2020 
STUDIA MYTHOLOGICA SLAVICA 
ISSN 1408-6271  wwwISSN 1581-128x 
Uredniški svet / Natka Badurina (Universitŕ degli Studi di Udine), Nikos Causidis (Univerzitet Consiglio di redazione / Sv. Kiril i Metodi, Skopje), Larisa Fialkova (University of Haifa), Mare Kva 
 Advisory Board (Estonian Institute of Folklore, Tartu), Janina Kursďte (Univerza v Rigi), Nijole Laurinkiene(Lietuviuliteraturos irtautosakos institutas,Vilnius),MirjamMencej (Univerza v Ljubljani), Vlado Nartnik (Inštitut za slovenski jezik Frana Ramovša, ZRC SAZU, Ljubljana), Andrej Pleterski (Inštitut za arheologijo, ZRC SAZU, Ljubljana), Ljubinko Radenkovic (SANU, Beograd), Svetlana Tolstaja (Institut slavjanovedenija Rossijskoj Akademii Nauk, Moskva) 
Uredništvo / Monika Kropej Telban (odgovorna urednica/co-direttrice/Editor-in-Chief), ZRC Redazione / SAZU, Inštitut za slovensko narodopisje, Novi trg 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenija/ 
Editorial Board Slovenia, E-mail: monika@zrc-sazu.si 
KatjaHrobatVirloget(odgovornaurednica/co-direttrice/Editor-in-Chief),Univerza naPrimorskem,Fakultetazahumanisticneštudije,Inštitutzamedkulturneštudije, Titov trg 5, 6000 Koper, Slovenija/Slovenia, E-mail: katja.hrobat@fhs.upr.si 
Roberto Dapit, Universitŕ degli Studi di Udine, Dipartimento di Lingue e Letterature, Comunicazione, Formazione e Societŕ, Via Tarcisio Petracco 8, 33100 Udine, Italija/Italia, E-mail: roberto.dapit@uniud.it 

Urednica knjižnih ocen / Saša Babic, ZRC SAZU, Inštitut za slovensko narodopisje, Novi trg 2, 1000 Curatrice delle recensioni /Ljubljana, Slovenija/Slovenia, E-mail: Sasa.Babic@zrc-sazu.si 
 Book Review Editor 
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Slika na ovitku / Fotografia sul copertina / Cover photo: 
Predkršcanske zoomorfne figure iz Giecza, Poljska / Zoomorfi figurini precristiani da Giecz, Polonia / Pre-Christian zoomorphic figures from Giecz, Poland 
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Tisk / Stampato da / Printed by Collegium Graphicum, d. o. o. 
© ZRC SAZU, Inštitut za slovensko narodopisje 

23 2020 

ZNANSTVENORAZISKOVALNI CENTER SLOVENSKE AKADEMIJE ZNANOSTI IN UMETNOSTI INŠTITUT ZA SLOVENSKO NARODOPISJE, LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIJA 

UNIVERSITŔ DEGLI STUDI DI UDINE DIPARTIMENTO DI LINGUE E LETTERATURE, COMUNICAZIONE, FORMAZIONE E SOCIETŔ, UDINE, ITALIA 
Ljubljana 2020 
Vsebina / Indice 
5 Razprave Studi 
Kamil Kajkowski: Myth in Action? Figurative Images on Ceramics as a Source for Studying the Pre-Christian Beliefs of Western Slavs.......................................................................7 
Tomislav Bilic: Mit o “svetim trokutima” temeljenima na “suncevom kutu” – analiza 
“astronomije” ranih Slavena................................................................................................................35 Elena Boganeva, Mare Kva: The Theme of the Exodus in Russian Folklore: The 
“Pharaoh” Mythical Creatures, According to the Archive of the Estonian Literary 
Museum...................................................................................................................................................51 
Domen Cešarek, Pavel Jamnik: Božicna jama pri Novi Štifti (Gornji Grad) – primer anticnega jamskega svetišca................................................................................................................69 Jurij Dobravec: Ozelenela popotna palica svetega Krištofa.................................................................81 Muhammadgali Abduov, Nazilya Abduova, Nicolae Stanciu: Image, Function, Meaning, and Structure: The Role of Aphorisms in the Kazakh Epic Poem Kyz Zhibek..........................99 ...... .. .....: . .............. ....... . ...... “....... . ........”...........119 Mirjam Mencej: Carovništvo – diskurz ali praksa?.............................................................................137 Joanna Wawrzeniuk: The Role of Fire in the Posthumous Customs of Podlachia on the 
Border of Poland and Belarus ...........................................................................................................159 
Ainur I. Tuzbekov, Albert T. Akhatov: Archaeological Sites as a Component of the Modern Religious Worldview of the Southern Ural Population (Based on the Example of the Akhunovo Megalithic Complex).........................................................................171 Luka Šešo: The Supernatural Beings of Belief Legends – Old Fears in a New Context.............183 
203 Onkraj delitve narave in kulture: ontologije in epistemologije Oltre la dicotomia tra la natura e la cultura: ontologie ed epistemologie 
Marjetka Golež Kaucic: “Zoopoetic Dwelling”: The Ecology of the Connectedness of 
Animal and Human Homes and Dwelling Through Folklore and Literary Representations...205 Suzana Marjanic, Rosana Ratkovcic: “Petishism”, or Animals in the City and on the 
Islands: Case Study of the Island of Silba ......................................................................................235 
253 
Gradivo Materiale 
Boris Cok: Naš Triglav..............................................................................................................................255 
259 Recenzije 
in 
porocila 
o 
knjigah 

Recensioni di libri 
Jirí Dynda, Slovanské pohanství ve stredovekých ruských kázáních [Slavic Paganism in Medieval Russian Homiletics] (Andrej Pleterski)........................................................................261 



Contents 
5 
Articles 
Kamil Kajkowski: Myth in Action? Figurative Images on Ceramics as a Source for Studying the Pre-Christian Beliefs of Western Slavs.......................................................................7 
Tomislav Bilic: The Myth of “Sacred Triangles” Based on “the Solar Angle” – an 
Analysis of the “Astronomy” of Early Slavs...................................................................................35 
Elena Boganeva, Mare Kva: The Theme of the Exodus in Russian Folklore: The 
“Pharaoh” Mythical Creatures, According to the Archive of the Estonian Literary 
Museum...................................................................................................................................................51 
Domen Cešarek and Pavel Jamnik: The Božicna jama Cave near Nova Štifta (Gornji Grad) – an Example of an Antique or Late Antique Cave Fertility Shrine................................69 Jurij Dobravec: The Greening of Saint Christopher’s Walking-Stick................................................81 Muhammadgali Abduov, Nazilya Abduova, Nicolae Stanciu: Image, Function, Meaning, and Structure: The Role of Aphorisms in the Kazakh Epic Poem Kyz Zhibek..........................99 Maxim A. Yuyukin: On the Mythological Motifs in the Bylina “Dobrynya and Nastas’ya”.....119 Mirjam Mencej: Witchcraft – a Discourse or a Practice?...................................................................137 Joanna Wawrzeniuk: The Role of Fire in the Posthumous Customs of Podlachia on the 
Border of Poland and Belarus...........................................................................................................159 
Ainur I. Tuzbekov, Albert T. Akhatov: Archaeological Sites as a Component of the Modern Religious Worldview of the Southern Ural Population (Based on the Example of the Akhunovo Megalithic Complex).........................................................................171 Luka Šešo: The Supernatural Beings of Belief Legends – Old Fears in a New Context.............183 

203 Beyond 
the 
Dichotomy 
of 
Nature 
and 
Culture: 
Ontologies 
and 
Epistemologies 

Marjetka Golež Kaucic: “Zoopoetic Dwelling”: The Ecology of the Connectedness of Animal and Human Homes and Dwelling Through Folklore and Literary Representations...205 Suzana Marjanic, Rosana Ratkovcic: “Petishism”, or Animals in the City and on the 
Islands: Case Study of the Island of Silba ......................................................................................235 
253 
Material 
Boris Cok: Our “Triglav”..........................................................................................................................255 
259 

Book reviews 
Jirí Dynda, Slovanské pohanství ve stredovekých ruských kázáních [Slavic Paganism in Medieval Russian Homiletics] (Andrej Pleterski)........................................................................261 
Razprave 
Studi 


Articles 
23 STUDIA MYTH O L OGICA SLAVICA 2020 
7 – 34 | https://doi.org/10.3987/SMS20202301 
Myth in Action? Figurative Images on Ceramics as a Source for Studying the Pre-Christian Beliefs of Western Slavs 

The spiritual culture of Western Slavs is becoming an increasingly prominent research field in archaeology. The dynamic growth of material evidence allows archaeologists not only to expand the corpus of evidence used in their work but also to formulate new hypotheses that broaden the current state of knowledge, as well as to develop new research trajectories. The study of relics of cult-places and the material remains of ritual ceremo­nies play a particularly significant role here. Research into material culture, including iconographic sources, is of great significance. Both these research topics can be broadened 
by the studies of objects commonly extracted from the earth, namely ceramic vessels. 
Moreover, not only the ritual behaviour that accompanies their production, or the symbolism 
of vessels, as such, or their forms but also about their ornamentation is of interest. Thus far, the issue of ornamentation has remained on the fringes of mainstream scholarly debates. 
Marek Dulinicz is among the scholars who have made the most substantial contributions to this field of research. However, since 2008, there have been no further studies on this topic. Although the corpus of completely preserved or fragmented vessels with figural depictions knowntodayhas expanded,thebodyofmaterialwithnarrativescenes remains fairly small. New finds of vessels (or their fragments) with such imageryare found very rarely – even though numerous excavation campaigns are being undertaken – leading to thesituation in which vessels with narrativescenes become rare and exceptionalsources. This paperwillspecificallyaddress this particularbodyofmaterial.Aroundtwentydiffe-rent vessels will be considered here. Most of them are known from the area inhabited by 
theBalticSlavs and theterritory of modern-day Poland (Masoviaand Silesia).Oneshard comes from Slovakia. The present paper seeks to provide answers to questions about the purpose of placing figural imagery on vessels, as well as to investigate the spatial and chronological occurrence of such finds, and the possible functions the vessels had in the 
everyday lives of their users. 
KEYWORDS: Western Slavs, material culture, vessels, narrative depictions, mythology, 
religion 
Instudies concerningthetraditionalreligious beliefs oftheSlavs,Stanislaw Urbanczyk’s famous claim that this field of study brings “nothing but disappointment” is no longer valid. Even though, from time to time, some scholars are sceptical or even hypercritical, 
today we no longer ask if, but rather about who, how, when, and where? The main tools 

used by researchers to answer these questions are analyses of written and archaeolog­ical sources, conducted by religious scholars, cultural anthropologists, linguists, and researchers of folk culture.1 However, still neglected and underestimated is an in-depth reflection on the meaning and symbolism of imagery (which, for our needs, we can call art), which fully incorporate the methods developed in the broad field if iconology. It seems that the theoretical models proposed by Erwin Panofsky (1939) and his successor Rudolf Wittkower (1990) can be particularly fruitful in the studies of Slavic beliefs. Their methodology has already been applied in work on symbolic images of early medieval Western Slavs (Panfil 2002, Kajkowski, in print b) but, thus far, scholars have exclusively 
focused on elite material culture. 
The method developed by Panofsky analyses each iconographic image/idea in a his-toricising approach. The basic aim of this kind of research is, primarily, to discover the internal meanings of these images, which are characterised by a certain “symbolism”, and thus beyond- or even out-of-time meaning. Therefore, the method of iconological analysis consists of three stages. The first is the interpretation of individual elements of the considered image, to place its specific/individual context (which can appeal to religion, mythology, tradition, literature, politics, social relations, and similar). The second concerns the explanation of the conventional understanding of the images/scenes and determining their potential meanings (illustrative, symbolic, allegorical, and similar.). Finally, most importantly, the third stage, in which the work/image/figure/scene should be considered as a symptom of the epoch (or, as Panofsky himself sees it, a document), finding its place in archetypes and cultural history. In other words, based on the method of iconological analysis, we place an image within the frames or, rather, against the backdrop of tradition, customs, and historical events. In this way, we aim to discover the events that gave rise to the foundations of the image’s creation, and thus to read the essential meanings encoded in it, which may significantly differ from the conclusions based on traditional (formal) analysis (see Panfil 2002: 18–19; Lang 2006; Davison 2009; Alloa 2015). 
A similar course of reasoning is intuitively indicated by some archaeologists dealing with the analysis of (mainly antique/ancient) visual messages, often referred to as a form of communication or “expressive-affective symbolism” (Tanner 2006: 19–21). In this kind of approach, the task of art directly influences the senses and emotions or/and trans­mission of particular ideas or codification of specific matters. Furthermore, although we are not always able to recognise the message hidden behind them, their presence should not raise any further doubts (Bugaj 2012: 888). 
Equally important for further analyses should be the acknowledgement of the fact that 
the actions taken by artists/craftsmen, as well as their value/aesthetic assessment can be 
– and most often are – a result of a meaningful development, which takes shape through the prism of magical or sacral valorisation (Kowalski 2007: 160). Unfortunately, there is no placehere for a detailed discussion of the relationship between art and religion (e.g., Poniatowski 1962: 184; Zdybicka 1993: 370n; Duvignaud 2010: 218; Barrowcloug 2014: 
About the problems, hopes, and results related to the application of these solutions, see Antosik, Luczynski (ed.) 2020. 

152; Mamzer 2018: 43–44). Let us merely note a significant argument by Cassirer and Mieletinski, who consider historical art as a form of visual expression deeply rooted in mythological narratives while simultaneously maintaining its unique character (Cassirer 1953: 98; Mieletinski 2009: 20). 
Attempts to apply these cursorily presented theoretical inspirations to investigate the “model” of the spiritual culture of early medieval Slavs remain at a nascent stage. Until recently, many researchers have denied these communities not only an extensive belief system (or even mythology) but also any skills in creating visual art. This was likely the result of suppositions based on the views of Johann Gottfried Herder (1744–1803), who created the theory of Volksgeist, according to which all societies that inhabited pre-his­toric Europe had a specific position in the development of the Old Continent’s culture. The Slavs – as a young ethnic element, entering the arena of history after the significant achievements ofFrankishandotherGermanictribes occupied(inHerder’s classification) the position of agrarian civilisation – in contrast to people whose development was based primarily on military activity. 
As a consequence of such a way of thinking, the interpreters of Herder’s thoughts denied the Slavs the ability to create epics, sublime forms of art or compositional thinking in general (Kalinowski 2016: 22). It is also likely that perpetuation of similar views may have been favoured by stereotypes seeing the beginnings of culture (including the artistic culture) in the West. There are views according to which the development of culture/art should be firstly associated with the Mediterranean world (Hellenic, Roman, Byzantine) area and then with the areas affected by Christianity. As a consequence of such thinking, the remaining areas of the known world were referred to as uncivilised or semi-civilised barbaricum (cf. Pankalla, Kosnik 2018: 24). In the mid-20th century, this line of thinking resulted in the perception of early medieval Slavs strictly as agricultural communities, and – which has important meaning to us – to the conviction that all skillfully made or decorated artefacts excavated during archaeological research (especially military equip­ment) represented imports or evidence of the presence of other ethnic groups on Slavic territories (cf. Abramowicz 1954: 326, 348; Gardela, Kajkowski, Ratajczyk 2019). Some scholars even claimed that these items represented early Christian art (Kócka-Krenz 1998: 558–559). Recent re-evaluations of all these finds demonstrate that they are most likely of local origin and the ideographic/figural motifs depicted on some of these objects have been associated with very specific pre-Christian beliefs of Western Slavs (Gardela, Kajkowski, in print). The links of these items with the material culture of the elite are also beyond doubt. 
Relativelyrecentrecords alsohavetheories concerningthesymbolicalinterpretations of its ideographic/figurative motifs, which are connected with the pre-Christian beliefs of Western Slavs (Gardela, Kajkowski, in print). Its relationship with theelitecultureis also not doubted. However, mythological convictions and beliefs could not be an ideological system limited to the early medieval aristocracy exclusively. They constituted the exist­ence of the entire community. Thus, we should also, in my view, search for the signs of mythical thinking with relation to the objects that were within reach of “ordinary” people (participants of the common culture). Therefore, researchers have long been considering ceramic vessels, which represent the most common element of material culture. 


Moreover, it is not just about the ritual behaviour that accompanies their production, or the symbolism of the vessels, as such (or form/appearance), but also its ornamenta­tion (Buko 1990: 191–198; Dalewski 1990: 19; Kowalski 2000; 2013: 36; Janowski, Kurasinski 2008; Kara 2009: 106). Among the latter, several distinct groups can be indicated: carvings at the bottoms, geometric carvings, stamps and – the subject of the present study – figural or narrative scenes. Research on this topic is not new. Twenty years ago, it drew the attention of Polish archaeologist Marek Dulinicz (2001: 86nn; 2008). Since the release of his work – apart from a short article by Thomas Kinkeldey (2008) concerning monuments of the Elbe region – narrative scenes on ceramics have never been the subject of specialised and detailed investigations. 
A relatively large group of artefacts with imagery that interests us here has been found in northern Germany, an area occupied by the Polabian Slavs in the early Middle Ages. Slightly fewer of them are known from Poland. Occasionally, they are also discovered in Slovenia and Slovakia. Regrettably – with one exception – all these items are fragmentarily preserved, and the shards are sometimes very small – sometimes exceedingly so – which causes serious problems with reconstruction of the figural scenes originally placed on them, and thus also with diminishing the narrative meanings encoded within them. In this regard, certain possibilities can appear (surprisingly, generally omitted in the studies on the topic at hand), such as the context analysis of some discoveries as also comparative studies based on contemporary knowledge about figurative and visual art of early medi­eval western Slavs. Therefore, let us examine the available source material more closely. 
From the 7th/8th-9th century settlement in Gallin in Mecklenburg (Germany) comes a fragment of the edge of the vessel with the image of a wagon. You can see here a rec­tangular wagon-chest (according to Wietrzichowski 1988, 148 roofed), two wheels with four spokes, shaft and most likely the back of an animal. There is also a small X under the front wheel. Above the wagon, you can see four slightly wavy lines (Fig. 1). One question, in relation to the vessel form, is why the image is “upside down”. It is not known either – as already noted by Dulinicz (2001: 
86) – whether the drawing was made on 
the already finished vessel, or perhaps 
on its damaged fragment that was later burned-out. The latter of these possibilities could explain the reverse arrangement of 
the figural scene. However, taking into 
consideration the space on which the cross 
Fig. 1. Gallin, Mecklenburg, Germany. Fragment of 
symbol is placed, there are some doubts 
ceramic vessel. After Dulinicz 2008: 317, ryc. 7.1. 
about such an interpretation. 
If the presence of an X-shaped symbol on non-ceramic early medieval products still arouses discussion (cf. Kotowicz 2013), so too in the case of ceramic vessels: symbolic content is much more often allowed (including those related to traditional religious sys­tems) (see Lega 1929: 253; Buko 1988: 101; 2005: 334nn; Kurasinski 2018: 259). In the case of the Gallin vessel, an early chronology is possible, as the whole visual composition may support exactly this interpretation. So, it remains to ask what function the symbol x played here? This is an important question, because it implies further analytical proceed­ings, in which this symbol could indicate directions of the world or have astronomical 

indications (Forstner 1990: 13; Brzozowska-Krajka 1994: 84). In my opinion, the oblique arrangement of the x symbol in relation to the rest of the scene speaks for the second of the mentioned possibilities. I think that the intention here was to depict the sun or star. If so, at the same time, it would also confirm the desirability to place the wagon upside down. This, in turn, opens two possible ways of interpreting the entire scene. If we considered the x as a celestial body, Dulinicz (2001: 86) could have been right when he saw a wagon moving through the sky here. However, if – moving after the suggestions of researchers of religious symbols – we recognise the spoked wheels as a symbol of the sun and/or a deity of uranic competences2 (Forstner 1990: 400; Szyjewski 2003: 103), then we could look here for a visualisation of the Slavic mythological narrative. It is about a (referring to the Indo-European tradition) motif, according to which the solar god has had to fight the chthonic powers. In some cases, the deity fought from a wagon, in others sitting on a horse. 
Interestingly, a fragment of such a myth is also known for Western Slavs. It was transmitted unknowingly by Saxo Grammaticus, describing the Sanctuary in Arkona and more precisely, a horse belonging to Svantovit. According to the chronicler, each morn­ing the animal was covered with foam and mud, which was supposed to be the evidence of night battles of a divine sovereign with forces opposing to him as well his followers (Saxo XIV, 39). In this sense, the x-sign on a Gallin vessel could be a star (Svantovit fought at night), while the wagon “driving” against the laws of nature is a deity’s vehicle. 
However, the possibility that the discussed vessel fragment shows a ritual procession also cannot be ruled out. The significant role of wagons in the various ritual dramas of past communities (cf. Malecki 1995) is clearly shown in written,3 archaeological,4 and iconographic sources.5 In this case, however, there are some doubts about the wagon’s upside-down position, which excludes the appearance of an event in which the vehicle was pulled by an animal. However, it does not exclude the wagon’s function in the rite itself. This interpretation could be indirectly supported by the information collected by ethnographers. What we find here are the descriptions of funeral customs in which, after the burial ceremony, the wagon (which takes the deceased to the cemetery) was found overturned (Fischer 1921: 145; Biegeleisen 1929: 55). 
Let us add that the same sources identify souls of the dead with the stars and recall the name of the Pleiades, which are related directly to the Veles – the Slavic sovereign of the Netherworld (Gladyszowa 1960: 21nn). However – apart from the nature of these typesof records – such an interpretation could not be confirmed either in archaeological sources or in medieval written accounts. Even though the wagons or its fragments and models 
2 Eliade (1993: 21) believed that only understanding of the sun-wheel symbolism could enable the “discovery” of the wagon as the source of transport. 
3 With the Tacitus’ (I, 40) passage about the Nerthus goddess. 4 Famous Trudnholm wagon (West 2007: 373–374) or two wagons of Manse swamp in west Jutland (Glob 2004: 168). 
5 With the example of Oseberg tapestry (Shenk 2002: 37). 

played a specific function in the ritual life of early medieval west Slavonic communities (Holubowicz 1956: 294; Kunicka-Okuliczowa 1959: 113, 115; Kowalczyk 1968: 113), 
there is no evidence of any burials in wagons that could be considered distinctively Slavic.6 
We have to finally consider the third option, in which the scene depicted on the Gallin shard has no relation to religious life. Could the wagon placed here illustrate any element of everyday life? By adopting such a solution, we should expect a mapping of the real situation, meaning one in which the cart should not be turned upside down, because it is difficult to imagine people or goods being transported in this way. Thus, in my opinion, the scene shown on theGallin shard shouldbeassociatedwith thespiritualcultureof theBalticSlavs. 
The extensive figural motif has also been preserved on four small fragments of the vessel found on the fortified settlement, dating back to the 9th-10th century, in Repten on the border of Brandenburg and Lusatia (Lkr. Oberspreewald-Lausitz, Germany). There is a scene depicting four animals and one human figure, probably holding a bow. The possibility that originally there was a figure of a man depicted on one of the animals cannot be excluded (Dulinicz 2001: 86; Kinkeldey 2008: 497). (Fig. 2) Thus far, the most prominent hypothesis interprets the whole scene in a military aspect. Less often, it indicates hunting for wild animals or capturing horses (Kinkeldey 2008: 499–500). Researchers’ attention is also given to abstract imagery, which – I think – has recently gained quite good support. I am referring to the discoveries in the area of the former stronghold in Dabrówka (Greater Poland). This stronghold dates back to the 9th century and the first half of the 10th century, so it functioned at the same time as the object in Repten (Kinkeldey 2008: 497). 
A similar chronology is not the only aspect that attracts our attention. Essential to these considerations is one of the finds within the relics of one of the buildings (no. 29) in Dabrówka. It is thebottom of the ceramic vessel decorated with an ornament that reveals common features to the Repten figural scene (Pawlak, Pawlak 2019a: 249). (Fig. 3) Sig­nificantly, object 29 is supposed to be an element of a larger ceremonial structure and, in addition to the mentioned vessel fragment, there were other shards decorated with isosceles crosses and a swastika motif. Human bones were also here (Pawlak, Pawlak 2019b: 168). Therefore, it is quite likely that all remains excavated at Dabrówka may indicate their relationship with ritual activity. Consequently, it is possible to hypothesise that it is no accident that vessels decorated with religious symbols were found here. In connection with this assumption, a similar meaning can be combined with the mentioned alleged figural image. What then could the Repten/Dabrówka narratives deal with? Before we attempt to answer this question, let us pay attention to a detail, specifically to zoomorphic characters. For scholars, it is difficult to recognise, however, why two of the horses are clearly drawn smaller than the others? If it was not about the space perspective (which should be considered unique, not to say atypical, ornamentation), or having to show adult horses with foals (Kinkeldey 2008:498), thegoalof this could beto show notthesame, but different animal species. If so, it is possible to recognise the smaller figures as a depiction 
This is, moreover, a broader problem that should be considered as a custom related to elites, not necessarily connected with the “ethnic differentiator”. 
of dogs? Taking this interpretation for a moment 
– and following the hypothesis proposed by Felix Biermann (2000: 262) – let us note that the scene on the Repten vessel (and probably also Dabrówka) could be surprisingly coincident with everything we know about beliefs focusing on the plot about the so-called Wild Hunt (Wilden Jagd).7 The main actor of the myth is a supernatural being (often a chthonic one), sitting on horseback, accompanied by (moving on horse or on foot) fallen warriors (or their shadows/souls) and other out-of-this-world or mediating creatures – mainly horses and dogs (Czerny 1896: 68; Dzwigol 2004: 157; Bonowska 2008: 50; Kropej 2008: 188–191). According to currentinterpretations, the Wild Hunt motif should 
be related to former beliefs connected to fertility 
and renewal to nature (Kropej 2012: 52), or ritual 
activities related to the band of warriors who 
formed a cult groups bound by common beliefs (Pollington 2013: 110). The latter could be attractive because, both in Repten and in Dabrówka, there are remains indicating the presence of militarised elites. However, Dabrówka excavations revealed traces ofritualactivity(animalskeletons andplant remains) perhaps connected to fertility and renewal (Pawlak, Pawlak 2019b: 169). 
It is hard to judge whether an archer-figure preserved on the vessel fragment from Sternberg (Mecklenburg, Germany) could be a part of the analogous narrative scene as depicted in the case of Repten. The find comes from a settlement dated to the 7th/8th –9th century. Thecharacter is incomplete. What we can observe is the head and a fragment of the bow with the cord and an arrow. The preserved composition indicates that originally the weapon was in the hands of the anthropomorphic figure (Dulinicz2008:315–316).(Fig.4) Unfortunately, the condition of the drawing does not provide any 

Fig. 2. Repten. Lkr. Oberspreewald-Lausitz, Germany. Fragment of ceramic vessel. After Kinkeldey 2008: 498. Abb. 1:a. 
Fig. 3. Fragments of pots: a) Dabrówka, wielkopolskie voivodeship, Poland; b) Comaprison of Dabrówka and Repten shards. A kind permission of Ewa and Pawel Pawlak. 
Fig. 4.Sternberg.Lkr. Ludwigslust-Parchim. 
Fragment of ceramic vessel. After Dulinicz 
2008: 316, ryc. 5.1. 
Even if the genesis of this mythical story is derived from the world of Germanic tribes (Czerny 1896: 67; Czarnowski 1956: 186), its presence in folklore among Western Slavs, suggests that it could be adapted quite quickly by these societies. If we recognize that this tale is present on the 8th or 9th century Slavic vessels, then it can be assumed that Slavs became acquainted with them in the earliest stages of the Middle Ages or even during the migration period. However, these are presuppositions requiring more detailed studies. 

grounds to state whether it was originally shown 
on foot or mounted. Therefore, it is difficult to find further similarities with the engraving on Repten shards. 
Most likely, the schematically marked figure of the rider is depicted on a fragment of the 11th-century vessels excavated in Gdansk (po-morskie voivodeship, Poland) (Lepna 1959: table 1: a). (Fig. 5) It is extremely interesting and rare that it was placed at the bottom of this vessel. Although, as already stated, some of the signs placed on this part of ceramic products could be combined with symbolic meanings; whether such significance was attributed to this bottom-shard is not known. Any further interpretation is not only hindered by the place of the image (invisible when using the vessel), but also no other fragments of it (on which further elements of a possible narrative scene would be visible), the lack of analogies, and the absence of any elements accompanying the rider. Consequently, we are unable to go beyond the frame of speculations. 
More fortunately, an additional narrative elements accompany the rider from the vessel of Polabian Wessentin (Kr. Müritz, Germany). The find comes from an open settlement area dated to the 7th/8th–9th century. The depicted scene shows a man sitting on horseback, who is disclosed in a dynamic arrangement, suggesting movement. The impression of movement is also enhanced by the clearly marked bridle. Behind the rider, there is a group of vertical parallel lines engraved, and there is a serpentine-like line/shape before the horse. Above the figure, there is a horizontal, double engraved line. (Fig. 
6) In current literature, various attempts have been made to interpret these drawing details, 
and thus the scene as a whole. 
The vertical elements depicted behind the 
horse are considered to be a fence, a line of 
trees or a row of spears (Dulinicz 2008: 314; Lukaszyk 2012: 141), a double line above the 

Fig. 5. Gdansk. Pomorskie voivodeship, Poland. Bottom part of ceramic vessel. After Lepówna 
1968: cover artwork. 


Fig 7. Snake/dragon motifs on West Slavic 
artefacts, a) sword from Pokrzywnica Wielka. Warminsko-mazurskievoivodeship, Poland;b) copper-alloy bar bit from Lutomiersk. Lódzkie voivodeship, Poland; c) silver bracelet. Poland; 
d) silver/copper-alloy kaptorga from Biskupin. Kujawsko-pomorskie voivodeship, Poland; e) silver ring from Brzesc Kujawski. Kujawsko­pomorskie voivodeship, Poland. After Gardela, Kajkowski, in print. 

rider to be the sky-vault and the sinuous double line in front as a river or road (Wietr­zichowski 1990: 59; Dulinicz 2008: 314; Kinkeldey 2008: 498) or snake/dragon figure (Szczepanik 2015: 187). Consequently, the scene itself is interpreted as a kind of map (Dulinicz 2001: 85), or as a visualisation of mythical narrative showing “a deity in ac­tion” (Dulinicz 2008: 314). This mythological interpretation is of particular importance. Adopting this line of reasoning, we can suppose that the scene could be a visualisation of thecosmogonicmyth: more specifically, thepart about the struggle of the thunder god against the chthonic serpent/dragon (Slavic Zmij) (Szczepanik 2015: 187–188). Although this character appears on other West Slavic artefacts/objects (cf. Gardela, Kajkowski, Söderberg 2019), in this case, this interpretation is not truly convincing. It can be refuted 
by at least four arguments. 
The first can be related to the rider figure. If he were to imagine a thunderer fighting a foe, then we should expect him to have some weapons or the weapon would be symboli­cally imagined here(e.g., as azigzag/lightning, which is presenton other ceramicvessels). 
The second problem concerns the alleged spears depicted behind the rider. If three of them are placed directly on the right side of the horse, there are no warrior-figures that could hold them. In this case, however, we can conditionally allow a solution that the rider and his horse were shown in supernatural size. In iconological patterns, it would indicate the “inhumanity” of the rider, which could also be an explanation of why the sky-vault is placed just above the horseman’s head. 
A third doubt concerns the alleged snake/dragon being, which has no anatomical details that would confirm this point of identification (in contrast to a horse or rider, who even has an eye indicating a direction of observation). The detail also has no analogies in Western Slavs’ figural art (Fig. 7). Even the most schematic images of snake/Zmij do not resemble the shape shown on the Wessentin shards. 
In addition, it is noteworthy that the two lines in front of the “snake” suggest that, in the further perspective of the scene, it could be an analogous serpentine shape. This shapeshouldbesurely considered as alater landscapeelement. Itcould also besomething completely different: something that could radically change the picture of the situation and the sense of the scene at all. We have to remember that we see just a small part of the whole. Thus, in building further interpretations, we are doomed to a large dose of subjectivity. However, in the context of the problems raised here, we have to consider whether the contents that the analysed scene could have been coded. 
If we consider the lines behind the horse to be armaments wielded by “human” war­riors and the meandering shape in front of them to be a river, then (based on what was said above) the narrative could relate to a Wild Hunt story. However, if we consider the “monstrous” interpretation of the rider to go too far, we can indicate one more possibility. It could relate to pre-Christian eschatology and illustrate the journey to the Netherworld. In such a way (on horseback and/or crossing the river/water), the Slavs imagined a way to the land of the dead (Bylina 1993: 80; Cooper 1998: 114; Maslowska, Niebrzegowska 1999: 325). 
This way of interpretation may, however, find interesting exemplification in the case of another vessel that was discovered in 1939 in Chróscino (opolskie voivodeship, Poland). 

It was excavated by the road leading to a crossing area of the Odra River. There was a pit discovered (not necessarily referred to as a grave) where a human skull was placed 
next to the vessel. It is even more intriguing because a triangular hole was observed at the bottom of the skull. According to some researchers, the hole was evidence that originally 
the head of the dead was stuffed with a stake/spear (Wachowski 1975: 46; Limisiewicz 2002: 358). Regardless of the validity of these hypotheses, the context of discovery allows 
connecting it with the manifestations of thinking in an abstract manner. 
The excavated, well-preserved vessel wasdecorated with a rowof oblique punctures. Below there is carving of a horse, which is covered with the lines running around the pot (Fig. 8). The whole compositiongives the impression of an intention to show an animal moving behind some obstacle – perhaps transparent since the whole animal is visible to the observer. In this context, it is worth paying attention to the suggestions for reading other motifs present on the analysed artefact: horizontal rows of wavy lines (often appearing on Slavic vessels), which are sometimes considered to be related to aquatic imaginations (Chudziak 2015: 31; Wozny 2017: 30). Although on the Chróscino pot there are straight lines, so the dynamic layout of drawing and a (marked with diagonal lines) river bank (?) could – in my opinion – reflect the characteristics of flowing water. In relation to this interpretation, how the animal figure is placed is noteworthy. The horse figure is placed across the vessel, in a vertical arrangement (in relation to the standing container). Therefore, the arrangement of the whole scene seems to reflect the mediation properties of horses in the religious conceptions of pagan Slavs. 
Let us return to the images of the riders for a moment. Such a character appears on yet another vessel shard found in Poland. The artefact comes from an open settlement, in theoutskirts oftheWyszogród(mazowieckievoivodeship)stronghold,andwas inuse between the 7th and 8th centuries (Fig. 9). It was discovered in a pit situated between the relics of two buildings (dugouts).8 One of the preserved fragments of a vessel shows a well-preserved figuralengraving with amounted figureriding aquadruped;theanimalis depicted in amanner thatdoes notallow aclear description of its species. If theanatomical details on the animal’s head may suggest antlers (a deer?), the anthropomorphic figure depicted on its back, indicates it is a riding animal, which can only be a horse in the early Middle Ages.9 The pose in which the anthropomorphic form is presented is not entirely clear. It is difficult to determine whether it is a sitting or standing (on horseback) figure. We also do not know whether the character has been depicted without head or the head was covered by lightning.10 Thewholecomposition was considered by thediscoverers to 
8 Next to it was a second vessel decorated with a cross symbol at the bottom-part. 9 This, of course, cannotprejudicethematter, especially if weconsider thepossibility of mythologicalthemes 
here. However, in this case, horses could play the first role too (what could be based on the already mentioned relation of Saxo Grammaticus about Svantovit’s night expeditions). 10 In such a way (as a lightning, relatively including rainstorm; see Jelenski, Piatkov, Liybimtsev 2015: 69) three 
zigzag lines above the rider are interpreted (Szymanski, Moszczynski 1988; Dulinicz 2008: 91). Ornamental motifs in the form of zigzag lines are known from several other shards (Bosau-Möhlenkamp, Fahrenhorst, Grimmen, Gross Strömkendorf, Lissa; see Dulinicz 2001: 87; 2008: 312). Unfortunately, the fragmentarily preserved decorations does not allow going beyond an assumption that originally they could have been a part of more complex narrative scenes (similar to the Wyszogród depictions) 
represent the thunderer holding a lightning bolt (i.e., Perun) (Szymanski, Moszczynski 1988; Pleterski 2014: 315). However, we can look at this scene differently: it seems that the anthropomorphic figure depicted here is not holding the lightning but has been struck by it, which would explain the way it was expressed on the animal’s back. The dynamics of such a narrative could reflect 
the moment of knocking the rider down. If so, it could be a visualisation of the cosmogonic myth, 
and more precisely the moment of defeating the 
chthonic deity. In this context, we should go back to the 
identification of the animal species. A second way of interpretation, indicating a horned animal (probably a deer), finds quite good support in 
results of research on animal symbolism. These 
statements confirmthestrongbonds of deer with sacrum, where it played not only the function of mediator but was also a pluvial being associated with vitality, reproduction and rebirth of nature (Forstner 1990:267–268; Mikos 1997:181). The 
matter becomes even more interesting if we note 
that, in Indo-European tradition, a deer was also associated with the world of the dead (perform­ing a role of a conductor of souls) (Eliade 2002: 
141) or guardian of cattle herds (identified with the spirits of the dead in the Slavic eschatology) (cf. Gardela, Kajkowski, Ratajczyk 2019). 
A similar scene may have been on another part of a clay pot, this time from Polabian Rerik (Kr. Bad Doberman, Germany). The shard comes from an open settlement area dated back to the 6th/7th–8th centuries. There is a figure of an animal with an unnaturally long neck (with a mane?) andapointed,flatmuzzle.Theanimalhas avery emphasised and tight chest; the tail is also marked. Above it, there are horizontal lines (sky?), from which verticalzigzag and splitlines (lightning?) depart (Dulinicz 2008: 315) (Fig. 10). 
According to Kinkeldey (2008: 498), poorly preserved lines carved over the quadruped show the rider. It is difficult to determine whether the 

Fig. 8. Chróscino. Opolskie voivodeship, 
Poland. Ceramic vessel. After Wachowski 1975: 80. 
Fig.9.Wyszogród.Mazowieckievoivodeship, Poland. Fragments of thepot. After Dulinicz, Moszczynski 2013: 63. Abb. 18. 


German researcher assessed this element correct­ly. However, more attention should be paid to the zoomorphic figure depicted here, because it seems 
to show an abstract image. This, in turn, raises the 
question of the author’s intention. Was it to draw a being that we would call “fantastic” today? Be­fore we attempt to answer this question, let us pay attention to “physical” features of the full-plastic, made of non-ferrous metals, figurines interpreted as horses.11 If,inmostcases,suchidentificationraises no doubts, there are a few of them that differ from realistic-made specimens. It isextremely interesting they have a long, curved neck, pointed and flat muzzle and a prominent breast (Fig. 11). If it is not an issue of a lack of skills or production mistakes, then we should ask whether “physical” features marked in this way should be taken as a clue to the species identification of these animals? If we accept this way of thinking, we must assume that these features are distinctive. It is difficult to attribute them as to the horses as well as to other species of fauna known at early Middle 
Ages. It could be, however, an animal inhabiting then imagination or/and connected to 
another (i.e., mythical) world. Such a solution would be extremely attractive, but due to the lack of more detailed research on this topic, it cannot be included in further discussion.12 
According to Andrzej Sikorski (1991), the figureof therider may have been originally placed on the vessel excavated in relics of building in Debczyno (pomorskie voivodeship, Poland) (Fig. 12). The building was a residential element located within an open settle­ment area from the 6th-7th centuries. In the opinion of this Polish archaeologist, there are two legs and long tail preserved on the shard. Unfortunately, too small a fragment of the vessel has survived, which is why we are not able to justify and consider the proposed lead. Thus, Sikorski’s guesses must remain in the realm of hypotheses difficult to verify. 
Doubts about theanimalidentification could also apply thezoomorphicfigure originally depicted on the vessel from Presenchen stronghold (Lkr. Dahme-Spreewald, Germany) (Kin­keldey2008:499). Thedetails ofthedrawingdo notindicatewhetherthequadruped should be considered a horse or deer. Similar doubts apply to two figures on the shard excavated at Stargard Gubiski (lubuskie voivodeship, Poland) (Biermann 2000: 262) (Fig. 13). 
The image of animals is present on a partly preserved depiction on the vessel from Podeblocie (mazowickie voivodeship, Poland) (Fig. 14). It was found within the relics of residential building (no. 10) excavated on the stronghold from the 7th/8th –9th centuries. The upper part of the vessel is covered by an ornament in the form of lines forming a circular shape interpreted as an image of the sun. Underneath and above it is a row of parallel and vertical lines. The lower part of the pot is decorated with two parallel rows of horizontal lines. For us, the most interesting is the first of the mentioned lines con-texture, which is interpreted as a “line [group] of zoomorphic images, horned animals” 
11 Associated with the spiritual life of the early medieval Western Slavs (Kajkowski 2019: 185nn). 12 It is part of a separate studies undertaken by author and Dr Leszek Gardela from The National Museum of Denmark 

(Barford, Marczak 1992: 130). Unfortunately, the originators of this interpretation did not explain what prompted them to such a view, and it seems this is too loose an attempt to give the sense to the 
form. Regardless, it does not change the fact that 
we are dealing with a narrative form here perhaps associated with solar/pluvial concepts. However, its primal sense is impossible to read.13 
According to some researchers, the fragmentally preserved zoomorphic image (part of the neck, torso, forelegs) with horns could be placed on the second ceramic shard discovered in Pomeranian Debczyno (Fig. 15). Martin Planert (2012: 316) believes that it is an image of a cattle turned (run­ning) to the right. However, this interpretation seems to undermine two details: different from other (above-mentioned) zoomorphic figures, the limbs are not depicted realistically, and there is an element located above the animal (?) made using the of smudging technique. Sikorski (1991) sees it as the wing, and the whole depiction shows an animal; if so, it could only be a schematically represented animal of a fantastic nature. 
There is much less doubt regarding the identifi­cation of a quadruped imagined on a shard from the 12th-century layers of Wolin (zachodniopomorskie voivodeship, Poland). A detailed designation of the animal’s features allows it to be considered a deer (Luka 1973: 32; Filipowiak 1993: 32; Dulinicz 2001: 
87) (Fig 16). This image is usually connected to 
symbolic/mythological ideas and associated with 
eschatology (Luka 1973: 32), fertility (Hensel 1984: 111–112), or cult as understood generally (Filipowiak 1993: 34). 
13 I find unlikely the hypothesis which connects this decorating patterns with Carolingian influences. I am also sceptical about suggestions pointing the Christian resurrection symbolism behind these ornamentations (Buko 2016: 18–19). This hypothesis, as it might be suspected, was formulated as a support for another one, i.e., concerned characters placed on (dated to 9th century) famous Podeblocie tablets. There are many scholars who consider signs engraved on its surface to be written in the Greek alphabet, abbreviations of holy names and the proclamation “Jesus Christ wins”. Thus considers them to be an important argument indicating the early reception of Christianity in the “Polish” lands (see Kollinger 2014: 398–399). Apart from the fact that this problem is still far from being resolved, one should agree with doubts indicating that “on this basis, no far-reaching conclusions can be drawn [especially] in the cultural and religious context” (Polek 2017: 42). 




If images of animals on West Slavic ceramics are extremely rare, the avifauna representations are unique. One of them seems particularly interesting for the problems studied here. It is depicted on the upper part of a large vessel (and probably one more yet; see Messal 2001: 349, Abb. 4; 350, Abb. 6), discovered during archae­ological research of the Glienke stronghold (Kr. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany) (Messal 2015: 84nn) (Fig. 17). The ornament of our interest consists of threads of alternately placed swastikas and stylised figures of birds with strongly accented, curved beaks. In studies on animal symbolism, the full-sized or engraved figures of birds most often are referred to two meanings: eschatological and cosmological.14 Thefirstof theseis expressedby the belief in the role of birds in the idea of metem­psychosis. They were here an embodiment of the dead themselves, or a mediation being allowing reach the realm of Otherworld (cf. Szyjewski 2003: 195; Aldhouse Green 2005: 145; Waida 2005: 947).15 I think that it is quite likely that this is what the creator of the vessel and/or depiction of Glienke vessel wanted to show. Such a way of interpretation may be suggested by two details. One of them is a manner by which both figural motifs are shown. If the birds depict specified narrative and symbolic matters, and the swastika 
plays the role of the solar disc, the arranging of 
Germany. Fragmentof ceramicvessel. After both these elements in one line and perspective Gustavs 1979: 282, ryc. 4a. may suggest a semantic relationship between them, the meaning of which could, in turn, be indicated by another decorative detail – a triple line under the entire scene. If we examine the other figural engravings analysed above, we will see that an identical (triple-) or similar (double line) motif in the context of entire narrative depictions symbolically designate (or can designate) the vault of the heavens. If we view the lines of Glienke vessel this way, this vault would be below the 
14 However, it should be noted the opinions according to which a small number of avifauna images on Slavic artefacts is a proof of small or even any role of these animals in the spiritual life of this communities (Messal 2015: 92). Nevertheless, the set of such items is not as small as it seems to be. Moreover, the context of some discoveries and/or ideographic programme placed on their surface give foundations to consider specific functions of birds in religious life of early medieval Slavs (cf. Müller, Müller-Muci 1998: 58; Vana 1999; Kajkowski 2019). 
15 It was known also to Christian medieval literature and art (Schmitt 2002: 180; Waida 2005: 949). 




entire scene. This, in turn, could indicate that the craftsman intended to show the events 
taking place “in the heavens” (?) –beyond the realm at which the souls of at least some 
of them could aim. 
However, a detail complicating the matter appears here. If we look at the ornamenta­tion of other shards again, we will see that there is a more realistic and easier-to-identify image of the solar disk. It has the form of a circle-shaped object with lines radiating its centre. Another detail that draws attention is the way the birds are shown: most commonly floating.This finds goodanalogies inotherimages andthefiguralartofWesternSlavs.In some cases, they are a part of extensive ideographic topics, which could be derived from mytho-cosmological narratives (Gardela, Kajkowski, Ratajczyk 2019). Based research results to de, both of proposed solutions seem acceptable. 
Leaving the animal world for a moment, let us consider these ornamental motifs, for which the main narrative axis is a character of anthropomorphic attributes. A fragment of a vessel from Schulzendorf (Lkr. Dahme-Spreewald, Germany) was found in one of the resource pits excavated in the open-settlement site dated to the 8th –9th centuries (Gustavs 1979: 282). The fragment is decorated with two figural elements16 (Fig. 18). The first one, not causing significant identification problems, isthe human figure pictured with his hands directed towards the second, harder-to-interpret image. Thus far, there have two suggestions of its interpretation:as a boat (in profile) or wagon (horizontal projection – fromabove). Thus, thewholenarrative, becauseof thehuman figure’s adoration gesture, is interpreted as aritualperformance(“theculticevent”, literally) (Gustavs 1979:285nn; Kinkedley 2008: 499). Taking this approach, both attempts to identify the object next to the human figure offer interesting possibilities, which we became acquainted with by analysing the carvings on the Gallin vessel. Two options are under consideration: one characterised the whole scene as a “ritual procession”, while the other characterised it as a picture of a funeral drama. The latter interpretation, I think, could explain the pres­ence of a boat image here: a vehicle, which among the elite members of early medieval coastal communities – including Slavic ones – fulfilled a certain function in funeral rituals (Kajkowski 2016). 
Two human figures are also present in a miniature vessel from Radzim (Greater Poland). It was excavated on the stronghold located on the river island (on the Warta River). Unfortunately, no more detailed information on the exact location of the vessel has remained. The chronology of the stronghold dated between the 9th and 14th centuries (Jasnosz 1982–1984: 85–86) is also poor. The entire surface of the vessel is decorated with horizontal lines, whereas on the upper part of the container, the aforementioned engraving of two anthropomorphic figures is placed (Fig. 19). Although the nature and context of the discovery itself may indirectly indicate some relationship with the spiritual life of the stronghold’s users, the lack of further figural elements on the Radzim vessel does notenableattempts toincludetheminawidernarrativeframework.Thereis indeed anattempttoidentifythemwithdivinedioscurictwins intheliterature(Szafranski1979: 370); however, no strong arguments sustain this view. 
16 It is also unique because of the drawing technique: it is stippled, not carved. 

Fig. 19. Radzim. Wielkopolskie, voivodeship, Poland. Ceramic vessel. 
After Buko 1990: 138, ryc. 63a. 
Abb. 1:b. 

Fragment of ceramic vessel. After 
Dulinicz 2008: 316, ryc. 5.3. 
Similar problems, this time, however, as a result of the incomplete state of drawing preservation, which appears in the case of an iconological analysis of the second piece of ceramics from Polabian Repten (Fig. 20). According to T. Kinkeldey (2008: 499) the incomplete carving shows two schematically marked human figures, and the triangles or semicircles above them, he identifies with raised arms. As the bent “arms” as well as the way of “feet’s” expression he interprets as reflecting certain dynamics of the narrative scene. Consequently, we can be dealing with characters shown in movement (thus, these characters are interpreted here as a “group of danc­ers”) (Biermann 2000: 262, Kinkeldey 2008: 500). The researchers’ attention did not escape the pattern preserved in theupper left corner of thevessel’s piece, who attempted to identify it as a schematic figure as an animal (horse). In general, the whole scene would show a dancing or kneeling people with arms raised in adoration. However, Kinkeldey indicated yet an­other way of interpreting the “raised arms” gesture. This element of human figures he identified with masks as a requisite of alleged dancers. However, ultimately the author emphasises that, that due to thefragmentationofdepictions,themeaninghidden behind the analysed image cannot be convincingly explained (Kinkeldey 2008: 500). 
The final artefact to be discussed was excavated from Nitra in Slovakia. Unfortunately, there is no in­formation about the place and context of its discovery. We can only indicate the chronology of the vessel; it was used between 7th/8th and 9th centuries (Dulinicz 2008: 316). The carving shows an anthropomorphic form, whose body was modelled with the help of two triangles touching each other (clepsydra). The figure also clearly shows both legs, one hand with a three-fingers and part of the neck and/or head. An interesting detail is the pair of triangles with touching bases, one of which is placed between the legs, the other slightly higher (Fig. 21). The detail in question and, above all the place of its location in the whole image context, was the basis of gender identification – and thus symbolic – of the figure, which were subsequently recognised as female genital organs and as an image of Slavic Alma Mater (“Mother Goddess”) (Dulinicz 2008: 316). 

However, it seems that the depiction in question can be placed in a broader context of religious symbolism, and not necessarily reducing it to the image of a static figure. I think that in previous attempts to read the meaning hidden behind this depiction, too littleattention was paid totherepetitionof geometricfigures and themeanings associated with them. Researchers of the spiritual culture of the pre-Christian communities have long highlighted the distinct role that some of them played in the imagination of those societies (first of all, including a circle, a triangle, but also a square, penta- or octagon). In all probability, the basis for this predilection should not be sought in geometrical, or 
– if it can be said – physical features, but in its symbolism (Toporow 1974: 179; Lurker 1989: 253; Kobielus 1997: 39). In the traditional perception (particularly interesting to us here) a triangle was, as it is believed to, a visualisation of the archetypal symbolism of the number three: the tripartite world and the unity of the opposites. Exactly this ap­proach is seen in Indo-European traditions, in which the number three corresponds to the “numerical paradigm of the oldest lunar calendar” (Kolczynski 1996: 95). The number three and its multiple also have a rich symbolism in conceptions of early medieval Slavs. In this context, we can mention even the cosmological competences of Triglav, the tri­angular stronghold of Svarožic, the number of spears used in the holy horse divination ritual(Arkona,Szczecin),theparadigmof “triplesacrifice”andmany others.Spacedoes not permit a detailed description of all these symbols; leaving it for another occasion, we have to indicate the most important conclusions drawn from it, which confirm the important role of this symbolism in the beliefs of Western Slavs. 
In our further proceedings decoding the contents carved on the Nitra vessel, we have 
to recall further arrangements of religious symbolism researchers. This time, they relate 
to the direct object of our interest, which is the figure of the triangle. It turns out that it codes some values universal to past beliefs. Leaving aside the way the entire discussion on this topic runs, it should be noted that – simplifying the problem – in the symbolic structure, a pointing upwards triangle, associated with the mountain, flame, erection, etc., was seen as a symbol of light, uranic strength, and male reproductive powers. The trianglepointingdownwards encoded conflictingmeanings:apit/waterreservoir,aquatic element, symbol of telluric/chthonic forces, and also female powers of procreation. All this information provided an extremely interesting tool, which can be used in an attempt to decode the meaning of Nitra vessel depiction. I think, such a characteristic triangle ar­rangementformingthebodyof“goddess”(includingthewaytheytouchthemselves)were an intentionally used, symbolical construct referring to the sphere of religious/mythical narratives. Images not necessarily, or perhaps not only, evoking the archetypal association with the goddess-mother, but a supernatural being focusing its essence on cosmogonic complementarity. That is, one that combined (by itself?) not just the above-mentioned, and seemingly opposite, spheres of activity, butalso theseelements organising theworld order (birth/life/death, morning/day/night, rise/presence/set of the sun, youth/maturity/ old age, heaven/earth/netherworld, etc.). In surviving narratives regarding such a being (interestingly three-headed sometimes), it was described as a “substance” used for the construction of world elements (macroanthropos), or a matrix giving rise to the first deities (dioscurs) performing the act of creation (cf. Lincoln 1985; Grzybek 1994; West 2007:356–359;Konecný 2008:257). Even though these arejustindirectsourcematerial, we have some traces that allow us to search for this type of mythical narratives in the religion of early medieval Western Slavs (Gieysztor 1982: 111; Kajkowski 2014). How­ever, research on this problem is still far from satisfactory, which is why the proposed way of reading the image from the Nitra vessel should be considered a hypothesis that requires further verification. 

Although the artefacts analysed above belong to an extremely rare cultural phenom­enon of the early Middle Ages, ideographically they fit into the group of objects that can be regarded as communicative operators. Analysis of figural visual forms enables presuming that for illiterate communities of this period. they – next to oral tradition 
– were an important medium of communication between members of communities. (West)Slavic ones were no exception here. Considering this, we should recognise that the figural ornaments appearing on ceramic vessels were not determined by the practical function of the containers themselves. They coded specific socio-cultural information. However, the diversity of decorative type motifs could be related to ceramic forms 
whose function should be considered directly from the context in which they were 
used. In this approach, the type of ornament could fulfil the function of a non-aesthetic “source of information between the individuals and the community creating a general framework for information flow” (Bloom 2000; see also Luczynski 2012; Kowalski 2013: 144). Interesting supplements are provided here by the results of linguistic re­search, showing the relationships between the oldest vocabulary regarding decoration, ornament and jewellery with the “value of agency resulting from mythical beliefs” (Kowalski 2013: 15). 
Unfortunately, only for some of the explored vessels do we have detailed information about the discovery context. Circumstances of findings from Chróscino, Dabrówka, or Wyszogród, suggest the non-utilitarian nature of the objects in which they were excavat­ed. In the case of Chróscino and Radzim, it is worth emphasising the sizes suggesting a miniature rather, than a full-size container. It is interesting, because they are sometimes considered to be the ceremonial forms of vessels. Specially manufactured for such pur­poses, they would play a specified function in eschatological, votive or building-offering activities (see Kajkowski 2019: 202–203). In this context, it is also worth mentioning another hypothesis that indicates the problem of intentional barbarisation17 of (at least some) the ceramicvessels (Zoll-Adamikowa1971:111, 113, Buko 1990:191–198). The Wyszogród exemplar, referred to Prague-type containers, had such a form. The special function of this vessel can be confirmed by a second, found next to the one in question. There was a sign of the cross engraved at its bottom. In contrast, the U-shaped object, in which these finds were found, was interpreted as a gathering-house (hall), or/and type of warehouse/granary. Both containers have to be a relic of the build-sacrifice (Moszczynski, Szymanski 1988: 145). 
17 I.e., creating in the technology and style characteristic for vessels dated to the older periods of Middle Ages 

It is therefore not excluded, that Kinkedley (2008: 500) was correct, and the vessels decorated with figural scenes were used for religious purposes or/and were of great social significance. Among the latter are the celebrations of the heroic deeds of the stronghold rulers or living/dead or legendary warriors, producing/maintaining/preserving their legend, or other heroic stories. This image, as we had the opportunity to see, should be completed by mythological or ritual scenes, with –essentially – strong accents of zoo-morphic symbolism. 
Finally, attention should bepaid to aquiteimportantdetail, generally unnoticed by the researchers dealing with the problem of our interest: the chronology of recent discoveries. Unfortunately, some of these findings are quite general and based on an imperfect method of analysing the ceramic materials. Nevertheless, these are sufficient to draw extremely interesting conclusions. It turns out that as many as 14 of the vessels analysed here were produced in the earliest stages of the Middle Ages (from 6th/7th, through 7th/8th to the 9th centuries), and the vast majoritywere found in the Baltic Slavs’ territory. From the end of 9th/ beginning 10th century, weknow only threeexemplars sofar, whereas theyoungest (and the most realistic one) comes from the 12th century. 
If the interpretative suggestions proposed here are correct, and the engravings on the vessels illustrate religious events, the oldest ones would prove the presence of an extensive belief/mythological sphere not just since the Slavs appearance in the historical arena, but also a “core” of these beliefs common to all Slavic communities. Until now, we had only one source confirming such guesses – the famous passus known from the Prokopius of Caesarea (VII,14) work. Thispassusapplies, aswe believe today, an Eastern Slavic society. 

b) copper-alloy spur from Cieple, pomorskie voivodeship, Poland; c) copper-alloy knife sheath, Brzesc Kujawski, kujawsko-pomorskie voivodeship, Poland. After Gardela, Kajkowski in print. 

