Gnat in Lithuanian literary fairy-tale

Abstract

The article is meant to discuss Lithuanian literary fairy-tales, written at different time, with gnat as a more or less prominent character. The present paper is concerned with the works by classics of Lithuanian literature, Antanas Vaičiulaitis, Pulgis Andriušis, Kazys Boruta, Albinas fiukauskas, focusing on the works by the representatives of the younger generation, Urt. Uli°n., Vytautas V. Landsbergis and Herkus Kunčius. As a literary character, gnat proved to be interesting to émigré tale writers as well as those in Soviet Lithuania. More often gnat does not function on its own but helps people understand their foolishness or narrow-mindedness (Vaičiulaitis), gnats are also viewed in an allegoric manner (Andriu.is, Boruta, fiukauskas). Gnats have no names or they are named in a traditional way using the onomatopoeia to associate their names with buzzing. Looking at them diachronically, one notices that nowadays writers are more and more inventive when choosing names for gnats acting as characters in their tales (Caklius, Zyzla, Kyzla, Parsnip, Prisci, etc.), rejecting the traditional ones related only to buzzing (Zyz.nas, Zuz., Zirz.nas, etc., derived from the Lithuanian verbs .zyzti., .zirzti. . to buzz). Most often contemporary writers choose to have gnat as a character in nonsense tales. Gnat manifests itself in the most interesting and inventive manner in the tales by Uli°n., Landsbergis, Sigitas Siudika, Kun.ius.