„Dziady" directed by Kazimierz Dejmek – an attempt at demythologisation

The author of the article attempts to recreate the famous staging of Dziady directed by Kazimierz Dejmek, in order to demystify the spectacle. The performance is analysed in terms of art, taking into account the political situation (March 1968). In order to establish the facts, the author uses an assistant’s script, the recollections of the witnesses of the release of Dziady and fragments of the performance. The reconstruction of the staging enabled the researcher to conclude that it was artistically valuable, but it was the political situation at the time that played the most important role in popularising that interpretation of the drama

The Distinctive Features of Belarusian Traditional Funeral Repasts

In Belarusian traditional culture, the funeral repast was an important part of the structure of funeral rites. Its meaning had as much to do with ethics as with sustenance and it was a required or normative part of funerary behaviour in the Belarusian social milieu. The memorial repast fulfilled many functions in Belarusian traditional culture. It served to commemorate ancestors and to link the living with their past. The meal performed a sacred or religious function, expressing faith in the afterlife. It performed an educational function and helped create family solidarity and promote willingness to learn about the family’s genealogy (radavod).The article, based on folkloric and ethnographic materials from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and on the results of field work conducted by the author, discusses two types of funeral repasts. One type is conducted on the day of internment and the other type includes the meals that correspond to the folk calendar and commemorate the dead. The article examines the distinctive features of funeral repasts in traditional Belarusian culture and explicates the function and meaning of specific funeral meals

Праект „дзяды” ў драматургіі Дзмітрыя Багаслаўскага

This paper focuses on the works of Dmitry Bogoslavsky – a Belarusian playwright who writes in Russian. Its aim is to examine the worldview of this actor, director and dramatist based on selected works by him, and to trace his artistic evolution. More specifically, the paper seeks to answer the question of how Bogoslavsky’s works explore the Belarusian custom of Dziady (Forefathers’ Eve), understood as an element of the Belarusians’ mental image of the world. The analysis of Bogoslavsky's texts and the plays he directed has led to the conclusion that the theme of deracination and homecoming are at the core of his art. In order to communicate with their ancestors, laid to rest in their native land, characters in his works must establish a relation with an extrasensory reality by entering the ritual circle of Dziady. By depicting the spiritual realm in parallel to the world of the living, Bogoslavsky has been engaged in a certain kind of ‘Dziady’ project, one set in the contemporary theatrical and dramatic context, and yet strongly embedded in Belarusian tradition and mentality.Artykuł poświęcony jest twórczości Dmitrija Bogosławskiego, białoruskiego dramatopisarza piszącego po rosyjsku. Celem badania jest ustalenie cech światopoglądu białoruskiego aktora, reżysera i autora tekstów dramatycznych na podstawie analizy wybranych utworów oraz prześledzenie ewolucji twórczej autora. Przedmiotem szczegółowej analizy stała się próba odpowiedzi na pytanie, w jaki sposób białoruski obrzęd dziady, rozumiany jako element mentalnego obrazu świata Białorusinów, obecny jest w dramaturgii Bogosławskiego. Przeprowadzona analiza tekstów i spektakli wyreżyserowanych przez Bogosławskiego pozwala na stwierdzenie, że temat oderwania od korzeni i powrotu do domu należy do najważniejszych w jego twórczości. Kontakt z przodkami, którzy spoczywają w rodzinnej ziemi, wymusza na bohaterach relacje ze światem duchów i wprowadza w rytualny krąg „dziadów”. Przedstawiając w twórczości dramatopisarskiej i reżyserskiej świat duchów, istniejący obok świata żyjących, Bogosławski konsekwentnie realizuje na gruncie współczesnego teatru i dramatu swoisty — mocno osadzony w tradycji i mentalności białoruskiej — projekt „dziady”.Артыкул прысвечаны творчасці Дзмітрыя Багаслаўскага, беларускага драматурга, які піша на рускай мове. Мэта даследавання — выявіць на аснове аналізу выбраных мастацкіх тэкстаў асаблівасці светапогляду аўтара, режысёра і акцёра і прасачыць за яго творчай эвалюцыяй. Прадметам дэталёвага аналізу з’яўляецца пошук адказу на пытанне, у якім выглядзе абрад дзяды, які разумеецца як частка ментальнага вобраза свету беларусаў, прысутнічае ў п’есах Багаслаўскага. Аналіз тэкстаў і пастаўленных Багаслаўскім спектакляў прыводзіць да высновы, што тэма адрыву ад каранёў і вяртання ў свой дом з’яўляецца адной з самых важных у яго творчасці. Сувязь з продкамі, адносіны герояў са светам духаў уводзяць чытачоў і гледачоў у рытуальная кола „дзядоў”. Прадстаўляючы у сваёй драматургічнай і рэжысёрскай творчасці свет духаў, які існуе побач са светам жывых, Багаслаўскі паслядоўна ажыццяўляе ў межах сучаснага тэатра абрад „дзядоў”, які трывала ўкараніўся ў традыцыях і менталітэце беларусаў

