Napoleon on Saint Helena: Symbols of European Poetry of the 19th century

The article is devoted to the reflection of a part of the Napoleonic legend associated with the imprisonment and burial of Napoleon on the island of Saint Helena in European poetry. Analysis of the documents of the era (i.e. letters, diaries, memoirs) reveals a certain semantic complex that reflects the real geographical description of the island of Saint Helena (a rocky formation in the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean, far from the mainland), on the one hand, and a symbolic interpretation that treats Napoleon as Prometheus and as Christ, on the other. The comparison of Napoleon with Christ actualizes the theme of the Resurrection in cultural memory. It was embodied in poetry with the help of the symbolic images of “shadow” and “ghost”. In French poetry, also, the restoration of the statue of Napoleon on the Vendôme column in 1833 (works by E. Quinet, L. Belmonte, V. Hugo) was conceptualized as a kind of anticipation. The use of the “shadow” image made it possible to depict Napoleon as existing on the border of two worlds, the real and the beyond. This expectation of the resurrection was reflected in painting (A. Albrecht and O. Vernet). The transfer of his ashes from Saint Helena to the Parisian House of Invalids in December 1840 represented the symbolic embodiment of Napoleon's “resurrection”. The reburial was arranged as a military parade, a triumphal procession after the victory. The transfer of the ashes was perceived by European society as a “resurrection” (poems by L. Belmonte, V. Hugo, E. Quinet, K. Delavigne, G. Heine, and the Austrian J. Zedlitz, paintings by the artists O. Verne and V. Vankovich).

Keywords

Napoleon, Prometheus, Christ, Saint Helena, Vendôme column, The Hôtel National des Invalides

Received

12.04.2021

Publication date

01.05.2021

Number of characters

50854

Cite

GOST	Gotovtseva A. Napoleon on Saint Helena: Symbols of European Poetry of the 19th century // Novaia i noveishaia istoriia – 2021. – Issue 3 C. 83-100 [Electronic resource]. URL: https://nni.jes.su/S013038640014693-0-1 (circulation date: 26.04.2024). DOI: 10.31857/S013038640014693-0
MLA	Gotovtseva, Anastasia "Napoleon on Saint Helena: Symbols of European Poetry of the 19th century." Novaia i noveishaia istoriia 3 (2021):83-100. DOI: 10.31857/S013038640014693-0
APA	Gotovtseva A. (2021). Napoleon on Saint Helena: Symbols of European Poetry of the 19th century. Novaia i noveishaia istoriia (3), pp.83-100 DOI: 10.31857/S013038640014693-0

100 rub.

When subscribing to an article or issue, the user can download PDF, evaluate the publication or contact the author. Need to register.

Number of purchasers: 0, views: 584

Readers community rating: votes 0

1. Chto delaetsya na ostrove Sv. Eleny? [What's going on on St. Helena?] // Dukh zhurnalov [Spirit of magazines]. 1817. Part. 17. Book. 4. P. 173–180. (In Russ.)

2. Espensberg K.F. Zamechaniya po vrachebnoj chasti, uchinennye vo vremya puteshestviya [Medical remarks made during travel] // Puteshestvie vokrug sveta v 1803, 4, 5 i 1806 gg. na korablyakh “Nadezhda” i “Neva” [Travel around the world in 1803, 4, 5 and 1806 on the ships “Nadezhda” and “Neva”]: 3 parts. Part 3. Sankt-Peterburg, 1812. P. 281–339. (In Russ.)

3. Golovnin V.M. Puteshestvie vokrug sveta na voennom shlyupe “Kamchatke”, v 1817, 1818 i 1819 godakh [Travel around the world on a military sloop “Kamchatka”, in 1817, 1818 and 1819]: 2 vol. Vol. 1. Sankt-Peterburg, 1822. (In Russ.)

4. Iz bumag grafa de Bal'mena [From the papers of the Comte de Balmain] // Russkij arkhiv [Russian archive]. 1868. № 4–5. Col. 659–734. (In Russ.)

5. Kotsebu O.E. Puteshestvie v Yuzhnyj okean i v Beringov proliv v 1815, 1816, 1817, 1818 godakh na korable “Ryurike” [Journey to the Southern Ocean and the Bering Strait in 1815, 1816, 1817, 1818 on the ship “Rurik”]: 3 vol. Vol. 2. Sankt-Peterburg, 1821. (In Russ.)

