Alla ricerca del popolo perduto. Un tentativo di (de)costruzione del mito della Sacerdotessa della luna


Abstract


In this paper will be analyzed a close relationship between Priestess of the Moon, a novel by Croatian writer Milena Benini (1966-2020), and the Platonic myth of Atlantis, in light of the power exercised by archaic civilization. This work, as well as the author’s entire production, belongs to the genre that in Slavic cultures is called fantastika, an all-encompassing formula for fantasy, science fiction and horror, although in this regard Benini prefers the label of “speculative fiction”. Benini wrote the first draft of this novel in the early 1990s, in English, and started publishing it on her blog. She published the English version in 2013 and the Croatian (Svećenica mjeseca) in 2014. The story, that takes place in an indefinite time and clearly draws on the classical age, is the first act of a trilogy dedicated to a strong-willed woman, the young priestess Kalaide Reolis Kharaonda, endowed with superhuman powers that allow her to communicate with the goddess Matrielen. Kalaide comes into contact with Enaor, whose figure reflects various sources of inspiration: the Illyrian world, the civilization of ancient Greece, the Slavic tradition. Benini is aware of the timelessness of the myth and avoids giving the story and the characters a precise chronological position; she laid the foundations for a wide range of possibilities, prefiguring an open and epic narration, with the evolutionary profile suggested in the foreground by time and space.

DOI Code: 10.1285/i22390359v37p219

Keywords: Milena Benini; Priestess of the Moon; Atlantis; myth

References


Adžija M. 2016, Budućnost i zbilja – Crveni ocean Marije Jurić Zagorke, satira, utopija ili predskazanje, in Čale Feldman L. i Dremel A. (ur.), Crveni ocean: prakse, taktike i strategije rodnog otpora, Centar za ženske studije, Zagreb, pp. 11-18.

Ajdačić D. 2009, Tematologija fantastike u slovenskim književnostima, in Futuroslavija. Studije o slovenskoj naučnoj fantastici. II prošireno izdanje, TIA Janus, Beograd, pp. 13-26.

Atterby B. 2014, Stories about Stories: Fantasy and the Remaking of Myth, OUP USA, New York.

Bainbridge W.S. 1982, Women in science fiction, in “Sex Roles” VIII 10, pp. 1081-1093.

Benini M. 2007, Zar vam nije dosta to što ste žene? Žene u hrvatskom SF-u, in “Treća” IX 2, pp. 76-83.

Benini M. 2013, Priestess of the Moon: Pawns of the Gods, MuseltUp, Los Gatos (CA).

Benini M. 2014, Svećenica mjeseca, Zagrebačka naklada, Zagreb.

Benini M. 2015, Da En, Zagrebačka naklada, Zagreb.

Benini M. 2017a, Kvadrila, Zagrebačka nagrada Zagreb.

Benini M. 2017b, Speculative and Dark Fiction in Croatia, http://press.futurefire.net/ 2017/09/speculative-and-dark-fiction-in-croatia.html (29.10.19).

Bertek T. 2015, Milena Benini: Spekulativna fikcija je plodno polje za subverziju, in “VoxFeminae”, https://voxfeminae.net/kultura/milena-benini-spekulativna-fikcija-je-plodno-polje-za-subverziju (29.10.19).

Blish J. 2015, Mythology, in The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entrymythology (10.11.20).

Bova B. 1975, The Role of Science Fiction, in Bretnor R. (ed.) Science Fiction Today and Tomorrow, Penguin, New York.

Bovsunivs’ka T. 2012, Epistemologična nestabil’nist meži fantastyky, in Semenjuk G.F. (red.), Slov’jans’ka fantastyka. Zbirnyk naukovyh prac’, Kyïvs’kyj nacional’nyj universytet im. T. Ševčenka, Kyïv, pp. 9-14.

Broz I. 1893, Hrvatski pravopis, Kr. hrv.-slav.-dalm. zemaljska vlada, Zagreb.

Brzostek D. 2007, Między prognozą a utopią. Science fiction wobec paradygmatu racjonalności, in Ajdačić D. i Jović B. (ur.), Slovenska naučna fantastika. Zbornik radova, Institut za književnost i umetnost, Beograd, pp. 155-180.

Campbell J. 1991, The Masks of God: Creative Mythology, The Viking Press, New York.

Ceserani R. 1983, La narrazione fantastica, Nistri-Lischi, Pisa.

Chernyshova T. 2004, Science Fiction and Myth Creation in Our Age, in “Science Fiction Studies” XXXI 3, pp. 345-357.

Clute J. and Nichols P. 2005, Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, St. Martin’s Press, New York.

CWS 2016, 5 books from Croatia, https://travelhonestly.com/wp-content/uploads/ 2017/08/5-Books-From-Croatia-2016-final.pdf (29.10.19).

Di Cesare D. 1980, La semantica nella filosofia greca, Bulzoni, Roma.

Eco U. 1993, La ricerca della lingua perfetta, Laterza, Roma-Bari.

Filmus R.M. 1976, Naučna fantastika kao mit, in Živković Z. (ur.), Naučna fantastika. Zbornik teorijskih radova, BIGZ, Beograd, pp. 70-114.

