Rankraštinio šaltinio Litauische Sprichwörter und Rätsel atribucija

The article analyzes the issues of the authorship, dating, and localization of the manuscript collection of proverbs and riddles Litauische Sprichwörter und Rätsel (PR) that up to now was being labeled as “anonymous.” This manuscript source is kept in the Vrublevskiai Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences (Call Number: F 137 – 1). The analysis of its paper watermarks revealed that the manuscript was not from the 17th century as was assumed so far. The latest year of manufacturing one kind of the paper that was used for the manuscript was 1716. Thus, the manuscript must have been written in or after 1716. The unfinished manuscript was not prepared for publishing. It did not survive in its entirety too. The author of this article claims that the manuscript was in effect compiled by Trempai (District of Darkiemis) precentor Jokūbas Brodovskis (Jacob Brodowski, 1692–1744). The analysis of his longhand in his manuscript dictionary Lexicon Germanico-Lithvanicvm et Lithvanico- Germanicvm (B) and PR leads to the conclusion that PR is the autograph of Brodovskis, obviously produced in Trempai. Another person, who made some inscriptions in the manuscript, is Gotfrydas Ostermejeris (Gottfried Ostermeyer, 1716–1800). In 1744, after the death of Brodovskis, Ostermejeris arrived at the parish of Trempai and took over the position of precentor (in 1752–1800 he worked as a priest there). There are 16 German and 11 Lithuanian phrases (53 words or 61 word forms) that were inscribed by Ostermejeris in PR. He also corrected 5 words inscribed by Brodovskis.