George Murnu
Encyclopedia
George Murnu was a Romania
n university professor, archaeologist, historian, translator, and poet of Aromanian
origin.
After attending the courses of the Romanian primary and secondary schools in Macedonia
at Bitola
, he attended the University of Bucharest
. In 1893, at age 25, Murnu was appointed professor at the University of Iaşi and shortly afterwards was awarded a scholarship
by the Romanian State in order to complete his postgraduate studies in Munich
, and, after several years he returned to Romania after completing a doctorate
in philology
. A fruitful scholarly activity followed, culminating in Murnu becoming a chairman professor of archaeology at the University of Bucharest.
In 1909, he was appointed head of the National Archaeological Museum in Bucharest by the Ministry of Public Instruction and Religious Confessions. He has translated an accomplished version of the Odyssey
and Iliad
into Romanian
. He also wrote his own works of poetry (with bucolic themes), both in Romanian and in his native Aromanian language
.
Murnu was a sympathizer of the far right
Iron Guard
, and was an intimate friend of the Aromanian secessionist
politician, head of the Principality of Pindus, Alchiviad Diamandi di Samarina. After the end of World War II
, Murnu was not subject to legal investigation - probably due to his age and prestige.
He was elected a full member of the Romanian Academy
. Nowadays, a street in the Romanian Black Sea
port of Mangalia
bears his name.
)
Din bură de codri răsună chemare
Din glasuri de păsări, de frunze, de crengi
De şoapte lungi, de fântâni, de izvoare
Cu lacrimi de umbră, cu zâmbet de soare;
Şi clopote-aud, cunoscute tălăngi
De turme răzleţe pe văi şi pripoare
Grailu armãnescu (in Aromanian
)
Grailu-a mel di mumã, grailu-a mel di tatã
Vatra-a mea iu ni-arde anjli tsi-am bãnatã
Grai picurãrescu di pãdhuri shi ploae
Zbor tsi-avdzãi dit gura-a paplui shi ali mae
Zbor di budzã vrutã, dumnidzescã njilã
Anjurizmã di frangã shi di trandafilã.
Lavã di cãshare, boatse di cãlivã
Suflã vindicare-a ta dultse livã.
Adiljat di moscu, duh di primuverã
Bana nj-u cutreamburã ca unã fluiarã
Tsi di dor pitrunde noaptea tu pundie
Inima-nj ti-cãntã, mãna-nj tut ti-scrie.
Stãu, tsi-ascultu plãngu, jalea shi niholu,
Ved ãncrutsiljatã Soia-nj ca Hristolu
Shi mizie li-si-avde zborlu-a tal dit gurã.
Scumpa-a mea fãntãnã tsi anarga curã,
Mãne, poate mãne, di dushmanj biutã,
Va s-armãne tu etã pondã shi tãcutã.
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n university professor, archaeologist, historian, translator, and poet of Aromanian
Aromanians
Aromanians are a Latin people native throughout the southern Balkans, especially in northern Greece, Albania, the Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria, and as an emigrant community in Serbia and Romania . An older term is Macedo-Romanians...
origin.
After attending the courses of the Romanian primary and secondary schools in Macedonia
Macedonia (region)
Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of the Balkan peninsula in southeastern Europe. Its boundaries have changed considerably over time, but nowadays the region is considered to include parts of five Balkan countries: Greece, the Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria, Albania, Serbia, as...
at Bitola
Bitola
Bitola is a city in the southwestern part of the Republic of Macedonia. The city is an administrative, cultural, industrial, commercial, and educational centre. It is located in the southern part of the Pelagonia valley, surrounded by the Baba and Nidže mountains, 14 km north of the...
, he attended the University of Bucharest
University of Bucharest
The University of Bucharest , in Romania, is a university founded in 1864 by decree of Prince Alexander John Cuza to convert the former Saint Sava Academy into the current University of Bucharest.-Presentation:...
. In 1893, at age 25, Murnu was appointed professor at the University of Iaşi and shortly afterwards was awarded a scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
by the Romanian State in order to complete his postgraduate studies in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, and, after several years he returned to Romania after completing a doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in philology
Philology
Philology is the study of language in written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics.Classical philology is the philology of Greek and Classical Latin...
. A fruitful scholarly activity followed, culminating in Murnu becoming a chairman professor of archaeology at the University of Bucharest.
