Oktoih is a Slavic version of the Book of Psalms, printed in Cyrillic in 1494 in Montenegro. Five volumes were printed by Durad IV Crnojevic’, with only two surviving today. Oktoih was a book of religious hymns for eight singers and is still used in Orthodox services.
Oktoih is the Slavic version of the English Book of Psalms. Oktoih was the first book printed in the Slavic Cyrillic language. It was originally printed as an incunabula in 1494. An incunabula is a very rare type of printed material that was printed before 1501. The volume was printed in present-day Montenegro. At the time, however, the area was known as Zeta.
It is known that five Oktoih books were printed by an educated ruler in Montenegro. The name of the printer was Durad IV Crnojevic’ in the Crnojevic’i printing house. The book was printed in five volumes from the years 1490 to 1496. Currently, the museum of the Serbian Orthodox Church houses the only two remaining books by Oktoih. These two volumes of Oktoih were printed in 1493 and 1494.
The two surviving volumes are Oktoih Provoglasnik and Oktoih Petoglasnik. These titles respectively mean “Oktoih, the first voice” and “Oktoih, the fifth voice”. The first entry book was printed on January 17, 1494. A total of 108 copies of this book still exist today. This book contains a total of 538 pages. In the same year, the book of the second entry was printed. Only fragments of this second book still exist. The longest complete fragment is 37 pages long.
One of the most amazing things about Oktoih is how expertly crafted they were. Although they are of the oldest printed paper, they are filled with incredibly beautiful designs, some of which incorporate two colors. Many historians have noted the incredible quality of the craftsmanship and design of the books. Like many ancient texts, these documents have been scrutinized by many academics for specific information about the time in which they were developed and created. It is the survival of documents such as the first and fifth entries of this hymn that we know about printing capabilities in Montenegro in those years.
Although only five books are known to have been printed, it is understood that Oktoih was a book of religious hymns that were intended for eight singers, or eight “voices.” These hymns were intended for religious who served in the Orthodox Church. Although the original printouts no longer exist, their content has not been lost. It has been transcribed many times and widely distributed in other formats and languages. Indeed, the content of Oktoih is still used today in church cycles in Orthodox services.
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