# Slovak/Polish: Medieval text



## lk11723

Below is a phrase I copied from an old print.  The language appears to be a combination of more than one.  I tried to find characters on the internet which most closely matched what I had written.  One character was missing and I have placed a ? in its place. 
 
Do you know what language this is?  Or what it says?
 
POTбCSεK  Ad?mεSYK  SUROшIεc  FLYG гбnosIKZBoУnjCY


----------



## Jana337

Hi and welcome! 

Would it be possible to scan the excerpt? And do you know anything about the print?

Jana


----------



## lk11723

I could take a digital picture, but I would not be able to get it until tomorrow.


----------



## Janka

It reminds me of one historical text about an outlaw. I might have read something similar which has something to do with Slovak history. A letter from the robber to the town council or so. But I am not sure.


----------



## Janka

I think these are names of medieval robbers. Its a list. And it has to do with Slovak region.


----------



## lk11723

Here is a picture of the text in its original form.


----------



## Jana337

Yes, most likely names of a couple of brigants. And could you tell us more about the book?


----------



## lk11723

It's not a book, it's an old print.  See attached.


----------



## AndrzejR

I do not know what is on left side, but in the middle is name _Surowiec_ (+ word _flyg._ ) , next to the right name _Janosik_ and word _zboynicy_ (highland robbers). It is about Slovak/Polish legend from 19 century.

I have found interesting side about that, but I am not allowed to post URL


----------



## Janka

Yes,exactly this I've got out of it: Janosik and Surovec/Surowiec. That's why I'm sure it's from our region. The name Janosik is a Slovak national hero. And Surovec was another robber. Janosik lived in the 18th century.


----------



## lk11723

Thank you all so much for your help. With the information you have provided, I was able figure out some of this. 

Do you know what the characters to the left of _zboynicy_ mean?

Listed in this website, I was able to find the names *Adamcik* and *Surovec.*

iarelative.com/history/janosik.htm

(I had to leave off the www since I cannot post URL's yet)

Update:  On the second page of the article on the website above, I found this text:

Janosik has been the frequent subject of creative art in his native country.  Thus, his likeness appears on glassware, in primitive paintings, pottery, etc., in which he and his gay mountain lads are shown dressed in green blouses, red and white breeches, shiny black boots, gaily colored hats with feathers in them, wide waistbands richly studded with gold, silver, and precious stones, and armed with muskets and hatchets. Janosik always has the place of honor as the leader, while Surovec is shown brandishing his hatchet; Hrajnoha shoots off the tip of a tall pine as he leaps high into the air in a playful mood; and Gajdosik is playing his bagpipe while the others dance to his mountain music.


----------



## AndrzejR

This text is in Polish, because of name Surowiec ( not Surovec in slovak ). I see two solutions:
1. This is a list of robbers on the picture: Potaczek, Adamcik, Surowiec, Flyg(?), Janosik zboynicy (now: zbójnicy)
2. Potaczek is surename of artist (he was uneducated man, so a few letters are written turned; this surename still exists in region of mountains), next letters are ADMMC - it is possible this a date and should be written like this: AD MCM, which means Anno Domini 1900 (year 1900). Then are: ZŁY (bad, but maybe a name?) SUROWIEC, FLYG(?), JANOSIK, ZBOYNICY
look at: http://www.star.net.pl/~elzbieta/zbsz.htm


----------



## lk11723

I was thinking that "Admmcsyk" referred to Adamcik, who is listed as one of Janosik's associateds on the iarelative.com website that I referrenced above.


----------



## AndrzejR

It is quite possible that the first solution is true.


----------



## Janka

The text doesn't have to be necessarily in Polish. It's an old text which means that this may be of Slovak origin possibly the author came from a mixed area, nothern Slovakia or so. I've seen old texts in Slovak using w instead of v. The names can be Potacek or Potocek, it was another robber, Surovec and Janosik are definitely Slovak robbers. Flyg I can't understand, I was thinking about Ilcik, but am not sure. I'll try to find out more. This is interesting.


----------



## Janka

I have found a very similar picture. It's in the Slovak national gallery and the author is unknown. It's called the Janosik's gang. http://www.sng.sk/?id=2&nid=32&loc=5&ft=909


----------



## AndrzejR

I think that the first name is Potaczek not Potoczek, because this letter ( a or o) is the same like *a* in name Janosik. 
I think it is Polish, because there are: cz not c, w not v, wie not ve, but maybe 150 years ago it was diffrent in Tatra Mountains. And Janosik was also popular in Poland, although he was Slovak.
Look at my previous post with link, there is also similar picture with short history of such pictures.


----------



## lk11723

I too think that there is a mixture of languages.  The word FLYG is a Swedish word for: fly, flight, aero, aviation.


----------



## Janka

The Swedish word sounds odd to me. We had nothing to do with Swedish in the past. No Swedish people here.  Maybe it's just not read correctly, or written. I don't know, really. 
Good luck with your investigation


----------



## REMOV

The name is Flig not Flyg, and has nothing in common with Swedish people. Flig is a Highlander name in Poland/Czech/Slovak Republik. In this case the name is written in old fasion way (letter "i" was replaced by "y"). 

BTW - some of letters are mirror images because it is a woodcut (from wikipedia: "relief printing artistic technique in printmaking in which an image is carved into the surface of a block of wood, with the printing parts remaining level with the surface while the non-printing parts are removed") and most probably the artist has no experience


----------



## lk11723

Based upon what everyone has come up with it looks like the translation would be:

Potaczek, Adamcik, Surovec/Surowiec, Flig - Janosik Highland Robbers


----------



## Janka

Yes, I agree


----------