Also interesting is another conclusion derived from the chronological analysis, which 
seems to show that vessels decorated with narrative scenes disappeared around the mid-11th century, which is surprisingly coincident with the moment of socio-political changes in north-eastern Europe observed in this time, which resulted in the formation of centralised power organisms (the so-called early states). These processes were also accompanied by significant changes in the religious field, resulting in the institutionalisation of this sphere of public life. Therefore, it would seem that the disappearance of the production 
of ceramic vessels, decorated with traditional religious motifs, was a direct result of these 
transformations. However, this is an apparent conclusion in the context of still pagan in 
12th century Baltic Slavs, as well as the lands under the rule of Piast dynasty until the 11th 
century. Apart from the results of research pointing to the traces of pre-Christian rituals (see Kajkowski in print a), something else is noteworthy. In the mid-11th century, we can observe an intensification of the appearance of pre-Christian mythological ideograms on objects related to the elites of that time (Fig. 22). At this stage of research, it is difficult to indicate whether the observed process was associated with a manifestation of elite identity (based on recent ideological system) forced to confront the new political order supported by Christianity, which could upset their statusquo. Perhaps the need for cultural identification referred to the“primordial”origo gentis,legitimising (by religion) thesocial and perhaps religious position. Research on this issue is ongoing (Gardela, Kajkowski, Söderberg 2019; Gardela, Kajkowski, in print; Kajkowski in print b). 
The similarity of figurative images known from vessels with later various items de­pictions enablesspeculation regarding the duration of at least some of the belief motifs. However, their function was rather different, which was due to the nature of the items on which they were placed. If jewellery, equestrian/military equipment played mainly prestigious/identifying role (but it may also be ceremonial), the ceramic vessels discussed in this text could be used as requisites for ritual activities, but precisely what function they performed is impossible to state indisputably. 
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MIT W AKCJI? RYTY FIGURALNE NA CERAMICE JAKO ZRÓDLO DO BADANIA PRZEDCHRZESCIJANSKICH WIERZEN SLOWIAN ZACHODNICH. 
KAMIL KAJKOWSKI 

Badania nad kultura duchowa Slowian Zachodnich, mimo sceptycyzmu niektó­rych badaczy, przezywaja w ostatnich latach wyrazny postep. Dzieje sie tak m.in. dzieki dynamicznemu przyrostowi zródel wykopaliskowych oraz rozwojowi archeologii jako dziedziny naukowej. Dziedziny, której przedstawiciele coraz pewniej zawieraja glos w kontekscie pozostalosci dawnych wierzen, rewaluujac lub formulujac szereg hipotez pozwalajacych na poszerzenie dotychczasowej wiedzy. Wazna role odgrywaja tutaj zarówno studia nad reliktami miejsc kultu czy aktów obrzedowych, ale równiez badania materialnych wytworów kultury – w tym czynnosci podejmowanych z chwila ich produkcji, funkcji, formy czy w koncuornamentyki. Badaniatedotyczanietylko naogólniezwykleatrakcyjnych elementów kultury ówczesnych elit, ale takze najbardziej powszechnych rodzajów przedmiotów wydobywanych z ziemi, w tym najbardziej masowych zródel, jakimi sa naczynia ceramiczne. Zdziwienie moze wzbudzac fakt, ze mimo wyjatkowo rzadko wystepujacych okazów zdobionych watkami figuralnymi, nie doczekaly sie one dotad zbyt wielu prób interpretacji. Prace poswiecone temu problemowi policzyc mozna na palcach rak, a próbe calosciowego ujecia omawianych wat­ków podjal wlasciwie Marek Dulinicz poswiecajac im nieco uwagi w szerokim kontekscie kultury materialnej Slowian Zachodnich (2001) a siedem lat pózniej odrebne studium. Od ostatniego wystapienia tego badacza w 2008 roku, brak nowej refleksji nad tym zagadnieniem. Mimo iz zasób znanych dzis calych lub fragmentów naczyn z rytami figuralnymi ulegl poszerzeniu, to wciaz w malym tylko stopniu dotyczy to scen narracyjnych. Liczba takich motywów zdobniczych nadal przyrasta bardzo wolno, co – biorac od uwage intensyfikacje poszukiwan archeologicznych, stawia je na pozycji zródel bardzo rzadkich i wyjatkowych. Do podjetych w niniejszym tekscie analiz wytypowano blisko dwadziescia zabytków, z czego wiekszosc to mniejsze lub wieksze fragmenty naczyn. Tylko w dwóch przypadkach pojemniki wydobyte zostaly w calosci. Oba mozna tez zaliczyc do egzemplarzy malych rozmiarów. Niemal wszystkie (za wyjatkiem skorupy z Nitry) pochodza z badan prowadzonych na obszarze Slowianszczyzny Pólnocno-Za­chodniej, choc najliczniejsza grupe reprezentuja zabytki z jej nadbaltyckiej czesci (Polabie i Pomorze). Po dwa egzemplarze znaleziono na Mazowszu i na Slasku. Analiza ustalen chronologicznych pozwolila okreslic, ze najczesciej pojawialy sie one w nawarstwieniach datowanych od VI do IX w., zanikajac okolo XI stulecia. Jest to zaskakujaco zbiezne z momentem zmian spoleczno-politycznych jakie obserwujemy w tym czasie w Europie Pólnocno-Wschodniej. Zmian, które w re-zultaciedoprowadzilydowyksztalceniazwartychorganizmów oscentralizowanej wladzy (tzw. wczesnych panstw). Procesom tym towarzyszyly takze znamienne zmiany na polu religijnym dazace do instytucjonalizacji tej sfery zycia publi­cznego. Wydawaloby sie, ze zanik produkcji naczyn zdobionych tradycyjnymi watkami religijnymi byl bezposrednim wynikiem tych transformacji. Wyglada jednak na to, ze jest to zaleznosc pozorna. I to nie tylko w kontekscie Polabia i Pomorza, poganskich do XII w. ale takze ziem do XI stulecia objetych wladza Piastów. Pomijajac wyniki badan archeologicznych wskazujacych na datowane na ten okres slady miejsc kultu i/lub obrzedowosci przedchrzescijanskiej warto tu zwrócic uwage na cos jeszcze. Okazuje sie bowiem, ze wlasnie od polowy XI 

w. obserwujemy wyrazna intensyfikacje umieszczania przedchrzescijanskich ide­ogramów – zapewne o tresciach religijnych/mitologicznych – na przedmiotach o charakterze elitarnym. Na tym etapie badan trudno wskazac, czy zaobserwowany proces wiazal sie z checia manifestacji przekonan arystokracji zmuszonej do kon­frontacji z nowym, podpartym chrzescijanstwem, porzadkiem politycznym, czy moze z potrzeba identyfikacji kulturowej odwolujacej sie do „odwiecznej” origo gentis sakralnie legitymizujacego zajmowana pozycje spoleczna a zapewne i reli­gijna.Podobienstwowyobrazenfiguralnychznanychznaczynceramicznychoraz pózniejszych zabytków elitarnych pozwala domyslac sie trwalosci przynajmniej niektórych watków wierzeniowych, choc rózna byla ich funkcja, która wynikala z samego juz charakteru przedmiotów, na których je umieszczano.I jesli elementy bizuterii, oporzadzenia jezdzieckiego czy militaria odgrywaly zadana glównie prestizowe/identyfikacyjne (ale niewykluczone ze takze obrzedowe), to omawiane w tym tekscie naczynia ceramiczne mogly byc wykorzystywane jako rekwizyty do dzialan kultowych, choc jaka dokladnie spelnialy funkcje nie sposób bezdy­skusyjnie stwierdzic. Nie mamy tez pewnosci jakie wydarzania mialy „opisywac: ryty umieszczone na powierzchni naczyn ceramicznych. Najczestszym motywem figuralnym jaki obserwujemy na zachowanych zabytkach sa wyobrazenia zwierzat, wsród których mogly byc zarówno konie, jelenie, bydlo a nawet gatunki „fan­tastyczne”. W trzech przypadkach zwierzeta byly wierzchowcami dosiadanymi przez postaci antropomorficzne. Podobne przypuszczenia wysunieto do czterech kolejnych, choc trudno tu o pewnosc. Wylaczajac jezdzców, wyobrazenia an-tropomorficzne znane sa z czterech kolejnych zabytków. Fragmentaryczny stan zachowania zdecydowanej wiekszosci omawianych rytów nie pozwala pewniej okreslic wygladu calej pierwotnej sceny narracyjnej. Jednak zarówno material porównawczy (w postaci scen zdobiacych inne zabytki), kontekst odnalezienia oraz(choc tylko posrednio) rzadkoscwystepowaniasklonily mniedo uznaniaich zafragmentyscenfiguralnychdotyczacychwydarzenreligijnychlubmitycznych. 
Kamil Kajkowski, Ph.D., Senior Curator, Muzeum Zachodniokaszubskie w Bytowie, ul. Zamkowa 2, 77-100 Bytów, Poland, kamilkajkowski@wp.pl 

23 STUDIA MYTH O L OGICA SLAVICA 2020 


Mit o “svetim trokutima” temeljenima na “suncevom kutu” – analiza “astronomije” ranih Slavena 

A number of interconnected scholarly publications discussing the phenomenon of the so-called sacred triangles have appeared lately. The authors who believe in the existence of this phenomenon argue that such triangles are based on a precisely determined value of the obliquity of the ecliptic. However, a detailed analysis of some of the key tenets discussed in their publications has revealed the gratuitous nature of this hypothesis, as well as its fundamentally unscientific character and the methodological flaws inherent in its overall development. Especially worrying is the falling into the pitfall of circular argumentation (circulus vitiosus) by the authors adhering to this hypothesis, their avoidance of any dialogue with relevant scholarly literature and their questionable understanding of fundamental phenomena upon which their hypothesis is built. A glaring example of the lattermost is the misunderstanding of the obliquity of the ecliptic on the part of the adherents of the so-called sacred triangles hypothesis. 
KEYWORDS: sacred triangles, solar angle, solstices, obliquity of the ecliptic, methodology, 
myth and science 
Tijekom posljednjeg desetljeca svjedoci smo u Hrvatskoj pojavi niza publikacija uglednih znanstvenika iz raznih polja humanistickih znanosti u kojima raspravljaju o postojanju tzv. svetih trokuta, a kao dio te rasprave u pravilu se doticu i teme “suncevog kuta”.1 Inspiraciju za tu, pokazat ce se, ne-znanstvenu hipotezu, treba tražiti u radovima sloven-skog arheologa i povjesnicara Andreja Pleterskog.2 Rasprava koja slijedi pokazat ce da metodološki pristup – ili nedostatak istog – promicatelja hipoteze o “svetim trokutima” dovodi u pitanje osnovnu razliku izmedu znanstvenog i ne-znanstvenog pristupa. Bojim se da je hipoteza o “svetim trokutima” jedan od simptoma nelagode, sumnjicavosti pa i straha od znanosti (cesto nesvjesnog) koji su toliko obilježili drugu polovicu 20. st. (Hobsbawm 1995: 530–532, 555, 570), a cini se da su tek u 21. st. dosegli svoj puni zamah. 
1 Jedan dio tih publikacija bit ce citiran u daljnjem tekstu. Vidi osobito Belaj & Belaj 2014: 120–122 s popisom 
literature. 
2 Najraniji primjeri su Pleterski 1996a i Pleterski 1996b. Pleterski 1996a je objavljen na engleskom jeziku kao Pleterski 1995 (vidi Pleterski 1996a: 182), ali bez elaboracije o “suncevom kutu”. Inspiraciju u radovima Pleterskog hrvatski autori spremno isticu, vidi npr. V. Belaj 2007: 422–426; V. Belaj & J. Belaj 2014: xviii–xix, 102–106, 111, 118 i passim; Goss 2016: 6, 35, 42–43: 2020: 52, 61. 

Izravan povod pisanju ovog rada je relativno nedavna (lipanj 2016, Rijeka) objava knjige V. Gossa, Space: Sense and Substance, iako niti autor ni sama knjiga nisu presudno utjecali na genezu i propagiranje hipoteze o tzv. svetim trokutima. Medutim, kako vec punih dva desetljeca ta hipoteza opstaje na akademskoj sceni Slovenije, a vec više od desetljeca je prisutna i na hrvatskoj akademskoj sceni, smatram da je sazrelo vrijeme da se o njoj kriticki progovori.3 
Na nekoliko mjesta glavni pristalice hipoteze o “svetim trokutima” izlažu svoju osnovnu koncepciju, a sistematizacija donesena u Goss 2016: 36 (citirana niže u tek­stu) ponavlja sistematizaciju u V. Belaj 2007: 423–424, Đermek 2009: 227, V. Belaj 2012/2016: 41–42, V. Belaj & J. Belaj 2012: 156, J. Belaj & V. Belaj 2013: 91 te V. Belaj & J. Belaj 2014: 106: 
The pattern that has emerged is that of a sacred triangle the characteristics 
of which are: 
Of the three points usually in visual contact with one another, two are 
occupied by male deities (Perun, Veles; Juraj), and the third by Mokoš. 
One of the angles measures ca. 23 degrees (representing the deflection 
between the imagined orbits of the Sun at the equinox and the solstice; in 
Croatia, 23 degrees 27 minutes). 
The two longer sides form a ratio of 1 to square root of 2. 
The longest side usually links the two key opponents. 
Perun’s point is always on an elevated ground. 
The female point is usually next to water. 
There is usually water between Mokoš and Veles(Goss 2016: 36: cf. 2020: 54). 
Fokus ove rasprave bit ce na Gossovoj drugoj karakteristici “svetih trokuta”, koju on preuzima iz navedenih radova starijeg i mladeg Belaja, koji opet slijede Pleterskog (osobito Pleterski 1996a: 180–182), i na nju ce biti stavljen gotovo iskljucivi naglasak. Opovrgavanjem relevantnosti i utemeljenosti postavki na kojima se gradi hipoteza, kao i dovodenjem u pitanje razumijevanja pojava i procesa na kojima se ona temelji od strane njezinih promicatelja, rasvijetlit ce se temeljna ne-znanstvena priroda navedene hipoteze. 
ŠTO JE OBLIKVITET EKLIPTIKE? 
Kao prvo, vrijedi uociti jednu neobicnu pojedinost u definiciji kuta od “ca. 23°”, koja pokazuje zabrinjavajuci nedostatak u razumijevanju teme o kojoj se raspravlja: Goss istice kako je kut izmedu solarne putanje izmedu ekvinocija i solsticija “in Croatia 23 degrees 27 minutes”. Iako to ne navodi, tvrdnju preuzima iz V. Belaj 2007: 424 (taj rad Goss redovito citira na str. 35–37), gdje stoji sljedece: 
Za raniju kritiku s drugih pozicija vidi Dzino 2010: 166–167 i – osobito – Kale 2010. 
“Posebice je važan kut od 23 stupnja (otrpilike od 22° do 25°) koji predstavlja otklon izmedu zamišljenih eklipsa(Sunce­vihputanja)4 u dane ekvinocija i solsticija, a iznosi u našim krajevima 23°27’.”5 
Iz navedenih citata jasno je da autori smatraju kako iznos oblikviteta ekliptike (e) ovisio geografskojširini.To jesasvim pogrešno i zapravo bi predstavljalo jed-nu nemogucu situaciju, koja bi izazvala gomilu apsurda kakve je teško zamisliti (beskonacni broj razlicitih osi rotacije?; ili ravnina revolucije?), a vrijednost obli­kviteta mijenja se zapravo kroz vrijeme.6 Vjerujem da autori zapravo misle na kut izmedu azimuta solsticijskih izlazaka/ zalazaka sunca, koji se uistinu mijenja s geografskom širinom, ali to je potpuno razlicit fenomenen koji se manifestira na horizontu. Kako se azimuti izlazaka/zalazaka sunca, osobito solsticijski, cesto spominju u arheoa­stronomskoj literaturi,7 cini se da su autori jednostavno spojili ova dva fenomena u jedan. No kojigod razlogbio ovojpogrešci,ostajecinjenicadajenjihovatvrdnjanetocna. Nataj nacin pokazano je upitno razumijevanje fenomena na temelju kojeg se gradi hipoteza. 
Ovakvo razmišljanje o odnosu geografske širine i iznosu oblikviteta ekliptike posljedica je cinjenice da je promicateljima hipoteze o “svetim trokutima” i sam pojam oblikviteta nejasan, što je još jedan prilog tezi kako se hipoteza gradi na temelju fenomena ciju se prirodu nerazumijeu potpunosti. NaimeV. Belaj(2007:448) objašnjavaoblikvitet eklip­tike na sljedeci nacin: “To je kut izmedu Zemljine osovine i ravnine Zemljine orbite oko 
4 Termin “eklipsa” potpuno je neprikladan (ponavljaju ga V. Belaj & J. Belaj 2014: 103: “... najviših tocaka eklipsa(prividneputanjeSunca)nadan solsticijaiekvinocija...”) te J. Belaj&V. Belaj2013: 90 (citirano niže), jer oznacava pomrcinu (Sunca), a ne solarnu putanju. Razlika izmedu termina je nepremostiva i “eklipsa” se nikako ne može primjeniti u ovom kontekstu. Ovaj propust uocio je vec Kale 2010, ali, iako je ovaj rad poznat 
V. Belaju & J. Belaju (2014: 108–110), u istome ignoriraju Kaleovu utemeljenu primjedbu (vidi citat niže). 5 Slicna tvrdnja ponovljena je i u V. Belaj & J. Belaj 2014: 97: “Vrijednosti kutova našega gledanja na zami­šljene tocke u podne ovise o danu u godini, ali i o geografskoj širini tocke s koje promatramo Suncevu putanju. U našim širinama razlika kuta izmedu ljetnoga i zimskoga Sunceva zenita iznosi oko 47°, a izmedu ekvinocija 
i oba solsticija oko 23°27’.”; V. Belaj & J. Belaj 2014: “Jedan od kutova takvoga trokuta uvijek [naglasili autori] ima oko 23° (±2°; tocno bi bilo u našim zemljopisnim širinama 23°27’)...”; J. Belaj & V. Belaj 2013: 
90: “Jedan od kutova takva trokuta stoga uvijek [naglasili autori] ima oko 23°, a ta velicina predstavlja razmak izmedu najviših tocaka eklipsa (prividne putanje Sunca) na dan solsticija i ekvinocija: u našim zemljopisnim širinama je to tocno 23°27’.”; V. Belaj 2012/2016: 40: “Das wichtigste Merkmal ist ein Winkel der immer [naglasio autor] um 23° (±2°; genau müssten es in unseren Breiten 23°27’ sein)”. 
6 Ovaj propust uocio je takoder Kale 2010 (ovdje vrijedi ista primjedba kao i u prethodnom navodenju Kalovog rada iz 2010). Ispravno tumacenje može se naci i kod još jednog promicatelja hipoteze o “svetim trokutima”, vidi Đermek 2009: 231 i 2010: 80, kojeg V. Belaj & J. Belaj takoder citiraju (2014: 402–404). 
7 Vidi npr., u kontekstu “svetih trokuta”, Đermek 2009: 230–231, 238, 242, 2010: 80–81; vidi i V. Belaj & J. Belaj 2014: 402 (cf. V. Belaj 2012/2016: 47–48), gdje i sami spominju azimute suncevih izlazaka i zalazaka. 


Sunca…” Na ovom mjestu citira jedan rad Andreja Pleterskog (Pleterski 1996a: 182)8: “To je kot med Zemeljino osjo in ravnino Zemljine orbite okoli Sonca: ± 23,5° (Šprajc 1991, 14)...”9 Kako je oblikvitet ekliptike kut izmedu osi Zemljine rotacije i osi njezine revolucije, tj. kut izmedu ravnina njezine rotacije i revolucije, a nikako kut izmedu jed­ne osi i druge ravnine (kut izmedu bilo osi rotacije ili revolucije i ravnine revolucije ili rotacije iznosi ± 66,5°), jasno je da je Pleterski, kao i svi koji ga prenose, ovdje ozbiljno pogriješio. To je savršeno jasno iz rada kojeg sam Pleterski citira (Šprajc 1991: 14): 
Ce bi os Zemljinega vrtenja bila pravokotna na ravnino Zemljine orbite okoli Sonca, bi se Sonce navidzeno premikalo po nebesnem ekvatorju. Toda Zemljina os je na to ravnino naklonjena za ca. 66˝°, kar pomeni, da je ravnina Zemljinega (in nebesnega) ekvatorja naklonjena na ravnino Zemlji­nega tira za ca. 23˝°. Sonce se med letom navidezno giblje po krožnici, ki se imenuje ekliptika in ki z mebesnim ekvatorjem oklepa kot e (ca. 23˝)... 
Vidljivo je to i iz sl. 15 na str. 15 istog rada. Dakle, do ovog ozbiljnog propusta doš-lo je vec kod Pleterskog, a V. i J. Belaj tu pogrešku dalje nekriticki prenose. Vec ovih nekoliko primjera dovode u pitanje hipotezu koju njezini promicatelji grade na temelju upitnog razumijevanja prirode fenomena koji cini temelj te hipoteze.10 
No, najveci metodološki propust citave hipoteze o “svetim trokutima” ogleda se u potpunom zaobilaženju suvremenih dosega povijesti znanosti, u ovom slucaju povijesti astronomije i znanstvene geografije, kao i bogate literature koja tu disciplinu – ili discipline 
– prati. Kako V. Belaj & J. Belaj (2014: 107) tvrde, “[k]ut od 23°27’(± 2°) je pak, cini nam se, i dalje cvrsti oslonac u istraživanjima. To je ‘Suncev kut’, jasno zadan promatranjem Sunca. Što je velicina kuta bliža vrijednosti od 23°27’, to možemo biti sigurniji da smo na dobru tragu u našim istraživanjima”, jasno je da se osporavanjem mogucnosti poznavanja “suncevog kuta” od strane starih Slavena, kao i potpunom nedostatku neovisnih dokaza koji bi potvrdivali da su ga oni poznavali, ruši citava hipoteza o “svetim trokutima”. 
OBLIKVITET EKLIPTIKE IZ PERSPEKTIVE POVIJESTI ZNANOSTI 
Dakle, potrebno je postaviti pitanje kako se navodno poznavanje prilicno preciznog iznosa oblikviteta ekliptike od strane starih Slavena uklapa u spoznaje moderne povijesti 
8 U popisu literature “Pleterski 1996a” i “Pleterski 1996b” ponavljaju istu referencu (V. Belaj 2007: 478), ali 
cini se da je V. Belaj, prema paginaciji, na umu imao upravo rad koji gore citiram. 9 Pleterski potpuno istu tvrdnju ponavlja i u radu Pleterski 1996b: 482, kao i u radovima Pleterski 2002:19/40, Pleterski & Mareš 2003: 9/32 (gdje više – kao ni u kasnijim radovima – ne citira Šprajca), Pleterski & Belak 2004: 52, Pleterski 2008: 27 te Pleterski 2014: 125. Dakle, pogrešku nije uocio vec gotovo citava dva desetljeca, iako je u Pleterski & Mareš 2003: 10/32, Pleterski & Belak 2004: 53 i Pleterski 2014: 11 donesena ispravna definicija oblikviteta (dakle, u tri rada su istovremeno iznesene pogrešna i ispravna definicija). 
10 Rijec je o sljedecim primjerima: (1) “eklipsa” kao naziv Sunceve putanje (V. i J. Belaj); (2) razliciti iznosi oblikviteta na razlicitim geografskim širinama (V. i J. Belaj, Goss); (3) oblikvitetkao kut izmedu Zemljine osi rotacije i ravnine revolucije (Pleterski, V. i J. Belaj, Goss). 

znanosti o razvitku usporedivih znanja u grckoj tradiciji, koja je nedvojbeno izvorište suvremene astronomije i znanstvene geografije i jedina tradicija koja u osnovi svoje kozmologije ima astronomiju baziranu na sistematicnim kvantitativnim promatranjima nebeskih kretanja (Kuhn 1957: 4–5)? U nešto opširnijoj i detaljnijoj raspravi pokušat cu objasniti razvitak poznavanja vrijednosti iznosa oblikviteta ekliptike u grckoj tradiciji kako bih ilustrirao kompleksnost problema i rasprave koja se o tom pitanju vodi vec gotovo dva stoljeca. Pristalice hipoteze o “svetim trokutima”, cini se, nisu svjesni postojanja tog problema kao ni dugotrajne rasprave koja se o njemu vodi, a posljedicno ni bogate literature koja je u meduvremenu nastala.11 Od vremena Enopida s Hija (sredina 5. st. pr. Kr.) iznos oblikviteta ekliptike je uziman kao 24° (Dicks 1970: 157; Bianchetti 2015: 139; Zhmud 2006: 171, 201, 235, 265–267; 2012: 333; 2018: 185). Zapravo, uobicajeno je kao autoritet za ovu cinjenicu citirati Eudema s Roda,12 ali Teon iz Aleksandrije, koji donosi ovo svjedocenje, tvrdi da je Enopid samo otkrio postojanje oblikviteta, dok su zapravo drugi astronomi, kasniji, izracunali tocan iznos oblikviteta (Heath 1913: 131, bilj. 4; Evans 1998: 58; Dekker 2013: 28; cf. Procl. In Eucl. I, str. 269.11–21 Friedlein). Eratosten, kojega slijedi Strabon, smješta ljetnu obratnicu iznad Sijene u Egiptu, koja se nalazi na geografskoj širini od 24° (Str. II.5.7 = Eratosth. IIB23 Berger, fr. 34 Roller), što sugerira da je upravo ovu vrijednost koristio kao iznos oblikviteta. Oba podatka – o Sijeni direktno ispod ljetne obratnice13 i o 24° kao iznosu oblikviteta ekliptike14 – cesto su spominjana u klasicnoj literaturi nakon Eratostena. 
11 Pleterski 2002: 19 je jedini pokušaj osvrta na tu raspravu, u svega pet redaka, u kojima usputno spominje 
kako su oblikvitet poznavali Eratosten, Hiparh i Ptolemej, te uz jednu bibliografsku jedinicu kao potkrijepu. 12 Eud. fr. 145 Wehrli ap. Derkilid ap. Theon 40, str. 198.14–15, 199.2–8 Hiller (= Martin 322.19–20, 324.7–12) = Anatolije iz Laodiceje, Fabricius iii.464 = Heron Definitiones CXXXVII.1, str. iv.168 Heiberg (Neugebauer 1975: ii.733). Vidi npr. Pinotsis 2005: 131. 
13 Eratosth. fr. 41 Roller = IIB38 Berger (HN II.75.183, dalje citiran ap. Bede, De temporum ratione 31 (PL XC.432A)), fr. 43 Roller = IIB40 Berger (Amm. Marc. XXII.15.31), fr. 57 Roller (Str. II.5.35), fr. 58 Roller (Str. II.2.2), fr. 59 Roller (Str. II.5.36), IIB34 Berger = M6 Roller (Cleom. De motu circ. I.10.53–54, str. 96.28–98.5, 18 Ziegler = I.7.71–75, 85–86 Todd); Posid. fr. 49.22–23 E-K (= FGrHist 87F28) ap. Str. II.2.2, fr. 115 E-K ap. Cleom. De motu circ. II.1.79, str. 144.23–27 Ziegler = II.1.270–273 Todd, fr. 210.4–5 E-K (= FGrHist 87F78) ap. Cleom. De motu circ. I.6.31, str. 58.3 Ziegler = I.4.93 Todd; Str. II.5.37; Luc. Phars. 
II.587 s Macr. Somn. II.7.15-16 (nepotrebna kritika); Cleom. De motu circ. I.8.42, str. 78.8 Ziegler = I.5.59–60 Todd, II.1.76, str. 140.7–8 Ziegler = II.1.211–212 Todd; HN II.75.183; Arr. Ind. XXV.7; Plut. De def. or. 4.411A; Paus. VIII.38.6; Aristid. Aegypt. 36.59 (ii.282 Keil); Alex. Meteo. str. 133.30–31Hayduck; Achil. Isag. 31; Serv. Ecl. III.105, iii.42; na suncevim satovima Sijena je smještena na 24° (Rockford, London) ili 23.5° (Tischendorf, Aphrodisias) (Talbert 2010: 266 Table 16.1; za posljednja dva vidi i De Solla Price 1969: 260–261 Table 2, 3)); podatak se ponavlja i u srednjovjekovnoj literaturi, npr. kod Gervasea iz Tilburyja, Otia Imperialia, str. 892 (Liebrecht 1856: 1) te, manje precizno, u Honorius Augustodunensis, De Imagine Mundi (I.36, PL CLXXII, 132D) = Gervase iz Tilburyja, Otia imperialia (ii.759 Leibnitz); Heath 1932: 110; Diller 1934: 266–267; Pinotsis 2005: 134. 
14 Hipparch. I.10.2, str. 96.20–21 Manitius (“oko”, Neugebauer 1975: ii.734, bilj. 11); Gemin. Elem. Astron. V.46, str. 58.21–60.2 Manitius; Vitr. IX.7.4; Plu. De gen. Socr.XXII.590E (nešto manje od 24°); Theon Astron. III.23, str. 151.17–18 Hiller, 40, 199.6–8 Hiller, 42, 202.8–203.14 Hiller; Achil. Tat. Isag. 26, 29 (Neugebauer 1975:ii.951);Procl. InEuclid.str.269.13–18 Friedlein, Hypot.III.28, VI.13 (Neugebauer 1975:ii.733,bilj.10); Leont. De sphaer. 4-5, str. 564–565 Maass; Comm. Arat. Anon. II.17, str. 132.1 Maass; podatak se ponavlja i u srednjovjekovnoj literaturi, npr. u Anon. Log. et. Quadr. (..s...pt.. s..ta.µa e.. t.. t.ssa.a. ep.st.µe. iz A.D. 1008.), str. 104.21–22 Heiberg te Bar-Hebraeus, Sullarat Haunănăyă II.1.1, 2.3–4 (Neugebauer 1975: ii.734, bilj. 11); podrazumijeva se i u svim tekstovima koji prihvacaju podjelu nebeske sfere u omjeru 6-5-4. Evans (1998: 59), slijedeci Prokla, vjeruje da je bio poznat i Euklidu (Elem. IV.16). 

No, cini se da je Eratosten zapravo poznavao precizniji iznos oblikviteta, kojeg je kasnije prihvatio i Klaudije Ptolemej: 23°51’ (Ptol. Syntax.I.12, str. 67.22–68.6 Heiberg i Theon Commentaria ad loc., str. ii.528.20–529.3 Rome = Eratosth. IIB42, M8–9 Roller = Hipparch. fr. 41 Dicks; cf. I.14, str. 76.10–79.6 Heiberg, I.15, str. 81.50; Dicks 1960: 91; Neugebauer 1975: ii.734; Rawlins 1982: 260, 262; Fowler & Rawlins 1983: 557; Jones 2002:15–16;Pinotsis 2005: 131, 134, 136; Bianchetti 2015:139). Ptolemej jeu izracunima u Almagestu zapravo koristio Eratostenov i Hiparhov iznos za oblikvitet,15 iako je sam izracunao da ta vrijednost iznosi izmedu 23°50’ i 23°52’30’’ (Lloyd 1982: 155 = 1991: 324, referirajuci se na Syntax. I.12). Drugdje Ptolemej koristi 23°51’20’’,16 23°51’,17 i 24° (Planisph. 20, str. ii.259.13–14 Heiberg). Nadalje, ljetnu obratnicu i geografsku širinu Sijene smještao je na 24°, 23°50’ i 23°51’ (Geogr. I.23.1 (= 7 Nobbe = 6 Berggren-Jones 2000: 85), 24.11, 14, IV.5.73, VII.5.15, 6.7 (Berggren-Jones 2000: 113–114);Syntax. II.6, str. 107.11–13 Heiberg). Eratostenov sljedbenik Hiparh prihvatio je ovo smještanje Sijene na obratnicu (Hipparch. fr. 43, 47 Dicks ap. Str. II.5.35–37). Prema Dilleru, koristio je iznos od 23°40’ za oblikvitet,18 iako Ptolemej eksplicitno tvrdi da je koristio isti iznos kao i Eratosten (Ptol. Syntax.I.12 (str. 68.3–4 Heiberg) (fr. 41 Dicks = Eratosth. IIB42 Berger, M8 Roller); cf. Hipparch. I.10.2). S druge strane, Dicks smatra da je Hiparh ponekad uzimao 24° kao iznos oblikviteta,19 ali da je poznavao i precizniju vrijednost.20 Slijedeci ovo izravno svjedocenje, Dicks tvrdi da je Hiparh koristio iznos od 23°51’ (Dicks 1960: 167, 169), te kritizira Dillerove zakljucke (Dicks 1960: 194). Konacno, na globusu Farne­se – na kojemu se, prema Schaeferu, prenose podaci iz izgubljenog Hiparhovog kataloga zvijezda – može se ocitati iznos oblikviteta od 23°57’ ± 48’.21 
Medu kasnijim autorima Posidonije – neobicno – koristi 24° kao iznos oblikviteta ekliptike (fr. 49 E-K ap. Str. II.2.2; cf. II.5.7; Diller 1934: 267–268). Pap iz Aleksandrije poznaje iznos od 23°29’55’’ (Synag.VI.35, str. ii.546.22–27 Hultsch; Heath 1913: 132 bilj. 4), dok drugdje koristi23°51’ (Comm. Synt. str. 76.4–5, 172.13, 194.4–6), alispominjei24° te 23°50’ (Str. 238.1–4 Rome, Neugebauer 1975: ii.968). Anonimni autor teksta Summaria ratio geographiae in sphaera intelligendaedonosi iznos oblikviteta, kao i geografsku širinu Sijene, od 23°45’ (II.14, GGMii.492). Naposljetku, Bar Hebraeus donosi23°55’ kao iznos oblikviteta (Sullarat Haunănăyă II.1.9, Neugebauer 1975: ii.734 bilj. 11), dok je u cetrna­estostoljetnom Tractatus de sphaera solida iznos od 23°33’ preuzet iz arapskog izvora.22 
15 Shcheglov 2003–2007: 180–181 se protivi ovom zakljucku i tvrdi da su precizni iznosi iskljucivo Ptolemejevi. 16 Hypoth. I.3, str. ii.74–75 Heiberg te na Kanopskom natpisu, Heiberg ii.149 (Neugebauer 1975: ii.901, 913). 17 Proch. Kan. (Neugebauer 1975: ii.979). 18 Diller 1934: 266, cf. Shcheglov 2003–2007: 178–179. Cf. Rawlins 1982: 265 bilj. 26, koji tvrdi da je Hiparh 
koristio dva razlicita iznosa za oblikvitet, 23°55’ i 23°40’. Za ostale prijedloge (23°41’ ± 4’ or 23°43’ ± 5’) vidi Shcheglov 2003-2007: 178 bilj. 54. Prema Marx 2014: 201, 203, zapravo je Eratosten prvi koristio iznos od 23°40’. 19 Primjerice upravo u I.10.2. 
20 Kao u fr. 41 Dicks = Ptol. Syntax. I.12, str. 67.22–68.6 Heiberg; Dicks 1970: 158. 21 Schaefer 2005: 179, 191; vidi i niz prijedloga, ukljucujuci Schaeferov, u Dekker 2013: 87 Tab. 2.5 (u rasponu od 23°54’ do 26°30’). Dekker (2013: 111) se opredjeljuje za ca. 25°18’. 
22 Dekker 2013: 343. U arapskoj tradiciji al-Battani donosi 23°35’ kao iznos oblikviteta, a al-Zarqali i Abul Hassan 23°34’ (Hartmann 1919: 19). Na nürnberškim mapama sjeverne i južne nebeske hemisfere (Germa-nisches Nationalmuseum, Inv. br. Hz 5576–5577) iznos oblikviteta je 23°24’ (Dekker 2013: 417, 419). 

Ovoje,ukratko, narativ opoznavanjuiznosu oblikvitetaekliptike,kako garekonstruira suvremenapovijestznanosti,akojupristalicehipotezeo“svetimtrokutima”upotpunosti zaobilaze(kaošto itajnarativ,razumljivo,zaobilazistareSlavene).NakojinacinseSla­veni uklapaju u taj proces? Jesu li njihovim žrecima bili poznati Eratostenovi ili Hiparhovi radovi? Sumnjam da ce bilo tko od promicatelja hipoteze o “svetim trokutima” tvrditi tako nešto. Je li zaista moguce da su drevni Slaveni, neovisno od grcke znanosti, ponovili ovaj proces, koji onda nije ostavio apsolutno nikakvih tragova, za razliku od bogate, sadržajne i dugotrajne rasprave u Grckoj? Jer ako autori dokazuju slavensko poznavanje iznosa za oblikvitet ekliptike pomocu postojanja “svetih trokuta”, a postojanje “svetih trokuta” dokazuju slavenskim poznavanjem “suncevog kuta”, a cini se da je upravo to na djelu ovdje, onda su upali u opasnu zamku cirkularnog razmišljanja, kojem u znanosti nema mjesta. Ono što nedostaje je neki oblik dokaza neovisan od njihove konstrukcije “svetih trokuta” koji bi potvrdio da su stari Slaveni poznavali iznos oblikviteta ekliptike, bilo neovisno došavši do njega ili preuzevši ga iz grcke znanosti. Iskreno sumnjam u prvu, a siguran sam da je druga varijanta nemoguca.23 
PREPOZNAVANJE I INTERPRETACIJA SOLSTICIJA IZ PERSPEKTIVE POVIJESTI ZNANOSTI 
Druga važna tema koju autori koji pristaju uz hipotezu o “svetim trokutima” zaobilaze je pitanje prepoznavanja i interpretacija solsticija. Na toj temi se nužno mora bazirati bilo koja hipoteza o postojanju “suncevog kuta”, jer je on definiran upravo solsticijima. Ra-sprave koje su u povijesti znanosti vodene o prepoznavanju i interpretaciji solsticija (npr. Dicks 1966; 1970; Kahn 1970; Couprie 2011) pristalice hipoteze o “svetim trokutima” ne spominju, iako je koncept “suncevog kuta” neodvojiv od koncepta solsticija. Kao i u slucaju poznavanja iznosa oblikviteta ekliptike, konceptualizaciju solsticija suvremena povijest znanosti promatra prvenstveno kroz grcku tradiciju, jedinu tradiciju koja, kako smo ranije napomenuli, u osnovi svoje kozmologije ima astronomiju baziranu na siste­maticnim kvantitativnim promatranjima nebeskih kretanja. 
Za opsežnu raspravu o najranijim konceptualizacijama suncevih okretaja, tj. solstici­ja, u grckoj tradiciji, bilo na horizontu ili (godišnjih okretaja) na meridijanu, upucujem na rad Bilic 2016. Iz tog rada prenosim (u hrvatskoj verziji) kraci segment o najstarijim konceptualizacijama solsticija u prostornom kontekstu (vremenski je ovdje sekundaran), koji je relevantan za hipotezu o “svetim trokutima” (Bilic 2016: 197–201). Najstarija spominjanja solsticija u grckoj tradiciji možemo prepoznati vec kod Homera i Hesioda.24 
23 Kao usporedbu navedimo i da se u iscrpnim studijama prethistorijskih astronomskih orijentacija na Britan­skomotocju inaMediteranu(Ruggles 1999;Hoskin 2001) oblikvitetekliptikenigdjenespominjekaovarijabla prisutna u orijentacijama (za razliku od cinjenice da suvremenim istraživacima postojanje i iznos oblikviteta mogu biti korisni pokazatelji u izucavanju orijentacija). 
24 Od. 15.404 (Thomson 1948: 37 s bilj. 1; Kahn 1970: 113 bilj. 50; Kahn 1979: 109, 140, 313 bilj. 133; Vlastos 2005[1975]: 34 bilj. 21 (vjerojatno); Schibli 1990: 5. Pace Dicks 1966: 31 (oprezno); Dicks 1970: 32–33 (od-lucno)); Op. 479, 564, 663 (Nilsson 1920: 316; Pannekoek 1961: 95–96; Dicks 1966: 31; Dicks 1970:34–35, 37; Kahn 1970: 113; Ballabriga 1998: 107; Evans 1998: 4–5, 56; Vlastos 2005[1975]: 34 bilj. 21.). 

Kasnija spominjanja solsticija potjecu iz 7. i 6. st. pr. Kr.25 Koncept solsticija kod Hesioda i Alkmana spomenut je u temporalnom, tj. sezonskom znacenju, dok je prema tradiciji Kleostrat promatrao solsticije s otoka Teneda koristeci planinu Idu kao prirodni reper, na taj nacin referirajuci se na ekstremne položaje sunca na horizontu.26 Svjedocanstva o Talesu su ili neprecizna (1, 3, Th 265 Wöhrle) ili se odnose na temporalni aspekt solsti­cija (17) (cf. Bowen 2002: 311 bilj. 10),kod Anaksimena rijec je o prostornom aspektu (sunceva maksimalna deklinacija – tj. udaljenost od nebeskog ekvatora – opcenito), dok su kod Anaksimandera reference nedvojbeno odnose na prostorni aspekt, tj. na položaj sunca na horizontu ili meridijanu (1, 2, 4) ili opcenito na suncevu maksimalnu deklinaciju (27). Vezano uz prvu varijantu, Anaksimanderovo korištenje gnomona za oznacavanje (s.µa...) ili odredivanje (d.....s..) solsticija (12A1, 4) vjerojatno sugerira promatranje duljine podnevnih sjenki (Heidel 1937: 57–58; Gibbs 1976: 6; Hahn 2001: 207, 209 Fig. 4.13; Couprie 2011: 31, 32 fig. 13, s 34–35 i fig. 2.16 (dnevne krivulje)). Alternativno, moguce je da se upotreba gnomona može vezati uz promatranje solsticijskih izlazaka i zalazaka sunca, što se moglo dalje iskoristiti u konceptualiziranju mape oikoumenędefini­rane tim azimutima (Heidel 1937: 57–58; Hahn 2001: 8, 38, 44, 201, 205–206 s fig. 4.12 nastr.207,208;Couprie,Hahn&Naddaf2003:52,194–195;Naddaf2005:109;Couprie 2011: 80 s Fig. 6.1, 84). U svakom slucaju ova se svjedocenja odnose na prostorni aspekt solsticija. Potpuno je moguce da je Anaksimanderova mapa (kao i iz nje izravno izvedena Hekatejeva) bila determinirana solsticijskim izlascima i zalascima sunca (Heidel 1937: 17–20, 22, 33–34, 42, 47–48, 51, 53–54, 57, 133; Thomson 1948: 97–98; Ballabriga 1986: 147–149; Hahn 2001: 8, 201, 205–206, 285 bilj. 140; Naddaf 2005: 109–110; Couprie 2011: 80–82, 84; Couprie, Hahn & Naddaf 2003: 52–53, 195–197; Irby 2014: 89), što je kasnije preuzeo Efor u kreiranju svog paralelograma (Heidel 1937: 17–20, 33–34, 42, 47–48; Thomson 1948: 97–98; Ballabriga 1986: 147–149; Naddaf 2005: 109–110; Cou­prie, Hahn & Naddaf 2003: 52–53). U ovom slucaju Anaksimanderov koncept solsticija definitnivno bi obuhvacao ekstremne položaje sunca na horizontu. U kasnije vrijeme, eksplicitno promatranje solsticijskih položaja sunca na horizontu pripisuje se Eudoksu,27 dok se u hipokratovskom tekstu Peri aeron, hydaton, toponpromatranje položaja izlazaka sunca na lokalnom horizontu preporucavalo lijecniku koji bi stigao u njemu nepoznat grad.28 
25 Alcm. 17.5 PMG; Cleostr. 6A1 D-K; Thales 11A1, 17 (prema Eudemus fr. 144–145 Wehrli), 3 D-K, Th 265 Wöhrle (cf. Zhmud 2006: 239–241, 244–245); Anaximand. 12A1 (= Favorinus fr. 28 Mensching, iz Eudema?, Zhmud 2006: 249), 2, 4, 27 D-K (s Arist. Mete. 355a24–26 i Alex. Mete. 73.19–22, što nije citirano u D-K uz A27); Anaximen. 13A15 D-K (Stob. 1.25.1d). 
26 Fotheringham 1919: 168–169; Webb 1921: 71; cf. Pannekoek 1961: 107; Bowen & Goldstein 1988: 80. Isti izvor (Theoph. Sign. 4) pripisuje promatranje solsticija iz Metimne, s planinom Lepetimno kao reperom, nekom Matriketi, najvjerojatnije takoder astronomu iz ranog razdoblja. U oba slucaja promatranje je moglo biti izvršeno samo na zimski solsticij (cf. Rehm 1941: 138–139 bilj. 5). Rehm 1941: 135–137 vjeruje kako niti Matriketa ni Kleostrat nisu vršili promatranja solsticija, vec samo meteoroloških prognostickih znakova. 
27 Fr. 63b Lasserre ap. Hipparch. 1.9.2 (cf. fr. 63a ap. Hipparch. 1.9.1 = Attal. fr. 20 Maass), fr. 124 ap. Simpl. Cael. 493.15–17 (t..… t.p.. .. ta.. t..pa..… ..at...e.. [sc. .....]), fr. 125 ap. Alex. Meteo. 703.32–34 (t..… t.p.. t.. ..at.... .. ta.. t..pa.. t.. .....… p..e.s.a.); Dekker 2013: 9. 
28 Hippocr. Aër. 1. Uistom tekstu (pogl. 12) (Mala) Azija je smještena “na pola puta izmedu izlazaka sunca”, tj. izmedu izlazaka sunca nasolsticije, natajnacin naglašavajucivažnostovih položajau hipokratovskojtradiciji. 

S druge strane, Ksenofontov opis suncevog godišnjeg kretanja, s jakim naglaskom na njegove okretaje (koristeci glagole t..p., .p.t..p. i ..ast..f.), tj. solsticije, vje­rojatno se odnosi opcenito na suncevo prilaženje (Ksenofont opisuje suncevo kretanje u deklinaciji glagolima p..se.µ., p..s..... i .pe.µ.), prije nego specificno na tocke izlaska/zalaska sunca na horizontu (Xen. Mem. 4.3.8).29 Na slican nacin vec je Hesiod tvrdio da sunce zimi odlazi do regije crnih ljudi (koristeci frazu .p.... st..f.ta., “okrece se prema”) (Op. 527–528; Ballabriga 1986: 20; Ballabriga 1998: 108; cf. Dionys. Per. 586, GGM 2.141), dok je Herodot vjerovao da je ono otjerano u daleke krajeve Libije (2.24.1, 25.1, 26.2),30 a u hipokratovskom tekstu Peri aeron, hydaton, topon opisano je kako sunce dolazi najbliže Skitiji kada dosegne svoju ljetnu tocku okretaja (Aër. 19).31 
Donosim i zakljucak navedene studije (Bilic 2016), koji se izravno nadovezuje na koncept godišnjeg suncevog kretanja u smjeru sjever-jug-sjever itd. na meridijanu, a 
odnosi se na lokaciju Homerovog otoka Sirije: 
Na taj nacin se Sirija [koja se spominje u Od. 15.404] treba lokalizirati sukladno tojcinjenici, tj. okretajisunca u Odisejitrebaju seinterpretiratikao lokacija gdje se sunce ‘okrece’na sjeveru kada dosegne najsjeverniju tocku u svom godišnjem putovanju, najvjerojatnije – u terminima koji pripadaju referentnom sustavu koji ce nastati tek mnogo kasnije – na geografskoj širini od 54°. Vjerovalo se tako da sunce ‘posjecuje’odredenu lokaciju prilikom okretaja, što je slicno Hesiodovim, Herodotovim i konceptualizacijama hipokratovskog autora... Ovaj koncept manje je specifican od promatranja ekstremnih solarnih azimuta, iako inkorporira u sebi i koncept solsticij­skih tocaka na horizontu kao jednu od svojih najbitinijih karakteristika. ‘Lokacija’Sirije je tako specificna geografska širina definirana suncevim godišnjim kretanjem (Bilic 2016: 222). 
Kao što je iz gornje rasprave vidljivo, nigdje u ovoj sofisticiranoj, dobro razradenoj i relativno cesto spominjanoj tradiciji se ne spominju iznosi oblikviteta ekliptike u kon­tekstu solsticija. Dionici te tradicije su Tales, Anaksimander, Hekatej i Herodot, kao i 
Homer iHesiod –sveredomkljucnefigureupovijestizapadnecivilizacije, nekiod njih i zacetnici zapadne znanosti, intenzivno zainteresirani za godišnje kretanje sunca. Kao što smo vidjeli, tek Enopidu se pripisuje odredeni iznos za oblikvitet (24°), iako je, cini se, cak i to možda prerano. Kako se stari Slaveni uklapaju u ovaj narativ, zajedno sa svojim relativno preciznim izracunom oblikviteta (sigurno preciznijim od svih koji su pretho­dili Eratostenu)? Vrijedilo bi to detaljno raspraviti te argumentirano prikazati taj odnos. 
29 Cf. Plut. Quaest. Rom. 19.268D, gdje se sunce na zimskim tockama okretaja okrece (.p.st..f.) i vraca natrag k nama te Gemin. 5.5, 8, gdje se slicno okrece (t..p.) na solsticijima. Filon Mut. 67 slicno opisuje suncevo kretanje u deklinaciji glagolima p..se.µ. i ..a.a...... 
30 Cf. Arist. (?) De inundatione NiliBNJ 646F1.8, 3; Agathar. FGrHist 86F19 = D. S. 1.38.8 (cf. Theoph. Sim. Hist. 7.17.15); Anon. Flor. De Nilo FGrHist 647F1.7 = Ath. Epit. 2.87F, 1.132.5–6 Meineke (cf. 647F2.5 = Aët. 4.1.5 = [Plut.] Placit. 4.1.898A); Arist. Aegypt. 41, str. 341 Jebb, cf. 60, str. 347. 
31 Cf. De victu 2.38 (sjeverni vjetar dolazi iz podrucja kojem sunce ne prilazi). 

Razina koju je danas povijest znanosti dosegla na ovom polju, ukratko predstavljena u gornjem tekstu, pomaže kako bi se lakše kontekstualizirale nepotkrijepljene tvrdnje o “svetim trokutima” definiranima “suncevim kutem”. 
MIT O “SUNCEVOM KUTU” STARIH SLAVENA 
Naposljetku, podupiratelji hipoteze o “svetim trokutima” u pravilu ne pristupaju raspravi 
o metodama koje su stari Slaveni mogli primjenjivati prilikom promatranja suncevog kretanja, kao i o metodama primjene rezultata tih hipotetskih opservacija na organizaciju krajolika. V. Belaj (2007: 449) tako tek usputno spominje: “[t]o su sve odnosi koji se lako konstruiraju pomocu kolcica i vrpce i prenose u krajolik.” Jedino Pleterski relativno nedavno(2014:125)32 –daklegotovopunihdvadesetljecanakoninicijalnogformuliranja hipoteze o “svetim trokutima” – pokušava rekonstruirati nacin na koji su stari Slaveni mogli odredivati iznos oblikviteta ekliptike, bez da nudi dokaze za upotrebu bilo koje varijante takve rekonstrukcije.33 Uistinu, pomocu gnomona bi se iznos oblikviteta mogao izracunati, cak prilicno precizno, no, za razliku od Grcke 6. st. pr. Kr. i kasnijih stoljeca, kod starih Slavena nije poznata upotreba gnomona. Ne postoji zapravo niti jedan dokaz o prisustvu bilo kojeg od navedenih pojmova ili postupaka (ekliptika, oblikvitet, solsticiji, ekvinociji, pracenje godišnjeg kretanje sunca na horizontu ili meridijanu, gnomon, mjerenje suncevog godišnjeg kretanja pomocu mjerenja dužine sjenke gnomona, itd.) u tradiciji starih Slavena izvan hipoteze o postojanju “svetih trokuta”.34Citav proces izvodenja za­kljucaka vezan uz “svete trokute” je izrazito cirkularan – slavensko poznavanje iznosa za oblikvitetekliptikedokazujesepostojanjem“svetihtrokuta”,apostojanje“svetihtrokuta” slavenskim poznavanjem “suncevog kuta” – i ne može se uzeti kao validna znanstvena hipoteza. Naime, ne postoji metoda pomocu koje bi se ta cirkularna definicija opovrgla jer je ona jedan zatvoreni i samodovoljni kompleks. Zato bi citava hipoteza o “svetim trokutima”,premaPopperu,pripadalametafizici.35 Štoviše,kakoje“possibletounderstand myth in general as a type of discourse using unfalsifiable propositions, whose validity cannot be empirically verified” (Des Bouvrie 2002: 49, 53, 57 bilj. 185, 61–62), tako i citav narativ o “svetim trokutima” možemo prepoznati kao mit.36 Rijec je o narativu koji 
32 Dijagram 3.2.12 = Pleterski & Mareš 2003: 9 Abb./Sl. 2; tekst = Pleterski & Mareš 2003: 13/33. 
33 Usporedi Couprie 2011: 31–33, kojeg nitko od pristalica hipoteze o “svetim trokutima” ne citira, iako bi rasprava o metodama promatranja sunca koje Couprie donosi mogla cak i osnažiti njihovu hipotezu. 34 Za slicnu kritiku s razlicite pozicije (narativna tradicija) vidi Kale 2010. 35 Vidi Popper 1959/19804: 40–41 = 2005: 18, cf. 2005: 315, 1963/19895: 37, 256; Gattei 2009: 31. Za kritiku 
Popperovog koncepta mogucnosti opovrgavanja znanstvenih teorija vidi Barbour 1976: 98–101; Feyerabend 
1993: 42–43 bilj. 12, 50–51, 145, 151–158, cf. 261–262. 36 Promicatelji hipoteze o “svetim trokutima” cesto koriste termin “mit”, bez da se jasno izjašnjavaju o brojnim teorijskim pozicijama koje postoje u suvremenoj znanosti o tom složenom problemu – kao da je on nepostojeci. Za pregledopcenitihteorija o mitu, kao i specificno o grckom mitu, vidi npr. Kirk 1970, 1974; Burkert 1979; Segal 1980, 1999, 2004; Steblin-Kamenskij 1982; Dundes 1984; Detienne 1986; Strenski 1987; Bremmer 1988; Edmunds 1990; Graf 1993; Meletinsky 2000; Von Hendy 2001; des Bouvrie 2002; Dowden 1992; Csapo 2005; Iles Johnston 2018. 

omogucava otklon od rigorozne znanstvene metode (ukljucivo i kriticku komunikaciju s ranijom literaturom te postavljanje provjerljivih hipoteza) te raspravi zatvorenoj unutar zacaranog kruga svojih samodovoljnih “dokaza” i “hipoteza”. 
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THE MYTH OF “SACRED TRIANGLES” BASED ON “THE SOLAR ANGLE” – AN ANALYSIS OF THE “ASTRONOMY” OF EARLY SLAVS 
Tomislav Bilic 

Over the previous decade, a number of scholarly publications discussing the so-called sacred triangles have appeared in Croatian academia. These studies are all inspired by the work of the Slovenian scholar Andrej Pleterski, who developed thebasictenets of this hypothesis starting in themid-1990s. In short, Pleterskiand his followers recognise the appearance of sacred triangles in the landscape based on the so-called solar angle, essentially reflecting the obliquity of the ecliptic (i.e. the angle formed by the axes of the earth’s rotation and its orbit). The adherents of this hypothesis all recognise certain mythic resonances of this phenomenon, but this aspect of their theory is not studied here. 
Instead, the focus is on certain methodological flaws inherent in the approach to the subject, manifesting themselves on several levels. First, the adherents of the sacred triangles theory apparently do notfully understand thenatureof thefunda-mental phenomena upon which their hypothesis is built. Thus, some of them (V. and J. Belaj) believe that the term “eclipse” designates the solar movement, which is manifestly false, since it only refers (in a solar context) to the occultation of the sun by the moon; some of them (V. and J. Belaj, Goss) believe that the obliquity changes with latitude, which is absurd, since it only changes over time; finally, almost all acolytes of this hypothesis (Pleterski, V. and J. Belaj, Goss) define the obliquity as theanglebetween theearth’s rotational axis and the plane of its orbit, while it actually represents the inclination of the earth’s orbital plane with respect to its rotational plane (or the angle between the respective axes of these planes). These errors – persistently repeated in various publications, sometimes (but rare­ly) alongside more correct explanations – certainly raise questions regarding the competency of the authors who construct their solar triangles in landscape based on the sun’s movement they call “eclipse”, with a latitude-dependent obliquity and one – in their definition – amounting to ca. 66.5°. 

However, there are even more serious problems with the sacred triangles hypothesis. Its adherents systematically avoid any dialogue with the abundant scholarly literature on the development of the estimate or calculation of the value of the obliquity in ancient Greece, as well as on the complementary development of the understanding of the annual solar movement, with its defining moments, the solstices. This process of refinement of astronomical knowledge, as understood by the modern history of ancient science, for the most part, evolved in ancient Greece, and its results were then disseminated elsewhere. However, the modern scholarlyreconstructionofthis developmentatnopointmentions theancientSlavs, which is only reasonable in the light of the non-existence of any reliable data on the existence of astronomical knowledge in early Slavic societies, as opposed to the well-documented study of these phenomena in ancient Greece. So, how do the ancient Slavs fit into this development? Did they repeat the evolution of astronomical knowledge independently of Greece, or were their religious leaders familiar with the works of Eratosthenes or Hipparchus? I sincerely doubt that either of these alternatives can be taken seriously, while the “sacred triangles” school does not discuss this question at all. 
However, are there no traces of the familiarity with the solstices and the obliquity of the ecliptic in ancient Slavic societies? Beyond the presence of sa­cred triangles based on the solar angle, no, there are not, and the sacred triangles school indeed does not offer any. At this point, the non-scientific nature of the entire hypothesiscomesto the fore: the adherentsof thishypothesiswish to prove that the ancient Slavs were familiar with the value of the obliquity of the ecliptic solely by the existence of sacred triangles, simultaneously proving the existence of sacred triangles themselves by the familiarity of the ancient Slavs with the solar angle (i.e., the value of the obliquity of the ecliptic). This is a clear example of circular argumentation, creating a self-contained and unfalsifiable system. Since the impossibility of empirical verification of its propositions can be understood as an essential characteristic of myth, one has the impression that the advocates of the hypothesis of sacred triangles have themselves created a myth, the myth of sacred triangles. 
Tomislav Bilic, Ph.D., Senior Curator and Senior Research Assistant, Archaeological Museum in Zagreb, Trg Nikole Šubica Zrinskog 19, HR­10000 Zagreb, Croatia/Hrvatska, tbilic@amz.hr 

23 STUDIA MYTH O L OGICA SLAVICA 2020 

The Theme of the Exodus in Russian 
Folklore: The “Pharaoh” Mythical 
Creatures, According to the Archive 

of the Estonian Literary Museum 

In this article, wewillconsider theRussianfolkloreretellings of theExodus, withspecial emphasis on the narratives about mythical creatures called “pharaohs”. The current analysis is based on a Russian collection of folklore. The data were collected in the 1920–‘40s in the territories of Estonia, Russia, and Latvia (Lutsi region, Estonian settlement) in the 
context of Slavic belief systems and legends about these characters. Currently, folklore 
materials are stored in the archive collection of the Estonian Literary Museum (ELM) (Tartu), and in the Skriptoorium. The article gives an overview of the most characteristic motifs, the origin, appearance, and habitat of these mythical creatures. The actions of the 
Pharaohs are described in more detail. 
KEYWORDS: Exodus, parabiblical motifs, Russian folklore, Pharaoh people, myths, 
mermaid 
Why were the Tartu archives of the ELM chosen for the consideration and analysis? First, because the materials of this archive about the pharaohs have not been published generally. Several texts published in Russian by Olga Cherepanova in her book “The Mythological stories and legends of the Russian North“ are an exception (1996: . 187, 188, 190, 191) as well as one text (.70) in the book by Olga Belova and Galina Kab­akova “At the origins of the world. Russian etiological legends” (2014: 74, text no.70). There are several interesting developments in the Estonian pharaoh tradition. It wasOskar Looris who earlier pointed out that Livonians and Estonians had developed a peculiar mythological connection between the seal and pharaoh people (Loorits 1926, 1935). We believe the connection between pharaoh people, mermaids, and seals as well as between pharaoh people and mermaids to be even more significant. There are some connections with Northern traditions about seal-humans, and these stories can be understood by to­day reader through the emotional and humane message. In narratives, creatures can be 
distinguished by appearance. For example, a creature with female characteristics who complains about babies staying home is caught in fisherman nets or is displayed at a fair. At the same time, they have emerged from the Pharaoh people, Pharaoh warriors, but 
residing in the Baltic Sea. 

Nevertheless, such exciting developments are a separate topic and an interesting subject influenced by the Bible literary materials and parable texts, which evolved in the folklore in 19th and 20th centuries and supplemented the mythology. However, researchers in various regions have also pointed to some interesting developments in antiquity and the Middle Ages, such as the Pharaonic or Selkulla developmental characteristics (Kropej 2003, Klobcar 2012, Klintberg 2018, et al.). 
Meanwhile, the texts of the archive of the ELM contain both transnational and original motifs, which can significantly expand the notion about these mythological creatures. Some of these original motifs have parallels in the folklore of other European peoples. Pharaohs or people with fishtails are widely known in European folklore, in the Bal­tic-Finnish regions (Kőiva 2018-2019), Livs (Loorits 1926), in Russian (Gorodtsov 1907: 408-409,Zelenin 1915:858;Cherepanova1996:6, 36,96;Ivleva2004:145;Kuznetsova 2012: 5-14;), Ukrainian (Dragomanov 1876: 96; Ivanov 1893: 82-83, Gnatyuk 1897: 17; 1902: 33-34; Chubinsky 1995: 208), Belarusian (Dobrovolsky 1891: 147; Federowski 1897: 108-109; Boganeva 2010: 54-56), Polish (Zowczak 2013: 172-174), Croatian (Boškovic-Stulli 1975: 143), Slovenian (Kropej 2003, Klobcar 2017: 145-177), and Serbian (Loorits 1935) materials. 
Representations and narratives of the pharaohs are also known in the extensive space of the Baltic States and Northern Europe, to the peoples of Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, and to the Saami of Lapland (Treiland 1887: 44-45, Loorits 1935), England (Marwick 1974), and even in Asia (Mongols, Loorits 1935). 
One of the books of the Pentateuch of Moses (Ex. 14: 1-31) tells of the escape of the Jews from Egyptian captivity under the leadership of Moses. At the behest of the Lord, the waters of the Red Sea were divided before the Jews and closed over the heads of the persecutors. According to folk tales, the Pharaoh warriors who followed the Jews turned into creatures with a human torso and a fishtail. They swim in search of the Pharaoh and shout: “Pharaoh, Pharaoh, Pharaoh!” The pharaohs will become human only on the Day of Judgment, so part of the legends describe how they swim up to ships or boats (or rock them) with the question of whether Judgment Day is coming soon (see Loorits 1935: 40; Kőiva 2018: 63). 
Our representative collection includes 54 texts about pharaohs recorded in the 1920s and ‘40s (for comparison: there are 404 Estonian texts about pharaohs in the archive of the ELM; there are only 12 in Belarusian in the archive of the database of the Belarusian Academy of Sciences have only1). In the Lutsi region (which was Estonian-speaking in 1920–‘40s), in Latvia, the Estonian collector Paulopriit Voolaine recorded texts about pharaohs in the Russian language using the Latin alphabet or in the Estonian language. The nationality of the informant was not always indicated, so we included texts in Esto­nian from informants who had Slavic names. Materials of Russian folklore archives of the ELM strikingly reflect the process of assimilation of Russians in Estonia, many of whom in the second generation were speaking in the Estonian language, although they 
Given that Belarus is a landlocked country, the very fact of the presence of “sea” characters in Belarusian folklore is indicative; 9 of the 12 texts were recorded in the modern period from 1998 to 2018. 

still could pass on the tradition learned from their Russian parents. Latvian records also included some texts from Polish, Belarusian, Roma, or Polish people.2 
Let us consistently consider the collection of Russian texts about pharaohs in the following categories: 1) names and terminology, 2) origin 3) appearance, 4) actions of the pharaohs in relation to people and of people in relation to the pharaohs, 5) acoustic characteristics, 6) habitat. 
NAMES (NAMES, TERMINOLOGY) 
The semantic field of the lexeme“pharaoh” (phonetic variants “paraon”, “paramon”) in the texts of the Estonian Literary Museum unites 1) metaphorical names 2) designations of mythical hybrid characters (half-human/half-fish), the origin of which presumably comes from Pharaoh’s army. 
The word “pharaohs” in a metaphorical sense could mean: 
1. Representatives of theruling aristocracy and power stateinstitutions (kings, princes, police, etc.). 
......... ........ ..........., ...... ...... ......... ........ .......... ...... ... ...... ... ..... – ... ......, ..... ......... [.......] ...... . ..... ........ .......... 
The police were called pharaohs (formerly gendarmes). Where did they git that word – God knows, just such a kind of the street vocabulary. The tsars were also called pharaohs. [ERA, Vene 15, 661 (11) < Setomaa, D. Budowizh village - Olga Brandt < Klaudia I. Znamenskaya, born 1880 (1940)]. 
2. A dirty word. 
.., ....... .........., ..... .. ...... ..... [..... ......]. 
[Children are reprimanded]. Fui, Egyptian Pharaohs, get away from the window! [ERA, Vene 15, 638 (13) < Setomaa, D. Kirshino (Kiršino k.) - Olga Brandt < Pavel G. Shpilev, born in 1865 (1940)]. 
3. Bears (single interpretation) 
....... — ... ....... . ......... ....... ... ........ ......... ..... 
Pharaohs – these are bears in the frozen ocean. They sneak/attackships in the water. [ERA, Vene 15, 645 (6) < Setomaa, Kirshino village - Olga Brandt < Maria K. Lozina, born in 1894 (1940)]. 
Asfor the bears, this interpretation, although single, but perhapsnot accidental, is not so much metaphorical as mythological. In particular, if you recall that, in the traditional beliefs of Estonians, Finns, Scandinavians, and Saami, the drowned Pharaoh army became seals (about the pharaohs in the form of seals, we will talk further). It is possible that the Russian informant identified polar bears and seals by one polar habitat, especially in her message bears-pharaohs pose a threat to ships. 
Belarusian Catholics could feature self-identification “the Pole”, today they call themselves “Poles” not by 
nationality but by religion. 

4. The word “pharaohs” could designate the representatives of peoples (the Gypsies, the Egyptians, and seldomly the Jews. 
......., ... ...... .. ...... ......., ......... ...... 
The Gypsies were thought to be Pharaoh tribes that emigrated from Egypt. [ERA, Vene 15, 598 (21) < Setomaa, Zabolotie / Sootaga village - Olga Brandt < Phrasenja V. Yurkina, 45 yrs (1940)]. 
Some old Jewish woman I meet in Ludza on 13 Krosu Street. III 1934 refers to the Pharaoh’s peoplewho remained in thesea: „.................. .. ........“ /“Seems like Gypsies were chasing the Jews”. [ERA II, 79, 644 < Lutsi, Ludza l. - Paulopriit Voolainen < old female, Jewish (1934)]. 
However, here too, as in the case of the seal bears, the metaphorical meaning is mixed and becomes mythological. Roma in the representations and folklore of different European nations can be identified as descendants of Egyptians involved in the Exodus, 
in connection with which they were marked as descendants of the ancestral line of the 
Pharaoh. The fact that the Roma come from Egypt, according to the names of the Roma in European languages: Gypsies(Eng.), Gitanos (Span.), Gitans (Fr.), Pharao nerek — the 
comes from the name of the biblical Zoan – (......)
Tso’anim Pharao’s people (Hun.), 
province in Ancient Egypt, etc. (see: Strakhov 2004: 282-283). So, let us move on to the mythological meaning of the words “Pharaoh”, “pharaohs”, in which the concept is inseparably linked with the origin of these creatures. 
ORIGIN 
Pharaohs – people-fish, whosenamecomes,accordingto theoralBibles ofdifferentpeoples, from the “pharaohs” – the Egyptians who persecuted the Jews when they crossed the Red Sea. 
The biblical text: 
“And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea 
to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry, and the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry land: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand and on 
their left. And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midstof the sea, even all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. […] the Lord 
said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come 
again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. And 
Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its strength 
when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. And the waters returned, and 
covered the chariots, and the horsemen of all the host of Pharaoh that came into 
theseaafter them;thereremained notso much as oneof them. Butthe children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters [were] a wallunto themontheir righthand andontheir left”(Exodus 14:21–23, 26–29). 

