Arkadia Północy. Mity eddaiczne w „Lilli Wenedzie” i „Królu-Duchu” Juliusza Słowackiego

Abstract

The purpose of my thesis – Arcadia of the North. The Edda Myths in “Lilla Weneda” and “Król-Duch” of Juliusz Słowacki – is to present the disintegration of the traditionally perceived topos of Arcadia in the late period of Słowacki’s writings Lilla Weneda and Król-Duch, as well as creating the specific shape of this topos that I call after Herder the Arcadia of the North. I relate this category of the Arcadia of the North with the mythology of the North. My research is to establish whether the transformation of the arcadic topos took place under the influence of the visualisation of the mythology of the North. The thesis is of micro-linguistic character because within the poetic language, the far going metamorphosis of Słowacki’s paraphrases are taken from mainly poetic Edda. I introduce the methodology of the American researcher Margaret Schlauch, who tried to trace the influence of different versions of Edda (Polish, French, German and Latin) on Słowacki’s writings. The conclusions she arrived at, inspired me for further an analysis in this subject. The benefit my research brings is to answer the traditionally posed question: What kind of versions of Edda, especially poetic Edda Słowacki might have been acquainted with, and which of these versions he might adapt and transform in his writings. The first part of my thesis is entitled The Poetry of Słowacki and Mythology of the North. It also depicts the way Słowacki brought about the fragmentation of mythology of the North, what means he has broken it into pieces. The first chapter is entitled The Shape of Poetic Visions of Słowacki Created under the Influence of Völuspá Lied. There I compared the poetic language of Słowacki with the poetic language of eddaic Völuspá lied. What is more, I took different versions of the eddaic texts: Latin, mainly by Resenius, Polish by Lelewel, French by Mallet, German by Majer and worked on them simultaneously. I carried out a thorough research to find out whether Słowacki used the translations of the above mentioned authors or rather based on the original Edda text found in Latin language, which appeared to be also the source for other translators working on Edda. In the second chapter – The Linguistic Connections of “Lilla Weneda” with the Scaldic Poem “Krákumál” – the comparative linguistic analysis has been carried out of Słowacki’s drama with the scaldic poem“Krákumál”. The latter which is translated into Latin is the only version most faithful to the original written in Icelandic language. The second part of my thesis is entitled Romantic Shape of Arkadia. It presents the way fragmentation of mythology of the North done by Słowacki influenced and decomposed the Arcadian topos. Otherwords, the vision of Arcadia of the South has been transformed into the Arcadia of the North. The first chapter interpreting Lilla Weneda is entitled “Lilla Weneda” as a Puer-Senex Myth. In my assessment this drama is not only the illustration of the myth of the conquest, what means the destruction of the Arcadia of the past and construction of its future vision. The Lilla Weneda is simply one of the versions of Ragnarök – the overhelming catastrophy of the North. In the second chapter of the second part of my thesis – entitled “Król-Duch” the Romantic Saga – I carried out research to find the elements of the Scandinavian saga. My comprehension of the concept of saga comprises not only stories called sagen but also a tale of the complicated and complex family relationships. The elements of saga make the Arcadia of the North the Arcadia – the community of men, where the heritage is passed over only in a masculine line from a king over to a king. Interpreting the poetic project of Słowacki I fully realise that in the process of formation of this male community in Król-Duch also significant role is played by women, the feminine characters in this poem.