| Abstract | Rad se bavi fenomenom književnog fantasy lika Geralta iz Rivije – Vješca, poljskoga književnika Andrzeja Sapkowskog, koji je u posljednjih par desetljeća stekao kultan status u svjetskog popkulturi. Glavni cilj rada jest pokušati odgonetnuti tajnu popularnosti Geralta koji je debi u književnim krugovima nastavio dominacijom u svijetu video igara, nakon izuzetno uspješne adaptacije, da bi sve kulminiralo velikim uspjehom Netflix serije. Kroz kratak osvrt na početke fantasy žanra u Poljskoj, pregled začetka ideje o Wiedźminu te putem iscrpne analize protagonista, nastoji se odgovoriti na pitanje zašto upravo Geralt drži takvo posebno mjesto u današnjoj masovnoj kulturi. Ističu se i navode brojni elementi koji su pridonijeli popularnosti Wiedźmina, poput intertekstualnosti, referiranja na razna književna i kulturna djela, ali i potreba Sapkowskog da u svojim fantasy djelima ukazuje na probleme i realije današnjeg društva, prvenstveno na ksenofobiju, rasizam i ostale oblike mržnje. Temeljita analiza Geralta uključuje opis lika, s posebnim naglaskom na njegov unutarnji sukob i pitanje morala s kojim se često bori. Naglasak je također na usporedbu protagonista s drugim fantasy junacima, poput Conana Barbarina i Kralja Artura, upravo kako bi se došlo do zaključka da je Geralt itekako drugačiji i originalan, u odnosu na tipičnog fantasy junaka. Vještac je pod utjecajem slavenskih mitova i predaje postao pravi prethodnik slavizma, pokazao je kako je moguće dosegnuti veliku popularnost izvan okvira dominantnog zapadnjačkog fantasy ideala koji se već desetljećima temelji na arturijanizmu. Element koji dodatno naglašava razliku između takvog idealističkog junaštva i Geralta jest činjenica da je Geralt zapravo bliže ulozi anti-junaka, što mu daje dodatnu dubinu. Posebno se i ističe njegova veza s čarobnicom Yennefer koja odigrava važnu ulogu u kreaciji i motivaciji ovih likova. U konačnici se zaključuje da je spletom kompleksnih okolnosti Andrzej Sapkowski stvorio jednog pravog velikana književne i kulturne scene koji unatoč svojoj popularnosti ostaje u sjeni kada je riječ o akademskim istraživanjima koja nažalost i dalje većinom izbjegavaju žanr fantasyja, kako u Poljskoj, tako i šire. |
| Abstract (english) | The paper deals with the phenomenon of the literary fantasy character Geralt of Rivia - the Witcher, from Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski, who has, in the last couple of decades, gained a worldwide cult status in pop culture. The main goal of the paper is to try and understand the essence of the popularity of Geralt, who made his debut in literary circles before dominating the world of video games, after an extremely successful adaptation, culminating with the massive success of the Netflix series. Through a brief review of the beginnings of the fantasy genre in Poland, an overview of the beginning of the idea of Wiedźmin, and through an exhaustive analysis of the protagonist, an attempt is made to answer the question why exactly Geralt holds such a special place in today's mass culture. Numerous elements that contributed to Wiedźmin's popularity are highlighted and cited, such as intertextuality, references to various literary and cultural works, but also Sapkowski's need to point out the problems and realities of today's society in his fantasy works, primarily xenophobia, racism and other forms of hatred. A thorough analysis of Geralt includes a description of the character, with a special emphasis on his inner conflict and the question of morality that he often struggles with. The emphasis is also on the comparison of the protagonist with other fantasy heroes, such as Conan the Barbarian and King Arthur, precisely in order to reach the conclusion that Geralt is vastly different and original, in comparison to a typical fantasy hero. Under the influence of Slavic myths and traditions, the Witcher became a true face of Slavism, he showed that it is possible to achieve great popularity outside the framework of the dominant Western fantasy ideal, which has been based on Arthurianism for decades. An element that further emphasizes the difference between such idealistic heroism and Geralt is the fact that Geralt is actually closer to the role of an anti-hero, which gives him further depth. His relationship with the sorceress Yennefer, which plays an important role in the creation and motivation of these characters, is particularly noteworthy in the paper. In the end, it is concluded that through a web of complex circumstances, Andrzej Sapkowski created a true giant of the literary and cultural scene who, despite his popularity, remains in the shadows when it comes to academic research, which, unfortunately, still mostly avoids the fantasy genre, both in Poland and beyond. |
