General Features of Georgian Literature in the Eyes of a Foreign Kartvelologist

Abstract

This article critically examines Professor Donald Rayfield's assessment of Georgian literature, particularly his argument that hyperbolization constitutes both a defining characteristic and a fundamental weakness of Georgian literary tradition. The author challenges this view by demonstrating that hyperbolization was a universal feature of medieval oriental literature, evident in Persian classics such as Firdousi's Shah Nameh and Gurgani's Vis o Ramin, rather than a uniquely Georgian phenomenon. Through comparative analysis of The Knight in the Panther's Skin and Persian literary works, the article argues that Georgian literature, while indeed hyperbolic in style, does not exceed Persian literary tradition in this regard. The author further contends that literary works must be evaluated according to the principle of historicism - within the aesthetic and cultural context of their own epoch - rather than by modern standards of taste.

Editor's Note: The following article was first published in The Kartvelologist, Autumn 1998, No. 5, and is republished here for its continued relevance.