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Swedish Journal of Romanian Studies
Vol. 7 No. 2 (2024)Editorial
Communication and intellectual freedom are two of the main aspects considered when engaging an audience in thought and meditation exercises. Swedish Journal of Romanian Studies aims to cultivate and encourage high-standard academic pursuits focused on an increasing range of topics meant to argue and develop this sense of critical thinking and freedom of thought. The current issue of the seventh volume includes the following fields of study: literature, cultural studies, anthropology, history, linguistics, research seminars and book reviews. The research studies are written in Romanian, Spanish, French and English. The Romanian culture is not only discussed and revealed within certain critical perspectives but it is constantly placed and related to the universal education environment as well. Multiculturalism develops due to such studies relevant in the present context of globalization and increasing uncertainty of identities and bonds.
The Literature section includes seven articles discussing Romanian writers in connection with themes such as irony, freedom, social outlaw, homeland, space and time. Alina Buzatu from the Faculty of Letters at the Ovidius University of Constanța, problematizes the (non)existence of fictional beings, framing her research within contemporary conceptual history. Mircea A. Diaconu, a PhD Professor at Ștefan cel Mare University of Suceava problematises the work of I. L. Caragiale through the lenses of reception theories, hermeneutics and textuality, and questions at the same time other essential aspects of the author’s oeuvre. Alexandra Olteanu, Assistant Professor at the Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iaşi, develops an argument regarding the judicial novel as a new subgenre of the Romanian historical novel. Alba Diz Villanueva, Assistant Professor PhD in the Department ERFITEI, from the Complutense University of Madrid, analyses the differences and similarities between the latest volume of stories and the previous literary production of Mircea Cărtărescu. She examines elements such as characters, motifs, symbols, metaphors, subjects, intertextuality, and metafiction in relation to the temporal and spatial framework between the late 1950s to the end of the 1980s. Cristina Sărăcuț, from the Department of Humanistic and Social Sciences, Babeș Bolyai University, Cluj Napoca, continue the section with a study about homeland in Romanian’s children literature written in Diaspora. She targets three contemporary writers, namely Ana Niculina Ursuleanu, Radu Flora and Slavco Almăjan. Antonio Patraș, Professor at the Faculty of Letters of Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași and Roxana Patraș, Senior Researcher (I) at The Institute of Interdisciplinary Research of Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași close the section with an inquiry into Nicolae Steinhardt’s literary criticism.
Cultural Studies follows the sequence, with two articles leading the reader’s attention from the 18th-century to 21st-century social practices. Alexandru Ofrim, an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Letters, University of Bucharest, explores the topic of nocturnal representations and practices in Romanian society of the 18th-20th centuries. He applies and questions the authentication of Roger Ekirch’s results for the realities of the Romanian society of the previously mentioned time span. Anca Șerbănuță, PhD in Cultural Studies from the University of Bucharest, Doctoral School of Letters, uses visual analysis, grounded in Barthesian semiotics, to explore the changes in modes of representation of the peasant in popular media from the depository of national values to a marginal lower class. She makes references to a very successful and contemporary Romania TV series named “Las Fierbinți”.
The next three sections develop intercultural courses referring to the socio-economic, historical, and linguistic layers. Anthropology includes Gabriela Bodea’s research on social awareness and the main focus on heterochromy and socioeconomic heterochrony in relation to multiculturalism. Gabriela Bodea is Associate Professor at the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca. History launches the study of Attila Carol Varga, a researcher at the George Bariţiu History Institute of the Romanian Academy and an associate researcher at Oxford Brookes University (UK). He proposes an analysis centred around the topic of the contacts between Romanian and Swedish Freemasonry in the second half of the 19th century. Moving further with the Linguistics part, Boryana Emiliyanova Mihaylova and Silvia Mihăilescu, assistant professors at the University of Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria, dwell on the subject of the optative value of subjunctive in independent clauses. They target Romanian and Bulgarian languages. Denisa-Maria Bâlc, a doctoral student in the field of Philology and a Teaching Assistant at the Faculty of Letters and Arts, at Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, continues with a quantitative analysis concerning incident constructions with expressive function in I. L. Caragiale’s Moments and Sketches.
Research Seminars includes the research article of Andra Cozlean Bruciu, a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Letters, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Department of Romanian Literature and Literary Theory. She discusses several aspects related to the importance of a cinema course in foreign language teaching and focuses on the history of two Romanian movies: The Independence of Romania (1912) and The Rest is Silence (2007).
Book reviews, the closing section of the current volume, creates paths towards the rediscovery of the themes concerning the meaning/s of life and death as expressed in literature. Sorin Ciutacu, Associate Professor of English and Germanic Studies and Cultural History at the West University of Timisoara, Romania, offers an insight into Professor Thomas Cousineau’s book, The Séance of Reading: Uncanny Designs in Modernist Writing. He stresses the originality and the critical perspective readers encounter in Cousineau’s writing about literary modernist texts. Gabriela Chiciudean, Associate Professor and executive manager of Speculum Centre for the Study of Imaginary, 1 Decembrie 1918 University of Alba Iulia, invites the readership to engage in meditation starting from Răzvan Brudiu’s novella, entitled “When you have no one to hug”, and to envision the image “of a hamlet in the Apuseni Mountains”.
Our gratitude and respect merge with limitless feelings of appreciation and admiration for all the contributors to this issue. The high-quality standards are continuously maintained due to the rigorous, careful and specialised work of our thirty-seven international reviewers for this issue coming from Spain, China, Turkey, Moldova and Romania. The openness and evolution of the journal towards worldwide academic institutions owe the same esteem to its authors, editors and reviewers alike. The close collaboration between the institutions of Romania, Sweden and Spain, makes the present issue not only a great scholarly achievement but another essential lifelong connection between nations united in education.
Swedish Journal of Romanian Studies is published in collaboration with Lund University, Complutense University of Madrid, 1 Decembrie 1918 University of Alba Iulia, Romania, and the Romanian Language Institute, Bucharest, and welcomes contributions from scholars worldwide. Last but not least, we would like to thank our permanent members of the scientific advsory board coming from Germany, Spain, the Czech Republic, the Slovak Republic, the USA, China, Sweden and Romania, who oversee the process and the success of academic internationalisation.
Bianca-Maria Bucur
Reviewer Board for this issue
Iulia Anghel, Ecological University of Bucharest, Romania
Alina Bako, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Romania
Cezar Bălășoiu, University of Bucharest, Romania
Iulian Băicuș, University of Bucharest, Romania
Adriana Carolina Bulz, Military Technical Academy “Ferdinand I”, Bucharest, Romania
Diana Câmpan, 1 Decembrie 1918 University of Alba Iulia, Romania
Rodica Gabriela Chira, “1 Decembrie 1918” University of Alba Iulia, Romania
Marcela Ciortea, “1 Decembrie 1918” University of Alba Iulia, Romania
Laura Mariana Cismaș, West University of Timișoara, Romania
Ela Cosma, Romanian Academy, “George Barițiu” Institute of History, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Valer Simion Cosma, The Library of the “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, Romania
Anca Otilia Dodescu, University of Oradea, Romania
Carmen Dominte, National University of Music, Bucharest, Romania
Roxana Elena Doncu, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Carol Davila”, Bucharest, Romania
Irina Ana Drobot, Technical University of Civil Engineering, Bucharest, Romania
Carmen Duțu, “Dimitrie Cantemir” Christian University, Bucharest, Romania
Ioan Fărmuș, Ștefan cel Mare University of Suceava, Romania
Cristina Gherman, Technical University of Civil Engineering, Bucharest, Romania
Arleen Ionescu, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China
Silviu Mihăilă, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania
Constantin-Ioan Mladin, “1 Decembrie 1918” University of Alba Iulia, Romania
Cristina Nicolaescu, Yozgat-Bozok University, Turkey
Cosmin Perța, Hyperion University, Bucharest, Romania
Daniela Petroșel, Ștefan cel Mare University of Suceava, Romania
Dana Radler, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania
Dragoș Sdrobiș, Art and Design University of Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Vasile Spiridon, “Vasile Alecsandri” University of Bacău, Romania
Ingrid Tomonicska, Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania, Romania
Ottmar Trașcă, Romanian Academy, “George Barițiu” Institute of History, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
The editorial activities undertaken by Associate Editor Lucian Vasile Bâgiu for this issue, which included visits to the University of Bucharest, the Technical University of Civil Engineering of Bucharest, and the West University of Timișoara, were partially funded through Order no. 3721/22.02.2023 issued by the Romanian Ministry of Education.
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Swedish Journal of Romanian Studies
Vol. 7 No. 1 (2024)Editorial
The call for papers for Volume 7 of the Swedish Journal of Romanian Studies sought manuscripts which report rigorous research on Romanian language, literature, theatre and film, cultural studies, anthropology, history, translation studies, education as well as research seminars and reviews of works within these fields.
