Croatia only recently
joined the community of sovereign European nations, however it is a nation
with an ancient and rich culture originating from Classical Antiquity and
the Early Middle Ages. Today's Republic of Croatia has managed to preserve
some of its past
with
official orders and decorations awarded for achievements as diverse as bravery,
heroism, religious and cultural merit and merit in the struggle for national
and social rights.....cont.
In
an age when clergymen were the only ones sufficiently educated to advance natural
science and philosophy, a new movement emerged among Western and Central Europeans,
in which education and enlightenment were passionately
cultivated
by laymen and clergymen alike. One scholar, who brought esteem both to himself
and his people, was Herman Dalmatin of central Istria.....cont.
Persia where a number
of ancient documents and inscriptions mention the names Harauvat-is, Hu-urvatha
and Horovathos (522 - 200 BC.). Proponents of this theory site similarities
in the name Hrvati and the Persian word, hu-urvatha, meaning 'friend' or haurvata,
meaning 'shepherd'. But how credible are these links and have they been drawn
by historians who are proficient in Persian philology?.....cont.
Copyright © Karl
Baricevic. All rights reserved.
Who
exactly are the Croats? Historians have long been aware that the name, Hrvati
(Croats), is not a Slavic name; yet today's Croats are thoroughly Slavic in
both language and ethnicity. Some historians believe the answer lies in