In oraltraditions, thebiblicaltext“is specified”, short, focused on themain activities, it acquires new episodes and details which are not present in the original. 
...... ... ...... ..... ...... .. ...... ......, . .... ..... . ..... ...... ........ .. ..... ....... .. ......., .. .... ........., . ... ........ .... ........, ... ... . .... ........ ..... . ...... .... — ...... ......... ...... [....]..... . .... ...... ..... ... ........ .. ........., . ......... .. ..... 
Moses led the Jews through the Gulf. He hit with the stick, and the water receded. But as Pharaoh hastened with his people after Moses, the waters returned, and they were drowned. It is said that these are pharaohs. Living in the Black Sea – they have human heads, fish legs and themselves are a type of fish. They do not harm people but live on their own. [ERA, Vene15, 394/5 (9) < Setumaa, Kolpino village– OlgaBrandt< Tatiana Federovna Pavlushina, born1905 (1940)]. 
In some texts of the Russian archives, there are “clarifications” about how the event of the Exodus occurred. In particular, it is said that Moses did not divide the sea with a wave of his hand but waved his handkerchief — and a bridge appeared across the sea (a motif peculiar to fairy tales). 
M. T. talks about the difference between the people [of which] the pharaohs and Moses [descended]. 
.. ....... ....... ....... .... ..... ... ....... ...... .... 12 .... ..... .... ....... ...... ....... .... ..... .........; ........ ....., ......, ........ ..... ......, ....... ....... .. ...., ........ 
Masiah was born from a Jewish woman. The Gypsy tsar was Pharaoh. Pharaoh swam for twelve days across the Egyptian Sea. Moses led his people across the sea, grabbed a stick, waved with it, made a bridge: The Gypsies who were chasing them drowned. [ERA II 109, 135/6 (1) < Lutsi - Paulopriit Voolaine < Magdalena Tumaševitš, 80-year-old Gypsy (1935)]. 
Ukrainians have a similar motif associated with the appearance of the bridge. [Trans­lation from the Ukrainian:] And the pharaohs, who are they? It was Moses who led the people through the water. God told him to wave over the water. Moses waved his hand, and the bridge was over the water] (Dragomanov 1876: 96). 
In one of the texts, Moses did not divide the sea but read from the book, “when the sea diverges”. 
Paraons — halffish, halfhuman. Witha headlikeaman, and thetailofa fish.Paraon chased the Jews from Egypt. Moises read from a book, when the sea diverges. He led his people and the paraon drowned with his. They ask: “How soon is the end of the world?” When they say, ‘Soon!’, then they rejoice. Will [dwell] in the sea until a judgment day. [ERA II 109, 138/9 (4) < Lutsi, Nirza v. - Paulopriit Voolaine < Kazakevitš, 70-year-old female (1935)]. 
In the Russian archive of the ELM, there are several original interpretations of the origin of the pharaohs (one text). So, pharaohs descended: 
1. From the Gypsies, who were punished for their pride and disbelief. 
....... ....... ..... ...., . ....... .... ......, .. ........ ..... ... ....... . ......... ... .... (...... .....), . ... ....... (......). ... .... ....... ...... ......... ..... ..... ......, ..... ....... ........ 

The Israelites went by the sea, but the Pharaohs were proud and did not pray to God. They were drowned and made like fish (bottom body) and humans (head). They were Roma. Curly hair. When theweather is nice, they sing beautifully.[ERA II 109, 143 (10) < Lutsi, Plitnitsa village - Paulopriit Voolaine < Mikalina Stachovska, 66 yrs. (1935)]. 
2. From the Jews, who doubted the correctness of the path that Moses took. 
...... ... ........ ..... ..... .... ..... ...... ......... ... ..... ........ ..... ... . ...... .. ...... .......... ....... ... ........ (täh. vaarao) ... ......... . ....... ...., ... ..... ..... .... ..... ...... .. ......... ......., . ......... ..... . ..... .. ..... . .......: “.. ... ....! ..... ..... .........!” .. ... ...... ...... ......, ... ... (.... ....... ...... ..... ‘.........) ........ .. ..... . ..... . ... ........ ..... ....., . ............... ........ ............. ... ...... . ....: “..... .. ...... ............?” ..... ..... ...... ............, ..... ....... ... .. .... 
Moses led Pharaohs through the sea. The tsar began to bother the Pharaohs. They started praying to God. God sent his envoy Moses to them. This ruler (i.e., Pharaoh) was a wizard and a strong tsar, led his people as well through the lake. He led some people through the water, but some went into the lake up to the chest and said: “We took the wrong way! Let’s turn back!” However, when Moses hit the water with a stick so that they (those who wanted to go back) stayed in the sea up to the chest. They had a fish tail, but the top part remained human. They scream in the sea: “Is it Doomsday yet?” When Doomsday comes, they will go to trial. [ERA II 109, 137/8 (3) < Lutsi, Zvirgzden region, Gorka village - Paulopriit Voolaine < Egorov, 75 yrs, Russian (1935)]. 
From the text, it is not quite clear what kind of king “the wizard and the strong king” was, but it is about Moses most likely. Then the pharaohs, according to this version of the legend, are not Egyptians, but those people of Moses (Jews?), who doubted the cor­rectness of the road along which they were led by Moses, and they wanted to turn back. 
3. From the sinful angels that God threw from heaven into the sea. 
........ — .... ......, ... .......... ... ....... . .... . ..... ...... . .... .. ....: “..... ..... k.... .....?” .. .... ....... .....: “.... ... ....., k.... ..... k.... ...... .. ......, .. ........ .. .....”. 
..... ..... ........ ...., ........ ..... ... ..... ...... . ... ..... ...... 
Paramons — were angels, they have sinned. God shoved them into the sea. They shout from the sea to God: “When will the end of the world be?“ From heaven says an angel: “God alone knows when the world will end. Neither the angels nor goruboni know.” When the Day of Judgment comes, the paramons will be like people. Now they have a fishtail. [ERA II 109, 140/1 (7) < Lutsi, Pőlda region - PaulopriitVoolaine < Mutyanka, 45 years. female (1935)]. 
A parabiblical motif of the angels who sinned, of which the spirits of the loci and of the element occurred, became an integral part of the oral tradition of the Slavs, and it is presented in diverse versions (see about Tolstoy 1995: 245–249; Belova 2004: 275, 289,291;Belova, Kabakova2014:58–76,342–350). Themanuscriptcontains anunclear word “gorubons”, it might be a local name of some mythological creatures, though no analogues have yet been found. 

4. From the persecutors of Jesus Christ. 
When Jesus was born, the king ordered many children to be killed. The king wanted to kill Jesus because he was told that Jesus would be the ruler of all. But the angel told the child’s parents to take him to Egypt. When they were running across the sea – they were being chased by the pharaohs. And God closed the sea before them, and they were half in the sea. The part of the body that’s in the sea is like a fish. Starting from the middle to the head, they are completely like all people. They’re black. They mumble (speak dimly). And they sing well and pray beautifully to God. 
When the pharaohs are told that the end of the world will not be soon, they cry. And when they are told that it will be soon – then they laugh and rejoice. 
The narrator says, among other things, that once he had seen one of the Pharaoh in Ludza.[ERA II61,145/6 (1)<Lutsi,Ludzacity-PaulopriitVoolaine<Helena(Gel’ka) Katkevitš, 70 years, Polish, female (1933)]. 
The interweaving of motifs of the Old and New Testaments are characteristic of many Slavic traditions. Magdalena Zowczak notes the symbolic likeness of some persons and events of the Old and New Testaments, which are characteristic of oral traditions of the Poles and other nations: Pharaoh and Herod; the drowning of Jewish children — the massacre of the innocents in Bethlehem, the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt — the Holy family’s fleeing to Egypt; the Pharaoh’s army – the army of Herod (Zowczak 2013: 316). The observation by M. Zowczak is also fully confirmed by the Belarusian material, which apart from such interweaving is also characterised by substitutions: Eve - Virgin Mary (among other things there is a phonetic correspondence: Jeva– Deva, Moses – Christos). The Russian archive also contains a text (ERA II 79, 630/2) where Christ gives Moses a “stick” with which Moses divides the sea. 
In the Russian literature from the 16th to 19th centuries, the manuscript tradition existed about people-pharaohs with different titles — “The legend of the crossing of the Red Sea”, “The Legend of the Moscow merchants about the fish”, “The walking of Vasily Poznyakov”, “The walking of Tryphon Korobeinikov” (for details, see Belova 2004: 292–293, Kuznetsova 2012: 5-14). In the tale of the crossing of the Red Sea, the pharaohs are described as follows: 
[--] .... .. ......... .......... ......; . ... ... ...... ............, . ........ ..., ...... .... ......, . .... . ... ............; . ... ..., ... ....., . ... ......., ... ....., . .. ... .. ...... . .... . ...... ............ . ..., . .. ......... ..... ...... ........., . .... .. ... ....... .. ..... . ......., ..... .. . .... . ... ....... [---]. . .. ... ..... . ....... ..... .... ...... ........, ........... ......,..............,............ [..... 1862: 49–50]. 
[…] the people of Pharaoh turned into fish; those fish have human heads, but there is no body, only one head, and human teeth and nose; and where ears should be – feathers seen, and where the back of the head, there is a tail, and no one eats them. And horses and weapon turned into fish, and on thehorse-fish thereis thehorsefur, and skin on them is thick – a finger in thickness; they are caught and skin from them removed […]. And leather shoes and soles are sewn from the skin. That skin cannot stand water, but if worn on dry land, then it can be worn a long time – for a year they will last. [Pypin 1862: 49-50] 

As you can see, the pharaohs of the “Tales...” and the pharaohs of the oral traditions of different nations are different. The appearance of “literary” pharaohs differs signifi­cantly from the pharaohs of folklore. The “Tales…” describes creatures with one head without a body, while the folklore pharaohs – anthropomorphic or zoomorphic – always have a body. Information about that skin received from converted Pharaoh horses being used for making shoes has no analogues in oral tradition. Also, the literary source does not have motifs about the actions of the pharaohs towards people (questions about the end of the world, beautiful singing, etc.), which are widespread in oral traditions, in particular, in Russian tradition (these motifs will be discussed further). In this regard, as rightly noted by Vera Kuznetsova, “the similarity of the literary version of the plot and Slavic folklore tales about the same events is more of a typological nature, rather than geneticm which is how the mechanism of inclusion of pre-Christian ideas and beliefs brought into this biblical story in its interpretation by the bearers of the folk tradition” (Kuznetsova 2012: 13). 
In some cases, pharaohs as mythological characters can be identified with mermaids. 
........ ......, ... ....... – ... ...........… . ...... ... .. ...! ....... – ... ......... ........ . ....... ... .... ... ....: ......., ......., ... ...... .... ..... .. ...... .......? ... ... ..... .... .... ..... ..... ..... .... ..... – ... ....? . .... (... .......-.. .. ..... .......) ......, ..... ... ......! ... ...... ......... .......... . ....... .........., ............ ............ . .... ... .. .... ......, . ..... ..... .. ..., . ....... ......... ...... .. ......, ... ..... ..... .. ... .. ........ ...., .... . ...... j... ... ... ... . .......… . ...... ... .. ....... ....., . ..... ........! .. ...... ... .. ........ ...... . ..... ...., . ........... ......., ...... ....... ..... . .. .... ......! 
Somesay mermaids aredrownedfolk… Butonlyit’s notso!Mermaids arethePhar­aoh’s spawn. And them, pharaohs, were like this: did you hear how Moses led his folk out of Egypt? He alone had to lead his over one of the sea – how to be? And the enemy (it’s the Pharaohs with their army) is chasing, soon will catch up! So, Moses prayed well and received the words of how to be saved. Something like a dry road was formed in the sea, and people came along it, and the pharaohs chased behind. Yes, but when half of them came to the middle of the sea, the water poured over them. So, they all drowned... But only they did not die at all but became mermaids! And they did not remain in one sea, but settled everywhere, because mermaids know how to walk on land! [ERA, Vene 8, 415/6 (375) < Tartu city < Kodavere parish, Peipsi region – Valeria Jegorova < Anna Lovjagina, 58 years (1936)]. 
Such interchange of characters also exists in the Belarusian traditions. According to modern Belarusian records, mermaids are usually not called pharaohs, even if they have some characteristics of pharaohs: they live in the sea, sing beautifully, are dangerous for sailors whoarefondoftheir singingandbreaktheshipontherocks.Buttheplotaboutthe origin of the pharaohs can be explained with reference to mermaids (Boganeva 2010: 56), similar to the text referred to from the Russian archive. 
APPEARANCE 

The appearance of pharaohs according to the Russian archive of the ELM can be an­thropomorphic, hybrid-anthropomorphic with zoomorphic features and zoomorphic (in the form of seals). 
Most often, pharaohs are described as hybrid creatures, half-human-half-fish, which combine anthropomorphic and zoomorphic features (31 texts). 
...... — ..... ....., . ...... .......... 
Pharaon – has a fishtail, but the head is human. [ERA, Vene 16, 432 (30) < Tallinn < Setumaa, Nartyshovo village –Olga Brandt < Anna Zimova, 40 years (1942)]. 
In one text, the pharaohs have the appearance of anthropomorphic beings, but with one zoomorphic sign — they have webs between the toes that makes them easier to paddle in the water to swim. 
....... . ...... .... ...... ....... . ....... . ...... ......... ... ........, ... ... . ..... . ... ..... .. .... . ...., ...... ..... ........ ........., ... ... ... ..... ......... 
The Pharaohs live in the Black Sea. Women and men with long hair. If you pass, they go into the water. They have the same hands and feet, but between fingers and toes there are flippers, so they can scrape [ERA, Vene 15, 515/6 (13) < Setumaa, Kulje village – Olga Brandt < Andrei Semenovoch Vetlev, born 1875 (1940)]. 
In three texts about the pharaohs, they are described as ordinary people, but there is a sign of other-worldness that distinguish them from ordinary people — they are short.3 
.... . .... ..... ..... . ....: . .... ...-.. ......, ....... . ....... . ...-.! ........ . .... ........ ........, ..... . ..... ..... . ......., ........ ....., .. ...... . .... .... ......... .......... ..... ..... . .. ....... ......., . ... ... ........, . . ....... . ... .... .... ........: «.. ... ....?» — ... . ....... .. . ... .... ........ .... ......., ... .... .... ......., .... ... ...... . ...., ..... ....... .. ....... ... ..... ..... ....., ..... ..... ......, ... . .., ......... 
I went past Drabi Lake and I saw something floating in the water, and I got closer and see what! Floating in the water are little people, a man and woman. The man had a beard, swimming naked, on their back. Well, such little ones. I started throwing stones at them, but they would keep swimming, and I ran away. I should have shouted: “Who are you, people?” and they would have disappeared. But they were Pharaohs. I guess I heard they were the kind of pharaohs that drowned in the sea while chasing the Jews. They’re waiting for the end of the world; then they’re like us again – the people. [ERA, Vene 13, 539/40 (7) < Setumaa, Brod village – Zoia Zhemchuzhina< Daria Beregova, 46 years (1939)]. 
In one text, the pharaohs are compared with cats, but any conclusions about their appearance cannot be drawn based on the text. 
According to Sergei Neklyudov, “much more often the lower mythology characters appear to be very small creatures” (Neklyudov 2012: 85-122). 

. ...... ....... ........., .........., ... ....., ..... .. ..... ... ... ..... ..... .., .. .. ...... .. ..... ........ 
In Vilna, the pharaohs, red-haired, dark as cats, cameout of the water. My son wanted to kill them but missed. They swam to the shore. [ERA, Vene 5, 286 (1) < Setumaa, Staryi Izhborsk < Lithuania, Vilnius – MendaEhrenberg < femalein theretirementhouse(1934)]. 
In one text, the narrator calls the pharaohs “seals”. 
„.......” sőidavad laevadel, nad mőtlevadki kőiksugu laule välja.Paraon” on pool kala, pool inimest. Selle juures nimetan Aleksander „......” („tül’ni”), kel on koera pää. 
„.......” ....... .. ........ . ........... ...... ...... „......” .......... ......., .......... ..... ... .... ......... ........ .. «......», . ....... ....... ....... 
“Paraons” float on ships and dream up different songs. A “paraon” is half man, half fish. At the same time, Alexander calls them “seals”, which have a dog head. [ERA II 33, 72 (14) < Latvia, Lutsi region, Kukuevo village – Paulopriit Voolaine < Maria and Alexandr Kulakov (1931)]. 
The motifs of the transformation of warriors of the Pharaoh into animals or birds (whales, marine fish, certain types of noisy sea birds or seals) are widely known in folklore in the Estonian Islands and in the coastal villages of Livs. In Estonia, the social and economic situation on the islands contributed to this (Kőiva 2018: 12). In Western Estonia, hunting for seals was an importantsourceof food, so themotif of turning into asealis themostcommon (95 texts), it is also known in the folklore of the Livs (Loorits 1926: 159). Records show that the seal was sometimes identified as a mermaid, and mermaids were in the guise of seals. The appearance of a mermaid in the guise of a seal is also familiar to Estonian Swedes: 
Der Neck, eine Art kleiner Teufel in Gestalt von Seehunden mit scharfen Zähnen, zieht den Menschen bei den Beinen ins Wasser. 
Mermaid: a small demon with sharp teeth appears in the guise of a sea dog and drags people by the feet under the water. (Russwurm 1855: 250). 
Narratives about the appearance of the pharaohs in the guise of seals are known in the natural habitat of seals on the Northern coasts of Europe. Since the body of the seal is similar to thatof ahuman, itis believed thatthey too wereoncehumans. Oskar Loorits (Loorits 1926: 159) concluded that the narrative of the Pharaoh warriors is the reason that the Livs treated them with respect, did not eat their meat and did not even want to sell the seal caught alive. In the expedition to Hiiumaa Paul Ariste wrote the following: 
Seals are half-brothers of men. I heard that. They appeared when the Egyptian army drowned. [ERA II 1, 584 (10) < Reigi khk, 1928]. 
Ideas about the pharaohs-seals of the Northern peoples are typologically similar to the Ukrainian and Balkan beliefs about the pharaohs-dolphins. As Ivanov said: 
The wide popularity of the present plot [about pharaohs] is caused by the fact that many peasants of the Kupyansky district4 serve on merchant ships as sailors, the Black Sea and upon a return home tell about the wonders seen by them, including about sea dolphins which, according to storytellers, make Pharaoh’s army. (Ivanov 1893: 82). 
Ukraine. 

[Dolphins] descended from Pharaoh’s warriors, whom God drowned in the Red Sea and turned into fish. (Boškovic-Stulli 1975: 143). 
ACTIONS OF THE PHARAOHS AGAINST PEOPLE AND PEOPLE AGAINST THE PHARAOHS, ACOUSTIC PERFORMANCE 
As the beautiful singing and questions to people (acoustic performance) are inextricably linked with the actions of the pharaohs, we will consider them together. Most often, pharaohs swim up to the ships to ask people a question about the end of the world (14 texts of the Russian archive in the ELM). If people answer that the end of the world is coming soon — the pharaohs rejoice and “sing beautifully”. If the answer is “not soon”, the pharaohs cry with disappointment. In the texts of the Russian archive of the ELM, the pharaohs, as a rule, are peaceful, harmless and do not cause harm to people. Only in one case, it is said that the pharaohs, having heard a negative answer about the end of the world, are in grief and trying to turn away the ship. 
[.......] ........ ....... . ..........: «..... .. ..... .....?» ..... ........: «.. .....!» — ... <...> ..... ....... ....... (...........). [Pharaohs] catch up with the sailors and ask: “How soon will the world end” When they are answered: “Not soon!”— then [they] want ships return (turn). [ERA 
II 79, 633/4 < Lutsi, Tsibla region - Paulopriit Voolaine < Anton Rublevski, 55 yrs, Polish (1934)]. 
Belarusians and Ukrainians have a motif that the Pharaoh singing is dangerous for seamen because when sailors hear it, they repel the pharaohs with shots (Chubynsky 1995 a: 208; Boganeva 2010: 55-56). In the Russian archives, some texts explain why the pharaohs are concerned about this question and answers to it. One of the explanations is that at the end of the world, they will become human again, and it is from them that the “new world” will arise. 
. ........, ....... ......., ........ ..... ...... ... .......... .. .....: «..... .. ..... .....?» .... ........: «.. .....», ..... ... ....... . .... ......., ... ....., ..... ........, .... ...... 
The pharaohs who drowned grew a fishtail. They ask people: “Is the end of the world coming soon?” If they are answered: ‘Not soon,’ then they cry. And if they are said that will happen soon, then rejoice, singing songs.” 
Küsimusele: “Aga kui saab maailmale ots, mis siis neist saab?” vastab A. T.: .. ......: ..... ..... ..... ....., ... . .... .....? ........ .. .. <......... .........>. «... ..... ..... ....., ... ..... ...... .... ......., ... ... ...... ....... ..... . ... .. ..... ....... ....... ..... ... ....». 
To the question: when the end of the world comes, what will happen to them? 
A. T. [Alexander Tumashevich] answers.: “As the end of the world comes, they will be the first to produce light, as they were the first to produce light. They won’t have a fishtail. Will be as people.” [ERA II 109, 130/1 (6-7) < Lutsi - Paulopriit Voolaine < Aleksander Tumashevich, 75 yrs (1935)]. 

In the oralBibles, there is acyclicity in the perception of time (as opposed to the linear concept of time in Christianity) and the idea that at the end of the world someone will remain to start a new world. In particular, such motifs about changing worlds also exist in Polish and Belarusian folklore eschatology (see Zowczak 2014: 201-218, Boganeva 2016: 464-467). 
In ten texts of the Russian archive of the ELM and texts of the Ludza region, the beautiful singing of pharaohs is noted, as it brings together these characters with images of “sea people” singing, mermaids and “sirens”,5 peculiar to the Ukrainian and Belarusian traditions. Thesearenotthesirens ofantiquity,whichfeatureonlytypologicalsimilarities with the East Slavic pharaohs and mermaids. Francisco Molina-Moreno, who studied the question of the ratio of East Slavic mermaids and ancient sirens, concludes that “the relationship between sirens and mermaids could be described not just as parallel, not even as divergent development of mythological characters, but in the form of two lines, which alternately either diverge or approach, and even almost touch” (Molina-Moreno 2015: 220). 
Michal Federowski quotes an informant: “Sirens — the sea people, in a good day they cometothebeach,sitandsing,orcry.Andwhen theyseeaperson, theyask:“Willtheend of theworld besoon?”If they areanswered thatitwillbesoon, they play and splash with their flippers. And when they are said that will not be soon, they cry and shout; because when the end of the world and other people will be, they will not be in the water, but on the land, as we are now, and instead of tails will have legs” (Federowski 1897, 108). Federowski notes that the informant speaks about pharaohs under the name of sirens. 
In the archives of the ELM there is a text that speaks of the pharaohs singing songs, and people “copy” them. 
...... ..... ...... .. ....... ... .... ... ...... ...... .. ... ....... . .... . ..... ....., ... ...... (<..>...) .. 2 ......... ... .... . ....., .. ..... ....., . ..... ...... .......... ... ....... .. ...., . .. ... ..... ..... ....., ... ......... ..... ..... ......., ....... ....... .. ...., .......... ..... ....., ....., .... ........ ........, .... ... ........ ...... (.... ..... ..... .......). 
Musei led the Jews out of Egypt. Pan Jesus gave Musei a stick. As he came to the sea, and threw the stick, so the road [went] into two halves. Where the sea is with water, he threw the stick, and the road became dry. As he crossed the sea, he threw the stick again, so there was the sea again. The pharaohs that were chasing them drowned. When it is warm in summer, and the sun rises, they sing beautiful songs. (A lot of these songs have been written down). [ERA II 79, 630/2 < Lutsi. - Paulopriit Voolaine < Breidak, 60 yrs, female (1934)]. 
Belarusians and Ukrainians also have a motif that songs sung by the people were made by the sea people” (Chubinsky 1995: 208) or by mermaids (BFELA, 83). 
Not ancient sirens (on the ratio and Genesis of images of ancient sirens and East Slavic mermaids see (Moli-na-Moreno 2015: 197-220), and East Slavic sirens, similar mermaids and pharaohs. In general, the nomination of “siren”is notcharacteristicof theEastern Slavs, Fedorowskiintroduces themicroregionalnameof theimage “from Rawhide and Svisloch”, on the Belarusian-Polish borderland. 



Pharaohs at fairs and in other places,    

    the baby in the sea,       

ask about the end of the world,  

the origin and motifs, etc. 
Fig 1. Narratives about the pharaohs in Estonian folklore 

Fig. 2. Pharaos in Russian Collection. 

There is a text in the Estonian archive with the motif of how a woman from the sea asks the sailor to give her medicine to make her human again. 
..... ...... ....... .. .... ....... ...-.., .....-.. .......... ..... ........ ....... ........ . ....... ..... ..... ..... ... ........ ...., .. ........ ..... ...... .. ...., ........., .. ..... .. ..... 
We were going by sea. The woman from the sea asked for something, some medicine. The sailor complied with the woman’s plea. The woman’s fishtail disappeared. She got her legs but lost her speech. Went to balls, danced but had no language. [ERA II 79, 637/8 < Lutsi, Zvirgzdeni village- Paulopriit Voolaine < Urtans, man, 30 years (1934)]. 
An ordinary seaman could get the necessary “medicine” the turned a half-fish-half-human into a woman. Further, the pharaoh lives as a secular woman, but a sign of oth­er-worldness remains: she loses the ability to talk. 
Among the acoustic characteristics of the pharaohs, it is also noted that in addition to singing songs, or crying, or laughing, they can talk in a secret language inaccessible to people (3 texts), produce “inhuman sounds” like squeaking (2 texts), and “pray beau­tifully to God” (1 text). 
The most common among the motifs of human actions in relation to the pharaohs is the motif in which pharaohs are caught in the sea and shown at exhibitions, fairs, zoos (5 texts). 
. ....... .......... ...... ........ .... .......: ....., ...... . ... ... . ....... ..... ........ ......; .. ..... ... ..... ...... . ..... . ..........: “..... ..... ....... .....?” 
A living Pharaoh was shown in Dvinsae. There was a woman: breasts, tits and everything like a woman was. Half a fish; from the belt like a fish. Sat in a barrel and asked: 
“When will the end of the world be?” [ERA II 109, 135/6 (1) < Latvia, Lutsi area - Paulopriit Voolaine < Magdalena Tumashevich, 80 years, Gypsy (1935)]. 
With such texts, narrators assert the authenticity, “not-fairy-taleness” of their stories about the pharaohs, it is a unique attempt to adapt mythologic creatures to the modern reality. In addition, the Russian and their neighbourswere undoubtedly influenced by the tradition of oral stories about the pharaohs in Estonia. The popularity of this tradition is evidenced by the following map. 
HABITAT OF PHARAOHS 
The Slavic texts describe the habitat of the pharaohs. The most common indication is that the pharaohs live in the sea (27 texts). At the same time, in the texts, there are often clarifications related to real seas where the pharaohs are found: in the Black Sea (6 texts), theMediterranean Sea (1 text), of the BalticSea (1 text). Pharaohs can also beassociated with rivers (1 text), lakes (1 text), undefined water space (1 text). 
Itis interesting thatallBelarusiantexts aboutpharaohs areconnectedexclusivelywith the seas (although Belarus does not open to any sea). Modern Belarusian storytellers, as a rule, refer to familiar sailors who told them about pharaohs, or to the Bible, or to anonymous “books” noting pharaohs. 

The motifs of the Russian-language texts of the “pharaohs” in Estonia reveal parallels and correspondences both with the Slavic (Belarusian, Ukrainian, Polish) folk Bibles and with the Estonian, Finnish, and Scandinavian traditional notions about the sea spirits. In all these cases, the biblical narrative served as a template for building new etiological concepts. 
CONCLUSIONS 
The archive texts reflect the existence of mythological stories about the pharaohs and the perception of the events described by the narrators with a view of authenticity. Among our selection of pharaohs, there are texts of different genres (ethiologies, personal expe­rience narratives, memorates, legends (equivalent to the East Slavic genre of “bylichka” describing contacts ofpeoplewith supernaturalcharacters),6 descriptions of beliefs (what pharaohs look like, where they live, how they interact with people, etc.). As a rule, one text may combine the appearance of the pharaohs in connection with the biblical events of the Exodus, a description of these creaturesand evidence of meetings with them. Some texts show that the narrator himself saw the pharaohs; at the same time, some narrators say that the pharaohs were not seen by the narrators, but by some of his relatives or ac­quaintances. Five texts tell us about the appearance of the pharaohs in specific localities (Daugavpils, Riga, St. Petersburg, etc.) at exhibitions, fairs, zoos. Only in one text (ERA II 79, 633/4) does the narrator, after a detailed story about the origin of the pharaohs, refer to eyewitnesses of their display, descriptions of their actions and habits, and somewhat unexpectedly summarises: “That’s nonsense. They [old men] never were there! It’s all fairy-tales.” Whereas the collector of Paulopriit Voolaine mentions between the brackets: “It is strange, but Rublevski believes in many other tales!” 
Thus, based on the analysed texts, we can conclude about the active living state of beliefs in the sea people from the 1920s-‘40s among the Slavs present in the alien ethnic environment. This fact was promoted by the following factors: 1) a close contact of the Slavs with the indigenous population of the countries of the Baltic region (in our case, first of all with Estonians) and the influence of their traditional beliefs in spirits of the sea, which, at the time, were relevant and widespread (see Map 1); 2) the state of the folk religiosity of the Slavs themselves, who predominantly practised the oral transmission of traditional knowledge, including on biblical topics7. 
6 From the viewpoint of storytellers — these are texts about actual events. 7 The dominance of oral tradition among the Slavs in this period is evidenced, in particular, by the volumes of the Russian archive of the ELM (17 handwritten volumes). These volumes contain approximately 1000 mythological texts about the different characters of the lower mythology (nixies, boggards, forest spirits, water spirits, mermaids, bath-house spirits, etc.), evil spirits, people with supernatural powers, werewolves, revenant, 
sworn treasures. 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 
Theresearch for this article was supported by the Centre of Excellence in Estonian Studies (CEES, European Regional Development Fund) and is related to research project IUT 22-5 (the Estonian Research Council). 
SOURCES 
Estonian Folklore Archives – manuscripts ERA; ERA, Vene Skriptoorium – Digital Archives and tool, EKM, department of Folkloristrics 
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MOTIVIKA EKSODUSA V RUSKI FOLKLORI: MITSKA BITJA »FARAONI« V GRADIVU ESTONSKEGA LITERARNEGA MUZEJA 
ELENA BOGANEVA, MARE KŐIVA 

V clanku je raziskana ruska slovstvena folklora, ki se nanaša na biblijski Eksodus s posebnim poudarkom na mitskih bitjih, ki so v izrocilu imenovna »faraoni«. Analiza je osnovana na ruskem gradivu, ki je ohranjeno v Estonskem literarnem muzeju (Estonian Literary Museum) v Tartuju in v njihovem digitalnem arhivu Skriptoorium ter je bilo zbrano med letoma 1920 in 1940 na ozemlju Estonije, Rusije in Latvije v regiji Lutsi, kjer živi estonska manjšina. Izrocilo je prilagojeno slovanskim verovanjskim predstavam in ohranja povedke o bajeslovnih bitjih, ki so jih povezovali z Eksodusom. V clanku je podan pregled najbolj znacilnih motivov, ki se pojavljajo v teh pripovedih; predstavljeni so tudi izvor, podoba in življenjski prostor – habitat teh bajeslovnih bitij, pri cemer je glavni poudarek na vlogi in pomenu mitskih bitij, poimenovanih »faraoni«. 
Elena Boganeva, Ph.D., The Centre for the Belarusian Culture, Language and Literature Researches of the National Academy of Sciences; elboga-neva@gmail.com 
Mare Kőiva, Ph.D., Professor, Estonian Literary Museum, Tartu, Estonia; mare@folklore.ee 
23 STUDIA MYTH O L OGICA SLAVICA 2020 

Božicna jama pri Novi Štifti (Gornji Grad) 
– primer anticnega jamskega svetišca 

This article presents the archaeological and ethnological research of the Božicna jama Cave in Slovenia, Styria region, as a possible shrine of fertility. The archaeological finds from the cave indicate that the cave was used for cult purposes. The authors point out the artificially built circle in the middle of the cave and suggest that it was probably devoted to establishing a cosmic space suitable for ritual purposes. The archaeological finds indicate the symbolism of the Sun, phallus and solar deity which are usually connected with fertility. The Božicna jama Cave is thus far the only archaeological site in Slovenia to be confirmed as a Late Antiquity archaeological cave site that can be assumed to be a 
ritual cave connected with fertility. 
KEYWORDS: ritual cave, stone circle, phallic stalactite, classical mythology, Late Antiquity 
UVOD 
Clani gornjegrajskega jamarskega društva Tirski zmaj že nekaj let išcejo in raziskujejo jame na Menini planini. Najaktivnejši clan društva Rafael Žerovnik je v letu 2016 svojo raziskovalno dejavnostusmeril v severovzhodno pobocjeMenineplaninenad vasjo Nova Štifta, v kateri živi. Strmino je nekajkrat prehodil in pregledoval vznožja skalnih sten, na božic leta 2016 pa sta skupaj z Ivom Sovinškom naletela na dolgo iskano manjšo jamo, za katero so domacini vedeli, da jo je na svojih lovskih pohodih pred desetletji odkril – a nikoli želel povedati mesta, kjer se nahaja – Janez Fale - Prholinski Anza (Sovinšek 2017: 81). (Slika 1) Le nekaj metrov precno od vhoda v manjši spodmol, ki so ga poimenovali Anzatova jama, sta jamarja naletela še na ozko razpoko, zaprto s skalnim blokom, ki je vzbujala upanje, da se za njo odpira jama. Odstranila sta skalni blok, za katerega se je izkazalo, da je bil tja namešcen namenoma, saj za vhodom v jamo ni bilo podornih skal, ki bi kazale na star skalni podor. (Slika 2) 
OPIS JAME IN ARHEOLOŠKIH OSTANKOV V NJEJ 
Vhod v jamo je trikotne oblike dimenzij 1,5 x 0,5 metra, nadaljuje pa se v 30 metrov dolgo poševno se spušcajoco jamo, ki se na dnu izravna v manjšo dvoranico. Jama se le na dveh mestih razširi v dva krajša rova. (Slika 3) Novoodkrito jamo sta jamarja po dnevu odkritja poimenovala Božicna jama. Tla v koncnem izravnanem delu rova so prekrita 

Slika 1: Izsek iz karte 1 : 4450 z oznaceno lokacijo Božicne jame in Podkrajnikove zijalke (vir: GIS portal, Ministrstvo za kulturo). 
z vlažno ilovico. Zaradi bližine površja v jamo skozi stropne razpoke ob vecjih deževjih ocitno zateka meteorna voda in se obcasno nekaj casa zadržuje v koncni jamski dvorani, zato je na skalah in grušcu v njej ilovnat oprh. Kljub odloženi ilovici je jamarjema pozornost vzbudila zložba kamnov, ki spominjajo na krog pravilne oblike s premerom približno treh metrov. Krog je narejen iz podornih skal, ki so jih ljudje pobrali po jami, zato so kamni, ki ga oblikujejo, razlicne velikosti. Ceprav je po jamski dvorani razmetanih vec podornih skalin manjšega kamenja, kijeodpadalo od jamskih sten, se umetno narejena zložba jasno prepozna. Nekateri od uporabljenih skalnih blokov po obodu kroga so nekoli­ko vecji, drugi pa manjši, zato jih je bilo za oblikovanje kroga treba naložiti vec skupaj. Jasno se vidi, da je bilo nekaj 

vecjih kosov skal postavljenih v sredino kroga, tako da se zdi, kot da bi bil morda krog celo prepolovljen z zložbo kamenja, ki poteka po njegovi sredi. (Slika 4a in 4b) 




Ob enem od kasnejših obiskov jame je Žerovnik v ilovici v krogu opazil crn predmet, in ko ga je pobral in ocistil, se je izkazalo, da gre za dobro ohranjen anticni novec, in sicer sesterec Aleksandra Severa, 222–235 n. št.1 (Slika 5a in 5b) Najdba je jamarje spodbudila k natancnemu pregledu jamskega rova in predvsem skalnih niš v neposredni okolici kamnitega kroga. Med kamni kroga in ob jamski steni ob njem so našli nekaj fragmentov loncenine (Slika 6b), fragmente živalskih kosti s sledmi vrezov, ki nastanejo kot poškodbe ob razkosanju živali, v skalni niši ob krogu pa celo posodo 
– trinožnik. (Slika 6a) Trinožnik je rjavo-sive 
barve s stenami debeline 6,8 do 7,5 mm, 
premeromoboda 13,5 cmin višino 8,6 cm. Tik pod zgornjim robom zunanjega roba je okrašen z vodoravnimi vrezi, po obodu posode pa potekajo plitvi navpicni kratki vrezi, ki se nahajajo tudi na treh nogah. Na notranji strani je po celotnem obodu ohranjena crna žganina. Drobec žganine temno rjave do crne barveje bil analiziran z vrsticnim elektronskim mikroskopom znam­ke Tescan-Vega, opremljenim z energijskim analizatorjem rentgenske svetlobe Oxford Instruments, EDX-detektorjem (SEM-EDX). Z elektronskim mikroskopom in EDX-detek-torjem(SEM-EDX) seugotavljaelementna sestava površine preiskovanega vzorca. Z uporabo razlicnih detektorjev (sekundar­ni elektroni, odbiti elektroni) je mogoce spreminjati vrsto oziroma kakovost slike. Z energijskim analizatorjem rentgenske svetlobe analiziramo X-žarke, ki sevajo s površine vzorca, s cimer je možno ugotoviti njenoelementnosestavo.Zanalizo vzorcaiz 
Aleksander Sever – latinski polni naziv MARCVS AVRELIVS SEVERVS ALEXANDER AVGVSTVS, poslednji iz dinastijeSeverov. Rojen leta 208 n. št. v Siriji – Arca Caesarea, umrl leta 235 n. št. v kraju Mogun­tiacum, Gornja Germanija. Vladal je v letih 222–235 n. št. Leta 231, ko je desetic prejel tribunsko oblast, je bil tretji konzul. Ob tej priliki so bili skovani tudi novci z njegovo podobo in oznako 10 (Proleksis enciklopedija: spletni vir), kakršnega je v jami našel Rafael Žerovnik. Ta serija novcev je bila skovana v kovnici v Rimu. 

posode je bilo v njem mogoce potrditi le prisotnost sledi magnezija in aluminija, vecinska elementa v analiziranem vzorcu pa sta ogljik in kisik.2 
Eden od najdenih košckov posode je crno-rjave barve s plitvimi vodoravnimi okrasnimi crtaminavratu in neenakomernim,prekinjenimpasomvalovnicnatrebuhu posode.Leta 2018 je bil v ozki razpoki nekaj metrov pod vhodom v jamo najden še skoraj cel loncek, okrašen z metlicenjem v obliki valovnic, visok 16 cm. (Slika 7) Posode in trinožnik spa-dajo med tako imenovano kuhinjsko posodje antike. Kot datacijski indikator jemljemo novec Aleksandra Severa (222–235 n. št.), zato trinožnik, loncek in fragmente posode okvirno casovno umešcamo v cas od 3. stoletja n. št. do pozne antike, kar je cas do 5. stoletja n. št. (Jamnik in Štiglic 2017a: 43; 2017b: 21). 
Znajdbo novcainlonceninejepostalo jasno,dajejamavcasu, kiganakazujejo najdbe, služila nekemu namenu in da je bil, glede na mesto najdbe novca in fragmentov posod, v istem casu v njej oblikovan kamniti krog. Krog je torej ocitno imel v jami simbolni pomen, saj tako postavljeni kamni ne morejo zgolj služiti za ograditev kurišca v jami, še posebej, ker ni nikakršne nevarnosti, da bi se ogenj kamorkoli razširil. Na to kaže tudi velikost kamnitega kroga, še posebej v razmerju do jamskega prostora, ki je relativno majhen. 
Obisk jame ponuja še eno nenavadno obliko, ki jo, resno ali z nekaj hudomušnosti, zazna vsak obiskovalec jame. In prav to se nam zdi pomembno. Kajti ce to opazijo vsi današnji obiskovalci, so to opazili tudi ljudje, ki so v jami oblikovali kamniti krog in ki so v njej nekaj poceli. Prav nad kamnitim krogom je namrec skupek kapnikov, od katerih eden izrazito, veliko bolj, kot je to mogoce z nekaj domišljije videti v drugih kapniških jamah, spominjanamoško spolovilo. (Slika8) Kapnikiv jamah so velikokratoblikovani zelo nenavadno in spominjajo na vsa mogoca bitja. Kapnik nad krogom, ki je nastal, še preden so ljudje naredili kamniti krog, pa prevec spominja na moško spolovilo, da bi obiskovalci v antiki to spregledali. Ob povezavi kamnitega kroga pod kapnikom, novca in loncenine v krogu ter trinožnika z ostankom žganine, ki bi lahko služil kot posoda za žganje necesa, se kar sama po sebi ponuja misel, da bi jama lahko imela ritualni pomen, povezan s plodnostjo ali spolnostjo. Seveda pa se ta naša ugibanja, zaradi casovne odda­ljenosti in le drobcev materialnih ostankov, ki so bili do sedaj najdeni v jami, zaenkrat lahko gibljejo le v polju možnosti, ki jih najdbe ponujajo. Trdnejše argumente za takšne domneve bi bilo mogoce dobiti z natancno arheološko obdelavo jame. 
Po odkritju Božicne jame so jamarji opravili še natancen pregled le nekaj sto metrov zracne razdalje oddaljene Podkrajnikove zijalke. Jama je bila že znana po arheoloških najdbah, in sicer sulicni osti in železnem dletu, ki sta bila najdena leta 1989 pri testnem arheološkemsondiranju,vendartakratnisoodkrilinicesardrugega.Avtorjiželeznapredmeta umešcajo v srednji vek in navajajo možnost, da bi bili najdbi lahko »osnova pripovedke o gozdnem možu, ki je živel v zijalki Menine planine«3 (Dirjec, Pavšic in Turk 1989: 253). 
2 Za analizo (opravljena je bila 27. 3. 2018) se avtorja zahvaljujeva Nacionalnemu forenzicnemu laboratoriju MNZ. 3 
Povedka pripoveduje, da naj bi v jami nad Novo Štifto živel gozdni mož, ki je ljudem hodil nagajat. Ko so se ženske odlocile, da ga ulovijo, jim je v zameno za svobodo izdal skrivnost, kje se najde premog. Spustile so ga, gozdni mož pa se jim je, ko je bil spet na varnem, posmehoval in se iz njih norceval, da bi jim, ce bi ga vprašale, kje je zlato, povedal zanj, tako pa so izvedele le za premog. Od tistih casov za gozdnim možem ni bilo vec sledu (Dirjec, Pavšic in Turk 1989: 253). 


Slika 5a in 5b: Novec – sesterec Aleksandra Severa, zadaj rimski soncni bog Sol Invictus, 222–235 n. št., teža novca 22,4 g (foto: Pavel Jamnik). 





Pri tokratnem pregledu jamskih tal v prostorni zijalki so jamarji med kamni našli vec le nekaj centimetrov velikih fragmentov loncenine, na kateri pa je kljub majhnosti mogoce prepoznati nekaj elementov okrasitve, dva majhna fragmenta oljenke. (Slika 9) in dva poznoanticna novca, od katerih bolj ohranjen, ki ga je mogoce dolociti pripada Valensu 364-378. Po okrasju sodec bi bila loncenina lahko casovno blizu tisti iz Božicne jame. Oljenka je t. i. volutastega tipa s premazom, ki se pojavlja v arheoloških konte­kstih že v 2. polovici 1. stoletja n. št. Podobna je bila najdena na primer tudi v jamskem svetišcu Žicica v Mostah pri Žirovnici (Istenic et al. 2015: 117–120), zato ni izkljuceno, ceprav domneve ni mogoce podkrepiti z nicimer drugim, da bi bila tudi Podkrajnikova zijalka v funkciji anticnega ali poznoanticnega svetišca. Zaenkrat tudi ni mogoce reci, ali sta bili Podkrajnikova zijalka in Božicna jama obiskovani socasno, vsekakor pa so tudi Podkrajnikovo zijalko, glede na najdene arheološke ostanke, ljudje uporabljali v neki namen v casu od 2. polovice 1. stoletja pa vse do nekako 5. stoletja n. št. ali morda še kasneje v srednjem veku, ce železni predmeti, najdeni ob sondiranju, niso socasni s tokrat najdenimi fragmenti loncenine in oljenke. 
Prav tako zaradi skromnosti arheoloških podatkov o temdelu Slovenije šeni mogoce povezati obeh jam z mesti naselitve anticnih ali poznoanticnih prebivalcev na gornjegraj­skemobmocju. Mordaprihajav poštev gradišceoziromapoznoanticnautrdbanad Bocno (Ciglenecki 1987: 274–275), ki je od obeh jam oddaljena okoli 6 km zracne razdalje in je tudi edino znano arheološko najdišce iz tega obdobja na obmocju Gornjega Grada oziroma v neposredni bližini Božicne jame. 
MITOLOŠKO OZADJE KULTNE JAME 
Na podlagi arheoloških ostankov, najdenih v Božicni jami, sklepamo, da je imela funkcijo kultnega prostora. Ob tej ugotovitvi se postavlja vprašanje, kako potrditi domnevo, da je jama služila obredom, povezanim z rodnostjo, plodnostjo ali spolnostjo. V svetu je vec naravnih jam prepoznanih kot prostor, kjer so se izvajali obredi ali dejavnosti, povezane s plodnostjo (npr. Platon 2013: 155–161). 
Taka dejavnost je v jamah evidentirana vse od prazgodovine do srednjega veka, v nekaterih t. i. prvobitnih skupnostih pa so taki rituali še vedno aktualni, ali pa so bili vsaj do pred kratkim. Ker pa je vzporednice med razlicnimi zgodovinsko oddaljenimi praksami in dejavnostmi mogoce iskati šele ob poznavanju posameznih obrednih praks vsakega od casovno oddaljenih obdobij, se tudi pri Božicni jami znajdemo v zagati. Iskanje podobnih praks ali najdišc v geografskem prostoru, kjer se nahaja Božicna jama, je zaenkrat nemogoce, saj jame s podobnimi najdbami ne poznamo niti na širšem obmocju. V zadnjem sistematicnem pregledu slovenskih jam, v katerih so bili odkriti arheološkimi ostanki, ki jih je mogoce datirati v obdobje od antike do srednjega veka, v cas med letoma 300 in 1200 n. št., je opisanih 37 naravnih jam (Prijatelj 2018). Kar nekaj od v clanku opisanih jam je verjetno služilo tudi dejavnostim ljudi, ki bi jih lahko povezali z ritualnimi ali verskimi praksami. Zato za obdobje, kamor spada tudi Božicna jama, zaenkrat velja le splošna ugotovitev, ki jo zapiše avtorica omenjenega pregleda, 

Slika 9: Fragmenti oljenke iz Podkrajnikove zijalke (foto: Pavel Jamnik). 
da so med 3. stoletjem n. št. in 1. polovico 5. stoletja n. št. številne jame in spodmoli v Sloveniji služili kot rimski kultni prostori. Zdi se, da so bili podzemni kraji posebno privlacni za privržence vzhodnih kultov, vkljucno s kultom Mitre (Prijatelj 2018: 284). 
V našem primeru domnevnega obrednega prostora v Božicni jami se nam, ob odsot­nosti primerjave s podobno koncipiranimi jamskimi obrednimi prostori, zaenkrat v polju materialnih ostalin zdizelo pomembnaprisotnostkamnite strukture, kispominja nakrog z manjšim kupom kamenja v središcu, ali morda v casu postavitve celo s prepolovljenim krogom. Podobnega primera z oblikovanim kamnitim krogom med jamami z arheolo­škimi ostalinamiv Sloveniji ne poznamo. Kot v svoji raziskavi ugotavlja Kim Williams (1999), so bili nekateri rimski sakralni objekti arhitekturno grajeni okroglo in pokriti s kupolo – sfero: tak primer je rimski tempelj Panteon v Rimu. Skupno mnenje avtorjev, ki jih navaja, je, da je v arhitekturi templja moc razbrati model neba – kozmosa, ki ga tvori kupola. Sredi kupole je okrogla odprtina, ki je simbolizirala sonce (Williams 1999: 173, 178–180). Na podlagi podanega primera lahko domnevamo, da so anticni obiskovalci Božicne jame z izgradnjo kroga želeli vzpostaviti kozmicni prostor, namenjen za obrede. V indoevropskih verovanjih je skupnost sestavljala zaprt krog, v središcu katerega je oltar od koder se širi božanska moc. Ograditev prostora s pomocjo kroga, imaginarnega ali resnicnega, je bila torej obred, s katerim so oznacevali sveta obmocja. Kot kažejo ikonografski in literarni viri, sta kolo ali krog oz. krog s tocko v sredini predstavljala sonce (Della Volpe 1992: 94–95; Hertz 1973 [1909]: 13; Mencej 2013: 132). 
Nad kamnito krožno strukturo v Božicni jami je moc opaziti niz stalaktitnih kapnikov, ki spominjajo na moška spolovila. Vidna simbolika falusa bi utegnila biti sredstvo za cešcenje v jami. Nam najbližji znani primer anticne jame, v kateri so castili falusoidno obliko kapnika, je jama Nakovana v južni Dalmaciji na Hrvaškem. V njej so leta 1999 med poskusnim sondiranjem arheologi nakljucno odkrili nedotaknjeno ilirsko železnodobno svetišce. Raziskovalci domnevajo, da so v jami najverjetneje castili moško božanstvo plodnosti (Forenbaher in Kaiser 2003). 

Simbolika kroga in moških spolovil kaže na možnost, da so morda tudi v obravna­vani jami castili neko moško božanstvo plodnosti. Ob tem ima morda vlogo, povezano s takim cešcenjem, tudi najdeni anticni novec – sesterec Aleksandra Severa, na katerem je upodobljen poznorimski soncni bog Sol Invictus, ki je bil sicer zavetnik vojakov in prisoten v mitraizmu. Je naslednik starorimskega soncnega božanstva Sola, zavetnika rodovitnosti, zdravja in poštenosti (Halsberghe 1972: 26). Ce je bil kovanec v jami pušcen z namenom, je bil morda priložen ob priprošnji, povezani s plodnostjo ali poljedelskimi šegami, namenjenimi temu božanstvu. Podobno simboliko, kot jo najdemo v Božicni jami, je v Sloveniji obravnavala Katja Hrobat Virloget (2014). Po mnenju avtorice se tovrstna simbolika pojavlja v Japodski jami, ki se nahaja v bližini Trnovskega studenca nad Ilirsko Bistrico. V njej se nahaja vec v kamen vrezanih petroglifov v obliki kroga s prekrižanim poljem, ki jih Hrobatova povezuje s simboliko sonca. Odlomljen stalaktitni kapnik s petroglifom, ki ga po obliki interpretira kot konjenika – Peruna, je podobno povezala z možno falusoidno obliko (Hrobat 2014: 159–162). Ta interpretacija je zaradi poškodbe kapnika sicer vprašljiva, vendar možna. 
Naslednji indikator obrednega prostora je najdeni trinožnik, ki ima na notranji strani po celotnem obodu ohranjeno crno žganino. Žal z opravljeno kemicno analizo nismo dobili podatka, kaj so v njem žgali. Lahko bi bil namenjen bodisi osvetljevanju obrednega prostora ali pa žganju kadil. Kadila se v kultne in religiozne namene uporabljajo domala po vsem svetu (Eggert in Hensen 2004: 11). Za vse starodavne civilizacije je bil vonj, ki se je sprošcal s sežiganjem aromaticnih biomaterialov, ponujen božanstvom. Tako so se ljudje zbližali z njimi (Tatomir 2018). Zanemariti ne smemo niti simbolike ognja, ki ima pomembno vlogo v vseh verstvih sveta. Starogrški filozofi so ga povezovali z življenj­skimi cikli in ga uvrstili med štiri osnovne elemente (Pyne 2016: 4). Obe interpretaciji uporabe trinožnika kažeta, da bi lahko služil kot predmet, s katerim so v prostoru jame vzpostavljali duhovni ambient, primeren za ritualne dejavnosti. 
SKLEP 
Kot je razvidno iz opisanega, arheološke najdbe iz Božicne jame nakazujejo njeno kultno namembnost.Meniva,danatokažeumetnozgrajenikrogsredijame,s katerimsonajbrž želeli vzpostaviti kozmicni prostor za ritualne namene. Krog bi lahko obenem predstavljal tudi simbol sonca. V jamskem prostoru in najdbah se kažeta še atributa falusa in soncnega božanstva kot simbola plodnosti. Karkoli že je spodbudilo anticne oziroma poznoanticne obiskovalce jame, ki jo danes imenujemo Božicna jama, k obisku in aktivnosti v njej, dejstvo je, da je to za zdaj edino z arheološkimi najdbami potrjeno poznoanticno arheo­loško jamsko najdišce v Sloveniji, za katero lahko domnevamo, da so se v njem izvajali obredi, povezani s plodnostjo. Tudi zato je obcutek za obvarovanje preteklih sledi casa in materialne kulture, s katerim so se na najdbe odzvali odkritelji jamskega ritualnega prostora, toliko bolj hvalevreden. 

LITERATURA 
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sanctuary on the Pelješac peninsula. Zagreb: V. B. Z. Halsberghe, Gaston H., 1972: The cult of Sol Invictus. Leiden: Brill. Hertz, Robert, 1973 [1909]: The pre-eminence of the Right Hand. Right and left: essays on dual 
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THE BOŽICNA JAMA CAVE NEAR NOVA ŠTIFTA (GORNJI GRAD) – AN EXAMPLE OF AN ANTIQUE OR LATE ANTIQUE CAVE FERTILITY SHRINE 
Domen Cešarek anD Pavel Jamnik 

This article presents the archaeological and ethnological research on the Božicna jama Cave in Slovenia, Styria region, as a possible shrine of fertility. On Christ­mas Eve, 2016, the members of the “Tirski zmaj” Caving Club from Gornji Grad discovered a long lost cave in the Menina planina plateau, near Gornji Grad. The most active member of the caving team, Rafael Žerovnik, discovered a Roman coin 
of Severus Alexander dated to around 231 AD. The coin was found in a circular 
stone formation. Near the circle, he discovered some fragments of animal bones with cut marks, fragments of two ceramic pots and a completely preserved tripod pot. The newly discovered cave was named after the day of discovery – Božicna jama (Christmas Cave). 
The archaeological remains revealed common ideas that can be connected to the symbolism of fertility. Such activity has been recorded in caves from the prehistoric times to the Middle Ages, and on to the present times, or at least until recently. The circular stone formation in the cave is built of stones of different sizes. As Kim Williams stated, some Roman sacral structures were architecturally built circularly and covered with a dome – a sphere. An exampleis the Pantheon temple in Rome. The common opinion is that the architecture of the temple’s dome represents a model of the sky – the cosmos. The cave does not have a natural light source; however, in other Indo-European beliefs, the circle represents a community centred on an altar upon which the gods descend and from which divine power spreads. As the iconographic and literary sources indicate, the wheel or circle represented the sun. The authors indicated that the artificially built circle in the middle of the cave was probably meant to establish a cosmic space suitable for ritual purposes, and itcould also symbolizethe sun. Among thearchaeological sites in Slovenia, no similar cave with a formed stone circle inside of it has been found. 
Above the circular stone structure in the cave, a phallic-shaped stalactite grows. The authors assume that the symbolism of the circle and the phallus suggests that a male fertility deity may have been worshipped in the cave. A coin found in the cave depicts the late Roman solar god Sol Invictus, who was the patron of soldiers and present in Mithraism. He was probably the successor of the ancient Roman solar deity Sol, who was the patron of fertility, health and honesty. The authors discuss the symbolism (the circle, sun, and phallus), which can be linked to the fertility archetypes that are important in recognizing the ritual functions of the cave. In Slovenia, a similar case can be found in the Japodska jama Cave, in which a similar symbolism was recognized in circular petroglyphs and a phallic stalactite by Katja Hrobat Virloget. 

The well-preserved tripod pottery with visible traces of burnings offers a pos­sible explanation of its function. The authors interpret the pottery as a possible incense pot or object intended for lighting the ritual place. Both interpretations of the use of the tripod suggest thatit served as an object for establishing a spiritual ambience in the cave space suitable for ritual activities. 
The Božicna jama Cave is, thus far, the only archaeological site in Slovenia to be confirmed as a Late Antiquity archaeological cave site that can be assumed to be a ritual cave connected to fertility. 
Domen Cešarek, univ. dipl. bibliotekar in etnolog, Knjižnica Miklova hiša Ribnica – domoznanstvo, Škrabcev trg 21, 1310 Ribnica, Slovenija, domen. 
cesarek@miklovahisa.si 

Pavel Jamnik, univ. dipl. politolog, Kocna 5, Blejska Dobrava 4273, Slovenija, pavel.jamnik@telemach.net 
23 STUDIA MYTH O L OGICA SLAVICA 2020 



Ozelenela popotna palica svetega Krištofa 

Christians have venerated St Christopher since the Middle Ages. His walking stick, used while crossing the river with the Christ Child on his shoulders, later sprouted and grew into a giant tree. Scholars prevailingly interpret the stick’s greening as a religious symbol. In this paper, I suggest a biological explanation, underpinned by the abilities of revitalisation inherentto many lignin plants species. Additionally, I show thatplanting the 
seemingly dry branch on a riverbank might hold environmental instructions about how to 
mitigate human-caused erosion or similar changes in nature. Being a patron of travellers, the ecological Saint Christopher might serve as a model for the needed greening of the 
fast-growing tourism industry. 
KEYWORDS: legend, story-telling, heritage, SaintChristopher, revitalisation, traditional knowledge, nature, preservation 
UVOD 
V zgodovinskem spominu cloveštva je mogoce odkriti raznovrstne sledi povezanosti cloveka in ostale narave. Vezi so lahko pasivne v smislu, da se vsaka družbena zgodba odvija v nekem naravnem prostoru in casu, ali aktivne, pri katerih se clovekova dejanja prepletajo z dejanji drugih bitij ali naravnimi pojavi. Poleg tega v pripovedni ali likovni dedišcini obstajajo neredko spregledani motivi procesov, ki potekajo med drugimi bitji v naravi, za cloveka pa vsaj neposredno nimajo opaznega vpliva ali pomena (Dobravec 2018: 140–141). Kažejo pa na clovekovo zmožnost opažanja sveta zunaj sebe oziroma 
neinstrumentalen odnos do ostale narave. 
V tradiciji kršcanske Evrope je široko poznan lik sv. Krištofa, ki cez reko prenaša malega Kristusa. Znano je, da so avtorjiv legendarne zgodbe o tem priprošnjiku prevzeli vec ob- ali predkršcanskih prvin. Posebej izstopa pojav popotniške ali oporne palice, ki po tem, ko jo svetnik zasadi na breg reke, ozeleni. Splošen pregled svetniških atributov kaže, da gre za redek, ce ne edini floristicni atribut kršcanske hagiografije, ki dejavno nastopa v skladu s svojimi naravnimi oziroma biološkimi znacilnostmi. Ozelenitev pa-lice se sicer zdi cudež in jo tako tudi razlagajo. Vendar bomo v razpravi videli, da se v zgodbi bržkone skriva odsev opažanjanaravnih procesov ter povsem prakticne stvarnosti odnosov med clovekom in ostalo naravo. 

Raziskovanje odseva stvarnosti zavzema v folkloristiki in sorodnih znanstvenih di­sciplinah pomembno mesto. André Jolles (1929) je na primer že sam nastanek ali iz-um pripovedke kot preproste literarne forme primerjal z realnostjo vzpostavitve in umnega vzdrževanja kmetije. Gre za relativno ozko in nekoliko individualisticno primerjavo. Lutz Röhrich (2001) se je obrnil navzven in realnost cloveka videl v povezanosti s širšo družbo, v kateri ustvarjalci živijo. Tako na eni strani opaža, da so prvobitna ljudstva tesneje vpeta v naravno okolje in je v njihovi ustvarjalnosti zaznati vec odseva stvar­nosti narave. Na drugi strani Kulturmärchen pripisuje bolj »kulturnim« ljudstvom, ki z naravo vzpostavljajo odnose na »naprednejši« nacin, odsev prvobitnosti pa se morda ohranja le kot misticna ali mitska usedlina (Röhrich 2001: 32–33). Monika Kropej je idejo še razširila. Fizicne in duhovne odnose clovek – narava je postavila na isto raven, v (prostorsko in casovno) hkratnost, ki se razlikuje le v svojskosti izražanja: »Tako nas pravljice in povedke popeljejo v pestrost vsakdanjega življenja, hkrati pa nam na svojski nacin govorijo o clovekovi povezavi z naravo, z vidnim in nevidnim svetom, s cloveku nerazložljivimi silami …« (Kropej 1995: 20). 
Pravljice so le ena od zvrsti folklore, v kateri odseva odnos neke civilizacije do oko­liškenarave. Nanekoliko drugacnenacinejerazpoznavna v ljudskih obicajih, npr. tistih, s katerimi še danes oznacujemo letne cikle (božic, pust, kres), ali v mikrotoponimih, ki v ljudskem jeziku izražajo dolocene prostorske ali zgodovinske znacilnosti kraja. Nekatere od takih prostorskih posebnosti potrjujejo topografija ali materialni dokazi arheoloških izkopavanj. Prisotnost likov ali procesov iz narave, ki jih srecujemo v junaških oziroma svetniških legendah, pa pogosto spregledamo. Vendar že pri obravnavi njihovih atribu­tov ali sredstev za dosego ciljev ne moremo spregledati dejstva, da se kršcanski motivi presenetljivo približujejo magicnim pravljicam, pri katerih naravo – predvsem npr. ži­valske pomocnike – folkloristika obravnavava bolj poglobljeno. Mnogim svetnikom pri njihovem delovanju pomagajo naravne sile in z marsikaterim naravnim pojavom, npr. s svetim vodnjakom, stekleno goro ali magicnim pticem, se junaki kršcanskih legend soocajo na podoben nacin kot nekršcanski. Celo nekaj jedrnih prvin kršcanstva vsebuje sledi starejše motivike: živo vodo smo preimenovali v blagoslovljeno vodo, Sveti duh je prevzel nekaj lastnosti carobnih pticev, drevo življenja pa se prenaša v simbolnost lesa Kristusovega križa. 
ZGODOVINSKOST SV. KRIŠTOFA 
Zlata legenda – Legenda aurea(Jakob de Voragine, 13. stoletje) je stoletja zakrivala mnoga zgodovinska dejstva o dejanskem Krištofu, ki je živel v 3. stoletju. Tudi upodabljanje z Jezušckom, ki je nastalo kasneje in danes prevladuje, se ravna po njegovi kršcanski lastnosti in po besedah vecine hagiografij izvira iz imena: ...st.f...., Christophoros, v pomenu nosilec Kristusa. 
Po novejših zgodovinskih raziskavah je bil obravnavani svetnik pripadnik severno­afriškega ljudstva Marmaritov in je kot vojak služil v rimski vojski (Kost 2015; Divjak 2015). Po videzu je bil drugacen od soljudi, domnevno temnejše polti, z izrazito celjustno prognatijo in obrazno hipertrihozo. Zaradi teh lastnosti so ga imeli za pasjeglavca. Pone-kod na vzhodu so ga upodabljali tudi z glavami drugih živali (Newall 1978: 193, 203). Izstopala je njegova velikost in moc. Takrat civiliziranim Grkom in Rimljanom je bila povsem tuja njegova govorica, kar je okrepilo mnenje, da ni povsem clovek. Pred spre­obrnitvijo so ga imenovali Reprobus, kar pomeni brezbožnik, hudodelec ali zlobnež. Po nekdanjih domnevah jeumrlmuceniškesmrtileta251, vendar jeWoods (1994) dokazal, da je cas njegove smrti kasnejši, po letu 300. 