This first issue collates research which is both diverse and eclectic in topic and method by scholars from Turkey, Spain, Poland, Serbia, and Romania. This issue stands out because all the twelve papers are written in English. This deliberate decision not only sets a clear tone but also shows the journal’s dedication to encouraging worldwide conversation and making the content accessible. By using English as the only language, this issue reaches a broader audience, inviting people from different parts of the world to connect with the articles and join the discussion on the topics presented.Article Highlights
The current issue of our journal starts with four different articles conducted from a literary perspective. Therefore, the Literature section serves as an indispensable component in the dissemination of knowledge including key theories, methodologies, and findings relevant to the existing literature.
1. The inaugural study in this segment, The Semantics of Language in Eugène Ionesco’s Plays, led by Cristina Mirela Nicolaescu, a Romanian scholar associated with Yozgat-Bozok University in Turkey, aims to scrutinize the distinctive attributes of Eugène Ionesco’s theatrical compositions, particularly within the avant-garde and theatre of the absurd genres. The paper explores how these texts function, focusing on elements of dramatic language that differ from everyday oral and written language. It traces the evolution of theatre from the period of decadentism, noting a crisis of character and communication in a hostile world, leading to the emergence of the theatre of the absurd.
2. In the second article of this section, The Status of the Romanian Literary Avant-Garde After 2000: From Marginalization to Recovery, Alexandru Foitoș from West University of Timișoara, Romania, highlights the persistence of a secondary avant-garde, comprised of overlooked writers, and examines post-2000 works to underscore the complexity of the avant-garde's recovery. Additionally, the study addresses post-Urmuz epigonism and advocates for a re-evaluation of marginalized avant-garde figures within contemporary Romanian literary scholarship.
3. Andrei Victor Cojocaru, from Alexandru Ioan Cuza University in Iași, embarks on an intriguing journey in his forthcoming article, Eminescu and Kabbalah. He uncovers Eminescu’s prose’s mystical depths, influenced by Kabbalistic teachings, notably tracing parallels between Luceafărul’s Hyperion and the sephirah. Exploring the echoes of the Far East, Cojocaru intertwines them with Near Eastern mysticism, unravelling the symbolism within elements like water, symbolizing primal existence. Guided by Gaston Bachelard’s poetics, his exploration converges with the enigma of Ain Soph in Kabbalistic lore.
4. In the latest addition to the literary section, Why Politicize the Cultural Game? (Emil) Cioran’s Ethos: Mysticism, Religion and Ethnic Philosophy, Felix Narcis Nicolau, a professor affiliated with Complutense University of Madrid, presents a thought-provoking investigation. This research strives to explore the spiritual convictions entwined around Emil Cioran’s diverse writings. Employing philosophical and cultural lenses, alongside elements of positivist determinism like climate and health, Nicolau scrutinizes works spanning various creative epochs.
Anthropology emerges not merely as a field of study but as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, a testament to our capacity for empathy and understanding. With its multidisciplinary approach, anthropology sheds light on universal human experiences and societal adaptations, addressing contemporary issues like globalization and social justice, offering a holistic framework for our interconnected world.
5. This section starts with a thought-provoking study by Ewa Nowicka from Collegium Civitas, Warsaw, and Annemarie Sorescu-Marinković from the Institute for Balkan Studies of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Belgrade. Their collaborative research, titled Cultural Intimacy, Cultural Distance: Methodological Aspects of anthropological Research into Romanians in Poland, undertakes the dynamics of migrant experiences and perceptions within the Romanian community residing in Poland. The authors illuminate the evolution of these perceptions over a span of five years, utilizing a unique comparative approach. They conducted in-depth, face-to-face interviews with Romanians living in Poland, employing the same guide but differing in the nationality of the interviewers: Polish interviewers in the initial round and a Romanian interviewer in the subsequent one. Their study not only sheds light on the intricate fabric of migrant experiences but also paves the way for a deeper analysis of the interaction between social scientists and their interlocutors.
6. In The Legacy of a 20th-century Cleric: A Catholic Priest’s Economic Chronicles. Anthropological Insights from Written Documents, Mária Szicszai from Babeș–Bolyai University of Cluj–Napoca presents a captivating exploration into a treasure-trove of personal economic records and supplementary documents originating from the 20th century. This collection, belonging to a Catholic priest hailing from Satu Mare County, Romania, stands as a tribute to a bygone era, offering a rare glimpse into the Hungarian-speaking region during this epoch. The study explores the priest's economic decisions, the value he placed on different assets, and his understanding of wealth in a changing society. The author not only honours the memory of a singular priest but also enriches our understanding of the human experience amidst the ebb and flow of history.
7. The latest article in the anthropology section, Historiographic Imaginary and Hypotheses of Heredity in the Configuration of Romanian Cultural Identity, examines the linguistic techniques, as well as compensatory trends in establishing and shaping a distinctive national identity. Similar to other emerging cultures, Romanian society has strived for survival and growth by defining its identity in relation to neighbouring cultural landscapes, either through opposition or alignment with foreign influences, mirroring a dynamic interplay between the concepts of Self and Other. Through an analysis of historical and literary manipulation, Ioana Alexandra Lionte-Ivan from The University of Medicine and Pharmacy Grigore T. Popa, Iași, expounds upon how Romanian culture has responded to various challenges such as aging, identity crises, delayed development, and legitimacy concerns.
The third section of our journal comprises an article dedicated to History. Through the study of history, we gain a deeper appreciation for the complexities of human civilization and the interconnectedness of our collective heritage, empowering us to experience the present with wisdom gleaned from the past.
8. Attila Carol Varga, representing George Barițiu Institute of History, explores the fascinating account of Swedish Freemason Lars von Engeström and his Description of Transylvania during the 18th century. Von Engeström, a multifaceted figure serving as a rector, diplomat, and envoy of the Kingdom of Sweden, provided valuable insights into Transylvania, including details about the uprising led by Horea, Cloșca, and Crișan in 1784. Despite uncertainties regarding his physical presence in Transylvania, von Engeström’s portrayal offers a vivid fresco of the region, depicting its ethnic and confessional diversity, including perspectives of the Romanian Roma community and the challenges faced by its inhabitants.
By featuring Research Seminars, our journal fosters collaboration and networking among researchers, scholars, and academics. Specifically designed to acquire targeted knowledge within their academic field, the two research seminars presented in this issue focus on providing field research, instruction, research findings, and generating ideas for future research endeavours.
9. In their contribution to our journal, Otilia Hedeșan and Diana Mihuț, from West University of Timișoara, present the inaugural research seminar titled Rethinking Fieldwork: Researching Food in the Aftermath of Lockdown. This article consists of field research methodology within the context of addressing the uncertainties stemming from the Covid-19 pandemic. Through the lens of investigating Romanian food heritage, the authors offer a compelling analysis, drawing from five poignant interviews conducted during the height of the pandemic. Furthermore, they unravel the motivations driving individuals to share their life experiences and cultural knowledge amidst such uncertainties, revealing a profound duty to preserve and transmit cultural heritage. This research seminar not only offers insights into the methodological challenges of fieldwork in unprecedented times but also celebrates the resilience and commitment of communities to preserve their cultural identity.
10. Gabriel-Dan Bărbuleț, from 1 Decembrie 1918 University of Alba-Iulia, presents a comprehensive examination titled Pragmatic Strategies in Teaching the Romanian Language to International Students. Through a multifaceted methodology comprising literature review, classroom observations, and interviews with seasoned instructors, the research addresses the diverse challenges encountered by learners amidst the backdrop of increasing globalization. Drawing from sociolinguistic theories, the study underscores the pivotal role of pragmatic competence in fostering effective communication. Ultimately, the study offers valuable insights for educators, curriculum developers, and policymakers, advocating for culturally sensitive language curricula that promote cross-cultural communication and bridge cultural divides.
The Book Reviews section serves as a critical component within our journal, offering a platform for scholars and experts to engage with and evaluate the latest publications in their respective fields. The current issue welcomes two such book reviews.
11. Mădălina Elena Mandici from Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi introduces The Séance of Reading: Uncanny Designs in Modernist Writing (2023), a book inspired by Thomas J. Cousineau’s extensive teaching background and his involvement in Romanian academia as a Fulbright scholar. Mandici’s work invites readers to explore seminal texts from American and European literature by examining them through the prism of the Romanian ballad The Legend of Master Manole and Mircea Eliade’s perspective on mythical creation through sacrifice.
