LITERARINESS IN THE BEGINNINGS OF THE ALBANIAN LITERATURE

Abstract

This article tries to show the emergence of literariness in the first literary works of the Albanian literature, which commenced as missionary and also bibliolatrous works. Several chrestomathies have been used to illustrate these works such as: chrestomathies of sections in prose from the “ Missal†by Gjon Buzuku,the first written Albanian book (1555, a translation of the Catholic missal); chrestomathies of the verses of Budi, who was the first fosterer of the long-lasting poetry (1618-1621), adaptations and renovations of the biblical poems), and chrestomathies from “ The platoon of prophets†(1685) by Bogdani ( a renovation in prose and poetry based on the biblical theme). These literary works surpassed their own mission and gave birth to literariness. This has to be reasoned within some aspects that are analysed separately as a result of the study, but which actually seem to be interchangeable. This analysis is carried in the framework of the inquiry which gives the proportion between literariness and its mission in the early Albanian literature ( a topic which is being the centre of the literary Albanian criticism nowadays) and helps bring the history of the Albanian literature to a different point of view, focusing on the issue of how much the art of literature has served itself as art.