Ivan Tomko Mrnavić

Born in Šibenik, Mrnavić studied in the local Church seminary and completed his theological studies in Rome by 1603, and three years later was appointed as canon and bishop's attorney of Šibenik, and in 1627 as canon and archdeacon of Zagreb.^[1] He published Glagolitic books as part of the work of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples in 1622.^[1] In 1631, Mrnavić was appointed during the papacy of Pope Urban VIII as Bishop of Bosnia, serving until 1635.^[1]

His historical works have low value and often were forgeries, like Discorso dell' priorato della Wrana (1609), Vita Justiniani (1619), Vita Berislavi Bosnensis episcopi Vesprimensis Dalmatiae, Croatiae, Slavoniae Bosnaeque bani (1620, plagiarism of Antun Vrančić's work on Petar Berislavić), and some value has his documentary description of Bosnia (1627).^[1][2] Psalter of Nicholas of Rab, long thought to be a 1222 original, it was proven a forgery by Vatroslav Jagić in 1909 after being sent photographs of the manuscript by Evgeny Schmurlo [ru].^[3]

His literary works were written in the Chakavian dialect, including drama Osmanšćica (1631) and poem Život Magdalene od knezov Zirova plemena Budrišića (1626).^[1]

Mrnavić in De Illyrico caesaribusque Illyricis (1603) wrongly believed that the Slavs were native Illyrians as well as Thracians and other ancient peoples and Roman emperors born in the Balkans.^[1][2] He considered that Saint Jerome was the author of Glagolitic alphabet.^[1]

He authored an reliable extensive biography of Saint Sava of Serbia and sought to present himself as belonging to the same nation and ethnic background as Saint Sava, identifying with the legacy of the extinct Nemanjić Serbian Empire. Later Mavro Orbini used some parts to compose Kingdom of the Slavs work.^[4]

Through forgeries and false genealogies, Mrnavić also tried to relate his family to the Serbian Royal Nemanjić dynasty and Mrnjavčević family.^[1] Mrnavić used the Serbian cross, the Serbian eagle, and the coat of arms of the Serbian noble house of Mrnjavčević, presenting them as if they were his own family’s heraldic insignia.^[5]

He claimed that Skanderbeg, the national hero of Albania, was of Slav origin, which prompted Frang Bardhi to write a biography on Skanderbeg published in Venice in 1636^[6] as a polemic against him, defending the Albanian identity of Skanderbeg.^[7][8]

While bishop, Marnavich was the principal co-consecrator of:^{[citation needed]}

• Octavio Asinari, Bishop of Ivrea (1634); and
• Nicolaus de Georgiis (Zorzi), Bishop of Hvar (1635).

His works written in Latin include:

• Vita beati Augustini (Augustin Kažotić)
• Vita Berislavi (Petar Berislavić) 1620
• Vita s. Sabbae (Saint Sava), Rome, 1630–31

His works written in the Chakavian dialect of Croatian language include^[2] include:

• Život Margarite blažene divice, kćeri Bele, kralja ugarskoga i hrvatskoga, 1613, translated from Italian
• Žalosnoskazje Krispa Cezara, 1614 - translated from Latin, tragedy of Bernarda Stefoni
• Život Magdalene od knezov Žirova, Rome 1626, Biblical-religious epic, translated to Italian, celebrating union of asceticism and anti-Turkish sentiment
• Potuženje pokornika, songs on death of Jesus, half of the poem is translated from song written on Latin by Sannazar
• Osmanšćica, drama written in 1631