Destinul unei cărți, oglindit în presa vremii. Elena Niculiță-Voronca, Datinele și credințele poporului român adunate și așezate în ordine mitologică (1903)

Abstract

In the main table of contents that “Junimea literară” (Chernivtsi, the first series, 1904–1914) publishes in the first years, there is a section entitled “Folcloristică” (1905), then “Folclor” (1906) and “Folklor” (1907), where there are mentioned well-known names at the time: Sim. Fl. Marian, Dimitrie Dan, I. G. Sbiera, Elena Niculiță-Voronca, Artur Gorovei, but also many unknown people in this field of folklore. Since 1908, this section hadn’t been in the contents anymore and the explanation for giving it up is, undoubtedly, related to the premature loss of Sim. Fl. Marian, the editorial board of the magazine thus recognizing that he was the only one who, by his own signature and valuable folklore materials, actually gave meaning to this section. Changing its entitlings through numerous and valuable published writings that it comprised, the section offered its readers (between 1904 and 1907) an appropriate image about the folkloristic activity of the time in Bukovina. In 1903, in Chernivtsi appears the volume Datinile și credințele poporului român adunate și așezate în ordine mitologică written by Elena Niculiță-Voronca. Surprinsingly, there is almost nothing written about it in the pages of “Junimea literară”. It is only at the beginning of 1905 that it is mentioned, in fact, as a literature volume for youth, Zece povești scoase din cartea Datinile și credințele poporului român in the author’s publishing house (Mihalcea, Chernivtsi, 1905, p. 75). The distinguished folklorist is worth being recognized rather for continuing writing didactic literature for youth. What are the possible explanations for this ignorance/misunderstanding in her native town, in Chernivtsi, of the editorial appearance of an author considered “one of the most important leaders and most prolific authors when speaking about folklore?” Especially when the author desired to be awarded with an Academy prize? Her very writing in the only literary magazine of the moment in Bukovina is “discreet” in comparison with the above assessment. I also asked myself to what extend the press of the time (from Bukovina and from Romania too, in which Elena Niculiță-Voronca published more constantly) could clear up through possible articles about the book and on how the appearance of this monumental volume was received, or on the contrary, if by not by promoting the book she did not contribute to the unfortunate fate that until recently had followed the collection of the author from Bukovina.