Historical Realism and Reading Eliade’s Novel: The Myth Reappearance and Repetition Aspect in the Novel The Forbidden Forest

Abstract

Eliade dealt myth not only as an story but also as an creation. So myth has been reappeared and repeated on the surface of human experiences which dream about original direction. He explained two existential attitudes of the sacred and profane in his book The sacred and the profane. It tells us the sacred history which informs us of the events in pristine times and certain creation. It tells us the formation of something and how to exist. The sacred history, myth in other words tells us of what really happened complete real things. Doing so, myth reveals their creative activities and make clear their works of sacredness or supernaturality. The fantasy of this novel starts right before the midnight of the summer solstice. The forbidden forest is a myth related with 24, June which is a summer solstice in Rumanian folklore. That night heaven is opened to make it possible to escape from realities to see beyond them to be initiated into paradise space. At this time daytime stops to lengthen further and begins to be shorter. Eliade explained that the middle of the time or the year means the line between realities and the other world. The main character Ştefan is aware of his real situation but he longs for eternal life which knows no aging and death like the prince Făt-Frumos from folklore ‘Youth without aging and life without death’. Eliade made it possible the universal reunion at the sacred place by the reappearance and repetition of myth in his novel The Forbidden Forest. He showed us sacred times as the lost world and returning to origin of existence. Reappearance and repetition of myth make modern people to understand their true beings by returning to ancient sacred times and spaces.