Wikipedia

Kichuś majstra Lepigliny

Kichuś majstra Lepigliny (Master Lepiglina's Kichuś) is a children's book written by Polish poet Janina Porazińska [pl], published in 1924, sometimes referred to as the "Polish Pinocchio".

Kichuś majstra Lepigliny
AuthorJanina Porazińska [pl]
LanguagePolish
Genrechildren's literature
Publication date
1924
Publication place Poland

Plot

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The book tells the story of a boy accidentally created from clay by a potter, the titular master Lepiglina. The action takes place in historical Kraków (circa the 17th century), where the clay boy, Kichuś, adopted by his creator, experiences various adventures.[1][2][3][4][5]

Reception

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The work is considered one of Porazińska’s more popular titles.[6] Between 1924 and 1997, it saw around 16 editions, many of them published by the pre-war publishing house of Michał Arct [pl], including the first edition. For many years, the book was part of the school curriculum, especially for grades from 2 to 4.[6][7] It has been illustrated by various artists, such as Michał Bylina, Maria Orłowska-Gabryś [pl], and Jacek Skrzydlewski [pl].[6] The 1973 edition featured illustrations by Adam Kilian [pl],[8] while the 1974 edition included photographs of Kraków and its surroundings by Edward Hartwig, which showcased locations where the story takes place as well as the beauty of ceramic relics, particularly craquelure.[2] Anita Wincencjusz-Patyna praised the use of photography as educational and grounding the story in reality.[2]

Despite its later popularity, the book initially faced criticism from conservative Catholic circles, such as a negative review in Miesięcznik Katechetyczny i Wychowawczy due to its fantastical elements. The clay-formed protagonist was likened to a demon.[9] During the Polish People's Republic period (around 1949), the novel was briefly removed from circulation for being ideologically unsuitable,[10] although by the mid-1950s, it had been adapted for the stage.[11][12][13]

In the 1960s and 1970s, the book was praised by critics like Teresa Bieńkowska and Zdzisława Vogel, who noted that children aged from 7 to 8 would enjoy it.[14][15] Tymon Terlecki [pl], in the 1960s, also praised the book, describing it as a work that introduces children to 17th-century customs in an accessible way.[5] The 1983 publication by the Polish Librarians’ Association [pl] positively reviewed the novel, calling it a colorful and humorous adventure full of fantasy. The reviewer commended Porazińska’s depiction of Kraków’s historical architecture and landscapes, as well as her portrayal of the daily life of its inhabitants, noting that the book, though first published in 1924, would still engage young readers aged 6 and up.[4]

Analysis

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The work is considered inspired by the Italian classic for children, The Adventures of Pinocchio (from the early 1880s),[1][16] and is sometimes referred to as the "Polish Pinocchio".[17] The author described her inspiration for the story – setting its plot in Kraków – as connected to her patriotism and interest in Polish folklore.[18] It is also thought to be influenced by pottery folklore.[19]

Since the protagonist is given a moral task of "doing good", the moral of the story is described as follows: "The child reader must meet the expectations of adults and become as good as the toy hero".[1] Kichuś is depicted as a "symbol of the ideals of goodness, love, and justice".[20]

The language used in the work is somewhat archaic.[18] Alina Brodzka-Wald [pl] noted that the author employs artistic subdialect stylization deliberately.[21] The language of the text is relatively complex, with some editions containing numerous annotations. For example, the 1981 edition featured a three-page glossary of terms and words used in the story, such as "farfurowy" (porcelain), "letniczek" (summer dress), "miesiąc na widku" (full moon), and "naczynia gędziebne" (musical instruments).[22]

Adaptations

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The work has been adapted for the theater several times:

