Ритуально-міфологічний субстрат у романі Ґ. Майрінка "Ґолем"

Abstract

У статті досліджено використання ритуально-міфологічного субстрату у контексті творення сюжету. Розглянуто імена персонажів роману "Ґолем" як такі, що репрезентують функції. Проаналізовано мотив андрогіна крізь призму міфів.

The article highlights the use of the ritual-mythological substrate in the context of plot creation. The novel centers on the life of Athanasius Pernath, a jeweler and art restorer who lives in the ghetto of Prague. His story is experienced by an anonymous narrator, who, during a visionary dream, assumes Pernath’s identity thirty years before. The novel is generally focused on Pernath’s own reflections and adventures; however, it also chronicles the lives, characters, and interactions of his friends and neighbors. The novel is also based on the Jewish legend about a Rabbi who created a live being known as a Golem out of clay and animated it with a Kabbalistic spell. The Golem is thought to be seen in Prague, which is why the dwellers of the old Jewish quarter are afraid of it. The tale is local, representing the ghetto’s own spirit and consciousness. The ritual-mythological substrate in the novel is introduced by meanings of characters’ names and by grouping characters into triangles. Grouping is not just a way to show a protagonist’s interaction with other characters, it is rather a reflection of Kabbalah beliefs in primary numbers. The meanings of characters’ names in the novel are considered as representing functions. However, it is concluded that not all meanings correspond with functions; on the contrary, they can contradict them. The motive of androgyny is also analyzed through the prism of Greek and Hebrew myths. The research is mainly based on the category of spiritual unity. Thus, hermaphroditism is an aspiration for initial integrity, which can be reached only after death. Consequently, the ritual-mythological substrate is traced throughout the whole novel as material for plot construction.