Máj (literary almanac)
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Máj was a
Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus' Places * Czech, ...
literary
almanac An almanac (also spelled ''almanack'' and ''almanach'') is an annual publication listing a set of current information about one or multiple subjects. It includes information like weather forecasts, farmers' planting dates, tide tables, and othe ...
published (in 1858, 1859, 1860 and 1862) by a group of authors centred around
Jan Neruda Jan Nepomuk Neruda (Czech: jan ˈnɛpomuk ˈnɛruda 9 July 1834 – 22 August 1891) was a Czech journalist, writer, poet and art critic; one of the most prominent representatives of Czech Realism and a member of the " May School". Early lif ...
and
Vítězslav Hálek Vítězslav Hálek (; 5 April 1835, in Odolena Voda – 8 October 1874), also known as Vincenc Hálek, was a Czech poet, writer, journalist, dramatist and theatre critic. He is considered one of the most important representatives of the May Schoo ...
.


Background

After the
revolution of 1848 The Revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the Springtime of the Peoples or the Springtime of Nations, were a series of political upheavals throughout Europe starting in 1848. It remains the most widespread revolutionary wave in Europe ...
and its suppression, the cultural life of Czech people was weakened by the absolutism of the Austrian Empire's Bach government and also because a lot of intellectuals died. These included
Ján Kollár Ján Kollár ( hu, Kollár János; 29 July 1793 – 24 January 1852) was a Slovak writer (mainly poet), archaeologist, scientist, priest, politician, and main ideologist of Pan-Slavism. Life He studied at the Lutheran Lyceum in Pressburg ( ...
,
František Ladislav Čelakovský František () is a masculine given name of Czech origin. It is a cognate of Francis, Francisco, François, and Franz. People with the name include: * Frank Daniel (František Daniel) (1926–1996), Czech film director, producer, and screenwriter ...
,
Josef Kajetán Tyl Josef Kajetán Tyl (4 February 180811 July 1856; ) was a significant Czech dramatist, writer, and actor. He was a notable figure in the Czech National Revival movement and is best known as the author of the current national anthem of the Czech Re ...
, and
Karel Havlíček Borovský Karel Havlíček Borovský (; Borová, today ''Havlíčkova Borová;'' 31 October 1821 – 29 July 1856) was a Czech writer, poet, critic, politician, journalist, and publisher. Early life and education He lived and studied at the Gymnasium ...
. In 1853 two important masterpieces of Czech literature were published that avoided reflecting the political situation – ''Babička ( The Grandmother)'' by
Božena Němcová Božena Němcová () (4 February 1820 in Vienna – 21 January 1862 in Prague) was a Czech writer of the final phase of the '' Czech National Revival'' movement. Her image is featured on the 500 CZK denomination of the Česká koruna. Biogra ...
and ''
Kytice ''Kytice z pověstí národních'' (''A Bouquet of Folk Legends''), also known by the short title ''Kytice'' (Czech for '' bouquet''), is a collection of ballads by the Czech author Karel Jaromír Erben. The collection was first published in 1853 a ...
'' by
Karel Jaromír Erben Karel Jaromír Erben (; 7 November 1811 – 21 November 1870) was a Czech folklorist and poet of the mid-19th century, best known for his collection '' Kytice'', which contains poems based on traditional and folkloric themes. He also wrote ''P ...
. Ladislav Quis: Několik slov doslovem, Almanach Máj reprint, Prague 1909 The first manifestation of the new generation of authors appeared in the literary almanac ''Lada Nióla'' published by Josef Václav Frič in 1856, which was the first to admire the legacy of Karel Hynek Mácha. Václav Staněk: Stručné dějiny literatury české, Olomouc 1905, p. 98 The authors of the young generation did not have much to publish, and the only literary periodicals were in the hands of old and conservative writers ( Jakub Malý, ''Lumír'' of
Ferdinand Břetislav Mikovec Ferdinand Břetislav Mikovec (14 December 1826, Sloup v Čechách – 22 September 1862, Prague) was a Czech writer, publisher, historian, theatre critic and nationalist. Life and work His father was the administrator of a manor house, and died w ...
).


