INTERTEXTUAL RELATIONS BETWEEN NARRATION AND INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE: A STUDY IN THE LITERATURE OF MOHAMMED MUSTAJAB

Abstract

This study explores the network of textual relations between narrative and intangible cultural heritage, viewing them as two epistemological fields that share the same roots upon which the theorization of modern narratology has relied. The study argues that the concepts and boundaries of the text have expanded beyond the verbal and linguistic fabric to include the non-verbal elements of intangible cultural heritage within the domain of the text. The research adopts the intertextual approach as a critical framework, based on the premise that “there is no utterance unconnected to other utterances,” which renders the text dynamic in its production and generation of meaning through its interrelations with other texts. The applied corpus of the study consists of Mohamed Mostagab’s literary works: his essays “The Crow’s Digging” (Nabsh al-Ghurab), which combine narration and lived experience; selected short stories rich in popular motifs; and novels that integrate rituals and practices prevalent in Upper Egypt. The textual analysis reveals a complex network of relations between narrative and intangible cultural heritage, as reflected in Mostagab’s literary production, which intertextually engages with elements of folk culture that, according to modern concepts of textuality, have become living and active texts within the creative structure. This intertextual interaction in Mostagab’s works endows his narrative with cultural depth and vitality, fulfilling its aesthetic and creative functions, while intangible heritage remains an inexhaustible source- its material marked by the same vibrant energy that continually inspires artistic creation.