12. Monica Manolachi from the University of Bucharest reviews the scholarly significance of Dicționarul Romanului Central-European din Secolul XX [The Dictionary of Central European Novel in the 20th Century], coordinated by Adriana Babeți and edited by Oana Fotache. This project is viewed as a pioneering effort to chart a transnational literary phenomenon. Manolachi’s analysis highlights the dictionary’s uniqueness, showcasing its rich linguistic diversity and multicultural scope. With 250 entries covering works initially published in one of the fourteen languages spoken in the region, including international languages like French and English, the dictionary encompasses both canonical texts and lesser-known works, offering a comprehensive exploration of Central European literature in the 20th century.Acknowledgements
As we put together the reviewer board for Volume 7, Issue 1 of the Swedish Journal of Romanian Studies, we have gathered a diverse group of 28 wonderful peer reviewers. These experts come from prestigious universities and respected research institutes across a spectrum of countries: Poland, Italy, Israel, Bulgaria, and Romania. Their backgrounds cover a wide range of academic specialties, ensuring that our evaluation process for this issue is thorough and varied. With their combined knowledge and viewpoints, our reviewers offer valuable insights that add depth to the scholarly discussions and uphold the high standards of academic excellence that we strive for in our journal. We are incredibly grateful to each member of the reviewer board for their important contributions to maintaining the quality and integrity of our publication.
We extend our profound gratitude to the 20 esteemed permanent members of the scientific advisory board for their invaluable contributions to this issue of the journal. These dedicated individuals hail from universities and research institutes across the globe, representing a diverse array of countries including Germany, Spain, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, USA, China, Sweden, and Romania. Their unwavering commitment to excellence and their expertise in their respective fields have greatly enriched the quality and depth of the research published in this issue.Andra Iulia Ursa
Reviewer Board for this issue
Mona Arhire, Transilvania University of Brașov, Romania
Diana Câmpan, 1 Decembrie 1918 University of Alba Iulia, Romania
Rodica Gabriela Chira, “1 Decembrie 1918” University of Alba Iulia, Romania
Ela Cosma, Romanian Academy, “George Barițiu” Institute of History, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Amalia Cotoi, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Marius Crișan, West University of Timișoara, Romania
Daniel Dejica, Politehnica University of Timișoara, Romania
Carmen Dimitriu, Tel Aviv University, Israel / Romanian Language Institute, Bucharest, Romania
Carmen Dominte, National University of Music, Bucharest, Romania
Marcela Fărcașiu, Politehnica University of Timișoara, Romania
Giulia Ferdeghini, University of Turin, Italy
Gelu Florea, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Tomasz Klimkowski, “Adam Mickiewicz” University, Poznan, Poland
Petru Ștefan Ionescu, “1 Decembrie 1918” University of Alba Iulia, Romania
Slawomir Lodzinski, University of Warsaw, Poland
Ovidiu Morar, Ștefan cel Mare University of Suceava, Romania
Maria Mureșan, “1 Decembrie 1918” University of Alba Iulia, Romania
Ana Magdalena Petraru, “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iași, Romania
Nicoleta Popa Blănariu, “Vasile Alecsandri” University of Bacău, Romania
Corina Selejan, “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, Romania
Lucia Terzea Ofrim, University of Bucharest, Romania
Ottmar Trașcă, Romanian Academy, “George Barițiu” Institute of History, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
The editorial activities undertaken by Associate Editor Lucian Vasile Bâgiu for this issue, which included visits to the University of Bucharest, the Technical University of Civil Engineering of Bucharest, and the West University of Timișoara, were partially funded through Order no. 3721/22.02.2023 issued by the Romanian Ministry of Education.
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Swedish Journal of Romanian Studies
Vol. 6 No. 1 (2023)Editorial
Interculturality is one of the sources necessary for identity knowledge, development, and awareness. The present world is more than prone to facing challenges concerning the understanding of the human being. Thus, culture represents a guiding light through a dynamic maze, the world. Swedish Journal of Romanian Studies pursues such high academic purposes, and it offers an environment where world cultures and people can meet to explore a variety of narrative paths meant to consolidate communication and enrich the intellect of its contributors and readers. The current issue of the sixth volume presents a recent streamline of articles written in several languages, namely Romanian, English, French, and Spanish. Topics vary from inquiries into 17th-century works and reach postmodernity. They are grouped into six categories: anthropology, education, linguistics, literature, research seminars, and book reviews. Each section proposes contemporary frames of thought that traverse unique multidisciplinary layers.
The first section invites readership to explore the perception of music with the opening article proposed by Livia Georgeta Suciu from Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca. She investigates how the philosophical deconstruction promoted by Jacques Derrida is articulated in the context of avant-garde music promoted by artist John Zorn. Mircea A. Diaconu from Ștefan cel Mare University of Suceava continues with historical imprints about Balthasar Hacquet, researching studies about this enigmatic traveller as published in Romania between the 19th and 21st centuries. He proposes a re-reading of Hacquet’s travel notes from an imagological perspective. Alexandru Ofrim and Lucia Terzea-Ofrim from the Faculty of Letters, University of Bucharest, impel the historical element into magic formulas and analyse medical practices that involved written books or letters and their significance for the process of healing as perceived in Romanian society until the 20th century. The collective work of Iulia Anghel, Elena Banciu, Flavius Pană, and Ana Maria Birtalan from the Ecological University of Bucharest closes the section and discusses how the concept of the ‘public sphere’ reconfigured in Romania along with digitalization.
Education includes discussions on teaching methods, assessing, and adapting to specific contexts. Mădălina Ungureanu from Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași presents the teaching material used by a teacher of Slavonic in the second half of the 17th century, Rom. ms. 312 BAR, and highlights the importance of this bilingual material for didactic purposes. Mădălina Elena Mandici from Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași conceptualizes two teaching approaches, the flipped classroom and micro-teaching, as used in the Applied Linguistic MA program during the first semester of the academic year 2017-2018. Her case study is a resource and example of bridging the gap between theory and practice. Gabriel-Dan Bărbuleț from 1 Decembrie 1918 University of Alba Iulia continues the educational inquiry with a study focused on multimedia tools for teaching a foreign language. Finally, Maria-Magdalena Jianu from the National University of Theatre and Film I.L.Caragiale, Bucharest, Theater Faculty, Romania, and Elisabeta Niță, Ph.D. Student at the School of Advanced Studies of the Romanian Academy, Institute of Philosophy and Psychology Constantin Rădulescu – Motru, Romanian Academy, Romania, psychologist Fundeni Clinical Institute evaluate the communication needs of the parents of children with cancer from the perspective of the semantic values of the morphological units used and integrated into sentence structures or sentence segments (with response status to open questions) and from the perspective of the factual analysis of the percentages of closed questions.
The Linguistics section presents a fruitful article about language purism as displayed in the works of William Barnes and August Treboniu Laurian. The author, Sorin Ciutacu from the West University of Timișoara, aims to reveal the essential linguistic contributions both referred authors had for their cultures. Moving on with the Literature section, the authors reveal fiction through meaningful insights. Maricica Munteanu from the A. Philippide Institute of Romanian Philology, Iași, Romania invites readers to consider the socialist movements in 19th-century Romania under the spectrum of two main concepts, sociability and social network. Alexandra Olteanu from Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași, Romania, explores the idea of social banditry as becoming a central figure in 19th-century Romanian historical novels. Ioana Camelia Brustur from 1 Decembrie 1918 University of Alba Iulia approaches the topic of fame as revealed in the fiction of Philip Roth and Marin Preda. She focuses on one novel from each author, connecting American and Romanian works of literature within a postmodern theoretical frame. Lucian Vasile Bâgiu from 1 Decembrie 1918 University of Alba Iulia completes the section with a critical examination and reinterpretation of Dracula’s image, aiming to investigate the cultural and philosophical concepts of death and immortality as the basis of the understanding of the myth of Dracula.
Research Seminars, a novel section in the journal, dwells on aspects regarding Romanian culture, language and literature and explores issues tackled by professors at Seminars with learners from abroad. The current issue welcomes the academic initiative of prestigious scholars from the Complutense University of Madrid and the University of Valencia who approach the topic of exile and reveal exquisite reflections about Romanian writers who either experienced or wrote about this phenomenon. Alba Diz Villanueva from the Complutense University of Madrid illustrates Mircea Eliade’s pace through life, literature and science. Inés Carvajal Argüelles from the Complutense University of Madrid portrays elements in Herta Müller’s novels and identifies their universal value for understanding 20th-century Europe. Angelica Lambru from the University of Valencia writes about Matei Vişniec and considers the author’s work as revealing specific features of the creative universe from a diachronic perspective. Felix Nicolau from the Complutense University of Madrid and the Doctoral School of 1 Decembrie 1918 University of Alba Iulia completes the section by researching Alexandru Busuioceanu and his rich intellectual legacy.