The almanac

The almanac was initiated by Jan Neruda, then a 24-year-old writer who had just entered his literary career with a collection of poems called ''Hřbitovní kvítí'' (Graveyard Flowers, 1857) which was not well received for its sorrowful scepticism. Gustav Pallas and Vojtěch Zelinka: Obrazové dějiny literatury české, díl II., Prague 1926, p. 18 For this reason, Jan Neruda persuaded a journalist he knew, Josef Barák, who was on the contrary very popular for his tough attitude against the Bach system, to be the editor. The name for the almanac is said to come from Josef Václav Frič and shows the admiration for the imposing
poem Poetry (derived from the Greek ''poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings in ...
by Karel Hynek Mácha. The young authors gathered in the ballrooms of and a café in Dominican Street (now Husova ulice 352/2),
Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and List of cities in the Czech Republic, largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 milli ...
. The almanac was published on 16 May 1858 (the feast of
John of Nepomuk John of Nepomuk (or John Nepomucene) ( cs, Jan Nepomucký; german: Johannes Nepomuk; la, Ioannes Nepomucenus) ( 1345 – 20 March 1393) was the saint of Bohemia (Czech Republic) who was drowned in the Vltava river at the behest of Wenceslaus ...
) by publisher Hermann Dominikus (another publisher who was suggested by Neruda and Hálek was not allowed to publish it by the police). The volume's first page had a dedication to Karel Hynek Mácha, and a portrait of the poet sketched to resemble a picture of
John the Baptist John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...
by František Mašek (1836), in a little chapel in the compound of the ruins of
Valdštejn Castle Valdštejn Castle ( German: ''Waldstein'') is an early Gothic fortress near Turnov, in the Czech Republic. It can be found in the cliff dwelling city of Hruboskalsko, in the Bohemian Paradise (Český ráj). The city was built on three sandston ...
. Božena Němcová was the only author who was paid an honorarium for her contribution, which was motivated mainly by her difficult financial situation at the time.


Reception and following volumes

The only extensive review was published in ''Kritische Blätter'' by Ignác Jan Hanuš. Other magazines either wrote nothing or just short reports. Jakub Malý wrote several diatribes against the young authors in a
Písek Písek (; german: Pisek) is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 30,000 inhabitants. The town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone. Písek is colloquially called "''South ...
magazine (''Poutník od Otavy'') which provoked the authors' activity, and in the next three years three more volumes of Máj were published, edited by Vítězslav Hálek. The group received more and more attention and in the end totally seized Czech literary life. The group was called Májovci, and took on new members (e.g. Gustav Pfleger Moravský, but after the last volume (1862) it gradually split up.


Authors

* Josef Václav Frič (as M. Brodský) * Vítězslav (J.) Hálek * Adolf Heyduk * (as V. Lánský) * Rudolf Mayer *
Jan Neruda Jan Nepomuk Neruda (Czech: jan ˈnɛpomuk ˈnɛruda 9 July 1834 – 22 August 1891) was a Czech journalist, writer, poet and art critic; one of the most prominent representatives of Czech Realism and a member of the " May School". Early lif ...
* (Frič's wife) * Sofie Podlipská (as Žofie) *
Karolina Světlá Karolina Světlá (born Johana Rottová) (24 February 1830 in Prague – 7 September 1899 in Prague) was a Czech female author of the 19th century. She was associated with the literary May School. She married Professor Petr Mužák (1821–1892) ...
* Josef Barák (his short story possibly written by Jan Neruda):.j-lo-mourek.: Neruda – Barák
with references
*
Karel Jaromír Erben Karel Jaromír Erben (; 7 November 1811 – 21 November 1870) was a Czech folklorist and poet of the mid-19th century, best known for his collection '' Kytice'', which contains poems based on traditional and folkloric themes. He also wrote ''P ...
(as J. E. Miletínský) *
Božena Němcová Božena Němcová () (4 February 1820 in Vienna – 21 January 1862 in Prague) was a Czech writer of the final phase of the '' Czech National Revival'' movement. Her image is featured on the 500 CZK denomination of the Česká koruna. Biogra ...
*Dr. (son of
František Palacký František Palacký (; June 17, 1798 – May 26, 1876) was a Czech historian and politician, the most influential person of the Czech National Revival, called "Father of the Nation". Life František Palacký was born on June 17, 1798 at Hodslavi ...
) * Karel Sabina (as K. S.)


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maj (literary Almanac) Czech literature Literary annuals Publications established in 1858