The Third and the Other Versions of Judas

Metaleptic Intepretation of Borges’ Three Versions of Judas

Abstract

The text of Borges’s short story Three Versions of Judas indeed suggests the reading found everywhere in the secondary literature, according to which the three editions of Runeberg’s two books are the three versions of Judas indicated in the title. But I would instead call this a trap. The text (and Borges’ poetics) rather suggests a metaleptic reading. According to this reading, the first version of Judas is Runeberg’s first book, Christus och Judas (the first and second editions together), where Judas has an almost equal role as Jesus in the salvation story, but Jesus is the Savior. The second version is Runeberg’s second book, Den hemlige Frälsaren, which is different not only in its title but also in its basic concept, since here Judas is the Savior. The third version is the very writing we have just read, Three Versions of Judas, that reveals the secret of Runeberg (and of God, according to Runeberg). But for the third version, several metaleptic solutions are possible. The article also touches on the relationship between literature and theology and on the role of the secret in Borges’ short story and oeuvre.