Work in progress? Legenda o Drzewie Krzyża Świętego w literaturze i kulturze
Work in progress? The Legend of the True Cross in literature and culture

Summary/Abstract: This paper focuses of the Legend of the True Cross that has been functioning in Western culture for hundreds of years. It falls outside literary taxonomy: it is as much a verbal story (apocryphal, poetic, dramatic) as it can be presented in painting and sculpture, while at its heart lies neither a saint nor a hero, but a holy o b j e c t. It can be observed that the legend has a character of a palimpsest as its various layers and offshoots have been forming (and still are) for centuries, while it is also characterised by a panoramic composition of a story within a story. The author considers which genological term it would be most appropriate to use in reference to this genre of cultural texts and whether the Legend of the True Cross (like the Legend of the Holy Grail) can be referred to as work in progress. This would entail employing the term in a new way that is yet to be conventionalised.

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