NajstarejšizanesljivipodatekoKrištofukotsvetnikujesicerizleta452,komujebila v Kalcedonu (danes Skutari blizu Istanbula) posvecena cerkev (Kost 2015: 8). 
CEŠCENJE SV. KRIŠTOFA 
Krištof velja za najbolj cešcenega nebiblijskega svetnika v vsej kršcanski zgodovini. Na evropskem zahodu se je njegov kult uveljavil po 13. stoletju, ko je v Zlati legendi opisan kot velikan, ki cez reko prenaša Jezušcka. Vzhodno kršcanstvo je njegov kult deloma crpalo iz še dvesto let starejše koptske Jernejeve legende (Kost 2015: 9). Upodobitve na Zahodu so nekaj starejše: v Rio Meăo na Portugalskem iz 1151, na Južnem Tirolskem pa domnevno konec 12. stoletja. (Benker 1975). 
V 14. stoletju je v srednje- in vzhodnoalpskem prostoru postal eden od štirinajstih priprošnjikov v sili. V zvezi z naravo in naravnimi pojavi so ga po vsej Evropi castili kot zavetnika pred potresom, požarom in slabo letino, pred slabim vremenom, pred epidemijami, zlasti kugo, ter pred poplavami (Mras 1995: 248, 256). Povezava z vodo in reševanjem iz nje je verjetno povezana z atributi njegovih mitskih predhodnikov oziroma s prevladujoco podobo prenašalca popotnikov cez vodo. Vprašljivost zgodb, ki so se napletle po kršcanskem svetu, je sicer pripeljala do vec sporov glede njegovega statusa in celo nekajletne izkljucitve iz rimskega seznama svetnikov (Scott 2010: 79). Vendar ljudsko cešcenje ni nikoli usahnilo, kar dokazujejo mnoge cerkve po Evropi, kjer je praviloma naslikan na zunanji steni (Morer 1905; Kofler 1995; Hahn-Woernle 1972; Glasscoe 1999 idr.). V 20. stoletju so si ga za zavetnika izbrali piloti, vozniki in popotniki. To njegovemu kultu omogoca preživetje tudi v prihodnje. 
Legende o velikanih, ki ljudi prenašajo cez vodo, so bile znane že pred nastopom kršcanstva. Saintyves (1936) tako s Krištofom primerja junake starih sredozemskih ci­vilizacij, med katerimi izstopajo Anubis (Anpu), Hermes in Heraklej. Za egiptovskega Anubisa je znacilna šakalja ali volcja glava, ki tudi po mnenju drugih avtorjev pomeni zgolj drugacno fiziognomijo obraza, morebitno iznakaženost ali pretirano porašcenost. Vendar neposredna povezava med Anubisom in Krištofom ni dokazana, na kar opo­zarja Kretzenbacher (1963: 63), ko komentira Saintyvesa (1924: 376). Anubis npr. ne nosi otroka, je pa res, da s tem atributom ponekod vidimo upodobljena njegova grška naslednika, Hermesa in Herakleja. Možen prenos lastnosti s Herakleja na sv. Krištofa 
– s posredništvom rimskega Herkula – opisuje Schröder (2008/2009). Ti mitski liki, od katerihsopisciverjetnodobilinavdih zaKrištofovelegendarneznacilnosti,atributpalice neredko imajo, vendar ta praviloma ne ozeleni. 

Rosenfeld (1937) žev uvodu v svojo razpravo o sv. Krištofu ugotavlja, daje komple­ksnost njegovega cešcenja mogoce raziskovati samo v povezavi s staro kulturno oziroma kultno tradicijo. S tem dotedanje filološke in hagiografske razprave razširi na kulturno antropologijo in zgodovino. Na 200 straneh seznama pokaže geografsko razširjenost pojavljanja tega svetnika po Evropi; skupaj našteje okrog 3000 krajev (Stern 1996). Kot izvorno središce cešcenja pokaže na alpski sever sedanje Italije, od Južne Tirolske do Koroške, kjer naj bi ga že od 8. stoletja dalje castili kot zavetnika popotnikov. Od tod naj bi se kult razširil na vzhod. Omenja še starejše, a nakljucne podatke o svetniku, in sicer iz Toleda v Španiji, s Sicilije in iz Francije že iz 6. in 7. stoletja. O osrednjem motivu, prenašanju Kristusacezvodo, trdi, daneizviraiz imena, ampak refleksivno izupodobitev iz 12. stoletja, ki naj bi bile še ohranjene na Portugalskem in v Južnih Alpah. Rosenfeld celo izvor besedila Zlate legende uvršca na južno obrobje Alp. Kapfhammer (1974) pa se v podrobni razpravi o cešcenju sv. Krištofa v alpskem prostoru s tem ne strinja. Vendar je že glede na naslov njegove teze kontradiktorno, da na zemljevidu kljucnih lokacij po Evropi ravno obmocje Alp pusti povsem prazno. Kapfhammer, ocitno v svojem prepricanju v »nemško resnico«, sicer izpostavi impresivno število zidnih podob v deželi Koroški, in sicer vec kot 500, vendar s trditvijo, da gre »za najmocnejšo tradicijo v vsem nemško govorecem prostoru« (Kampfhammer 1974: 243). Tudi na severu srednje Evrope mejo pojavljanja podob sv. Krištofa doloci po reki Saale, s cimer na enak nacin kot slovenske Korošce izloci Lužicane in Balte, z izjemo nekaj primerov iz Rige. 
Kretzenbacher v predgovoru k svojirazpravi (1968:1) Rosenfeldovo nacionalisticno nagnjenost pomenljivo ošvrkne z besedami, da je za višjo raven folkloristike v Evropi treba enakovredno obravnavati vzhodno in zahodno tradicijo, kar se mu zdi posebej pomembno za obravnavo sv. Krištofa. Pri slovanskih narodih v južni Evropi tako najde dodatne povezave s pasjeglavci, vendar glede Krištofove hipertrihoze ugotavlja, da se pri latinskih južnih Slovanih podoba s pasjo glavo ne pojavlja (Kretzenbacher 1968: 
62) oziroma da je prinesena. To trditev lahko povežemo z razpravo Konrada Zwierzine (1909: 142–143), iz katere Kretzenbacher v nekaterih ugotovitvah izhaja. Zwierzina namrec na osnovi zapisov Pavla Diakona trdi, da so pasjeglavo podobo Krištofa poznali Berserki, ki so bili odcepljeni rod Langobardov. Kot vemo, so se Langobardi v južno Evropo in bližino slovenske poselitve priselili s severa. Kretzenbacher obravnava tudi atribut ozelenele palice in navaja, da so podobe palice, ki ozeleni v konkretno rastlino, palmo, omejene na tradicijo kršcanskega vzhoda (Kretzenbacher 1968: 59). 
Otto-Hubert Kost (2015) skuša najti za cešcenje sv. Krištofa sveže utemeljitve, ki nas mordanekolikopresenecajo.Mocnosenaslanjanalegendoosv.Jerneju(Bartolomeju)in Andreju, ki jima je pasjeglavec pomagal v stiski. Pri tem tudi on delno uporabi ugotovitve Zwierzine (1909: 138), ki pasjeglavce oziroma ljudožerce s pasjimi obrazi povezuje z ajdi, omenja pa še druga htonska bitja in tudi živalske pomocnike, ki v pravljicah igrajo podobno vlogo kot Krištof v Jernejevi legendi. Kost izvor legend išce še v starosirskih kultih izkrogabogaKumarbija, kiso jih v pisniobliki– prav tako kotkultsam– ohranili Hetiti v svojem glavnem mestu Hatuša (danes Bogazkale v osrednji Turciji). 
Upodabljanje sv. Krištofa na Slovenskem se kulturno in slogovno pokriva s širšim srednjeevropskimprostorom(Golob 1982:20–21;Peskar 1996:310). Srednjeveškeslike, ki so se zgošceno ohranile na obmocju poselitve slovenskih prednikov, motivno vecinoma zvesto sledijo legendarnemu opisu (Kempfhammer 1974; Divjak 2015). Najstarejše segajo do prehoda 13. v 14. stoletje, npr. ob recnem prehodu na cerkvi sv. Janeza v Bohinju, od koder so znani srednjeveški sejmi (Rozman 1984: 6). V Sloveniji je Janez Höfler (1996–2004) svetnikove podobe odkril na vsaj 120 od okrog 400 še stojecih srednjeve­ških cerkva ali njihovih ostalin. V izcrpni predstavitvi fresk je na vec mestih zapisal, da je bil svetnik naslikan prakticno na vsaki takratni cerkvi, tudi na predhodnicah sedanjih barocnih ali novejših cerkva, na katerih so neredko spet upodobljeni orjaški Krištofi. Za razlikoodslik sepripovedi,kijih jerelativnomalo (Divjak 2015:602),nenanašajotoliko na svetnika samega kot na clovekov odnos do njegove podobe oziroma na cešcenje, po katerem naj bi pogled nanjo cloveka varoval nagle smrti. Ob prevladi takšnega verovanja sezlahkaizgubiidejaatributov, kiso povezani z naravnimiprocesi rasti, v našem primeru zelenecega drevesa. Ideja se lahko celo obrne, na primer, v eni od pripovedi velikan ne zasadi drevesa, ampak jih ruva in uporabi za oporo (Gricnik 1995: 426–427). 

Cešcenje sv. Krištofa je na Slovenskem na vec nacinov povezano z naravo. Divjakova (2015) jih razkriva s primeri iz literature. Poleg vloge priprošnjika pred naravnimi nesre-cami omenja, da ga Janez Svetokriški navaja kot zavetnika rodovitnosti zemlje. Motiv seveda zlahka povežemo z zeleneco palico. S poljedelstvom sicer svetnika povezujejo predvsem raziskovalci romarskih navad s Šentkrištofove gore na Koroškem. Tam velja za kruhodajalca (Kapfhammer 1974: 268; Divjak 2015: 521). Poleg tega svetišca na Koroškem stoji še ena podeželska srednjeveška Krištofova cerkev, in sicer na Humu pri Rožeku. Zanjo so od papeža leta 1500 izposlovali stoletni odpustek, kar kaže na njen pomen za okoliško ljudstvo. 
Kot varuh podzemnih ali podvodnih zakladov je Krištof znan v zgodbah s Kocevskega (Tschinkel1931:št. 31) in izKoroške(Graber 1927:353), v povezavis perkmandeljcem, torej rudarstvom, pa iz Bohinja (Cvetek 2005: 206). Kakšen pomen imajo na nekaterih slikah upodobitve razlicnih živali v vodi, cez katero Krištof nese Kristusa, ostaja odprto. Morda jih varuje. Iz gradiv je razvidno, da gre pri njegovi vlogi varuha zakladov bodisi za varstvo naravnih bogastev, rudnin ali drugih virov, bodisi za izgubljene dragocenosti oziroma zlatnike. Zanimivost v povezavi z nekoliko drugacno motiviko podzemlja, katere izvor še ni razjasnjen, je še ena od redkih slovenskih cerkva, posvecenih sv. Krištofu, in sicer nekdanja cerkev ob pokopališcu Navje za Bežigradom v Ljubljani (Lavric 2012). Ce sledimo Scottovi razlagi povezave Krištofa s starogrškim mitom velikana Harona, ki cez reko prevažaduše na drugi breg življenja (Scott 2004: 81–83), gre morda za ostanek predkršcanskih tradicij verovanja v dogajanje tik po smrti. 
Iz kratkega pregleda svetnikove legendarnosti, drobcev zgodovine in razlicnih pogledov raziskovalcev vidimo, da so na zahodu Krištofu pripisali vrline, ki niso izvorno njegove. Scott (2004: 74) upraviceno ugotavlja, da je zgodovinska podlaga legende o sv. Krištofu šibka in da gre za preplet razlicnih mitov in izrocil. Kot domneva, bi lahko šlo za dve osebi, eno iz tretjega stoletja, drugo srednjeveško, vendar se že sam bolj nagiba k uve­ljavljenemu prepricanju, daso bilepoznoanticnemu zgodovinskemu sv. Krištofu lastnosti dodane glede na vsakokratno modo in potrebe. Ker pripisovanje vrlin, kakršne si želijo castilci, v kršcanskih spisih ni redko, praviloma pa temelji na atributih božanstev, ki so jih ljudjepoznali že prej, je ocitno tudi pri Krištofu prišlo do kontaminacije z lastnostmi junakov nekdanjih verovanj. To je tudi metodološko izhodišce za še dodaten korak nazaj in iskanje izvora motivov v povsem primitivnih odnosih med clovekom in ostalo naravo. 

MOTIV OZELENELE PALICE 
Rastlinski atributi v junaških legendah niso redki. V kršcanstvu in tudi drugod poznamo npr. lilije, ki predstavljajo nedolžnost, palmove veje, ki simbolizirajo zmago oziroma muceništvo, ali vrtnice, ki zaradi trnastih stebel kažejo na trpljenje oziroma njegovo osmišljanje. Vendar pri liliji ali palmovi veji neposredne lastnosti živosti ni, pri vrtnici pa je ta zgolj romantizirana oziroma simbolno pogojna v smislu, da iz trnja zraste cvet. Za razliko od drugih znanih legendarnih rastlin Krištofova palica odigra aktivno vlogo: prekine dormanco, oživi oziroma ozeleni, v nekaterih razlicicah pa še zacveti in rodi. Posebnost atributa je tudi ta, da svoje naravne znacilnosti razvije šele takrat, ko ga svetnik odloži. 
Motivaoživljenesuhepalice,kiozeleniin/alizrastev drevo,sicernesrecamoleprisv. Krištofu. Saintyves (1922: 102) našteje vec deset primerov tovrstnih kršcanskih legend, ki jim doda še posamezne sledi iz drugih veroizpovedi in pripovedk. Poleg kršcanskih svetnikov (od katerih mnogi niso kanonizirani v rimskih seznamih) navaja verstva na Japonskem, v Butanu in v arabskem svetu. Kult naj bi se s kolonizacijo prenesel tudi v Južno Ameriko, kjer sicer motiva v predkolumbovskih kulturah niso našli. Po njegovih ugotovitvah so drevesne vrste razlicne in praviloma kažejo na lokalno dendrofloro, kar je glede palme navedel tudi Kretzenbacher (1968: 58). 
Oživljena palica ima v teh legendah razlicne vloge, cešcenje pa razlicne razloge ali namene. Saintyves jih razvrsti v vec skupin: kot simbol nedolžnosti, kot poklicanost k veri, kot prevzem dežele in kot potrditev vernosti. V nekaj primerih je simbolnost kompleksnejša, npr. izpod drevesa pritece še oživljajoca voda, svetnik palico posadi kot dokaz trditve ob krivicni sodbi, grešnik suho palico posadi in jo zaliva s solzami, da bi se spokoril, ali pa gre za ritual, ki je povezan s simboliko plodovitosti. Simboliko dokaza spreobrnitve je na slovenskih primerih spokorjenega grešnika pokazal Milko Maticetov (1965).Plodovitostaliplodnostteologiradiprevzemajoobrazlagirazcvetareligioznosti, »cudež« ozelenitve pa kot dogodek, zaradi katerega so mnogi zaceli verovati (Harbermann 1913: 728). Ob teh motivih pravzaprav težko dvomimo, da ni bil prevladujoce verski že namen pisca Zlate legende, iz katere izhaja vecina kasnejših priredb in tudi raziskav. 
Sam proces (ponovne) oživitve palice vecina hagiografov oznacuje kot cudež. Zwi­erzina (1909: 147–151) pa se izrazi še natancneje: takšno revitalizacijo motivno poveže s pravljicami in jo oznaci kot Märchenmotiv. Za izhodišce sicer vzame latinsko razlicico dela Acta S. Marinae et S. Christophori (prim. Vsener 1866), po kateri naj bi neka žena videla, kako je Krištofova palica cudežno pognala rožne cvetove. Zwierzina potem motiv poveže s svetopisemsko palico ocaka Arona (4 Mz 17,16–28) in suho vejo sv. Jožefa, kakor jo opisuje apokrif Mateja iz Mirne, pri kateri je iz vrška cudežno nastal in odletel golob kot dokaz resnicnosti Božje obljube (PsMt [P] 8.3, glej Ehrmann in Pleše 2001: 148). Kot motiv dokaza posebne ucinkovitosti Krištofove palice ob spreobracanju poganov v kršcanstvo Zwierzinapokaže še na zgodbe, v katerih je na zraslem orjaškem drevesu na vsaki veji pognalo drugacno sadje, iz katerega sta se cedila mleko in med. Te sadeže so ljudožerci (morda pasjeglavci) jedli in tako postali ljudje oziroma izgubili prvotni divji znacaj. 

FITOFIZIOLOŠKI VIDIK – ZASADITEV IN OZELENITEV POPOTNE PALICE 
V primeru sv. Krištofa in njegovih predhodnikov se vecina raziskovalcev posveca njegovi vlogi prenašalca cez reko oziroma nosilca Kristusa, pri cemer ozelenela palica predstavlja zgolj naknadno potrditev, da je junak ustrezno izpolnil voljo višjega bitja. Ta instrumentalni pogled na vlogo palice je verjetno botroval, da so raziskovalci spregledali njeno biološko stvarnost (prim. Dobravec 2017). Motiv je namrec blizu naravnimprocesom, od katerih si bomo v nadaljevanju ogledali tri: sezonsko dormanco, vegetativno razmnoževanje in cepljenje pri lesnih rastlinah. 
Sezonska dormanca, ki v zmernem podnebnem pasu nastopi vecinoma pozimi, je splošna znacilnost mnogih vecletnih rastlin, tudi lesnih. V klimatsko neugodnem casu se intenzivnost življenjskih procesov v celicah in tkivih zniža. Spomladanske spremembe v okolju pa predstavljajo signal za intenzivno regeneracijo, t. i. vernalizacijo, ob kateri se do dolocene mere tudi nadomestijo ali popravijo poškodbe, nastale v casu mirovanja (Pallardi2007:42–54). Pojav jepovsemobicajen privsakoletnemalisezonskemizrašcanju brstov, kjer spremembavlažnostnihrazmer vokolju spodbudihormonskespremembepri listopadnih drevesih (Wisniewski in Arora 2000: 163; Chao 2015: 237–240) ter nekaterih iglavcih (McDonald 2000: 315–316). Vecina teh raziskav je bila sicer izvedenih na sad-nemdrevju, gojenih gozdnih drevesih in kmetijskih rastlinah, vendar smemo sklepati, da podobno velja za vrste v divjini. Ekološko gledano je pojav zimske dormance vezan na dolocene vegetacijske pasove. Na primer, v stalno sušnih predelih je listopadnega drevja relativno malo. Posledicno ljudje nimajo izkušnje neaktivnih dreves, kakršno imamo npr. pri nas v zimskem casu. Clovek iz sušnih obmocij bo zato pricakovano presenecen, ce na videz mrtva drevesa spomladi ozelenijo. Zaradi dinamike reliefa so prehodi med ekosistemi listopadnih in zimzelenih dreves prav v Sredozemlju, kjer je sv. Krištof živel in so nastale z njim povezane legende, dokaj pogosti. 
Rastline imajo zavegetativno razmnoževanjevisoko potenco. Pri nekaterih vrstah – in zlasti ob dolocenih klimatskih pogojih – je to naravna prednost, visoka prioriteta ali celo edina izbira v primeru okoljskega stresa (prim. Gutterman 2001). Tovrstne zmožnosti je pri razvoju poljedelstva s pridom uporabil clovek, in sicer pri pridelavi hrane in pri žlahtnjenju rastlin. Pridelava je pri mnogih prehrambnih rastlinahbolj zanesljiva kot pri (spolnem) razmnoževanju s semeni in lahko odlocilno vpliva na ekonomijo ali preživetje. Spomnimo na primer (ponekod ukazane) uvedbe krompirja, ki je ob povecevanju števila prebivalcev po Evropi odlocilno pripomogel v boju proti lakoti in k vzdržni ekonomiji (Komlos 1998). Krompir, ki so ga prinesli iz Amerike, za razliko od žit in ajde, ki so do tedaj prevladovali v prehrani, vecinoma razmnožujemo z gomolji, torej vegetativno. 

Poleg samega gojenja rastlin za potrebe prehrane je bilo vegetativno razmnoževanje nujno pri plemenitenju rastlinskih vrst. Le na ta nacin so namrec lahko ohranjali trajnost lastnosti, dobljenih po križanju, predvsem koristnih recesivnih, ki bi se ob ponovnih spolnih razmnoževanjih lahko spet zakrile. Glede na starost tehnologije plemenitenja poljšcin, ki jo genetiki za Sredozemlje ocenjujejo na vec kot 10.000 let (Heun s sod. 1997: 1312–1314), lahko sklepamo, da so morali predniki te naravne procese dovolj dobro poznati. 
Sposobnost dormance pa ne velja le za zakoreninjene rastline ali razmnoževalne organe, ampak tudi za nekatere povsem vegetativne dele rastlin. Tu je podobnost s Krištofovo palico najbolj izrazita. Nekdanji clovek je zmožnost dormance posameznih odrezanih vejic prenesel v razvojne procese v kmetijstvu, kar še danes poznamo kot cepljenje sad-nega drevja in razmnoževanje s potaknjenci. V obeh primerih, pri potikanju in cepljenju, posamezne odrezane veje v ustrezni klimi pocakajo oziroma preživijo nekaj tednov ali tudi mesecev. Tovrstno sadjarsko znanje sicer zgodovina pripisuje menihom. Vendar Saintyves (1922: 71) meni, da menihi niso prevzemali le znacilnosti predkršcanskih bo­žanstev, ampak tudi nacine cešcenja in posebnosti njihovih atributov. Dodaja še, da so t. 
i. misticna znanja šamanov prejšnjih religij, ki so se prenašala ustno in med katerimi je bilo nedvomno tudi poznavanje znacilnosti rastlin, namerno zabrisali oziroma v svojih zapisih zamolcali. Sklepamo torej, da so bila tovrstna znanja starejša. 
Ob treh opisanih primerih lahko ugotovimo, da je aktivna vloga ozelenelega drevesa zelo verjetno osnovana na opažanju biološke zmožnosti rastnega tkiva, da po obdobju mirovanja pod dolocenimi pogoji ponovno vzpostavi fiziološke cikle (Denffer in Ziegler 1982:221).S stališcaživljenjskihprocesovvrastlinskemsvetutorejKrištofovaozelenela palica ne predstavlja posebnosti. Ker jo je ves cas namakal v vodo, je možnost revita­lizacije še toliko vecja. Carobnost torej ni potrebna, saj motiv lahko odseva stvarnost navedenih naravnih procesov, ustvarjalci legende ali njenih idejnih predhodnic pa so zglede iz narave lahko med seboj tudi kombinirali. 
EKOLOŠKI VIDIK – UTRJEVANJE BREŽIN 
Pred izumi trajnih mostov so prehodi cez reke povzrocali težave pri trgovanju, selitvah zaradi povecanja populacije, sezonskem delu na razlicnih lokacijah, iskanju hrane ali zavetja in podobno. V primerih prenašanja ali splavarjenja sta bili potrebni spretnost in predvsem izjemna fizicna moc. Ce izhajamo iz Zlate legende, je sveti Krištof popotnike prenašal cez reko zato, ker je bil kot velikan tega sposoben. Reševanje problema se je kasneje razvilo v dober posel. Zgodovina in topografija kažeta, da so se prav ob ugodnih in zato pomembnih prehodih cez reke razvila srednjeveška ali še starejša sejmišca, iz njih pa urbana središca. Prehod cez reko ali vecji potok je torej postal del ekonomije. 
Naravna obrežna vegetacija hitreje tekocih vodotokov je pri recnih prehodih lahko predstavljala oboje: oviro in pomoc. Ce odmislimo povzrocene motnje živalstvu na recnem dnu (morda je v tej smeri treba iskati biološki pomen naslikanih bitij v vodi pod Krištofom), je v vsakem primeru prišlo do spreminjanja oziroma poškodb obalnega rastja. 

Po eni strani zaradi trajnih objektov, ki so jih postavili organizatorji prevoza, po drugi zaradineprestanegaunicevanjarastja,kisoganezavednopovzrocalipopotniki. Posledica so bile erodirane brežine, ki jih je ob kakšnem recnem okljuku obcasna deroca voda še povecevala. 
Še mocnejša dinamika – v širšem smislu prav tako erozija – se pojavlja ob naplavi­nah vecjih rek. Širina in mulj že v osnovi onemogocata stalno postavitev pristanišca, saj se drevje umika ali pa ga sploh ni. Nujna je torej utrditev brežin, pri cemer so vecje in že mocnejše sadike gotovo bolj ucinkovito služile ter se lažje zoperstavljale sezonskim nihanjem vodotoka oziroma poplavam kot naravno zasejano drevje. 
Spomin na ekološki pomen drevja za potrebe preprecevanja obalne erozije kaže zgodba iz Neocezareje (Saintyves 1922: 64), ko je ravno v casu sv. Krištofa tamkajšnji škofo­vski sedež zasedal Gregorij (G........ Ta.µat......, ~210–270). Zapis pravi, da so sadike dreves posadili ob tamkajšnji reki Lycus. Ko so pognale korenine in so se ob njih nabrale naplavine, so nastali umetni nasipi, ki so preprecevali poplave. V obrecnem kraju Niksar, zdaj v Turciji, so Gregorjev model ponavljali še v 20. stoletje. Podoben primer Saintyves zapiše o jablani, zasajeni ob Seni pri Le Havru. Zraven dodaja, da zgodovinarji tudi mitski lik Anubisa povezujejo s plodnostjo, ki jo je reka Nil omogocala s sezonskim poplavljanjem. Ob praznovanju tega dogodka, v mesecu maju, so reki prvotno žrtvovali device, kasneje pa, pomenljivo, drevesne veje (Saintyves 1922: 65). 
SvetiKrištofjepalicozasadilnabregureke.Polegekonomijeobtemdejanjuslutimo novo vešcino odnosa do narave, utrjevanje brežin. To naj bi sicer glede na srednjeveške zapisegigantpridobilod neznanegamenihaaliod malegaJezusa. Smemo padomnevati, da je znanje prinesel iz svoje domace dežele, kjer so sonaravne prijeme in nauke že/še poznali: skrb za obrežno drevesno vegetacijo odlocilno vpliva na trajnostno ekonomijo. Poleg posnemanja naravnega pojava vegetativnih nacinov razmnoževanja in razširjanja je torej ob Krištofu in njegovi palici mogoce zaznati stvarnost clovekovih dejavnosti, ki postajajo aktualne predvsem v zadnjem obdobju aktivnega naravovarstva in so danes znane kot ekoremediacije. 
CASOVNOST OZELENELE PALICE IN LJUDSKI OBICAJI 
Oba vidika, fiziološkega in ekološkega, je mogoce na vec nacinov povezati z družbe­nimi dogajanji, predvsem takimi, pri katerih slutimo ozadje letnega naravnega cikla ali teka življenja. Vecino poznamo tudi na Slovenskem in v konkretnem primeru jih lahko povezujemo z dejstvom, da so nekdaj Krištofov god povsod praznovali v zacetku maja. Pravoslavni ga še danesobhajajo 9. maja. Vnadaljevanju so nepovezano navedeni drobci tradicij, ki morda kažejo na casovno usklajenost cešcenja sv. Krištofa z nekaterimi de­javnostmi ali posebnimi dogodki. 
1. Prva polovica maja oziroma sredina pomladi je dendrobiološko pomembna zaradi ugodnega casa za cepljenje dreves, v praksi predvsem sadnega drevja. Na videz mrtev cepic po ustreznem postopku pripravimo do »oživitve« oziroma oplemenitenja drevesa. Postopki in rezultat, ki so ga razvili ljudje v davnini, v srednjeveških samostanih pa so to znanje zapisali, kaže na impresivno poznavanje fiziologije drevja. Kot ugotavlja že Saintyves (1922: 70–73), bi relativno zahtevne procedure priprave in hrambe cepicev, priprave nosilnega drevesa ter sama vsaditev in vzdrževanje lahko predstavljali tudi osnovo za ritual. 

2. 
Problem recnih prehodov ni le prostorski, ampak tudi casovni, saj pretoki rek ne nihajo skladno s clovekovimi ekonomskimi potrebami. Prav sredi pomladi, ko se v gorah topi sneg in visoke vode tudi poplavljajo, so zaradi trgovine in popolnjevanja zalog, ki so pošle cez zimo, zanesljivi prehodi cez vodotoke dobrodošli ali kar nujni. Usmeritev k vzdrževanju brežin, morda z zasaditvijo drevja, ima tako poseben pomen zlasti ob zacetku sezone. 

3. 
Hermes, kot morebitni predhodnik Krištofa, je bil sin Zevsa in Maie oziroma Maje, iz katere etimologi izvajajo latinsko ime meseca. Maja je bila Atlasova hci in boginja zemlje. Grški izraz µa.a pomeni strašljivo starejšo žensko, ki je pomensko morda blizu Pehti ali Babi Jagi. Ceprav jo na Slovenskem imenujejo sredozimko, njena mitološka podoba ni jasna niti enoumna (prim. Goljevšcek 1988: 35; Kropej 2008: 106–108; Ke­lemina 1930: 18), kar nekaj znacilnosti pa jo povezuje z zemljo in znacilnostmi rastlin. 

4. 
Poznopomladna navada postavljanja mlajev (tudi mvajev ali majev) je znana po vsej južni Evropi. Orjaška smreka, v Beneciji tudi hrast (Kuret 1989 (I): 278), predstavlja ponos vasi. Postavljali so jo lahko le junaki. Zelena je na vrhu, kot Krištofova palica. Ritual, znan po mnogih naših krajih, je sicer nekoliko prilagojen: zeleno drevo posekajo in se potem posuši. Vseeno morda jedro sporocila posajanja mlajev v bližino naselij (poleg ostale simbolike) spominja tudi na idejo o utrditvi okolice oziroma zavzemanju posesti, kakor to kategorizira Saintyves. V primerih, ko je drevo stalo ob vstopu v vas in so ob njem postavili stražo, morda smemo sklepati, da navada simbolizira obrambo, ki se je pri mestnih naselbinah nadomestila s stražnimi stolpi, ob prodoru kršcanstva pa morda prešla v obliko vaških kapelic. Najstarejše, verjetno gotske, imajo dejansko obliko zgoraj razširjenega stebra, kar spominja na obliko mlaja. 


6. 
Doslej neopažena, a pogosta je navada smrecice, ki jo ob koncu tesarskih del tudi na Slovenskem namestijo na nepokrito leseno konstrukcijo ostrešja nove zgradbe. Predsta­vljala naj bi podoben motiv kot ozelenela palica: Saintyves (1922) primere v Burgundiji razlaga kot ritual zavzetja posesti. 

7. 
Trajnejše posaditve dreves lahko razložimo s potrebo po zašciti naselja ali stavb pred naravnimi nesrecami. Tise, lipe, hrasti ali druge lokalno pomembne drevesne vrste imajo ob sakralnih objektih sicer lahko tudi simbolni pomen ali predstavljajo spomin na sveta drevesa verovanj nekdanjih ljudstev (za Slovenijo prim. Medvešcek 2015). Vseeno ne moremo izkljuciti, da imajo drevesa tudi prakticni namen: stavbo ali zaselek varujejo pred vetrom ali utrjujejo zemljino na nekoliko plazovitem terenu oziroma blizu vode. Ne nazadnje, ce smo pozorni, Krištofu po besedilu Zlate legende ni bilo naroceno, naj palico vsadi neposredno ob vodo, ampak ob svojo hišo, za katero le sklepamo, da je stala nekje ob vodi. Ker takšnih dreves kasneje niso sekali za prakticno uporabo oziroma so jih izkljucili iz miselnega polja instrumentalnega odnosa do narave (izrabe lesa), so dosegla visoko starost. Starost in obsežnost je že sama po sebi kazala na trdoživost lesnih rastlin, 



ki je presegala dobo cloveškega življenja. Temu so se ljudje vsekakor cudili in drevju posledicno pripisovali mitske lastnosti. 
Kotvidimo, soozelenitvipalicenaSlovenskemblizu mnogešege,kisedogajajo sredi pomladi ali ob dogodkih, ki oznacujejo nekaj novega, revitalizacijo, novo rast, pomembno spremembo in podobno. Zunanji rezultat je v vseh primerih isti: v vrhu ozelenelo ali plodece drevo, ponekod tudi dodatno okrašeno. 
SKLEPNE UGOTOVITVE 
V uvodnem delu razprave smo kot okvir navedli ugotovitve raziskovalcev pripovedne dedišcine, da zgodbe in njihovi motivi odsevajo stvarnost prostora in casa nastanka. Seveda se najprej pojavi vprašanje, o kakšni ali o kateri stvarnosti govorimo. Za tisto, ki ji danes skušamo nadeti ime objektivna in jo dokazujemo eksperimentalno, ali za stvarnost obcutkov, ki jih je nekdanji ustvarjalec imel ob opazovanju sveta in bi ji rekli subjektivna? Morda celo za stvarnost t. i. informatorjev in zapisovalcev, ki so besedilapo 19. stoletju romantizirano zapecatiliv pisno obliko in jih tako »rešili« pred »zanesljivim« propadom, kot sta po navedbi Lutza Röhricha govorila brata Grimm (Röhrich 1975, Vorwort)? Gre za stvarnost raziskovalnega okvira ali morda stvarnost morebitnega današnjega namena, celo zlorabe?, Kdo danes, ko nas ocara le tehnologija in napredek, pravzaprav še resno jemlje pravljico ali junaško legendo in odsev realnosti 
v njunih motivih? 
Za objekt raziskave smo izbrali motiv palice sv. Krištofa. Posebnost tega na videz obrobnega atributa sicer priljubljenega svetniškega lika je v tem, da ni pasiven. Konkretno, in za razliko od vecine drugih simbolicnih dodatkov, palica ponovno oživi, ko jo junak da iz rok. Ta in podobni pojavi oziroma procesi so se zdeli ali se še zdijo cudežni, cemur je logicno sledila prevlada antropocentricne mitološke obravnave. 
Mitske stvarnosti iz motiva ozelenele popotne palice seveda ne moremo povsem izkljuciti. Nekdanji clovek se je gotovo cudil naravnim pojavim in marsikdaj verjel, da so cudežni. Vseeno pa v tej razpravi opisani vidiki kažejo, da je iz opazovanj tudi uvidel 
– bržkone brez razsvetljensko analitske obravnave, kakršno kot relevantno zagovarjamo danes –,,da lahko nekatere naravi imanentne procese uporabi v svojo korist. 
Ko torej ugotovitve pretežno mitoloških in hagiografskih raziskav pogledamo v luci v naraviprisotnih procesov, postane jasno, da je lahko fiziološka stvarnost revitalizacije rastlinskega tkiva ali organa (palice oziroma veje) povsem naravno stvarna. Podobno je lahko stvaren tudi eden od možnih namenov uporabe teh rastlinskih lastnosti za prepre-cevanje obrežne erozije, konkretno s pomocjo prepleta drevesnih korenin. Oba procesa opažamo v naravi kot imanentna in obstajata brez prisotnosti cloveka. Sklepamo torej, da ju je v obravnavanem primeru v njuni medsebojni povezavi clovek posnemal v svojo korist. V splošnem družbenem smislu motiva Krištofove ozelenele popotne palice pa imamo pred seboj konkretna navodila za trajnostne odnose, v katerih obe strani – clovek in ostala narava – uravnoteženo pridobita. To stvarnost bi lahko imenovali eticno instruktivna. 

JE IDEJA KRIŠTOFOVE PALICE DANES ŠE AKTUALNA? 
V casu, ko se predvsem zahodni svet spopada s t. i. ekološko krizo, se tudi tradicionalna znanja omenjajo kotzaželen pristop k reševanju. Nekatera od teh znanj, predvsem tehniška, so se ponekod na podeželju ohranila v praksi. Druga, morda boljkompleksno tehniška in vezana na reševanje problemov, ki zadevajo obdobje vec generacij, so se, podobno kot družbeni nauki, prenašala z ustnim izrocilom. Ce pomislimo na primer na stoletne vode, velike poplave ali obsežne podnebne spremembe ter trajnostne obrambe pred njimi, jih posamezniki morda v kratkem življenju niso neposredno izkusili. Ohranili pa so se kot bolj ali manj skrit pripovedni motiv, ki ga je takratni umetnik vpletel v zgodbo. S casom je spomin nanje bledel in morda tudi izginil. K prekrivanju je v nekaterih primerih – tak se zdi prav Krištofova oživljena palica – dodatno prispevala prevladujoca in družbeno vznemirljiva miticnost ali kršcanstvo. Opis povsem naravnega pojava in prakticne rešitve je tako zaradi odsotnosti neposredne izkušnje prešel v mit. Poleg tega je bilo morda ob obujanju ali raziskavah tovrstne dedišcine spregledano dejstvo, da so mnogi z naravo povezani motivi nastali v casu pred antropocenom in pred razsvetljenstvom, torej pred obdobjem, ko je clovek – kot smo v zahodni družbi do nedavna trdili – zacel povsem 
obvladovati naravo okrog sebe. 
Na videz primitivna instrukcija sv. Krištofa in njegove palice ima torej uporabno vrednost za današnji cas premagovanja krize odnosov med cloveštvom in ostalo naravo. Za razliko od sedanjih trendov spopadanja s podnebnimi in drugimi spremembami, kjer izrazito prevladujejo tehnološke in politicne rešitve (IPCC 2015), nam navodila, ki jih razberemo iz motivov naših prednikov, kažejo povsem sonaraven pristop. Ocitno je bilo nekdaj pomembno naravne pojave najprej opazovati (v poeticnem jeziku povedano, naravi je treba najprej prisluhniti), potem pa uporabiti rešitve, ki so v naravi že prisotne in delujejo tudi brez cloveške tehnologije in odlocanja. Pravzaprav so to edine rešitve, ki naravnih pojavov ne gledajo izkljucujoce instrumentalno. Pri njih gre za dejansko sodelovanje cloveka v naravnih procesih, ob katerem se odnos clovek – narava uravno­teži. Pojav takih odnosov skušajo filozofi dandanes uvrstiti na podrocje t. i. okoljske ali naravovarstvene etike. 
Poleg tega – in glede na to, da zahodna civilizacija casti sv. Krištofa kot zavetnika popotnikov – nam motivi njegove zgodovinske ali obzgodovinske pojavnosti ponujajo tudidrugainstruktivnaizhodišca,kisenašebiološkein naravovarstvenerazpravedotikajo le obrobno, a klicejo k podrobnejši obravnavi v prihodnje. Poglejmo tri. 
Prvic, prihajal je iz krajev, ki so bili zahodni civilizaciji neznani. Po obrazu in pos­tavi se je znatno razlikoval, govoril je tuji jezik; oznacili so ga za pogana, za suroveža. Njegovo znanje o naravi se »civiliziranim« ljudem ni zdelo verjetno in so ga pripisovali višjim silam. Podoben medcivilizacijski problem imamo danes: prevlada zahodnega na-cina mišljenja in analitske znanosti nam v odnosu do narave zakriva celovitejši pogled, kakršnega so v vecji meri ohranile civilizacije globalnega Vzhoda. 
Drugic, ob preseljevanju ljudstev, kakršnemu smo v zadnjemobdobju neposredno prica tudi v Sloveniji in ki naj bi imelo kompleksne ekonomsko-okoljske razloge, se moramo vprašati, ali »mit« sv. Krištofa ne kaže tudi na podobno stvarnost v preteklosti. Takrat so poleg karitativnega prevažanja popotnikov (morda pribežnikov cez Sredozemlje ali Karibsko morje) ocitno zaznali tudi potencialni ekološki problem, hkrati pa – v simbolnem smislu celovite obravnave cloveka v njegovem okolju – nakazalimožno rešitev s skrbjo za utrditev obrežij s pomocjo naravnih agentov avtohtone vegetacije. 

Tretjic, sporocilo Krištofovega motiva je morda namenjeno popotnikom, ki si tuje kraje ogledujemo za sprostitev in iz vedoželjnosti. Tja prihajamo z drugacnim obrazom in drugacnim obnašanjem kot ljudje, ki tam dnevno živijo. Morda se tudi vsiljujemo, kar povzroca težave. V casu prevlade zahodnega razuma nam za reševanje seveda ne bo zadostovala preprosta antropocentricna (evrocentricna) vera, da bo pogled na sliko zavetnika popotnikov preprecil nesreco. Nesreca namrec ni ali ne bi bila le naša osebna, tudi ne le družbena, ampak širša, ekološka. Za rešitev bo zato potreben vsevkljucujoc ekocentricni pogled na naše usmeritve, pri katerih bomo bolj (o)pazili, da ob naših poteh živijo svoje življenjske procese tudi druga bitja. 
Koncno, zapis Zlate legende, da je palica vzbrstela šele potem, ko jo je Krištof iz­pustil iz rok, morda namiguje, da je pri naravovarstvenih prizadevanjih kakšno od naših dejavnosti treba tudi opustiti in dopustiti ostali naravi njeno lastno pot. 
ZAHVALA 
Raziskava povzema del gradiva za predstavitev pod naslovom To Mitigate or to Adapt? Greening asReflectsin Fairy-tales and Legends. Example of St. Christopher’sWalking-stick. 
Izsledke je avtor predstavil na konferenci združenja ISSRNC (International Society for Study of Religion, Nature and Culture) in socasni posebni konferenci združenja IAHR (International Association for the History of Religions) na Univerzi v Corku na Irskem junija 2019. V diskusijah pred predstavitvijo in po njej so aktivno sodelovale Carrie B. Dohe, Jaana Kouri in irska študentka, ki celostno medicino študira v ameriškem Seattlu. Avtor se jim za njihov tvorni prispevek iskreno zahvaljuje. 
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THE GREENING OF SAINT CHRISTOPHER’S WALKING-STICK 
JURIJ DOBRAVEC 

Saint Christopher, a giant who carried the Christ Child across the water, has been 
widely venerated in Eastern and Western Christian tradition since the Middle Ages. By the 13th century ‘Legenda Aurea’, his homeland was Canaan in the MiddleEast. Besides being nearly 2.5 mtall, his frightfulappearanceemphasised his facial hypertrichosis. Venerators ascribed him some of the characteristics and 
saintly attributes of other mythical giants of the Ancient world, such as Anubis 
(Anpu), Hermes or Herakles. 
To aid in crossing the river, he was using a walking stick. However, this de­vice possessed, according to the legend, some unique characteristics. Following Christ’s instruction, he inserted itinto the soilat theriverbank. Thestick sprouted and grew into a giant tree. The prevailing interpretation of the stick’s greening is now theological: it represents the flourishing of the Christian faith. Traditions across Europe know other explanations, both mythical and symbolical. One of the simplest is that of a greening tree showing the fertility of the land. 
The motif is attractive because this floral element used to be one of the few – if not the only – in the Christian world, in which a divine attribute acts by itself. Its action resembles growth not only as a biological reality but some trees’ capaci­ties, well-known today to plant physiology. I compare the motif with vegetative propagation, seasonal dormancy, and artificial inoculation, all the abilities that fruit-growers understood and employed for centuries. From a biology point of view, though, the motif of St Christopher’s greening stick likely bears some remem­branceto areal-lifeexperiencewith thelifeof trees or even practicalinstructions. 

Ecologically, the instruction to plant trees on a riverbank might suggest how to counter soil erosion in places of river crossings or boat dockings. As commonly known, a net of tree-roots of willow, mangroves, or similar vegetation significantly contributes to the stabilisation of the riverbank, with its dynamics and plasticity even better than the stones or rigid concrete technology commonly used today. 
I moreover comment on many customs in European folklore and mythology close to the motif of the greening tree, for example, the heroes’ attributes in Ancient Greek, planting trees at the Lycus and Nil Rivers, the raising of spring-trees, or the fixing of small spruce at the top of a just-finished roof. For many native beliefs, the tree represents a connection between Earth and Heaven. Furthermore, trees planted at the entrance of the village (later perhaps developed into watch-towers) or near the field of Christian crosses certainly bear some mythical concept, but it is difficult to isolate their practical purpose. 
The present application of ancient motifs and ideas might be diverse. For ex­ample, they suggest to urbanists that not human settlements but shrubs and forests should primarily occupy riverbanks and ocean coasts. Natural features like trees can combat floods or increases of the sea level better than buildings can. 
Finally, St Christopher, still an appealing figure, a migrant and a patron of travellers, stimulates the environmental needs for greening migratory paths and the fast-growing tourism industry. 
Jurij Dobravec, Društvo Jarina Bohinj, SI–4267 Srednja vas v Bohinju 79, jurij.dobravec@jarina.org 
23 STUDIA MYTH O L OGICA SLAVICA 2020 
99 – 118 | https://doi.org/10.3987/SMS20202306 
Image, Function, Meaning, and 

Structure: The Role of Aphorisms in the Kazakh Epic Poem Kyz Zhibek 

In this article, the function of aphorisms in folk song, which also contains lyrical and dramatic elements, is analysed and defined through cultural (mostly folklore) literature, and linguistic methods. The main purpose of this paper is to show the role of the gnomic words generated by folk creators in an epic poem’s plot, their main functions in the de­velopment of conflict and the aesthetic expression of the work. Therefore, the meaning of symbols has beeninterpretedincloseconnectionwiththeactions,archetypes andmetaphors inserted in the structure of the song. Using as an example the song “Kyz Zhybek”, which is a prominent creation in Kazakh folklore, and reviewing research papers on the subject, the present article follows the contrastive analysis in researching the echoes of archetypal traditions in a Muslim cultural frame. Ethnos in culture remains in an attempt to recover the identity of a group using what seems specific in folklore, history, and linguistics and 
to track them in an original ideology articulated on national and universal bases. 
This paper may help researchers when studying folkloreheritage, with understanding the scope of using the aphorisms and the main function actualised by them in folk literature. In addition, the role of aphorisms in a folk song is systematised, and their historical and identity significance is underlined. 
KEYWORDS: Aphorisms, Kazakh folk song, archetypes in folklore and localisation of the motifs, expressive means, romantic characteristics 
INTRODUCTION: KAZAKH FOLKLORE BETWEEN UNIVERSAL AND NATIONAL 
Resulting from the assimilation of archetypal motifs in national folk literature developed under the auspices of romanticism, the Kazakh songs called zhyr have acquired great importance in the attempt to define the specificities of and framing the ethnicity of mo­dern Kazakhstanis. However, the academic approaches to the subject of Kazakh folklore and the attempt to interpret its creations in the wide frame of universal mythology and following their significance to identity have remained minimal. Except for some local or Russian researchers, there are only a few international scientists who have developed an interest in the hermeneutical exercise of decoding symbols in the texts of Kazakh folk poems, and the number of publications in the English language remains quite limited (Aasland 2018, 1-14). 

The main creations generated by ordinary people contain traditions imbued with folk spirit and, due to the general characteristics of the folklore (syncretic, traditional and oral), they have continuously changed their variants. They have sometimes passed into authors’ literature as different layers of intertextuality (Bakhtin 1981, Plett 1991, Robbins 1996, Allen 2000) and a sublime expression of originality and wisdom. In addition, the texts in folklore are the “reflection of social construction and ideology” (Bourdieu 2002, 
137) ensuing in creative activities performed by different folk artists who actualise the variants. The artists perform a discursive action in a group or in a specific situation in a syncreticcontext(dancing, fighting, singing, and uttering lyrics) while being watched by the members of the cultural community, which may be a group, a tribe or a nation. Some categories of texts, such as folk songs, imply an “active imagination” (Jung 1958, 48), 
visualisation and a guided fantasy involving a world in which heroes, marriage-eligible 
maids, parents, or relatives interrelate with their tools. They could also imply tutelary power words as guiding spirits for forecasting fates by seeking wisdom for the community through forms that provide access to other spaces. 
Seen as spiritual manifestations, all folklore creativity in different national tradition is “a mirror of culture” (Dundes 2007, 55), specifically a modality to framing realities and expressing them in words. Some complementary and multilevel perspectives were considered in this hermeneuticalexercise: from the linguistic point of view, the analysis should discover archetypal motifs, patterns and structures, performance styles, and compare narratives existing within and across cultures (Wierzbicka 1997, 36); for the psychological tradition, the text comprises cognitive schemas, content analysis, and semantic networks generated in a cognitive frame or “scene” (Crapanzano 1981, 126, 2006, 381); for an ethnic, linguistic and metaphorical tradition, it is important to discover links between “ethnos and language” (Tolstoi 1995, 33). 
All folk creations belong to an archetypal stock of love stories common to different cultures as themyth of marriage as afoundation and revealing a“diffuse and multilingual mythology” (Bahtin 1975, 163) while being outlined not only by some simple concepts but also by using special eloquent samples of masterful and metaphoric language. It is the case of the content of deep thoughts framed by figures of speech that give a special flavour to Kazakh folk poems, which equally combine epic, dramatic, and lyric elements intertwined in archetypal stories with some specific nomadic, and pastoral touches mer­ged in perfect harmony. More specifically, such a language has a definite impact within the entire plot, starting from the exposition to the rising conflict and its completion as a tragic love story. As an artefact of folklore, the text is “woven, thus it can stand as ready metaphor for any human construction and […] as the final product of folk performance” (Toelken 1996, 12; 20) displaying a syncretism of gesture performance and verbal singing. 
Focusing on the famous lyric-epic song, Kyz Zhybek, and aiming at identifying the parallels between thearchetypalmotifs in folklorethis articlepoints outtheroleof apho­risms as gnomic language by underlining the “theoretical significance of comparative 

studies” (Anikeeva, 2010, 73, Khunagova 2007, 206). Therefore, the primary approach to the subject is, on the one hand, archetypal and cultural, mostly tracking sources of 
the motifs used in the folk song as belonging to universal mythology, and, on the other 
hand, comparative and national, while discovering and interpreting the reverberations of such motifs in Kazakh folklore as an original and perhaps involuntary attempt to define ethnic specificity. By adapting linguistic, literary, and mythological techniques to the folklore settings, the analysis and comparison contribute to the hermeneutical exercise of decoding and interpreting symbols. 
BACKGROUND: FOLK EPIC – CONTENT, STRUCTURE AND SIGNIFICANCE 
Kyz Zhibek is a masterpiece of Kazakh folklore, which adapted archetypal themes like love and marriage, heroism and the myth of foundation to a specific national and religi­ous context, mainly based on nomadic traditions and containing broader Islamic culture 
motifs. The love story recreated the pattern of Romeo and Juliet by transposing a tale into an imaginative space quite similar to the Kazakh one and by embroidering images and words in a well-balanced dosage of traditional genres. This story is projected into mythical space and time resonating some pre-state nomadic organisation and tradition of tribes that have existed in pre-medieval times in Central Asia, as belonging to Turkic ethnicity1. Developing ataslow paceand reflecting themain parts of atypicalepicconflict, the song begins with recreating the atmosphere in the family at the time of falling in love. The initial sets of the story describe in detail the appearance and the character features of the prototypical couple, the lad Tolegen, the son of a tribe’s chieftain, whose family lives in a remoteeastern land of what is now Kazakhstan and his female correspondent, Kyz Zhibek, a maid of similar social condition, owning large fields in the steppes of the central part of the country. As an irrational happening, love drives the partners to fight to surpass all traditional requirements of belonging to noble nomadic families: the couple has to pass all steps of pre-nuptial rituals, such as receiving parents’ blessing, buying the bride, performing dances with horses, fighting the evilembodied by other suitors and ge­nerally persuading the masters to unify their tribes in nomadic communities. The spiritual conflict settled among the main characters of the epos is mostly one between a query for unity embodied by the protagonist, the prince Tolegen, who wants to bring together the main tribes into a great nation after marrying beautiful Kyz Zhibek, and those individuals and warlike people, like his father and his opponent Bekezhan, who prefer keeping the ancientways anddividedtribalpower.KyzZhibekattractedandenticedTolegennotonly 
by her beauty but also by her wealth visible in the richly adorned saddle of the camel, 
covered by furs and in the jewellery made of gold and pearl belt, beads, and earrings. 
For Turkish as different from Old Turkic as ethnicity including mainly history, nomadic cultures, tribal state organiSation, and languages which haveemerged and develop in confluentareas, in CentralAsia, seeBudagov 1997; Clauson 1962, 1972; Dybo 2007; Golden 1991, 1992, 2006, 2011, 2014; Klyashtornyi 2008, Johanson and Csató 1999; Menges 1994; Sevrotjan 1974 onward; Vásári 2004, Zuev 2002. 

When a distinguished chieftainship family of a tribe decided to betroth their daughter to a man as a wife, they celebrated for some days, so the groom’s horsemen were ready to follow all the procedures and waited to take the bride home as soon as the celebration was over and the newlyweds had received the blessing of both families. 
Like other numerous local names, that of the debutant girl – Kyz Zhibek – expresses 
the soft, almost immaterial condition and at the same time conveying a brilliant, noble and 
mysterious situation and an unpredictable fate (literally, the name means “girl of silk”). In contrast, the name of the lad – Tolegen – suggests the masculine heroic potentialities of the protagonist. The eligible maiden has almost the same attributes common to other traditions: she isa nubile young girl, appealing and seducing the mortals with her beauty, ready for marriage and richly adorned for this purpose. As a matter of specificity, she 
is a Muslim maid willing to follow all the rules of traditional wooing and marriage and, 
besides the horse rides and sharing the gifts with her best friends, she practices Islamic 
and nomadic traditions like washing her hands and thanking Allah for a meal by moving 
thepalms over thefaceor treating theyoung girls and fellows with fermentedmaremilk. 
Tolegenmountedhis horseanddepartedtohis homelandtoaskforhis father’s blessing to marry Kyz Zhibek, which at the social level equals accepting the unification of the tribes. While coming back to take her from her parents’ house, after being blessed by his father, the protagonist is murdered by Bekezhan, the other contender to Kyz Zhibek’s hand in the most unjust way: he seems to let him go to his beloved, but in fact, he sends an arrow to the hero, which put him down for death. This uncompleted pre-nuptial ritual, which resembles a myth of foundation through a possible marriage, ends, leaving the tribal social organisation at the previous stage. The heroine gives birth to a son and will be protected by Tolegen’s brother, who married her. 
Archaeology, history, and folk literature throw light on some aspects of the comparable life habits of ethnic communities found at the confluence of civilisations but, at the same time, leave numerous dark corners, which favoured the flourishing of mythology. Echoes of Indo-European and Turkic heroism, initiation rituals, kinship systems, nomadic and pastoral traditions and horse cultreverberate in this poem and prove the original aspects of the myth of love, foundation and pre-state formations as tribes (Kz. zhusy) ruled by chieftains who own vast herds, such as thousands of horses, master the groups of people and are proud of their specificity. As the Kazakh poet Abay Kunabayev pointed out in his Book of Wisdom, “the worst enemy of a Kazakh person is another Kazakh person” (Kunanbayev 2009, 303) and “the force of a nation consists of its unity” (id.:142). 
The classical genres of literature are frequently found in the song: epic, lyric, and dra­matic. What appertains to the epic can be identified in the conflict evolution, characters, space and time, actions, and sets. For setting the initial scene and providing background information about the space and the time, history recovers the classical pattern of tales and generate a “narrative with a multiplicity of representations of the past” (Bloch 1998, 101) via suggested ambiguity through indefinite dimensions of space and time while mentio­ning the main characters imagined as a couple involved in a pre-marital ritual. Developed through the actions of some main characters who are accompanied by tribes’ members and representatives, the conflict evolves from a quiet atmosphere to tremendous events and a tragic end. Although the title suggests a love story with a beautiful maid as a protagonist, it is quite difficult to dissociate and determine what the prevalent topic of the poem is: the cult of ancestors as preservers of traditions, the tragic story of an unaccomplished love, or the heroic background in which battles among the tribes (Kz. zhuzy) amplify the conflict. 

Unlike the classical myth of tragic and possibly unaccomplished love in the poem, a significant difference can be noted: although they belong to opposite tribes, the chara­cters have comparable social status: she is a princess of unique beauty, intelligence, and dedication; he is a knight and the son of a very rich noble (Kz. bazarbay) and a hero (Kz. batyr “hero”)2. In some folk traditions, the hero’s virtues might be the synthesis of the great features of nomadic identity and become personages of old stories of battles coming down to this time and being preserved in collective memory in some main types: the founder, the ruler, and the eligible lad. They are paramount leaders and men of physical endurance and strength allied to moral qualities, such as boldness and propensity for plunging into dangerous adventures like archery, hunting, conquering new places, and settling down as well as demonstrations of wisdom. 
As a marriageable lad, both a herder and a warrior, the hero demonstrates his powers in the functional context created by his future wife; among some pretenders, he is the chosen one sought by divinity as seeking to win his bride and unify the divided tribes made of people dominated by envy from different parts of the country. He leads armies and drives big groups ofhorses intoritualisticround dances, travels long distances betweenhis home and tribe to the furthest lands where his future wife lives. Both families have their own rules of castes, their tribal organisation and the traditions of the marriage become an attempt of accommodating opposite ideas and establishing a bigger state organisation ruled by a wise chief. 
The woman has a functional role in the hero’s life of providing the context for him to demonstrate his winning qualities of seeking to conquer his bride and form a family and a dynasty. The main female character, Kyz Zhibek, plays the most important role in choosing the hero of her story: in an archery ritual executed with covered eyes, she first moves in a circle with two arrows, selects one and sends it to a place meant to be the centre of her new world. Winning a bride displays a “heroic vision on marriage common to ancient Turkic traditions in all its forms such as wooing, capture, negotiation” (West 2007, 247). Kyz Zhibek is a nomadic princess riding horses across the endless steppe and generously sharing gifts with her female friends, who will become her bride maids in the marital rituals. Therefore, her future husband does not rescue her after passing some “spiritual quests” (Eliade 1984: 34) meant to accomplish perfection and to prove his heroism but followings more a traditional modality of asking for a blessing from both families and especially by the fathers. Although abduction is a motif found in ancient and medieval Armenian and Caucasian cultures (Colarusso 2002, 150) and still performed in present-day Kazakhstan, the pre-nuptial ritual follows the rules of asking for hand and soul, wooing the bride and receiving the permission from the parents of the maid. 
For the ranks among Kazakh nobles, their description and role in the tribal society, see Kunanbayev 2009: 
298-299. 

At the same time, the marriage becomes a myth of unifying some tribes into “nomadic confederations” (Cheng 2018, 124) and founding a new order of the world, first because some pretenders sought the hand of the beautiful maiden who defeats numerous suitors before finding her match and, second, because through marriage together with the new noble family, a dynasty of khans will be born. In summary, as in other traditions, the heroic, marital and foundation motifs are intertwined in a tapestry combining archetypal dimensions and specific ones like nomadic, pastoral, and Islamic. The suitors are nume­rous, and this makes the bride so desirable that the men of distinction fight for her hand. 
The betrothal is simpler than in other traditions consisting of choosing the most be­autiful girl from some groups who ride caravans of camels, giving/offering and taking, a visit of the bachelor’s friends to the maiden’s parents, who are endowed to permit the girl to marry the prince. Sharing the gifts imply in the poem a “contractual exchange’’ (Mauss 1966, 15) visible in some moments of the narrative: first, as a steppe duchess riding a horse as the female protagonist shares her jewellery with the other maidens in thetribein asupremegestureofgenerosity;second,acceptingthegifts becomes themain step of accepting the proposal of a knight coming from remote areas and riding a white horse; third, the hospitality of nomadic people is revealed in sharing fermented mare’s milk with all female and male members of the community while presenting the future bride with furs, jewellery and colourful clothing. In the old Turkic ritual of “buying the bride’”(Mustafina 2001, 30), among some significant presents offered to the damsel by her future sister-in-law are a richly adorned cape whose name implies the sun (Kz. saukele is a compounded word from sau “sunny”, “beautiful” and kele “head” is a part of Kazakh female celebration and wedding attire) and is worth one hundred horses, rich cattle or even a khan’syurt. Alongside this decorative piece of female attire, some motifs belonging to agricultural and nomadic traditions bring specific aspects to the general ritual of gift exchange in the process of engagement: while entering the maid’s shelter, the future couple is blessed by the girl’s mother who throws over the newly formed couple seeds as a gesture supposed to induce fertility into the new pair. Meantime, outside of the nomadic shelter and pre-nuptial place, the best maids offer furs of different animals for inducing richness in cattle of the newly formed couple and showing their nomadic dowry. A piece of precious fur goes around the margins of the cape being the first circle of decorations and distinction on the bottom of this conic shape. 
A widespread motif of Turkic traditions (Dzhumagulov 1960, 72) can be noticed in the pre-nuptial ceremony: the couple sleeps together for one or several nights with a chastity golden belt and a sword placed between partners. As female and male symbols put together on the bed, clothes, the magic objects, are purified after being passed over a fire function at the same time, as signs of separation and unification. The girl’s mother veils them with delicate silk clothes and formulates the interdiction of having sexual intercourse prior to the coronation marked by the wedding ceremony. However, even though they have not yet received the groom’s father’s acceptance for marrying Kyz Zhibek, the maid shares her pearls and undoes her tresses in a gesture of accepting the proposal and promising to be devoted to her future husband. Both gestures of spreading the pearls around and unplaiting the tresses mark the ritual of separation from her family and to some extend the symbolical loss of virginity and the passage to the new condition 

of a married woman. 
The universal motif of a horse together with chariot symbolism common to ancient traditions at birth, wedding and funeral “widely spread about 3600-3400 BC in today Ka­zakhstan” (Anthony 2007, 203, Walker 2015, 35), resonatesin different facetsin Kazakh folklore, either as a sign of distinction, delicacy or noblesse and richness appropriate to the high condition of the bride princess or groom knight. It also resonates in symbolic dances performed by horse riders during the pre-marital rituals and as a sacrifice. Recently, an embracing couple buried together with a horse, jewellery and items such as cauldrons belonging to the Bronze Age excavated in Karaganda region (Stewart 2018) prove the ancient practices of chariots, chivalry and horse riding in different parts of the country. Wild stallions are tamed by skilled lads and dance near the wall of the nomadic fortress, where the princess works and prepares clothes for the future husband. Mounting the horse of the futurehusband represents another significant momentin accepting the proposaland an act of spousal nature, a significant stage in the rite of separation and the last step of leaving their own space followed by the beginning of a newlife under the husband’s roof. 
Interestingly, as the real wedding has not yet happened, all these images are projected in the groom’s imagination and exposed in melodic words as reflections of thoughts while moving from his house to his wife’s shelter. Finally, the horse given as a gift to Tolegen as a messenger of fate goes to the hero’s father asking to be blessed. It has all the attributes of a mythological animal with white skin, was born in a witch’s hut, bred with embers and has waited for his master to tame him. 
As for dramatisation in both discourse and actions, not only is the dialogue relevant but so too are the tragic situations of the protagonists: between the initial plans and re­ality, numerous changes occur in the structure of the plot generating a conflict between the forces of good and evil. Although the girl is prepared to marry the prince and has accepted his proposal, her actions while waiting for the chosen lover to come back from his parents’ house reflect other specific and nomadic motifs, such as guarding the cattle, raking hay for horses or even visiting the blue mosque in the middle of the steppe to ask for divine support. 
Analysing individual works of living folk traditions, we often pay attention to the ideas and images, plot development, variety of genres, but also to various artistic means. Nevertheless, it would be appropriate to note that the poem specifically belongs to the universal heritage of folklore, and it is expressed by allegorical means, mainly aphorisms and proverbs. Just a few attempts have been made so far for integrating the Kazakh folklore into an extended frame of interpretation as universal myths and for following the role of proverbs in defining identity. However, whatever work of folklore is taken into consideration, the special function of this correlation of image/motifs to myth denotes a longprocess ofassimilation andrepresentation throughwhichthelifeofpeoplehas been filtered through a sieve of national consciousness and tradition and finally established in the language. 
In Kazakh folklore, one of the distinct species found at the genre interference is the category of lyric-epic and dramatic poems called “zhyr(s)”. Their common specific feature is also manifested in thematic consonance; for example, it is not an exaggeration to say that all nations of the world have heroic and ethical poems built on love themes. “In general, the theme of love is archetypal and traditional for the folklore of all nati­ons and all times. It is also widely and fruitfully developed in the pearls of the Kazakh lyric-eposes Kozy-Korpesh - Bayan Sulu and Kyz-Zhibek’ (Azibayeva, 1998, 119). It can be said that among the Kazakh folk songs, these two works stand out for their wide distribution among the people, their constant use of performers, the significance of the plot and the imagery of the language. In the process of the vocal performance of these works, attentionis drawn to their motifs that are disclosed separately from other poems. Since these ethical creations are performed orally, their rhythm and tune are different. This characteristic speaks of another specific feature of the lyric-epic poems. 