References

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  1. ^ a b c Ungeheuer-Gołąb, Alicja (2018). "Inny Ja. O zabawkach jako bohaterach utworów literackich dla dzieci" [Another Self: On Toys as Characters in Children's Literary Works]. Edukacja Elementarna W Teorii I Praktyce (in Polish). 3 (49): 75–93. ISSN 1896-2327.
  2. ^ a b c Wincencjusz-Patyna, Anita (15 October 2023). "From Halley's Comet to the Scout Kwapiszon". In Druker, Elina; Kümmerling-Meibauer, Bettina (eds.). Photography in Children's Literature. John Benjamins Publishing Company. pp. 134–135. ISBN 978-90-272-4926-5.
  3. ^ Polish Foreign Trade. Foreign Trade Publicity and Pub. Enterprise Agpol. 1956. p. 156.
  4. ^ a b Literatura piek̜na [Literary fiction] (in Polish). Stowarzyszenie Bibliotekarzy Polskich. 1983. p. 309.
  5. ^ a b Terlecki, Tymon (1964). Literatura polska na obczyźnie, 1940-1960 [Polish Literature in Exile, 1940-1960] (in Polish). B. Świderski. p. 306.
  6. ^ a b c Pacholarz, Małgorzata (2015). "Janina Porazińska – autorka jeszcze popularna czy już zapomniana? Z dziejów edytorstwa książek pisarki" [Janina Porazińska – still popular or already forgotten? A history of publishing the writer's books]. Acta Universitatis Lodziensis. Folia Librorum (in Polish). 21 (2): 9–25. doi:10.18778/0860-7435.21.02. ISSN 0860-7435.
  7. ^ Kultura i edukacja [Culture and education] (in Polish). Wydawn. Adam Marszałek. 1999. p. 151.
  8. ^ Gajownik, Sylwia (2014). Ilustracje w książkach dziecięco-młodzieżowych w okresie PRL-u [Illustrations in Children's and Youth Books During the Polish People's Republic Era] (in Polish). Katowice: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Śląskiego. ISBN 978-83-226-2209-4.
  9. ^ ""Walka z lekturą zakazaną". Bibliologiczne spojrzenie na dyskusje wokół książki "zakazanej" i jej wpływu na dzieci i młodzież w końcu XIX w. i na poc" ["The Struggle with Forbidden Reading." A Bibliological Perspective on Discussions Surrounding the "Forbidden" Book and Its Impact on Children and Youth in the Late 19th Century and Early 20th Century]. Toruńskie Studia Bibliologiczne (in Polish). 11 (2): 135–152. 2013. ISSN 2080-1807.
  10. ^ Pytlos, Barbara; Gwadera, Małgorzata (2014). Przemiany powieści historycznej dla młodzieży w latach 1945–1980 [Transformations of Historical Novels for Youth from 1945 to 1980] (in Polish). Katowice: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Śląskiego. ISBN 978-83-226-2209-4.
  11. ^ a b "Kichuś, czyli przygody glinianego cudaczka" [Kichuś, or the Adventures of the Clay Oddity]. Scenografia Polska (in Polish). Retrieved 2024-09-23.
  12. ^ a b "Kronika życia i twórczości Jana Dormana (1912–1986)" [Chronicle of the Life and Works of Jan Dorman (1912–1986)]. Pamiętnik Teatralny (in Polish). 271 (3–4): 13–140. 2019. ISSN 0031-0522.
  13. ^ a b "Kichuś majstra Lepigliny" [Master Lepiglina's Kichuś]. Encyklopedia teatru polskiego (in Polish). Retrieved 2024-09-23.
  14. ^ Literatura piękna: adnotowany rocznik biliograficzny [Literature Fiction: Annotated Bibliographic Yearbook] (in Polish). Stowarzyszenie Bibliotekarzy Polskich. 1963. p. 318.
  15. ^ Bieńkowska, Teresa; Vogel, Zdzisława (1971). Książki o Krakowie: wybór publikacji z lat 1945-1969 [Books about Kraków: Selection of Publications from 1945-1969] (in Polish). MBP. p. 216.
  16. ^ Waksmund, Ryszard; Michułka, Dorota (1 July 2014). "Polish Literature for Children and Youth in a Comparative Perspective (Selective Problems)". Interlitteraria. 19 (1): 152–166. doi:10.12697/IL.2014.19.1.11. ISSN 2228-4729.
  17. ^ Paprocka, Natalia (2015). "Peryferie peryferii w centrum zainteresowania badaczy" [Peripheries of Peripheries in the Center of Researchers' Interest]. Przekładaniec (in Polish) (31): 284–296. ISSN 1425-6851.
  18. ^ a b Białek, Józef Zbigniew (1963). "Janiny Porazińskiej poezja dla dzieci" [Janina Porazińska's Poetry for Children]. Rocznik Naukowo-Dydaktyczny (in Polish). 17: 195–222. Poland and that which is ours, national, constantly being torn from us, constantly trampled upon – this has become the closest, lurking at the tip of the pen, ready to burst forth from the heart and run towards the children. From this source arose my prose books, including: Kichuś majstra Lepigliny set against the backdrop of beloved, old Kraków.
  19. ^ Górski, Ryszard; Krzyżanowski, Julian (1970). Między dawnymi a nowymi laty: studia folklorystyczne [Between Old and New Times: Folklore Studies] (in Polish). Zakład Narodowy im. Ossolińskich. p. 277.
  20. ^ Białek, Józef Zbigniew (1979). Literatura dla dzieci i młodzieży w latach 1918-1939: zarys monograficzny: materiały [Literature for Children and Youth in 1918-1939: A Monographic Outline: Materials] (in Polish). Wydawn. Szkolne i Pedagogiczne. p. 276. ISBN 978-83-02-00988-4.
  21. ^ Brodzka, Alina (1992). Słownik literatury polskiej XX wieku [Dictionary of Polish Literature of the 20th Century] (in Polish). Zakład Narodowy im. Ossolińskich. p. 567. ISBN 978-83-04-03942-1.
  22. ^ Zarych, Elżbieta (2017). "Po co dzieciom przypisy? Rola przypisów w książkach dla młodego czytelnika" [Why do children need footnotes? The role of footnotes in books for young readers]. Sztuka Edycji. Studia Tekstologiczne i Edytorskie (in Polish). 12 (2): 107–124. doi:10.12775/SE.2017.0025. ISSN 2391-7903.
  23. ^ "Kichuś majstra Lepigliny" [Master Lepiglina's Kichuś]. Encyklopedia teatru polskiego (in Polish). Retrieved 2024-09-23.
  24. ^ "Kichuś majstra Lepigliny" [Master Lepiglina's Kichuś]. Encyklopedia teatru polskiego (in Polish). Retrieved 2024-09-23.
  25. ^ "Kichuś majstra Lepigliny" [Master Lepiglina's Kichuś]. Encyklopedia teatru polskiego (in Polish). Retrieved 2024-09-23.
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