O komizmie w epitafiach

Abstract

In this article a specific group of tombstone inscriptions is being described, including fictitious and authentic, which reveal comic elements and features. As material for the considerations were used certain old inscriptions taken from Vilnius archives, as well as contemporary authentic inscriptions collected from Vilnius cemeteries. The serious attitude to the issues of death in many cultures usually excludes humorous features from inscriptions, but sometimes there appears an esthetic category of humour in certain inscriptions. It concerns primarily the texts that have developed from literary tradition, where the inscriptions refer to the type of fictitious inscriptions, and humour is used with the creator's intention. There also functions an esthetic category of humour in the cases of authentic tombstone inscriptions, which are the product of creator's inefficiency to provide humour, but the elements appear to be amusing exceptionally to the reader.