The hero wins his fame in combat, and it is closely associated with deeds of battle, foundation, and love. As a fame seeker, he knowingly and willingly takes risks at the cost of his life: Tolegen is required to ask for permission to marry Kyz Zhibek and to ask his father to lay aside vanity and accept the unification of their tribes into a bigger state formation. After duelling with his competitors to recover his honour in the right battle, the protagonist should encounter his opponent’s father and die on the way back to his lover. Through his death, the hero transcends his mortality and is assimilated, together with fighting men to the category of founders and rulers, who are honoured by the community in their songs and recognised to be as wise as their ancestors, who have defended the same ideals of unity. Like in other traditions, the hero lays his high fame of glorious deeds and makes a name for himself, thus infusing the community being with the grandeur of sacred personages of a society of warriors. 
Wherever the origin of aphorisms can be found, they were formed on a folk basis at a certaintimeas anexpressionoftraditionalwisdom.Therearealsocertainreasons forthis. “Actually, aphoristic genres in their diverse varieties - sentences, maxims, reflections or thoughts, paradoxes were formed in the era of classicism with its normative poetics with strictly genre regulation and close attention to the stylistic form” (Zhirmunski, 1987, 6). 
In folk works of art, numerous images have been passed down from generation to 
generation through oral channels, and many artistic and moral values have been accu­
mulated. In the process of using these values, various cultural traditions of neighbouring 
countries were assimilated and used at a certain level. 
In starting the analysis of aphorisms used in folklore sources, it is impossible to circumvent the problem of the text, because the inseparable relationship between the words in folklore and the content of the text is obvious (Dianova 2010, 51). In science, in general, there are enough opinions about the historical, linguistic, meaningful and semantic features of aphorisms3. 
Nalichnikova 2016, 122, Bagapov, Gasheva 2016, 60 

DISCUSSION: IMAGE, FUNCTIONS AND MEANING CONVEYED BY APHORISMS 
As simple time narratives of multiple representations denoting the past and the way an ethnic group thinks, the poems do not contain details on heroic deeds of courage and boldness, as in classical epos, but the essence of the work is devoted to the love of a great knight, Tolegen, for a beautiful girl, Kyz Zhibek, transformed by folk imagination into a prototypical mythical couple. Suitably so, the historicity of the characters “does not long resist the corrosive action of mythisation” (Eliade 1959, 42) 
The beginning of the event is shaped in twists and turns with structures characteristic of folk traditions for legends and associated with the search for the groom (Kz. jigit) by the bride (Kz. kalyndyk). These “aphoristic words” (Korotkih 2016, 114) often used in folk poems are found in this work at the very beginning. For example, the first hero’s action draws the audience’s attention when Tolegen went to choose a bride without the permission of his parents. His mother hurries him, and she reaches her goals by an instru­ctive combination of sounds and words. In these lines, the expression “to the righteous” means gifting the noble or the sinless with a horse, and the bad or the sinner with the ram, which are often found in our folklore traditions as symbols of a high condition or a poor one. Two main conflicts are suggested at the beginning of the poem: first, the protagonist does not obey parents’ advice and does not ask for permission to start his search for the bride; second, two opposite conditions are set at the beginning of the adventure: the rich and the poor. The main specificity of this combination lies in the fact that in antiquity, after the death of a person who was considered to be a righteous one during his life, he deserved the respect of all people. As a result, they sacrificed cattle with the wish that he would be their patron, supporting their wishes like a totem that protects the soul of the man during his afterlife. 
It is no exaggeration to note that this tradition has retained its basic specificity to this day and continues like the testament of the fathers, the words left by ancestors to subsequent generations and it is mainly based on the knowledge and education of humanity. Seen as a knowledge transfer, the ancestors’ words give life-competence to the followers in the form of concepts or thoughts associated with words (Albekov, Alpysbayeva, Auyes­bayeva 2017, 33). The presence of gnomic words in the texture of the song improves the expressiveness of a work of art, and it is believed that while they are being uttered, they have a magic impact on a person. They actualise a function similar to that performed by traditional artistic means in folklore (Yuldybaeva, Mingazova, Kayumova 2017, 667). As allegorical expressions, the aphorisms contain, together with comparisons, metaphors, and symbols, some rhythmical instruments meant to bring musicality to the poem. Used in a single consonance sound, repetitions improve the beauty and the attractiveness of words as in the wish expressed by Tolegen’s mother: 
“Mother has come sobbing, /The father is sitting, suffering, /Many enemies that are jealous / Will be ready to come back.” 
(Kz. Anan keldi zarlanyp, / aken otyr sandalip, / kore almagan kop dushpan, / syrtynan keler qamdanyp.) 

Contributing to the exposition of the poem, the space and indefinite time of the plot, together with the parents’ subtle feeling of anticipation, forecast the initial and possible tragic dimensions of the conflict evolution: the quiet shivering atmosphere suggests a storm that is coming. The verbal epithets for father and mother contrasting the motion and sitting, related by the same mournful anticipation are correlated to the unknown and imprecise number of virtual enemies guilty of a sin: jealousy. The combination of “Kore AlmaganKopDushpannan”(manyenemies thatarejealous) appear onthebasis ofdeeply meaningful words in the proverb “Dushpany kore almaidy, agaynyn bolip bere almaidy” (The enemies are envious; the relatives cannot share his bitterness). The meaning of this expression may be that if one suddenly becomes the owner of some kind of good, then the enemies, of course, will look with envy, and if one’s encounter any difficulties, then one’s family will not be willing to help. As in other folk traditions, the verbalisation of concepts originates in the life experience. 
The events of the epic are exposed in a strict form similar to one of the “beads in a thread”. Even metaphorical expressions are arranged in a specific order and repeated as the events’ representation in a logical succession of actions in the plot. As an expression ofarchaicsociety,thecreationofacosmologicmodelimplies atleastthreeelements:the emergence of a hero acting as a creator of a new world; the occurrence of the opposite forces that explain the conflict evolution and the act of foundation based on a spiritual search and sacrifice (Eliade 1959, viii). When some details of the mythical events (Osmu­shina, Ingle, 2016, 417) are introduced, they are also not included in the replay process. This feature of the epic works was underlined by a Russian scientist: “The laws of the epos do not allow two heroes to act simultaneously in different places” (Propp 1975, 93) and the use of repetitions of individual words occurs at the end of the verse lines. As a result of this, even the ancient patriarchal environment, people who have seen a lot in their day utter their words in a certain rhythm in the form of sayings, and this becomes a traditional phenomenon. 
For example, Tolegen’s mother, in a conversation with her son, points out the beauty of a prototypical hero whose features are very natural, suggesting the main dimensions of a nomadic leader, who must be beautiful, brave, and rich. In Kazakh traditions, these are pre-conditions of becoming a ruler, namely being a bay or a batyr“boyar, governor”: 
“The beauty of your land will be in a tale about willow, /The beauty of the river will be in the precipice, /The beauty of a horseman will be in cattle richness. /If you have rich cattle of deer/Then you will become a khan.” 
(Olkenin kork. tal bolar, / ozenn.n kork. zharbolar, / zh.g.tt.n kork. mal bolar, / malyn bolsa, karagym, / karah basyn khan bolar.) 
The landscape is made of some significant motifs that reverberate with the universal symbolism of willow as a bridge between this world and the afterlife (Mencej 1996, 31­35, Colarruso and Sabiev 2016, 72-73) and suggest the highest rank of Kazakh nomadic knights. Retaining similar meanings in different traditional cultures, the willow symbolises “thepoweroflifeandrapidgrowth,vitalityandregeneration”(Tolstoi1995,333).Inthe Kazakh epic, it occurs in a story about the beauty of a land destined to be conquered and mastered by the young knight. The hero meant to become a knight, and a khan should pass all the quests of initiation. In this nomadic world of cattle breeders, the horseman’s profile develops as a master of the field and a future leader of people. 

The image is articulated by suggestive motifs of naturalness which denote the rich symbolism of primordial elements (air, earth, water) and project the shape of the knight into the cosmic landscape having the tree as a protective centre of his world. The folk collective imagination created in minimal details a cosmologicalmodel projected in the mirror of the water and, in an indirect story comprising the bank of the river, the richness of the hero and the shiver of the willow. At the discursive and lyrical levels, the word for the future implying a condition, bolar, is repeated at the end of the first three lines and at the end of the strophe itself, augmenting the idea of crucial events expected to happen and improving the suggestion of inner rhythmical movement. This phonetical, semantic, syntactic, and prosodic pattern of underlining the rhetoric of the poem was recovered in later individual poems denoting the “value of folklore for the classical literature of Kazakh authors” (Aktulum 2017, 34). 
The method of plot development, namely the way of organising events, noted in the content of the epic works, in the traditions of the Kazakh folk poems is associated with the philosophy of Dzungars or Kalmyks tribes whose members wanted to convey through the history of love a myth of heroism and foundation (Artykbayev 1997, 87). The meaning of this method can be said to convey to the listeners, to their consciou­sness, the idea that the events described in the stories are taken from life as it seems obvious in the epic Kyz Zhybek. One of the matchmakers is Kalmyk khan Koren. At first glance, it may seem that this is a particularly worthy plot. However, we can note that the creator of this epic does not deviate from the main tradition. As a Russian scholar elegantly put it, “the emergence of the epos as in the form of public consciousness is associated with the specificity of the historical situation and the internal laws of the development of society” (Volkova, 1984: 8). The quests the hero should pass for ob­taining the maid’s hand are meant to prove his heroism and to reveal his intelligence, all features of a knight who is preparing to become a husband and a ruler. Therefore, the pretender at the princess’ hand is more resourceful, attractive, and smarter than his opponent, Koren, although they are almost in the same position of chiefs of the tribes. The hero should fight the monster, in this case, the competitor in the bride search, and instruct the brother, who may become his successor at the throne and have to acquire the right skills of heroism and wisdom. The roles in the court hierarchy are metapho­rically exposed by the khan’s assistant, Karshyga, who is the elder friend and the best man of the main hero: 
“You are my young bush on the river bank, /My winged horse, which has escaped 
forward. /The white horde of horses was where you went, /You have lived an interesting 
life so far. /Why are you sad?” 
(Kolge bitken quragym,/ suyrylyp ozan pyragym, / aq orda boldy kyrgyen.n, / qyzyq dauren surgen.n, / nege qapa bolasyn?) 
Tolegen’s portrait, as presented by his close friend, reveals the status of a chosen knight, who is appreciated by his fellows and deserves the love of the most wanted prin­cess in the land. Built in a gradation, the image of the prince is attractive and natural: the hero is compared with young shoots of reed thickets growing in beautiful places and a winged horse, which overtakes hundreds of other horses. These comparisons have been known since ancient times and are related to the type of acting image. At its core, a winged horse is a special type of steed often found in legends and myths that came to Kazakh folklore either from the east or the west. In the Islamic faith, the winged horse refers to the type of steeds living in paradise. Its peculiarity, unlike other horses, is that, compared with other horses, he is strong, slim, speaks like a man and has wings for flying. 

It is an individual in the form of a horse. At its core, this is understandable to an attentive 
person. The artistry of national epic works and the language features of their use were influenced by famous heroic epics. 
The conflict is developed in simple lines with minimal actions and sets projected in imaginative possible stories and suggestive characters ready to experience a spiritual journey and to accomplish the triple condition of a founder, a husband, and a ruler. In Kazakhpoetry,theeligiblemaidens havealmostthesameattributes as in Indo-European traditions expressed in the sun glowgoddess features: they are nubile young women, who appeal and seduce mortals, are ready for marriage, and adorn themselves excessively. Strong maids live the indoor life dispensing wisdom and choosing their partners as a modality to build a family and a dynasty and to escape from the place they are seclu­ded. The colours of their garments and hair are also significant as their attire is made of silk, their hair is golden, and their jewellery demonstrates their status: a necklace with diamonds and a silver crown. Mounting the horse of the future husband represents the acceptance of the proposal in the gradual process of leaving her place to follow the man with whom she will start a new life. 
In the epic Kyz Zhibek, there are significant places where aphorisms are used regu­larly,ofteninagroupedformsupportingimages,givingthecorrectdiscursiveexpression and assuring the inner musicality of the poem. Such cases suggest the long-term use of these metaphors and symbols believed to be also associated with a person’s mood. More specifically, they are used almost automatically when a person is very happy or, in contrast, very upset. For example, at the moment when Bekezhan comes to Kyz Zhebek and informs her about Tolegen’s death, Kyz Zhebek’s complex answer can be said to be completely built in the style of aphoristic words: 
“Damned Bekezhan! /Don’t show up to me /Finished your job. /How could you de­cide /To raise hand on /A such person? /May God give you back /What you did to me, /Damned rogue! /God damn you /Who spawned me. /Let your wife and children cry. / When will you feel bad /Let no one come to you.” 
(Atanalet,Bekezhan!/Korsetpemagantus.nd.,/b.t.r.ps.n.s.nd.,/qaytypkoz.nqudi eken, / sol sek.ld. mus.nd., / aldyna .udai kelt.rs.n, / magan an qylgan .s.nd.. / Atana lagynet, qaraqshy! / Qudayim sen. qargasyn, / t.nir. men. zharatsa, / qatyn, balan zar­lasyn, / basyna qyin .s tusse, / qasyna eshk.m barmasyn.) 
In the last six lines of this passage, built in the form of curses, the construction of the song performed in the second instance of a failed marriage is based on the model of aphorisms found in consonance with each other. It should also be noted that themes such as the problem of revenge are often found in epic works. More precisely, a blood feud is more often used in the heroic epic, and it is found in other forms quite related to the symbolism of brothers and expressed by the fight for revenge among certain heroes. In the epic Kyz Zhybek, the heroine’s six brothers take revenge for Tolegen’s death. They will kill Bekezhan, restoring through blood and sword her favourite suitor’s honour. The frequency of this motif widely used in the epics is stated in the works of researchers of Kazakh folklore (Dyadyun 2017, 59) where the wedding has become a tragic saga of courtesy and redemption, with the bride in the central role. 

The aphorisms and metaphoricalwords occur not only in the plot but also in the ima­gination of heroes who conspicuously address their ideal bride in dreams or discourse. As a master of the house, the bride is imagined as stepping out into her courtyard to draw water from the lake, where she at once recognises her groom riding a horse and discovers the good features of people whom he will rule. 
As a myth of foundation, the ideal marriage has become a good modality of acquiring wisdom for founding a kingdom. The wisdom of the future ruler is shown in his compre­hensive vision of people and the world while returning from acquiring the bride. Signi­ficantly, in this discourse about the qualities of a land master, the protagonist indirectly prepares his brother as a successor while forecasting a tragic future and initiating him for the new condition of being a possible ruler. The hero’s discourse projects the career of his brother and imaginatively transfers his responsibilities in the case of unexpected and unfortunate encounters and underlines the power of the words as representations of the thoughts. A coherent poetical expression of water symbolism reverberates in subtle echoes of mirroring, reflection and a spiritual journey of the protagonist meant to become a ruler of the land after surpassing all the obstacles and becoming the wisest in the realm: 
“Getting close to the best, /You recognise the virtues of people. /Located in a beautiful 
land. /You will recognise the merits of the lake. /So, you will know the virtues of the 
word, /Deep in thought, /It affects the soul of man.” 
(Zhaqsylarmen zhanasyp, / el qad.r.n b.lgeys.n, /suly zherd. qonys qyp, / kol qad.r.n b.lgeys.n, /terennen kes.p tolgaytyn, /k.n.ld.n koz.n qozgaytyn, / soz qadyryn bilgeisin.) 
The main topic of the poem is love between two young people, but the story is pro­jected in a wider field of heroism and traditions, which transform the aspiration to an ideal romance in a tragic story of death before achieving true the dream of love. A prototypical love story was adapted to a nomadic context, and an original expression of romance and heroism can be found not only in folk creation but also in other forms of art, such as the film version of the poem, also called Kyz Zhibek. A good sense of friendship and fairness is conveyed alongside Tolegen’s wishes addressed to his brother and successor Sansyzbay. Amplifying the feeling of uncertainty, the second part of the elder brother’s advice for his possible successor points out the importance of communication with the people in the realm and the amplitude of the self: 
“Havingputeffortintoanybusiness,/Youwillbefriends withyourequalself./Listen to these words of mine /My successor Sansyzbay, /Getting close to the best, /You will recognise the virtues of people.” 
(Talap qylyp ar .ske, teninmen oynap-kulgeys.n, bul soz.md. tyndagyn, zhetk.nsheg.m, Sansyzbay, zhaqsylarmen zhanasyp, zhurt qad.r.n b.lgeys...) 

The aphoristic value of each line is obvious as expressed by the combination of advice settled in the present simple and imperative forms and the future tense as a way of marking the potentialities of a leader able to discover the virtues of his community. Having set off to his beloved, Tolegen could not reach his main goal of taking her to his parents’ house because he died in the hands of Bekezhan, his opponent, for the hand of a beautiful girl. There is such an interesting detail in the epic: before closing his eyes forever, Tolegen saw six geese flying in the sky and talked to them to convey greetings to his native land and to his relatives. According to the idea adopted in the epic, the ge­ese have a mandate to deliver Tolegen’s word. It seems that this episode is used on the basis of the concept adopted by the people, who, connecting geese with swans, consider them sacred, holy. In contrast, this episode correlates with surprising phenomena, more precisely, with features of magical use. In epic works, the use of magical phenomena is a common circumstance (Dzhumaeva 2018, 194). 
Another situation in which the aphoristic words are used is the image that combines the metaphors with exaggerationby referring to the comparative method as a persuasive tool of oratory. Nevertheless, this method has found application at a certain level and in the works of Kazak national folk poets called akyns or zhyrau embodying two types of creators, namely keen on detail and nuanced respectively on the general description of the plot. Tolegen’s mother reveals an entire scene of food symbolism in relation to her perso­nality and the role of meat, bread, butter and honey in the Kazakh culinary folk tradition: 
“I said rump, but she gave under-fat (tidbit), /I said sugar, she gave honey, /Gave bread, smearing it with butter. /Gave a variety of food. Raised, holding on the palms, / Forgive, if he was capricious.” 
(Zhayadesezhalbergen,/sheker desebalbergen,/maygasalypnanbergen,/ar aluan as bergen, /alaqandap osirgen, / yerkelik_kylsam kesh.rgen.) 
These are Tolegen’s thoughts about his mother. In the understanding of the Kazakhs, the opinion that under-fat is more expensive than the rump, honey is more expensive than sugar, butter is more expensive than bread turned into instructive words, and in a certain rhythm, excellent adhesion is transmitted in the form of an order to descendants. The cuisine of Kazakhs reflects a rich specificity and symbolism either by the presence of horse meat in their dietary or through comparative expressions on different sorts of meat and sweets. 
Pre-state organisation and envy among the tribes reflect a stage of evolution in the life of Kazakh society, and it is expressed in the hierarchy of the groups. As in Turkish tradition, in which the sultan has some advisers and deputies who participate in the army and judgement, in Kazakh tradition the khan has some hierarchically organised nobles called bi “respected, wise person”. When one of the prominent three biis of the Kazakhs, Kazybek bii, went with the ambassadors to the Dzungarian khan in his childhood, critical people praised Kazybek, saying that although he was a child, it was clear that he would become the leader. The spouse of the khan who considered Kazybek a child said to him: “The one whom you consider to be a hair cutter, as if turned out to be a fighting horse, the one whom you consider to be a crow, no matter how it turned out to be a falcon”. It directly corresponds to another popular expression: “There is no falcon with an intact wing; there is no horse with a whole hoof”. These aphorisms are used without change in theepicKyz Zhibek, underlining theimportanceof hunting with falcons for thetradition of nobility and the specificity as a sign of identity still actualised in the identity of the nation. 

“No falcon with intact wing, /No horse with a whole hoof. /An order came from Allah - /No reimbursement of a life lived.” 
(Kanaty but.n sunkar jok, / Tuiagy but.n tulpar jok. /Alladan uk.m kelgen son, / Ote­shek om.r sury jok.) 
As birds of freedom flying through the air, eagles have been recovered as markers of Kazakh ethnicity in modern times, and they are represented on the nation’s flag together with agricultural and mineral resources suggestions of wealth projected in a blue-sky background. Together with the horses as a symbol of ancestry and heroism, these birds make complete the image of aspirations and ethnic specificity called “Kazakhness as a civilisational endeavour” (Mkrtchyan 2014, 16). 
This folk poem of Kazakh folklore preserves interwoven motifs and myths of ne­ighbouring traditions like love and marriage, taming horses and making them dance, hunting with horses and eagles, taking the bride to the husband’s house, the journey to an ideal love tragically ended by the protagonist’s murder, water and willow as symbols of self-reflection and wisdom, all harmonised in an original story which has acquired some religious touches of Islamic traditions. 
Almost all motifs encountered in the folk epic Kyz Zhibek belong to a “common inheritance” (Watkins 1995, 414) of interfering civilisations and displaying local details mostly generated by the assimilation of universal traditions into a nomadic and pasto­ral society – an ethnic group that adapted them to the religious standards of Islam. As mythological topics, they were analysed in this paper from a comparative point of view combining some main perspectives: folklore, linguistics, and overall ethnic dimensions for tracking the similarities of such legendary material which confirm a specific symbolism. 
CONCLUSIONS 
The folklore of Kazakhstanis as members of Turkic ethnicity and Muslim religion has transformed artistic forms of elements of ancient mythological concepts and images. The folklore tradition organisesthe world with the help of original formsand situations, while 
the everyday social reality has become a source and an instrument for making sense of 
the life phenomena revealing their genesis and role in defining ethnicity and specificity. 
Filtering archetypal traditions through the sieve of religion and assimilating myths in an original reverberation have been suggestive modalities of building up a national ideology of identity, in which the sacral geography, the ancient history, the folklore, the language and Islam represent the main axes. 
In folk traditions, the maid’s beauty and the hero’s virtue and wisdom might be ce­lebrated for generations or centuries as usually such characters have lost their identity and become legendary and prototypical personages. The folk imagination projected a historical couple and its extended family into an exemplary heroic and tragic love story transforming a marital event into a new scene relevant for humanity and more specifically for Kazakh spirituality. Through bravery and love motifs united in an original myth of foundation, the lyric-epic poems offer models of heroism and morality considered to be definitory for Kazakh ethnicity. The beautiful maids and the horsemen attempt to surpass 

their condition and to climb to the heavens in an allegory of integration into the cosmos. 
Conquering a new land, winning a bride and attempting to settle a new order in a realm by unifying the tribes into a bigger pre-state formation equals an ascension into heaven and his image will be preserved in the collective memory. 
The use of aphorisms in the epic Kyz Zhibek as well as in other folk songs in Kazakh folklore is quite common, and the function they perform is diverse, spanning from con­figuring realities to giving expressivity and musicality to this genre. The aphorisms have a special impact on enriching the artistic characteristics of folk songs, on helping with the quick perception in the national identity of the events described here. The metaphors contained in aphoristic expression bring a specific rhythm of utterance, contributing to the beauty of the singing and, thus, the positive impression of the listening audience. Overall, the aphorisms contribute to the understanding of traditional poetical methods 
of working with allegorical words. 
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IMMAGINE, FUNZIONE, SIGNIFICATO E STRUTTURA IL RUOLO DEGLI AFORISMI NELLA CANZONE POPOLARE KAZAKA “KYZ ZHIBEK” 
MUHAMMADGALI ABDUOV, NAZILYA ABDUOVA, NICOLAE STANCIU 

In questo articolo, la funzione degli aforismi nella canzone popolare, che contiene anche elementi lirici e drammatici, viene analizzata e definita attraverso i metodi culturali, principalmente folcloristici, letterari e linguistici. 
Lo scopo principale di questo articolo č evidenziare e mostrare il ruolo delle parole gnomiche generate dai creatori popolari nella trama immaginaria, le loro principali funzioni nello sviluppo del conflitto e l’espressione estetica dell’opera. 
Pertanto, il significato dei simboli č stato interpretato in stretta connessione con le azioni, con gli archetipi e con le metafore inserite nella struttura della canzone. Usando come esempio, la canzone “Kyz Zhybek”, che č una creazione di spicco nel folclore kazako, e rivedendo gli articoli scientifici sull’argomento, l’articolo segue l’analisi contrastante nella ricerca delle tracce delle tradizioni archetipiche in una cornice culturale musulmana. 
L’ethnos nella cultura rimane nel tentativo di recuperare l’identitŕ di un grup­po usando ciň che sembra specifico nel folclore, nella storia e nella linguistica e seguendone un’ideologia originale articolata su basi nazionali ed universali. 

Questodocumentopuňaiutareiricercatori,quandostudianol’ereditŕdelfolclore, a comprendere la portata dell’uso degli aforismi e della funzione principale da essi realizzata nella letteratura popolare. Inoltre, il ruolo degli aforismi in una canzone popolare č sistematizzato e il loro significato storico e d’identitŕ viene rimarcato. 
Muhammadgali Abduov, Ph.D., Professor, Dean of the Faculty of Philology, 
E. A. Buketov Karaganda State University, Mukanov street 1, 100028 - 
Karaganda, Kazakhstan; abduov_m@mail.ru 
Nazilya Abduova, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Deparment of Kazakh Language and Literature, Faculty of Philology, E. A. Buketov Karaganda State University, Mukanov street 1, 100028 - Karaganda, Kazakhstan; nazilya_abduova@mail.ru 
Nicolae Stanciu, Ph.D., Visiting Professor, E. A. Buketov Karaganda State University, Mukanov street 1, 100028 - Karaganda, Kazakhstan; Institute of Romanian Language, Bucharest; nickstanciu@gmail.com 
23 STUDIA MYTH O L OGICA SLAVICA 2020 
119 – 135 | https://doi.org/10.3987/SMS20202307 

. .............. ....... . ...... “....... . ........” 

This article deals with mythological motifs reflected in the bylina “Dobrynya and Na­stas’ya” discussed in comparison with the Baltic, South Slavic, and Ossetic epic texts. 
KEYWORDS: Slavic mythology, bylina, “Dobrynya and Nastasya”, principal myth, mythological images, parallels 
........ 
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...... “....... . ........” (“........ .......”) (....... . ......... ....... ....................... ........ . ...............– “....... . ....”, “....... . .....”; ........ .............. ......... ... . .......… 1974: 395) .. ...... .. . ......, .. .. ...... ....... ..... ... .. ....., .. ... ......, ........ . .......... ....... ......... ................ .... . ............ ......... . ........ . .............. ......... ........ 
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..... ......... .... . ...... “....... . ........” . ......... . .... 
... ......... .... ... ...... . .. .. ....... (1974: 96), “......... ...... .... ....... .. ... ........ .....: 1) ...... .... ..... ... ..........., ............. . ........... ... ........ ...... (....) ... . ........... ....., ... ........ .......... ... ........., 2) ............. ... (.....) ... ....., .........., ........., ....... .......... . .......... ....”. ........ ... ... ....... (1986: 156), ..... .... (... .... ....) ..........., ..-......­.., . .... ............... ....... ......... .............. .. .. ......... ([1865–1869]: I [26 . ...]) . ....... ................ . .... ............... ...... ............... ... ... ........ ........ ..... .. ......... ....... ......... .......... ......... ............. ......... .... .. .......... ..... .............. . ........ ..... . ..... ......: ..., ........, ...... ........ .... (........ .. ....) . .......... ........ ......... ..... (...­.... 1978: 114). .......... .... . ..... ........ . . .....-.....: .... ... ....... . ..... .......... . .... . ........: “... .... (....-...), ... .....” (Holmberg 1927: 252). 
........ ...... ...... ..... – ........... ...... (....) – ...... .....­...... . ...... (“. ..... .. .. ...... .... .. ..... ... .. . ..... .. .. ..... .. ............. ........ .. .......... .. ..... ... . ........... .. .... ............ ......... ... ............ ..... ..., .. ................. .. .........… .. .....-.. . .....................…”(........... 1873:37), ... . ......... . ....... ......../........ ..... . ........... ........ .... (......... .... .... ... ......... ....... . ...................... ........­... ........ “........ – .....”(. ......... ... ......... 1987: 11) ...... .. . .......... ....... . .......... ...... “..... ..... . .... ........”. ... .... .. .... . ....... ........: 

..... ....... .. ......... ......, ........ ...... . ...... ....... . ......, .. ......... ....... .... ........... ... .......... ...... ...... ..... 
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. ...... ...... .... .. ...... ....... . .... .......... .......... ...... ...... .......... 
.............................. ......,.... . ............... ......: 
..... ....... .. ......... ....... ........ .... . ........... .. .... .... . ....... .. ......... ....... ... (.......… 1873: 25–27). 
.. ..... .. ...... ..... ...... ........ ........ .. .., ... “... ..... .... ..... ...... ...” (Šmits 1926: 24–25). 
.......... ..... ....... ...... . .....-........... ............... . ........... .......... ...... . ...... (...... ......... .... . ........ ....... ..... ............ . ............... .......) ........ ........ ... .......... ......... (. .......... ...... .......) ....... . ......., . ..­...... . .......: “.......... ......... ........ ...... ....... ........ .. ....... .. ......, .. ....... .. ......., .. ..., .. ..... .. ........ ....... ...... .. .... ......... ...... ....., – ........ .. .... .......... ...... ........ .... .........” (........... 1873: 580–581). 
..... ..........., ... . ......, ..... ........... . .......... ....., . ....... ....., ... . ......... ......., .......... ..... .... . ........... ........ ....: 
... . ...... .... ........; ......... ........ ...... ..... ...... . .... .... ....., .. ... ...., .. .... ......!.. 

.. ...... .... .... .....; 
.. ... ...., .. .... ....... 
.. .. .... . ..... ........., 
.. ....... ..... .. ......; 
. .. ...... ........ ......., 
.. ........ ........ ...... 
(... 1961: IV 158; ....... ....... ... . ..... ..... ...... 1976: 45). 
. ....... .. ......, ......... ....... ............... ........ . ....­... ........... ........ ...........: ..... ....... ........, ... ........ ........ ....... ....: .. .. ....... (1986: 56–58) .......... ..... . ..... . ....-........ . ...... . ...... . ...., .. .... ........ ......... ...... .... ... ............. ............... .... – .......... .... ..... (. .... ......., ......, ...... ... .. .. ......... (1893: 337, 345). .............. .. ...... ...... .......... ..... ........... . ......... ....... ........... ........ . .....-.......... ....... (.. .......) (... ....... 1999: 19–20). 
......... ...................... ....... ..... ......:..... .... ....... .. ..., ..... ......... ...... ....... .. ... ...., . ....... .... ...... .. .. 12...(......... 1893:312),..............12.................... ........ 
...... ............... ......, . ....... ......... .. ....... .... ......, .......... ..... ....... ........... ...., . ....... ...........­... ........ ......... ...........: ..., ......... ..... .... .. ...., ..... ....... ....... .......; . ...... ...... ... ...... .......... .... (......... [1865–1869]: I [158, 177]). . ....... ....... ........ .............. .......­........................... .........................,. ............... .... ....... (...... “...... ............”) (...... 1989: 2 136). .... .. ...... .... ............. ........... ............ ... ..... ......, ...... ........ ......... ....:..... ........ . ....-......... ................. . ......... ...... . ..... . ....... .... (........… 1984–1985: I 349–374; .............… 1964: 53–59), ...... ................ ..... ..... ....... . ..... ..... ............ ....... ......... . .........., .......... ......... ......., . ....... ............ ... ... ......... ............... ........... ........ (.....(-...........), .... . ...): “…. ... .. ......, ...... ... ...: “..... ....-.., ..... .. ... ... ......?”. – “... ...... .. ... ..., – ...... ...., – ... ........ . .... ... .. ....... ... ....., ..... .. ........... . ...­... . ......, . ... ... ..... . ....... ...... ......... – ....... ... . ..... ........!”… ...... .... .... . ...... ....... ....” (........… 1984–1985: II 349). ...... .............. ...... .... .......... . ........... ......., ... ..... (... .... ....) ......... ..., ..... . .... ........ . ...... (......, ....... 1974: 97). 
..... ........... . .... ... . .. ............ ............., . .....­............. ........... ...................., ......... ............... .............. . ......, . ...... ....... .... ............ . ..... ..... ...... ........................,......,. .......... ....,......... .............. ........ (... ....., .. ........ ........ ...... ...), ... ....... ......... .....­...... ...... ....... . ...... .. .... ..... ........ ......... .........., .......... .... ... ........... .... ....... .... ......... ......... ....­..... ...... ..... ..... ...... .... .. ....... .........., ... ..... ........ . .... ... ...... .. ........... .. .................. .....; . .......... .. ......... ...... ....... .......... (. ...... .................) ...... .. ....... ........ ........... (..-........, ............) ............. ...., ... .. ......... ......: “.. ..... .. ... ....... ............ ............ [.. .. ........., ... (.... 1965–: 13 71)] ...; . .... .... ........... ..... . ....... ..... ... ..........., ...... .. ...........” (...... 1988: 1 419). ..... ....... ....... ........ ...... ...... ... .... . ....; .... .......... ...... .... ...... ........ . ......; ..... ......., ...... ...... .... ..... ... ............... . ..... .......... .. ........... ....... ..... ..... ... ...... ........ ... ....... .... ........... .. .... ....... ....... ..... .... ..........: “... .. .. ....., ... .... ......, . .. ......, ... ......... .. .......!” (...... ............ .... 1981: 270). ... ..... .. ........... ......, ...... “....... . ........” ........ ........ ......, ............ ....... (.... . ...................................) .......... .......... ....... ......... .... . ....... ........... 

............... ..... .............................................. ..................(2011:59–60).......... ........................... ....... ............ ....... ............. ......... ........ ...... – .... .... ....., ...... ... .................., .. ...... ......, ............. ............. ............... ......... “.... – .....”. ...... ..........­... ........ ..............., ... ............ ..... ....... .. ......... . .... ., ............., ......... .... . ..... . ...... .......... ......... . ... ................... ......... ......... ... ........ .................­...... (........, ........... ........ .. ....... .......... ....... .... .... .....): . ............... ........ . .......... ....... ... (......) ....­...... ..... (“......... ........ ...... ..... ...... . .... .... .....”; “Sper, Perkoni, sausu koku, Kilč zalu ozolinu”, .33716-0 (Dainu skapis), ... ........... ... . .......... .......... ..... ......, ... . . ... .............. ...... . ........ ...... (........ ...). ....... .......... .... . ..... . .... ........ ..... .. ............ ........ .. .... ........ . ............... ........ .... . ......... . .......... ...... (....., .. ....... (. ....... ........), ........... .. ... ............. .. ..... ....... ...... ........, . ....... .. .......... .... .............. .... . ........ ............... .......... .. .. ......... ........ . . ...... ......... ......... ...... ....: ..... ..­...... ..... (. . ..., ... ...... (...) ......... .... ........ .............. ..........,........................).......................... ....(... ....... 1994:399 . ...), ................... .......... .......... ....... 

....... ..... ...... . .. ............. 
........ ......... 
... ......... .............. ...... ...... “....... . ........” ..... ..... ..... ...... .... ....... ......, . ......., ...... . ... ...........­.. . .........., ..... ........ ... ...., .. ... ... ............ .. ........ ............... ........... .. ... ......... 
.. ....... ...... ....... ........ .. ........ ........, .......... ..­...... ......... . ......... (Wollner 1879: 66); ... .......... ........... ........... . ............ ........ ...... .. .. ...... (1869:438) ......... .......... ........ . ......., ....... ....... ........ ........... .....­........ ......, ......... .... .... ........... .... .... . ...... “.... ....... . ........” (...... 1901: 307–310; ....... 1939: 221–222; ...... ...... 1961: 212), ... ...... .... . ........ ...... ...... .. ......... .. ..... .... ........., ..... .......... ........... ....., ....... ... ........ . ......... ..... ...... ..... ..... ......., .............. ....... .. .... ....................... ............................................ . .... ....... ............. ...... ..... ... ......., ............. ..., ........ ............... ......... ........ . ........ ...... .......... .. .. ........ (.... ......... ...... .... (... .., ... . ........ .......) . ..... ... ..... . ...... . .........; .... ............ ..... ............ .... .........), ... . ........... ..... ... . ........ ........ ......... (.. ... ........ . ......... ......... ....... ....... ....), . .............­... ............ ...... ............ .... ..... (. ......... ........ .... ......... ..... ........ .. .... .... . ......., .. .. .... ......... ...... ..., ... . ....... .. ......... . ........ .. ..... ......... .. ...: “. ..... ... ........ .. .........” (........... 1873: 37). ........... ..... ...... ........ ..........:..................,........... .............“.... ....... . ........” . ..... ..... ...., . ....... .............. ...... ........... . “......” ..... 
. ........... ........ .... ...... ........ ..... .... . ........... ....., ....... ......... ....... ...... (...... 1901: 307–310). .... .. ..... ........... . ....... ............ ...... ..... ..... . ......... .. ...... .......... (.........., ...... ....... ... .........., . ....... ....­... ...... ..... ...........) ......, . ....... ...... ....... .......... . ............. .....-........ .... ..... ..... ... .709; . ..............­.... ........ .. ........ ............“..........”;................ –... “......... .........” ... “....... .......” (Aarne 1910: 24; ....... 1929: 50; Thompson 1961: 245; .............… 1979: 179). ....... ..... ......... ........... .... .. ........... ....... ......, .. ....... ..... ........... ........... . ... ........ ... ........... ......... .. ..... ...... .... ......... . ......... ...... 

. ......... ...... .... .... ......... ...... ....: “.. ......-.. .. .... ...... ...........-.. ....-..” (...... 1901: 307), ......... ...... .. .... ......; ... ........ ......... ....... (... .... 1965–: 33 251). .. ...... ......, ... ..... ........ .............. .................... ........ (.... ........ : ........) ..... .... ‘.... . ............ ........., .. ..­..... ....... ..... ....... ...... (.... 1994: III 1468); ... .......... ......; .......’, ....... ............ ..... ......... .. ...(... ...... 1996: III 432). ............ ..... .......... .............. ........., .......... .. ......, . ....... .......... ..... .... (...... ...... 1961: 212). 
..... ........ ......... (.........) ...... ............. ............ .. ....... ....... ...... ...-......... . ....... ....... . ....... (..... ......., .......-........., .........., (.)........., .......... .... .... ......., ..... ...... ..........), . .............. ..... . .......... ...­.. (...., ....... (... ........) (. ......... ... ....... 1971: 88–90; ..... .......... ....., ..... ..... ........... . ..... . .... ........, .. .. ...­..........). ......... .. ... ......... .......... ...... ......... ...., .. ............. . ........ .. ... ....... . ......... 
..., . ....... ....... ...... ....-........ .......... ..........­... .. .... . ........ .... . ...... ... ..... (“.. ...... .... ........, .. ...... .... .... ...., .. ...... .. ... .... ....; ....., .... .... .. .. ....., . ...... ...... . .......” (... 1961: IV 158). .... (........, ....­....) . ........ ......... ..... .......... . ............ ...... .... (... ... ....... ............), ... ........ ......... ..... .. ....., .......... . ......... ......: “........, ........, . .. ‘..... ‘..., . .. ‘. .... ......., .... ...... ...’...!” (........ 1999: 71–72). 
... .......-......... .......... . ...... .......... ........ ..... (........, ..... ......... ......... . ..., ......(... ...... ..... .....(.....), ......(....., ....) ‘..., ... ..... ....’ (.... 1994: IV 387), ......... .. ...... ...... ..... ....... ....... ......), . ...... ........ ........... .......... ....... .....: . ..... ........ ......... ... ..... ..... – .... . 12 ....... (.............… 1964: 60), ...: “..... .......... . ....... ....... ... ...., .............. .... ...... .......” (......, ....... 1990: 159). ... .... . ...... ..... ...... ...... .............. .......... ..... (...........) . ....., ........... ...., ....... .. ...... .... . ......... ......: “.. [.....], ... ..., .... ......., ....”(.............… 1964:60). ............, ... ... ... ...... (.. .......-......... . .. .....) ........ . ..... ....­...... ...... – .... ...... ...... ......... ......... 
........... ........... ............. ..............,.............. .......... . ......... ....., .. ... ......... 365 ....... ....., ........... ...................................(..-..... ...‘..’)(................­.... .... ....... ... . ......... [1865–1869]: II 264): “...... .. .....: “.... . .... .. ....: .... ... .. ......”. . ... ..... ... . ..... ......, ... .. ... .... ...... ..... ... . . .... ...... . ........ . ... ...... ......... ....-...... ...... .. . ..... ...; ... . ....” (....... 1870: 4; ....... ....... ... . ...... ....... ......... 1962: 151). . (....... et al. 1970: 52) .... .......... ..­........ .... ......, .....-.... ............. ...... .... ... ............ .. ..... ..... ....... ...... . ......., ........, ........ ... ...., ... ..... ........... . ... . ....... ........ 

............... .... . ........ .... – . ...... ........ ..... (... ....... 1994: 400). . .... ......... ........... ............ ..... ......, ... ......., ........ ... ....... . .......-.........: “. ...... ....... ......, ... .... .... .......-.......... . . ..., ..... ... ........, .. ........ . ........ ........ ............, .......... ...... . ........ ......” (.............… 1964: 56) (..... ..... ...... . ......., . ....... .. ......... . ......... .. ..... (... ..: 59). 
. .... ..... ....... ......... . ..... .... .......... (...... “.... ..­..... . .........”) . ...... ....... (....., ................. ........ .....). . ...... . ... .... ..... .......... ............ ........ ........ “....... . ........”, ... ...... ....... ........ ......... ..... ........, ........ ..... ............ .... ....... (.......... “........ ...........”, .. .. ...... ....... .........) . .... .. ... .....: ..... ..... .. ............ . ... ..... ....... (....... 1939: 443). 
..... .. ......... .. ..... ...... .... ....... ........... . ....... ........ ..... .... ..... ....., ...... ... ... ..... .......... . .. ....... ....... ........ ..... ........ ......., ........ – .........(.... ....... 1958: 209), ... ..... . .................. ........ .... . ...... (........... ... . ........ ....., .. ....... ..... ..... (... ......, ....... 1994 .: 254; ......, ....... 1994 .: 348). ......... .... ....... ..... ...... ...... . ......., ........ ......., ... . ............ .........: “. .......... ...... .. ......... . . ........ .... ........., .......-.. .. ...... ..... ........ . ..... .. ...... ... ......” (.... ....... 1958: 207–208). 
... ........... – ......... ........ ..... ......, .................... ...... ........ ....... ..... .......... .... (........... . ........, ....­........... ......... ...... .................) ............ . . ...... ........ (. .......... .... ........ . ......): “........-.. ..... . ....., ...... .. ...., ........., ..... ......-.. ... ......, ..... ....... ... ...­....-..” (....... 1939: 445). . ...... .... ....... ......... .... ...... .. .....; ... ...... ........ . ........ ........... .... .......... ......... ................... .......... ........... . ...., ....... .. ......... ..... ............... ........ ........ ..... . ....... (.......... .......) .............. .......... ................ . ....... .........., ........ ........... ......... (... ......, ....... 1974: 36). 
.. ......... ...... ....-........... . ....... ...., .... ...... (. ... ... ........... ....) ......... . ... ..... ....... . ....... ......, ....­..., .. ... ......, ........ . ....., ....... ..... Ma(r)muriena, ....... ..... ........ ...... . ...., .... ............ ... ....... Mara, Mora, Marena, Morena, Marzana . ... (. ......... ... ......, ....... 1994 .: 111). 

. ..... ........ (........), ....... ......... ......... . ........, . ...­... ........ ........ . ........ .... (... .. ..........., ... . ............) . ......., ........, ........ ..... ......... ........... ........ (... ..... ........ . ..... ....... . .......), ..... ............ ......... .......­....... ......... .. ............... ......... (. ..... .. ........., ... .......... ........ . ....... .....) ......... ........ ......... .. ....­..... . .......... Pol’e : gora– .... .. ........ ........., ............... ....... (..........) ............ ....... ...., ...: “.... ................. ......., ...., ....., ...... . ...” (.... 1994: 3 646). ... ........ ........ .............. ... ..............., ... ........ – ............ ........, ..­..... .. .......... ...... ........(.. ........... ............. ...... (... ........... 1873: 1210), .............. ......... .......... ............. ........ . ....... . ......... . ........). ........... ......... ......... ......... (. ...... . ....... .........) . ......... ........ .......:“... ...... ..... .... ........., ......... .. ............” (........... 1873: 1199). . ...... ...... ......... . .......... ...... .............. ........ ‘....’ . ‘...’ (... ....... 1969: 22 . ...) .., ......, ....... ....... .......... .............. ........... . ....... . ............. ......... ..... ..... ............... .......... ............... ...... ..... (........) ........ ‘.. .......... ............. – .... ..., ....... . ....., .. .....’ (.... 1965–: 29 57). ... ......... ................. ............. ..........., ........... . ....., ........... ...... (. ......... ... ......, ....... 1965: 98), ... . ..... . .... ...... ..... ..... ........: *svet- .......’. 
..... ......., ....... ......... . ...... ........ ........., ....... ....­.... ............... .... .. ...... (..........) ....-..........., .......... ............ ... ..... . ......... ..... . ............. . ........ ..... .. ...... .... . ........ ..... – .......... ....-...........; ...., ....... ..... ..... .... ............... ...... ..... ...... 
....... ....... 
..... . ........ ........... . ......... ......, ........... . ............­... ......., ........... .......... ....: .......... ..... “..... ... ....... .. ....” ...... ..... .... . ............., ... ...... ..... ............. . ....... ... ............... ...... (... ..... 1996: 79): “.... ....., .. .. .... ....., .... .... .. ...... ...., .... .... . ....... ....., .... ........ ... ...... ..... .... ..... ... ....... .. ....” (... 2009–2018); . ........... ....... ......... ...., .... . ..... (“. .... ...... .. .... ......, .... ...... .. .... ......: .. ........-.. ........ ... .. .... ........, .... ........, ... .. .... ......, ...... ...... ...... ...; ....... .... ....... .........., ...... ........ ...... .......” (...... 1901: 371), ...... .. .... ....... ......... ... .. ..... .. .... (“....... .......... ......, .. ...... ..­........ ......, .. .... .. ....., .. ..... .. ....” (........... 1873: 847). 

...... .......... ...... ....... ...... .. ............. ......... .............. ..... ....... ...... ....-........... (..... ... ......... ........, . ........., . ......, ....... 1974: 170–172). ... .. ...... ...... ....... ............. ........, ............ .......... ...... ..... ........ . .........., ...... ..... ........ ...... (...... 1892), ...... ......., . ....... .. ......... . .... ......., ........... . .... .... ...­..-..... .......... ..... ........ ................ (....... ..........) .......... ......... ..... ......... ..... . ....... ....... ......... ..... ........ (........), ....... ............... ... ......... ..... (... ....­.... 1976: 69–71) (............, ... ..... .. ........... .... ....... . .. .. ...... (1869: 437 (..........). 
1. 
...... ......... .. ........ . .... ..... (...-......)(..... 1989: 86). ......... ............. ..... ...... ...... . ......... ...... .......: “..... .. ........ ....... ....... ........ . ...... . ..... ..../ ..... ...... . ... ....... ..... ....... ........, ......... . ..... ..........., ....... .. .... ......., ......... ....... – . .... .......” (........... 1873: 160, 966) (....... . ...... ........). 

2. 
....... ....... .. ..... ...... ..... .. ......, ........... ... ....... ........... ...á.. ......... ........ ....... ....... . ...... (..... 1989: 98, 99, 112 . ...). ..................... ...... ....... ................. (.................. . .......... .......) . ............ ....... ........­...., .. . ... ......... ... ........... (.............. ...... .... (. ...... “....... . ....”) .. ........ ... ......... (........ .. .....), ............. ... ........ ... (...... 1901: 228), . ..... .. ...... ......... ..... .. ....­..... ..... ........ ......., ..... ........ .. .. ... ......., ........... .......... ... .......... ......... .......... (...... “....... . .......”) (........... 1973: 116–117). ... ...... ...., ....... .... ...... . ... ....., ..... ........ ....... .. .... ...... ........ .......... 

3. 
...... .. ... ....... (..... .......), ... . ....... . ........... ........ (...... “....... . .....”), ........ .... (..... 1989: 89), ...... ........ ........ ...... ...á.. ........ ......... ....... ..... ........ (“.................., ., ....................... ...., .......... . ..... ... ...... ........ .... ... ........ ..... ......, . ... ..... .., . .. ..... .. . ....... ...... .... ....... ...., ... ...... .. ......... ......, . ..... ... ........ ..... ....... . ...”), ..... ... ........ ....... ........ ................ . ... .... ....... .... . ........ ........ .. ......, ... ....... . ......... ......... ..... ...... . ....... ........ ........ ..... .. ............. ........ ....: ......., .............. .. ....... ........... ...., ....., ....... ........, ... ......... ............, ... .. ..... .. ... ........ ....... 

4. 
... . ......., ...... ......... ........., ....... ...... ... ...... . ..... .. ......, . ..... .. ...... (..... 1989: 94) (... ...... ........ ........ ....... ........ . .......... .......... .... . ......,.... .. ........... .. ... ......... ..... .. .....). ...... ......... ....... . .... ........ . ...................................................................: ..................... ............................. ...... . ........... . ............ ..... ... .................. ......... ........ ....... ..... ........ . .............. ...... ....... ....... ....... ............. . .......... ....... ..... ....... . ...... ....-......... .. ...... ......... . ...... ......... (.. ........ . .......) ...... .. .. ......... (1885: 31–33). 

5. 
........ . ......, ...... .. .......... ....... ........ . .. ......... ..... (..... 1989: 97). ... ......... ................ ......... ....... .. ........ (...... . ....... ...... ... ...., .. . ..... ...... ... .., ... . . ........ ....., ........ (... ...... 1901: 312–313) . ..... ...... .. ...... ...... ......... ...., .. . ....... .......... . ....... ....... . .......... ....... .. ....... ............. ........ .........., . .... ........ ..... ...... ... .................. .... .... . ....., ...... ...... .. ......... . .......: “. ..... .... .... ...... .. ...., ... ...... ......... .. .....”; “.... ..... ..... ........ .... ......., ... ... ............ “– ..... ..... ........ .. ... ...,– ...... .. ... ..... – . ...... ...... ... .... .. ......”. .. ...... ...... ...., .... ........, .......” (..........… 1973: 103, 465). ... ..... ....... ......... ..... ....... ......... ........, .............. ............. ..... ....... ...... . ....... ......., .. ....... . ...... “....... . .......”: ...... ..... ........ . .... . ....... ......... (...... .. ......... ....-........), ....... ... .. ...... ....... ..... .. ..... (........... 1873: 116 . ...). 

6. 
....... . ....... ........ ..... ..... ...... ....... ...... ......­..................................,.............. .............. . ... ...... (..... 1989: 117, 120); ... .......... ...... ........ . ...... ......., ....... ........ ... ...... ..... ....... (“....... . .....”). 

7. 
... ........ .. ..... ......., ......, ... .. ...... ...... ... .....­.... ...... ..... ....: ....... .. .... ..... ..... .. ...... .......... ..... ....... .... ..............; ...... ............... ......... .......: “.. ... ............ ....... ..... ..... ...., ............ ..........., ........... ... . ......., ............ ........ ... ....... .... .....” (..... 1989: 138). 





..... ......., .... ... ......... ........ . ......... ...... ......., . ....... ........ .............. ..... ....-........... ......... . ....­........... .. ................. ...... 

.......... 
...... ...... . ........ ......... ...... “....... . ........” . ......... . ....... ..........., ........... . ......... ......... ........ ....... . .......... .. .............. ....... .........., ... . ...... .. ............. ...... ......... .... .. ......... . ........, ............... ....; .... .. ............ ......... ............ ... ... ........ ............. ... .....­......... ...... ... .......... ................ ........ ..... ... ....... ........... ....... .... ......... ........., . .. .. . . ........... ....... 
...... ...... ..... ........... . ..., ... ......... ...... . ...... ..... ........... .. .................... .......... ......... . .... ..... ..... ..... .... ......... . ...... ......... ... ........., .. ........ ......... ............ ./... ............... ...... 
........... ........... ............ ....... . ..... ....... . ......... .................................... (......... ........,............. .........) . ............ ....... ......... .......... ............... ....­..., ..... ....... .............., .......... . ................ ........ ....., ... .......... .......... ............ ............, ...... ........ ...... ..... 
.......... 
.......,....,1929:......................... ........................:....... ................................................[Andreev,N.P.,1929:Ukazatel skazochnykh syuzhetov po sisteme Aarne. Leningrad: Izdanie Gosudarstvennogo Russkogo geograficheskogo obshchestva.] 
........., ......... .., [1865–1869]: ........... ......... ...... .. ........ Internet: biblio.imli.ru (10.04.2019). [Afanasyev, Aleksandr N., [1865–1869]: Poeticheskie vozz­reniya slavyan na prirodu. Internet: biblio.imli.ru (10.04.2019).] 
... 2009–2018, ..... ......(.....), ......... ......... ......, .. III: ...... ...... .....:LiterNet.Internet:https://liternet.bg/(10.04.2019).[BFM 2009–2018,TodorMollov (sast.), Balgarski folklorni motivi, t. III: Yunashki pesni. Varna: LiterNet. Internet: https:// 
liternet.bg/ (10.04.2019).] 
... 1961, ......... ....... .......... . .......... ...., .. IV: ......... ...... .....: ......... ........ [BNT 1961, Balgarsko narodno tvorchestvo v dvanadeset toma, t. IV: Miticheski pesni. Sofiya: Balgarski pisatel.] 
...... ...... . ....... ...... (..... ......) 1961. ......; .........: ............ ........ .... ..... [Byliny Pechory i Zimnego berega (novye zapisi), 1961. Moskva; Leningrad: Izdatelstvo Akademii nauk SSSR.] 
...... .......... .... 1941. ............: .......... ............... ............. [Byliny Pudozhskogo kraya. Petrozavodsk: Karelskoe gosudarstvennoe izdatelstvo.] ............. ...... . ....... .. .. ........1964. ......; .........: ...... [Velikorusskie skazki v zapisyakh I. A. Khudyakova 1964. Moskva; Leningrad: Nauka.] 

........... 1873, ........ ......, .......... ........... ........... ............. ..... 1871 ..... .....-.......... [Gilferding 1873, Onezhskie byliny, zapisannye Aleksandrom Fyodorovichem Gilferdingom letom 1871 goda. Sankt-Peterburg.] 
......... 1904, ............. ...... . ................., ........... .. ........... . 1899–1901 ..., .. I. ......: ....... ............. ........ ..... [Grigor’ev 1904, Arkhangelskie byliny i istoricheskie pesni, sobrannye A. D. Grigor’evym v 1899–1901 gg., 
t. I. Moskva: Izdanie Imperatorskoi Akademii nauk.] ...., ........ .., 1994: ........ ....... ...... .............. ...... ......: ............ ...... “........”. [Dal, Vladimir I., 1994: Tolkovyi slovar’zhivogo velikorusskogo yazyka. Moskva: Izdatelskaya gruppa “Progress”.] ....... ....... . ..... ....... 1974. ......: ...... [Dobrynya Nikitich i Alyosha Pop-ovich 1974. Moskva: Nauka.] ........, ...., 1976:.......... ..... .......... ......:....... ........ ......... .......... ............ “.....”. [Dyumezil, Zhorzh, 1976: Osetinskii epos i mifilogiya. Moskva: Glavnaya redaktsiya vostochnoi literatury izdatelstva “Nauka”.] ......, ........ ..; ......., ........ .., 1965: .......... ........ ............ ............. ....... (....... ......). ......: ...... [Ivanov, Vyacheslav V.; Toporov, Vladimir N. 1965. Slavyanskie yazykovye modeliruyushchie semioticheskie sistemy (drevnii period). Moskva: Nauka.] ......, ........ ..; ......., ........ .., 1974: ............ . ....... .......... ........... ......: ...... [Ivanov, Vyacheslav V.; Toporov, Vladimir N., 1974: Issledovaniya v oblasti slavyanskikh drevnostei. Moskva: Nauka.] ......, ........ ..; ......., ........ .., 1990: ......, ...... . ...... ..........., .. .. (....), .............. ........ ......: ......... ............, 159–160. [Ivanov,VyacheslavV.;Toporov,VladimirN.,1990:Gorynya,DubynyaiUsynya.Melet­inskii, E. M. (red.), Mifologicheskii slovar’. Moskva: Sovetskaya entsiklopediya, 159–160.] ......, ........ ..; ......., ........ .., 1994 .: ...... ......., .. .. (....), .... ....... ..... ............, .. I. ......: .......... ............; .....: .....; ........: ....., 244. [Ivanov, Vyacheslav V.; Toporov, Vladimir N. 1994 a: Vyrii. Tokarev, S. A. (red.), Mify narodov mira. Entsiklopediya, t. I. Moskva: Rossiiskaya ent­siklopediya; Minsk: Diler; Smolensk: Rusich, 244.] ......, ........ ..; ......., ........ .., 1994 .: ....... ......., .. .. (....), .... ....... ..... ............, .. II. ......:.......... ............;.....:.....; ........: ....., 111. [Ivanov, Vyacheslav V.; Toporov, Vladimir N., 1994 b: Marena. Tokarev, S. A. (red.), Mify narodov mira. Entsiklopediya, t. II. Moskva: Rossiiskaya ent­siklopediya; Minsk: Diler; Smolensk: Rusich, 111.] ......, ........ ..; ......., ........ .., 1994 .: ...... ......., .. .. (....), .... ....... ..... ............, .. II. ......:.......... ............;.....:.....; ........: ....., 346–349. [Ivanov, Vyacheslav V.; Toporov, Vladimir N. 1994 v: Ptitsy. Tokarev, S. A. (red.), Mify narodov mira. Entsiklopediya, Vol. II. Moskva: Rossiiskaya entsiklopediya; Minsk: Diler; Smolensk: Rusich, 346–349.] .... .......1958. ......; .........: ............ ........ .... ..... [Il’ya Muromets 1958. Moskva; Leningrad: Izdatel’stvo Akademii nauk SSSR.] 
......., ... .., 1870: .......... ......., .. .., ...... ....... ............. ...: . ....... ..., ......... .. ........, 1–7. [Karadžic, Vuk S., 1870:Mededovic. Karadžic, 
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....... 1939, ...... ........... ........., .. I, ... 2: ...... .. .. ......... ............: .......... ............... ............. [Korguev 1939, Skazki Karelskogo Belomorya, 
t. I, kn. 2: Skazki M. M. Korgueva. Petrozavodsk: Karelskoe gosudarstvennoe izdatelstvo.] ....... 1939, ...... .. .. ......... ......: ............... ............ ..... (........ ................ ............. ...... ..... ......). [Kryukova 1939, Byliny M. S. Kryukovoi. Moscow: Gosudarstvennyi literaturnyi muzei (Letopisi Gosudarst­vennogo literaturnogo muzeya. Kniga shestaya).] ......., ..; ........, .. ..; ........, .., 1970: ...... ......... ....... .......: ...... [Kulišic, Š.; Petrovic, P. Ž.; Pantelic, N., 1970: Srpski mitološki recnik. Beograd: Nolit.] ...... 1901, ................., .......... .. .. ......... ......:.-.. ............ .. .. ........ (............... ..... .............. ........ ......... .............., ............ . ..........). [Markov 1901, Belomorskie byliny, zapisannye A. V. Markovym. Moskva: T-vo skoropecatni A. A. Levenson (Etnograficheskii otdel Imperatorskogo obshchestva lyubitelei estestvoznaniya, antropologii i etnografii).] ......, ........, 1892: ........ . ....... ........ ......... ..... I–VIII. ......: .......... .-.. .. .. ......... . .°. [Miller, Vsevolod, 1892: Ekskursy v oblast russkogo narodnogo eposa I–VIII. Moskva: Tipografiya T-va I. N. Kushnereva i .°.] ......,..... ..,1869:...............................:............-........... .......... ... ....... ........ ......... ........ ...... .....-.........: .......... .. .. .......... [Miller, Orest F., 1869: Ilya Muromets i bogatyrstvo Ki-evskoe: sravnitelno-kriticheskie nablyudeniya nad sloevymsostavomnarodnogo russkogo eposa. Sankt-Peterburg: Tipografiya N. I. Mikhailova.] ....., .., 1996: ..... .......... ......... . ............... ..... .. .......... ........ XIV .. ............... ......... 2, 74–80. [Moroz, I., 1996: Syuzhet yazycheskogo prazdnika v starobolgarskoi pesne iz Khodoshskogo sbornika XIV v. Etno­graficheskoe obozrenie 2, 74–80.] ........ ....... ...... .. .. .......... . .... ..... 1984–1985. ......: ..... (............ .........). [Narodnye russkie skazki A. N. Afanasyeva v trekh tomakh 1984–1985. Moskva: Nauka (Literaturnye pamyatniki).] .....1989,...............................,...2.......:..................... ......... ........... [Narty 1989, Narty. Osetinskii geroicheskii epos, kn. 2. Moskva: Nauka. Glavnaya redaktsiya vostochnoi literatury.] ........., .. .., 1987: ......... .......... . ......... ...... ......., .. .. (....), ....... ........XXIV: ............... ...... ........... ........ .........: ...... ............. ........., 3–20. [Novichkova, T. A., 1987: Epicheskoe svatovstvo i svadebnyi obryad. Eremina, V. I. (red.), Russkii folklor XXIV: Etnograficheskie istoki folklornykh yavlenii. Leningrad: Nauka. Leningradskoe otdelenie, 3–20.] .......... ........ ...... 1973. ......: ...... ....... ........ ......... .......... (...... . .... ....... .......). [Osetinskie narodnye skazki 1973. Moskva: Nauka. Glavnaya redaktsiya vostochnoi literatury (Skazki i mify narodov Vostoka).] ..... ..... ...... 1976. ......: .............. .......... (.......... ....... ..........). [Pesni yuzhnykh slavyan 1976. Moskva: Khudozhestvennaya literatura (Biblioteka mirovoi literatury).]. 
........, ......, 1999: ...... ........j.. ...... ...... ........j., .. I. ...: ......... [Petrovic, Sreten, 1999: Srpska mitologija. Sistem srpske mitologije, t. I. Niš: Prosveta.] 

