Jesuit Konstantinas Širvydas (Konstanty Szyrwid) and the Origins of Lithuanian Linguistics and Homiletics

Abstract

Konstantinas Širvydas (Sirvydas, Szyrwid; c.1580–1631), a Jesuit of great merit to Lithuanian and Polish culture, little known outside his homeland, undertook and accomplished various important tasks that the Jesuits of the Lithuanian province set themselves from the very beginning of the establishment of the Vilnius Academy. Among them was the publication of the first Polish–Latin–Lithuanian dictionary (1620) and the first compilation of original sermons in Lithuanian and Polish: Punkty kazań/ Punktai sakymų (Points for sermons) (1629, 1644). The former served the purpose of teaching Lithuanian grammar and language, the latter laid down guidelines for Lithuanian priests on how to deliver sermons. He was also one of the first Jesuit lecturers in Scripture, a dedicated course initiated by theology professors at the Vilnius Academy. Some of his lectures were made available by his student, Adam Pęski (1592–1629) in a little-known notebook. This article analyzes Pęski’s notebook as an important insight into the origins of teaching Scripture at Jesuit universities.