Revenanti v exemplech českojazyčné literatury 17. a 18. století. Pokus o typologii exemplových narativů s tématy návratu mrtvých

Abstract

The study deals with examples of revenants in the Bohemical Catholic early modern religious prose of the 17th and 18th centuries (postils, eschatological literature, catechisms). It notes the relations between medieval and early modern productions, in particular by transforming visual and audial motifs, and a new emphasis on the verification of history (sources, dating). The main part of the study is a typology of the narrative: the dead appear because of confession (especially imperfect, to show its importance for salvation); to prove the judgment of God (of a supposedly virtuous man); to complete a task or agreement concluded in life. The greatest number of narratives describe the return of revenants from Purgatory to inform people of its form, time in Purgatory, punishment. The revenants help the living or demand help for themselves. The conclusion of the study is devoted to the displacement of revenant history from spiritual literature at the end of the 18th century. This change is illustrated by the views of a south Bohemian teacher, Antonín Borový.