Orthodox epic poetry

[Ryan]

I am wondering if anyone knows of Orthodox epic poems. Roman Catholics have, for example, The Divine Comedy; Protestants have Paradise Lost and The Faerie Queene. I have heard of Njegos' Light of the Microcosm, which, like Paradise Lost, is a narration of the Fall; I'm wondering what else there is. I mean epics with a pervasive Orthodox spiritual theme, not just national epics like Digenis Akritas or the Battle of Kosovo songs.

[Seda S.]

I am wondering if anyone knows of Orthodox epic poems. Roman Catholics have, for example, The Divine Comedy; Protestants have Paradise Lost and The Faerie Queene. I have heard of Njegos' Light of the Microcosm, which, like Paradise Lost, is a narration of the Fall; I'm wondering what else there is. I mean epics with a pervasive Orthodox spiritual theme, not just national epics like Digenis Akritas or the Battle of Kosovo songs.

Dear Ryan
I don't know any Eastern Orthodox epic, unfortunately, but if you are also interested in other Eastern Christian traditions, then there is an Armenian Orthodox epic, "The Adam Book", written in the first half of the 15th century by Arakel of Siwnik (14-15 cc). It has recently been published in English translation.


This is the first English translation of the major Armenian epic on Adam and Eve composed by Arak'el of Siwnik' in the early fifteenth century. Arak'el writes extremely powerful narrative poetry, as in his description of the brilliance of paradise, of Satan's mustering his hosts against Adam and Eve, and Eve's inner struggle between obedience to God and Satan's seduction. In parts the epic is in dialogue form between Adam, Eve, and God. It also pays much attention to the typology of Adam and Christ, or Adam's sin and death and Christ's crucifixion. By implication, this story, from an Eastern Christian tradition, is the story of all humans, and bears comparison with later biblical epics, such as Milton's Paradise Lost. Michael E. Stone's version preserves a balance between literary felicity and faithfulness to the original. His Introduction sets the work and its author in historical, religious, and literary context. [/URL]

See in the Google Books (they provide a limited preview to the book):
[URL]http://books.google.com/books?id=2P3Eyz2B15sC&pg=PP1&dq=Adamgirk&ei=2_V_SvGMPIjWzATz6_i3Cg#v=onepage&q=&f=false (http://www.buy.com/prod/adamgirk-the-adam-book-of-arakel-of-siwnik/q/loc/106/203526199.html)

With love,
Seda

[Herman Blaydoe]

Dear Ryan
I don't know any Eastern Orthodox epic, unfortunately, but if you are also interested in other Eastern Christian traditions, then there is an Armenian Orthodox epic, "The Adam Book", written in the first half of the 15th century by Arakel of Siwnik (14-15 cc). It has recently been published in English translation.

[/URL]

See in the Google Books (they provide a limited preview to the book):
[URL]http://books.google.com/books?id=2P3Eyz2B15sC&pg=PP1&dq=Adamgirk&ei=2_V_SvGMPIjWzATz6_i3Cg#v=onepage&q=&f=false (http://www.buy.com/prod/adamgirk-the-adam-book-of-arakel-of-siwnik/q/loc/106/203526199.html)

With love,
Seda

I don't know that Orthodoxy has "epic poetry", but we do have akathists...

Herman the Akathist-lovin' Pooh

[Seda S.]

I don't know that Orthodoxy has "epic poetry", but we do have akathists...

Herman the Akathist-lovin' Pooh

I think, some of the poems of Symeon the New Theologian can be considered as epic poems or they are close to that literary genre.

[Ryan]

Thank you Seda for that wonderful reference! I'll have to spend some time reading that.

Herman- I think you actually have a point. While many akathists don't have a straight narrative, some of them, like the Akathist to St. Brendan, could be taken as mini-epics.

[Eric Peterson]

Ask the Serbs. There are many poems about Tsar St. Lazar and the Battle of Kosovo.

There are also poems and prophecies about Constantinople.

Heck, the Greeks invented epic poetry. :)

[Dova Nisavic]

