Masterpieces of Cretan literature I 3700-FN-2-ALKOR1
The course (part I) is devoted to the literature in the Cretan dialect of the early period of the Venetian domination (14th-16th centuries). The literature produced on the island at the time marks the start of the Modern era in Greek culture, is a monument of Modern Greek language and a model for the literature of subsequent generations.
The primary aim is to acquaint students with:
– the history of Crete during the Venetian domination;
– the literary production in the early period of Venetian Crete (14th-16th cent.) and its main characteristics as well as the main features of Cretan dialect
– the basic theory and methodology applied to the analysis and interpretation of literary texts (fragments of dramas and epic of this time).
Topics:
1. Introductory remarks. Literature. Grading.
2. Introduction to the history of Renaissance Crete (14th-17th. century).
3. The forming of the Veneto-Cretan society. Symbiotic coexistence of Byzantine and Latin traditions.
4. Characteristics of Cretan literature.
5-7. The beginning of Cretan literature: Stephanos Sachlikis a Greek Villon.
8. Γαδάρου, λύκου κι αλουπούς διήγησις ωραία.
9-10. Poems by Leonardos Dellaportas and Marinos Falieros.
11. Katabasis. The Apokopos by Bergadis.
Eventually:
12. The Voskopoula.
13–14. Andrew from Crete, Great Canon of Repentance; V. Cornaros, The Sacrifice of Abraham.
Problems of dating and authorship, Italian models and literary traditions and legacy will be discussed.
(Part of the texts is available in Polish translation by the teacher).
Student workload:
c. 30 h contact hours
c. 30-45 h individual work
Type of course
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
Knowledge: students completing the course will be familiar with and understand:
- the diversity of the Greek language, and be able to explain its importance in the history of Greek culture;
- the most important terminology of literary studies and basic literary genres flourishing in Renaissance Crete;
- the distinctive features of Greece’s geographical and cultural regions (Crete), and be aware of Greece’s place in the region (the Balkans) and the Mediterranean area;.
- elements of Ancient and Byzantine heritage in the Cretan literature.
Skills: students completing the course will be able to:
- retrieve, evaluate and use information from different written and electronic sources, with due consideration for intellectual property protection;
- present cohesive and logical argumentation with references to the opinions of others, arguing critically with the arguments of others, and formulating their own conclusions;
- use different vocabularies and grammar books as well as electronic tools;
- analyse and translate from Greek into Polish moderately difficult literary Cretan texts;
- see the main distinctive features of scholarly Greek (katharevousa) and some basic elements of the Cretan dialects.
Social competences: students completing the course will be ready to:
- realize the limited extent of their own knowledge and skills;
- see the need for lifelong learning and for upgrading their professional competence, especially by improving their language skills.
Bibliography
Στ. Σαχλίκης, Γραφαί και στίχοι και ερμηνείαι κυρού Στεφάνου του Σαχλήκη, Κρητική περίοδος 1, 2007.
Β. Κορνάρος, Η θυσία του Αβραάμ, επ. Ε. Τσαντσάνογλου, Αθήνα 1979.
obligatory
M. Vitti, Historia literatury nowogreckiej. tłum. J. Wegner, M. Czarnocińska, K. Rowińska, Warszawa 2015.
ALN tom II: Utrudzony (przekład P. Majewski), Piękna Pastereczka (przekład M. Mikuła), Ofiara Abrahama (przekład K. Pacan), Warszawa 2004 – redakcja, wstępy i przypisy M. Borowska.
complementary
J. Ciechanowicz, Cień Minotaura, Warszawa 1996.
P. Matvejevic, Brewiarz Śródziemnomorski, Sejny 2003.
N. Chadzinikolau, Literatura nowogrecka 1453–1983, Warszawa 1985.
Historia świata śródziemnomorskiego, red. J. Carpentier, F. Lebrun, Wrocław 2003.
Literature and society in Renaissance Crete, ed. D. Holton, Cambridge UP 1991.
Στ. Αλεξίου, Η κρητική λογοτεχνία και η εποχή της, Αθήνα 1995.
A. Embirikos: La Renaissance Cretoise I, La litterature, Paris 1960.
M. Alexiou: The ritual lament in Greek tradition, Cambridge 1975.
H-G. Beck: Geschichte der byzantinischen Volksliteratur, Munich 1977.
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: