Title of the article:

TYPOLOGY OF THE NATIONAL IMAGE OF SAINTS IN NEOHAGIOGRAPHICAL NOVELS “HELENA” BY EVELYN WAUGH AND “ST. SERGIUS OF RADONEZH” BY BORIS ZAYTSEV

Author(s):

Leonid A. Maltsev

Ekaterina E. Ryabchikova

Information about the author/authors

Leonid A. Maltsev — PhD in Philology, Professor, Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, Nevsky St., 14, 236016 Kaliningrad, Russia.
ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9137-0004
E-mail: lamaltsev23@mail.ru 

Ekaterina E. Ryabchikova — PhD in Philology, Secretary, Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, Nevsky St., 14, 236016 Kaliningrad, Russia.
ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9849-1607
E-mail: ryabchikova_ekaterina@mail.ru

Section

Philological sciences

Year

2022

Volume

Vol. 64

Pages

pp. 199–207

Received

October 13, 2020

Approved after reviewing

January 15, 2021

Date of publication

June 28, 2022

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37816/2073-9567-2022-64-199-207

Index UDK

821.161.1.0+821.111.0

Index BBK

83.3(2Рос=Рус)6+83.3(4Вел)6

Abstract

The paper conducts analysis and compares the images of saints in neohagiographical texts by Evelyn Waugh and Boris Zaytsev. It shows that the key moment in both novels is the subject of vocation. The image of St. Sergius and the image of St. Helena are similar not only in terms of Christian values but in “northern” type of temperament, which is expressed in such personality traits as restraint, emotional distance, asceticism. B. Zaitsev's neohagiographical text is based on the role of tradition in the Orthodox picture of the world; in E. Waugh's neohagiography the personal-subjectivist factor plays the main role. The mythological and folklore-literary contexts turn out to be significant for the image of the saint in Waugh’s story, while in Zaitsev's story it is the historical one. The key role in neohagiographical texts also belongs to the model of space with the underlying opposition centre — periphery. Cultural and civilizational factors define the principles of creating the images of saints. Helena in Waugh's understanding is a spiritual symbol of England — “queen of the seas”, — her individual symbol is an isle; St. Sergius in Zaytsev's interpretation is a representative of the “terra firma”, his symbol is a forest. St. Helena by Evelyn Waugh is the embodiment of English national character traits, western culture; St. Sergius by Zaytsev is the embodiment of Russianness, eastern culture.

Keywords

hagiography, neohagiography, image, Waugh, Zaytsev, St. Helena, St. Sergius of Radonezh.

References

1 Balashova M. S. Obraz sviatoi v romane Ivlina Vo “Elena” [The image of the saint in Evelyn Waugh’s “Helena”]. Izvestiia Saratovskogo universiteta, Series Filologiia. Zhurnalistika [Philology. Journalism], 2012, no 3, pp. 74–79. (In Russian)

2 Vo I. Elena [Helena]. Moscow, AST: Astrel' Publ., 2010. 318 p. (In Russian)

3 Voropaeva E. V. “Afon” Borisa Zaitseva [“Athos” by Boris Zaytsev]. Literaturnaia ucheba, 1990, book 4, pp. 32–35. (In Russian)

4 Gal'frid Monmutskii. Istoriia brittov [The History of the Britons]. In: Lib.ru. Available at: http://www.lib.ru/INOOLD/ENGLAND/br_history.txt (accessed 23 September 2020). (In Russian)

5 Danilevskii N. Ia. Rossiia i Evropa [Russia and Europe]. Moscow, Kniga Publ., 1991. 576 p. (In Russian)

6 Zhivov V. M. Sviatost': Kratkii slovar' agiograficheskikh terminov [Holiness: A concise dictionary of hagiographic terms]. Moscow, Gnozis Publ., 1994. 113 p. (In Russian)

7 Zaitsev B. K. Prepodobnyi Sergii Radonezhskii [Venerable Sergius of Radonezh]. In: Sviataia Rus' [Holy Russia]. Moscow, Russkaia kniga Publ., 2000. Vol. 7. 131 p. (In Russian)

8 Kanneti E. Massa i vlast' [Crowds and Power]. Moscow, Ad Marginem Publ., 1997. 527 s. (In Russian)

9 Koriakov P. V. Monashestvo v tvorchestve B. K. Zaitseva [Monasticism in B. K. Zaytsev’s works: PhD dissertation]. Moscow, 2002. 208 p. (In Russian)

10 Riabchikova E. E. Imagologicheskaia problematika tvorchestva Ivlina Vo [Imagological problematics of Evelyn Waugh’s works: PhD dissertation]. Kaliningrad, 2019. 182 p. (In Russian)

11 Sinel'nikova G. P. Neozhitie B. Zaitseva «Prepodobnyi Sergii Radonezhskii» [Neohagiography “St. Sergius of Radonezh” by B. Zaytsev]. Kul'tura i tekst, 2005, no 9, pp. 143–152. (In Russian)

12 Shiliaeva A. Boris Zaitsev i ego belletrizirovannye biografii [Boris Zaytsev and his fictionalized biographies]. New York, Volga Publ., 1971. 175 p. (In Russian)

13 Zdziechowski M. Wybór pism [Choice of writings]. Kraków, Znak Publ., 1993. 546 p. (In Polish)

14 Waugh E. Waugh Abroad. Collected Travel Writing. New York, Everyman’s Library, 2003. 1064 p. (In English)

PDF-file

Download