An Analysis of the Works of Fazıl İskender and Narine Abgaryan from Contemporary Caucasian Literature in Terms of Cultural Commitment

Abstract

This article explores the intersection of mythology and modernity in contemporary Caucasian literature, focusing on how contemporary writers from the Caucasus region integrate traditional mythological elements into modern narratives. The study examines selected works of prominent writers such as Fazıl İskender and Narine Abgaryan. It investigates how these writers reflect their commitment to their culture in their works and how they benefit from mythological elements while doing this. For this purpose, Fazıl İskender's Sandro of Chegem and Narine Abgaryan's Three Apples Fell from The Sky were examined, and the way cultural symbols and mythological elements were reflected in these works were supported by quotations from the works. In addition, the cultural and social effects of these works within and outside the Caucasus region were evaluated, and their role in preserving and revitalizing cultural heritage in the globalization environment was emphasized. The study aims to show how regional literary works can be renewed and developed by benefiting from their cultural background, and thus to contribute to a better understanding of contemporary Caucasian literary works.

Keywords

• Literature
• Caucasian literature
• Mythology
• Modernity
• Cultural Heritage
• Contemporary Narratives

Çağdaş Kafkas Edebiyatından Fazıl İskender ve Narine Abgaryan’ın Eserlerinin Kültürel Bağlılık Açısından Analizi

Abstract

Bu makale, çağdaş Kafkas edebiyatında mitoloji ve modernitenin kesişimini araştırmakta ve Kafkasya bölgesindeki çağdaş yazarların geleneksel, mitolojik unsurları modern anlatılara nasıl entegre ettiğine odaklanmaktadır. Çalışma, Fazıl İskender ve Narine Abgaryan gibi önde gelen yazarların seçilen eserlerini incelemekte ve bu yazarların kültürlerine bağlılıklarını eserlerinde nasıl yansıttıklarını ve bunu yaparken mitolojik unsurlardan nasıl yararlandıklarını araştırmaktadır. Bu amaçla Fazıl İskender’in Sandro of Chegem (Çegemli Sandro Dayı) ve Narine Abgaryan’ın Three Apples Fell from The Sky (Gökten Üç Elma Düştü) eserleri incelenmiş, bu eserlerde kültürel sembolleri ve mitolojik unsurların yansıtılma biçimleri eserlerden yapılan alıntılarla desteklenmiştir. Ayrıca, bu eserlerin Kafkas bölgesi içindeki ve dışındaki kültürel ve toplumsal etkileri değerlendirilmiş, küreselleşme ortamında kültürel mirasın korunması ve canlandırılmasındaki rollerinin önemi vurgulanmıştır. Çalışmanın amacı bölgesel edebiyat eserlerinin kültürel geçmişlerinden yararlanarak nasıl yenilenip gelişebileceğini göstermek ve bu sayede çağdaş Kafkas edebiyatı eserlerinin daha iyi anlaşılmasına katkıda bulunmaktır.

Keywords

• Edebiyat
• Kafkas Edebiyati
• Mitoloji
• Modernite
• Çağdaş Anlatılar

References

1. Abgaryan, N. (2020). Three apples fell from the sky: The international bestseller. Simon & Schuster.
2. Abkhaz World. (n.d.). Fazil Iskander (1929-2016). Abkhaz World | History, Culture & Politics of Abkhazia. Retrieved August 15, 2024, from https://abkhazworld.com/aw/abkhazians/personalities/1492-fazil-iskander-1929-2016
3. Akdemir, İ. O. ve Koçyiğit Türk, M. (2023). Zihinlerdeki Kafkasya: Kafkasya’nın konumu ve sınırları üzerine jeopolitik analiz. Van İnsani ve Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 6, 132-157.
4. Anderson, B. (1983). Imagined communities: Reflections on the origin and spread of nationalism. Verso.
5. Aylisli, A. (2013). Stone dreams. Dalkey Archive Press.
6. Bhabha, H. K. (1994). The location of culture. Routledge.
7. Bournoutian, G. (2002). A concise history of the Armenian people: From ancient times to the present. Mazda Publishers.
8. Colarusso, J. (2002). Nart sagas from the Caucasus: Myths and legends from the Circassians, Abazas, Abkhaz, and Ubykhs. Princeton University Press.

9. Esenneva, S. (2013). Mythology and modernity in Caucasian literature. Cambridge University Press.
10. Gleason, G. (1992). The central Asian states: Discovering independence. Westview Press.
11. Haratischwili, N. (2019). The eighth life (for Brilka). Scribe UK.
12. Hogan, P. C. (2003). The mind and its stories: Narrative universals and human emotion. Cambridge University Press.
13. Iskander, F. (1983). Sandro of Chegem. Vintage Books.
14. Iskander: Sandro of Chegem. (2021, January 19). The Modern novel. Retrieved August 12, 2024, from https://www.themodernnovel.org/asia/central-asia/abkhazia/iskander/sandro/
15. Ismailov, H. (2018). The devil's dance. Tilted Axis Press.
16. Jones, R. (2005). The power of myth in modern literature. Routledge.
17. Koplatadze, T. (2019). Theorizing Russian postcolonial studies. Postcolonial Studies, 22(4), 469-489. https://doi.org/10.1080/13688790.2019.1690762
18. Marchesini, I. (2018). Literary constellations. The case of Armenian authors writing in Russian today. Biblioteca di Studi Slavistici, 289-299. https://doi.org/10.36253/978-88-6453-723-8.24
19. Morchiladze, A. (1992). Journey to Karabakh. Bakur Sulakauri Publishing.
20. Rayfield, D. (2000). The literature of Georgia: A history. Routledge.
21. Said, E. W. (1978). Orientalism. Pantheon Books.
22. Smith, J. (2010). Cultural identity in the age of globalization. Polity Press.
23. Suny, R. G. (1994). The making of the Georgian nation. Indiana University Press.
24. Turner, M. (2001). Symbolism and allegory in modern fiction. Oxford University Press.
25. Weber, H. (2017, April 25). Caucasian literature: The best contemporary fiction to add to your reading list. Retrieved August 10, 2024, from https://www.new-east-archive.org/articles/show/8052/caucasian-literature-best-contemporary-fiction-reading-list.
26. Zolyan, S. T., & Hakobyan, K. S. (2019). Russian in Armenia. The soft power of the Russian language, 46-54. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429061110-5