The story of possession as a fairy tale narrative. V. Propp's methodology in the research of Early Modern English pamphlets

The article raises the problem of interpretation and analysis of accounts about possession presented on the pages of early modern English pamphlets. The story of Thomas Darling is analyzed as a typical plot of English early modern popular literature. The genre of pamphleteering literature and its characteristics are considered. The structure of texts about possession is uniform. The content of pamphlets is influenced by folklore. O.I. Togoeva's experience in the analysis of the narratives of the prosecution at the trial of Gilles de Rais with the methodology of Vladimir Propp is studied. She defined testimony as a fairy tale narrative. She discovered elements of a fairy tale in the narratives of the prosecution that indicate the rite of initiation, ancient stories about forest spirits, etc. The story about possession is analyzed as the narrative of the prosecution. The significance of stories about possession is determined using the method of structural analysis of fairy tales by Vladimir Propp, his conclusions regarding historical roots of the basic elements of a fairy tale, as well as the classification of fairy plots by A. Aarne and S. Thompson, on the example of the history of Thomas Darling. There were three levels of analysis: 1) plot; 2) structure; 3) image. Stories about possession comply with the classification of Aarne-Thompson: the plots of the "innocent persecuted", "in the power of the forest demons", the "supernatural adversary" type, etc. The structure of stories about possession is similar to the structure of a fairy tale. Stories about possession comply with the initial and final circle of moves of a fairy tale. A hagiographic story about exorcisms by the saints was discovered in a pamphlet. Two narratives merge in the story about possession: 1) people about being bewitched; 2) the intellectual about possession. There are two types of characters: the victim and the savior. Two circles of moves overlap in the first part of the pamphlet. One person combines functions of two characters: the witch as a pest / giver, the possessed as a hero / victim, possession as a trouble / gift, etc. The story about possession is a form of preservation of oral fairy tale heritage. Elements of the narrative about possession are a reflection of relic ritual practices. Possession is a rite of initiation or a temporary death. Images and personalities in stories about possession are folk and mythical characters. These images are connected with themes of death and rebirth, change of seasons, etc. Possession is an ancient ritual, the culture lost its original meaning, but continued to use it interpreting it in a new way, changing its evaluation and perception. A conclusion is made about the efficiency of application of Propp's methodology to the materials of the late medieval pamphlets and the importance of its further use in order to obtain new information about the phenomenon.

Keywords

Authors

References