The town of Dubrovnik in Croatia is a renowned port city. Seeing as it is Yule-tide just about now (or whatever the Slavic version of it should be called), we bring you a light-hearted description of the events in Dubrovnik on the Eve of Christmas.
The mariners of the city, you see, would gather up and carry a yule-log of sorts to the house of the local prince (comes) and then set it on fire rejoicing greatly. The prince potentate would reward them pro Kallendis (i.e., for the end of year/yule-tide) with two perpers (local currency) as well as with something to drink (naturally).
The oldest manuscript in existence dates back to the 1340s and is in the Dubrovnik State Archives – this is a 16th century copy
All of this is described in the Liber Statutorum Civitas Ragusii (i.e., The Book of Laws/Statutes of the City of Dubrovnik, aka Dobro Venedik in Turkish (or “good Venice”)) from about the year 1272. This was a book of laws that remained in force in Dubrovnik until the end of the Ragusan Republic in 1808.
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We will return to Dubrovnik later when discussing the White Cliffs of Dover… as a hint we are doubtful of the official derivation of the name of the city from an oak grove, i.e., a dab but that is a matter for another time.
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