Parodia sacra as Bakhtin’s term

The article examines Bakhtin’s concept of parodia sacra in the context of his discourse about medieval parody, carnival, and culture of laughter. The author demonstrates that, rather than coining the actual term, Bakhtin borrowed it from 19th-century scholars such as F. Novati, E. Ilvonen, and P. Lehmann. Bakhtin uses the term to describe parodies of sacred texts and rituals, highlighting their connection with the culture of popular laughter and the carnival tradition. The study follows the evolution of Bakhtin’s interpretation of parodia sacra: from the narrow definition of a Latin sacred parody to the broader idea of a dialogic hybrid that signifies the battle of voices in medieval language drama. The study also takes a close look at Bakhtin’s notes which outline the defining features of medieval parody and its contribution to the nascent polyphonic tradition. In addition, the article considers an alien word [chuzhoe slovo] and a dialogue in the practice of parody as a concept that ties parodia sacra to the theory of carnival and Menippean satire. Overall, the article identifies parodia sacra as an essential element of the Menippean and carnival traditions which impacted Bakhtin’s scholarly interests.

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