Misterium histeryczne. „Wanda” Cypriana Norwida
A Hysteric Mystery Play Cyprian Norwid’s “Wanda”

Summary/Abstract: Cyprian Norwid’s Wanda stands out above other dramas devoted to the beginnings of the Polish nation. Its uniqueness consists in the fact that its fantastic history is inscribed into a Christian story since Wanda’s freewill sacrifice as an religious act precedes the birth of the Polish peoples. The author of the paper introduces various interpretive orders that make up a certain two-voice structure. From the perspective of postcolonial theory, Wanda reveals a mechanism of appropriation the old pagan religion by the Catholic Church. Norwid’s worldview is particularly complex, and his relation to the Catholic Church proves ambiguous. The poet sees no special value in old cultures unless they scent Christianity. In Rudaś-Grodzka’s interpretation, the main role is played by mystical tradition and feminist criticism, especially Lucy Irigaray’s writings (the central category being the term Mystérique that she coined). This perspective broadens our understanding of national phantasms structure. The subject of reflection is hysterical personality of the Polish nation represented by Wanda in Norwid’s drama.

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