Friedman A.B. 1968, The Best Turnips on the Creek, in “The New York Review of Books” March 28, p. 37.

Gunn J.E. and Candelaria M. (eds.) 2005, Speculations on Speculation: Theories of Science Fiction, Scarecrow Press, Lanham (MD).

Jacobs E.P. 1957, L’énigme de l’Atlantide, Les Éditions du Lombard, Bruxelles, prijevod Benini M. 2007, Zagonetka Atlantide, Bookglobe, Zagreb.

Jagić V. 1948, Izabrani kraći spisi, Uredio i članke sa stranih jezika preveo M. Kombol, Matica hrvatska, Zagreb, pp. 485-491.

Knežević B. 2009, Poslednji Srbin, Alnari, Beograd.

Langer J. 2013, Case Studies in Reading2: Key Theoretical and Critical Texts in Science Fiction Studies, in Hubble N. and Mousoutzanis A. (eds.), The Science Fiction Handbook, Bloomsbury Academic, London, New Delhi, New York, Sydney, Bloomsbury, pp. 100-124.

Łaszkiewicz W. 2018, Fantasy Literature and Christianity: A Study of the Mistborn, Coldfire, Fionavar Tapestry and Chronicles of Thomas Covenant Series, McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers Jefferson, North Carolina.

LeGuin U.K. 1979, The Language of the Night: Essays on Fantasy and Science Fiction, Ultramarine Publishing, Putnam.

Maretić T. 1889, Istorija hrvatskoga pravopisa latinskijem slovima, Jugoslavenska akademija znanosti i umjetnosti, Zagreb.

Maskalan A. 2006, Žene i znanstvena fantastika: analiza britanske i američke ZF-književnosti, in “Sociologija i prostor: časopis za istraživanje prostornoga i sociokulturnog razvoja” 44 4 (174), pp. 461-483.

Merrick H. 2003, Gender in science fiction, in James E. e Mendlesohn F. (eds.), The Cambridge companion to science fiction, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp. 241-252.

Mikulan K. 2019, Od objekta muške fantazije do subjekta društvene promjene: prikaz ženskih likova u suvremenoj znanstvenofantastičnoj književnosti, Učiteljski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zagreb.

Nemec K. 1997, Prvi hrvatski science-fiction, in “Croatica” 45/46, pp. 337-346.

Njamcu A. 2012, Legendarno-mifologičeskije tradiciji v sovremenoj fantastike, in Semenjuk G.F. (red.), Slov’jans’ka fantastyka. Zbirnyk naukovyh prac’, Kyïvs’kyj nacional’nyj universytet im. T. Ševčenka, Kyïv, pp. 39-51.

Oklopčić B. i Saulić L. 2016, Negativka (the Dark Lady) kao strategija rodnog otpora u djelima Marije Jurić Zagorke, in Čale Feldman L. i Dremel A. (ur.), Crveni ocean: prakse, taktike i strategie rodnog otpora, Centar za ženske studije, Zagreb, pp. 19-28.

Oziewicz M. 2008, One Earth, One People: The Mythopoeic Fantasy Series of Ursula K. Le Guin, Lloyd Alexander, Madeleine L’Engle and Orson Scott Card, McFarland, Jefferson (NC).

Oziewicz M.C. 2015, Justice in Young Adult Speculative Fiction: A Cognitive Reading, Taylor & Francis Ltd, New York.

Oziewicz M. 2017, Speculative fiction, https://oxfordre.com/literature/view/10.1093/ acrefore/9780190201098.001.0001/acrefore-9780190201098-e-78 (29.10.19).

Oziewicz M. 2019, Speculative Fiction, in Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Literature, Press USA, https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190201098.013.78 (29.10.19).

Paščenko J. 2017, Povijesna kontekstualizacija pripovijetke Vladimira Nazora Crveni tank (1922.), in “Filozofska istraživanja” XXXVII 2, pp. 317-334.

Pavliša M. 2015, Tolkienovih klonova ima previše, nisu zanimljivi, https://www.tportal.hr/ kultura/clanak/tolkienovih-klonova-ima-previse-nisuzanimljivi-20151020/print (29.10.19).

Pavlović M. 1989, Fantastika u antropološkom ključu, in Palavestra P. (ur.), Srpska fantastika. Natprirodno i nestvarno u srpskoj književnosti, XLIV/9, Srpska akademija nauka i umetnosti, Beograd, pp. 3-7.

Pekić B. 1996, Rađanje Atlantide, BIGZ, Beograd.

Pekić B. 1997, U traganjuza Zlatnim runom, BIGZ, Beograd.

Pekić B. 2001, Atlantida, Solaris, Novi Sad.

Perković M.M. 2015, Interview: Milena Benini, http://rantalica.com/1375/interview-milena-benini (29.10.19).

Peterson J. 2012, Playing at the world, Unreason Press, San Diego.

Platone 1950, Dialoghi, Eutifrone, Apologia di Socrate, Critone, Fedone, Cratilo, Teeteto, Laterza, Bari, vol. I.

Platone 1990, La Repubblica, Mondadori, Milano.

