Abstract:
The study aimed at conducting a thematic and stylistic analysis of Mätshäfä Ziq through
intertextuality, exploring its intertextual techniques. Originating in Ge'ez literature over 1500
years ago, Mätshäfä Ziq is believed to compile compositions by Saint Yared, exhibiting a well structured form and diverse literary qualities. Drawing on intertextuality theories by Bakhtin,
Barthes, and Kristeva, the research examines how the manuscript interacts with its intertexts.
Intertextual techniques such as quotation, pastiche, paraphrase, and stylistic elements such as
transfiguration, prefiguration, personification, and hyperbole are identified through close
manuscript reading, elucidating their role in reinforcing meanings across different contexts.
Employing textual analysis, the research evaluates the significance of embedded texts. It
highlights how intertextual techniques honor predecessors, reinforce thematic and stylistic
continuities, and illuminate religious debates and societal experiences. This inquiry aims to
provide a reassessment of established views on religious texts, demonstrating their incorporation
of literary and societal dimensions beyond the theological polemics. Hence, it would hopefully
encourage scholars to approach religious texts through a literary perspective, suggesting the
manuscript as a valuable resource of understanding intertextual dynamics in literary discourse.