Janeš Franjo: Čerupanje feniksa

Franjo Janeš: Čerupanje fenixa

As the cover already suggests, "Čerupanje fenixa" by Franjo Janeš is a burned book. Placing the action in the Sava-Drava interriver at the end of the 8th century, in a period with few historical sources, the author decided to fill in the gaps. The characters of the novel try something similar, tribal warriors in search of the sacred chest of the gods that was stolen from them, because of which disease and misfortune befell the village.

The tribe is in agony, Radomir Konstantinović would say. Young Mislav, son of Zdeslav, tries to find heroism on the way, which persistently eludes him. Among the companions, the powerful Muhlo Srbosjek and the cynical Miroslav, who does not know what he is looking for, stand out, and he will find a Christian missionary, a mysterious warrior, a three-legged beast, druids who are not what they seem, and a realization that will completely change his world.

Although in the novel heads roll more than they think, "Cherupanje phoenix" cares for the intellectual reader as well. Although he writes about the past (perhaps also about the future), Janeš is quite current, everything is there, around us: from violence and a primitive mentality, through the exploitation of working people to patriarchy and hatred towards members of neighboring tribes. Only with the Cyrillic alphabet, no one has a problem because our heroes (and not criminals) are illiterate.

In cyclically understood history, from which people never learn anything, in which even gods die, and civilizations are born only to perish, the only constants are human stupidity, brutality and suffering. While describing the phalanxes from the palanquin, the author did not forget about humor. Red Sonja riding a Pannonian horse. Black Adder nods approvingly.

Janeš's play without a throne entertains and provokes, surprises and criticizes, illuminates the dark Middle Ages with fire. The crackling of the fire that consumes that returning world is, after all, somewhat reminiscent of laughter.

Franjo Janeš (1982) grew up and was educated in Zagreb, among other things in the IV. high school and at the Faculty of Philosophy. He works as a senior lecturer at the Department of German Studies, and in his spare time he writes novels (Night of Dead Nerves, Formula for Chaos, and The Call of the Phoenix), plays and sings in the band Astridian, rides a bicycle, and does other things.

(KJ1)