Evil Mythical Creatures in Maltese Tradition and Folklore; A
Collection of Old Maltese Fairy Tales by Priest Emmanwel Magri

k 2022

Evil Mythical Creatures in Maltese Tradition and Folklore; A Collection of Old Maltese Fairy Tales by Priest Emmanwel Magri

WRANA, Zuzana

Basic information

Original name

Evil Mythical Creatures in Maltese Tradition and Folklore; A Collection of Old Maltese Fairy Tales by Priest Emmanwel Magri

Name in Czech

Zlá bájná stvoření v maltské tradici a folklóru; sbírka starých maltských pohádek od kněze Emmanwela Magriho

Authors

WRANA, Zuzana

Edition

International Conference for Doctoral Students IMAGINATION - INSPIRATION - INTERPRETATION, Catholic Theological Faculty of Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic, 2022

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Prezentace na konferencích

Field of Study

60206 Specific literatures

Country of publisher

Czech Republic

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

Organization unit

Faculty of Arts

Keywords (in Czech)

pohádka, mýtus, zlo, Malta

Keywords in English

fairy tale, myth, evil, Malta

Abstract

V originále

Manwel Magri (1851-1907) was an outstanding Maltese linguist, archaeologist and a devout priest who could preach in many languages. Magri always had a reverence and boundless love for his native archipelago and sought to map all Maltese traditions and to collect and record the cultural heritage and fairy tales of the Maltese Islands. In all, Magri collected 62 tales (some of which have 13 variants) by visiting Maltese citizens and having these tales told. It is generally accepted that fairy tales are an important literary genre and aspect of social history, as they shed light not only on the way people lived, but also on the interactions and important cultural links between very diverse national circumstances. Various fairy tale motifs in the Mediterranean have constantly travelled and been transmitted by oral tradition, which may to some extent mirror the collective national memories of different Mediterranean national literatures. It is the meeting of familiar southern European bestiary (or fairy tale) motifs with Arabic ones that creates unique stories in Malta that straddle three religions: Islam, Christianity and Judaism. While giants, witches and dragons, and other creatures representing evil in stories, appear in many tales across Europe, Asia and Africa, some Maltese tales contain endemic mythical creatures such as Kaw kaw, Il-Belliegha and L-Imphalla. The traditional Maltese obsession with maintaining spiritual (or ritual) purity meant that many of these creatures were tasked with policing forbidden or restricted areas of human interest, and attacking individuals who violated the strict codes of conduct that characterised 19th century Maltese island pre-industrial society.

Citovat

WRANA, Zuzana. Evil Mythical Creatures in Maltese Tradition and Folklore; A Collection of Old Maltese Fairy Tales by Priest Emmanwel Magri. In International Conference for Doctoral Students IMAGINATION - INSPIRATION - INTERPRETATION, Catholic Theological Faculty of Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. 2022.

@proceedings{2222217,
   author = {Wrana, Zuzana},
   booktitle = {International Conference for Doctoral Students IMAGINATION - INSPIRATION - INTERPRETATION, Catholic Theological Faculty of Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic},
   keywords = {fairy tale, myth, evil, Malta},
   language = {eng},
   title = {Evil Mythical Creatures in Maltese Tradition and Folklore; A Collection of Old Maltese Fairy Tales by Priest Emmanwel Magri},
   year = {2022}
}

TY  - CONF
ID  - 2222217
AU  - Wrana, Zuzana
PY  - 2022
TI  - Evil Mythical Creatures in Maltese Tradition and Folklore; A Collection of Old Maltese Fairy Tales by Priest Emmanwel Magri
KW  - fairy tale, myth, evil, Malta
N2  - Manwel Magri (1851-1907) was an outstanding Maltese linguist, archaeologist and a devout priest who could preach in many languages. Magri always had a reverence and boundless love for his native archipelago and sought to map all Maltese traditions and to collect and record the cultural heritage and fairy tales of the Maltese Islands. In all, Magri collected 62 tales (some of which have 13 variants) by visiting Maltese citizens and having these tales told. It is generally accepted that fairy tales are an important literary genre and aspect of social history, as they shed light not only on the way people lived, but also on the interactions and important cultural links between very diverse national circumstances. Various fairy tale motifs in the Mediterranean have constantly travelled and been transmitted by oral tradition, which may to some extent mirror the collective national memories of different Mediterranean national literatures. It is the meeting of familiar southern European bestiary (or fairy tale) motifs with Arabic ones that creates unique stories in Malta that straddle three religions: Islam, Christianity and Judaism. While giants, witches and dragons, and other creatures representing evil in stories, appear in many tales across Europe, Asia and Africa, some Maltese tales contain endemic mythical creatures such as Kaw kaw, Il-Belliegha and L-Imphalla. The traditional Maltese obsession with maintaining spiritual (or ritual) purity meant that many of these creatures were tasked with policing forbidden or restricted areas of human interest, and attacking individuals who violated the strict codes of conduct that characterised 19th century Maltese island pre-industrial society.
ER  -

WRANA, Zuzana. Evil Mythical Creatures in Maltese Tradition and Folklore; A Collection of Old Maltese Fairy Tales by Priest Emmanwel Magri. In \textit{International Conference for Doctoral Students IMAGINATION - INSPIRATION - INTERPRETATION, Catholic Theological Faculty of Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic}. 2022.

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