Book reviews, the ending section of the current volume, enriches the overall structure with presentations of scholarly, well-informed readings. Antonio Patraș from Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași, Romania, analyses the relationship between failure and success from the point of view concerning creative psychology and sociology of creation as expressed in Angelo Mitchievici’s recent book entitled The Charm of Failed Lives (2022). Mihaela Bărbieru from C.S. Nicolăescu-Plopşor Institute for Research in Social Studies and Humanities from Craiova, of the Romanian Academy, the University of Craiova, presents the volume 1821-2021. The Bicentennial of the Revolution led by Tudor Vladimirescu, coordinated by Sevastian Cercel and Georgeta Ghionea, and published by Academia Română Publishing House in 2022. Carmen Dimitriu from the Institute of the Romanian Language, Bucharest/University of Tel Aviv-Israel, prompts the various hermeneutic possibilities advanced by Iosefina Blazsani-Batto in her book entitled Symbolism of the Summer Solstice: Comparative Readings. The final review proposed by Gabriela Chiciudean from 1 Decembrie 1918 University of Alba Iulia reflects on childhood trauma as described in the narrative universe of Helene Pflitsch.
The works included in the present issue trace unique perspectives on Romanian features. The diverse narrative paths proved to open valuable and resourceful gates towards universal and contemporary issues. We are indebted to the exceptional work of our thirty-two international reviewers, from the Czech Republic, China, Germany, Israel, and Romania, and we are delighted to greet and thank authors, editors and reviewers alike. Swedish Journal of Romanian Studies is published in collaboration with Lund University, Complutense University of Madrid, 1 Decembrie 1918 University of Alba Iulia, Romania, and the Romanian Language Institute, Bucharest, and welcomes contributions from scholars worldwide.
Bianca Maria Bucur
Advisory board for this issue:
Gabriel Bărbuleț, 1 Decembrie 1918 University of Alba Iulia
Cezar Bălășoiu, University of Bucharest, Romania
Diana Câmpan, 1 Decembrie 1918 University of Alba Iulia, Romania
Rodica Gabriela Chira, 1 Decembrie 1918 University of Alba Iulia, Romania
Marcela Ciortea, 1 Decembrie 1918 University, Alba Iulia
Sorin Ciutacu, West University of Timișoara, Romania
Carmen Dimitriu, Tel Aviv University, Israel / Romanian Language Institute, Bucharest
Carmen Duțu, Dimitrie Cantemir Christian University, Bucharest
Marcela Fărcașiu, Politehnica University of Timișoara
Ioan Fărmuș, Ștefan cel Mare University of Suceava, Romania
Ovidiu Ghenescu, 1 Decembrie 1918 University of Alba Iulia, Romania
Cristina Gherman, Technical University of Civil Engineering, Bucharest, Romania
Crina Herțeg, 1 Decembrie 1918 University of Alba Iulia, Romania
Jarmila Horakova, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic
Arleen Ionescu, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China
Teodora Iordăchescu, 1 Decembrie 1918 University of Alba Iulia, Romania
Monica Manolachi, University of Bucharest, Romania
Dan Mateescu, University of Bucharest, Romania
Diana Mihuț, West University of Timișoara, Romania
Doris Mironescu, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași, Romania
Monica Pătruț, Vasile Alecsandri University of Bacău, Romania
Dana Radler, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania
Ioana Rustoiu, The National Museum of the Union, Alba Iulia, Romania
Valentina Sandu-Dediu, New Europe College, Bucharest, Romania
Ioan Laurian Soare, Politehnica University of Bucharest, Romania
Liliana Soare, University of Pitești, Romania
Vasile Spiridon, Vasile Alecsandri University of Bacău, Romania
Iuliana Wainberg, 1 Decembrie 1918 University of Alba Iulia, Romania
The cover photo was taken by Ioana Bîscă in 2020 and represents front gate to the Memorial House of Constantin Brâncuși in Hobița, Gorj County, Romania
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Swedish Journal of Romanian Studies
Vol. 5 No. 2 (2022)Editorial
Language is the essential means for delivering to an audience any message, thought, argument or belief. Words are carefully gathered within abounding sources of meaning and connections meant to challenge thinking. Swedish Journal of Romanian Studies seeks to be the pursuer of this aura of ever-growing meaning enriched by all its contributors who choose to entrust their writings to the covers of the journal every year. Identifying itself as a prolific cultural research, the second issue of the fifth volume encompasses thirteen articles written in English. Besides its thematic diversity, the present issue pictures pluriperspectivism and views with intercultural and international nuances coming from Ukraine, Spain, India and Romania. Aiming towards highly academic standards and variety, there are several sections included in the present volume: literary studies, cultural studies, translation studies and linguistics.
The first section, Literature, introduces a debate revolving around the concept of ‘ethnotype’ as analyzed by Catalina Iliescu-Gheorghiu, Associate Professor at the University of Alicante and author of several books and translations available worldwide. She tackles not only the representation of the immigrant as reflected in Portuguese literature, but also the elements affecting and changing the internal and external perception of a group, the Roma ethnicity in this case.
The collective work of Antoniy Moysey, Antonina Anistratenko, Tetyana Nykyforuk, scholars coming from the Department of Social Sciences and Ukrainian Studies in Bukovinian State Medical University, Ukraine, reveal Slavic elements in the calendar rites of Bukovyna. Word analysis acquires a mystical dimension leading towards the subliminal connections between countries, languages and roots. Moving on within a religious sphere of thought, Ayusman Chakraborty from Taki Government College, West Bengal, India and Dana Radler from Bucharest University of Economic Studies trace the reasons behind the understanding of ‘fakirs’ in Romania and identify the way their image is presented in Romanian newspapers and journals. The Indian ascetics are the source of fascination and interest, a peak decreasing as fast as it has increased. Alexandra Chiriac and Ana Catană-Spenchiu from “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iaşi continue the search beyond historical facts and outline the way 18th and 19th century Romanian culture built the image of the Russian monarchy and therefore, the implications resulted out of those facts. The next article completing this part intends to highlight right from the beginning the national significance of the Black Sea as framed in Romanian Romantic literature, mainly in poetry. It places spiritual evolution at its centre, focusing on the visual elements and natural landscape that inevitably alters the human being from within. The author challenging the inner pace of the readers is Roxana Elena Doncu, lecturer in English at the Modern Languages Department at the “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Bucharest. Simona Lazăr, archaeologist, 3rd degree Scientific Researcher PhD at “C.S. Nicolăescu Plopşor” Institute for Researches Social Studies and Humanities in Craiova, senses archaeological trenches and presents the way funeral practices confirm the present identity of citizens living in the south-western area of Romania. Mihaela Bărbieru, from the same Institute, closes the section by reaffirming the importance of communication and the way technology becomes the fastest and the most useful tool not only to connect people, but also to place the understanding of networking beyond screens. The focus is on political content delivered in online formats.
The field of translations has strongly emerged towards mediation, the role of the translator being doubled by this mediating approach. Thus, the text becomes a link between cultures and the name of our next section, Translation Studies, is developing this sphere. The first analysis explores the paratext in Oscar Wilde’s fairytales in several Romanian editions. The way these paratextual details are arranged and rearranged in each Romanian version is seen as assembling different house imageries by Daniela Hăisan, Associate Professor of Linguistics and English Language at “Ştefan cel Mare” University of Suceava, Romania. Attila Imre, Professor in the Department of Applied Linguistics of the Faculty of Technical and Human Sciences, Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania, Romania, directs the attention towards English recurrent acronyms in the Romanian TV series known as Designated Survivor. Andra-Iulia Ursa, PhD student in Philology and teaching assistant in translation studies at the Department of Philology, “1 Decembrie 1918” University of Alba Iulia, approaches the subject of vernacular language shaped through the lens of an international language, English, and questions the ‘(un)translatability’. She chooses as source text Memories of my Boyhood written by Ion Creangă, a great Moldavian storyteller of the 19th century.
Linguistics, the last domain included in this issue, examines the language and its communicative systems. Arina Greavu, assistant professor at “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, analyses code switching and the way it is traced in the speech of a ten-year-old bilingual child. The languages compared here are Romanian and English. Marcela Alina Fărcașiu, Daniel Dejica, Simona Șimon, Annamaria Kilyeni from Politehnica University of Timișoara introduce the concept of ‘Easy-to-read’ for the disabled as implemented and applied across Europe and identify at the same time challenges faced by Romania regarding this aspect. Moving on with the relation between language and learning, Gabriel-Dan Bărbuleț, Associate Professor at “1 Decembrie 1918” University of Alba Iulia, concludes and completes the section with a study referring to teaching the Romanian language to foreign students. The Communicative language teaching is discussed in terms of the following categories: Content based learning, Task based learning, and Problem based learning.
All the articles filed in this issue portray a fruitful, noble, and deeply rooted communion between authors, editors and overseas reviewers. Honoured by the absolutely fundamental work of our thirty international reviewers coming from the USA, Israel, Germany, Bulgaria, Azerbaijan and Romania, we are sincerely expressing all our esteem and gratitude towards them. Swedish Journal of Romanian Studies is published in collaboration with Lund University, Complutense University of Madrid, “1 Decembrie 1918” University of Alba Iulia, Romania, and the Romanian Language Institute, Bucharest, and welcomes contributions from scholars worldwide.