Platone 1996a, Dialoghi politici. Lettere, Repubblica, Timeo, Crizia, Politico, Unione Tipografico-Editrice Torinese, Torino, vol. I.

Platone 1996b, Dialoghi politici. Lettere, Leggi, Epinomide, Minosse, Clitofonte, Menesseno, Unione Tipografico-Editrice Torinese, Torino, vol. II.

Reid R.A. (ed.) 2009, Women in Science Fiction and Fantasy, Greenwood Press, Westport (CT).

Šakić T. 2008, Zagorka i počeci hrvatske znanstvene fantastike, in Grdešić M. i Jakobović Fribec S. (ur.), Neznana junakinja – nova čitanja Zagorke, Centar za ženske studije, Zagreb, pp. 181-202.

Šakić T. i Žiljak A. (ur.) 2006, Ad Astra: antologija hrvatske znanstvenofantastične novele 1976-2006, Mentor, Zagreb.

Science Fiction on Women – Science Fiction by Women 1980, in “Science Fiction Studies” VII 20, https://www.depauw.edu/sfs/covers/cov20.htm (29.10.19).

Shaw D. 2000, Women, Science and Fiction: The Frankenstein Inheritance, Palgrave Macmillan, New York.

Shinn T.J. 1986, Worlds Within Women: Myth and Mythmaking in Fantastic Literature by Women, Greenwood Press, New York.

Šišković D. 2006, Na pragu novog zlatnog doba?, in “Vijenac” 312, 16/02/2006, http://www.matica.hr/vijenac/312/na-pragu-novog-zlatnog-doba-7938 (29.10.19).

Solar M. 2007, Književni leksikon, Matica hrvatska, Zagreb.

Stojanova Lj. 1989, Bajka i mit – koreni naučne fantastike, in Palavestra P. (ur.), Srpska fantastika. Natprirodno i nestvarno u srpskoj književnosti, XLIV/9, Srpska akademija nauka i umetnosti, Beograd, pp. 59-73.

Sutton Th.C. and Sutton M. 1969, Science Fiction as Mythology, in “Western Folklore” XXVIII 4, pp. 230-237.

Suvin D. 1976, Russian Science Fiction, 1956-1974: A Bibliography, Dragon Press, Elizabethtown (NY).

Suvin D. 1978, On What Is and Is Not an SF Narration; With a List of 101 Victorian Books That Should Be Excluded From SF Bibliographies, in “Science Fiction Studies” V 14, part 1, https://www.depauw.edu/sfs/backissues/14/suvin14art.htm (29.10.19).

Suvin D. 1979, Metamorphoses of Science Fiction: On the Poetics and History of a Literary Genre, Yale University Press, New Haven.

Suvin D. 1989, Teze o poetici naučne fantastike, in Palavestra P. (ur.), Srpska fantastika. Natprirodno i nestvarno u srpskoj književnosti, XLIV/9, Srpska akademija nauka i umetnosti, Beograd, pp. 49-55.

Suvin D. 2007, Što li preostaje od Zamjatinova Mi nakon smjene Levijatana: mora li kolektivizam biti protiv naroda?, in Ajdačić D. i Jović B. (ur.), Slovenska naučna fantastika. Zbornik radova, Institut za književnost i umetnost, Beograd, pp. 29-68.

Tasić M.J. 2013, Naučna utemeljenost mita u naučno fantastičnoj književnosti, in Zbornik radova. Prva međunarodna naučna konferencija. Jezik, književnost i mitologija, Alfa Univerzitet, Beograd, pp. 329-342.

Todorov T. 1970, Introduction à la littérature fantastique, Editions du Seuil, Paris.

Trocha B. 2009, Degradacja mitu w literaturze fantasy, Oficyna Wydawnicza Uniwersytetu Zielonogórskiego, Zielona Góra.

Trocha B. 2012, Źródła i funkcje mitycznych cytacji w rosyjskiej, ukraińskiej, czeskiej i polskiej literaturze popularnej po 1990 roku, in Semenjuk G.F. (red.), Slov’jans’ka fantastyka. Zbirnyk naukovyh prac’, Kyïvs’kyj nacional’nyj universytet im. T. Ševčenka, Kyïv, pp. 66-76.

Vidmar I. 2013, Thought Experiments, Hypotheses, and Cognitive Dimension of Literary Fiction, in “Synthesis philosophica” XXVIII 1-2, pp. 177-193.

Vince Z. 1975, Zaokret u hrvatskom književnom jeziku potkraj 19. stoljeća, in “Croatica: časopis za hrvatski jezik, književnost i kulturu” VI 6, pp. 131-159.

Vladanović M. 2015a, Milena Benini: Svećenica mjeseca, in “Moderna vremena”, https://www.mvinfo.hr/clanak/milena-benini-svecenica-mjeseca (29.10.19).

Vladanović M. 2015b, Milena Benini: Htjela sam biti Zagorka kad porastem, in “Moderna vremena”, https://www.mvinfo.hr/clanak/milena-benini-htjela-sam-biti-zagorka-kad-porastem (29.10.19).


Full Text: pdf

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribuzione - Non commerciale - Non opere derivate 3.0 Italia License.