......., ..... .., 1971: ....... . .............. ........... ....: ............­.............. ............. ......: ...... [Putilov, Boris N., 1971: Russkii i yuzh­noslavyanskii geroicheskii epos: sravnitelno-tipologicheskoe issledovanie. Moskva: Nauka.] 
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...... 1988, .......... ........ ........., .. 2:......, ... 1. ......: ......... ....... [Skazki 1988, Biblioteka russkogo folklora, t. 2: Skazki, kn. 1. Moskva: Sovetskaya Rossiya.] 
...... 1989, .......... ........ ........., .. 2:......, ... 2. ......: ......... ....... [Skazki 1989, Biblioteka russkogo folklora, t. 2: Skazki, kn. 2. Moskva: Sovetskaya Rossiya.] 
...... ............ .... 1981 / ........ .. .. . .. .. ......... ...........: ......­........ ....... ............. [Skazki Belozerskogo kraya1981 / Zapisali B. M. i Yu. 
M. Sokolovy. Arkhangelsk: Severo-Zapadnoe knizhnoe izdatelstvo.] ...... ....... ......... 1962. ......: ............... ............ .............. ........... [Skazki narodov Yugoslavii 1962. Moskva: Gosudarstvennoe izdatelstvo khudozhestvennoi literatury.] .... 1965–, ....., ..... ..(....), ....... ....... ........ ........ .........: ...... ............. .......... [SRNG 1965–, Filin, Fedot P. (red.), Slovar’russkih narodnyh govorov. Leningrad: Nauka. Leningradskoe otdelenie.] ............. ......... ........ .................. ...... 1979. .........: ...... ............. .......... [Sravnitelnyi ukazatel syuzhetov. Vostochnoslavyanskaya skazka 1979. Leningrad: Nauka. Leningradskoe otdelenie.] ......., ...... .., 1969: .......... .............. ............. ................. ...... ......: ...... [Tolstoi, Nikita I., 1969: Slavyanskaya geograficheskaya termi­nologiya. Semasiologicheskie etyudy. Moskva: Nauka.] ......., ...... ..; ........ .., 1978: ....... .. ........... .......... 2. ......... ..... . ........ ........, .. .. (....), .......... . .......... ......... ......: ....., 95–130. [Tolstye, Nikita I.; Svetlana M., 1978: Zametki po slavyanskomu yazy­chestvu. 2. Vyzyvanie dozhdya v Poles’e. Sheptunov, I. M. (red.), Slavyanskii i balkanskii folklor. Moskva: Nauka, 95–130.] ......., ........ .., 1986: . ............. ...... ..... ......... ............... ............. . ..... “Latvju dainas” (. 150-..... .. ... ........ ... ......). ......, .... ... (....),.....-.......... ............ 1984. ......: ....., 29–58. [Toporov, Vladimir N., 1986: K rekonstruktsii odnogo tsikla arkhaichnykh mifopoetich­eskikh predstavlenii v svete “Latvju dainas” (k 150-letiyu so dnya rozhdeniya Kr. Barona). Ivanov, Vyach. Vs. (red.), Balto-slavyanskie issledovaniya 1984. Moskva: Nauka, 29–58.] ......., ........ .., 1994: ..... ........ ......., .. .. (....), .... ....... ..... ............, .. I. ......; .....; ........: .......... ............, 398–406. 
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ON THE MYTHOLOGICAL MOTIFS IN THE BYLINA “DOBRYNYA AND NASTAS’YA” 
MAXIM A. YUYUKIN 

This article deals with mythological motifs reflected in the bylina “Dobrynya and Nastas’ya” discussed in comparison with the Baltic, South Slavic, and Ossetic epic texts. This work of Russian oral literature has not been mentioned thus far among the bylinas that have preserved traces of the East Slavic mythology. The close connection of the motifsof (oak-)tree splitting and of weddings(i.e., combat against a female rival if we take into consideration the folk metaphor “wedding 
– battle”), which we find in it, allows comparing this bylina with the Lettish and Bulgarian epic songs representing variants of the principal Indo-European myth. 
The author analyses the genetic relations of many details of these texts in order 
to explain their origin, mutual connections, and transformations. 
Considerable attention is also given to the images of the main personages. The image of the warrior maiden Nastas’ya Mikulichna is included in the range of associations leading to the figure of a creature who belongs to the infernal world, and, finally, to the image of a snake near the world tree – a rival of the thunder­storm god. Numerous parallels connecting the image of Dobrynya with the main figure of the Ossetic Nart epic Soslan/Sozyryko (some of which are secondary in the bylinas) indicate its compound character, which combines the original features of the thunderstorm god with borrowings from the East Iranian epic. 
Maxim Anatol’evich Yuyukin, Ph.D., Moiseeva, 47/55, RU-394055, Voronezh, Russia; yuyukin@bk.ru 
23 STUDIA MYTH O L OGICA SLAVICA 2020 
137 – 158 | https://doi.org/10.3987/SMS20202308 

Carovništvo – diskurz ali praksa? 

This paper challenges a generally accepted view that witchcraft is always a matter of discourse, and the witch a fictitious person who is ascribed bewitchmentbut, in fact, per­formed none. It discussesthe hints that point to bewitchments being, at least occasionally, a matter of practice and reality, and a “witch” indeed a practitioner of acts, perceived as harmful. It also challenges the etic difference between the “natural” and “supernatural” acts in the context of witchcraft accusations and argues that there is no clear difference between the former and the latter for people thinking within a witchcraft discourse. 
KEYWORDS: witchcraft, magic, discourse, witches, Slovenia 
Raziskave carovništva, ki ga lahko razumemo kot socialno institucijo, ideologijo oziroma kulturni repertoar, s pomocjo katerega lahko ljudje razlagajo nesreco, so v zadnjih dese­tletjih v zgodovinopisju in antropologiji doživele pravi razcvet ter sestavljajo skorajda samostojno disciplino. Vecina sodobnih raziskovalcev carovništva to razume kot posebno obliko diskurza (prim. Mencej 2016; 2017).1 Ti raziskovalci poudarjajo pomen jezika v obtožbah carovništva in menijo, da so primeri škodovanja s pomocjo carovništva, o katerih pripovedujejo ljudje, ne le izraženi skozi pripovedi, ampak dejansko samo v njih sploh obstajajo. Francoska etnologinja Jeanne Favret-Saada, ki je npr. najprej nameravala raziskovati carovniške prakse na francoskem podeželju, je kmalu ugotovila, da so bile edino empiricno dejstvo, nakatero jenaletelamed svojo raziskavo, besede. V carovniškem napadu gre za »niz besed, ki jih v krizni situaciji izrece nekdo, ki bo kasneje oznacen za carovnika, in kiso kasnejeinterpretirane, kotdaso imeleucinek natelo in lastnino osebe, s katero je ta govoril in ki bo na podlagi tega trdila, da je zacarana,« piše Favret-Saada (1980: 9). Zato se je v svoji raziskavi kmalu preusmerila s praks na pripovedi – saj so, kot piše,dejstvacarovništvagovorniproces incarovnikoseba,kigakottakegaprepoznavajo 
»Diskurz« tu razumem v najširšem, antropološkem smislu, kot »socialno umešceno rabo jezika« (»socially situated language-use«) (Cameron 2001: 7), kot »govor v obicajnih situacijah socialnih izmenjav« (»speech in habitual situations of social exchange«), kar implicira tesno povezavo med jezikom in vedenjem ter vstavljenost govora v rutinske socialne odnose in vedenja (glej Rapport in Overing 2007: 134). Glej tudi definicijo diskurza Henryja in Tatorja: »Diskurz je nacin, na katerega je jezik socialno rabljen za to, da prenaša širše zgodovinske pomene. Gre za jezik, ki je identificiran z vidika socialnih razmer svoje rabe in z vidika tega, kdo ga uporablja in v kakšnih razmerah.« (Henry in Tator 2002: 25) 

ljudje, ki govorijo v carovniškem diskurzu, in ki ima v njem samo vlogo subjekta take izjave (Favret-Saada 1980: 24-25). Podobno tudi angleški zgodovinar Stuart Clark poudarja pomen jezika za razumevanje carovništva – jezik v carovništvu po njegovem mnenju ne izraža neposredne objektivne resnicnosti zunaj sebe, ampak jo šele konstruira. Šele jezik omogoca, da izražanje in dejanja, povezana s carovniškimi verovanji, prenašajo pomene, zato bi morali prav ta postati predmet raziskovalceve pozornosti, ne pa njegov odnos z zunajjezikovnim svetom, se pravi vprašanje, ali ustreza objektivni resnicnosti ali ne, trdi Clark (1997:6, glejtudi3-10;2001:1-9). Podobno nizozemskizgodovinski antropolog Willem de Blécourt meni, da ima oznaka »carovnica« pomen samo v dolocenem sistemu, »ne toliko ‘verovanjskem sistemu’, kot v necem, kar bi najlažje imenovali diskurz, saj ga lahko dosežemo predvsem skozi jezik« – de Blécourt diskurz definira kot »koherenten sistem konceptov, zgodb in dejanj«2 (2013: 363, 369). 
Ce carovništvo torej razumemo kot diskurz, kot objektivna resnicnost, kot praksa torej ne obstaja, ampak gre zgolj za dejanja, ki jih tožniki pripisujejo ljudem, ki jih imajo za carovnice,3 ne pa za dejanja, ki bi jih kdo tudi zares izvedel. Jeanne Favret-Saada tako na primer meni, da pozicija carovnice ne obstaja in da osebe, ki so prepoznane kot take, nikoli niso tudi zares izvajale carovniških praks – »carovnik je oseba, o kateri govorijo tisti, ki govorijo v diskurzu carovništva (zacarani in nasprotniki carovnic), in ki obstaja le v njem, kot subjekt trditve« (Favret-Saada 1980: 24, 135, 161). Tak pogled na carovništvo torej carovnico razume zgolj kot fiktivno osebo, osebo, ki ji je bilo carovniško dejanje4 zgolj pripisano, ki pa ga v resnici ni izvedla. Tak pogled je tako preusmeril fokus raziskav carovništva z domnevne carovnice in njenih dejanj na »žrtev« carovništva ter k vpraša­njem, zakaj nekdo verjame, da je postal žrtev carovniškega dejanja, kateri so razlogi, ki so pripeljali do obtožb, zakaj so bile kot carovnice oznacene prav dolocene osebe itd. Ker po tem pogledu na carovništvo carovnice ne obstajajo in jih lahko dosežemo samo skozi diskurz, so se torej raziskave osredotocile na pricevanja domnevnih žrtev oziroma pripovedi, ki pripovedujo o carovništvu z vidika žrtev (glej Briggs 2002: 7; Pócs 2004: 176; de Blécourt 2013: 262). 
Nedvomnosonavadnoedinivirinformacijocarovništvu,kijedostopenraziskovalcu na terenu, pripovedi, ki dolocenadejanja razumejo kot carovniška. Pripovedi so za ljudi gotovo tudi bistvenega pomena za strukturiranje, interpretiranje in podelitev izkušenj z domnevnim carovništvom z drugimi. Celo ce bi bil posameznik prica carovniškim dejanjem ali jih celo sam izvajal, bi bile pripovedi še vedno pogoj za njihovo pravilno razumevanje v kontekstu carovniškega diskurza, za vzdrževanje carovništva kot socialne institucije ter kot sredstvo prenašanja znanja o strategijah, kako odgovoriti na morebitni carovniški 
2 Toda ce koncepti sicer so element diskurza, sodijo na nivo kognitivne realnosti, medtem ko zgodbe in dejanja 
artikulirajo, izražajo te koncepte. 3 Ker ženske obtoženke v carovništvu prevladujejo (ceprav so lahko obtoženi tudi moški), bom v nadaljevanju uporabljalaženskoosebo,razen kadargrezakonkretnoosebo,kijemoškegaspola,alikadaravtor, nakaterega se sklicujem, uporablja moški spol. 
4 Za angleški izraz »bewitchment« bom v tem tekstu uporabljala izraz »carovniško dejanje«. Ta v slovenšcini sicer ne implicira nujno, da je njegova posledica škoda ali nesreca, kot je jasno iz angleške besede (prim. de Blécourt 1999: 151-152). 

napad (glej Stark 2004: 86; Eilola 2006: 33). Skozi pripovedi so ljudje socializirani v specificno diskurzivno konstrukcijo sveta, ki vpliva na njihove izkušnje in jim jih pomaga razumeti (glej Rapport in Overing 2007: 137-138, 142). A ceprav so jezikovne okolišcine, ki omogocajo prenašanje pomenov s carovništvom povezanim pripovedim in dejanjem, kljucne, lahko vsaj poskušamo razmišljati tudi o njihovem odnosu do zunajjezikovnega sveta (prim. Clark zgoraj). V nadaljevanju bom torej razmišljala o vprašanju, ali gre pri carovništvu vedno res samo za »pripisana« dejanja ali pa gre morda, vsaj obcasno, tudi za dejanja, ki so bila zares prakticirana. Ali je torej carovništvo res v celoti stvar diskurza ali pa lahko morda, vsaj obcasno, prepoznamo v njem tudi elemente objektivne resnicnosti? Gre torej zgolj za zgodbe ali vsaj obcasno tudi za prakse? Ali ce vprašanje zastavim drugace: ali torej obstaja »prakticirano carovništvo« in osebe, ki carovništvo res prakticirajo, ali pa so bila nekatera dejanja vedno zgolj (napacno) interpretirana kot carovniška in carovniške obtožbe zgolj stvar domišljije? 
V nasprotju s (trenutno) prevladujocim mnenjem raziskovalcev, ki carovništvo razu­mejo zgolj kot diskurz, so nekateri raziskovalci verjeli, da so vsaj obcasno nekateri ljudje tudi v resnici izvajali carovniške prakse. Ameriški zgodovinar Edward Bever (2008: 28) tako piše, da so v zgodnjenovoveških württemberških sojenjih carovnicam nekateri ljudje priznali izvajanje magijskih praks,5 v nekaterih primerih pa so bili najdeni tudi predmeti, ki so to potrjevali. Podobno jetudiSřrensen (2010:112) mnenja, daso nekateriv zgodnjem novem veku v Evropi magijske prakse obcasno tudi zares izvajali. Laura Stark (2004: 
69) prav tako meni, da so to poceli tudi prebivalci finskega podeželja v 19. in v zacetku 
20. stoletja. Po pisanju Jenkinsa (1991: 307, 323; 2010: 91) obstajajo celo dokazi, da je bilo na Irskem carovništvo tudi zares prakticirano, ne le predmet »verjetja«. Podobno je madžarska etnologinja Tekla Dömötör prepricana, da so na Madžarskem skrivaj izvajali carovniške prakse, in portugalski etnolog Lisón Tolosana ne dvomi o resnicnem obstoju carovniških praks, namenjenih škodovanju, v portugalski Galiciji (Dömötör 1982: 161; Lisón Tolosana 1994: 276, po de Blécourt 1999: 188). Portugalski antropolog de Pina--Cabral, ki je v letih 1978–1980 raziskoval na obmocju Alto Minho v severni Portugalski, prav tako opozarja, da kljub nasprotnim trditvam prebivalcev sledovi pricajo o tem, da so ljudje magijske prakse obcasno tudi zares izvajali (de Pina-Cabral 1986: 178). Éva Pócs in Ágnes Hesz sta med katoliškimi Madžari v Transilvaniji posneli pripovedi, ki potrjujejo realnost carovniških praks – te so ljudje izvajali sami (Hesz je takemu deja-nju celo osebno prisostvovala – ustna informacija) ali pa so jih dali izvesti romunskim pravoslavnim duhovnikom (oziroma so verjeli, da jih bodo ti izvedli za placilo) (Pócs 2004: 174-176; Hesz 2007: 21-22). V teku svoje raziskave v Bosni in Hercegovini v letih 2016–2019 sem tudi sama posnela vsaj dve prvoosebni pricevanji ljudi, ki so sami izvajali carovniška dejanja z namenom škodovanja drugim, ceprav interpretirana kot mašcevanje drugi osebi zaradi carovniškega dejanja, ki ga je ta izvedla prva, ali pa kot iznicenje ucinkov carovniškega dejanja, ki ga je najprej izvedla druga oseba (Mencej 2018). Vse to kaže, da so verjetno vsaj nekateri ljudje vsaj obcasno dejansko izvajali prakse, ki so bile razumljene kot carovniške in so bile namenjene škodovanju, ter so to 
Protiargument je seveda ta, da so obtoženke ta dejanja priznavale pod prisilo, med mucenjem. 

vcasih tudi odkrito priznavali, kljub temu da so svoja dejanja praviloma upravicevali kot odgovor na predhodno carovniško dejanje, usmerjeno proti njim samim. 
Tudi nekatere pripovedi, ki smo jih s študenti in študentkami Oddelka za etnologijo in kulturno antropologijo posneli na podeželju v vzhodni Sloveniji6 v letih 2000 in 2001, v letih od 2013 do 2015 pa sem raziskavo nadaljevala še sama, potrjujejo, da carovniška dejanja niso bila vedno samo »pripisana«, ampak tudi, vsaj obcasno, izvajana. Vecina naših sogovornikov je recimo trdila, da so na obmocju svoje domacije našli zakopana jajca, kosti ali druge predmete, ki so jih razumeli kot carovniške predmete, zakopane tja zato, da bi povzrocili škodo, obicajno gospodarsko. »Zavistni sosedi«, ki so bili praviloma osumljeni tega carovniškega dejanja, zagotovo niso zakopali vseh predmetov, za katere so ljudje domnevali, da so bili zakopani z namenom škodovanja – njihova najdba namrec samo kaže na možno carovniško dejanje in kot predmeti, ki naj bi povzrocili škodo, so prepoznani samo s strani domnevnih žrtev (prim. de Blécourt 1999: 189). Doloceno število kosti je gotovo lahko obležalo po tleh in v zemlji po koncu letnih zakolov živine zaradi psov, ki so jih raznašali naokrog, in doloceno število jajc, ki so jih ljudje našli na poljih in drugod po domaciji, je lahko posledica tega, da so kokoši obcasno znesle jajca tudi zunaj kokošnjakov. Nihce od naših sogovornikov ni nikoli nikogar zalotil med zakopavanjem predmetov, in flagrante, kar bi nedvoumno potrdilo »carovniško« razlago. V najboljšem primeru so vcasih ljudje pripovedovali, da so opazili sumljive osebe smukati se okrog njihovih polj, preverili in tam našli sveže zakopana jajca: 
I:7 Ja [...] enkrat je eden mi povedaval, de je videl, de je ena tam pri vrtu se ustavila, ko je bila osumljena, da je coprnica, in da je nekaj zakopala in da je šel cez en cajt gledat, pa da je bilo notri jajce zakopano. Ja! [smeh] 
F: Kakšno jajce? 
I: Jajce, kokošje. 
F: In kaj je pomenilo to jajce? 
I: Nekaj, da jim je škodovalo, najbrž, najbrž, kaj pri živadi, ne. Pri perutnini, ali kje. 
F: Pa ga je potem unicil, ali ga je kar tam pustil, ali kaj je naredil? 
I: Tisto pa ni povedal [smeh]. (47) 
6 V terenskiraziskaviso sodelovali:AlenkaBartulovic, TanjaBizjan, TinaVolaric, LidijaSova, MarijaJemec, Urša Koprivec, Petra Misja, Ksenija Batic, Jana Drašler, Nuša Berce, Ana Frlic, Anja Kušar, Matena Bassin, Benjamin Bezek, Iza Verdel, Živa Bobek, Tjaša Pavšic, Urška Bajec, Jasmina Papic, Tanja Verboten, Nina Rolc,Marija Jemec, Ksenija Batic, Petra Misja, Kristina Stibilj, Maja Globocnik, Katarina Župevc, Sara Pistotnik, Neža Mrevlje, Urša Umek, Matic Bukovac, Vera Jacimovic, Laura Bianca Kramer, Tina Rehar, Adela Ramovš,Ana Novak, Jasna Pecelin, Petra Zgaga, Špela Naglic, Miha Mulh, Luna Jurancic Šribar, Katja Vidovic, Tanja Skale, Miha Šinkovec, Lidija Sova, Tanja Stanic, Saša Zupanc, Helena Dembsky, Anuša Pisanec, Michela Gregoretti in David Pfeifer. Transkripcije so v celoti delo študentov. 
7 
Crka I v transkripcijah pogovorov je oznaka za našega sogovornika, F pa za spraševalca, folklorista. Številka v oklepaju za pogovorom je oznaka sogovornika v dokumentaciji Oddelka. Zaradi velikega števila študentov, ki so besedila transkribirali, pri cemer se niso vsi v enaki meri držali pravil transkripcije, za katera smo se dogovorili (zapisovanje vsega, kar odstopa od zborne izreke: diftongi, spremembe v izglasju, neobicajen na­glas na besedi, polglasniki ipd.), sem zapis jezika glasoslovno poenostavila, medtem ko na ravni skladnje in besedišca pripovedi praviloma nismo spreminjali. Posneti material (kasete in fotografije) ter podatke o naših sogovornikih, casu, kraju posnetka itd. hrani dokumentacija Oddelka za etnologijo in kulturno antropologijo Filozofske fakultete v Ljubljani. 

Toda takšne trditve so bile seveda izrecene s strani ljudi, ki so zakopane predmete interpretirali znotraj carovniškega diskurza, v okviru katerega je bil na raziskovanem obmocju pac vsak zakopani predmet, ki je predstavljal tujek na posestvu, razumljen kot carovniški predmet, ki jetjazakopan namerno, dabi povzrocilškodo. Dokaz, daje clovek izvajal carovniško dejanje – ne pa da je bil tega osumljen oziroma mu je bilo to dejanje zgolj pripisano –, je torej v najboljšem primeru stvar interpretacije (glej Jenkins 2010: 92). Ker so takšne pripovedi pripovedovale domnevne »žrtve«, jih je mogoce razumeti tudi kot narativno strategijo za podkrepitev lastnega argumenta, sporocila, ki so ga želeli prenesti raziskovalcu. 
A poleg pripovedi, ki so jih pripovedovale domnevne žrtve, smo posneli tudi nekaj pripovedi,v katerih so ljudjesamipriznali, dasozakopalicarovniškipredmetnaposestvo druge osebe oziroma vsaj sodelovali pri takšnem dejanju. Pripovedi o namernem škodovanju s pomocjo carovniške prakse, povedane s pozicije »carovnice«, so seveda redke. Takšna priznanja so redka tako iz strahu pred socialnimi posledicami (ostracizem, obsojanje, slab sloves …) kot tudi zaradi kršcanske morale (prim. Hesz 2007: 21-22) – vecina naših sogo­vornikov je bilo namrec katolikov. Ce so ljudje torej že priznali, da so izvedli carovniško dejanje, to seveda nikoli ni moglo biti predstavljeno kot dejanje zacaranja kot tako, ampak brez izjeme zgolj kot upravicen odgovor na prvotno namerno carovniško dejanje, ki ga je izvedla druga oseba. Takšno »protidejanje« je bilo izvedeno v skladu s navodili, kako se ubraniti carovniškega cara, ki so bila del kolektivnega znanja. »Vrniti« carovniški predmet osebi, za katero so domnevali, da ga je prva zakopala, je namrec eden od ukrepov, ki jih tradicijski repertoar ukrepov proti carovništvu ponuja ljudem v primeru, ko domnevajo, da jim je carovnica poskušala škodovati. Druga možnost je bila, da carovniški predmet unicijo ali ga odstranijo. Katoliška vera in vrednote so morda res vplivale na odlocitev mnogih, da carovniškega predmeta niso vrnili osumljencu, a pogostost najdevanja zakopanih predmetov bi morda lahko kazala tudi na to, da se je carovniški predmet odlocilo vrniti domnevni carovnici, ce že ne prvotno zakopati ga z namenom škodovanja, vec ljudi, kot jih je bilo to pripravljeno priznati. V naslednjih pripovedih lahko vidimo nekaj priznanj ljudi, da so predmet zakopali oziroma položili ali vrgli na posestvo soseda: 
I: Je rekel tale oce: »Jaz vem, da ni bilo jajca, ce sem jaz zvecer kidal in vem, da ni bilo nic, ne. Pridem pa zjutraj, pa sem našel tri žlopotke.«8 To so gnila jajca, ne. In to je menda ena soseda, ki ji ni ratalo … ji niso ratali pišcanci ali kokoši, ne, in je to pac verjela: zdaj bom jaz onemu nastavila in potem, ker jaz onemu slabo želim, bo tisti, bo pac on imel nesreco, ne. 
F: Ce ona nastavi, kaj bi bila potem posledica za to hišo? 
I: Slábo. 
F: Kakšno? 
I: Pri tej hiši naj ne bi imeli srece s kokošmi, na primer, ce je to. 
Ceprav je to eden redkih primerov, ki omenja, da je bilo treba zakopati gnila jajca, se zdi, da je verjetno prvotni smisel teh dejanj prav v zakopavanju gnilih jajc – po analogiji naj bi bil tudi pridelek gnil, slab oz. naj bi se sosedom ne izlegli pišcanci itd. 

F: Samo s kokošmi? 
I: Ja. Ker je ona to z jajci hotela. In to je ta clovek rekel: »Ja, to tocno vem, katera ženska je, in jaz sem potem to njej tudi vrnil.« 
F: Kako je pa vrnil? 
I: Tako, da je on potem po drugi strani ..., da ona ni vedela. 
F: Ji je tudi jajca nastavil? I: Ja. (91) 
I: In jazsemšla potemdrugi dan gorna breg, kjer smo krompirogrebali. Frišno smo ogrebali in na friško je bilo skopano in je bilo jajce notri. 
F: Pa se je kaj zgodilo potem? 
I: Ja, pri živadi se zacne nesreca, ne … 
F: Je potem kmalu umrla? 
I: Ja, tisto jajce sem jaz … pa sem ga v tisto smer zapodila. [smeh] 
F: Pa se je njim kaj zgodilo? 
I: Ja, potem se je glih tako, ne. 
F: Jim je crknilo takrat kaj? 
I: Seveda pogine ali kaj je, nekaj je, ne. (9) 
Ceprav so bili ti pripovedovalci s svoje perspektive »žrtve« zacaranja, pa so bili z vidika perspektive soseda, na cigar posestvo so zakopali oziroma vrnili predmet, »ca­rovnice«. Z vidika zunanjega opazovalca, na drugi strani, so v nizu dogodkov zavzemali izmenicno eno ali drugo vlogo, tj. vlogo carovnice ali žrtve: 
Oseba A najde carovniški predmet (A = žrtev carovnice) . 
OsebaAvrnecarovniškipredmetosebiB,tj.domnevnicarovnici(A =carovnica) 
Ce, hipoteticno gledano, oseba B najde predmet, zakopan na svojem posestvu, se lahko odloci za enak postopek, namrec da bo ga bo zakopala oziroma vrnila sosedu. Ce so v njegovem odnosu z A že pred tem obstajale napetosti (prim. Mencej 2015), bo B verjetno osumil za carovnico osebo A. Veriga dogodkov se torej lahko v teoriji odvija ad infinitumin poziciji obeh oseb se lahko v nedogled izmenjujeta od carovnice do njene žrtve. A medtem ko so ljudje, ki vracajo carovniški predmet, v svojih oceh vedno žrtve, ki se zgolj ravnajo po tradicijskih navodilih, kako prepreciti nesreco, ki bi jo ta predmet sicer povzrocil, so v oceh svojih sosedov vedno carovnice, ki so na posestvo soseda zakopale predmet z namenom, da bi mu škodovale: 
Oseba A najde carovniški predmet (A = žrtev carovnice) . Oseba A vrne 
carovniški predmet osebi B, tj. domnevni carovnici (A = carovnica) 
Oseba B najde carovniški predmet (B = žrtev carovnice) . Oseba B vrne 
carovniški predmet osebi A, tj. domnevni carovnici (B = carovnica) 
Oseba A najde carovniški predmet (A = žrtev carovnice) . Oseba A vrne 
carovniški predmet osebi B, tj. domnevni carovnici (A = carovnica) 

Ce pa pred tem med osebo A in drugimi sosedi ni bilo napetosti, bo domnevna žrtev najverjetneje najprej preverila vse indice, ki bi lahko razkrili identiteto carovnice. Tako bi lahko za carovnico osumila katerokoli osebo, ne nujno tiste, ki je morda v resnici zakopala carovniški predmet, in ji »vrnila« predmet. V tem primeru predmet, tehnicno gledano, torej ne bi bil »vrnjen« – kljub temu da bi domnevna žrtev svoje dejanje razumela tako. Veriga dogodkov bi bila torej v tem primeru videti takole: 
Oseba A najde carovniški predmet (A = žrtev carovnice) . Oseba A vrne 
carovniški predmet osebi B, tj. domnevni carovnici (A = carovnica) 
Oseba B najde carovniški predmet (B = žrtev carovnice) . Oseba B vrne 
carovniški predmet osebi C, tj. domnevni carovnici (B = carovnica) 
Oseba C najde carovniški predmet (C = žrtev carovnice) . Oseba C vrne 
carovniški predmet osebi D, tj. domnevni carovnici (C = carovnica) … 
Celo ce zakopanega predmeta, ki bi bil v diskurzu carovništva razumljen kot carov­niški predmet, ne bi bilo, bi bila interpretacija zakopanja predmeta na sosedovo posestvo kot »vracila« in torej nujnega protiukrepa lahko tudi primerna strategija, namenjena upravicenju izvedbe dejanja, katerega posledica naj bi bila nesreca soseda. Ce je oseba dodala ta manjkajoci clen v verigi, tj. prvotno najdeni predmet na svojem posestvu, je bilo »carovniško« dejanje v njihovih oceh, pa tudi v oceh drugih, upraviceno. V nasprotju s situacijo v Franciji, kjer je morala oseba, ki je bila obtožena carovništva, svojo zgodbo spremeniti v zgodbo »žrtve« (Favret-Saada 1980: 192), so na našem obmocju lahko svojo zgodbo torej spremenili v zgodbo »žrtve« ljudje, ki so želeli škodovati drugim, torej delovati kot »carovnice«. 
Še vec, ker ljudje vcasih pripovedi odigrajo, jih torej spremenijo v dejanje ostenzije9 (cf. Dégh in Vázsonyi 1983; Dégh 2001: 422-424), so ljudje svoja dejanja lahko izvedli tudi kot odigranjezgodbe. Medtem ko jebil koncept ostenzijev folkloristikipogosto apli­ciran zlasti na kriminalna dejanja ali pa obravnavan v kontekstu »potovanj po povedkah« 
(t. i. legend trip) (prim. Ellis 2003: 165-185; Lindahl 2005: 165ff.), je Stephen Mitchell s pomocjo koncepta ostenzije poskušal pojasniti tudi kolektivno vedenje vašcanov v napadu na domnevno carovnico v Angliji v 19. stoletju (2004: 21-22). Pravzaprav je že Linda Dégh, ki je z Andrewom Vázsonyijem koncept ostenzije prva vpeljala v folklo­ristiko, tega povezala tudi s carovništvom, ko je pisala, da vecina tradicijskih povedk o carovništvu meša naracijo in ostenzijo (Dégh 2001: 424-425). A ce se zdi ostenzija kot koncept sprejemljiva, kadar dejanje sledi zaporedju elementov v pripovedi, je po mojem mnenju manj smiselna v raziskavah carovništva kot socialne institucije, ki vsebuje cel niz razlicnih zgodb, dejanj, vzorcev vedenja, socialnih odnosov … Ce ista kognitivna predstava prežema in vpliva na nastanek in širjenje tako povedk kot tudi praks, ni potrebe po tem, da bi te prakse razumeli kot aktualizacijo (ostenzijo) povedk, saj obe verbalizirata 
Ostenzijo lahko definiramo kot »proces, v katerem ljudje odigravajo teme ali dogodke znotraj ljudskih pripovedi« (»the process by which people act out themes or events found within folk narratives«) (Fine 1992: 205), torej so to njihovi »dramaticni podaljški v resnicno življenje« (»dramatic extension into real life«) (Ellis 2003: 41). 


isto kognitivno predstavo oziroma verovanje, le da je to v enem primeru artikulirano verbalno in v drugem izvedeno kot dejanje. Razumevanje praks in vedęnja v kontekstu carovništva kot ostenzije se zdi tako odvec. De Blécourt in Davies opozarjata tudi na previdnost v razumevanju zgodb o carovništvu kot navodil za vedęnje, saj po njunem mnenju takšna perspektiva prispeva k »zanikanju predhodnih procesov, v katerih so bile narejene izbire, in implicira, da je to, kar je pripovedovano, tudi uresnicljivo« (Blécourt in Davies 2004a: 12). 
»NARAVNO« ALI »NADNARAVNO« 
Poleg razumljive nepripravljenosti ljudi, da bi v primeru, ce bi izvedli carovniško prakso, to tudi zares priznali, lahko zamegli diskusijo o tem, ali je carovništvo vsaj obcasno del praks ali zgolj nekaj, kar ljudje pripišejo drugim, še en dejavnik – vpraša­nje, kako carovništvo sploh razumeti. Jenkins je carovništvo definiral kot »zlonamerno nadnaravno agresijo, pri cemer se lahko uporablja uroke ali ritual ali notranje osebne moci, zunaj okvirov legitimne religije in rituala«10 (Jenkins 2007: 203; moj poudarek). Omembo »nadnaravnega« najdemo tudiv Huttonovidefiniciji carovnice kot osebe, »ki uporablja domnevno nadnaravna sredstva za povzrocanje nesrec ali poškodb drugih«11 (Hutton 2006: 211-212; moj poudarek). Toda kako pravzaprav razumeti koncept »na­dnaravnega« v teh definicijah? Ali ta koncept odseva emsko perspektivo – se pravi, so ljudje, ki so razmišljali v okviru carovniškega diskurza, verjeli, da gre pri carovniških dejanjih (izkljucno) za nadnaravna dejanja? So torej razlikovali med dejanji, ki jih v okviru znanstvene paradigme ni mogoce razložiti kot naravna in bi jih torej lahko ra­zumeli le kot nadnaravna, in povsem naravnimi dejanji, ki bi lahko povzrocila nesreco 
– da so torej prva razumeli kot carovništvo, druga pa ne? Ali ce postavimo vprašanje malce drugace: so ljudje naravne razloge, ki so povzrocili nesreco, izlocili iz obtožb carovništva ali ne? 
Edward Bever (2008: 6-11) v svoji knjigi, v kateri razmišlja o možnih realnih pod-lagah carovniških obtožb, trdi, da so obtožbe carovništva v zgodnjenovoveških sojenjih carovnicam pogosto zadevale fizicne delikte, kot so kraja, požig, zastrupitev, fizicni napad, kraja mleka in fizicne poškodbe domacih živali. Tudi Owen Davies (1999a: 176-177) je na podlagi svoje raziskave angleškega carovništva od srede 18. do srede 20. stoletja mnenja, da vsaj dolocen odstotek nenadnih in nenavadnih poškodb živali, ki so jih ljudje pripisali carovništvu, kaže na to, da je šlo v resnici za zastrupitve,12 medtem ko je bilo pokvarjeno pinjenje mleka lahko posledica vanj namerno odvrženega košcka mila ali sladkorja. Tako Bever kot Davies sta torej podala nekaj možnih razlag za nesrece, ki so jih ljudje interpretirali kot posledicecarovniških dejanj, kot posledice namerno, »naravno«, 
10 »Malicious supernatural aggression, whether employing spells and rituals or innate individual powers, outside the framework of legitimate religion and ritual«.. 
11 »Who uses apparently supernatural means to cause misfortune or injury to others«. 12 Josip Pajek (1884: 18) je npr. že konec 19. stoletja trdil, da carovnice ne morejo carati, ampak gre za hudobne ženske, ki zastrupljajo ljudi in požigajo njihove hiše. 

fizicno povzrocenih dejanj13. Povzrocanje škode, (fizicni) napadi in druga zlonamerna dejanja, usmerjena proti sosedom, so bili, kot se zdi, pogosta izkušnja prebivalcev va­ških skupnosti, zlasti v preteklosti, ko je bila institucionalna zašcita ljudi zaradi njihove odrezanosti od središc skorajda nemogoca, za mnoge pa nedosegljiva tudi zaradi viso­kih stroškov eventualne tožbe, ki si je zaradi prevladujoce revšcine na našem obmocju vecina ljudi ne bi mogla privošciti. Moji sogovorniki, s katerimi sem na terenu govorila v letih 2013–2015, so pogosto poudarjali problematicne medsosedske odnose na vasi in govorili o vedno prisotni nevarnosti fizicnih napadov kot vsakdanji izkušnji vaškega življenja: »Ce si nisi dober s sosedi, ti lahko naredijo škodo, kaj zažgejo in podobno,« so se pritoževali. »Misliš, da je nekdo tvoj najboljši prijatelj, pa se izkaže za najhujšega sovražnika.« »Ves cas moraš gledati za hrbet.« To je le nekaj izjav, ki jasno kažejo strah pred škodljivimi dejanji sosedov. 
Ce natancno prisluhnemo pripovedim o carovniških napadih, bi vsaj nekatere lahko kazale na storjena kriminalna dejanja, ne pa samo na zamišljene, »nadnaravne« carovniške napade. V naslednjem intervjuju se tako zdi, da sogovornik sumi, da je bila živina, ki je bila namenjena prodaji, v resnici zastrupljena. Carovništvo sicer ni neposredno omenjeno, sogovornik je tudi izrecno zanikal, da bi »vedel za carovnice«, a diskusija se je razvila kot odgovor na naše vprašanje o carovništvu: 
I1: Te so pa … moru cakat, de so zastruplal žvino pa …ne? To jih je pa blo. 
F:
 Kdo je zastrupljal živino ? I1: Ce si … jah kaj, ponoc je prišu. I1: To je blo, ce si hotu prodat, pa so bli tisti deci pa tist, in zvecer je jedla, 

zjutri nic vec. 

F:
 Pa kdo je to naredil? 

I1: Ja, ce ni nobeden vedel! Ce ni bla, štala ni bla zaprta … pa je notr šou. Rekli so, da je [nerazlocno], pol pa da ni jedla vec. 

F:
 Živina ni vec jedla? Kaj pa je bilo potem z živino? I1: Ja, pol so jo mogl dat. 


I: Nc. Za stran. 
I1: Pol je bla pa, to so bli pa tist prekupcevalci, ko so vedl, pol je pa on pršu pa jo je vzel. Pol je pa crknla. To je blo … (69) 
Pripoved naslednje sogovornice verjetno še bolj neposredno kaže na delikt, saj v njej izrecno omenja strup. A ceprav dejanje ocitno pripisuje sosedi, ki ji je zavidala moža 
– zavistni sosedi pa so znotraj carovniškega diskurza tipicno prepoznani kot carovnice (glej Mencej 2017a) –, pripovedovalka zastrupitve vendarle ni neposredno povezala s carovništvom: 
13 Sally Hickey (1990) smrti in bolezni živine v Angliji 16. in 17. stoletja povezuje z zaužitjem strupenih rastlin ali lakoto živine. Podobno je Josip Pajek (1884: 27) trdil, da je krvavo mleko krav posledica njihovega zaužitja dolocene rastline. Veterinar na obmocju, kjer smo raziskovali, je prav tako potrdil, da se je živina z bolezenskimi težavami lahko zastrupila z zaužitjem preslice ali jesenskega podleska; zdravilci so menda svarili proti paši na takšnih obmocjih. 

Mi smo ob kravo bli. Tuki je bla na paši, vete. In on [nerazumljivo], krava je šla na pašo vredi, ko vsak dan. Tist dan se je pa przibala, przibala se je domov. Letisin po živinozdravnika. Pridegor [nerazumljivo]. Pa pridesem, prav: »Kaj je?« »Ja,« sem rekla, »sedem inekcij ji je notr dal.« Sedemsto tisoc, sedemdeset tisoc sem tjedi placala živinozdravnika. Tiste inekcije so tolk koštale. Ko je on odšel, krava pa poginla. Pa svaki dan je bla zdrava, nikdar ji ni blo nc. To sm poklej rekla, da so ji mogoce kakšn strup nastavl, ne, da je krava to dobila. To dobr vem. Zmerm sm rekla, da to ni blo naravno, ne. Poklej živinozdravnik je reku: »Dol jo zapelte, pa jo bom odpelu jaz sam.« Da bo pršu gor, da ni nam treba nc, sam v grabn jo zapelat. Mi v grabn zapelamo, poklej pa kr nc. Nc crno na belem on ni dal, pokojni. Samo reku je sini: »Krava je mela polno mehurcev notr,« k jo je dal pregledat. Nc pa ni blo nobenga listka, pa nc, ja. Kako je blo s tisti kravi, ne vem. Mogl smo vse požret. Ob kravo smo bli, druga pa nc. Pa ce je šla korajžna na pašo, pol je pa pršla omoticna. (66) 
V naslednjih treh pripovedih pa naši sogovorniki za zastrupitev izrecno krivijo carovnice. V prvem primeru naj bi krave prenehale dajati mleko po tem, ko so sosedo 
– carovnico opazili, da je v hlev vstopila z majhno posodo, v kateri je bilo »nekaj«. To ocitno kaže na prepricanje sogovornice, da je substanca, ki jo je domnevna carovnica prinesla s seboj v posodi in jo predvidoma dala kravam ali pa jih z njo namazala, kriva, da se jenjihovo mleko posušilo. Druga pripoved še bolj natancno kaže na izveden delikt: sosedo so opazili, medtemko je»nekajvrgla« svinjamv svinjak, cemur jesledilanjihova smrt. V tretji pripovedi se naratorka sklicuje celo na rezultate veterinarske preiskave mrtve svinje, ki je pokazala, da je bila ta zastrupljena. Navkljub uradni potrditvi, da gre za zastrupitev, je naša sogovornica za nesreco okrivila sosedo, »ki zna« – kar je izraz, ki v carovniškem diskurzu na našem obmocju tipicno oznacuje »carovnico« (cf. Mencej 2016, 2017). Podobno je tudi svojo sosedo, za katero je trdila, da ji je zastrupila krave in kokoši ter celo nastavila strup v jajca, imela za carovnico. 
Ooo, to je naša stara mama pripovedovala: Ta je coparnca, ta nekej meša doma. Neki gre v hlev pa neki seboj nese v nekašni sklecki, prav. Po pa krave, gre k sosedi pa tam krave ne dojijo, ne. (152) 
Prej so znale, prej so znale, kako so to znale! Naša je bila ena ženska, nedalec od nas, v vasi je bila doma. Pa je prišla k nam, mi smo imeli mlin, ona je v mlin prinesla zmleti, ne, koruzo ali pa jecmen, kar je že imela. Ko je tista prišla k hiši … je neki zacoprala, da je bilo vse narobe. Ali so mama kokoš nasadili, ali je krota med jajci crknila, ali so vsi pišceti in [nerazumljivo], ali je pri hiši naredila kaj. Da res je zapodila, to so pa videli, ko smo še bili mali otroci, da ko je šla mimo štale [nerazumljivo], je nekaj zapodila v ograjo, ko smo imeli ograjo. Ko mi smo prašice k ograji spušcali, ne, poleti, in pol so nam tri prašici crknili, in to je, nekaj, nekaj je bilo narobe. Pol so šli pa mama, so šli pa mama k šlogarci. (73) 

F: Kaj se je zgodilo s prašici? 
I: Niso teli jesti. 
F: Kdaj pa se je to zgodilo? 
I: To je že, že to težko … To je tud ena znala taku. 
F: Kaj je bila pri vas takrat na obisku, da veste, da je prav ona? 
I: Ne, ne, ne. 
F: Kako je to naredila? 
I: Je hcera. 
F: Od te, ki pravite, da je tudi znala? 
I: Ja, soseda je napravla. 
F: Soseda tudi? 
I: Pri moji sestri se je to zgodilo. 
F: Aha. Kako pa je soseda njena naredila? 
I: Ja. Bog ve, ne, ja, to pa ne vemo. 
F: Kako je pa vedela, da je ravno soseda naredila? 
I: Ja, tisto [je morala] znat. Sej je nagovarjala … Ja, pa je, se je cez zimo so ji vrgli nutre strupa, ka je prešic cez nuc pogino. Ne, te ke so šli na v Novo mesto, na pregled, pa so rekli tudi lovski strup je pojedu … Ka so ga, uno je blo zdravo, to je pa poginlo. Ja, ta soseda. Krave mi je zastrupila. 
F: A ta tukaj, ta prva? 
I: Ja … štiri kokoši mi je zastrupila. Poglejte. Tam je sjala jecmen, za našo je njena njiva. Jes sem pa šla u jutro dojit, sm rekla, zdaj so tu, jecmen je zastruplen … Ne, da ne bi kokoši pozobale. Ja, pa sm na zacetki nism spustila kokoši, ampak sm na zacetki stila pa laufala pa sm bla na taki, na … od vrta do štale je blo ograja, plut, ne. Pa je bla pred, sti pred plut pa kokoš jajce cufala. Ne, ko pa se je, ko se je pa, to znesla. Drugo jutro sm pa našla crkjeno tisto kokoš. Tako pa sm bla radovedna, jajc mela narobe, sm pa tisto prerezala pa je blo jajce lišnije, ja ma tistikrat pa malo se je pa tekocini poznalo … Je pa cez luknco naredla, da je napipala strup notr u jajca … To je taku žleht! (29)14 
Cebitorejtepripovedirazumelidobesedno, biizzaobtožb carovništvalahko predvi­devali dejanska, fizicno izvedenakriminalna dejanja oziroma vsaj prestopke. Seveda pa ne smemo pozabiti, da so bila »dejstva«, ki so prikazana kot dokaz za kriminalna dejanja sosedov, razumljena kot carovniški napad v kontekstu carovniškega diskurza. Naši sogo­vorniki bi jih prav lahko sami dodali tudi z namenom, da bi utrdili svojo pozicijo žrtve in potrdili obtožbo sosed kot carovnic. Prav tako je te »dokaze« mogoce razumeti samo kot napacno interpretacijo teh dejanj kot (poskusov) zastrupitve. Elementi pripovedi, ki bi 
14 Ceprav iz tega odlomka ni povsem jasno razvidno, da je zadnje dejanje, o katerem sogovornica razpravlja, pripisano sosedi, ki jo je imela za carovnico, je ta sogovornica v celotnem poteku intervjuja govorila izkljucno znotrajcarovniškegadiskurzain tudi vse, kar seji jedogajalo, interpretirala znotrajtegadiskurza. Zastrupljena jajca, ki jih omenja, so bila morda zares napolnjena s fosforjem (glej spodaj). 


kazali na dejansko fizicno izvedeno kriminalno dejanje, torej niso nujno obenem dokaz za to, da je bilo to dejanje tudi v resnici izvedeno. 
Ne glede na to pa bi si ljudje, ki bi želeli zastrupiti sosedovo živino, strup dejansko brez težav preskrbeli. Kot je potrdil lokalni veterinar, s katerim sem se pogovarjala leta 2016, so dejansko bili primeri, ko je bila smrt živine posledica zastrupitve s cianidom. Tega se lahko na primer najde v kremah proti podganam – ce so jo ljudje namazali na kos kruha, in bi tega živina pojedla, bi utrpela takojšnjo smrt, je pojasnil. Potrdil je tudi, da so ljudje jajca, napolnjena s fosforjem, ki so jih lovci nastavljali na travnike ob gozdovih in na robove gozdov proti lisicam in drugim divjim živalim, dejansko obcasno nastavljali na posestvo soseda, cigar živini so hoteli škodovati. Poleg tega so bile nekatere vrste strupenih rastlin, ki ji navaja Bever (2008: 8-11) kot tiste, ki so jih ljudje uporabljali za zastrupitev živine in ki bi lahko povzrocale paralizo in nevrološke motnje, kot so dezorientacija in blodnje,dostopnetudinanašemobmocju,cepravvpogovorihnisobilenikoliomenjene. Še en možni vir strupa so lahko toksini v koži moceradov in krastac, ki sicer nastopajo v pripovedih na našem obmocju kot neke vrste carovnicini pomocniki, ki ji pomagajo krasti mleko ali stepati smetano, a nikoli niso bili omenjeni v zvezi s škodovanjem. Toksini krastace, ki se jo položi v posodo z vodo, na primer, zadošcajo za zastrupitev živali, ki pije to vodo; posledice za cloveka so lahko tudi paraliza in krci, kar spada med tipicne posledice carovniških dejanj tudi na našem obmocju (prim. Spoerke 1986; Harper 1977: 106; Bever 2008: 132). Podobno so posledice strupa mocerada oslabelost, bruhanje, diareja, izguba obcutka za koordinacijo in paraliza.15 
Tudi tehnika zakopavanja ali polaganja »carovniških« predmetov na sosedovo ozem­lje, ki se je redno pojavljala v obtožbah carovništva na našem obmocju, bi lahko morda obcasno kazala na izvedeno dejanje, ki povzroci škodo sosedu. Kot je omenil eden od naših sogovornikov, je bilo pušcanje kosov trupla živali, ki je umrla zaradi nalezljive bolezni, na sosedovem posestvu nacin, kako okužiti njegovo živino, ki se je tam pasla: 
I1: Ja za kosti so pa govorili, ja, da ce je sosed soseda grozno sovražil, ne. Da mu je … No, to, to bi pa rekla, da bi bilo zelo res, to je pa hudobija. Da ce je nekje, nekje zbolelo živince, ne, ali pa sploh prašici, da so zboleli nekje vcasih, da so potemga pokopali, pa del od tega drugimnastavili, ne, in tako se pa prenaša bolezni potem, ne. To je pa, tu je bila prav direktna hudobija … 
F: A naj ne bi bilo nic coprnije zraven? I1: Ne, mislim, da ne, mislim, da ne. (81) 
Še vec, ceprav strogo receno ne gre nujno za kriminalna dejanja ali prestopke, imajo nekaterepraksevendarlepovsem»naravne« škodljiveposledice. Vlekarjuh po sosedovem polju pšenice, še eno dejanje, ki je veljalo za carovniško, ima na primer neposredne »fizic­ne« posledice: dotikanje pšenice, ki je vlažna od rose, povzroci snet, katere posledica je slabšipridelek. Medtemko soto prakso nekateriljudjetorejmordaizvajalivprepricanju, 
15 http://www.infovets.com/healthycatsinfo/E835.htm#Salamander; zadnji dostop 26. marec 2020 


da bo škodovala »nadnaravno«, ali pa morda kot obliko ostenzije, so jo lahko tisti, ki so se zavedali njenih povsem »naravnih« škodljivih posledic, izvajali tudi povsem namer-no, da bi škodovali pridelku sosedov – ne da bi ob tem menili, da ima njihovo dejanje v sebi karkoli »nadnaravnega«. A tudi ce so prakso razumeli kot »nadnaravno«, je ta iz »naravnih« razlogov povzrocila enake rezultate, kot so anticipirani znotraj carovniškega diskurza: neuspel pridelek soseda in posledicno torej uspeh izvajalca prakse – vsaj v primerjavi s pridelkom soseda, kar je, v vsakem primeru, v majhnih, tesno povezanih skupnostih glavno merilo uspeha (cf. Honko 1962: 119-120). 
Tu smo meli pol enga mlinarja, ki se ga jaz slabo spominjam, prišo je kot mlad fant in je tu pri nas tak dolgo bil, da je tudi umrl. Je šov k maši, pa pride nazaj, je reko: »Jebal te vrag, ka san jes vido.« »Ja pa kaj si vido?« »Ja, ta stara Pepca je plahto vlekla po naši pšenici.« Po je pa, takrat je bla pa že moja babica, ne, prababica je že umrla, babica bla gospodinja, pa je rekla: »Ja pa ka pa je delala?« Men se zdi, da je blo to na telovo. »Plen je pobirala.« »Ja kak?« Je reko: »Ona je vlekla belo hodnicno plahto po naši pšenici in je roso stresala na svojo pšenicno njivo.« Ja, pa je rekla babica: »Ja pa kak, ka pa si, ka pa je s tem naredla?« »No,« je reko, »bote vidli, ka bo ob žetvi.« No, in res, ona je mela cudovito lepo pšenico, ta naša je bla pa zanic. Blo je pa verjetno, tak so pozneje ludje pravli, de je bla to verjetno kriva res tista njena plahta, necarovnija, pacpa zato, ker jeona to v rosidelala. V roso ni dobro po pšenico iti. Ker postane rjasta. Tak pa je blo. Mogoce. (53) 
Škoda je bila vcasih lahko tudi namerno predstavljena tako, da je dobila »nadnaravno« konotacijo in je bila torej razumljena kot posledica carovniškega dejanja. To možnost so vcasih izkorišcali zlasti beraci, ki so tako izsilili hrano ali kak drug dar. V primeru, da daru niso dobili, so lahko zagrozili s carovniškim dejanjem, katerega posledica bo škoda oziroma nesreca, in to po potrebi zatem tudi res povzrocili, ceprav s kriminalnim dejanjem. To je dokazalo njihove carovniške sposobnosti in jim dar zagotovilo vsaj naslednjic, ko so prišli mimo, ali pa pri drugih vašcanih, kamor se je hitro zanesla vest 
o njihovih sposobnostih. 
Kot piše Davies, so v Angliji »beraci-carovniki«, ki so izkorišcali svoj sloves, vzdrževali svoj položaj tako, da so ustvarjali vtis, da izvajajo carovniška dejanja. Ce bi bili na svojih obhodih zavrnjeni, pa v odgovor ne bi storili nicesar, ljudje ne bi vec imeli motivacije, da bi jim podarili karkoli. Malo ljudi je res hotelo dati milošcino beracem in edini nacin, kako so jih lahko prepricali, da so to vendarle storili, je bila grožnja z mašcevanjem s carovništvom(Davies 1999a:176-177). Beraci-carovniki, kiso pripovedovalizastrašujoce zgodbe o svojih carovniških sposobnostih in grozili s svojim magijskim škodovanjem, da bi dobili hrano in drugo milošcino, so bili poznani tudi drugje po Evropi. Njihovo obdarovanje pogosto ni bilo motivirano z altruizmom, ampak predvsem s tesnobo in stra­hom pred carovniškim napadom v primeru zavrnitve (Briggs 2002: 53, 131-133; Stark 2004: 76; 2007: 20-21; Eilola 2006: 38). Tudi angleški beraci 19. stoletja, ki so prosili milošcine svoje sosede, so se vcasih namerno trudili ustrezati stereotipnim predstavam o carovnicah, da bi jim to pomagalo zagotoviti uspeh pri beracenju (prim. Davies 1999a: 175). Kadar sloves sam ni zadošcal, so še dodatno poudarjali svoje nadnaravne moci in skrivno znanje, na primer s poudarjenim dolgotrajnim strmenjem v oci, nenavadnimi obraznimi grimasami, skrivnostnim mošnjickom, ki so ga nosili s seboj, pripovedmi o s svojih carovniških »zmagah« ipd. – z vsem tem so si na primer v poznem 19. stoletju finski reveži pomagali pridobiti milošcino od bogatejših kmetov (Stark 2004: 75). Tekla Dömötör (1973: 179) je podobno ugotavljala, da so babice v okrožju Sárrétudvari na Madžarskem izkorišcale svoj sloves carovnic, da so si pridobile materialno korist. Strah pred carovniškim znanjem in mocmi je torej dal ljudem, za katere se je verjelo, da jih imajo, v roke mocno orožje, s katerim so lahko manipulirali druge in tako zase pridobili materialno ali kakšno drugo korist. Nekatere pripovedi, ki smo jih zapisali na terenu, bi lahko kazale na to, da so bile nesrece, ki so sledile grožnji, povzrocene »fizicno«, da bi potrdile »nadnaravne« grožnje in carovniške moci beracev: 

Potem pa tud vem, eden tam, Martin so mu rekl, na, tisti je bil tud reven so bli, sam je bil tud vseh muk; star možicek, pa taku, pa še cvrst, pa še vse tko. Tist je šel h hiši, tam na [nerazumljiv posnetek]h ženskam je rekel: »Ve mate jejce pa to, ne, jaz sem bolj, dajte mi jajce, pa dajte mi kej pšenicke, da bom mal,« kokr ceš, da bo za domov mel, ne. Da doma je mel ženo, pa to, tako staro. In tistem mu niso hotle dat, poznale so ga, iz istiga kraja. So rekl, pac ma sam majhen vinograd, kaj pa revšcina tam gor v tistem Studence, se rece. In potem niso hotle, so ga kr odpravle in je zažugu, pa je šel. Potlej se je šel mal cez, je zacelo v štali pr tistih ženskah, so rekl: »O, zdej more it pa vpit koza.« Koze je mela vec, sej ne vem. Kure so se skup držale za klune, vse skupi, pa kr po tleh, kot ceš, da bo vse pocrkal. Tako pa ne, je tak direndaj nastal tam, pol so ga pa zacele nazaj klicat: »Prid nazaj, vse ti bomo dale, sam da rešiš.« Je pa koza, ki je mela ruge, sem noter zapicla noter nekam v drske, pa je cist na rogah visela, kot da bi crknla, ne. Da je tist na rogah visla, kure pa tud, so tiste po tleh ležale, pa so se taki zdel, da so vse za pocrkat. Tko so pripodval, ne. Sam jaz sem rekla; kure, lahka, da je bil pa fakin, pa da je mel koruze dvej napikene na cvern, al pa tri. Zdej pa, ce je ena požrla, ni šlo ke dol. Pa je druga kura požrla drugo koruzo, pol so se pa vlekle za cvern, ne, pa ni šlo ven, ne. To se potlej … Sej jaz ne vem, tuk vem, ne. Sam jaz sem tko sama seb tolmacla, ne. Ko zdej vidim vcasih tud golobe, ne, ko ne morjo rešit, da so vsi jezen. Pa zvežejo koruzo dvej skupi, ne. Pol pa dva goloba, pol se morta tok cajt, pa trga pa crkne. Taki stvari so tako … (107) 
Beraci in drugi potujoci delavci, ki so hodili po deželi, so se na svojih poteh tudi v resnici imeli možnost nauciti raznih »magijskih« znanj, na primer zdravilstva, vedeže­vanja, raznih magijskih praks … V Franciji so bili takšni potepuhi pogosto prenašalci znanja o magijskih obredih in obrazcih in so veljali za nekakšna kvazi miticna bitja (Favret-Saada 1980: 45). Laura Stark (2004: 73) meni, da so na Finskem v 19. stoletju reveži brez zemlje tudi zagotavljali kmetijam informacije o magiji in carovništvu, ki so jih lahko potem uporabljali drug proti drugemu. Tudi na Norveškem so bili v 19. stole-tju kot carovniki najpogosteje prepoznani prav beraci, potepuhi in izobcenci (Alver in Selberg 1987: 25). Potujoci reveži so bili pogosto obtoženci tudi na sojenjih carovnicam v nekaterih habsburških deželah (Levack 2006: 157). Beraci in drugi sezonski delavci, ki so hodili naokrog in iskali priložnostnega dela na kmetijah, so bili na obmocju naše raziskave vsekakor pogosti in nekatere pripovedi kažejo, da so vsaj nekateri izmed njih zares imeli znanje zdravilstva in magije: 

I: So pršli pa taki beraci, pek… veste, kaj so peklarji, ne, reveži. […] Ja, pa so rekli tu, dejte mi jesti pa piti. Pa je rekla teta: »Ka bom dala, sem tak boga, mam otroke bolene.« »Ja, ka pa jim je.« Dvojcka sta bla, Anika pa Francek, pa sta leže tak skor vmirala. Je reko: »Vi mi dejte jeste pa piti, otroki bodo pa ozdravli.« Ja kak. Pol pa seveda oni so jeli, »vi pa dejte kar hitro vodo na šporet pa pelina noter in samo v tisti vodi jih koplite«. In sta se ozdravla. (95) 
No, to sem pa pol tud mela, pol še eno izkušnjo. Je pa bil pr nas en moški s Hrvaške, tist moški je pa znal gledat na karte, pol pa je tule pr nas, smo mu dal jesti, pa tak, pa je tuki živo, gor v stari hiši je pa spal v enem štiblcu. Štiblc smo mi po domace rekli taki majhni sobici, ne. Pol je pa, sem pa jaz svinje krmila, ne, in niso hotle cist nc svinje jest, nc jest. Pol sem pa jamrala, dedc je vedo pa tolk na svetu, bil je pa star tudi okol osemdeset let takrat, pa mu je, eno roko so mu odrezali, tak da je samo z eno bil. Nam je to sadje pobiral, pa vse je delal s tisto roko. Pol sem pa mu enkrat pravla, sem rekla poslušte, sem rekla, kak bi jaz, da bi svinje jedle. Je pa reko nc ni hudga, je reku, jaz ti bom nekaj povedu pa tist zvecer naredi, ne. Pol pa res, pa nesem jaz pa tota sestra, ko je bla zraven mene v gozdu, nesema svinjam jest. Smo pa meli takle, da smo jim od zunaj noter sipaval v tista stara lesena korita, pa to ne bi vedla povedat, koga je reku, da naj izgovorim. Ni blo velik, en stavekje blo treba povedat, je reku: »Ta stavek, ko boš vrgla svinjam noter jest, zgovori, pa pojdi kr stran, ne,« je reko in te de drug dan bojo pa mogoce rajš jedle. No, saj tud blo res, da so, samo vete, kok je blo pa straha. Pol pa jaz zasiplem svinjam tist v korito, pa izgovorim tist, koga mi je povedal. Tedi pa prleti, od tegale hrama, še zdaj tule gor stoji, je prletel dva para crnih konjev, sem vidla, kr vidla sem, pa galopiral je, naravnost tja proti štali, vete. Jaz pa pograbim tisti ejmar pa sestra, pa sma bejžale tak, da bog nas var, pa letim gor v sobo, ko je on že ležal, je bla menda ura tak okrog osme, sam je že bil pa mrak, tema že. Sem pa rekla, »Jezus,« sem rekla, »zdaj pa ne vem,« sem rekla, »tole pa tole se je zgodil, nekaj je prletelo,« sem rekla, »to je tak ko, to se je slišal galop konjev.« No jaz vidla sem samo eno tako crnino, tak vlk je blo ko konji, pol sma pa letele s sestro okrog štale pa ta gor, ne. To, on se je pa sam obrno v zid, pa se je nasmejal, pa nic reko, ja. (96) 

Predpostavka o možnih naravnih, fizicnih, kriminalnih dejanjih, ki bi bila resnicni vir nekaterih nesrec, a bi lahko bila v kontekstu carovniškega diskurza razumljena kot carovniška, pa še vedno ne odgovori na zacetno vprašanje, ali so ljudje, ki so razmišljali, govorili in delovali v kontekstu carovniškega diskurza, verjeli, da so carovniška dejanja samo nadnaravna dejanja – in torej izlocili iz carovništva vsa dejanja, ki bi nesreco povzrocila naravno – ali ne. Ne vemo torej, ali so ljudje, ki so razmišljali v kontekstu carovniškega diskurza, dejanja, za katera so bili povsem prepricani, da so bila povzrocena fizicno, tj. »naravna« kriminalnadejanja, vseeno uvršcali v kategorijo carovništva ali pa so jih v takem primeru izlocili iz interpretacije znotraj carovniškega diskurza. Bi torej, ce bi imeli nedvomen dokaz, da je soseda njihovo kravo zastrupila ali jo na skrivaj pomolzla ali da je krava, ki je umrla, umrlazaradi poškodbe, ki ji jo je zadala soseda, ta kriminalna dejanja še vedno razumeli kot carovniška in imeli takšne sosede za carovnice ali pa bi jih imeli v takšnem primeru za to, kar v resnici so – torej zastrupljevalke, tatice, nasilnice …? 
Zgoraj smo videli, da je kar nekaj naših sogovornikov domnevalo, da je bil glavni razlog za nesreco pri živalih njihova zastrupitev (29, 152, 73), a so sosede, ki naj bi živali zastrupile, kljub temu bolj ali manj eksplicitno imeli za carovnice. Toda delovanje strupov ni bilo vedno razumljeno v kemijskem smislu, ampak je bilo dolgo dojemano samo kot carovništvo (Bever 2006), zato zastrupitev morda ni najboljši primer. Poleg tega nihce od sosedov ni bil nikoli zares ujet med samim dejanjem zastrupitve. V drugih primerih (69, 66) bi bilo lahko zavedanje, da so sosedi povzrocili fizicno škodo, ne pa nadnaravne, in da torej niso imeli nadnaravne moci, razlog, da jih niso želeli imenovati carovnice, kljub temu da je bila pripoved o njih vstavljena v širšo diskusijo o carovništvu.16 Kaj pa sogovorniki, ki so evidentno govorili znotraj diskurza carovništva in so svoje sosede eksplicitno imenovalicarovnice?So tirazlikovalimed»naravnimi«, fizicnopovzrocenimi kriminalnimi dejanji, vsaj kadar so bila ta nedvomno dokazana kot takšna, in nadnarav­nimi nacini zacaranja ter zadnje izlocili iz konteksta carovniškega diskurza? Naslednji dve pripovedi o kraji mleka nas bosta morda pripeljali bližje odgovoru: 
I:Tule,glih,kosem vam povedalazatožensko,zatoM.sorekli,M.Ja,pataka reva tu … tudi tako sirota bolna in šantava, to so zmeraj rekli moji bratje, ki jaz sem … pri mojih starših so imeli nas deset. Jaz sam deseta … Pa je povedaval tu zmeram glih tale brat, ki je zdaj še gor v V. Pa so to pobje rekli, to dva sta pol dva brata, da sta spala pa sta notri bila v štali, ne. Jaz ne vem, kako so to, jaz tega ne bi mogla prenašat. Je pa povedaval, pol je rekel, da je tale ženska prišla ponoci, ne, ona pa tako v eni revšcini, to ni imela krave, ni imela, prej ni bilo trgovine … mleka kot danes, ne, to, ce si imel doma, si doma lahko pomolzel, podojil, pa si imel. Ja, no, in so rekli, da je prišla tu ponoci, ponoci, pol pa zacela tisto dojiti, dojiti in krava je 
16 To bi morda lahko razumeli kot znak zamiranja verovanja v carovništvo na našem obmocju, a oznacevanje sosedov, o katerih dejanjih so ljudje sicer razpravljali v kontekstu carovništva, kot »zavistnih«, »zlih« sosedov ipd. raje kot »carovnic« je znano tudi drugod, na primer v Nemciji in Franciji (cf. Favret-Saada 1980: 166; Paul 1993: 111). 

bila tako mirna. Krave niso bile mirne vsakemu cloveku, ne.17 To je rekel moj brat. Jaz sam pa rekla … jaz sam se se tako smejala, sem rekla: »To ni res, pa to ni res!« Pa je rekel: »Ne mi tega povedavat,« je rekel, »da ne bi unega rekel, ko je res. Ker da jaz sem to sam doživel!« je rekel. Pa je prišla pa zacela dojiti in nadojila je, je rekel, menda v eno posodo ene tri litra mleka. Je rekel potlej pa moj brat, je rekel, on pa to gleda, posluša, poslušamo. Ta babnica pa ni jih videla, da tu te pubje so notri, ne … je rekel: »Pol pa smo pa šli, pa smo se notri,« no, cisto bom povedala po domace, pobje so se nascali v tisto mleko. »Pol sem pa šel,« je rekel, »pa sem jo tako namazal z nekaj…« Veste, kaj je to, mi smo rekli gažlja ali pa bic za kravo? – je rekel, »po tistih tacah sem jo tako namazal,« je rekel, potlej je pa ni nikdar vec bilo. Je rekel, da veckat so pa to ponoci prometle. To sam jaz njemu verovala … 
F: Vi mislite, da je ona prišla krast? 
I: Da si je podojila pa si je mleka odnesla. 
F: Zakaj pa je bila coprnica? Saj ona je v bistvu kradla. 
I: 
Saj so rekli tako, da, ja, ona tudi na vse nacine se je vedla, ce si je res tako pomagala, kaj pa jaz vem. (15) 

I: 
Ja. To so so tako praujo, da da nima krava mleka, da hodjo coprnce dojit pa tak. Ta, n, jas v take reci ne verjamem nec. 


