Vol. 15 (2021): XV International Symposium Contemporary Issues of Literary Studies : Literature and Pandemic. Historical and Thematic Experience
Pandemic as a Core Theme of the Text

Lithuanian Baroque: The Existential Concept of Being in the Hymnals of Protestants and Catholics

Rūta Brūzgienė
Mykolas Romeris University

Published 2021-12-20

Keywords

  • Lithuanian baroque,
  • Religious Hymn,
  • Existential Worldview,
  • Motives of Death,
  • Poetics

Abstract

 

Baroque epoch (late 16th - 18th centuries) brought proliferation of sciences and arts to Lithuania, construction of numerous Baroque etc. Yet, the 17th century is called the Century of Disasters due to numerous wars, the occupation of Lithuania (1654 1661), massive deaths, famine and plague epidemics. This period saw an unprecedented number of religious hymns published as well. The best-known hymn writers are Catholic S. M. Slavočinskis (1646), Pr. Šrubauskis (1679); Protestants: Evangelical Reformed (Calvinist) St. Jaugel-Telega (1653); Evangelical Lutheran M. Švoba (Schwabe), (1666, 1685). The aim of this article is to discuss some motives of the existential concept of being and the features of its development in the above-mentioned hymns. The article uses a comparative approach and will refer to the works of Lithuanian scholars A. Jovaišas, D. Kuolys, Br. Maskuliūnas, Dž. Maskuliūnienė, D. Pociūtė-Abukevičienė, E. Ulčinaitė, and M. Vaicekauskas