History of Old Georgian Literature: Periods of Decline and Revival (Second Half of the 13th Century through the 18th Century) by Korneli Kekelidze

Korneli Kekelidze (1879-1962) was a prominent scholar of Georgian literature, theologian, one of the founders and academicians of the Georgian Academy of Sciences and one of the co-founders of Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University. The fourth book of his fundamental work The History of Old Georgian Literature presents the literature of the periods of Decline and Revival (second half of the 13th century to18th century). The literature of the decline period covered in the book spans the 13th to the 15th centuries. During this period, Georgians copied many unique works created in earlier centuries which have reached us in manuscripts from this era. This period is particularly notable in terms of legal texts. The literature of the decline period also addresses the hagiographical genre. The Revival period gave rise to new literary genres: historical epics infused with national and patriotic tendencies; fables shaped by the political and social realities of the time; satire prompted by the behavior of various social classes; travel memoirs caused by Georgia’s key geopolitical position; praise poetry which evolved into panegyric verse; dialogues where allegorical figures discuss urgent issues of the time; and majama, a genre that paved the way for a new form of Georgian writing. The most significant part of Georgian literature from this period is lyrics, which are rich in various poetic forms. The literature of this period is imbued with didactic and moralistic themes. This book covers both secular and religious lyricism. In general, the lyrical masterpieces of Georgian literature from the Revival period provide interesting material for the study of metrical structure, rhythmic variety, rhyme systems, strophe, and composition. The Revival era, alongside epic and lyric poetry, also introduces drama. Korneli Kekelidze, through the literature of the Decline and Revival periods (second half of the 13th century to18th century), reveals to readers the previously unknown aspects of relations between Georgia, the West, and the East that were not known to the academic circles.