奥西里斯—伊西斯神话与阿尔玛的非洲文化复兴叙事

The Myth of Osiris-Isis and Ayi Kwei Armah’s Narrative of African Renaissance

为推动非洲文化复兴,非洲加纳著名作家艾伊·奎·阿尔玛创造性地利用古埃及的奥西里斯—伊西斯神话,以该神话中的主要人物特征及相互关系为原型展开身体书写和人物设置。一方面,奥西里斯被肢解的命运呼应着非洲大陆被殖民瓜分的状态,以及殖民主义造成的非洲人身心分裂和生存恶化;另一方面,伊西斯将奥西里斯的躯体重新拼好,焕发出生命力,他们的儿子荷鲁斯在众人的帮助下最终打败分裂势力、再创和平兴盛,都传递了阿尔玛对非洲复兴的信念和希望。奥西里斯—伊西斯神话所代表的从分裂到融合、从毁灭到重生的模式为阿尔玛提供了超越非洲当下分裂局面的文化原型。

Underpinning the narratives of African renaissance, written by famous African writer and cultural activist Ayi Kwei Armah, is the ancient Egyptian myth Osirsi-Isis. In Armah’s novels, characterization, especially description of bodies and the interrelationship between characters, is based on archetypal mythic f igures. Armah employs the dismembered Osiris as a sorrowful symbol of Africa’s long suffering under colonization, fragmentation and degeneration. Osiris’ s revival and his son Horus’ s growth into a capable leader, with the help of Isis and others, symbolizes the potential for unity, cooperation and creative regeneration in Africa, and represents Armah’s faith and hope for African revival.