Solfernus
Solfernus

An entertaining history of salvation in a version by Václav Hájek of Libočany

Summary/Abstract: This study focuses on the late medieval infernal novel The Life of Adam, or Solfernus from Olden Times by Václav Hájek of Libočany (1553). The text is briefly placed within the context of medieval infernal novels, combining a biblical pseudepigraph and a legal manual. A comparison of late medieval manuscripts and Hájek’s version showed that Hájek proceeded independently as an author and stuck to the text only at the beginning. From Chapter 18 onwards he significantly modified the original text, enhancing it with new characters and dialogues, emphasizing its fictional nature by removing biblical and theological insertions, and highlighting the grotesque character of the devils depicted. One completely new element is the conclusion of the text, in which Hájek emphasizes the descent of Christ into hell and his deliverance of the patriarchs from limbo. The exquisite and unique woodcut decoration of the text, the participation of Sixtus of Ottersdorf in the editing of the text, the wording of the preface and the many allusions in the text lead to a final reflection on its extra-literary function as part of the resistance to the rule of Ferdinand I, as well as the anti-regime message of 20th century adaptations.

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