Ján Hollý (Borský Mikuláš 1785 – Dobrá Voda 1849), poet and translator, was also called the “Slovak Homer”. After studies at the Trnava seminary he was ordained a priest in 1808, and subsequently served parishes in western Slovakia.
Hollý began writing during his studies, initially in Latin. A fundamental shift occurred under the influence of his Trnava teacher and later patron Juraj Palkovič (1763–1835); Hollý decided to support the variety of Slovak language promoted by Bernolák, which he would continue to endorse for the rest of his life.
Work in translation dominated the first period of Hollý’s literary activity. In 1813 he published his translation of the first 150 verses of Virgil’s Aeneid in Týdenník (“The weekly”). After many revisions he released it in 1828. In addition, Hollý also translated Horace, Ovid, Theocritus and others; a selection was published as Rozličné básne hrdinské, elegické a lirické (“Various heroic, elegiac and lyrical poems”) in 1824. He tried to retain the original metres and verse forms, explaining his principles in a theoretical introduction entitled Prozodia o dlho- a kratkozvučnosti slovek.
Meanwhile, Hollý had begun writing original poetry as well. His production peaked in the 1830s with his trilogy of epics: Svätopluk (1833), Cirillo-Metodiáda (1835) and Sláv (1839). These add up to a comprehensive defence of the Slovaks’ national rights during a period of mounting Magyarizing pressure.
- Svätopluk is a historical narrative of the struggle of the Moravian Empire for independence, asserting the antiquity of the Slovak nation. Hollý’s version has some literary and revivalist modifications, specifically the theme of the treacherous and power-hungry Svätopluk changing and becoming a national hero. The epic hinges on notions of true freedom and a proper understanding of power and government; its form shows the influence of classical epic.
- The religious epic Cirillo-Metodiáda asserts the ancient roots of Christianity among the Slovaks. The Christian emphasis is achieved not only through the choice of theme (the mission of the Slavic Apostles Cyril and Method, whose historical and religious cult was undergoing a revival at the time), but also Hollý’s modification of classical genre conventions. The work elaborates on central ideological lines from Svätopluk, but adds to the celebration of the ancient history and freedom of the Slovak nation a celebration of its intense spiritual life, cultural traditions and the nation’s right to an autonomous church.
- The allegorical epic Sláv was published in the almanac Zora in 1836. It completed the defence of the Slovak nation with an argument showing its cultural tradition. Driven by the growing pressure of Magyarization, it is usually interpreted as a metaphoric defence of the national rights of Slovaks. It depicts the struggle of the Tatra-nation (symbolizing Slavic culture) with the nomadic peoples of Čudovia (symbolizing the ancient Hungarian tribes). Sláv played a crucial role in paving the way for the emergence of the cult of the Tatra Mountains, which was later fully developed by Štúr and his followers, who elevated the Tatras to a core symbol of Slovak identity.
The second period of Hollý’s poetic work comprises poems on a smaller scale, mostly published in the almanac Zora in 1834-1839. They were later published in 1841 in the first volume of his complete works as Rozličné básňe (“Miscellaneous poems”). He arranged them into poetic cycles according to their genre characteristics. The most famous is Selanky (“Idyll”) – twenty idyllic images of nature. Many of these poems are a celebration of personalities of Slovak cultural life, while some tackle civic and political problems.
Liturgical songs have a special place in Hollý’s poetry. They were published under the title Katolícky spevník (“Catholic songbook”) in 1842.
