooks.savba.sk/digi/Lyc_B_VIII_33_IV/LKB_LYC_B_VIII_FOL_2ZZI/SK/1_1_LYC_B_VIII_FOL_2ZZIN00296-300P.htm (14.2.2014)
6. Ivona Kollárová, Matej Bel – vydavateľ náboženskej literatúry. In:Historický časopis 51/2, 2003, p. 263-276, Ján Oberuč, Matej Bel – pietista na Slovensku v 18. storočí. BanskáBystrica, Chronos, 2002, Ján Tibenský, Matej Bel a Apológia Trenčianskej stolice. In: Historický časopis, 25/2, 1977, p. 239-260; Idem, Veľká ozdoba Uhorska: Dielo, život a doba Mateja Bela. Bratislava,Tatran, 1984, Idem, Matej Bel: doba, život, dielo. Bratislava, Ústav historických vied SAV, 1987; Idem, Výskum života a diela Mateja Bela na širších a pevnejších základoch.In:Historickýčasopis, 43/2, 1995, p. 230-245, Ján Tibenský, Ján Drdoš. Matej Bel – slovenský geograf/ Matthias Bel – the Slovak Geographer, Bratislava, VEDA, 1984; Ferdinand Uličný, Notície Mateja Bela o šarišskej a zemplínskej stolici. In: Nové obzory 29, 1987, p. 145, Mária Vyvíjalová, Matej Bel autorom Apológie? In: Historický časopis 24/4, 1976, p. 517-570, Idem, Matej Bel a idea občianskej spoločnosti. Martin, Matica Slovenská, 2001.
7. Katarína Rácová, Nitrianska stolica pohľadom Mateja Bela. In: Studia Historica Nitriensia 10, 2002, p. 237-273.
8. Miroslav Martinický. Bel: Notitia Trenchiniensis – „horopis“ a „Váhopis“. Article avilable at the web adress: http://miro-martinicky.blogspot.sk/2011/01/m-bel-notitiatrenchiniensis-horopis.html (2.11.2013), Idem,M. Bel: Notície Trenčianskejstolice – „potokopis“ . Article avilable at the web adress: http://miro-martinicky.blogspot.sk/2011/02/m-belnoticie-trencianskej-stolice.html (1.11.2013), Idem, Bel: Trenčianske notitia o kúpeľoch. Article avilable at the web adress: http://miro-martinicky.blogspot.sk/2011/03/bel-trencianske-notitia-s-16-20-o.html (2.11.2013).
9. Branislav Varsik,Slovanské (slovenské) názvy riek naSlovensku a ich prevzatie Maďarmi v 10. – 12. storočí (Príspevok k etnogenéze Slovákov). Bratislava,nVEDA, 1990, Andrej Závodný, Hydronymia slovenskej časti povodia Moravy.Trnava,Typis Universitatis Tyrnaviensis, 2012.
10. Anton Porubský,Vodné bohatstvo Slovenska. Bratislava, VEDA, 1991, Emil Šimo, Voda: Povrchové vody. In: Michal Lukniš et alii, Slovensko 2 – Príroda. Bratislava, Obzor, 1972, p. 283-342.
11. Autoatlas – Slovenskárepublika 1: 100 000.Harmanec, VKÚ, 2002.
12. Juraj Žudel,Stolice na Slovensku. Bratislava, Obzor, 1984, p. 80.
13. The order of the flow is a number specifying the number of gradual discharge of water streams to the sea. The water stream discharged to the sea is of the first, utmost order (Danube in Slovakia). The order of a water stream is labelled with Roman numerals (flows with higher numbers are of lower order).
14. Anton Porubský,Vodné, ref. 10, p.51.
15. Ibidem, p. 51.
16. Emil Šimo,Voda, ref. 10, p. 288.
17. Anton Porubský,Vodné, ref. 10, p. 52.
18. The name of Myjavawas motivated by water activity and comes from the verb myť, podmývať(wash, wash away) since the river eroded (washed away) in the area of Prietržea deep valley. See Andrej Závodný, Hydronymy, ref. 9, p. 203, Branislav Varsik, Slovanské, ref. 9, p. 20.
19. It involves White Carpathians that represented the historical borded between Hungary and Morava.
20. Today´s Šaštín-Stráže.The township (a town since 2001) originated in 1960 by joining the townships of Šaštín and Stráže nad Myjavou, separated by the Myjava River. See http://www.ezahorie.sk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=588&Itemid=50 (12.11.2013)
21. Ferdinand Kubíček, Róbert Kanka, Lesy na viatych pieskoch Borskej nížiny. In:Záhorie, 12/2, 2013, p. 22. 22. Karol Hensel. Informácia o čeľadi „fundulovité“, osobná komunikácia. e-mail: hensel@nic. fns.uniba.sk (16.11.2013).
23. Andrej Závodný, Hydronymy, ref. 9, p. 23-24, 199.
24. The name of Chvojnica motivated overgrow near the stream (old Slavic nounchvojъ, chvoja= a branch of a coniferous tree). See Andrej Závodný, Hydronymy, ref. 9, p. 25, 130; Branislav Varsik, Slovanské, ref. 9, p. 20.
25. Z histórie povodní v Sobotišti. Article avilable at the web adress: http://www.obecsobotiste.sk/Z-historie-povodni.aspx (13.11.2013)
26. Miloš Stankoviansky, Geomorfologická odozva environmentálnych zmien na území Myjavskej pahorkatiny. Bratislava, Vydavateľstvo UK, 2003, p. 74.
27. Stanislava Gogová, Archeológia a múzejná prezentácia. Nitra, FF UKF, 2011, p. 68-73.
28. Miroslav Palárik, Aplikácia regionálnych dejín do školskej praxe prostredníctvom realizácie projektu Mesto pod mestom. In: Studia Historica Nitriensia, 17/2, 2013 p. 224.
29. Ladislav Lenovský, Kontexty identity. In: Ethnologia Actualis Slovaca. Revue pre výskum kultúr etnických spoločenstiev 6, 2006, p. 23.
30. See example: Ivan Bičík, et alii, Vývoj využití ploch v Česku. Praha, Česká geografická společnost, 2010, p. 186-187; Martin Boltižiar, Štruktúra vysokohorskej krajiny Tatier. Nitra, FPV UKF, 2007, p. 228, Branislav Olah, Vývoj využitia krajiny Podpoľania: Starostlivosť o kultúrnu krajinu prechodnej zóny Biosférickej rezervácie Poľana. Zvolen, FEE TU, 2003, p. 96-97.
