#Gustaw/Konrad

[mynameis40and4]

Błagam niech ktoś zrobić heavy metalowy cover "Pieśni Zemsty"

[ahopefulbromantic]

I just realized the most tragic thing - that I cannot gush about 31st October being Dziady / Forefathers' Eve because it's a Polish thing and none of my mutuals know what it is and no really good translation of the dramatic works exists to have them read it :(((

It's like a traditional Polish Halloween and nowadays it's mainly known from Adam Mickiewicz's (he's to Poland what Shakespeare is to England) 4-part drama centered around it. It follows a tortured poet (my blorbo, I love him) during the time Poland was partitioned and erased from the maps, its people oppressed but always fighting back. It is one of the most important and culturally significant Polish works ever created. And it's got, like so many themes, so many themes you guys. It's one of my favorite works ever one of my all-time dreams is to play Konrad, a protag from part 3.

So if anyone does know it or is interested in finding out more please please please message me or drop an ask I'd love to infodump!!!

[thunderboltfire]

'Not these Kelemvor-damned undead again' - murmured Gracie Scyra and rolled over.

[malinowachmurka44]

bitches are like "omg hes so me!!!!!" and then point to emotionally unstable hopeless romantic boys from polish dramas written 200 years ago by definitely not straight poets. its me im bitches.

[lileu-u]

what if i told u that i named my Scara after a polish book they make us read in school bc the character has a rap battle with god?

[fujouppy]

konrad z dziadów worlds first mtm transgender man

[lostbutincognito]

Na całe szczęącie nie byłom na rozszerzonym polskim ale nawet przerabiając tylko samą podstawę programową czytanie mickiewicza doprowadzało mnie do białej gorączki przysięgam. Gustaw i Konrad sronrad japierdzielę. I cokolwiek on tam jeszcze nie natworzył. W sumie to już dużo czasu minęło... anyways należałom do teamu słowacki tylko dlatego że byłom anty mickiewicz lol

Albo może po prostu sam archetyp bohatera romantycznego ma w sobie coś co doprowadza mnie do szału bo wertera też miałem ochotę przemielić na kotleta na studiach, ale polski mesjanizm to było dla mnie wyjątkowo coś drażniącego ze względu na to poczucie wyższości które epatowało z tych utworów xD rozumiem że panowie sobie musieli podnosić morale ale to wytłumaczenie nie cofa zadanego demedża :d

Wait mam nadzieję że ten ask nie jest jakiś strasznie z dupy i niechciany, jak jest to sorki 🙏

Slowacki vs Mickiewicz zawsze mnie bawił bo miałam znajome które ich shipowaly i nigdy nie mogłam traktować żadnego z nich poważnie przez to

a polski mesjanizm wkurwial mnie również, gdybyśmy nie wmawiali ludziom że muszą cierpieć za coś zawsze i są przez to lepsi we wouldn't be in half of the mess at any given time xD

[per-the-jellicle-magician]

I was on Dziady train again, and had an idea, most likely incomprensible for anyone who isn't Polish but

Quaxo to Miasto transition but in a style of Gustaw to Konrad transformation in "Lawa"

[ultraviolence-girl222]

exactly, sth like gustaw konrad

Not mine~ ୨୧ ~

[ladiesdrinkpurealcohol]

"Are you a boy or a girl?"

Konrad:

[cranberrykissel]

as eastern european, i humbly ask to explain to me why everyone on tumblr is so hyped for halloween when you can celebrate dziady instead 😌

[ahopefulbromantic]

Please please please tell me more about Dziady

Okay this took me waaay to long and it will be several far-too-verbose posts (i'm really sorry but that's what you get for asking about my special interest lol). So anyway fasten your seatbelts, my man, cause you're in for a ride, you'll love this one!

1. Cultural/Historical/Political Context

Dziady, or Forefather's Eve, is an ancient (?) Slavic ritual held on October 31st. It was originally Pagan and had to do with summoning with the dead. Since Poland is a Christian country (I'll die on this hill), the very beginning of its existence being its baptism, after Poles became Christians, the Pagan rituals naturally got ✨Christified✨. Dziady, then, as All Hallow's Eve, became about helping souls in purgatory reach Heaven. Seems all fine and good, right? The only problem was, it still was spiritual seances and magic basically, and it wasn't held by a Christian priest but instead by a Guślarz (for some reason translated as "Wizard" in English versions??? lol), who was kinda like a Slavic shaman.

Now for the history, in XVIII and XIX century Poland was partitioned by Russia, Prussia (Germany) and Austria. It meant that formally it didn't exist as a country, it was erased from the maps - but as a nation it continued to live in the hearts of its people for over a hundred years before we regained our independence after WWI. The four part Dziady play was written in XIX century, Polish Romanticism, a time of bards, prophets, dreamers, and revolutionists, and in itself it was an act of defiance to the occupants.

2. Summary (yes the order is weird, no one knows why)

Dziady II

People of the town hold a Dziady ritual. A few spirits come and state their needs - two children who never experienced anything difficult in life get a bitter mustard seed, an evil lord who made poor people die of hunger and now is torn apart by them in the form of wild birds doesn't get anything as he's beyond help for now, and a girl who selfishly rejected every boy who loved her and never made any meaningful human connection (i'm giving the author the benefit of doubt here) gets a reassurance that after two years she will reach Heaven. With Dziady nearly finished, suddenly there comes a weird, spooky spirit who doesn't act like he's supposed to, doesn't obey commands, and follows one of the girls...

