Narrator – Hero – Author in the Spiritually Beneficial Tales

p 2014

Narrator – Hero – Author in the Spiritually Beneficial Tales

KULHÁNKOVÁ, Markéta

Basic information

Original name

Narrator – Hero – Author in the Spiritually Beneficial Tales

Authors

KULHÁNKOVÁ, Markéta (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution)

Edition

Diegesis in Greek Literature of Late Antiquity and Early Middle Ages (4th to 11th cent.), 2014

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Vyžádané přednášky

Field of Study

Literature, mass media, audio-visual activities

Country of publisher

Czech Republic

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

References:

URL

RIV identification code

RIV/00216224:14210/14:00074269

Organization unit

Faculty of Arts

Keywords in English

Byzantine hagiography; spiritually beneficial tales; narrator; narrative levels

Abstract

V originále

The spiritually beneficial tales (or edifying stories) have often been regarded as a simple and unsophisticated genre. They were closely connected to the folklore and the monastic environment predominantly rejecting the ancient literary tradition. In addition they largely included uncomplicated plots, while their style remained rather unsophisticated. Due to such features, these stories were never subjected to any metaphrastic attempts to "improve" their stylistic qualities. However, at a closer examination, their narrative structure reveals a surprising number of complex elements and different techniques in the composition of both particular tales as well as of whole collections. Thus, one of the most interesting aspects of edifying stories is the construction of the narrator's identity, in particular his relation with the heroes of the stories on the one hand and with the author (implied or real) on the other hand. In this talk I will try to pinpoint the various techniques and strategies used for the construction of narrator's identity, who, in this genre, appears as both hero and author. I will focus on three examples: first, the Historia monachorum in Aegypto, a typical example of an early stage of the genre in which the author functions on a level different than the narrators of the individual stories; here the author has the linking role in the diegesis of the first degree and he lets the various narrators of the second and third level to tell their stories rather independently from him. Second, in The Tales of Daniel Scetiotes there is no trace of the author (neither real nor implied); abba Daniel changes his role from narrator to hero, while his anonymous disciple occasionally enters in the process of narration as well. Third, in the two collections of Anastasios Sinaites the author-narrator operates entirely on the extra-diegetic level, but his frequent comments and interventions in the course of the narration leave a strong trace of his personality.

Links

GAP406/12/0196, research and development project

Name: Raně byzantské narativní texty v zrcadle moderní literární teorie

Investor: Czech Science Foundation, Early Byzantine Narratives in the Mirror of Modern Literary Theory

Citovat

KULHÁNKOVÁ, Markéta. Narrator – Hero – Author in the Spiritually Beneficial Tales. In Diegesis in Greek Literature of Late Antiquity and Early Middle Ages (4th to 11th cent.). 2014.

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   author = {Kulhánková, Markéta},
   booktitle = {Diegesis in Greek Literature of Late Antiquity and Early Middle Ages (4th to 11th cent.)},
   keywords = {Byzantine hagiography; spiritually beneficial tales; narrator; narrative levels},
   language = {eng},
   title = {Narrator – Hero – Author in the Spiritually Beneficial Tales},
   url = {http://www.phil.muni.cz/wff/home/tydenvedy/2014/uks},
   year = {2014}
}

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AU  - Kulhánková, Markéta
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N2  - The spiritually beneficial tales (or edifying stories) have often been regarded as a simple and unsophisticated genre. They were closely connected to the folklore and the monastic environment predominantly rejecting the ancient literary tradition. In addition they largely included uncomplicated plots, while their style remained rather unsophisticated. Due to such features, these stories were never subjected to any metaphrastic attempts to "improve" their stylistic qualities. However, at a closer examination, their narrative structure reveals a surprising number of complex elements and different techniques in the composition of both particular tales as well as of whole collections. Thus, one of the most interesting aspects of edifying stories is the construction of the narrator's identity, in particular his relation with the heroes of the stories on the one hand and with the author (implied or real) on the other hand. In this talk I will try to pinpoint the various techniques and strategies used for the construction of narrator's identity, who, in this genre, appears as both hero and author. I will focus on three examples: first, the Historia monachorum in Aegypto, a typical example of an early stage of the genre in which the author functions on a level different than the narrators of the individual stories; here the author has the linking role in the diegesis of the first degree and he lets the various narrators of the second and third level to tell their stories rather independently from him. Second, in The Tales of Daniel Scetiotes there is no trace of the author (neither real nor implied); abba Daniel changes his role from narrator to hero, while his anonymous disciple occasionally enters in the process of narration as well. Third, in the two collections of Anastasios Sinaites the author-narrator operates entirely on the extra-diegetic level, but his frequent comments and interventions in the course of the narration leave a strong trace of his personality.
ER  -

KULHÁNKOVÁ, Markéta. Narrator – Hero – Author in the Spiritually Beneficial Tales. In \textit{Diegesis in Greek Literature of Late Antiquity and Early Middle Ages (4th to 11th cent.)}. 2014.

Detailed Information on Publication Record