AN EXCITING NOVEL «ST. ANDREW’S NIGHT» BY ION VICOL

Abstract

The author of the study thoroughly examines the narrative method through which Ion Vicol retraces the Apostle Andrei’s involvement in the cruel wars between Dacians and Romans and their Christianization. The main focus of the novelist certainly refers to the brave messenger sent by Jesus Christ, who stoically endures the endless deprivation, hardship, indignities from those who would not accept the new faith, but who however carries out his mission. Other memorable characters of the novel are Dacian King Decebal, the roman Emperor Trajan, the generals and soldiers from both armies, including the women participating in the action evoked by the writer. The narration tends to represent a whole epic, whose achievement has called for serious research in archives, churches, monasteries, and the use of legends and popular beliefs about the life and work of the Apostle Andrei, who became himself a legend in the memory of the Romanian people.

Keywords

• apostle
• dacian
• novel
• war
• christianization
• legend
• narration