Dziady IV

In this one we find out the spirit's name is Gustaw, he's a young poet from the town in unrequited love with the girl he followed, Maryna. Due to being so dead inside and to a suicide attempt (it's a little unclear how it ended?) he's in between being dead and alive and thus can attend Dziady as a spirit. He visits a priest who used to teach him when he was a child to wallow in his woes and whine that all women are evil (he's cringe in this one but we still love him) and to ask the priest not to fight the Dziady tradition. The Church condemned it as a Pagan ritual but Gustaw insists it's one of the things that keep Polish nation together during the occupation.

Dziady I

Another Dziady ritual is held but this time it's Gustaw's turn to be visited and followed by a spirit of a mysterious, spooky girl. Unfortunately, this work was never finished so we don't know who the girl is, what happens next, or even when it all falls in Dziady timeline :(

Dziady III. Poema

Okay this is the longest one and the only one i've seen translated to English so i'll try to be brief and also focus on Gustaw's arc. We have a timeskip, Gustaw is in prison because Russians hate Polish people and want them all dead, gone, and unable to make an(other) uprising. It's in here that Gustaw transforms into Konrad - a new name, a new identity, a whole new self. He talks with his cellmates, they're buddies, they tell each other stories, news from the town, they sing songs. Konrad is hit with ✨bardic inspiration✨, he sings about becoming a vampire and taking revenge, then goes into the (Little) Improvisation about becoming an eagle and battling a black raven - he's in a prophetic trance but faints before he can finish his vision. He's left alone. When he comes around, oh hohoho, he goes into the Great Improvisation!!! It's Hamlet's Soliloquy for Poles, maybe even more than that. In it he achieves the heights of his poetic power, feeling, and love, so he metaphysically flies before the throne of God to plead for his people. He wants to rule over souls like God does to make the world a better place. Not receiving an answer, he starts blaspheming out of desperation. He faints just before speaking the worst offence and is then possessed by the devil and exorcized by the prison priest, Fr. Piotr, a bernardine monk. The demon tells the priest about another prisoner who is heavily tempted and needs his help, Jan Rollison. It's also revealed that it was Mother Mary who saved Konrad from offending God because he'd defended Her in an earlier scene ❤️ Then we have three other visions: a little patriot girl gets a sweet and cutesy one about flowers (it's got a beautiful line about St. John), Fr. Piotr gets a prophetic one in which he sees Poland crucified as the Christ of Nations that will resurrect eventually and by its suffering bless all other nations, along with a hero through which it will come - the mysterious Fourty-and-Four, and lastly the Russian Senator gets a haunting nightmare from demons about his falling out of grace with the Tsar. Then there's the Warsaw Salon and the Ball at Senator's, scenes filled with conversations about politics and revolutions, more stories, and a lot of Russians' hypocrisy. We find out Janek Rollison is tortured and was nearly killed by his tormentors who claimed his defenestration was a suicide attempt. His mother comes with Fr. Piotr to plead for him, but the Senator is cruel and unyielding, even the priest's warnings of divine punishment don't sway him. During the ball one of Senator's evil subordinates/"friends" dies, struck by lightning attracted by silver Russian coins (a Judas reference). Senator is prophecised to die, too. Just then Konrad is lead by two soldiers to be banished, his worst fear becoming reality. Though he doesn't remember Fr. Piotr, his heart recognizes him and so he bids him farewell and gives him a ring to sell and give money for the poor. In exchange he receives a prophecy. The last scene is another Dziady ritual, in which we see spirits of Senator and his subordinate, punished by God. Maryna tries to find Gustaw's spirit again but cannot summon him by his old name. At last she sees him in a wagon, his chest riddled with deep, piercing wounds, with a tiny wound on his forehead.

Epilogue to Part III

Now i don't know this one as well as the others, it's also more of a narrative poem than of a play, but from what i remember it follows a mysterious Pilgrim character on his adventures in foreign lands. To my (and my Polish teacher's hehe) interpretation the pilgrim is Konrad who lost his name and identity after his banishment and now roams the world as a mere no-name pilgrim, unable to create poetry in his language no one understands 💔

3. An English version for you to enjoy!

It's only part III and it's not perfect but i really encourage all of you reading this to give it a go!

[chicago-geniza]

have not done work, in bed with a heating pad & an emesis bag, reading theater reviews po polsku circa 1935, stood up & came alarmingly close to blacking out, once i fix my vagus nerve it's over for you haters

[romantyczni-pozytywisci]

Czy tylko mnie zastanawia jak Konrad/Gustaw z romantycznego nonkonformistycznego buntownika, stawiającego się na poziomie Boga więźnia politycznego, stał się księdzem pomagającym łapać policji przestępców?...

...To jest prawdziwie metafizyczne zagadnienie

[marc-here]

Ludzie mowią, że tak strasznie trudno jest się przestawić na czyjeś nowe imię jak jest trans, i że bedą nadal używać jego deadname bo tak łatwiej, ale jakoś potrafią nazywać nagle Gustawa Konradem bo tak sobie wymyslił i nabazgral to na ścianie, ok

[mickiewitch]

dyjament w brudnym zawarty kamieniu