Bianca Maria Bucur Tincu
Advisory board for this issue
Mona Arhire, Transilvania University of Brașov
Ștefan Baghiu, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu
Ariana Bancu, Northeastern Illinois University, USA
Gabriel Bărbuleț, 1 Decembrie 1918 University of Alba Iulia
Iosefina Blazsani-Batto, Azerbaijan University of Languages / Romanian Language Institute, Bucharest
Diana Câmpan, 1 Decembrie 1918 University of Alba Iulia
Sorin Ciutacu, West University of Timișoara
Romanița Constantinescu, Heidelberg University, Germany
Mihaela Cozma, West University of Timișoara
Carmen Dimitriu, Tel Aviv University, Israel / Romanian Language Institute, Bucharest
Rodica Dimitriu, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași
Irina Ana Drobot, Technical University of Civil Engineering Bucharest
Marcela Fărcașiu, Politehnica University of Timișoara
Ovidiu Ghenescu, 1 Decembrie 1918 University of Alba Iulia
Dorina Guțu, National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (SNSPA), Bucharest
Crina Herțeg, 1 Decembrie 1918 University of Alba Iulia
Teodora Iordăchescu, 1 Decembrie 1918 University of Alba Iulia
Luiza Marinescu, University St.Kliment Ohridsky, Sofia, Bulgaria
Carmen Oprișor, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu
Diana Mihuț, West University of Timișoara
Monica Pătruț, Vasile Alecsandri University of Bacău
Floriana Anca Păunescu, University of Craiova
Dana Radler, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania
Corina Selejan, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu
Liliana Soare, University of Pitești
Valeriu Stancu, Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany
Claudia Stoian, Politehnica University Timișoara
Anca Elisabeta Tatay, Library of Romanian Academy, Cluj-Napoca Branch
Titela Vîlceanu, University of Craiova
The cover photo was taken by Sergiu Dubceac on October, 31st, 2021 and represents the natural monument Râpa Roșie, Sebeș, Alba County, Romania
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Swedish Journal of Romanian Studies
Vol. 5 No. 1 (2022)Editorial
Swedish Journal of Romanian Studies encompasses a wide variety of cultural and linguistic issues that explore different perspectives of the Romanian context. In consequence, the collection of papers gathered annually provides insights into questions of literature, theatre, film and translation. The collective work brought together in this issue was made possible by the generous support of the Centre for Languages and Literature of Lund University, the Centre for the Research of the Imaginary Speculum of 1 Decembrie 1918 University of Alba Iulia, Complutense University of Madrid, and the Romanian Language Institute of Bucharest. The significant work of theoreticians and practitioners was reviewed by 27 external scholars, from Romania, Slovakia and Spain, who acted as anonymous reviewers of the material and whose investment is of the most significant importance in facilitating the exchange of knowledge.
This is the fifth in a series of volumes that wish to involve scholars not only from Romania, but also from the international academic community, and marks the first time SJRS publishes two issues in the same year. This shows that the journal is thriving and its objectives of providing inspiration and raising intercultural awareness are more successful every year. For this reason, we are indebted to those - too numerous to name here individually - who have contributed unstintingly in making it possible.
Half of this issue’s contributions focus on the field of Literature, scouring the Romanian literary realms and seeking to ground some theoretical and analytical approaches. The section opens with Alina Buzatu’s meta-theoretical research that wishes to reveal the specificity of cognitive cartography as enactivation. The author problematizes the methodology and some of the conceptual vocabulary of cognitive poetics in relation to the narrative (sub)genre(s). Diana Stroescu investigates the specificities of modernism by identifying several key moments in intellectual history that are responsible for setting up major tendencies in Western literature. Ligia Tudurachi delves into the formation of a literary affiliation by a family of writers, V.A. Urechia and his sons, Nestor and Alceu. This article aims at a comparative analysis of the form of family sociability that they developed in the summers spent at their villas in Câmpina and Sinaia, with expeditions in the Bucegi Mountains. Manuela-Gabriela Tican (Ursu) wishes to cast light on the mystery novel of the nineteenth-century Romanian literature, which stands out with its preoccupation and openness to illustrating the nineteenth-century social aspects. This section concludes with Cristina Hermeziu’s contribution on the issue of social network imaginary, with a focus on the narrative voice in Lavinia Braniște's novels. This study wishes to show to what extent, in the age of millennials and the virtualization of existence, owing to catharsis, literature is a subtle form of ontological resistance.
As part of the segment dedicated to the field of Film Studies, Carmen Dominte’s paper traces the link between Mircea Eliade’s novel Miss Christina and its cinematographic representation. Exceeding the narrative text, the analysis takes into consideration its cinematographic representations as means of visual expression of the same experience related to the labyrinthine pathway.
Cultural Studies is a segment that dynamically combines different disciplines and concerns inquiries of common understandings, practices and beliefs. As such, for the first part of this section, Marcela Ciortea reaches back in history to the life of Nicolae Milescu Spătarul, a scholar and diplomat from Moldova (born in 1636). The originality of this paper surges from the inclusion of a few pages of correspondence, integrally translated into Romanian, which illustrate, on the one hand, the bond with the French ambassador of Stockholm and on the other, the accreditation of Milescu at the Court of Sweden as a representative of the former prince, Gheorghe Ștefan. In the second and final part of this section, Gorun Manolescu presents a few essential features of Mihai Drăgănescu’s philosophical works, while looking for answers to questions related to the philosopher’s ontological-informational model.
Linguistics sets out to offer a critical assessment of the diary belonging to the Romanian king Carol II, Însemnări zilnice (Daily Notes). In his study, Felix Nicolau lies on rhetoric, oratory, and stylistics to provide a discourse analysis, with the intention, on the one hand, to delineate a sophistic royal portrait, to decipher and characterize people belonging to the high society, and on the other hand, to highlight the strategy used to tackle with a tumultuous decade.
The Translations section embodies the collective work of Daniel Citirigă and Cătălin Pavel. The two authors offer for consideration the English translation of some excerpts of an article written by Mihai Eminescu - The Austrian influence on the Romanians in the Principalities (1876), with a historical commentary. The translation aims to make Eminescu’s text available to an international audience of scholars, helping to write a more accurate social and cultural history of 19th century Europe. In turn, the commentary aims to show that Eminescu’s political vision, although substantially conservative, incorporated a number of tenets that were to become an inspiration for a number of politicians of highly diverse backgrounds, from the Iron Guard nationalists to the Socialists and Communists.
The Book reviews section concludes the first issue of this volume with two vigorous responses to some fresh Romanian writings. Marcela Ciortea presents the volume Graphic Art of Old Romanian Books Printed in Brașov (1805-1827), written by Anca Elisabeta Tatay and Cornel Tatai-Baltă. A part of this review focuses on the theoretical construct of the volume, while the other part considers the authors’ depiction of title sheets, vignettes, seals and engravings. Gabriela Chiciudean takes us back to the traditional Transylvanian rural life as presented by Lucian Domșa in the novel Măriuca. As Chiciudean points out, the uniqueness of this writing lies mainly in the representation of the profound history of a family that lives according to the old ways of the countryside and is portrayed using some of the most authentic vernacular language traits.
The issue, as a whole, aims to provide a snapshot of the current interdisciplinary research of Romanian studies and optimize its function as a forum for scholars of Romanian language, literature and film. As such, the collection of articles assembled in this issue explores the main theme from a wide range of perspectives and it is hoped they provide a helpful and reliable source of information and motivation for future studies.
Andra-Iulia Ursa
Advisory board for this issue
Andrei Achim, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, North Academic Centre of Baia Mare
Iulia Anghel, Ecological University of Bucharest
Alina Bako, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu
Monica Borș, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu
Diana Câmpan, 1 Decembrie 1918 University of Alba Iulia
Alba Diz Villanueva, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain
Carmen Dominte, National University of Music Bucharest
Cristina Gherman, Technical University of Civil Engineering, Bucharest
Ana-Maria Gînsac, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași
Crina Herțeg, 1 Decembrie 1918 University of Alba Iulia
Gabriela Iliuță, Technical University of Civil Engineering, Bucharest
Monica Manolachi, University of Bucharest
Doris Mironescu, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași
Valentin Orga, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca
Dana Radler, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania
Magdalena Răduță, University of Bucharest
Ioana Rustoiu, The National Museum of the Union, Alba Iulia
Dana Sala, University of Oradea
Delia Siliște, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu
Ingrid Tomonicska, Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania, Romania
Mădălina Ungureanu, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași
Dragoș Varga, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu
Iuliana Wainberg, 1 Decembrie 1918 University of Alba Iulia
The cover photo was taken by Andra-Iulia Ursa on April, 21st, 2022 and represents Lucian Blaga Memorial House in Lancrăm, Alba County, Romania
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Swedish Journal of Romanian Studies
Vol. 4 No. 1 (2021)Editorial
Swedish Journal of Romanian Studies promotes fresh views that explore models of Romanian identity within the framework of cross-cultural approaches. The journal is open to multidisciplinary and plurilingual contributions. Our scientific purpose is to endorse multi-faceted research and comparative views, without neglecting in-depth interpretations of literary, cultural, and scientific works and events.
