Articuli Podmanickyani

Articuli Podmanickyani is a document issued by the bishop of Nyitra (now Nitra, Slovakia) and Zagreb, advisor of King Vladislaus II and landlord of Považský hrad (Hungarian: Vágbeszterce vára) János Podmanitzky. The document officially states the relationship between landlords and villains in the town in the medieval Upper Hungary (today mostly Slovakia). While establishing ‘’new’’ orders, the document indirectly shows conditions of customary life as observed by Articuli. Another important feature of the document is that shortly afterwards János Podmanitzky published it in Latin, he also translated it to Slovak, which was a rare occurrence at that time.
Document.
The landlord of Vágbeszterce (Považská Bystrica) has adopted the document and inhabitants of Bystrica have committed to keep these rules precisely. As thanks to their landlord for settling the rules so clearly, inhabitants have committed to give 100 zlaty, 100 (a is a medieval measure of capacity: 1 = 84 litres) and 50 dead roosters annually to the landlord and his heirs. Those living on the fields have to give two dead roosters. If anyone does not respect these rules, especially those concerning wine and beer, that person would be deprived of dignity and could not become the member of burgesses. If anyone were to break the other rules, that person would have to pay half zlaty from which a half goes to the landlord and a half to the church.