F: A je to pravil kdo, ki je prav sam videl? 
I: Ja … pravli so, da … da da da so vidli … pr nas je biu en hlapec mutast … ni slišo pa ni govoro … pa je v štali spal … pa pol enkrat se enkrat se nekaj z … jaz nc vem, kaj je blo, je reku, te bo tako, po po svojih figurah, ko je pac se pogovarjo z rokami, pokazo, de je, da je ena ženska molzla krave, ko je paršu zvecer spat … pa de je blo malo … pa tem, njega je blo strah, de tistga … ne, ni potem vec spal tam v štali … 
F: 
Pa so mislili, da je bila to coprnica ali je bila morda kakšna soseda samo? 

I: Ja, pa tud de je blo mejckeno, je pokazau … pa de je ženska bla, pa pa pokazo, dej prsi mela pa … ah, ne vem, ce je blo res al ne, jaz nisem nikdar nec vido … 

F:
 Se pravi, kravam naj bi škodile coprnice, mleko jemljejo? 


I: Ja, da so mleko jemale, ja. Pa, ce, jes ne vem. (3) 
Owen Davies (1999: 136) je krajo mleka omenjal kot možno racionalno razlago za nemlecnost krav, v angleški folklori obicajno povezano s predstavo o carovnicah, ki v podobi živali kravam sesajo mleko. Na podlagi arhivskih podatkov o zgodnjenovoveških sojenjih carovnicam v Württembergu v Nemciji je tudi Edward Bever (2008: 6-7) dom­neval, da je šlo v vsaj nekaterih primerih, povezanih z obtožbo o kraji mleka s pomocjo 
17 Ta detajl bi lahko namigoval na njene carovniške sposobnosti ali pa na to, da je že prej hodila krast mleko 
v hlev. 

carovništva, v resnici za navadno krajo. Oba zgornja intervjuja takšno razlago podpirata. Ce morda druga pripoved ni tako zelo eksplicitna, pa je iz prve nedvoumno razvidno, da govori o ženski, ki je mleko kradla: bila je ujeta in flagrante, med dejanjem kraje oz. molže mleka sosedovih krav – in vendar je bila, ceprav v njenem dejanju ni bilo nic nadnaravnega, imenovana za carovnico. To bi dalo sklepati, da je dejanje kraje mleka, kljub temu da gre za povsem naravno dejanje (v nasprotju z nadnaravnim) ter je bilo kot takšno nedvomno tudi prepoznano in dokazano, prav tako razumljeno kot carovniško in oseba, ki ga je izvajala, prav tako prepoznana za carovnico. Kljub vsemu velja previ­dnost: ni namrec mogoce z gotovostjo izlociti možnosti, da oseba, ki je kradla mleko, ni imela slovesa carovnice že pred tem (in stavek »ona tudi na vse nacine se je vedla« bi morda lahko kazal na to) – v takem primeru konkretni incident ne bi bil nujno kljucen za oznako osebe za carovnico, ampak bi to le dodatno potrdil. Zelo mogoce je, da vsaka kraja ali drugo škodljivo fizicno dejanje ni bilo nujno vedno razumljeno kot carovniško in prestopnik ne vedno kot carovnik. Zelo verjetno so morale biti prisotne tudi druge okolišcine, da je bila oseba, ki je v resnici kradla ali izvedla kake druge vrste kriminalnih prestopkov, lahkoidentificiranakotcarovnicain njenodejanjerazumljeno kotcarovniško. Široko razširjena predstava o nadnaravni molži mleka kot eni od tipicnih oblik škodljivih dejanj carovnic je gotovo faktor, ki lahko zagotovi povezavo kraje s carovništvom. Kot že omenjeno, je tudi predhodni sloves osebe lahko tista okolišcina, ki dodatno pripomore k povezavi med osebo, ki v resnici izvaja prestopek, s carovništvom. A kljub temu se zdi, da sam izvor nesrece, torej vprašanje, ali je bila ta sprožena na naraven ali nadnaraven nacin, v kontekstu carovniškega diskurza nima posebnega vpliva na interpretacijo dejanja kot carovniškega, vsaj dokler so okolišcine takšne, da takšno interpretacijo podpirajo. Ali so enake carovniške interpretacije deležna tudi dejanja, ko je druge okolišcine ne podpirajo, je vprašanje, na katero na podlagi intervjujev, ki smo jih opravili, ni mogoce podati povsem nedvoumnega odgovora. Dejstvo, da so ljudje, ki so razmišljali v okviru carovniškega diskurza, svoje »carovnice« pogosto raje imenovali »zavistne, hudobne sosede«, šedodatno prispevak nejasnostimejamed tistimi, kiso izvedlizgoljprestopek, in »carovnicami«, saj se isti izraz nanaša tako na coprnice kot na sosede, ki so dejansko izvedli krajo, poškodbo, zastrupitev ipd. Fluidnost meja med kategorijama »naravnega« in »nadnaravnega« je zelo ocitna v naslednjem intervjuju: 
I: So pa recimo starejši ljudje, to pa je zanimivo, recimo starejši ljudje niso pustili, da bi šel v njegov hlev pogledat, kako živino ima. 
F: Drugemu cloveku? 
I: Ja, drugemu, ker se je bal, da bi mu jo zacopral, to pa je bilo prisotno. 
F: Kako bi pa lahk zacopral to? 
I: Da bi ji strup dal, da bi zbolele ali da … 
F: Ampak na kakšen nacin bi to naredil? 
I:
 Ja, bi rekel, moderen izraz, s psiho. S2: A kaj pa da bi bile kje kake kosti zakopane ali kaj takega? 

I:
 Ne, to niso, to ni, to ni. 



F: Ampak ste rekli s psiho. Kaj to pomeni, da bi recimo pogledal ali da bi imel kako moc? 
I: Ja, nekje to ja, s hudobijo ali z nevošcljivostjo nekje, ne. To je tako recimo, kot da bi cloveka hipnotiziral, to pa žival. 
F: In kaj bi se potem živini zgodilo? 
I: Lahko bi zbolele, lahko krava mleka ne bi dala. Lahko krava, ce je recimo breja, ne, ce bi, mislim, noseca bla, bi lahko prej povrgla, ne, pa take stvari. 
F: Pa vi poznate koga, ki bi imel tako izkušnjo, da bi se mu to zgodlo? 
I: Ja, to je bilo samo verovanje ljudi. Verovanje ljudi je blo tako. (38) 
Carovništvo na obmocju naše raziskave torej verjetno ni bilo vedno zgolj pripisano, kot to menijo nekateri antropologi – vsaj nekatere oblike carovniških dejanj so bile vsaj obcasno tudi prakticirane. Poleg tega so bile nekatere oblike nesrec povzrocene s pov­sem »naravnimi«, fizicnimi kriminalnimi dejanji, pa to ni preprecilo, da jih ljudje, ki so razmišljali v okviru carovniškega diskurza, vendarle ne bi razumeli kot carovniška. Za ljudi, ki so razmišljali in govorili v okviru carovniškega diskurza, ocitno med dejanji, ki jih je mogoce izvesti, in med dejanji, ki so lahko samo zamišljana, ter med »narav­nimi« in »nadnaravnimi« dejanji ni bilo jasne meje – oboja so bila lahko razumljena kot carovniška. To, kar je pomagalo oblikovati percepcijo dejanja kot carovniškega, so psihološki mehanizmi (glej Mencej 2017a: 197-203) – ti pa so bili, vsaj obcasno, lahko tudi zavestno izrabljeni. 
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WITCHCRAFT – A DISCOURSE OR A PRACTICE? 
MIRJAM MENCEJ 

This paper considers the question of how to understand people’s narration of 
bewitchment. Are the bewitchments, or at least some of them, at least occasion­
ally, a matter of practice, or are they always just a matter of discourse and thus 
conceived? Scholars of witchcraft usually assume that witchcraft is a matter of 
discourse, and the witch a fictitious person, one who was ascribed bewitchment that supposedly resulted in the misfortune of another person but, in fact, performed none. Such a perspective redirected the focus of the research from witches and their deeds to that of the victims, that is, to the questions about why people believed 
they became victims of bewitchment, what the reasons underlying the accusations 
are, what makes certain people a particularly suitable choice to be identified as a witch, and so on. If there is no such person as a witch, then we can only access them through the discourse, and the understanding of European witchcraft must necessarily focus on the alleged victims’ testimonies and narratives that relate events from the perspective of the victims. 
However, was witchcraft only about ascription, and did nobody ever per­form a ritual or any other deed by which they attempted to bewitch others, that is, perform “active bewitchment”? While linguistic circumstances enabling the utterances and actions associated with witchcraft to convey meanings may be of crucial importance in witchcraft research, in this paper, I will discuss their possible relationship to the extra-linguistic world. Based on the field research, conducted in rural eastern Slovenia, I will discuss cases that might indicate possible objective realities underlying at least some of the accusations of bewitchment. It turned out that some people indeed placed eggs to their neighbour’s land – which was an act that was typically considered a bewitching act in the area – although they claimed that they only “returned” them to the neighbour who had placed them to their land first. In addition, some acts understood as bewitchments had purely “natural” harmful consequences, and sometimes malicious acts were committed and their consequences manipulated to seem a result of bewitchment, especially by beggars. Malicious acts like surreptitious milking and poisoning also seemed to have played their part in witchcraft accusations. Finally, I argue that for peo­ple thinking, talking, and acting within witchcraft discourses, there is no clear distinction between the acts that are conceived as “supernatural” and those that are purely “natural”. 
Mirjam Mencej, Ph.D, Professor, Department of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Aškerceva cesta 2, SI–1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, mirjam.mencej@ff.uni-lj.si 
23 STUDIA MYTH O L OGICA SLAVICA 2020 
159 – 170 | https://doi.org/10.3987/SMS20202309 

The Role of Fire in the Posthumous Customs of Podlachia on the Border of Poland and Belarus 

In this article, I would like to describe the role of fire in the customs of All Souls’ Day in the Easter period called przewody or radunica. The burning of the fires most commonly took place overnight at home and in cemeteries to illuminate the way for the transmigra­tion of souls so they would not harm the living. The reflection of special respect for fire 
is known from the funeral rites from the area of Podlachia in the Middle Ages. It also served as a basic element of the ritual related to cyclical visits to the dead, as evidenced 
by the remains of charcoals or ash. Different kind of sources from the Middle Ages and modern times, from the region of eastern Poland (Podlachia and Belarus, in particular) shall be used to confirm that the rite lasted for many years. 
KEYWORDS: fire, Slavs, All Souls’ Day, Przewody, Radunica, Eastern Poland, ceme­teries, from Middle Ages to Present Times 
Fire served men from birth to death. It was used in annual customs, in everyday life, as well as in festivities. Fire, as the main element of the hearth, made the community of 
family or kin. It was also a symbol of life and existence, and an altar – an intermediary between the group of fire-users and the spirits of their ancestors, and the entire superficial world in general (Ciszewski 1903: 177 ff.). In Christian tradition, it appears as a symbol of Christ, a symbol of his power and justice. Fire is viewed by Christians, the Chinese, and the Hebrews as being a symbol of divinity. In Christianity, fire can also be symbolic of religious zeal and martyrdom (Forstner 1990: 74; Lurker 1994: 127). 
Fire in its different meanings was used in a special moment in the life of a communi­ty, namely in the All Souls’ Day customs. It was a family ‘holiday’ associated with the cult of long-gone ancestors or simply with dead relatives. In Christian tradition, special devotions called ‘parents’ Saturdays’ were also held on days dedicated to remembering the dead to observe the same goal. All these ritualsserved the fulfilment of dutiestowards the dead. The essence of All Souls’ Day rites was the ‘exchange of gifts’ between the living and the dead, the mutual provision of certain services. The dead received what they lacked in ‘that world’, while the living received a guarantee of further prosperity for their homes and farms (Grochowski 2009: 26). 

The area that interests me most is primarily Podlachia and the Polish-Belarusian borderland. In these considerations, the starting point will be a presentation of written sources from the Middle Ages and modern times, followed by archaeological sources from this region, as well as the available written sources regarding the periods in question. I will attempt to prove the validityof these beliefs by presenting ethnographic materials. 
The attestation of this type of behaviour includes texts from the 11th century (Tale of Bygone Years), in which there is a passage about rusalia and a trizna – feast on the grave of the deceased (The Russian Primary Chronicle 1953: 80, 86, 147; Powiesc 1999: 45, 54, 133; Labudda 1983: 37-38). In The Chronicle of the Czechs by Cosmas of Prague from the 12th century, the author discusses games that took place on crossroads and the putting on of masks during those games (The Chronicle of Czechs 2009: 182; Kosmasa 1968: 92; Fischer 1921: 386-387. Finally, in the document of Henry the Bearded, from 1229, there is a festival called radunica in Silesia). 
In the days of All Souls’, lights were also lit, all night long, at home and in the cemetery (Zawistowicz 1925: 856-858). The souls needed them to warm up; the lights showed them the way to come and return to the afterlife and helped the living prepare the dishesfor the dead (Renik 1986: 31). There was also a belief that souls who came from a muddy road first had to wash and clean themselves, which is why people prepared for them a bath in the bathhouse. From the compilation known as The Divine Liturgy of Our Holy Father John Chrysostom from the 14th century, we learn about the construction of bridges for the dead, which may reflect the custom of building special wooden footbridges through rivers and streams. A human footprint was carved on the footbridges; afterwards, it was believed to be an ‘All Souls’ footbridge’, which reminded the living about the obliga­tion to sigh for the souls of the deceased every time they crossed it. After the end of the rite, it was necessary to destroy such a footbridge (Mansikka 1922: 174ff; Lowmianski 1986: 134ff; Bylina 1999: 18). From south Ukraine, there is information about a small board placed on the vessel, as it was believed, for the child Jesus to reset on after he had emerged from water (Moszynski 1967: 358). As reported in the Trzemeszno Sermons (written by Michal of Janów in the 15th century,) people burned so-called ‘gromadki’ [clusters/bunches] on Holy Thursday on graves, believing that the souls of the dead will come to warm themselves (Moszynski 1967: 598). 
In pre-Christian times theroleof firein funeralrituals was primarily related to cremation and certainly in Podlachia, in the light of archaeological materials, this custom prevailed from the 8th century (most fully in the 11th century) and survived at least until the 14th century. This type of burial is mainly related to barrows from forest areas (Bialowieza Forest, Knyszyn Forest), fromthe archaeologically best-examined areaof the Drohiczyn Upland, and the Southern Podlachia region (between the Bug and Krzna Rivers) (Kalaga 2006; Dzik 2012: 610ff). 
Single graves of such kind are known from Zawyki, Doktorce, and Sredzinskie from Suraz municipality, a part of the Bielsk Plain. The dead were usually cremated outside 


Fig. 1. Map of Poland with Podlachia region (elaborated by J. Wawrzeniuk) 

Fig. 2. Map of Podlachia with archaeological sites mentions in the article (elaborated by J. Wawrzeniuk) 

their place of burial, which was primarily discovered in the areas between the central part of the Bug River and the upper Narew River. 
Burnt bones were found in various places on the earthworks of barrow: on the floor, on the ceiling, on its various levels, or in the pit under the earthwork. A characteristic feature of most objects is the presence of strongly burnt bones, recorded in a very small number, up to several dozen pieces. This is probably to some extent the result of some not quite known funeral practices, which allowed only a part of the bones left after burning the deceased to be deposited in the grave. Strong fragmentation and burning of the bones are undoubtedly a result of cremating the bodies at high temperature. 
In the cremation rite, fire was used as early as during the burial site’s preparation. For this purpose, preparing a place for an earthwork included cleaning it, burning the vegetation, or possibly scattering the burnt remains and ash from the furnace, which were purposely brought to the place of the future grave. These could be ordinary preparatory works or ritualistic activities (Sikora 2002: 342). 
Burntremains and ashes could bebroughtto theplaceof thefuturegraveburntbones or vessel fragments were sometimes also present in this layer. They could be the rem­nants of a hearth fire or symbolically burnt belongings of the deceased. Traces of other fire-related treatments such fireplaces ringed by stone (containing, among other things, burned animal bones) were discovered in barrow 10 from Baciki Dalsze and barrow 6 from site 2 in Klukowo. (Dzik 2015: 128). 
Sometimes individual pieces of charcoal or small clusters of them were discovered in higher parts of earthworks or in the so-called barrow’s ditches. Remains of this type could comefromsomerituals directly related to AllSouls’ Day. Itis also possible to find traces of old burial rituals (like fireplace remains, animal bones, or fragments of vessels) in flat graves with cremated human remains, although they are, as researchers say, much harder to grasp. Crematory graves rarely contained burial gifts, which were usually of poor quality, burned, or deliberately destroyed. 
The introduction of inhumation, a new habit of burying the dead, was visible in burial mounds, in flat graves, often marked on the surface by layers of stones, which were called ‘graves in stone enclosures’ in the archaeological literature. The common feature of the skeletal rite in Podlachia’s necropolises was placing the dead inside graves in an upright position, on their backs, and with their heads facing west. In many cemeteries from the 11th and 12th centuries, there is a visible relationship between the burial’s geographical orientation and the sex of a deceased person: men were frequently placed with heads facing east, while women faced west (Januszewski 1967: 307–314; Zoll-Adamikowa 1971: 46–47). In the interpretations of placing the dead towards the west, attention is paid to the Sun’s location and the relation with the cult of the Sun (Lega 1930: 375; Rajewski 1937-1939: 55). 
Considering written sources, the most frequently recorded orientation is associated 
with the location of the Slavic world of the dead in the West. In this view, it would be 
a pre-Christian custom. In contrast, a relationship between westward orientation and 
the Christian funeral rite, according to which the dead should be buried facing east, is 
indicated (Gassowski 1950: 157-158; Nadolski et al. 1959: 18). 

The dead were certainly buried in clothing along with their decorations. The most common decorations in women’s graves were necklaces made from glass beads, bronze or rarely silver pendants, silver beads of various shapes, and crosses and very often temple rings or earrings. Knives and spindle whorls were sometimes put into women’s graves. Men’s graves were mostly equipped with everyday objects: knives, whetstones, flints. Only in the cemetery in Danilowo Male some weapons (a spearhead, iron axes, iron arrowheads, and wooden buckets in which food could originally be stored) were found in several men’s tombs (Krasnodebski 1999). The grave equipment proves connections between the inhabitants of the Narew region and the neighbouring Masovians, Eastern Slavs, and Balts. 
It is possible to find traces of hearths and clumps of charcoals in the shape of a more or less regular oval within Early Medieval skeleton cemeteries. Burning fires within flat graves or near them is a practice confirmed for both unchambered and shallow tombs, with both cremation and inhumation burials. In Podlachia, for example, on Drohiczyn Upland, it was rather a rare custom that probably disappeared in the 12th century. Excep­tionally, on two cemeteries in Kuraszewo (Bielsk Plain), the fireplaces were discovered in the vast majority of objects, including those from the 12th and the first half of the 13th century (Dzik 2015: 128). 
The collected archaeological material allows the assumption that fires in cemeteries were burnt both during the placing of the body in the grave and, in later periods, on the days of rite-observance (Wrzesinski 1999: 265; Wrzesinska, Wrzesinski 2002). This is confirmed by the presence, next to objects directly related to the deceased, of charcoal, stones, and animal bones inside the burial pit. Sometimes they could not have a relation­ship to the grave. Remains of this type were found near the skull or chest, less frequently near the legs. These remains were associated with fires burnt directly on the graves of the dead, as well as inside the pit, where, as it is supposed, they were lit when the body was already lying in the grave. In the Drohiczyn Upland, the remains of charcoal and ash were even recognised as a reminiscence of the cremation funeral rites (Gozdowo, site B, a cemetery from the 13th century, Mazovia) (Musianowicz, 1950/51, Wrzesinski 1999: 157). Sometimes, the fired could be burned near the corps in the case of strong winds or to repel predatory animals (Miskiewicz 1969: 256). 
In turn, in the Orthodox Christiantradition in Eastern Poland, fire was used as one of the elements of rituals related to the dead during the so-called dziady - feasts celebrated several times a year (Tokarev 1957: 37-38). In ethnographic records, the spring and au­tumn seasons were of particular importance. Other days of remembrance and prayer for the dead are the third, ninth, and fortieth day after death, as well as the first and subse­quent anniversaries. In literature, the autumn holidays were called dziady and the spring holidays associated with the cycle of Easter were known in the basic form as Radunica or Prowody. The etymology of Radunica is associated with the Lithuanian raudati (to cry, sob), rauda (crying for the dead), and Prowody (from provoditi) to lead, carry; it was probably related to carryingthe souls of the dead from the world of the living to the dead world, which is the final stage of the ‘All Souls’ Day rite.’ Nowadays, the frequently used term is pominanje (Androsiuk 1994: 9). 

The main ceremonies took place at the cemetery, on a Thursday after Easter. Visits to the cemetery did not happen everywhere at the same time. In Podlachia, as well as in the Polish and Belarus Polesia, All Souls’ Day rites could be held from Easter Sunday to Thursday. The main day of the first spring All Souls’ celebrations in Podlachia, among Eastern Slavs in Belarus and Ukraine, as well as in Russia, was the first Tuesday after the Divine Mercy Sunday, or the ninth day after Easter (Androsiuk 1994: 9). 
The most comprehensive information about the elements of this holiday can be found in the descriptions of radunica from the beginning of the 20th century. They consisted of: 
• 
prayers for the dead, 

• 
bringing food to the graves of the dead, 

• 
singing songs, 

• 
crying and despairing for the dead, 

• 
games 

• 
rolling eggs, playing bitki (which involved hitting the other player’s Easter Egg with one’s own), 


• 
eating a meal on the graves together with the invited ancestors, 

• 
gifting beggars with bread, cake, sausage, lard, eggs, money (Zmitrovsky Dziady in Belarus - a few customs related to feasting) (Klinger 1926: 72; Pigon 1966: 68-69; Kotovic, Kruk 2008: 352-353). Numerous games and jostles in a cheerful atmosphere were an important element of such holidays (Pietkiewicz 1931: 30; Renik 1986: 32). 


Nowadays,astillimportantpartofprzewodyis decoratingthegraves withflowers and ribbons, bringing eggs and bread, on Belarus also sweets on the plates, forks, and glasses with vodka, eating aritualmealwith family members after prayers for thedeadand mass in the church. Numerous ethnographic messages describing rites during the so-called pominki from the late 19th and early 20th centuries prompted field research. Four rural cemeteries located in the Bialowieza Forest region, both sides of the Polish-Belarusian border, were selected for the research experiment carried out in spring 2016. The aims were also checking the vitality of the festivity, determining the activities associated with it and learning how the holiday is perceived by the rural Orthodox population. As a result, these customs continue to be practised very solemnly at some cemeteries in Poland. In contrast, in Belarus, celebrating Radunica is becoming less and less popular because the Church banned the practice. In some places, visiting graves and praying for the dead take place on Pentecost (a feast blessing herbs, which is celebrated in the Orthodox Church on the fiftieth day after Easter). 
The ceremony associated with the dead was usually related to the two principles described by Claude Lévi-Strauss, namely the ‘kind dead’ and ‘angry dead. Sacrificial feasts probably took place by these fires both during the burial and later, and the explored artefacts should be treated as ritual offerings (Lévi-Strauss 1992: 229; Szyjewski 2003: 210). Researchers think that burning fires next to and inside the burial pits was tolerated during the formation of the organised church. ‘Perhaps in this way tradition - ritualistic purification of thepit, driving away allevil, and finally trizna - was reconciled with a new 


Fig. 3. Candles and eggs on the grave. Losinka, Podlachia, Fig. 5. Candles, sweets and the glass on the plate, on Bialowieza Forest Region, Poland (photo J. Wawrzeniuk) the grave. Vojskaa, Bialowieza Forest Region, West Belarus (photo E. Zajkovski) 




religion, which tolerated (for some time) the presence of fire in cemeteries (Wrzesinska, Wrzesinski 2002: 158). 
Throwing coals and ash from bonfires and fireplaces into burial pits served as a protec­tion against diseases and what was considered impure and also against evil spirits. Mostly charcoal and ash were discovered at the burial level or directly below it (Ciszewski 1903: 56-74). They could be the remnants of the deceased. From Kamionka (Ropczyce region, Carpathians Foothills) recorded in the second half of the 19th century: ‘if a deceased loved any thing in the life, then it was burned and ash brought to his grave’ (Charchut 1964: 20). 
According to many researchers, burning fires near graves has survived to date, albeit in a different form. We can find analogies in lighting candles during All Souls’ Day or in ordinary visits at cemeteries. A candle – an offering – is lit during every visit and before the church service. Such a fire symbolises remembering the deceased. The flame-induced light has a purifying sense; it is a symbol of the essence, the durability of Christian faith; 
lit on the grave, it is a symbol of eternity and resurrection. Contacting the souls returning 
for All Soul’s Day was necessary, and it could support the living in further terrestrial existence (Renik 1986: 32). 
Finally, a story in which a dying old man asks for some fire from his ‘holy’ flint (from Polesier) may be a reminiscence of old beliefs. This symbolic spark would illuminate for him the way to the afterlife (Moszynski 1967: 493). 
The valorisation of the fire in Podlachia and the Polish-Belarusian borderline survived despite the religion changing. It should be noted that fire is an important element of faith in the purifying power of ash, which is a material trace of purification through fire. The Bible verse is well known: “For you are dust and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19). Prayers related to the sacrifice of ash date to the 10th century. 
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ROLA OGNIA W ZWYCZAJACH ZADUSZKOWYCH NA PODLASIU I POGRANICZU POLSKO-BIALORUSKIM 
JOANNA WAWRZENIUK 

W artykule opisuje role i funkcje ognia wzwyczajach zaduszkowych zwiazanych z powinnosciami wobec zmarlego na obszarze wschodniej Polski i pograniczu polsko-bialoruskim. W niniejszych rozwazaniach zostana wykorzystane zródla archeologiczne z okresu sredniowiecza i czasów nowozytnych, dostepne zródla pisane, dotyczace omawianych okresów oraz analogie etnograficzne. Bedzie to wiec próba analizy tradycyjnego zwyczaju poprzez wskazanie jego zywotnosci, mimo niewatpliwiezaistnialejjuztransformacjiobrzedu. Wtekstach zródlowych takich jak na przyklad: Powiesc minionych lat, dokumencie Henryka Brodatego z 1299 roku, Kronice Czechów Kosmasa, kompilacji znanej jako Slowo Swietego Ojca Jana Zlotoustego czy Kazaniach Trzemesznenskich z XV wieku Michala z Janowa znajdujemy równiez opisy podobnych przedchrzescijanskich zwyczajów. 
W zródlach archeologicznych odbicie szczególnego poszanowania ognia ma zwiazek przede wszystkim z kremacja, ale znajduje swoje odbicie równiez w paleniu ogni przy grobach szkieletowych, a takze w obrzadku birytualnym na cmentarzyskach z terenu Podlasia. Ogien wykorzystywano do przygotowania miejscapochówku czyoczyszczaniasamegogrobulubjamygrobowej.Sluzylon równiez jako podstawowy element obrzedu cyklicznego odwiedzania zmarlych, 
o czym swiadcza takie pozostalosci, jak wegle drzewne czy popiól. 
Wspominanie zmarlych to rodzaj rodzinnych „swiat” zwiazanych z kultem dawnych przodków lub po prostu z niezyjacymi juz krewnymi. W tym celu zama­wiano takze specjalne nabozenstwa w dni poswiecone pamieci zmarlych nazywane „roditelskije soboty”. Wszystkie te obrzedy sluzyly spelnianiu obowiazków wobec zmarlych ibyly pewnego rodzaju „wymianadarów”pomiedzy zywymiazmarlymi. Na terenie wschodniej Polski, wedlug danych etnograficznych, oprócz wspomi­nania i modlitwy za zmarlych w 4, 9, 40 dniu, 1 roku po smierci, zachowaly sie zwyczaje zwiazane z obrzedami zadusznymi w okresie Wielkanocnym - „dziady” wiosenne i listopadowym - „dziady” jesienne. Najbardziej rozbudowane byly obrzedy wiosenne zwane na terenie Podlasia najczesciej terminem przewody-pro­wody a na terenie Bialorusi Radunica. Na Podlasiu, a takze na Polesiu obchody zaduszne mogly sie odbywac od niedzieli Wielkanocnej do czwartku. Glównym dniem pierwszych wiosennych zaduszek na Podlasiu, u Slowian Wschodnich na Bialorusi, na Ukrainie, jak równiez w Rosji uwazano wtorek po Niedzieli Prze­wodniej, czyli dziewiaty dzien po swiecie Wielkiej Nocy. Przynoszono wtedy na groby pokarmy, spiewano piesni, plakano i lamentowano za zmarlymi, grano w róznezabawy orazpalono ogien. Palenieogninajczesciejodbywalo sieprzezcala noc,w domuinacmentarzach.Mialyoneoswietlacdrogewedrówkidusz,ogrze­wac i wskazywac miejsce przygotowanych dla nich pokarmów. Liczne przekazy etnograficzne opisujace zachowania podczas tzw. pominek z konca XIX wieku i poczatku XX wieku sprowokowaly do przeprowadzenia badan terenowych. Do eksperymentu badawczego, przeprowadzonego wiosna 2016 roku, wybrano cztery cmentarze wiejskie w regionie Puszczy Bialowieskiej zlokalizowanych po obu stronach granicy polsko-bialoruskiej. Celem badan bylo takze sprawdzenie zywotnosci swieta, okreslenie czynnosci z nim zwiazanych oraz sprawdzenie w jaki sposób swieto jestpostrzeganeprzezwspólczesna prawoslawnaludnoscwiej­ska. W rezultacie stwierdzono, ze zwyczaj przewodów-prowodów kultywowany jest jeszcze na niektórych cmentarzach w Polsce bardzo uroczyscie. Natomiast na Bialorusi przez zakazy Cerkwi staje sie coraz mniej popularne celebrowanie swietaRadunicy.Wniektórychmiejscowosciachodwiedzaniegrobów imodlenie sie za zmarlych odbywal sie w swieto Zeslania Ducha Swietego -potocznie znane jako Zielone Swiatki (swieto poswiecenia ziól, które jest obchodzone w kosciele prawoslawnym w piecdziesiaty dzien po Wielkanocy). 

Palenie ogni przy grobach to zwyczaj ciagle obecny, chociaz oczywiscie zmo­dyfikowany. Analogie znajdujemy w zapalaniu zniczy w czasie swiat zadusznych lub w zwyczajnymprzychodzeniu nacmentarze. Swieczke- ofiarezapalasieprzy kazdej wizycie i przed nabozenstwem w cerkwi. Taki ogien to pamiec o zmar-lym. Swiatlo wywolane plomieniem ma znaczenie oczyszczajace, oznacza istote, trwalosc wiary chrzescijanskiej, zapalone na grobie jest symbolem wiecznosci i zmartwychwstania. 
Joanna Wawrzeniuk, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Institute of Archaeology, Faculty of Historical Sciences, Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw, Poland, Wóycickiego 1/3, building 23, 01-938 Warsaw, Poland, j.wawrzeniuk@uksw.edu.pl 

23 STUDIA MYTH O L OGICA SLAVICA 2020 
171 – 182 | https://doi.org/10.3987/SMS20202310 
Archaeological Sites as a Component of the 
Modern Religious Worldview of the Southern 
Ural Population (Based on the Example of the Akhunovo Megalithic Complex)* 

The present research examines the problem of the formation of new sacred sites around one of the most well-known archaeological complexes of the Bronze Age in the Southern Urals. To do so, the author applied the results of field research done of his own at the Akhunovo cromlech and analysed scientific literature and internet resources. Proceeding from the received data, the author traced the process of formation of sacred insight of the monument, determined themain reasons and participants of thesacralisation process and established probable negative outcomes of this phenomenon. 
KEYWORDS: archaeological site, sacralisation, holy place, Akhunovo megalithic complex 
INTRODUCTION 
At present, within the territory of the Southern Urals, citizens are showing a growing interest in different beliefs – both conventional and unconventional. As an integral part of the religious practices of almost any religious doctrine, special sacred sites and objects are visited by pilgrims aimed at spiritual search, the performance of religious rites, appeal to ‘the Higher Forces’ asking to solve problems of life, and so on. Such places are consi­dered having special, even mystical characteristics, which is why most active pilgrims and “higher knowledge” holders arrange numerous tourist trips and excursions to these places. 
In connection to this, the study of existing and forming sacred objects is becoming one of the most cutting-edge directions in the humanities and social sciences, which provides an opportunity to analyse the process of their formationand function from the perspectiveof scientificknowledge, to research theactivities of differentreligious unions, frequently using sacred objects for their own profit, to study the ritual-cultic practice and worldview of the modern population, and similar. 
The research conducted by archaeologists of the Institute of Ethnological Research named after Kuzeev R. G. of the Ufa Federal Research Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences (hereinafter: IER) in recent years has resulted in findings that the archaeo­logical monuments of the Southern Urals are one of the main elements that form sacred sites (Akhatov, Bakhshiev, Tuzbekov 2016: 33–42). 
* The article was prepared as part of the state task . ....-.18-118041290046-0 IES UFRC RAN 

The main part of them is generally known within some areas and districts, and only a few are known not only in the whole republic of Bashkortostan but beyond it as well. One of the most well-known objects of archaeological heritage, treated as a sacred site, is a megalithic complex called Akhunovo, which is located within the territory of the Uchalinsky District of the Republic of Bashkortostan. According to the information on the website “Association of Travel Agents” it is included in the “top 10 places in Russia, where wishes come true” taking the fourth place after the menhirs of Khakassia, Lake Baykal, and the natural reserve Arkaim (Sorokin 2011). 
Despite its widely-spread popularity as one of the most important sacred centres of 
Russia, Akhunovo cromlech has scarcely been researched. In terms of cultural anthro­
pology, there is some fragmentary information in the article by Serikov (2018: 88–89). 
Preliminary notes about the sacralisation of the menhirs of Akhunovo were given in the 
work by Akhatov, Bakhshiev, and Tuzbekov (2016: 38). 
The goal of the present work is to analyse the sacralisation process of the menhirs of Akhunovo and determine their similar and distinctive features with comparable objects 
known in the Southern Urals. In order to study the formation of sacred sites within the territory of the abovemen­
tioned object of archaeological heritage, we used the developments laid in a relatively new direction of anthropological and culturological studies – hierotopy. The term is based on the principle of combination of Greek works: .e... meaning sacred . t.p.. meaning place, space, idea. Hierotopy is a creation of sacred sites, seen as a special kind of spiritual and fictional art, as well as a special area of historical and cultural research that determines and analyses certain examples of this art (Lidov 2009: 11–37). 
The study is based on the materials received through expeditions, organised in 2013 and 2019; the participants talked to local citizens, investigated the monument and took into consideration data summarised from mass media, internet resources published from 2003 to 2019, as well as information received from people who before/after attending the natural reserve of menhirs at Akhunovo came for an excursion to the Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography of IER to see the exhibition of the excavated materials. 
GENERAL INFORMATION ON THE OBJECT 
The Akhunovo megalithic complex is located on the outskirts of the village of Akhunovo of the Uchalinsky District of the Republic of Bashkortostan. The monument is 1.1 km to the south-west of a residential settlement on the right bank of the Kidish River; 70 metres to the west is a settlement (the late Bronze Age) called Akhunovo (Fig.1). 
The object under research came to notice of the scientific community in 1996, when a local citizen named Aitov showed it to a group of anthropologists from Chelyabinsk University headed by Rybalko. In2003, acompletestudyof themonumentwas conducted by an archaeological expedition led by Petrov, in which 860 m˛ of its area was excavated (Petrov, Kirillov 2007:19). In 2010, theobjectwas researched by workers of theScientific Production Center of the State Budgetary Institution of Culture, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Bashkortostan (Bakhshiev, Rafikova 2010). 

When menhirs of Akhunovo became known to the general public and started to attract many visitors, the central site and separate menhirs were fenced out. Nearby the place was equipped with facilities such as a car park, two garden pavilions, toilets, and several fire pits. 
The megalithic complex itself consists of 13 granite menhirs of almost a regular quadrangular shape. Two of them – .1 and . 2 (the numeration was given by the ar­chaeologist Petrov) – are located in the central part of the complex at the distance of 15 metres from each other towards the magnetic azimuth of north-south. 
Eight menhirs (. 3-10) are spread along the line of a circle with the centre in 5 me-tres to the west towards a magnetic declination from the central point of the line, which connects menhirs .1 and . 2. The circle is of almost a regular shape with diameter spreading from 23 to 26 metres depending on the direction of measurements (Fig. 1, 2). 
Menhirs .11 and . 12 are located northwest-southeast 0.6 m from each other and in 80 m to the south-west from menhir . 10 of the central complex (Fig. 1, 3); menhir . 13 is 186 m northwest of menhir .10 (Fig. 1, 4). The height of menhir .1 is 1–1.65 m from the surface of the ground, while the general height is 2.05 m. Menhir .2 is 1.4 m from the surface of the ground, and the general height is 1.6 m. On average other menhirs areof 0.5mfromthesurfaceof theground withthegeneralheightof 0.75–0.8m(Petrov, Kirillov 2007: 20). 

Fig. 1. Akhunovo megalithic complex. Plan. (Petrov, Kirillov 2007: 20, corrected Tuzbekov 2019). Fig. 2. Akhunovo megalithic complex. Excavation site .1 (photo by A. Tuzbekov, May 2019). 



Fig. 3. Akhunovo megalithic complex. Excavation site .2 (photo by A. Tuzbekov, May 2019). 

Fig. 4. Akhunovo megalithic complex. Excavation site .3 (photo by A. Tuzbekov, May 2019). 

ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ARCHAEO-ASTRONOMICAL ASPECTS 
In 2003, excavations around menhir . 1 revealed eight pillar holes of 0.2–0.25 in di­ameter and depth that constituteda circle of 3.5 m in diameter. The location of the holes resembled thecirclestructureof eightmenhirs . 3 to 10, each corresponding to amenhir 
in the great circle in its location. 
According to Petrov, in ancienttimes thesmaller circlewas usedto keep thecalendar by tracing the shadow falling from menhir . 1 to the foot of the pillars towards menhirs . 3-10. Also, it could be used as a sun-dial (gnomon) (Fig. 5). 
There were numerous fragments of ceramics found in the process of the excavations; the main part of them dated back to the Cherkaskulskaya and Mezhovskaya archaeolog­ical cultures of the Late Bronze Age in the 15th to 12th century BC. Furthermore, a few artefacts were found in the site which could date back from the Late Paleolithic Stone Age to the Bronze Age in a wide chronological range; also, there were bones of horses, cattle and small ruminants. 
Another excavation site of 18m˛ was on a settlement where ceramic materials from Cherkaskulskaya and Mezhovskaya archaeological cultures, fractions of macrotools and two disks with holes in the centre made from soapstone and ceramics (Petrov, Kirillov 2007: 20–21) were found. All findings (221 items) are presently kept by IER. 

Fig.5.Locationofthecentralmenhir . 1tracingtheshadow fallingtothefootofotherpillars. 

At that time, the researchers Kirillov and Nikitonova conducted archaeo-astronomical studies, the results of which enabled them to conclude that the megalithic complex is an ancient astronomical in-horizon observatory. The results of measurements and calcula­tions determined the period in which the complex was constructed and used: from 1750 to 2000 BC. The most probable time is 1860 BC. Also, the calculations revealed that the key subject of the complex was menhir . 1. Separate menhirs of the circle system correspond to ‘lunar’ azimuths, denoting the point of moonrises in full distance position, closest to the point of the North and South (Petrov, Kirillov 2007: 21–22). 
Other experiences of archaeo-astronomical research of cromlech enabled obtaining additionalevidenceaboutits layout, thesequenceof construction,features of functioning, as wellas thelevel of theastronomicalknowledge of the ancientpopulation of theUpper Ural Region (Potemkina 2011: 25–28). 
In general, the received information allowed the researchers to view the Akhunovo megalithic complex not only as an ancient cult complex but as one of the biggest ancient observatories of Eurasia dedicated to observing astronomical events. In their opinion, the monument was used by the population of the Cherkaskulskaya and Mezhovskaya cultures in the Bronze Age in the latter half of 2000 BC. Based on the archaeological and archaeo-astronomical data, they suggested (which should be additionally verified) that it had been builtearlier, in 3000 BC in theAeneolithicPeriod (Petrov, Kirillov 2007:22–23). 
THE ETHNOGRAPHICAL ASPECT 
Local citizens from the village of Akhunovo with predominantly Tatar and Bashkir pop­ulations call the complex of Akhunovo “Alpamysh kabere” (the grave of Alpamysh). A giant named Alpamysh is a hero of a so-named folk heroical epic literature, found with some variations in the cultures of the Uzbeks, Kara-Kalpaks, Kazakhs, Bashkirs, Tatars, people of Gorno-Altaysk, and others. Despite its fictional and national distinctness, the Bashkir folk epic work “Alpamysh” (“Alpamysh and Barsynkhylu”) has the same sto­ryline with similar works by other peoples (Yagafarov 2007: 11). 
The story tells about a miraculous birth of Alpamysh and Barsinkhilu, the children of 
two neighbours Aylyar-khan and Akkubyak-khan, who were gifted with radiant beauty 
and heroic might. During premarital combat between the main characters, Alpamysh wins the fight and marriesBarsynkhylu. Having lived for some time in a happy marriage, Alpamysh goes alone to fight enemies with the numerous army of Budyar-Khan and defeats him. The tired hero falls asleep in a heroic dream, during which the enemies bind him with steel chains and throw him into a pit, but he manages to get out of it with the help of the daughter of Budyar-Khan and his horse. Having returned home, he meets his son, who tells him about the competitions of the suitors, who claim Barsynkhylu’s hand in marriage. Participating in the archery competition, Alpamysh defeats the opponents and restores peace and justice in the country (Zaripov 1987: 227–239). 
According to local beliefs and legends, Alpamysh is the hero who had been buried under the menhir of Akhunovo. The local citizens say that in the past it was a forbidden place to visit as those who went there for nothing could bring misfortune upon themselves. Apart from that,the elderly used to come there to say their prayers. They called it “aulia kabere” (“the grave of the saint”). Some claimed menhirs to have healing properties that attracted ill people from the neighbourhood seeking the cure. 

THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE MODERN MYTH 
After the menhirs of Akhunovo became known to the general public in 1996, new myths and beliefs started to emerge, replacing the old legends. Their appearance was conditioned by an upsurge of esotericism and mysticism. Numerous healers, leaders of new religious movements declared the cromlech “a place of power”. Travel agents began to organise various tours and trips to the complex of Akhunovo. Residents themselves made their contribution to it, talking about “wandering lights” on menhirs, “UFOs”, and similar. 
Later, the object received an additional impetus for sacralisation, after it was inves­tigated by archaeologists in 2003. A special role to the sacralisation of cromlech was given bythefactthatscientists putforwardtheopinion that“in terms of thestructureand volume of reconstructed ancient astronomical observations” the menhirs of Akhunovo “are almost a direct analogue of the famous English megalithic structure of Stonehenge” (Petrov, Kirillov 2007: 19–23). This information was widely spread by the media, which caused a new wave of mystification. A large number of people started coming to the “Bashkir (Uchalinsky) Stonehenge”. 
Nowadays, one can distinguish several basic, closely interconnected ways people perceive the megalithic complex of Akhunovo, each of them having its followers and supporters. 
The most popular and widespread is the esoteric view, according to which the meg­alithic complex of Akhunovo is a special sacred zone – a “place of power” that has the energy to help fulfil all wishes, cure diseases, including infertility. 
Thesacred meaning is attached to boththecomplex as awholeand individualstones. It is believed that the cromlech of Akhunovo has been a sanctuary or temple where ancient oracles and magicians performed their rituals. Also, there is a belief that a Lemurian crystal is hidden under it. Menhir .1 is seen as a symbol of the masculine principle, and menhir . 2 is the centre of female nature, both of which are endowed with special properties that together symbolise the duality of the world. 
Closely related to the first is the opinion that links the menhirs of Akhunovo with aliens from outer space or parallel worlds interpreting the complex as a landing pad for flying saucers, an ancient alien observatory, a portal to other dimensions, and similar. 
The third point of view perceives the cromlech of Akhunovo as a tourist attraction, that is often included in various tourist routes and as a part of weekend tours. In the early 2010s, the megalithic complex was included into an ecological and ethnographic tourist complex called “Europe-Asia”, that embraced natural, historical and ethnographic sites (Municipalnye obrazovaniya 2012). 

The following point of view is a scientific one that is based on the archaeological research conducted at the monument. As already noted, during the excavation of the menhirs, archaeologists concluded that it was an ancient observatory for observing stars. 
Jumbling together and spreading among people, all the scientific data, old and new myths, legends, and beliefs draw people’s attention to the megalithic complex. On the internet, one can find information about tourist, sightseeing, exoteric tours organised in different years to visit the menhirs of Akhunovo lasting from one to several days: an on-site workshop “Menhirs of Akhunovo” (the Esoteric Center “Wisdom of the Urals”) (Markina, 2017), an ecotour “Akhunovo-Iremel 2016” (“Center for Energy and Psy­chocorrection Matrix”) (Po volnam pamyati … 2016), a school tour “To the Menhirs of Akhunovo” (Tour operator Rinai) (Uchalinskiy Stonehenge), etc. 
At the time of the examination in 2019, the megalithic complex of Akhunovo was on some decline, as evidenced by the fallen fences and decaying garden pavilions that had been built in previous years. However, even though the flow of visitors has decreased compared to previous years, local citizens say that a large number of people still come there. 
It should be noted that some people of the population of Akhunovo have a negative attitude to the menhirs. So, for example, on the night of October 23-24, 2010, unknown people destroyed five out of ten menhirs and laid out an inverted cross from the remains with the intersection where menhir . 1 was located. To the east, in the conditional centre of the monument’s platform, a pentagram was drawn at the ends of its five rays where circles were located. Traces of blood were recorded on some fragments of the destroyed menhirs, that is probably the evidence of sacrificial offerings (Bakhshiev, Rafikova 2010). 
Obviously, this action was aimed primarily at the so-called desacralisation of the object. Subsequently, the remains of the menhirs were transferred to the museum of local history and residents installed stones similar in appearance at the place where the menhirs had stood. 
Citizens fromtheAkhunovovillagesaythat, as in previous years, on Muslimholidays people say collective prayers at the menhirs. 
During the examination of the menhirs in 2019, at the top and at the foot of almost every one of them there were wheat grains, pieces of bread and coins of various denom­inations from 10 kopecks to 10 rubles. On the highest menhir . 1 in addition to grains and Russian coins, there were also hazelnut seeds and 20 euro cents (Fig. 6). 
The fence that encloses menhirs . 11 and . 12 is tied with numerous multicolour strings of cloth; a few are also fixed on the fence of menhir . 13. It is believed that wishes will surely come true if you tie a ribbon to the fence (Fig. 3, 4). 
Altogether, collective Muslim prayers, coins, grains, pieces of fabric brought as offerings are characteristic of almost all archaeological sites examined earlier that were sacralised in the Southern Urals (Akhatov, Bakhshiev, Tuzbekov 2016: 34). 
At the same time, the available data suggest that the megalithic complex used to be a regional sacred centre; however, due to an increase in the flow of tourists, the archae­ological site has become a “place of power” for representatives of various ethnic and religious groups and religious movements. 


Fig. 6. Top of the Menhir . 1 (photo by A. Tuzbekov, May 2019). 

Fig. 7. Notes at the foot of the Menhir . 13 (photo by A. Tuzbekov, May 2019). 

Currently, various sacred practices are held there. On June 21, 2019, during the summer solstice, a group of people (both local citizens and visitors) gathered at the monument to perform rituals and rites. 
In the course of the research, new elements of sacralisation of archaeological objects that had not been seen in Bashkortostan before were found; they were notes with wishes, left by pilgrims and tourists (Fig. 7). This tradition has been borrowed from the Arkaim natural reserve, located in Chelyabinskaya Oblast, which has long been well-known in Russia and abroad (Belolipetskaya 2007: 20–23; Shnirelman 2011: 133–167; Silina 2014: 211–223), which is where such tradition of leaving notes was first recorded (Silina 2014: 222). 
In total, 11 notes of such type were discovered. They enable us to supplement our knowledge not only in the sphere of formation of hiertopies but in terms of understand­ing of the modern worldview of people and problems about which they are concerned. 
The notes were left by the visitors in the cracks of menhirs .1 (one), .12 (two), . 13 (eight). Almost all of them are written in Russian, and only one is in the Bashkir language. They do not have any addressee expect for two addressing to God and Khozay (“God” in the Bashkir language). 
The general content shows that the visitors are worried about both material and spiritual issues. However, despite all financial hardships among the majority of the Russian population, it is remarkable that wishes to have money, cars, and redecorate their home were mentioned only in three notes, whereas in six notes there are wishes to be healthy for addressors and their close ones; four notes mention a happy life with a husband: one note wishes for a clear sky and beautiful nature. Judging by the content of the notes, people visiting such objects are mostly concerned about the problems of health and family wellness, most notes were written by women, which corresponds to the results of the previously conducted research (Tuzbekov 2018: 44). 
CONCLUSIONS 
1. 
The research of the menhirs of Akhunovo exemplifies one of the models of sacral-isation of an archaeological monument within the territory of the Southern Urals. 

2. 
The absence of objective scientific findings on the archaeological monument published in media (mass media, internet resources) results in misleading information that cir­culates and is used to spread non-traditional religious doctrines and cults. 

3. 
The majority of visitors of the sacred objects are middle-aged women who are con­cerned about their health and family wellness. 

4. 
Uncontrolled and unregulated attendance of the archaeological monument, its in­volvement into the activities of representatives of new religious movements and further popularisation lead to additional anthropogenic pressure on the monuments, which is often seen as a significant transformation of both the monument itself and 


its surroundings and, in an extreme case, it might result in its destruction. 
BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Ahatov, A. T.; Bahshiev, I. I. O.; Tuzbekov, A. I., 2016: Rol arheologicheskih obektov v formirovanii novyhsakralnyhprostranstvYuzhnogoUrala. Uralskiyistoricheskiyvestnik4(53):33–42. 
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Lidov, A., 2009: Ierotopiya. Prostranstvennye ikony i obrazy-paradigmy v vizantiyskoy kulture. 
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Markina, I., 2017: Astromarafon. Praktikum 8 “Ahunovskie mengiry”. Internet: https://vk.com/ event144436552 (5.2.2020). 
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Petrov, F. N., 2008: Excavation report at the megalithic complex of Akhunovo and the settlement 
of Akhunovo. Chelyabinsk. 
Petrov, F. N.; Kirillov, A. K., 2007: Issledovaniya megaliticheskogo kompleksa Ahunovo v 2003 
g. Ufimskiy Arheologicheskiy vestnik 6-7: 19–23. Potemkina, T. M., 2011: Megaliticheskie sooruzheniya urala struktura-sakralnogo prostranstva. Vestnik arheologii antropologii i ehtnografii 2 / 15: 11–35. Po volnam pamyati Giperborei. Dlya teh, chi Dushi i Razum ne spit. Internet: https://.....­................/....../ezotur-arkaim-iremel-2016.html (10.1.2020) Serikov, Yu. B. 2018: Kultovye kamni i megaliticheskie sooruzheniya Urala. Ezhegodnik fin-no-ugorskih issledovaniy 12 /1: 80–97. Shnirelman, V. A., 2011: Arkaim: arheologiya, ezotericheskiy turizm i nacionalnaya ideya. Antro­pologicheskiy forum 14: 133–167. Silina, V. E., 2014: Kulytovaya deyatelynost netraditsionnykhreligioznykh dvizheniy na territorii zapovednika «Arkaim». Religioznoe mnogoobrazie Uralyskogo regiona. Materialy Vse­rossiyskoy nauchno-prakticheskoy konferentsii. Orenburg: IPK «Universitet», 211–223. Sorokin, S., 2011: 10 mest v Rossii, gde ispolnyayutsya zhelaniya. Internet: http://kurortrussia.ru/ content/news/index.php?news=3838 (5.2.2020). Tuzbekov, A. I., 2018: Gorodische u s. Kara-Yakupovo v Bashkirii - noviy obekt sakralizacii arheologicheskogo pamyatnika. Studia Mythologica Slavica 21: 93-49. Uchalinskiy Stonehenge ili Ahunovskie mengiry. Internet: http://rinay.ru/tury-po-bashkirii/ucha­linskij-stounhendzh-ili-ahunovskie-mengiry/ (28.1.2020). Yagafarov, R. G., 2007: Bashkirskiy narodniy epos „Alpamysha i Barsynhylu“: genezis, specifika, poetika: avtoreferat dis. kandidata filologicheskih nauk. Kazan. 
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............... ........ ... ......... ............ ............ ............. ......... ...... ..... (.. ....... ............... ......... .......) 
..... .. ........, ....... .. ...... 

. ...... ........... ........ ............ ............... .......... .. ..... ...... .. ....... ...... .. ........ ......... . ....... ............... .......... .......... ...., ......... .......... ........, ...... ....... ...... ............ ........... ........­..... ... .......... .... .... ....... .... ............ ........... .......... ....... ............, ........... .. ........ ......., ..­........ ........ .........., ............ ........... .............. . ..........., ...... .. ......... ............ . ....... .........., ........-........ ......... .......... ......, ...................: 1) .......... ................... .......... ............. . ........., 
2) .......... ........ ....... . .......... ........ ............, 3) ......., ... .......... ........... ....... ...... . ......... ....­...... . ....... .............. ............ ........ . ......... ...... .......... . ... ....... ............ . ............ ... ...­............ .............. ........... ...... . ......., 4) ........ ... .............. . .. .................. ......... ................ ......... ......... ... . ..... ......... .............. ..... ......­..... ........ . ........... .. ............. ..... . .............. ............. ......... .. ........., ... ........ .......... . ...­......... .............. ... ...... ........., ... . ... ........., . . ....... ....... ..... ........ . ... ....... ........... 
Ainur I. Tuzbekov, Candidate of Historical Sciences, Research Fellow, R.G. Kuzeev Institute for Ethnological Studies - Subdivision of the Ufa Federal 
Research Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences, K. Marx st., 6, Ufa, 
the Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia; tuzbek.80@mail.ru   
Albert T. Akhatov, Candidate of Historical Sciences, Research Fellow, R.G. Kuzeev Institute for Ethnological Studies - Subdivision of the Ufa Federal 
Research Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences, K. Marx st., 6, Ufa, 
the Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia; bertik@mail.ru 

23 STUDIA MYTH O L OGICA SLAVICA 2020 
183 – 202 | https://doi.org/10.3987/SMS20202311 


The Supernatural Beings of Belief Legends – Old Fears in a New Context* 

This paper examines the use of belief legends about witches, werewolves, and fairies at open-air festivals in Croatia today. At such events, traditions based on belief legends are 
invented with the idea of enriching local tourism not only as a source of income but also 
as a medium through which they portray their local identity. Additionally, the author argues that the concept of fear plays a significant role in the entire process. Visitors face the fear invoked by supernatural concepts, but within the monitored and controlled festival environment, which this helps them overcome their fears and learn how to control them. Furthermore, the author argues that people are increasingly turning toward learning and knowing about supernatural beings of belief legends because they offer an attractive explanation for the functioning of the current world and afterlife. 
KEYWORDS: legends, witches, fairies, festivals, invention of tradition, identity 
INTRODUCTION 
In the mid-19th century, towards the end of his shorter study devoted to fairies, Croatian 
historian, writer, and politician Ivan Kukuljevic Sakcinski stated that such beings had become less common in the stories of the Croatian rural population (Kukuljevic 1851: 100). Over a century later, Croatian folklorist Maja Boškovic-Stulli focused her research onbelieflegends aboutdifferentsupernaturalbeings,and,echoingKukuljevic,notedthat such stories (i.e., belief legends) had become less frequent and, though recently they could have been found in the field, they now belonged to the past (Boškovic-Stulli 1991: 125). 
My field research, conducted over the last 15 years in rural areas around Croatia, allowed me to attest thattherewas asmaller number of groups and individuals who knew or wanted to talk about fairies, witches, werewolves,1 and other such beings. During the field research that I conductedtogether with my students in 2014 at Žumberak,a mountainous area of Croatia distant from major thoroughfares, our interlocutors often remarked that today, at the beginning of the 21st century, “primitive” stories no longer exist and that people have 
* This paper has been fully supported by the Croatian Science Foundation under the project Narrating fear: From Early Records to New Orality [project number IP-06-2016-2463]. 
In Croatian belief legends, the term werewolf is used for an undead person who, after their death, returns among the living to seek redemption for their sins. Most eastern Slavs term such a creature vampire. For more on the werewolf and the vampire, cf. Lecouteux 2013, Šešo 2016: 41-58; 41-58. 

ceased to believe in supernatural beings because their villages are now equipped with schools, churches, asphalt roads, telephone connections, and electricity, which is why the “superstitions” that we were researching in their villages had disappeared (cf. Fijala 2017, Žagi 2017). Similarly, during the research of traditional beliefs and belief legends about supernatural beings, which I conducted on several occasions in the period between 2003 
and 2008 in the Dalmatian Hinterland and Istria,2 I recorded many instances of witches, mňra,3 i.e., nightmare witches, fairies, and werewolves (Šešo 2016). However, in con­versation with my interlocutors, I noticed that in their testimonies they often felt the need to clarify that nowadays there were fewer or almost no such beliefs and belief legends 
because they now had explanations for the phenomena that used to be explained by the existence of supernatural beings in the past. Thus, some of the interlocutors attributed the current lack of belief legends about the vrimenjak, an individual with the supernatural ability to predict the weather, to the existence of educated meteorologists who nowadays perform this task. Beliefs in characters such as krsniks,4 who, according to belief legends, could heal people, have been substituted by going to the doctor, while belief legends about the macic,5 a dwarf with a red cap who brings wealth to the one who manages to take the cap away from it, have been supplanted by playing games of chance. According to some interlocutors, belief legends about the undead, such as werewolves, disappeared with the arrival of electricity and artificial illumination to the village, an occurrence that led to the dissipation of the fear of these dark beings (Šešo 2016: 265-266). 
According to Lauri Honko, the main characteristic of supernatural beings is inspiring fear, causing fright, and presenting a threat (1962: 118). Some folklorists believe that the fear inspired by belief legends about supernatural beings plays a vital role in shaping and maintaining social norms (cf. Mencej 2017: 390-394, Röhrich 2018: 353, Šešo 2016: 173-188). Numerous belief legends indicate that men used to be afraid of unknown psy­chic forces that made them do bad and violent things because they believed that such acts might make them turn into werewolves after their death (Šešo 2016: 180). People strived to perform the holy sacrament of baptism on newborn children immediately after birth because they were afraid that the soul of a child who passed before being baptised could turn into storm demons (cf. O’Connor 1991, Polonijo and Šešo 2002). During evening get-togethers, people would tell stories based on belief legends about supernatural beings in order to make the children afraid of wandering outside the village on their own or leaving their houses at night (Šešo 2016: 186-188). Fairy-like beings were said to re­ward well-behavedandvirtuous girls andboys,yetwerebelieved tocausepsychological 
2 Dalmatia is a region in the south of Croatia located between the Adriatic Sea to the west and Bosnia and 
Herzegovina to the east. Istria is a peninsula located in western Croatia. 3 According to Croatian, as well as many belief legends around Europe, mňra is a demonic being who attacks 
a human being at night and drains their life’s essence. For more on mňra, consult: Marjanic 1999, Šešo 2016: 58-72, Rudan 2016: 241-262. 4 In Croatian belief legends, krsnik is an individual/being with supernatural powers who helps their commu­
nity in the fight against evil forces and the hardships of life. For more on krsnik, consult: Šešo 2002/2003, 
Boškovic-Stulli 2005, Rudan 2016: 166-212. 5 In Croatian belief legends, macic are dwarflike demonic beings who use their supernatural powers to either helps humans or cause them harm. For more on macic, consult: Lozica 2002. 

ailments of sinful ones (Šešo 2016: 36). In other words, belief legends about supernatural 
beings were used to establish rules of good and desirable behaviour, as well as to make 
potential transgressors of commandments and norms afraid, that is, the main purpose of such belief legends was to keep the sinners in fear (Röhrich 2018: 355). 
However, since the 19th century, when Kukuljevic alluded to the decline of stories about supernatural beings, several other circumstances that had previously made it possible for supernatural beings to “have an effect,” subsequently changed throughout rural Croatia. Evening get-togethers, corn shucking, and other occasions at which folk tales about supernatural beings would be told have almost completely disappeared. Many villages around Croatia have been deserted, while in the majority of the ones that remain, the number of children who would listen to stories about supernatural beings and later maintain and construct a belief system continues to decline. In addition, certain social norms, which the supernatural beings had “helped” to shape, have also changed. Nowadays, it is no longer socially unacceptable to have a child outside of marriage or a romantic relationship without being married; furthermore, Croatian and foreign TV series andfilms presentsuchsituations as acompletelynormalpartofeverydaylife.Therefore, the liberalisation of socially-acceptable behaviour has contributed to the change of old (and the creation of new) social norms. People are no longer afraid of encountering a supernatural being who will punish them, for example, for having a relationship without being married. Therefore, although supernatural beings of belief legends fulfil multiple social functions and evoke a wide range of emotions (cf. Mencej 2017: 111-120, Šešo 2016: 165-247), we might conclude that without having the ability to incite fear, the supernatural beings disappear. 
Nonetheless, though it is possible to observe a trend of decline and disappearance of belief legends about supernatural beings since Kukuljevic’s time; in reality, they are not the ones thatdisappear, but rather, their original habitus, i.e., the rural communities, on the one hand, undergoing population decline, and on the other, increasing techno­logical and infrastructural development, hence, changing the chronotope in which we traditionally searched for and observed legends and beliefs. Belief legends and folk beliefs in supernatural beings, therefore, are not disappearing but are rather changing, undergoing transformation and being supplanted by new forms. Thus, for example, the weather forecaster or meteorologist has substituted the vrimenjak, while the lottery girl has taken the place of the macic. Additionally, this transformation consequently implies the displacement of folk beliefs and legends from their original environments into a new context. Here, I am referring primarily to the modes of expression of elite and popular culture, such as films, theatre, literature, documentaries, and art exhibitions thematising belieflegends andtraditionalloreaboutsupernaturalbeings.Belieflegends aboutwitches, fairies, werewolves, and other supernatural beings that were present among inhabitants of rural, “traditional” areas, have been “transplanted” to films and serials such as Harry Potter, Dracula, The Twilight Saga, Pan’s Labyrinth, and many others. This process of the “transplantation” of belief legends from their “original” environment to that of pop­ular culture also includes the phenomenon, observable in Croatia in the previous decade, of organising festivals dedicated to belief legends, folk tales and beliefs in supernatural beings belonging to traditionalcultures. This paper aims to exploresuch festivals in Cro­atia and to examine the role of belief legends about supernatural beings in this process. In so doing, the paper will focus primarily on the fear-inducing role and characteristics of supernatural beings, since fear is a significant aspect of belief legends (Honko 1962: 118, Röhrich 2018: 355). 

