„Fifth Minerva” – Interpretating the First Part of the Rákóczi-eposz

Abstract

The Rákóczi-eposz (Rákóczi-epic) is a famous work of Hungarian Baroque literature. The author is unknown, and the text was composed after 1672. The Rákóczi-eposz consists of five parts and the main subject of the “epic” is George II. Rákóczi’s military expedition to Poland (1657). In my paper I am dealing with the first part of the Rákóczi-eposz, and I argue that it is not an epic invocation, but a typical anthropomorphic divine epiphany: in this part goddess Pallas manifests herself to the offended poet (who experiences strong fear on her entrance) and she is characterised by height, extreme beauty, fragrance and 8 radiance. We also learn about Pallas that she has winged feet, which is perplexing.
The concept derives from Cicero’s De natura deorum, where Pallas wears winged sandals. It is also remarkable that the first part is not an “epiphany as initiation into poetry”, but it is an “epiphany moulding ars poetica”, where the goddess manifests herself to encourage literary creation. This is an expression of poetic self-consciousness: this poet is no beginner! Thus, the author of the Rakóczi-eposz represents a previously unacknowledged tradition that is different from Miklós Zrínyi and his famous “epic”, Szigeti veszedelem.