The Downfall of the Kingdom of Serbia

Yes, and from Jerusalem, O from that holy place,
A great gray bird, a taloned falcon flew!
And in his beak he held a gentle swallow.
But wait! it's not a falcon, this gray bird,
It is a saint, Holy Saint Eliyah:
And he bears with him no gentle swallow
But a letter from the Blessed Mother.
He brings it to the Tsar at Kosovo
And places it upon his trembling knees.
And thus the letter itself speaks to the Tsar:
'Lazar! Lazar! Tsar of noble family,
Which kingdom is it that you long for most?
Will you choose a heavenly crown today?
Or will you choose an earthly crown?
If you choose the earth then saddle horses,
Tighten girths- have your knights put on
Their swords and make a dawn attack against
The Turks: your enemy will be destroyed.
But if you choose the skies then build a church-
O, not of stone but out of silk and velvet-
Gather up your forces take the bread and wine,
For all shall perish, perish utterly,
And you, O Tsar, shall perish with them."
And when the Tsar has heard those holy words
He meditates, thinks every kind of thought:
"O, Dearest God, what shall I do, and how?
Shall I choose the earth? Shall I choose
The skies? And if I choose the kingdom,
If I choose an earthly kingdom now,
Earthly kingdoms are such passing things-
A heavenly kingdom, raging in the dark, endures eternally."
And Lazarus chose heaven, not the earth,
And tailored there a church at Kosovo-
O not of stone but out of silk and velvet-
And he summoned there the Patriarch of Serbia,
Summoned there the lordly twelve high bishops:
And he gathered up his forces, had them
Take with him the saving bread and wine.
As soon as Lazarus has given out
His orders, then across the level plain
Of Kosovo pour all the Turks.

http://balkania.tripod.com/resources/history/battle_of_kosovo.html


The death of the Parson Milo Jovovic

In the years when Montenegro men decided
That all the Turks must be abolished
In the Montenegro camp near the Tower of Lekovic
Someone slandered the name of parson Milo Jovovic
So the lord said to Milo in front of all the dukes
Parson Milo, are you with us or against us
As soon as Milo heard this, he grabbed his sabre’s hilt
And glared intently at the lord’s suite
All the other nobles froze in fright
Of him killing the Montenegro ruler on sight
Instead, with his soul on fire, he yelled,
My lord, god be with you, what have you said!
He left the lord and dukes furious with anger
And headed for his tent barely controlling his temper
In his rage he grabbed to play gusle, the chords almost tore
His shout went across the cliffs, on his mother’s life he swore
On going unescorted down to town of Nikshic
And calling on a duel the mighty captain Mushovic
He threw away the gusle, mounted his stallion
And galloped across river Zeta, heading for the town doors
The horse rode down the slopes as if gifted with wings
The Turkish guards could easily see him approaching
Milo came nearer and nearer to Turkish ramparts
With his stallion exhausted, fighting for it’s breath
Accordingly to his own renowned name as a fighter
Parson Milo charged at the toughest town tower
If he is to die, then may he die like a man
By a well known and mighty hero’s hand
The Turkish stopped him at the gate
Fetch me Mushovic, he yelled out straight
As soon as the Turks recognized his face
To the captain’s quarters they started to race
When Mushovic came out and saw Milo’s presence
He rejoiced at this unexpected appearance
What wind brought you here, in a jolly voce he said
Has the Montenegro Lord also put up a price for your head?
You’re welcomed to stay, and we’ll even give you a pardon
Your life is now in safe hands, trust me, parson
Milo burst in anger, Enough, stop acting like a fool
For I have come, captain, to challenge you to a duel!
So get ready and come out to choose your weapon
These words struck the captain like a cannon
He dared not showing to the famous rebel even his nose
For he knew that Milo’s sabre had made a lot of widows
Won’t accept the duel, scared out of his mind
He threw his family’s fame and good name aside
And like a coward secretly signaled to a guard
A gun went of, Milo got shot and fell to the ground
The stallion jolted and galloped across the Zeta river
Heading for Milo, the Turks run down the tower
Pushing and shoving, fighting for the privilege
Of being the first to try on Milo their sabre’s edge
Ferizovic Hasan came up to him first
Sabre hissed, head fell, the blood burst
High up on the town gates, on the top of tower Mushovic
The Turks spiked the head of parson Milo Jovovic
Milo faced, from the top of the town gate
The Turks feasting and celebrating his grim fate
A black raven bird had a pleasant surprise
When it saw the parson’s head bleeding on the spike
So it started to fly down, approaching the parson
To disfigure his face, according to the old custom
Secretly, from the harem, the Turkish women stared
Trying to get a look at the famous Serbian parson’s head.


The songs are usually performed on old Serbian traditional music instrument "Gusle".Gusle is an very old instrument played all over the Serb lands. Its songs were basic and often the only way to hand down traditions and memory of Serb people during the rule of foreigners. People gathered around Gusle players and listened epic songs about Serb heroes and suffering of Serb nation. It is said that in the year of 1189 grand Serb chieftain Stefan Nemanja saw German Emperor Frederick Barbarossa off from the city of Nis to Third Crusade with the sounds of gusle songs. Montenegrin prince-bishop, greatest Serb poet and father of modern Serb national identity Bishop Petar II Petrovic Njegos, in his poem "The Mountain Wreath" through words of his literature hero Vuk Micunovic said: "In a house where the gusle is not heard, both the house and the people there are dead".

[Dova Nisavic]

Gusle:

http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/5791/miskovgusle05.jpg

http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/9356/miskovgusle04.jpg


Bishop of Herzegovina Grigorije and Gusle:

http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/1812/p8197652large.jpg

http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/9308/p8197667large.jpg