THE MYTH OF DEATH IN ROMANIAN LITERATURE, IN THE PAST AND IN THE PRESENT
THE MYTH OF DEATH IN ROMANIAN LITERATURE, IN THE PAST AND IN THE PRESENT

Summary/Abstract: This essay explores the myth of death in Romanian literature from traditional folk creations to contemporary literary works. The study highlights the evolution of the perception of death in Romanian culture and spirituality, emphasizing its symbolic, philosophical, and existential meanings.The first part analyzes the representation of death in Romanian folk literature, especially in the ballad Miorița, where death is viewed as a cosmic wedding and as a harmonious reintegration into nature and the universe. The essay also discusses funeral rituals, laments, and traditional beliefs connected to the continuity of the soul after death.The second part focuses on classical Romanian literature, particularly the works of Mihai Eminescu and Mihail Sadoveanu. In Eminescu’s poetry, death becomes a metaphysical and philosophical problem associated with human suffering, the search for the absolute, and the fragility of existence. In Sadoveanu’s novel Baltagul, the myth of death is reinterpreted through moral and ritual dimensions inspired by Romanian folklore.The third chapter examines the interwar period, emphasizing the modernist perspectives of George Bacovia and Lucian Blaga. Bacovia presents death as a symbol of alienation, decay, and existential anxiety, while Blaga approaches it as part of the universal mystery of existence.The final chapter analyzes contemporary Romanian literature, where death becomes associated with historical trauma, identity crises, and psychological fragmentation. Writers such as Marin Preda, Nichita Stănescu, Marin Sorescu, and Mircea Cărtărescu explore death from existential, social, and postmodern perspectives.The essay concludes that the myth of death is one of the fundamental themes of Romanian literature and an essential component of Romanian cultural identity. Throughout different literary periods, death remains a profound means of reflecting on human existence, spirituality, and the relationship between man and the universe.

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