In 1909, he was appointed head of the National Archaeological Museum in Bucharest by the Ministry of Public Instruction and Religious Confessions. He has translated an accomplished version of the Odyssey
Odyssey
The Odyssey is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is, in part, a sequel to the Iliad, the other work ascribed to Homer. The poem is fundamental to the modern Western canon, and is the second—the Iliad being the first—extant work of Western literature...
and Iliad
Iliad
The Iliad is an epic poem in dactylic hexameters, traditionally attributed to Homer. Set during the Trojan War, the ten-year siege of the city of Troy by a coalition of Greek states, it tells of the battles and events during the weeks of a quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles...
into Romanian
Romanian language
Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
. He also wrote his own works of poetry (with bucolic themes), both in Romanian and in his native Aromanian language
Aromanian language
Aromanian , also known as Macedo-Romanian, Arumanian or Vlach is an Eastern Romance language spoken in Southeastern Europe...
.
Murnu was a sympathizer of the far right
Far right
Far-right, extreme right, hard right, radical right, and ultra-right are terms used to discuss the qualitative or quantitative position a group or person occupies within right-wing politics. Far-right politics may involve anti-immigration and anti-integration stances towards groups that are...
Iron Guard
Iron Guard
The Iron Guard is the name most commonly given to a far-right movement and political party in Romania in the period from 1927 into the early part of World War II. The Iron Guard was ultra-nationalist, fascist, anti-communist, and promoted the Orthodox Christian faith...
, and was an intimate friend of the Aromanian secessionist
Separatism
Separatism is the advocacy of a state of cultural, ethnic, tribal, religious, racial, governmental or gender separation from the larger group. While it often refers to full political secession, separatist groups may seek nothing more than greater autonomy...
politician, head of the Principality of Pindus, Alchiviad Diamandi di Samarina. After the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Murnu was not subject to legal investigation - probably due to his age and prestige.
He was elected a full member of the Romanian Academy
Romanian Academy
The Romanian Academy is a cultural forum founded in Bucharest, Romania, in 1866. It covers the scientific, artistic and literary domains. The academy has 181 acting members who are elected for life....
. Nowadays, a street in the Romanian Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
port of Mangalia
Mangalia
Mangalia , is a city and a port on the coast of the Black Sea in the south-east of Constanţa County, Romania.The municipality of Mangalia also administers several summer time seaside resorts: Cap Aurora, Jupiter, Neptun, Olimp, Saturn, Venus.-History:...
bears his name.
Works
- Românii din Bulgaria medievală ("Romanians in Medieval BulgariaBulgariaBulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
") - Studiu asupra elementului grec ante-fanariot în limba română ("Essay on the pre-Phanariote Greek languageGreek languageGreek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
elements in Romanian")
Poetry written by Murnu
Cântecul plaiurilor noastre (in RomanianRomanian language
Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
)
Din bură de codri răsună chemare
Din glasuri de păsări, de frunze, de crengi
De şoapte lungi, de fântâni, de izvoare
Cu lacrimi de umbră, cu zâmbet de soare;
Şi clopote-aud, cunoscute tălăngi
De turme răzleţe pe văi şi pripoare
Grailu armãnescu (in Aromanian
Aromanian language
Aromanian , also known as Macedo-Romanian, Arumanian or Vlach is an Eastern Romance language spoken in Southeastern Europe...
)
Grailu-a mel di mumã, grailu-a mel di tatã
Vatra-a mea iu ni-arde anjli tsi-am bãnatã
Grai picurãrescu di pãdhuri shi ploae
Zbor tsi-avdzãi dit gura-a paplui shi ali mae
Zbor di budzã vrutã, dumnidzescã njilã
Anjurizmã di frangã shi di trandafilã.
Lavã di cãshare, boatse di cãlivã
Suflã vindicare-a ta dultse livã.
Adiljat di moscu, duh di primuverã
Bana nj-u cutreamburã ca unã fluiarã
Tsi di dor pitrunde noaptea tu pundie
Inima-nj ti-cãntã, mãna-nj tut ti-scrie.
Stãu, tsi-ascultu plãngu, jalea shi niholu,
Ved ãncrutsiljatã Soia-nj ca Hristolu
Shi mizie li-si-avde zborlu-a tal dit gurã.
Scumpa-a mea fãntãnã tsi anarga curã,
Mãne, poate mãne, di dushmanj biutã,
Va s-armãne tu etã pondã shi tãcutã.
Sources
- Nicolae-Şerban Tanaşoca, Realism şi idealism în "Chestiunea aromâneascã". Un episod diplomatic din viaţa lui George Murnu în lumina corespondenţei sale inedite (Réalisme et idéalisme dans "la question aroumaine". Un épisode diplomatique de la vie de George Murnu a la lumiere de sa corespondance inédite), in Revista de Istorie, 1997, 8, nr. 11-12, pp. 719-738.