Abstract
The Byzantine akritic poem, "The Death of Digenis", which manifests all the characteristics of the Byzantine Neo-Hellenic tragoudi, is a good exemplum of an epic song, where mystification (in its anthropological sense) is used to idealize the hero. Historically the akritic songs (9th - 13th cent. A.D.) refer to the ongoing war on Byzantium’s frontiers between the Christian defenders of the empire and the Moslem invaders. The poem's structure, its historical-epic elements and especially its symbolism are examined in this article. It thus becomes clear that the unknown poet juxtaposes present, past and future in such a way that Digenis’s heroic (but human) exploits of the past are integrated in a supernatural climax, where the hero in his struggle loses to Charon (Death - Archangel Michael). Consequently Digenis, whose name means ‘bom twice', complies on the one hand with the tragic destiny of an epic death, and on the other hand passes through a kind of initiation ritual into the Christian host of the heroes of Heaven.
Highlights
The p o em 's structure, its historical-epic elements and especially its sym bolism are exam ined in this article
It becomes clear that the unknown poet juxtaposes present, past and future in such a way that Digenis’s heroic exploits o f the past are integrated in a supernatural climax, where the hero in his struggle loses to Charon (Death - Archangel Michael)
Digenis, whose name m eans ‘bom twice', complies on the one hand with the tragic destiny o f an epic death, and on the other hand passes through a kind o f initiation ritual into the Christian host o f the heroes o f Heaven
Summary
Wie oor epiek praat in E uropese e n /o f Klein-Asiatiese konteks, kan nie verby Homeros kom nie. Die antieke en Middeleeuse held is ook "het symbool van een lange periode der Europese geschiedenis, of wellicht der Europese kindsheid. In het diepste ook van de m oderne ziel leeft het nog steeds, om met Jung te spreken, als een archetypus, dat dus onverwoestbaar is" (De Vries, 1959:170). Historiese figure moet daarom ingepas word in die patroon; anders kan daar geen sprake wees van ideale, wat dikwels slegs deur mistifikasie van die held bereik kan word nie. Die berge van A rabië, die valleie van Sirië, wat mense nie saam met twee durf betree nie, nie saam met drie durf bespreek nie, m aar slegs met vyftig en honderd saam, en dan is hulle nog bang, het ék alleen te voet deurkruis, gewapen met ’n swaard, vier spanne lank, en met ’n spies, drie vame lank. En wanneer Digenis slaan, dan loop die bloed met ’n dun strepie en w anneer C haron slaan, dan word die bloed ’n rivier
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