6. Kotsebu O.E. Novoe puteshestvie vokrug sveta v 1823–1826 gg. [A New Journey around the World in 1823–1826]. Moskva, 1959. (In Russ.)

7. Kuk Dzh. Vtoroe krugosvetnoe plavanie kapitana Dzhemsa Kuka: Plavanie k Yuzhnomu polyusu i vokrug sveta v 1772–1775 gg. [Captain James Cook's Second Round the World Voyage: Voyage to the South Pole and Around the World 1772–1775]. Moskva, 1964. (In Russ.)

8. Losev A.F. Problema simvola i realisticheskoe iskusstvo [The symbol problem and realistic art]. 2 ed., revis. Moskva, 1995. (In Russ.)

9. Ostrov Svyatoj Eleny. Otryvok iz pis'ma odnogo gollandskogo puteshestvennika v Indii. 19 maya 1801 g. [Saint Helena. Excerpt from a letter from a Dutch traveler in India. May 19, 1801] // Novosti russkoj literatury [Russian literature news]. 1802. Part 2. № 33. P. 102–110. (In Russ.)

10. Ostrov Svyatoj Eleny. Pis'mo anglijskogo puteshestvennika k drugu ego [A letter from an English traveler to his friend] // Vestnik Evropy [Bulletin of Europe]. 1802. Part 1. № 2. January. P. 38–45. (In Russ.)

11. Perenesenie prakha Napoleona s ostrova Svyatoj Eleny v Parizhskij Dom invalidov [Transfer of Napoleon's ashes from Saint Helena to the Paris Hôtel des Invalides]. Sankt-Peterburg, 1841. (In Russ.)

12. Pribytie Napoleona na ostrov Sv. Eleny i prebyvanie ego na onom (iz pis'ma odnogo anglijskogo ofitsera s korablya Nortumberlenda) [Arrival of Napoleon on the island of St. Helena and his stay on it (from a letter of an English officer from the ship of Northumberland)] // Dukh zhurnalov [Spirit of magazines]. 1816. Part 11. P. 62–68 (765–772). (In Russ.)

13. Pushkin A.S. Polnoe sobranie sochinenij: 20 t. T. 1. Litsejskie stikhotvoreniya 1812–1817 [Full composition of writings: 20 vol. Vol. 1. Lyceum poems 1812–1817]. Sankt-Peterburg, 1999. (In Russ.)

14. Sobul' A. Geroj, legenda i istoriya [Hero, legend and history] // Frantsuzskij ezhegodnik 1969 [French Yearbook 1969]. Moskva, 1971. P. 233–254. (In Russ.)

15. Vyazemskij P.A. Polnoe sobranie sochinenij: 12 t. T. 2. Literaturnye, kriticheskie i biograficheskie ocherki 1827–1851 [Full composition of writings: 12 vol. Vol. 2. Literary, critical and biographical essays 1827–1851]. Sankt-Peterburg, 1879. (In Russ.)

16. Zapiski odnogo puteshestvennika, ili Lyubopytnoe sobranie izvestij, kasayushchikhsya do zhizni, zanyatij i zhilishcha Bonaparte na ostrove Sv. Eleny [Notes of a Traveler, or A Curious Collection of News Relating to the Life, Occupations and Home of Bonaparte on St. Helena]. Moskva, 1820. (In Russ.)

17. Antommarchi F.C. Mémoires du docteur F. Antommarchi, ou Les derniers momens de Napoléon: 2 vol. Vol. 1. Paris, 1825.

18. Balzac O. Lettres à Madame Hanska: 4 vol. Vol. 1. 1832–1840. Paris, 1967.

19. Belmontet L. Poésie de l'Empire français, par Louis Belmontet. Paris, 1853.

20. Beranger P.J. Chansons de Pierre-Jean de Béranger: anciennes et posthumes. Paris, 1866.

21. Boudon J.-O. Napoléon à Sainte-Hélène: de l'exil à la légende. Montréal, 2000.

22. Brooke T.H. A history of the island of St. Helena, from its discovery by the Portuguese to the year 1806. London, 1808.

23. Brooke T.H. History of the island of St. Helena, from its discovery by the Portuguese to the year 1823. 2 ed. London, 1824.

