Saint Sava - Law and Literature

Law and Literature

Saint Sava is considered to be a founder of independent Serbian literature. His relation to books and writing can be seen through his typcs where writing, reading and books have been given an important place. His first works are on church themes, unliteral. The first Saint Sava's work with literary elements is his latter to monk Spiridon, which is the only original latter written by Saint Sava which remained until today.

His gift for writing has shown mostly in autobiographies and poetical works.

On the legal problems, Saint Sava had met for the first time during his short stay at the Hum area (1190/91). During his visit to the Mount Athos his legislative activity was a rich and diverse, it is endowed his activity in the monastery had to follow the law, given that he had to sign contracts to purchase property, etc. The establishment of monastery of Hilandar followed a number of different legal acts including Hilandar tipyc. It is believed that the Serbian were organised for the first time by him, analogously to the Byzantine Empire.

The Nomocanon of Saint Sava or Zakonopravilo was the first Serbian constitution and the highest code in the Serbian Orthodox Church, finished in 1219. This legal act was well developed. St. Sava's Nomocanon was the compilation of Civil law, based on Roman Law and Canon law, based on Ecumenical Councils and its basic purpose was to organize functioning of the young Serbian kingdom and the Serbian church.

His literary work is very large, and especially made for the organisation of monasteries. He first wrote three Typicons:

• Karyes Typicon, 1199
• The Life of Saint Symeon (Vita Simeonis, Služba Svetom Simeonu), 1207/8
• Studenica Typicon, 1207/8
• Hilandar Typicon, 1207/8
• Letter to hegumen Spiridon, personal letter
• Psaltir-holding laws, (Ustav za držanje ‘Psaltira’)
• Zakonopravilo, 1219 constitution

In the first part of Studenica typikon he described life of the ktitor of that monastery, his father Stefan Nemanja, in church known as Simeon. Žitije Sv. Simeona, which lately separated from Studenica typikon and became special work, is the most important work of Sava. Under influence of this biography, completely independent literary cind of "žitijas" (biographies) of Serbian saints and rulers, formed. Žitije Svetog Simeona contains eleven chapters, which are sorted in these groups: Building of Studenica, Nemanja's withdrawal from the throne, Sava's way to Mount Athos, Death of St. Simeon, Moving of Simeon's body to Serbia.