Dziady part. IV in the mirror of the romantic ecosystem

W artykule, poświęconym czwartej części Dziadów Adama Mickiewicza, posłużyłam się metaforą ekosystemu, w który uwikłane są zwierzęta, rośliny oraz ludzie. Zwierzęta odgrywają istotną rolę w Mickiewiczowskim ekosystemie, stając się podstawą przewartościowania myślenia o tym, kto może być bohaterem, gdyż autor przyznaje im status równoprawny z tym, który posiadają Gustaw czy Ksiądz. Co więcej, zwierzęta przestają być postrzegane przedmiotowo. Mickiewiczowski bohater widzi siebie jako cząstkę natury. W artykule zwrócono szczególną uwagę na insekty jako zwierzęta stojące na styku śmierci i życia. W tej roli autor Dziadów obsadził owady, które zdają się zacierać granicę między dwoma rzeczywistościami.In this article, I have used the metaphor of the ecosystem in which animals, plants and humans are involved. Animals play an important role in the Mickiewicz’s ecosystem, becoming the basis for revaluing the thought of who can be a hero, because the author recognizes them as equal with those of Gustav or Priest figure. What is more, animals are not being perceived as objects any more. Mickiewicz’s hero sees himself as part of nature. In the article special attention has been paid to the insects as animals standing at the crossroads of life and death. In this role, the author of Dziady part IV casted insects, which seem to blur the boundary between two realities

Litewscy reżyserzy czytają Dziady

The article concerns two theatrical stagings of “Forefathers’ Eve” made by Lithuanian directors: Jonas Vaitkus (Academic Dramatic Theater in Vilnius, 1990) and Eimuntas Nekrošius (National Theater in Warsaw, 2016). The author recalls the history of the reception of both productions, juxtaposes them and analyzes the Lithuanian threads presented in them.Lietuvių režisieriai skaito „Vėlines“Tekstas skirtas dviem Vėlinių pastatymams, kuriuos režisavo lietuviai Jonas Vaitkus (Vilniaus akademinis dramos teatras, 1990) ir Eimuntas Nekrošius (Varšuvos nacionalinis teatras, 2016). Autorė primena, kaip buvo priimami abu pastatymai, sugretina juos ir analizuoja juose esančias lietuviškas gijas

Епічний компонент у ліро-драматичній поемі Адама Міцкевича "Dziady" (Ч. ІI)

Ідеться про жанрові визначення міцкевичівських "Dziadów" ("Дзядів") у польському, російському та українському літературознавстві, розглянуто місце і роль епічного компонента в художній системі цієї ліро-епічної поеми (Ч. ІІ), охарактеризовано способи його взаємодій з іншими компонентами, зокрема ліричними та драматичними, проаналізовано структуру ремарок і два види нарації: оповідь/сповідь привидів про свою долю та відсторонене дидактичне оповідання, що містяться в рефренах хору, про долю чужу

“The Many Languages of the Avant-Garde”: In conversation with Grzegorz Bral of Teatr Pieśń Kozła (Song of the Goat Theatre)

How to theorise and review avant-garde Shakespeare? Which theoretical paradigms should be applied when Shakespearean productions are multicultural and yet come from a specific locale? These and other many questions interrogating the language of performance in global avant-garde Shakespeare productions are put forward to Grzegorz Bral, the director of the Song of the Goat ensemble in the context of their evolving performance of Macbeth (2006/2008) and their Songs of Lear (2012)

The Role of Fire in the Posthumous Customs of Podlachia on the Border of Poland and Belarus

In this article, I would like to describe the role of fire in the customs of All Souls’ Day in the Easter period called przewody or radunica. The burning of the fires most commonly took place overnight at home and in cemeteries to illuminate the way for the transmigration of souls so they would not harm the living. The reflection of special respect for fire is known from the funeral rites from the area of Podlachia in the Middle Ages. It also served as a basic element of the ritual related to cyclical visits to the dead, as evidenced by the remains of charcoals or ash. Different kind of sources from the Middle Ages and modern times, from the region of eastern Poland (Podlachia and Belarus, in particular) shall be used to confirm that the rite lasted for many years

Two stereotypes of the beggar in Polish folk tales

In this paper I examine different ways of depicting beggars in Polish folk tales. I argue that the vast variation of images originated from two basic stereotypes of the beggar. The first one is related to the traditional religious beliefs, in which beggars were treated as representatives of the deceased ancestors. The second has a source in modern secular conception of social utility, in which wealth is interpreted as a sign of God’s blessing and poverty is seen as something suspicious and sinful