C) Hylistics and … (= distinctions)
1 Hylistics and Philology
1.1.1.1 Combination of philology and hylistics
1.1.1.1.1 Theoretical Challenge: Difficult decipherment and translation
The more difficult or polysemous the decipherment of a text or the translation of a source, the less sufficient grammar and lexicon alone are, and the more important semantics become.
Grammar, lexicon, and semantics are the three pillars of translation (see Zgoll 2022 ???).
1.1.1.1.2 Methodological response
Hylistics = field of semantic research
The optimal approach is an iterative process combining philology and hylistics.
(→ LINK Hyl anal. and interpret)
***WEG: Hyleme analysis
- is applied in an iterative process with philology (→ LINK ad Hyl und Phil; ggf. auch dorthin stellen)
- continues where purely philological and literary analysis of texts ends
| Philology | Hylistics |
| reconstruction of (manuscripts of) texts | reconstruction of (variants of) narrative materials |
| limited to medium text | transmedial (texts, images, films etc.) |
| focus on grammar, lexicon, and style | focus on semantics |
1.1.1.1.3 Contribution of philology to hylistics
Philological edition = basis of hylistic analyses
1.1.1.1.4 Contribution of hylistics to philology
Hylistics provide a methodology to
- contribute to decipherment of texts (especially when difficult or polysemous)
- contribute to translation of texts (especially when difficult or polysemous)
- supplement incomplete texts
- compile arguments for the constitution of a text
1.1.1.1.5 Case Studies: Hylistics contribute to the decipherment of texts (especially when difficult or polysemous)
See
***Felix, Josephine, Brit, Annette, Christian
See forthcoming C. Zgoll, „The Hittite ‘Theogony’(CTH 344) and Hesiod’s Theogony: Discovery of a New Parallel“, in: A. Johnston/ B. Ballesteros Petrella (Hg.), Divine Narratives. Religion and Literature in Greece and the Ancient Near East, Edinburgh (submitted). *** plus Seitenangabe
→ ***Hylistic methodology leads to the correct reading of a cuneiform sign which corrects the translation and identifies a new intercultural parallel between Hittite and Greek sources
1.1.1.1.6 Case Studies: Hylistics contribute to the translation of texts (especially when difficult or polysemous)
Appropriate translation of individual words:
See forthcoming C. Zgoll, „The unknown Prometheus – and what Hesiod made of him“, in: M. Konaris (Hg.), Studies on Greek gods and heroes. Interpretations and Appropriations, Trends in Classics, Berlin/ Boston (submitted).
→ Hylistics lead to a new understanding of how Prometheus and his kin is characterised in Hesiod’s Theogonie; the adjectives are old and difficult to translate and therefore can be interpreted as either slightly positive or slightly negative:
- Atlas κρατερόφρων (509): „strong-minded“ or „stubborn“?
- Menoitios ὑπερκύδας (510): „extremely courageous“ or „overconfident“?
- Epimetheus ἁμαρτίνοος (511): „misguided“ or „mad“?
- Prometheus ποικίλος αἰολόμητις (511): „clever schemer“ or „deceitful intriguer“?
Hylistic analyses of the Prometheus passage in Hesiod’s Theogonie can show that Hesiod is presenting the myths of Prometheus and his brothers in a negative light.
1.1.1.1.7 Case Studies: Hylistics supplement incomplete texts
Innanas Gang zur Unterwelt: A. Zgoll 2020: Anfang und Ende des Mythos rekonstruiert
Dumuzi-Klagen in A. Zgoll / Cuperly / Cöster-Gilbert 2023: Ende des Mythos rekonstruiert
1.1.1.1.8 Case Studies: Hylistics compile arguments for the constitution of a text
1.1.1.2 Hyleme analysis like morpheme analysis
The benefits of hyleme analysis are similar to the benefits of grammatical (morpheme) analysis
Just as grammatical analysis is necessary for the precise translation of a text, hyleme analysis is necessary for the precise reconstruction of a narrative material.
| Morpheme analysis (grammatical, lexical) | Hyleme analysis (semantical) |
| Morpheme analysis makes otherwise unconscious and opaque ideas and decisions about invisible grammatical / lexical information (or, for the lack of decisions, the missing of the point) conscious and transparent. | Hyleme analysis makes otherwise unconscious and opaque ideas and decisions about invisible semantic information (or, for the lack of decisions, the missing of the point) conscious and transparent. |
| Morpheme analysis often reveals unconscious and unreflective additions and helps to avoid linguistic mistakes. | Hyleme analysis often reveals unconscious and unreflective additions and helps to avoid semantic mistakes (as anachronisms). |
| Example: Sumerian mu-dab5 may e.g. be referring to the morphological situation of {mu-n-du2-Ø} = “He/she has given birth to him/her/it” or to {mu-?-du2-Ø} = “I have given birth to him/her/it” etc. | Example: “mother” as word of a text / part of an image / part of an event may e.g. be analysed as referring to a hyleme – A woman gives birth to a child. – The woman is from now on a mother. or to – A woman adopts a child. – The woman is from now on a mother. etc. |
1.1.1.3 Hyleme analysis and the decipherment of difficult writings
Case Study: C. Zgoll Kumarbi, Oxford = Edinburgh University Press
2 Hylistics vs. Structuralism
Lévi-Strauss etc.
2.1.1 Hylistics vs. Structuralist Analysis
3 Interhylistic vs. Intertextual relations
*** Verweis auf Behandlung des Themas sub „Stratifikationsanalyse“!
group of interhylistic relations: relationship of content between narrative materials (specific sources)
sub-group of intertextual relations: relationship of content and form between specific sources