Saint Francis in Isidor Kršnjavi’s novels

Abstract

Iso Kršnjavi je jedna od značajnijih ličnosti hrvatske kulturne povijesti. Unatoč brojnim i neprijepornim zaslugama, i njegov život i njegovo djelo obavijeni su nerazumijevanjem i omalovažavanjem, poglavito ideološke historiografije. Osim graditelj, povjesničar i povjesničar umjetnosti, Kršnjavi je i autor dvaju romana o svetomu Franji (Božji vitez i Božji sirotan) koji ga legitimiraju pripovjedačemeruditom i vjernikom koji u recepciji računa s religioznim osjećajima svojih čitatelja. Potaknut trima sonetima Višnje Stahuljak s motivom asiškoga sveca, naš rad – s naglaskom na preobrazbi viteza u viteza Božjeg - interpretira Kršnjavijeve posve zaboravljene romane čije poruke odjekuju i danas i jače su i otpornije od njihove skromne književne kulture.The figure and work of Iso Kršnjavi is still shrouded by numerous obscurities, disapprovals, manipulations, tendentiousness, mistakes and delusions, mainly and most often with negative conotations and scorn. Although there is a highly challenging and culturally welcomed monographic study along with several trials to correct some historical and uncritical blunders, the layers of historical lack of understanding and intentionally controlled “sins” burden the scientifically founded talk about this exceptionally significant person of Croatian cultural, political and social life at the turn of the century. The aim of this work has a literary sign, and it is prompted by Višnja Stahuljak’s three sonets which, by their intertextual and intermedial potentiality, are connected with Kršnjavi and his work, especially with his novels about St. Francis