Between the covers of the current fourth volume, there are fifteen articles and two book reviews dedicated to first-hand inquiries examined against the backdrop of cogent evidence. An international team of contributors scrutinizes diversified instances, such as historical backgrounds of the Romanian language, the connection between language and mind, interlingual renditions, and the relation between language and society. Written in English, Romanian and French, these essays shape the contours of Romanian works of literature, translation studies, cultural studies, and linguistics.
There can be no doubt that the complex field of Literature instigates unbounded judgements that dominate the discussions in the field of research. The present edition incorporates seven studies of this kind designed to bring forward insightful analyses of different literary works. Alina Buzatu, affiliated with the University of Constanța, introduces this section with a conceptualization of genre as an essential taxonomic tool for literature and the entire field of human discourse in an attempt to prove its versatility and adapting capacity. The section continues with Lucreția Pascariu’s study of how Carmen Sylva and Mite Kremnitz managed to use literary methods characteristic to the feuilleton novel when writing Astra. An epistolary novel. The literary collaboration between the two writers under the pseudonyms “Dito und Idem” was a real accomplishment in the 19th century in Romania and the whole European continent. The third study of this section coincides with the historical background of the Romanian P.E.N Club and is investigated by Dan Horațiu Popescu, from the Partium Christian University of Oradea. This study identifies itself with the third chapter in an intended piece of literary history, calling attention to the immediate aftermath of World War I.
The collective work of Brânduşa Juică, Virginia Popović, and Marinel Negru embodies perspectives on some lyrical experiences in which the homeland - Banat -, is in the focus of some Romanian poets, belonging to different literary generations. In Romanian literature in Vojvodina, Republic of Serbia, poetry is the favourite genre of writers, especially when it comes to the second half of the twentieth century. Further on, Cristina Hermeziu offers for consideration an analysis of the symbolic values of the dilemma between the Romanian language and the Russian language, which is at the heart of the diegesis of the novel Grădina de sticlă (The Glass Garden) by Tatiana Țîbuleac. This study casts some light on the different dimensions created by the author when describing the strife of a Moldovan orphan caught in a forced Russian political settlement, trying to rebuild herself between two languages and cultures. Bianca-Maria Bucur, a young researcher at 1 Decembrie 1918 University of Alba-Iulia, introduces the concept of bovarism, as defined by Jules de Gaultier at the end of the 19th century, and illustrated in Pupa russa, a postmodernist novel written by Gheorghe Crăciun. The paper that closes this distinct portion is elaborated by Lucian Vasile Bâgiu, from the Lund University of Sweden. This study examines Liviu Rebreanu’s novel Amândoi (Both) meticulously, in terms of archaisms and regional words used by incidental characters, notwithstanding their social status or aspirations.
As part of the field of Translation studies, Andra-Iulia Ursa’s paper tackles the issue of translation and retranslation in a research based on a quantitative and qualitative analysis of three Romanian renditions of one of the stories in James Joyce’s Dubliners - “A little cloud”.
The volume continues with four Cultural Studies that focus on the in-depth examinations of archaeological data, museum studies, and overviews of communism. Simona Lazăr, a fellow member of the Institute for Researches in Social Studies and Humanities from Craiova, works down the line of theoretical models for different types of exchanges in the metal age in South-eastern Europe. Two different instances of communist society are investigated in this section. Iulia Stoichiț, from Transilvania University of Braşov, digs into criminality with The Bandits, Vasile Ernu’s second volume of a trilogy dedicated to marginal men, the world of thieves, of bandits, in a communist society, the narrator never becoming one of them. Felix Nicolau, associated with the University of Lund, tries to identify and analyse the sources of linguistics of dissimulation (constative and performative utterances) during the economic and political instability that affects the post-communist present, as well as to demystify certain stigmas unconditionally applied to Southeast European civilizations: corruption, laziness, negative Balkanization, frivolity and lack of consistency. Finally, Mădălina Iacob, from the West University of Timişoara, elaborates on the topic of the museum as a symbol of cultural practice in the contemporary era.
Linguistics is a segment dedicated to the detailed examination of language. Annemarie Sorescu-Marinković, from the Institute for Balkan Studies, Belgrade, brings to the readers’ attention an unpublished Ottoman era document in Romanian, issued in 1861 in Rabrovo, a village in the Vidin region. Although very short, the document is handwritten using Cyrillic script and reveals essential facts about the Romanian-speaking population in Ottoman Bulgaria. Further on, Marcela Ciortea, affiliated with 1 Decembrie 1918 University of Alba Iulia, addresses both the Romanian native speakers and those interested in the grammar of this language. This research brings under scrutiny three segments: the pronominal clitics, verb voices, and the prepositional complement, as presented by the team of scholars under the guidance of Professor Gabriela Pană Dindelegan, who undertook in 2010 the toilsome mission of aligning the Romanian grammar to the European research manner. This segment is brought to an end by a study undertaken by Ileana-Manuela Raț, from the Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, on the stylistic processes of the popular language portrayed by N. D. Popescu in Iancu Jianu, Head of Administration and Iancu Jianu, Captain of the Hajduks.
The Book reviews section starts with the insightful observations of Camelia Zăbavă, from the University of Craiova, about the second volume of a series dedicated to Romanian literature in exile. The survey of the work of Mihaela Albu and Dan Anghelescu, entitled Necunoscutul scriitor Virgil Ierunca (The Unknown writer Virgil Ierunca), traces out the busy world of a good journalist and editor, poet, literary critic, memoirist, and portraitist. The second book review of this volume belongs to Mihaela Albu, member of the Writers’ Union of Romania, and calls attention to the collection of papers presented in a panel organized at Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria on June 22nd, 2019. Borders and Contacts. Local, Regional and Global Phenomena, coordinated by Carmen Dărăbuş and Camelia Zăbavă, is structured in three chapters: linguistics, literature and cultural studies, with the purpose of demonstrating that even though borders may separate us, culture unites us all.
The articles assembled in this collection map a topography of Romanian language, culture, and identity. The significant work of theoreticians and practitioners was reviewed by thirty-five external scholars, who acted as anonymous reviewers of the material and whose investment is of the most significant importance in facilitating the exchange of knowledge. Swedish Journal of Romanian Studies is published in collaboration with Lund University, 1 Decembrie 1918 University of Alba Iulia, Romania, and the Romanian Language Institute, Bucharest, and welcomes contributions from scholars worldwide.
Andra-Iulia Ursa
Advisory board for this issue
Mona Arhire, Transilvania University of Brașov Brașov
Sorin Arhire, 1 Decembrie 1918 University, Alba Iulia
Iosefina Blazsani-Batto, Azerbaijan University of Languages / Romanian Language Institute, Bucharest
Rodica Gabriela Chira, 1 Decembrie 1918 University, Alba Iulia
Adrian Chircu, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca
Marcela Ciortea, 1 Decembrie 1918 University, Alba Iulia
Sorin Ciutacu, West University of Timișoara, Romania
Nina Corcinschi, Institute of Romanian Philology ”Bogdan Petriceicu-Hasdeu”, Republic of Moldova
Carmen Dimitriu, Romanian Language Institute, Bucharest/Comrat State University, Republic of Moldova
Cosmin Dragoste, University of Craiova
Mihai Gligor, 1 Decembrie 1918 University, Alba Iulia
Magdalena Filary, University of Craiova
Ovidiu Ghenescu, 1 Decembrie 1918 University, Alba Iulia
Monica Huțanu, West University of Timișoara
Laura Lazăr Zăvăleanu, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Monica Manolachi, University of Bucharest
Iolanda Mănescu, University of Craiova
Diana Mihuț, West University of Timișoara
Angelo Mitchievici, Ovidius University of Constanța
Constantin-Ioan Mladin, 1 Decembrie 1918 University, Alba Iulia
Paula Neamțu, University of Oradea
Marius Nica, Petroleum-Gas University of Poiești
Antonio Patraș, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Iași
Dana Percec, West University of Timișoara, Romania
Loredana Pungă, West University of Timișoara, Romania
Dana Radler, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania
Cristina Sărăcuț, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca
Corina Selejan, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu
Coralia Telea, 1 Decembrie 1918 University, Alba Iulia
Titela Vîlceanu, University of Craiova
The cover photo was taken on April 20th, 2011 by Florian-Rareș Tileagă and represents the window to the reconstructed house of Fefeleaga in Bucium, Alba County, Romania
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Swedish Journal of Romanian Studies
Vol. 3 No. 1 (2020)Editorial
The third volume of Swedish Journal of Romanian Studies encompasses a wide range of subjects related to Romanian literature, theatre, film, translation studies, and culture. Academics from famed universities situated in Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Bulgaria, and Romania, treat a variety of issues in English, Romanian, French and Spanish. In consequence, the collection of papers provided by this volume includes fourteen articles, a translation and two book reviews.
