The Hunter Who Perished. Problems of Narrative Structure in Svan Poetry

Abstract

The specific narrative use of 1st and 2nd person protagonist reference in
Svan ballads is shown to be based on the non-communicational properties
of grammatical person. Since the 1st and 2nd person forms do not refer to the
speaker and the audience, respectively, features like accessibility, empathy and
contact become essential in the narrative sections of these poems. This usage
has parallels in Ancient Near Eastern and Greek poetic traditions.