U źródeł fantasy słowiańskiej. Na marginesie lektury Starej baśni Józefa Ignacego Kraszewskiego oraz Drzewiej Władysława Orkana

Abstract

This article is devoted to analyzing and interpreting two Polish novels (Stara baśń by Józef Ignacy Kraszewski and Drzewiej by Władysław Orkan) as a prefigured modern Slavic fantasy. It is worth mentioning that in the late nineteenth century the interest in the distant prehistory of nation was connected with critical diagnosis of the culture, which resulted in a longing for sources, for primitiveness. It was quickly recognized that technical civilization had a destructive impact on human relations, increasing social inequalities in economic and social terms. Developing industry destroyed the landscape irretrievably. The machine became a clear symbol of the profanation of the sacred order of nature, while the culture was degraded by progressive commercialization. The popularity of fantasy was primarily related to the created vision of the world before the Industrial Revolution, in which the old moral code, ethos and love of wild nature were in force. It resembled an idealized image of the feudal era. Although many researchers indicate that this genre appeared in Poland only in the second half of the twentieth century, its origins can be found in the literature of nineteenth century. Slavic fantasy, like its other varieties, refers to such literary genres as: historical novel, rogue romance, scientific fantasy. Regardless of the literary convention adopted by the author, the anthropomorphizing of deities and demons and the sacralization of space are present in Kraszewski’s and Orkan’s novels. Although their authors do not belong to the same generation, in their works we can point out many tangent points, characteristic for the fantasy genre, which will be the subject of this article. In both novels, the writers are fascinated by the pre-Christian culture of Slavs with many legends, stories about prehistoric times. The action of both novels takes place at a key historical moment for Poland, when Christianity is confronted with pagan beliefs, combining faith in supernatural forces and magic, guaranteeing cosmic order. The motif of fighting good against evil, is realized in both works in a diff erent way. In Stara baśń, it does not have a cosmic dimension, but concerns the conflict between Polanie and the invaders. In Orkan’s work it manifests itself in the fight between Prokop and Daniel for Jewka’s sake. The space in both novels is enriched with elements of folklore with numerous references to Slavic myths, stories and legends. Deities and demons appearing in the novels make the boundary between the real world and the magical fairy-tale blurred. An important role in the novels plays nature, which is spiritual in a romantic way.