The Literature section is delved into by authors associated with The University of Bucharest, The “A. Philippide” Institute of Romanian Philology, Iași, “St. Kliment Ohridski” University of Sofia, “1 Decembrie 1918” University of Alba Iulia and Lund University. In the present edition of the journal, there are introduced six articles meant to advance astute perceptions about cultural and linguistic values of particular literary works. Monica Manolachi approaches the concept of revolution in the prose of Romanian women writers, explored either as a change of direction (a moment in time) or as a cyclical process (a flowing gyre). Maricica Munteanu captures the conversation of the cenacle “Viața românească” from various angles. At first, as a phenomenon of loss, focusing on the voice of the writers and oral speech as signs of extreme fragility, further on, as the content of the “profitable” conversation (Glinoer, Laisney), and in the end, as the detachment from writing centring on the functions of laughter inside the literary community. The paper by Dinu Moscal examines the epithets “pale” / “pallid” in Eminescu’s lyrics by interpreting their metaphorical meaning, which belongs to the extra-existential world, differing from any concept of overcoming the antagonism being–non-being, highly represented in Eminescu’s poetry. The subject of Balkanism in Romanian contemporary poetry is investigated by Carmen Darabus. The highlighted features show a full sequence of themes and aesthetic formulae, from tragic to comic, often switching rapidly from one edge to the other, taking into account the old Thracian solemn part, then the proud Byzantium and its absorption in Constantinople – all rolling in a series of formal expressions reflected in themes and vocabulary. The article by Gabriela Chiciudean enters into the study of the novel “The Deadline” by Horia Liman. The history of an authentic world is depicted as governed by unwritten laws belonging to the morality of the common man, especially to the honour code, where the knapsack and the knife are held in high esteem; the atmosphere of the novel, its characters and their features, the difficult life and the unwritten laws are gradually unveiled through significant events. Eventually, this section is enclosed by Felix Nicolau’s paper on the impending need of an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary super-arch-canon. This necessity is due to problematic canonizations which are prevalent in the former communist countries wherein arts and culture in general may still function as propaganda weaponry at the hands of the sponsoring state.
The Theatre section serves as the background for advancing descriptive and analytical studies covering theatrical composition. In this regard, Nicoleta Popa Blanariu, an academic at “Vasile Alecsandri” University, Bacau, presents a paper dealing with a view on the way in which Matéi Visniec draws attention to how some of A. P. Chekhov’s plays also manifest a self-referential and metadramatic/ metadramaturgical component of implicit theatrical po(i)etics, beyond their psychological realism and questionable symbolism. Matéi Visniec exploits this in his own creation in close connection with the postmodern preference for intertextual and self-referential writing.
In Film studies, Carmen Dominte, from National University of Music Bucharest, aims to take into discussion the manner in which light and shadow may be employed as instruments of creating literary as well as visual metaphors. At the same time, it analyses the transposition of a metaphor generated by light and shadow from literature to cinematography and theatre, as in Liviu Rebreanu’s “The Forest of the Hanged”.
Translation studies is a segment that aims to present the in-depth examinations of three academics from The University of Groningen, “1 Decembrie 1918” University of Alba Iulia, and Leipzig University, respectively. Raluca Andreia Tanasescu opens the section with an article that submits to a close scrutiny the corpus of contemporary American and Canadian poetry translated into Romanian in stand-alone volumes, between 1990 and 2017. The paper argues that translators had a deciding impact on the selection of authors, as well as on the configuration of the overall translation network; translators were paramount in establishing positive relationships with U.S. and Canadian poetic approaches and in energizing the local literary scene. Further on, Andra Iulia Ursa provides an investigation on how Mircea Ivănescu’s Romanian translation deals with collocations, especially with those that typically represent Joyce’s authorial style, conceptualized in the ninth chapter of “Ulysses”. The article is committed to a further exposition of the similarities and distinctions between the source language text and the target language translation. Finally, Diana V. Burlacu provides a glimpse on a series of short Romanian translations based on the German version of Adam Fletcher’s book entitled “How to be German in 50 new steps/ Wie man Deutscher wird. In 50 neuen Schritten”. Such translations strive to retain all the meanings, be they literal or expressive, or evoked, or those generated by idioms, fixed set-phrases and non-equivalences in the original text, as much as possible freed from any traces of “translationese” and suitable for any authentic contemporary sample of Romanian language.
Marina Cristiana Rotaru, affiliated with The Technical University of Civil Engineering Bucharest, focuses on an investigation devoted to Cultural studies. From a socio-semiotic perspective, it is presented the manner in which the political regimes installed after the forced abdication of King Mihai I (on 30 December 1947) used the Throne Hall in the former royal palace in Bucharest to meet their own needs, and how this relates to Jean Baudrillard’s concept of consumerism, characterized by the rule of sign value as a status symbol. In addition, Jan Blommaert’s and Barbara Johnstone’s taxonomies advance the argument that the Throne Hall is not a mere space, but a place, its function having been perverted by both ideological manipulation and aggressive consumerism. Sorin Ciutacu, from West University of Timisoara, proposes an intellectual history study which evaluates the family resemblances of auctoritas of three polymaths: Francis Bacon, Jan Baptist Van Helmont and Demetrius Cantemir along the cultural corridors of knowledge, arguing that Demetrius Cantemir was an able disseminator of philosophy in South Eastern Europe and a creative synthetic spirit bridging the Divan ideas of Western and Eastern minds caught up in the busy exchange of ideas of the Republic of Letters. The final paper of this section, conceptualized by Gorun Manolescu from The Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence “Mihai Drăgănescu”, concentrates on some of the problems started by Husserl’s phenomenology. Romanian Academy reveals how the Romanian scholar Mihai Drăgănescu proposed an ontological model with strong phenomenological character in which information and material principles are at the same level, aiming to integrate Husserl’s Phenomenology, with inherent problems identified.
In the Translations section, Catalin Pavel, representing Ovidius University of Constanța aims to offer Anglophone researchers a selection of translated quotes from Mihai Eminescu’s non-literary oeuvre, relevant to the philosophy of history of the most complex Romanian author of the nineteenth century. It should thus become possible to reconsider Eminescu’s position within the concert of European philosophers of history, aiding scholars in establishing more precisely what Eminescu’s views on history owe to Schopenhauer’s metaphysics and what to the proper philosophy of history he could find in Hegel, also helping to bring to the fore the complex interplay between Hegelian theodicy and Kantian teleology in Eminescu’s historical thought.
The Book reviews section provides two retrospective examinations. Mona Arhire, from Transilvania University of Brasov, sheds light on a recently published book authored by Cătălina Iliescu Gheorghiu, a study that falls under the scope of Descriptive Translation Studies implying the polysystemic model posited by Lambert and Van Gorp for the comparative analysis of drama; the corpus under scrutiny is made up of fragments extracted from the play A treia țeapă (The Third Stake) by Marin Sorescu and the corresponding utterances from two of its translations into English. In turn, Ioana Alexandrescu, an academic at The Autonomous University of Barcelona examines the Spanish version of the novel The Summer when my Mother had Green Eyes by Moldovan writer Tatiana Țîbuleac, which was published in 2019 by Madrid-based publishing house Impedimenta and has reached its fifth edition in less than a year. It tells about the design of this novel, which alternates short chapters and micro chapters consisting of a sole phrase, as well as sarcastic and poetic tonalities, and reconstructs the narrator's relationship with his dying mother during the last summer they spend together in a French village close to the ocean.
The articles assembled in this collection represent an innovative coverage of Romanian studies and are dedicated to facilitating the exchange of knowledge between theoreticians and practitioners within the field. Swedish Journal of Romanian Studies is published in collaboration with “1 Decembrie 1918” University of Alba Iulia, Romania and Romanian Language Institute, Bucharest, and welcomes contributions from scholars all over the world.
Advisory board for this issue
Andrei Achim, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, North Academic Centre of Baia Mare
Iulia Anghel, Ecological University of Bucharest
Mona Arhire, Transylvania University of Brașov
Sorin Arhire, 1 Decembrie 1918 University, Alba Iulia
Sorin Ciutacu, West University of Timișoara
Adina Curta, 1 Decembrie 1918 University, Alba Iulia
Daniel Dejica, University Politehnica of Timișoara. Romania
Claudia Elena Dinu, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iași
Carmen Dominte, National University of Music Bucharest
Cristina Gherman, Technical University of Civil Engineering, Bucharest
Alex Goldiș, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca
Crina Herțeg, 1 Decembrie 1918 University, Alba Iulia
Petru Ștefan Ionescu, 1 Decembrie 1918 University, Alba Iulia
Laura Lazăr Zăvăleanu, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca
Monica Manolachi, University of Bucharest
Silviu Mihăilă, Bucharest University of Economic Studies
Diana Nechit, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu
Alexandru Ofrim, University of Bucharest
Antonio Patraș, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Iași
Dana Percec, West University of Timisoara
Cosmin Perța, Hyperion University, Bucharest
Loredana Pungă, West University of Timisoara
Dana Radler, Bucharest University of Economic Studies
Corina Selejan, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu
Chris Tanasescu, University of Louvain, Belgium
Ivona Tătar-Vîstraș, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca
Mihaela Tăut, University of Bucharest
Ion M. Tomuș, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu
Titela Vîlceanu, University of Craiova
The cover photo was taken by Florian-Rareș Tileagă on April 15th, 2009 and represents the road to Afteia Monastery, Alba County, Romania.
