Commodification of a Forsaken Script: The Glagolitic Script in Contemporary Croatian Material Culture

Abstract

The Glagolitic script was the first script used in the history of the Slavic-speaking peoples for literacy in their own language. It was used in Croatia from medieval times until the twentieth century. However, in recent years there has been a noticeable revival of a symbolic usage of the script in Croatia, primarily included in school curricula as a significant component of the Croatian cultural heritage. Letters of the script have also found their place on various products, such as souvenirs, wine bottles or key rings, as well as on art objects and inscriptions in the public space. In this chapter I will analyse the significance of the Glagolitic script for contemporary Croats and their identity and I will explain the process of commodification of the script and its usage in tourism. The materialities that will be analysed as language-defined objects of material culture are graffiti and inscriptions on municipal buildings, photographs of souvenirs, memorabilia, wine bottle labels, etc. All these objects were collected or photographed in the wider Zadar area.