[Ger-Poland-Volhynia] cyrillic language history

[marmel]

Hi everyone,

Happy soon-to-be Valentine's Day.  And here's another joy of love to celebrate on the 14th:

The following history is from my church newsletter, Saint John Lutheran Church-NALC February 2012 Evangel, Pastor's Page (note--My small town & surrounding farmland in northern Wisconsin were settled by people from Czech Republic area.  And I am blessed with an interesting, caring minister who enjoys learning history.):

"St. Valentine's demonstrations of love were the acts of Christian love and charity in "loving your neighbor as yourself."  When Valentine saw someone in need, he helped.  That is what made him famous.

But February 14th isn't just Valentine's Day.  It also marks the day the Christian Church remembers two brothers who acted in a Christ-like fashion towards their neighbors. Cyril and Methodius are the patron Saints of Czechoslovakia and are known as the apostles to the Southern Slavs.  In the mid 9th century they began their missionary work among the Czechs, Slovaks, Croats, Serbs and Bulgars.  Cyril and Methodius not only brought the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Southern Slavs, they also sought to improve their lot. Cyril and Methodius both had a knack for languages.  Cyril invented the alphabet called Glagolithic or Cyrillic and they translated the liturgy into Slavonic."

So that's how the Cyrillic alphabet came into being and got its name!

Thank you to those who have acquired the skills to read & translate Cyrillic. I have no talent in Cyrillic, but I'm concentrating on learning old German handwriting and do so appreciate the work of those learning another language.

May each of us use our talents of genealogy, language, or research to help others.

Linda in Wisconsin
surnames: Hedke/Hedtke, Lück, Eichstadt, Kopiske/Kopitzke (Provinz Posen), Steinbach, Gnoss, Liebenau (Heimthal, Volhynia)