“На чужу основу я накладав свої узори”: орієнтальна генеза легенди Івана Франка “Арот і Марот”

Abstract

The article analyzes the oriental interests of Ivan Franko as a scientist, historian, translator, writer, which determined the main feature of his artistic creativity – intertextuality. Franko’s collection of poems My Emerald (My Izmarahd) is an example of such intertextuality. In this collection, the author organically combined the influences of Eastern and Western cultures, borrowed wandering plots and images, adapting them to the spiritual and aesthetic features of national literature. The article is devoted to a detailed analysis of one of the works of this collection – the legend Arot and Marot. In particular, the intertextual genesis of the plot, genre nature, image system, versification and moral and ethical intentionality are considered. Based on research, the article finds that the legend of Arot and Marot is based on various sources of ancient wandering plot about fallen angels, which are recognizable biblical, including apocryphal and oriental influences. Thus, possible prototexts of this legend were found in the Koran (Qur’an), Jewish midrash, a Persian source, apocryphal texts, including the Book of Enoch. In fact, in his legend, Franko does not deviate from the protoplot of the fallen angels, retaining the same images-symbols (angels, God, woman, secret word, Babylon, chains, moat, wine, star) and anthroponyms (Arot, Marot, Astarte), as well as the main plot construct – the ascent of angels to earth, testing by woman and wine, fair punishment in the Babylonian moat. In Franko’s legend, the images of sinful angels sarcastically expose the true nature of the entire penitentiary system – a public court governed by completely immoral, selfish, impudent, arbitrary judges. The article also focuses on the analysis of etymology, symbolism, intertextuality and diversity of the main characters and images of the legend: Arot and Marot, Astarte, Babylon. Different versions of this name are marked by oriental influences. In the ideological paradigm of the legend, the categories of the verbal, the sacrum of the “secret word”, which opens a person’s ability to draw closer to God and become God’s chosen one, are given special significance.