“The birth of the gods. Tutankamon on Crete ” - a novel by the Russian writer and religious philosopher Dmitry Merezhkovsky , written by him in exile. First published in the journal " Modern Notes " ( 1924 ), then published in Prague ( 1925 ) [1] . In the next few years, the novel was translated into the main European languages. It is the first part of the "eastern dilogy" (the second novel " Messiah " published in 1928 ).
| The birth of the gods. Tutankamon in Crete | |
|---|---|
| Genre | novel |
| Author | Dmitry Merezhkovsky |
| Original language | Russian |
| Date of first publication | 1924, "Modern Notes" |
Story
The novel takes place in ancient Minoan Crete , where Ambassador Tutankamon , son-in-law of Pharaoh Aachenaton, was sent . The inhabitants of the island profess the cult of an aggressive beast-like deity , to whom human sacrifices are made . The main character of the work, the young priestess Dio, who doubts the faith of her ancestors and comes to the idea of the arrival of a new God , is presented by the writer as the predecessor of Christians . In love with the boy-like Dio, who is about 15 years old, the Babylonian merchant Tammuzadad cannot get her attention back. He agrees to the proposal to arrange the murder of a friend of Dio, a girl named Eoya, believing that the mutual love of the two girls stands in his way. In the novel's finale, Tammuzadad sacrifices his life and voluntarily dies at the stake to save Dio from execution.
Criticism
Criticism noted: “... Merezhkovsky’s new novel is distinguished by the usual qualities and shortcomings of this major writer. <...> You are surprised at the gift of historical penetration, the plasticity of descriptions, the beautiful language, but the writer’s desire disturbs the story with a biased religious idea, "[in the novel] a tragic conflict ensues, which is the main theme of the work of D. S. Merezhkovsky - the struggle of Christ and the Antichrist ... <...> Subject " Tutankamona " exactly "the birth of the gods" - the selection of the cosmic religion - the truth about God-Sacrifice, God the Redeemer, prophetic dreams about Christ ... <...> Split, breakthrough successfully approved by the religious consciousness of the Cretans - wasps ovnaya Merezhkovsky thought " [2] .
Sources
- ↑ A. Nikolyukin_Bun Archived on November 13, 2004.
- ↑ Literary Encyclopedia of the Russian Abroad (1918-1940). T. 3. Part 2. Z — P / INION RAS. M., 1999. 164, 165.