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Swedish Journal of Romanian Studies
Vol. 2 No. 1 (2019)Editorial
In the second volume of Swedish Journal of Romanian Studies we are delighted to welcome ten articles and four book reviews on Romanian language, literature, translation, culture and theatre, written in English, French or Romanian, by academics from various traditional universities.
Literature section is illustrated by authors with affiliation to The “A. Philippide” Institute of Romanian Philology, Iași, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași, and West University of Timișoara. The articles advance novel insights when inquiring into enticing subjects such as: the bodily community and its representations in the common space of the members of Viața românească literary group, analysed through Roland Barthes’s and Marielle Macéʼs theories; the remix of hajduk fiction in the nineteenth and early twentieth-century Romanian literature, conveying a modern lifestyle; the exile and nostalgia for the native lands in a comparative reading of the works of two seemingly unrelated writers: Andreï Makine and Sorin Titel, both of whom revealed to undergo a pilgrimage to reinvent themselves.
Translation studies is a perfect ground for “1 Decembrie 1918” University of Alba Iulia to present a paper dealing with a view on the concept of fidelity in literary translation with an analysis of the Romanian poet Mircea Ivănescu’s work on the overture of episode eleven, “Sirens”, from James Joyce’s “Ulysses”. The paper is not intended to elicit the imperfections of the translation but rather to illustrate the intricacy of the task, the problems of non-equivalence that are difficult to avoid by any literary translator.
Theatre section benefits from the original intuitions of academics from National University of Music Bucharest and Military Technical Academy, Bucharest, concentrating on modernity: the importance of the Romanian theatrical project – DramAcum, as a new type of theatre and dramaturgy, within the larger European influence of the verbatim dramatic style performed in theatres under the slogan of the in-yer-face; staging O’Neill’s Hughie by Alexa Visarion makes way for an investigation of several drama reviews that discuss the play’s first night, revealing that the performance was a successful attempt at communicating and debating the conflicted values of American pragmatism and equally a crowning of the Romanian director’s effort to unfold the “anti-materialism” and the fatalistic approach to existence of the American playwright.
Owing to University of Bucharest in Cultural studies we witness the reconstruction of the attitudes of Romanian peasants towards the vestiges of prehistoric material culture, finding out what people thought about the origin of prehistoric artefacts and what meanings were associated to them.
In the Linguistics section thanks to Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje, and Lund University we are introduced to three perspectives on Romanian language: the destiny of the Latin in the East is interpreted through the pastoral character of Romanity, which led to a population mobility that influenced the language at diatopic level, with a focus on the transhumant shepherds whose travels played a linguistic levelling role, despite the territorial spread of the language; the modern French impact on the Romanian language (the redefining of the neo-Latinic physiognomy of the Romanian language) is detailed from a chronological perspective, the influence of French language being considered from a linguistic perspective, but also with a view to the various social circumstances; last but not least, we are proposed a plea in favor of a linguistic updating, namely the acceptance into the literary language of feminized denominations of professions.
Due to University of Oradea, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, and University of Craiova the Book reviews section engages: a tome written by Paul Cernat, an essential study for those interested in the phenomenon of the Romanian avant-garde; a book by Carmen Mușat, which analyzes and systemizes the relational character of literature and the discourses on literature, a plea for the theorist and his presence in the world, retaining a valid purpose; a volume proposing multiple interpretations, in which Carmen Dărăbuş traces the (evolutionary) trajectory of male characters, by highlighting the permanent capabilities of metamorphosis of the primordial pattern; a literary magazine bringing into attention of the contemporary readers the cultural activity of the Romanian intellectuals from exile, with a focus on Camilian Demetrescu.
Swedish Journal of Romanian Studies is published in collaboration with Centre for the Research of the Imaginary "Speculum", "1 Decembrie 1918" University, Alba Iulia, Romania, and welcomes contributions from scholars all over the world.
Advisory board for this issue:
Adrian Chircu, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca
Marcela Ciortea, 1 Decembrie 1918 University, Alba Iulia
Sorin Ciutacu, West University of Timisoara
Adina Curta, 1 Decembrie 1918 University, Alba Iulia
Carmen Dărăbuș, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, North Academic Centre of Baia Mare
Claudia Elena Dinu, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iași
Carmen Dominte, National University of Music, Bucharest
Jarmila Horakova, Charles University in Prague
Monica Manolachi, University of Bucharest
Silviu Mihăilă, Bucharest University of Economic Studies
Cristina Nicolaescu, Bozok University, Turkey
Alexandru Ofrim, University of Bucharest
Antonio Patraș, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Iași
Cosmin Perța, Hyperion University, Bucharest
Dana Radler, Bucharest University of Economic Studies
Corina Selejan, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu
Elena Brândușa Steiciuc, Ștefan cel Mare University of Suceava
Chris Tănăsescu, University of Ottawa
Ion M. Tomuș, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu
Dragoș Varga, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu
Camelia Zăbavă, University of Craiova
Laura Zăvăleanu, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca
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Swedish Journal of Romanian Studies
Vol. 1 No. 1 (2018)Editorial
In the first volume of Swedish Journal of Romanian Studies (ISSN 2003-0924) we are happy to welcome ten articles and two book reviews on Romanian language, literature, culture and film, written either in English or Romanian, by academics from various established universities. Literature section is well represented by authors with affiliation to University of Bucharest, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, The “A. Philippide” Institute of Romanian Philology, Iași, West University of Timișoara and “1 Decembrie 1918” University of Alba Iulia. The articles explore alluring and sensitive issues such as censorship, identity, marginality, prophetism, adaptation or escape, casting innovative visions on the works of canonical Romanian writers (Mihail Sadoveanu, Ionel Teodorenu, Mircea Eliade, Gabriel Liiceanu) and on the creations of less explored artists (Tia Șerbănescu, Liliana Corobca, Henriette Yvonne Stahl, Cătălin Dorian Florescu). Film section benefits from the original insights of academics from Technical University of Civil Engineering, Bucharest and Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași, centring mostly on contemporaneity, in interdisciplinary approaches: a documentary by Sorin Ilieșiu turns out a perfect ground for social semiotics and the Romanian New Wave is decoded through the psychological and social symbolism of colours. Thanks to “1 Decembrie 1918” University of Alba Iulia Cultural studies depict the realm of ethnology and sacred folk literature, dissecting the metamorphosis of a deity from a prehistoric totem, due to the masculine Dacian cults, into a demon with Semite elements, finally corrected by Christian syncretism by its transformation into a legend. The same university offers in the Linguistics section an interdisciplinary approach which combines historical linguistics, semantics, pragmatics, lexicology, lexicography, history and cultural studies in a suggestion for an alternate etymological approach to a few words used to depict the realm of the Dacians in a contemporary novel, a stylistic endeavour which may have actually voiced the little-known substratum idiom. Owing to University of Craiova and Lund University the Book reviews section approaches a Polish exegesis to the philosophical anthropology of Mircea Eliade and a presentation of a literary theory tome (comprising translation studies and semiotic tackling) by Romulus Bucur.
Swedish Journal of Romanian Studies is published in collaboration with Centre for the Research of the Imaginary "Speculum", "1 Decembrie 1918" University, Alba Iulia, Romania and welcomes contributions from scholars all over the world.
Advisory board for this issue:
Anca Bunea, Technical University of Civil Engineering, Bucharest
Ruxandra Cesereanu, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca
Sorin Ciutacu, West University of Timisoara
Carmen Dărăbuș, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, North Academic Centre from Baia Mare
Daniel Dejica, Politehnica University Timisoara
Claudia Elena Dinu, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iași
Verner Egerland, Lund University
Cristina Gherman, Technical University of Civil Engineering, Bucharest
Liviu Lutaș, Linnaeus University
Monica Manolachi, University of Bucharest
Violeta Negrea, Bucharest University of Economic Studies
Cristina Nicolaescu, Bozok University, Turkey
Antonio Patraș, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iaşi
Roxana Patraș, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iaşi
Cosmin Perța, Hyperion University, Bucharest
Chris Tănăsescu, University of Ottawa
