Abstract:
Amongst the collective mediators of literary relations, the reference
literature occupies a special place. In the four volumes of The Great Encyclopedia
of Literary Heroes (Moscow, Terra, 2001) Georgian literature is
represented by a single character, Avtandil. The publishers point out that
their goal is not to portray only the main characters, but the characters, even
secondary ones, who, continue to live forever in the reader’s imagination.
Although Avtandil is not the protagonist of the epic, he is one of the
main heroes who linger in the imagination of a tasteful, intelligent reader
even after the book is closed. However, it cannot be claimed that Avtandil
occupies a more important place than Tariel in the reader’s consciousness.
The process of perception is individual. The reader of “The Knight in
the Panther’s Skin” may be most impressed by Fatman, a highly realistic and
expressive artistic figure in the epic. However, in the case of such a respectable
publication, we should not rely on the subjective perception of the ordinary
reader. According to the tradition established in Georgia, which relies
primarily on “The Knight in the Panther’s Skin”, when only one and the main
characters of the poem is singled out, it is unconditionally Tariel.
The encyclopedia article contains several debatable views:
• “Avtandil differs from Tariel by his shrewd and sharp mind. While others
bravely advance in the open struggle for justice…Avtandil achieves the
same result, that is, the triumph of a just cause, but using diplomacy and
cunningness. ”
• “Oral traditions ... allow understanding this flourishing literature, of
which only one epic about Avtandil remains.”
• “Avtandil embodies the perfect ideal of western Georgia in contrast to
Tariel, who is the soul of the eastern part of this country.”
In terms of the development and circulation of literary relations, it
is crucial to correctly position the exceptional works and characters in the
world literary arena.