24. Byron G.G. The Works of Lord Byron: 7 vol. Vol. 3. London, 1904.

25. Carnet d'un voyageur, ou Recueil de notes curieuses sur la vie, les occupations, les habitudes de Buonaparte à Longwood. Paris, 1819.

26. Cook J. The journals of Captain James Cook on his voyages of discovery: 3 vol. Vol. 2. The voyage of the Resolution and Adventure, 1772–1775. Cambridge, 1961.

27. Delavigne C. Oeuvres complètes de Casimir Delavigne / Avec une notice par M. Germain Delavigne: 6 vol. Vol. 5. Messéniennes et chants populaires. Paris, 1846.

28. Extrait d'une lettre écrite de Sainte-Hélène , par un voyageur allant dans l’Inde sur un vaisseau anglais // Gazette national ou Le Moniteur universel. 1801. Sextïdi , 16 brumaire an 10 de la République française. № 46. P. 180.

29. Fragment aus dem Briefe eines nach Indien reisenden Holländers. St. Helene, den 19ten May 1801 // Minerva: ein Journal für Geschichte, Politik und Literatur. 1802. Bd.1. Januar. S. 153–160.

30. Gourgaud G. Journal de Sainte-Hélène. 1815–1818: 2 vol. Vol. 2. Paris, 1947.

31. Heine H. Gesammelte Werke, 9 Bde. Bd. 1. Biographische Einleitung. Buch der Lieder. Neue Gedichte Zeitgedichte. Berlin, 1887.

32. Heine H. Gesammelte Werke, 9 Bde. Bd. 3. Einleitung. Reisebilder I. Berlin, 1887.

33. Hugo V. Oeuvres completes: 48 vol. Vol. Poésie I. Odes et ballades. Paris, 1880.

34. Hugo V. Oeuvres completes: 48 vol. Vol. Poésie III. Les Chants du crépuscule. Les Voix intérieures. Les Rayons et les ombres. Paris, 1880.

35. Hugo V. Oeuvres completes: 48 vol. Vol. Poésie IV. Les Châtiments. Paris, 1882.

36. Hugo V. Oeuvres completes: 48 vol. Vol. Poésie X. La legend des siècles IV. Paris, 1883.

37. Kotzebue O. Neue Reise um die Welt in den Jahren 1823, 24, 25 und 26, 2 Bde. Bd. 2. Weimar, 1830.

38. Lamartine A. de. Oeuvres completes: 6 vol. Vol. 1. Paris, 1850.

39. Langlé F. Funérailles de l'empereur Napoléon: relation officielle de la translation de ses restes et description du convoi funèbre. Paris, 1840.

40. Las Cases E. Mémorial de Sainte-Hélène: 8 vol. Vol. 1; Vol. 2; Vol. 6. Paris, 1823.

41. Magnin Ch. Prométhée: poème de M. Edgar Quinet // Revue des Deux Mondes. 1838. Vol. 15. № 4. P. 472–490.

42. Malcolm Cl. A Diary of St. Helena (1816, 1817): The journal of Lady Malcolm. London, 1899.

43. Manzoni A. Opere varie. Milano, 1881.

44. Montchenu Cl.M.H. [Lettre écrite de l’île Sainte Hélène] 23 juillet 1816 // Geoffroy de Grandmaison Ch. A. Napoléon et ses récents historiens. Paris, 1896. P. 326–332.

45. Montholon Ch. Récits de la captivité de l'empereur Napoléon à Sainte-Hélène: 2 vol. Paris, 1847.

46. Quinet E. Oeuvres completes, 10 vol. [Vol. 8]. Prométhée. Napoléon. Les esclaves. Paris, 1857.

47. Relation des funérailles de Napoléon, exhumation, translation, pieces, etc. Paris, 1840.

48. Stürmer B. Die Berichte aus St. Helena zur Zeit der dortigen Internirung Napoleon Bonaparte's. 1816–1818 // Archiv für österreichische Geschichte. 1886. Bd. 67. S. 253–405.

49. Tiebeult P. Mémoires: 5 vol. Vol. 5. 1813–1820. 4 ed. Paris, 1895.

50. Trousson R. Le Thème de Prométhée dans la littérature européenne. 3 ed., corrig. Geneve, 2001.

51. Tulard J. Dictionnaire amoureux de Napoléon. Paris, 2012.

52. Zedlitz J.Ch., von. Gedichte. Stuttgart, 1859.