Legenda aurea, Alexius legend, Catalogus Sanctorum, Debrecen codex
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The "Golden Legend" was the most popular collection of legends in the Middle Ages. It was compiled by the Dominican Superior, Bishop of Genua, Jacobus de Voragine, between 1260-1267. Besides written sources, the author relied on oral traditions as well. He compiled the legend in shorter, extract versions in the order of the feast days of saints in the liturgic calendar. It was translated into almost all the European languages in the Middle Ages, and it had a great influence on literature and the fine arts. Some of its chapters are included in Hungarian in the Érdy codex and ten other Hungarian codices. Hungarian edition: Jacobus de Voragine: Legenda aurea. Edited by Edit Madas. Budapest, 1990.
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Alexius legend
St Alexius was the most popular ascetic saint of the Middle Ages. A Syrian legend from the 5th century mentioned God's man for the first time. Before his death this man told the people that he originated from a wealthy Roman family, and on the day of his wedding he sailed away in secret so that he could devote his life to God. The 9th-century Greek version of the legend called the saint and the members of the family by their names and continued the story, according to which Alexius returned to Rome after 17 years and lived in his own father's home under the stairs as a strange beggar for another 17 years. His parents identified him only after his death with the help of a piece of writing, which he held in his hands - this writing told about his life. There are several verse and prose versions of the legend in Europe, medieval Hungarian codex literature used the Legenda aurea as a source. In 6 Hungarian codices there are 5 different translations, the translations of the Kazinczy and Tihanyi codex are closely related. In the legend of the Lobkowitz codex there are a lot of interpolations.
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Catalogus Sanctorum
This was the most popular collection of legends in the Middle Ages. It was compiled by the Venetian hagiographer, Bishop of Equilo, Petrus Natalis between 1369-1372. He used different sources for his book, which was divided into 12 books, containing more than 1500 units. The short legends follow one another in the order of the ecclesiastic year. Hungarian codex literature refers to this book many times, and it is the direct source of several legends in the Debrecen codex. It was not edited in modern times.
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Debrecen codex
Its content is mixed; part of the Hungarian manuscript was made for the Poor Clares of Óbuda in 1519, and one of the copiers is identical with the copier of the Simor-, Nádor- and Nagyszombat codex. Its first part is an incomplete collection of sermons and legends. Its main sources were Pelbárt Temesvári and the Catalogus sanctorum. The second part contains parables, reflections and prayers, from among the authors Thomas Kempis and St Bonaventura are known. The codex came to Debrecen from the Franciscans of Csíksomlyó, its owner is the library of Tiszántúl District of the Calvinist Church. Edition: Debrecen codex 1519. Introduction by Edit Madas and Andrea Reményi. (Old Hungarian Codices 21.)
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