CROATIAN FESTIVALS FOCUSING ON SUPERNATURAL BEINGS FROM BELIEF LEGENDS 
In their cultural-anthropological study of festivals in Croatia, Petra Kelemen and Neve­na Škrbic Alempijevic state that the process of the development of festivals, present in Europe from the 18th century onwards, has occurred in seven waves (Kelemen, Škrbic Alempijevic 2012: 56). They assert that, in Europe, the 1970s saw a considerable increase in the number of festivals focusing on elements of tradition, owing to the development of tourism, support to minority cultures, promotion of contemporary artistic creation and openness to different music genres and styles. In Eastern Europe, this trend only began to emerge after 1990, when the processes of democratisation of society, which helped strengthen the diverse cultural identities of different social groups, also lead to 
the increase in the number of smaller, local festivals. During the socialist era, festivals 
had a pronouncedly ideological function, and they were directed at creating uniform identities, though, even then, traditional culture festivals and events catered to a plurality of needs and identities (Kelemenand Škrbic Alempijevic 2012: 62, cf. Ceribašic 2003). The process, which the authors call festivalization, is characterised by a growing number of festivals and the process of creation of festivals as cultural practices. The main goal of organising these festivals is the affirmation of the identity of a particular community, while simultaneously enriching the tourist attraction and attracting more tourists (Kelemen and Škrbic Alempijevic 2012: 51, 54). 
Observing the dynamics of the festival held since the early 19th century in the Swiss 
village of Interlaken, which focuses on traditional customs, dances and attire, Regina 
Bendix offers a similar conclusion, emphasising that traditions are always formed in the present and that the ones who define them at festivals do not concern themselves with whether scholars would define these traditions as original, but rather whether the event will achieve its intended goal (Bendix 1989: 132). The anachronistic and selective conception of tradition, which Bendix detects in relation to the creation of the festival in Interlaken, should be viewed through the “invention of tradition”process. According to Eric Hobsbawm, this phenomenon reached its peak towards the end of the 19th century, coinciding with thecreation of nationalstates, when, in aquesttoforman identity, activ­ities of ritualistic and symbolical nature were used to establish certain values and norms 
of behaviour. Since rituals are repetitive and performative practices, it was easy to create theimpression of continuity with thepast, thatis to say, with carefully selected segments of the past. Furthermore, where possible, these activities often sought to establish a link with the appropriate segment of the historical past. “Invented” traditions are, therefore, a response to new situations, referencing the old in order to construct and establish one’s own past (Hobsbawm 2011: 6-7). 

From this perspective, Bendix examines festivals focusing on traditional cultures as places where tourists come to observe the intact, “authentic” village culture, which is, in reality, an imaginary construct of what they perceive to be the archetypal manifestation of their own culture (Bendix 1989: 133). Here, Bendix emphasises that some folklorists regard this process only as the commodification of folklore, the exploitation of the local population, and the imitation of rituals performed for profit, leading to the loss of the original meaning of traditional culture (Bendix 1989: 142). Bendix does not deny the economic dimension often present in organising such festivals, but emphasises the importance of understanding the mechanism of tourism in the contemporary world, which is no longer simply an economicphenomenon, butrather, owing to its far-reaching socialand cultural influence, a civilisational phenomenon (Bendix 1989: 143). Thus, the local population starts to use tourism not only as a source of income but also as a medium through which they will portray their birthplace as a regional centre, a place imbued with tradition and a haven of patriotic values, which assiststhem in constructing and improving their image (Bendix 1989: 143). Kelemen and Škrbic Alempijevic come to a similar conclusion, pointing out that the main reasons for the popularity of festivals are that they add to the local pride, develop or maintain a local or regional identity, manipulate the image of the community to attract tourists, but also provide recreational and leisure opportunities for the local population. Here, the authors believe that “though they are clearly interconnected with the tourist industry, the festivals are simultaneously much more than mere marketing tools. Their multiple roles surpass the role of merely making profit off culture – they are places where culture is created” (Kelemen and Škrbic Alempijevic: 2012: 49-50, 63). 
In a broader process of folklorization and retraditionalization, festivals focusing on supernatural beings from belief legendshave been on the rise, which thispaper examines in the context of Croatia. One of the preconditions for organising such a festival is that a certain location is somehow linked to belief legends or real historical events that have been interwoven with beliefs in supernatural/demonic beings. Thus, for instance, the Ogulin Fairy Tale Festival, held in Ogulin since 2006, partly owes its popularity to the notion that witches gather at the top of the nearby Klek Mountain (Kelemen and Škrbic Alempijevic2012:185-270).6 Zagreb’s Upper Town and Tuškanac,7 the locations of the burning of those accused of practising witchcraft in the 18th century (Bayer 1969: 524), became the venues of the music festival, Gricevanje, held between 2012 and 2015, while the logo of the festival included a stylised witch’s hat. The festival program included music and theatre performances, and in its first year, a symbolic burning of the “witches.”8 Since 2006, the Trsat Castle overlooking the city of Rijeka has been the location of Malik Fest – the Festival of Istrian and Kvarner Myths and Legends offering games, workshops 
6 See: Vile, vještice, divovi i patuljci u režiji Marija Kovaca. 2009. https://www.tportal.hr/kultura/clanak/ vile-vjestice-divovi-i-patuljci-u-reziji-maria-kovaca-20090605 (accessed on Jan 16, 2019) 7 Old quarter outside the medieval city walls. 8 See: Gricevanje. 2015. https://twitter.com/Gricevanje (accessed on Jan 16, 2019) 

and performances that introduce the visitors to the traditional culture of the region, more specifically, to belief legends about supernatural beings. According to the organisers, the impulse to start the festival stems from the numerous Istrian and Kvarner9 belief legends about supernatural beings, such as the malik,10 witches and mňra. The visitors are thus invited to learn aboutthecharacters from“themostancientstories ranging fromtheones who created the world to the ones that will pester you all night long.”11 The northern part of Croatia has also joined this new trend of creating festivals about similar topics. LegenDra – Festival mitova i legendi dravskoga kraja (Festival of Myths and Legends of the Drava Region) has been held in the town of Prelog in Medimurje12 since 2017, while itsFacebook page includesthe following description inviting the visitorsto attend: 
The festival celebrates the mythical art and the magic of life itself. It is a 
playground for the imagination – for children and adults alike – offering 
an escape from daily life and worries. […] This time, the residents will be 
the wizards and musicians, artists and storytellers, the wretched coprnice,13 
lovely fairies and fairy-tale-like beings. 14 
Thenewestfestivalinspired by belief legends aboutsupernaturalbeings – fairies in this case – was held at the beginning of June 2019 in the town of Imotski in the south of Croatia under the title Vilinska Imota Festival. The festival is organised by the local library and the Municipality of Imotski and, in an interview,15 the members of the festival team said that it was theirwishforthefestivaltopromotethetraditions andbelieflegends ofImotskaKrajina16 inspired by fairies. They believe the region is known for these traditions, but, previously they were unable to use these unique characteristics for the promotion and strengthening of tourism, which, of course, they hope to rectify by organising this festival. Therefore, they have initiated a two-day festival featuring professional storytellers telling stories about fairies and supernatural beings, an exhibition of photographs about the natural beauty of the region, performances by local klape singers and the performance of the local school children dancing an “invented kolo”, danced by the fairies, according to belief legends.17 
9 Kvarner is a coastal region in Croatia located between the peninsula of Istria to the northwest and Dalmatia 
to the south. 
10 In Croatian belief legends,malik (in addition to macic) is one of the terms for a dwarf that possesses super­natural powers, often wearing a red cap. 11 See: Malik fest. Festival mitova i legendi Istre i Kvarnera. 2019. http://www.malikfest.com/festival-mito­
va-i-legendi-istre-i-kvarnera/ (accessed on Jan 16, 2019) 12 Medimurje is a smaller region in the north of Croatia bordering Slovenia and Hungary and located between 
the rivers Mura and Drava. 
13 A term for witches employed mainly in northwestern Croatia. 14 LegenDra - Festival mitova i legendi dravskoga kraja. 2017. https://www.facebook.com/events/le­gendra/359964267773368/ (accessed on Jan 16, 2019) 
15 An interview conducted during my visit to this festival in 2019. 16 Imotska Krajina is a smaller region in Dalmatian hinterland. 
17 See: Zapocinje festival price i pripovijedanja “Vilinska Imota”. 2019. https://radioimotski.hr/2019/05/31/ vilinska-imota-festival-price-i-pripovijedanja/ (accessed on Dec 19, 2019) 

The precursor of all of the abovementioned festivals is LegendFest, the oldest festi­val in Croatia focusing on supernatural beings. LegendFest or the Festival of Legends, Myths and Stories has been held in the Istrian town of Pican since 2005. The organisers18 emphasise that they want to introduce the visitors to the mystical and enigmatic world of traditional Croatian culture and offer fun contents inspired by the mythical and super­natural past of Istria County.19 For that purpose, each year the music, dance and theatre performances, exhibitions and lectures by experts and connoisseurs of local history and traditionrevolvearoundacentraltopicchosenbytheorganisers.Throughout14editions, thecentralthemes ofthefestivals havemostly focused onlegends aboutsupernaturalbe­ings. For their firstedition, they chosethetheme of belief legends aboutštriga,20 while in thefollowing years thetopics wererelated to beliefs aboutkrsnik, vampires, werewolves, giants, dwarfs, dragons, mňra, orko21 as well as supernatural beings that can transform themselves into animals. The great turnout for the festival has encouraged the organisers to create sister eventsin other Croatian counties, that is, in placeslinked to the “existence” of supernatural beings or in places where belief legends are an integral part of the local traditionalculture.Therefore,since2014,LegendFesthas alsobeenheldatLukavecCastle in Turopolje,22 where the beliefs about mogut23 and coprnica were chosen as the central topic of the festival. The main topic of LegendFest held since 2016 at Roški Slap in the Krka National Park24is fairy-like beings, while the main topic of the festival held at the Veliki Tabor Castle25 since 2018 is once again coprnica26 (i.e., witches). LegendFest is the oldest open-air festival with the most branches around Croatia at which the perfor­mers and lecturers draw their inspiration from belief legends about supernatural beings. According to the organisers, the visitor turnout at LegendFest increases year after year; in the last two years, the festival has recorded approximately15,000 visitors.27 
From this brief overview of festivals, it is possible to conclude thatcertain historical events, and, more importantly, the belief legends of the local community about super­natural beings provided the initial impetus for the creation of the festivals. Characters 
18 The festival is organized by the association Val kulture, whose president Igor Zidaric hails from Pican. 19 For more on LegendFest, its programs and content in more detail,visit: LegendFest. 2019. http://legendfest. hr/legendfest/ (accessed on Jan 8, 2019). 
20 
Štriga, Ital. name for a witch, used most commonly in the Croatian coastal area. 21 According to Croatian traditional beliefs, orko is a demonic supernatural being in the form of a donkey, or 
less commonly a horse, that appears to a tired traveler at night and carries them off on its back in the direction they do not wish to go. For more on the orko, consult: Lozica 2002, Rudan 2016: 262-273. 22 Turopolje is a low, flat microregion in the vicinity of Zagreb located next to the river Sava. 23 According to a traditional belief from the Turopolje region, a mogut is a person/being with supernatural 
powers that can transform into a pig or a giant to help pig farmers from their village find acorns. In order to 
ensure the wellbeing of their own community, they confront the mogut of another community/village, which 
then suffers hardship if its mogut is defeated (Chloupek 1953). 24 Krka National Park comprises the waterfalls and lakes on the river Krka in the vicinity of the Dalmatian town of Šibenik. 
25 The Veliki Tabor Castle is an early medieval castle located in the hilly landscape in northwestern Croatia. 
26 This paper does not cover the LegendFest held in 2018 at the Veliki Tabor Castle since the paper is based on the research conducted in 2017 comprising the festivals in Lukavec, Roški Slap and Pican. 27 LegendFest. 2019. http://legendfest.hr/legendfest/ (accessed on Jan 8, 2019). 

such as witches, vampires, giants and dwarfs influence the choice of festival topics, which then inspire numerous entertainment and cultural-educational events that the visitors attend both for fun and to learn about local traditions and folklore peculiarities, which are the foundation of cultural identity. Furthermore, the festival side programs regularly include offerings of the local gastronomy, a chance to purchase handicraft products, participate in local traditional games, and demonstrations of local trades. In such an ambience, supernatural beings are one of the themes presented as well. Along with other festival programs, they serve as bait for the visitors who want to learn about the history, tradition, and local identity to which the organisers refer when promoting 
the events and which are referenced in the very names of these festivals. In this context, 
the belief legends about supernatural beings play their part in enriching local tourism and profiting from it, but they also contribute to establishing and defining one’s identity. However, it is important to note that commodifying belief legends about supernatural beings at festivals creates a new tradition and a new past, that is, “[…] the local events and personages, myths and narratives are ritualised and reconfigured by festivals; the celebrations prompt us to remember the past – namely, the selected past retold via the festival” (Kelemen, Škrbic Alempijevic 2012: 191). In other words, belief legends about supernatural beings that are encountered in the stories of professional storytellers, in music and theatre performances, lectures, costumed actors and reenactors, photographs and other festival contents, are in reality interpretations, additions, and creations of be­lief legends, that is, “invented” traditions. These are not the traditions, history or belief legends as defined by scholars and experts, but rather the traditions, history and legends subjectively perceived by members of society – the ones organising the festivals and theones visiting them. In theprocess, as thesupernaturalbeings frombelief legends are placed within the festival space where they are moulded according to the needs of the organisers and the visitors, this paper wishes to examine what happens to their element 
of fright and their fear-inducing features. 
THE FRIGHTFUL (AND FEAR) AT LEGENDFEST 
In order to provide answers to these questions, I conducted initial field research during LegendFestheld in late May 2017 at Lukavec Castle and the surrounding area in Turopolje. 28 During the festival, the visitors had the opportunity to encounter actors costumed as witches, devils, vampires, and other demonic beings whose appearance, the sounds they produced, and the noise they made scared both adults and children. Inside the castle itself, the visitors, or rather their children, entered a low, cramped room with the sign on the door that said coprnicki rešt (prison for witches) [Fig. 1]. Inside the room, the visitors could spend several moments among artificial human skulls and animal bones aglow 
28 In 2017, LegendFestin LukavecinTuropoljechanged organizers andwas renamed toPerunfest.TheFestival ofForgotten Stories andFolkTales.Basedon theevaluationoftheauthorofthis paper,whovisitedthefestival in Lukavec both before and after the change, the content and the appearance of the festivals has not changed considerably compared to the period when it used to be called LegendFest. 
with red light, which was a recreation of 
the atmosphere of the space where women accused of witchcraft had been confined. On the first floor of the castle, inside a dark 
room with low green lights, the organisers 
placed a coffin with a person wearing a witch’s costume. When any of the visitors approached thecoffin, thedead witch would suddenly “come to life” scaring everyone in the room, especially the children. After this, 
she would invite whoever was interested to 
takeher placeand lie in thecoffin and during my observation of this “performance,” I noticed thatvery often theparents would try to persuade their children to do so [Fig. 2]. 
At one moment, one of the fathers closed his 
daughter inside the coffin while the costumed 
witch sat on the lid so the child could not get out. After the child started hitting the lid 
from inside and yelping, the father freed his 
daughter, who was visibly shaken and on 
the verge of tears. A macabre atmosphere 
dominated in other rooms in the castle as 
well, produced by lighting, renditions of 
demons, skulls, bones, a cradle with a doll inside, old furniture and the recording of 
muffled screams that could be heard around 
the castle [Fig. 3]. The area around the castle was also decorated to incite a sense of fear or dread in the visitors, or at the very least 
to not leave them indifferent. In the nearby woodland area, there were mannequins of 
demonic beings hanging from the branches, 
the employees of the festivalswalked around 
dressed in black with blood-stained make­
up on their faces, while behind a wooden door set up for the occasion in the woods, 
costumed devils were scaring the children 

Fig. 1. Prison for witches. LegendFest, Lukavec, Croatia, 2017. Photo by Luka Šešo. 
Fig. 2. Children laying in the coffin. LegendFest, Lukavec, Croatia, 2017. Photo by Luka Šešo. 
Fig. 3. Amacabre atmosphere. LegendFest, Lukavec,Croatia, 2017. Photo by Luka Šešo. 
by loudly tugging their chains. In such an atmosphere, the visitors consumed food and beverages, listened to stories aboutsupernaturalbeings and were entertained by different dance and drama acts. As the day progressed, the darkness intensified the dramatic effect 
of the staged scenes. The climax of the festival was the burning of a large dragon made out of hay dominating the front entrance to the festival area. 

This concise description of the festival in Lukavec leads us to wonder why visitors are attracted to such a fear-inducing atmosphere and imagery. Following an observation of some of the contents of the festival, it may be concluded that, in terms of its visual appearance and content, the festival emphasises the elements that induce dread. The visitors, especially children, were noticeably afraid, while the (costumed) supernatural beings and the staged scenes in certain instances made them tense and anxious. According to Lars Svendsen, human beings need to experience a full range of emotions, and fear allows us to break free from the routine and monotony of our daily lives. Most people interrupt and assuage the tedium of daily routine by watching horror films or by visiting the abovementioned festivals. It is not uncommon for boredom to make us move towards the transgression of boundaries, while fear and the frightful represent the counterbalance to the tedium of daily life (Svendsen 2010: 98). However, it needs to be pointed out that horror films or horror games, as well as the festivals that I have cited, also represent something we can simply walk away from. These are spaces and environments in which, to a large extent, it is possible to supervise fear. We encounter fear in its tamed form; therefore, itdoes notwound us (Svendsen 2010:98). Weexperiencewhatwemightterm a “fear substitute” – we experience real fear, but we are not in any real danger. The violent and frightful fictions provide an appropriate medium for the articulation and processing of our emotions. Children can also benefit from this by learning to overcome their fear (Svendsen 2010: 98). According to Sara Ahmed, turning away from the object of fear means turning towards the objects of love, which, in an ideal situation, become a defense mechanism against death with which fear supposedly threatens us. In other words, the crucial element of contemporary, deliberate encounters with fear is not the fear itself, but rather the realisation that we can step away from it into a safe environment (Ahmed 2014: 67). Aspsychologist Dolf Zillmann explainswhen analysing the effects of suspense in dramatic works (1996), the satisfaction of the audience lies in the controlled stepping away from fear, in successfully escaping the frightful and violent. This is confirmed by the research conducted by Cynthia Hoffner and Keneth Levine that examines the relationship betweenhorrorfilms andpleasureof theviewer(2005:227).Inthis mechanismofstaging controlled horror, the supernatural beings from belief legends play an important role, and they have become the central point of festivals such as LegendFest. Lutz Röhrich also affirms that most belief legends are imbued with a fear of demonic beings, of death, of the dead, while the supernatural world is perceived as a threat (Röhrich 2018: 352-365). 
From that point of view, belief legends are an important source of information when examining the changes of consciousness that have occurred over the past 150 years. Since then, human beings have increasingly placed the world under their control; however, they have done so at the expense of the supernatural world, which in belief legends stands up to us as something highly strange and as something of which we should be afraid. There­fore, human fear has moved on to other areas nowadays. Fears become disintegrated, yet other fears take their place, or rather, old fearsappear in new guises (Röhrich 2018: 365). 
The “new guise” Röhrich is referring to can also be recognised at festivals in Croatia that include the presence of fear of supernatural beings from belief legends. That is, if we focus on some of the scenes from the brief description of LegendFest at Lukavec, it is clear that it foregrounds precisely the beings and situations to which Röhrich is refer­ring. By interacting with actresses dressed as witches and visiting the prison in which the supposed witches used to be incarcerated, the visitors encounter a representation of 

a female character that is the embodiment of numerous fears. They are also faced with 
an attempt to find the “culprit” for the culturally mediated fear, since, in Croatian belief legends, witches are linked to the causes of inexplicable accidents, afflictions, and illnesses. They are the victims of neighbourhood quarrels, jealousy, envy, and dislike (cf. Mencej 2017: 111-211, Šešo 2012). “Believing in witches reveals the fear of women who know more, thewomen who havegreater power, and of femalesexuality”(Röhrich 2018:356). 
The actors who jump out of coffins make the visitors feel afraid of the restless dead, which is another central construct of belief legends. Such beliefs reveal less about the dead and more about ourselves, that is, about our attitude towards death and the restless dead, who return to this world because of their sinful and in many ways problematic earthly life. The characters of the devil who frighten the children around the festival area, also incitethefear of thebeing thatappears to thetransgressors ofcommandments and norms. Finally, the symbolic burning of the straw dragon that takes place at the end of the festival is asymbolof victory and of overcoming apowerfulopponentthatinduces fear and is the embodiment of chaos that threatens both the divine and human kind (see. Röhrich 2018: 355-357). Thesupernaturalbeings frombelief legends thatweencounteratfestivals such as LegendFest still preserve their role of inciting fear: “Among stories there are those that wish to produce fear, as well as those whose primary function is to overcome fear. The two tendencies are interconnected because fear causes counter-reactions” (Röhrich 2018: 364). Deliberately producing fear to control and overcome it represents one of the key functions of belief legends about supernatural beings. In order to confront our fears and overcome them more easily, belief legends serve to articulate our instances of fear and find explanations for them, thus removing their ability to produce dread: “By featuring embodied supernatural beings, belief legends have the potential, to a certain degree, to dispel irrational, objectless fears” (Röhrich 2018: 354). A similar mechanism occurs at festivals, except, in addition to listening to stories about supernatural beings, the visitors also encounter their embodiments in the form of masked actors. The visitors are confronted with the fear of death by being enclosed in a coffin, the encounter with the demonic and the supernatural is simulated by the prison for witches and the devil’s door in the woods. These instances offer the visitors a chance for an encounter with the frightful, while providing the possibility of relieving and assuaging their fear by reserving the option of instantly leaving such frightening and intense places and situations. 
However, let us examine the other role of fear caused by supernatural beings from belief legends, according to Rrich, and that is to deliberately incite fear in transgressors of social norms and customary law. Specifically, deliberately provoking the fear of super­natural beings contributes to the compliance with set social norms and, consequently, to the conservationof the hierarchyof power. Fear instills a sense of guilt and the need for redemption, thus safeguarding an individual from the punishment of the supernatural world (Röhrich 2018: 353). Within this mechanism of inducing fear, it is vital to examine the notion of belief “[...] the presence of which is felt in any form of legend. [...] Directly or indirectly, a belief legend almost without exception implies that at some point, someone, somewhere: ‘a neighbor’, ‘an old lady’, ‘grandpa’, ‘someone’, ‘some other people’, ‘a long time ago’ believe or believed in its message” (Dégh and Vázsonyi 2018: 347). In other words, fear caused by supernatural beings from belief legends can affect a society or an individual only if it is believed that these beings could, at some point and in some 

way, cause actual harm to someone. 
FROM AGENTS OF FEAR TO OBJECTS OF AWE 
In order to research the presence of belief legends and beliefs in supernatural beings at festivals and to observe the concept of fear within them, I conducted short surveys during two other editions of LegendFest held in 2017. One edition, held in early July at Roški Slap in the Krka National Park, focused on belief legends about fairies. The other LegendFest, held in late July in the Istrian town of Pican, was dedicated to belief legends about the mňra.29 
Further prompted by the reasoning of the organiser whose website stated that they wished to acquaint the visitors with traditional beliefs of our ancestors at the time when the supernatural beings “were creating the world” and when there was “mythical art and magic of life itself,” I included the question: “What do you think is the reason that older generations believed in fairies/mňra?” The answer to this question was left blank by 10% of respondents, while the rest of the answers can be grouped into two categories. In the first, smaller group, 36% of respondents agreed that the reason was superstition, a “primitive” way of thinking or a lower degree of education of older generations. However, more than half of the respondents (53%) offered other explanations that can further be divided into two subcategories. The first subcategory comprises short answers in which the respondents attribute the existence of traditional beliefs of older generations to two concepts that we have analysed earlier in the paper – to cause fear and derive enjoyment from something scary and unfamiliar, as well as to work through intense emotions: 
“For creating fear and entertainment.” AV1230 
“Because they wanted to create entertainment and cause fear.” AV11 
“It was their way to scare and intimidate people. That’s how their elders 
taught them.” AM22 
“They believed in what frightened them.” AV27 
29 The survey included a total of 80 visitors to the festival who participated in the research voluntarily. During the edition of LegendFest at Roški Slap, 40 visitors completed the survey and the same number completed the survey at the festival in Pican. For the purposes of this paper, only the answers to two survey questions are analyzed here, while the survey contained ten questions and included topics not discussed in this paper. The completed questionnaires are kept in the author’s private archive. 
30 The letters AV refer to the survey on fairies (Roški Slap), while the letters AM refer to the survey on mňra (Pican). The number next to the letters stands for the ordinal number on the questionnaire. 


In other words, a portion of the respond­ents identifies the mechanism of inducing fear as a vital characteristic of the super­natural beings of belief legends. However, frightening someone or inciting fear is not 
the purpose itself, but rather it is connected 
to fun, or alternatively, to belief. So what 
sort of belief is this? Here, it is important to extend the interpretation of fear caused by tales aboutsupernaturalbeings.Eventhough fairies, witches, mňra,vampires,werewolves and other demonic/supernatural beings are frightful and cause people to be afraid, when 
belief legends about them are being taught in a fun way, as older generations used to do at evening get-togethers or as it is today 
doneatfestivals, they alsoinspireasenseof awe. Therefore, it is not (only) a question of being afraid of them, but (also) of feeling awe towardssupernatural beings, in other words, 
this is a mechanism that contributes to shaping a culturally more demanding system of concepts and beliefs such as myths, cults and religious systems. In controlled environ­ments, the supernatural beings are transformed from agents of fear into objects of awe, while fear is a mechanism that inspires a sense of respect towards them. Why members of a community should create (or renew) their sense of awe towards supernatural beings is best expressed by examples in the second subcategory of answers: 
“Out of a need to explain the world around them.” AV13 “They were in touch with nature; they were farmers so they sought solace and faith in these beings.” AV3 “Because they needed to believein the existence of something larger than themselves.” AV14 “In order to explain certain natural occurrences, but also to enrich their life with stories.” AV15 “Perhaps because they believed in something larger and more powerful than themselves.” AV16 “Because they do exist and they were more connected to nature so they could see them.” AM11 “Because they wanted to explain reality.” AM13 “Because they are all around us.” AM15 “They were in tune with the spiritual state of the world.” AM12 “Because they tried to explain the world around them somehow and the different phenomena that exist in it.” AM10 

Itis evidentfromtheseexamples thatsomeof therespondents/festivalvisitors concluded that our ancestors needed the belief in supernatural beings in order to explain the world around them. The belief in supernatural beings, however fear-inspiring they may seem, aids in grasping our cosmic system, the phenomena and events one cannot influence, as well as the social hierarchies and injustices of the material world. Such beings and their powers inspire human beings with a sense of awe, which is based on cosmic fear that needs to be differentiated from “regular” fear, as Noel Caroll asserts. In attempting to understand why literature, film, and other forms of popular culture are drawn to demonic and supernatural beings, Caroll, who takes his inspiration from writer Howard Phillips Lovecraft and philosopher Rudolf Otto, concludes: 
Humans, it appears, are born with a kind of fear of the unknown which verges on awe. Thus, the attraction of supernatural horror is that it provokes a sense of awe which confirms a deep-seated human conviction about the world [...] it contains vast unknown forces. [...] Fear itself is distasteful and would naturally be avoided; but cosmic fear is not simply fear, but awe, fear compounded with some sort of visionary dimension which is said to be keenly felt and vital (Caroll 1990: 163). 
Another way of explaining the attraction of horror – one that may be connected with elements of the religious account – is to say that horrific beings – like deities and daemons 
– attract us because of their power. They induce awe. In one mode of speaking, it may be said that we identify with monsters because of the power they possesses – perhaps monsters are wish-fulfillment figures (Caroll 1990: 167-168). 
May we, therefore, conclude that some visitors attend festivals like LegendFest be-causeof supernaturalbeings thathavethepower to explain theworld in its entirety and to explicate the interconnections between natural and supernatural forces and occurrences? Do some visitors, at a time of social and moral crises, believe in the need to reintroduce certain hierarchies and norms whose authority derives from the supernatural, and to feel a sense of awe towards the inexplicable and other-sided just as, according to their opinion, older generations used to? The answer to these questions could be provided by the answers to the second survey question, which asked the respondents whether they believed that fairies and fairly-like beings (Roški Slap) and mňra and witches (Pican) still existed, and if they thought they did to explain briefly why they thought so. The results indicate that 40% of respondents expressed a belief in the existence of mňra and witches, and as many as 51% of respondents expressed belief in the existence of fairies and fairy-like beings. Explainingtheir answers to the question whether they believed in the existence of supernatural beings, it was evident that they too perceive the supernatu­ral beings in connection to the limitations of their daily life, or rather, that they find the current explanations about nature inadequate: 
“I do not think they exist in the form of beings, but rather as occurrences 
that happen to us and have an effect on us.” AV27 
“I think that fairies are representatives of nature and what we can expect 
from it. It is magnificent, but sometimes also horrific and cruel. I believe 
in fairies as energy and the soul of every forest being.” AV15 “It is nice to believe.” AV3 “Because everyone needs a glimmer of magic.” AV1 “Because nature is magical so magical beings probably reside in it.” AV28 “They exist, only in human form.” AV17 “Because I believe in the inexplicable, that there is an invisible force, a parallel world… it is impossible for us to be alone.” AV9 “They used to exist, so they must still exist today.” AV7 “They exist, I think there are both negative and positive ones, whether it is a woman visiting the Shrine in Medugorje or observing the Sabbath!” AM13 “Perhaps they do not exist in the form in which they are represented in legends, but I have had an encounter with them!” AM11 “I believe they exist, but people are simply too preoccupied with other things, so they no longer think about mňra and witches.” AM24 

The answers to the last question are simply too diverse to allow a straightforward explanation of the respondents’ reasons for believing in supernatural beings such as fairies and mňra. For some, they are invisible forces of nature, parallel worlds, or supernatural occurrences affecting us. For others, they are certain individuals (most often women) from the respondents’ surroundings whose actions they cannot understand or of which they do not approve. In contrast,some believe that they do not exist in the same form as they used to, but have, paradoxically, experienced an encounter with them, while others find the belief as such to be beautiful or magical and hence necessary. Nonetheless, it is important to note that the respondents adjust their explanations of the existence of su­pernatural beings to the contemporary world in which they live. Fairies and mňra are no longer (just) demonic beings living in the woods or the neighborhood, but they are also forces of nature, embodiments of invisible energy, parallel worlds, that is, as respondent AV9 notes, they are something “inexplicable,” with approximately half of all respondents believing in this “inexplicable” phenomenon. 
CLOSING CONSIDERATIONS 
Since the middle of the 19th century, when Kukuljevic remarked on it, the supernatural beings from belief legends have become less common in their “original” environment, which is understood to be the rural communities that nurture a “traditional” way of life. Nevertheless, this does not imply that the belief legends about supernatural beings have disappeared and are being lost, but rather that they are being transplanted to different forms, such as the recent festivals that this paper has examined in the context of Croatia. At the festivals, as forms of “invented tradition,” the beliefs and the supernatural beings from Croatian belief legends are commodified and presented alongside other tourist and consumerist products and, as such, are drafted to participate in the process of boosting the tourist offer. At the same time, the supernatural beings from belief legends, together withtherestof thefestival“offer”based ontraditionalculture, acquirean identity-forging role within the process that wishes to create affective “bonds” between the visitors and the idealised, mythical world of the selective past. In contemporary society, doubts about the benefits of economic development and the appearance of “quality of life” indices have led to the rediscovery and the idealisation of the “traditional” way of life in a community 

based on solidarity. Within both rural and urban communities, celebrations are organised 
in order to make individuals feel less alienated from society (see Kelemen and Škrbic Alempijevic 2012: 56). On such occasions, the visitors encounter supernatural beings from belief legends that make it possible to express one’s own anxieties and insecurities caused by new changes in society, articulate one’s own fears of the unknown and convey one’s hopes for economic stability (see Valk 2008: 236). In this context, supernatural beings today still preserve their role as fear-enticing and frightening beings, by means of which individuals learn to face their own limitations, life’s threats and unpredictable 
scenarios. The frightening scenes and the elements of horror that are often a feature of 
festival programs additionally attract visitors, especially younger generations, because these allow them to face the frightening (and their fear) in a controlled environment, in 
which they are able to distance themselves from it and thus learn to overcome it. However, 
in the context of supernatural beings, in addition to the notion of fear, it is important to consider the concept of awe. That is to say, I believe that festival programs in which the visitors come in contact with frightening supernatural beings contribute to the creation or renewal of a sense of awe towards such beings and their powers. Creating a sense of awe strengthens the belief that they used to be able to and can still use their powers to influence the world we live in, hence inspiring the quest for answers to numerous ques­tions about the origin of the universe and about ourselves. 
Moreover, the conducted research indicates that a great number of visitors to the festivals in Croatia described in this paper identifies precisely the role of providing explanations as the reason for believing in supernatural beings. They express that our ancestors employed supernatural beings to explicate the world and provide answers to existential questions, but they also state that they themselves believe in their existence and their place within the universal order. The desire to come to know the supernatural, the mythical and the fantastic, as well as the popular and scientific works that stem from this desire, “become increasinglypronounced in times of crises and in pivotal moments for the community” (Lozica 2007: 141). Over the last several decades, we have been faced with what might be termed the retraditionalization of society and the remythologization of contemporary culture and science (Lozica 2007: 149). Hence, within contemporary Croatian society, people continue to draw inspiration from supernatural beings from belief legends in order to configure anew the moral norms and rules of behaviour and to organise the world around them. The interest in supernatural beings from belief legends is, in fact, a reflection of the aspirations to seize control over the problems in the society and to bring structure to everyday life. 
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Valk, Ülo, 2008: Folk and the Others. Constructing Social Reality in Estonian Legends. Lang, Valter; Kull, Kalevi (eds.), Estonian Approaches to Cultural Theory. Approaches to Cultural Theory Series. Volume 4. Tartu: University of Tartu Press, 222-238. 
Zillmann, Dolf, 1996: The psychology of suspense in dramatic exposition. Vorderer, Peter; Wulff, Hans Jurgen; Friedrichsen, Mike (eds.), Suspense: Conceptualizations, theoretical anal­yses, and empirical explorations. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 199–231. 
Žagi, Karla. 2017. Društvene i modernizacijske promjene kao bitni elementi slabljenja pripovijedanja
o nadnaravnim bicima. Šešo, Luka (ed.), Samobor - stotinu godina nakon Milana Langa. Zagreb: Matica hrvatska Ogranak Samobor, Hrvatsko katolicko sveucilište, 143-159. 

NADNARAVNA BICA PREDAJA. STARI STRAHOVI U NOVOM KONTEKSTU 
luka šešo 

Još od sredine 19. stoljeca, kako na to tada upucuje hrvatski povjesnicar, književnik i politicar Ivan Kukuljevic Sakcinski, nadnaravna bica predaja sve su manje prisutna u svojem “izvornom” habitusu pod kojim podrazumijevamo ruralne sredine sa “tradicionalnim” nacinom života. Medutim, to ne znaci da predaje o nadnaravnim bicima nestaju, da se gube, vec se izmiještaju u druge oblike popularne kulture poputsuvremenih festivalanakojimasetematiziraju predajeitradicijskakultura, a koji se u ovom radu motre u hrvatskom kontekstu. Na takvim festivalima, kao svojevrsnim oblicima “izmišljene tradicije”, nadnaravna bica hrvatskih predaja i vjerovanja komodificiraju se i pojavljuju uz druge turisticki i konzumeristicki oblikovaneproduktetetako sudjelujuuprocesurazvojaturistickeponude.Ujedno, nadnaravna bicapredaja zajednos drugim festivalskim “ponudama” utemeljeni-ma na tradicijskoj kulturi poprimaju identitarnu ulogu unutar procesa u kojem se posjetitelje želi afektivno “povezati” s idealiziranim, mitskim svijetom selektivne prošlosti. Naime, u suvremenom društvu zbog sumnje u dobrobit ekonomskog razvoja te pojave mjerenja “kvalitete života” ponovno se otkriva i idealizira “tradicijski”, prema solidarnoj zajednici okrenut nacin života. Organiziraju se proslave unutar ruralnih i urbanih zajednica koje su pojedincima potrebne da bi se smanjila otudenost u društvu (v. Kelemen; Škrbic Alempijevic 2012: 56). U tom procesu znacaju ulogu igraju plašiteljski i strahovni momenti nadnaravnih bica koji pospješuju oblikovanje i održavanje društvenih normi te stoga u predajama zauzimaju istaknuto mjesto (v. Honko 1962: 118, Mencej 2017: 390-394, Röhrich 2018: 353, Šešo 2016: 173-188). 
Kako bisepojasnilaulogastrahaistrašnog vezanog uznadnaravnabicapredaja koja se tematiziraju na festivalima, u radu se analizira najstariji hrvatski festival s temom predaja - Legendfest: festival legendi mitova i prica. Za potrebe analize provedena su 2017. terenska istraživanja na tri lokaliteta u Hrvatskoj (Lukavec, Pican i Roški Slap) gdje se te godine festival organizirao. Rezultati istraživanja pokazuju da na takvim festivalima posjetitelji uz pomoc nadnaravnih bica predaja mogu lakše izraziti vlastite tjeskobe i nesigurnosti izazvane novim promjenama u društvu, iskazati vlastite strahove od nepoznatog te naznaciti aspiracije prema ekonomskojstabilnosti. U tok kontekstu plašiteljskaistrahotnauloganadnaravnih bica predaja kroz koju se pojedinci uce suociti sa svojim ogranicenjima, životnim prijetnjama i nepredvidivim scenarijima i dalje je prisutna. Strašne scene i strašno koje je nerijetko prisutno u festivalskim programima dodatno privlace posjetitelje, a posebice mlade generacije, jer se u kontroliranim okruženjima mogu suociti sa strašnim (i strahom), od kojeg se mogu odmaknuti i na taj ga nacin nauciti nadvladati. Medutim, kada je rijec o nadnaravnim bicima predajauz pojam strah treba vezati i pojam strahopoštovanje. U radu se istice kako festivalski programi u kojima se posjetitelji susrecu sa strašnim nadnaravnim bicima, pridonose stvaranju ili obnavljanju strahopoštovanjaprema nadnaravnim bicima i njihovim mocima. Stvaranjem strahopoštovanja snaži i vjerovanje da su svojim mocima mogli, ali i da mogu, djelovati na svijet koji nasokružuje te se na taj nacin pospješuju traženje odgovora na brojna pitanja o kozmogoniji, ali i nama samima. Štoviše, provedeno istraživanje pokazuje da velik broj posjetitelja opisanih hrvatskih festivala pre­poznaje upravo navedenu ulogu vjerovanja u nadnaravna bica. Posjetitelji kako su kod starijih naraštaja nadnaravna bica služila za tumacenje svijeta i životnih pitanja, ali ujedno isticu da i sami vjeruju u njihovo postojanje i poziciju unutar prirodnog poretka. Naime, želja za poznavanjem nadnaravnog, mitskog, fantastic­nog, kao i popularni i znanstveniradovi koji izrastaju iz te želje “posebno bujaju u za zajednicu kriznim, prijelomnim vremenima” (Lozica 2007: 141). Proteklih smo desetljeca suoceni s onim što se može nazvati retradicionalizacijom društva i remitologizacijom suvremene kulture i znanosti (Lozica 2007: 149). U suvremenom hrvatskom društvu covjek se stoga nastavlja nadahnjivati nadnaravnim bicima predaja kako bi opet formirao moralne norme i pravila ponašanja te uredio svijet u kojemživi. Interes za nadnaravnim bicima predaja zapravo je odraz težnji da se društvene probleme staviti pod kontrolu i da se oblikuje uredena svakodnevica. 

Luka Šešo, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Catholic University of Croatia, Ilica 242, HR-10 000 Zagreb, Croatia, luka.seso@unicath.hr 

O
nkraj delitve narave in kulture: ontologije in epistemologije 
O
ltre la dicotomia tra la natura e la cultura: ontologie ed epistemologie 


B
eyond the Dichotomy of Nature and Culture: Ontologies and Epistemologies 
23 STUDIA MYTH O L OGICA SLAVICA 2020 
205 – 234 | https://doi.org/10.3987/SMS20202312 
“Zoopoetic Dwelling”: The Ecology 
of the Connectedness of Animal and Human Homes and Dwelling Through 
Folklore and Literary Representations* 

The act of dwelling and physical dwellings is not an exclusively human domain: all spaces, environments and homes of various animals are included. The question of whether an 
animal merely exists or also lives and dwells forms the basis of the article. We examine 
the types of environment in which nonhuman animals live either together with people or independently and those where they build their dwellings. We look at the difference between dwelling and building. We will present three viewpoint models that consider animals,their dwellingandphysicaldwellings onthebasis of folkloristic, anthropological, philosophical, eco-critical, and critical-animalistic findings. They are the anthropocentric, anthropomorphic, and zoo-centric models as they appear in the works of Fran Erjavec (Domace in tuje živali v podobah, 1868-1873), Richard Adams (Watership Down, 1972) and Iztok Geister (Narava, kot jo vidi narava, 2010). The way these works present animals and their dwellings, more or less closely reflecting reality, will aid in determining whether these dwellings are part of nature or culture. We will be asking, for example, whether the beaver’s dwelling is an architectural masterpiece or merely a result of instinctive behaviour. Our starting point is based on the understanding that animals are persons and, as such, are capable of dwelling and intentionally producing their physical dwellings. 
KEYWORDS: zoopoetic dwelling, animals, animal culture, anthropocentrism, anthro­pomorphism, zoo-ecocentrism, zoopoetics, Fran Erjavec, Richard Adams, Iztok Geister 
INTRODUCTION 
We aim to critically present three models of human viewpoints on animals from the perspective of dwelling, animal dwellings, and their production by critically analysing three zoo-eco literary and folklore works: Domace in tuje živali v podobah (Domestic and Foreign Animals in Pictures), 1868-1873, by Fran Erjavec, Watership Down, 1972, by Richard Adams and Narava kot jo vidi narava (Nature as Seen by Nature), 2010, by Iztok Geister. Based on zoofolkloristic, eco-critical, and critical-animalistic 
* The author acknowledges the financial support from the Slovenian Research Agency (research core funding no. P6-0111). 

concepts, the analyses of these literary works should allow us to establish, also through 
literature and folklore, understanding and knowledge of animal individuals and their intrinsic values. 
This article aims to answer the following questions: 
1. 
Is there awareness to animal dwelling, are their dwellings only part of nature or also culture and are their dwellings a result of an instinctive skill or there is even an element of art? 

2. 
Are animal dwellings a result of intentional, cognitive action, or are they created 


purely instinctively? 
3. What kind of human and nonhuman encounters can we detect when observing 
different animal dwellings (created by animals and humans) and what are these 
encounters like when animal dwelling meets human interests? 
ONTOLOGICAL EQUIVALENCE OR ONTOLOGICAL DIFFERENTIATION OF ANIMALS AND PEOPLE (DWELLING/EXISTING) 
The following concepts form the basis of our thought: Jakob von Uexküll acknowl­edges the living and active nature of animal beings; Lorenz and Tinbergen find that animals communicate with each other; Adolphe Portmann acknowledges the existential value of animal manifestation (Merleau Pointy, 1995: 244-247). In addition, there is Tim Ingold’s early anthropological viewpoint on the ontological equivalence of humans and animals, which he later substituted with ontological differentiation, which we aim 
to assess critically: 
Now theontologicalequivalenceofhumans andanimals,as organism-per­sons and as fellow participants inalifeprocess,carries acorollaryofcapital importance. It is that both can have points of view. In other words, for both the world exists as a meaningful place, constituted in relation to the pur­poses and capabilities of action of the being in question. (Ingold 2000: 51) 
These findings take us to the world of animal and human dwelling. Both are equal in all aspects of life. Ingold also emphasises that all living creatures have agency: 
The world is not “there” for us or anyone else to represent or to fail to represent; the world is come into being through our activities […] we cannot exclusively privilege us human beings with this world-producing effort – for the world is coming into being through the activities of all living agencies. (Ingold 1996: 115) 
However, he contradicts himself, as on the one hand, he allows for the similarities 
between peopleand animals in theway they transfer knowledgeto their offspring, while, on the other hand, he attributes cognizant, deliberateproduction of dwellings only to people: 

I feltsure that the models developed by ecologists and evolutionary biolo­gists to account for the relations between organisms and their environment 
must apply as well to the human as to any other species, yet it was also clear to me that these models left no space for what seemed to be most outstanding characteristic of human activity – that it is intentionally mo­tivated. (Ingold 1995: 57) 
In his book, The Perception of the Environment, Essays of Livelihood, Dwelling and Skill (2000), Ingold, who worked intensively on animal dwelling and animal home production, sought to move closer to the newecology. He based his thought on Neo-Dar­winism, ecological psychology and philosophy, and the works of Martin Heidegger and MauriceMerleau-Ponty.HeagreedwithHeidegger’s viewpointthatanimals donotshape the world, they merely are, but without their objective reality, “we can build only if we dwell” (Heidegger 1971: 160), which also represented Ingold’s point of view: it was the ‘founding statement of the dwelling perspective’ (Ingold 2000). He supported the static model of animal dwelling that derives from the actions of animals’ predecessors: 
For any animal, the environmental conditions of development are liable to be shaped by the activities of predecessors. The beaver, for example, inhabits an environment that has been decisively modified by the labours 
of its forbearers, in building dams and lodges, and will in turn contribute 
to the fashioning of an environment for its progeny. It is in such a modified environment that the beaver’s own bodily orientations and patterns of activity undergo development. The same goes for human beings. (Ingold 2000: 186) 
Ingold answers the question of whether the beaver’s physical dwelling is any diffe­rent from that of the human positively; unlike the human, by stating that the beaver does not construct creatively: “Wherever they are, beavers construct the same kinds of lodges and, so far as we know, have always done so” (Ingold 2000: 175). He believes that the difference between the animal and the human house is in the construction process, which is purposeful in humans. We can agree to a certain extent with Ingold if we understand human actions, which can be verbalised, in any case. However, defining the beaver’s creation of its home as the result of an instinctive process is anthropocentric thinking that predetermines the beaver as being cognitively and creatively inferior to the human. 
Therefore we need to refute any thought of the instinctive determination of animals, or, 
in the words of Ramirez Baretto: 
An illusion considering the animal as determined, mechanical, instinctive and limited to mere corporeality (ontogenetic constitution); or as an evo­lutionary past that has been left behind with the acquisition of tools and language (phylogenetic condition), looking upon humanity as purifying and distancing its own human spaces, without animals (social, cultural and historical constitution). (Ramirez Baretto 2009: 84) 

Ingold also looked at the worksof semiologist and ethologist Jakob von Uexküll, who in his book AStroll Through the World of Animals and Men wrote: “As the spider spins its threads, every subject spins his relations to certain characters of the things around him, and weaves them into a firm web which carries his existence” (1957:14). Uexküll believes that both animals and humans are subjects. The animal inhabits its own world, which he calls Umwelt. The world, as seen by the animal, when it decides to create a home or to find an existing home in nature is, of course, different than that of the human. This, however, emphasises the differentiation only in the way a home is created, but not the distinction in the hierarchy and superiority of human production. Uexküll invites people to imagine the inhabitants (a fox, an owl, a squirrel) of an oak tree; they use the tree as their physical dwelling, a home. Humans, however, generally see such a tree only as a simple tree or a source of wood. These animals occupy the oak according to their needs (the owl is in the trunk, the fox burrows between the roots and the squirrel uses it as a ladder to climb from one branch to another). Uexküll does not contemplate what kind of cognitive production animals apply to these actions; he concludes that human understanding of animals’ physical dwellings is completely different from that of animals (1957). The question is whether an individual animal’s occupation of the physical space, for example, a tree, a trunk, a burrow or a beaver’s dam, is intentional, cognizant or the animal only adapts it according to its instinctive behaviour. Moreover, does every animal build its own dwelling space, although it may seem to be one or the same space at first glance? Uexküll believes that “The same tree, thus, figures quite differently within the respective Umwelten of its diverse inhabitants” (taken from Ingold 2000: 177; Uexküll 1957: 76-9). He understands Umwelt as: “Perceptual and effector worlds together form a closed unit.” (Uexküll, 1957: 6). However, whether this is an intentional, cognizant choice or merely adaptation is the question that cognitive ethology aims to answer. Cognitive ethology sees the animal as a largely cognizant being, a subject whose key activeness consists of “perceiving and acting”. Uexküll believes that cognitive activity is not char­acteristic of animals, which is still a very much anthropocentric point of view. Although Lotman and Uexküll are both representatives of semiotics or zoo-semiotics, they strived to understand animals’ activeness. Lotman nevertheless thought that the behaviour of someanimals was programmed whileothers mighthavedevelopedbehaviours thatcould resemble the language of folklore. 
Iseetheprincipalandformestillinexplicabledifferencebetweentheliving being for which the important moments of life are preprogrammed, and humans whose behaviour may include unexpected actions, and for whom those inherently non-preprogrammed types of behaviour cover an ever larger part of life and gradually become the man. This is quite amazing, come to think of it. (Lotman 1990: 15-16) 
His most surprising conclusion, however, is that “evidently, man, when he appeared, resembled a mad animal, and I suppose that was the reason why this relatively weak creature could survive and kill much bigger animals. They did not predict his behaviour.” 

(Lotman 1990: 15-16, 19). This may be true, if we base our assumptions on human dom­inance over other living creatures. Lotman moves entirely within speech and cognition, believing that zoo-semiotics is a part of linguistics only, which takes us again into the areaof binary division. Animals, bethey mammals or other, willnever beableto develop speech in the sense human beings have done. And why should they? They have their own 
ways of communicating and their own ways of understanding and forming the world. 
Animals do not care about humans as long as we let them live and develop according to their own laws of nature, do not disrupt their lives and do not push them out of the world weaggressively wanttoenter.Thestructures of theanimalworldarehighly complicated, and we cannot claim to understand them, but we can acknowledge them. (cf. Lotman 1995). Lotman also enters the so-called “fallacy of dualism”. 
Does the animal possess abilities of crafts, creativity, and skill? If so, are these abilities within the domain of culture or nature? Like others, Ingold speaks of skills typical for people and for animals, for example, a person’sskill to create a wicker basket and the skill a bird uses to make a nest. However, again, he believes that the bird already possesses this skillwhilethepersonhas had to learn it(Ingold2000)1 Is the nest-making skill innate or does the bird learn it from its parents and later develops its own innovative building techniques? It does not seem right to accept inertia as the only drive to build a nest. The bird needs to find material, appropriate space, and then create a sturdy nest. Building a nest requirescognitive processes. Unfortunately, Ingold emphasiseshuman creativity that is cognitively driven. He is ambivalent and uncertain about animal creativity. However, it seems that animal constructions may be seen as a type of architecture, birds’ nests, for example,whichreflectinventiveness anddesignfunctionality.Therefore, itis safetosay that we can consider the construction of animal dwellings created by animals themselves as the start of cognitive process and aesthetics (e.g., fish mandalas, birds’ nests) and not only as functionality. Ingold is not entirely consistent; even though he talks about an ontological equivalence of people and animals, he believes only humans have the unique tool in the form of language, something he calls “skills of skills” (1998/2000: 361), which allows us to apply our reason innovatively and to plan production and work processes. This belief, however, puts the human being above the animal once again, and Ingold’s viewpoint turns back towards anthropocentrism. He reflects on some types of animal architecture,2 on the fact that animals have certain skills, maybe even artistic ability, when building their dwellings. He believes that every animal can have the skill to build its dwelling. His examples include the shell, the beaver’s dwelling and a human house. He sees them on a scale: the shell ranks the lowest, the beaver is a bit higher, while the human house is at the top: 
1 Montaigne believed that animals are better at certain things than humans are: when in danger, oxen, pigs and other creatures form groups. Schools of tuna have been known to form perfect squares, so they understand geometry and arithmetic. A kingfisher can build a structure out of bones that serves both as its nest and as a boat, so the bird can test it on the shore before setting off to sea (Montaigne 1580, taken from Bakewell 2014: 118-123). 
2 This expression was first used by ethologist Karl von Frisch (1974). 

The shell, it is said, ‘just grows’ – there is nothing the mollusc can or need do about it. The beaver, by contrast, works hard to put its lodge together: thelodgeis a product of thebeaver’s ‘beavering’, of its activity. Likewise, the house is a product of the activities of its human builders. In their re­spective forms, and levels of complexity, they need not be that different. 
Should we, then, conclude that the lodge is beaver-made just as much as 
the house is man-made? (Ingold 2000: 174-175) 
Cognitive ethologist Donald Griffin proved that the beaver can be very innovative 
when building its home: 
Captive beavers have modified their customary patterns of lodges – and dam-building behaviour by piling material around a vertical pole at the top 
of which was located food that they could not otherwise reach. They are also 
very ingenious at plunging water leaks, sometimes cutting pieces of wood to fit a particular hole through which water is escaping. (Griffin 2001: 1) 
Griffin further observed that animals are aware of themselves and the surrounding world, “the animal’s own body and its own actions must fall within the scope of its perceptual consciousness,” (Griffin 2001: 274). Ingold wrote that the genetic determin­ism of animal organisms, which may be innate to animals and consequently animals should always react and build their homes in the same manner, is “the great delusions of modern biology” and the beaver can only enter the “development process” (Ingold 2000: 186). Still, he was not entirely certain of human and animal equality when discussing the process of human and animal architecture. In his opinion, there is on­tological equivalence, but not in the thought process, planning and innovativeness of 
the building activity. He believes that the latter is only characteristic of the human as 
the animal is not capable of being innovative predominantly due to being non-verbal andincapableofcognitiveplanning.Fromtheperspectiveofcriticalanimalism,Ingold stops halfway. Ontological equality does not suffice – there should be true equality in every way. Difference is possible only because of the difference of species, but there is none on the cognitive level. Ramirez Baretto does not stop at ontological equality; 
she believes that: 
[…] for ontology to be viable it must be in composition with ecological anthrozoology and with the “poetic of dwelling” we hear from different agents (some of them are human), in different contexts. Ontology as a revelation of existence from an isolated subjectivity elevated to a pure and universal form is, in my view, a dull metaphysical delusion. (Ramirez Baretto 2009: 103) 
Steven Best, representative of critical animal studies, also points out: Complex form of intelligence rum broad and deep throughout the world of animals. Birds, for instance, have complex memories and abilities to map vast spaces (the speciesist slander ‘bird brain? Could not be more spurious) and somebird species usetools and exhibitproblem-solving skills as well… some of the whales, dolphins and gorillas, chimpanzees have significant rational and linguistic abilities. (Best 2009: 17) 

Animals arealsocapableof self-awareness and self-identity.Furthermore,hebelieves that animals can develop culture: 
Their world [i.e., great apes] is governed not only by instincts and chem­icals, but also through rules and norms. Like us, they live in a culture of shared communication and learning that is passed down from generation to generation. The intelligence of primates is not innate and fixed, but rather, like ours, an important part is socially constructed in the context of culture and technological innovation. (Best 2009: 18) 
Steven Best quite rightly goes against a binary and hierarchical structure of the world that puts the human at the first place: 
But humans are not unique in their possession of a neocortex; of complex emotions like love, loneliness, empathy, and shame; of sophisticated languages, behaviors, and communities; and even of aesthetic and moral 
sensibilities. Human beings stand out in the degree to which they have 
developed capacities and potential for reason, language, consciousness, aesthetic, ethics, culture, and technology far beyond chimpanzees and other animals. (Best 2009: 22) 
Given these words, denying the animals’ ability to plan and to apply cognitive processes when building their homes is a distinct fallacy. Both people and animals are 
builders and dwellers. Therefore, if we create the world, we build it, and so we both 
make part of not only nature but also of culture. However, how can we understand the 
inner world of animals? Does the animal inhabit the world only without changing it? 
This outlook is highly anthropocentric: the animal does not just appear in the world and then disappears when it dies. 
On the contrary, it changes its own world and that of the people within it – it creates its own reality. Just looking at a dog that is shown its bed, we can see that the dog will change it, if only just a little. So, the animal is not only “here”; it fills up “the here” with its attitude. Consequently, it is not only part of nature, it can also have its own culture and forms its own world in its own way, differently from the way a human would. Therefore the poetics of the world is not only the poetics of the human world but also that of nature, animals and plants. 

MODELS OF VIEWPOINTS ON ANIMALS AND THEIR DWELLING FROM LITERATURE AND FOLKLORE 
1. 
Anthropocentricmodel:human superiority + religion + speciesism+ empathy = ethical anthropocentrism.Thehumanbeinginthis modelis awareofhimselfandis cognitive (i.e., has agency), while the animal lacks awareness and is cognitively inferior to the human (i.e., lacks agency). Fran Erjavec belongs to this group. 

2. 
Anthropomorphic model: negative or positive/critical anthropomorphism of animals, whicheithertransfers human characteristics intotheanimalworldorpresents itselfas the ability to empathise with animals and acknowledge their value and characteristics, or as the inability to recognise the true essence of the animal. A representative of this model is Richard Adams, who establishes critical anthropomorphism and partial 


eco-criticism. 
3. Eco-zoocentric model: self-aware and cognitive humans (human agency) and animals as persons, they are self-aware, cognitively different from humans but, nevertheless, their equals. Iztok Geister partly belongs to this group, while Jure Detela is fully representative of this model. 
We will present three different literary thematisations of animal dwelling and physical dwellings from the anthropocentric, anthropomorphic, and zoocentric points of view. These three examples will be treated as cases that show the change in the human attitude to animal dwelling and will present the production of animal dwellings as dealt with in the zoo-literature of the 19th century, in fiction novel as the fantasy of anthropomorphic animals and in the so-called eco-literature. We aim to utilise the new readings of these works topresenttherealities of animaldwellinginthemodernworld in azoopoeticway. All three outlooks point to different possibilities of either co-existence or the impossibility of co-existence of animals and humans. They may even reflect the domination of one species over the other in the framework of animal dwellings, their production and then in the way animal dwellings are deserted, lost, gained and inhabited again. 
THE ANTHROPOCENTRIC MODEL AND SPECIESISM 
What is anthropocentrism? “Anthropocentrism refers to a form of human centredness that places humans not only at the centre of everything but makes ‘us’ the most important measure of all things” (Fiona Probyn-Rapsey 2018: 47). “Anthropocentrism is a model, a concept, a view that places the human being in the decision-making position, at the top of the pyramid where the most important parts of nature are gathered, while the value 
of those below diminishes gradually on the way to the bottom. The area of morality is 
limited to the human community, only human interests and needs are of any importance, and on the surface anything is acceptable” (Sruk 1999: 35). Other beings do not possess inherent value. Anthropocentrism is a model that puts the human in the centre of its viewpoint, concept and discourse and cares only about human interests. Animals are mere objects or a commodity (Grušovnik 2016: 62-64). Animal studies differ between inevitable and arrogant anthropocentrism. 

Inevitable anthropocentrism is related to the fact that one is human, with human perspectives that do not negate the possibility that we can also learn to appreciate and understand the perspectives of others. Our “locatedness”, as she calls it, should not preclude an openness to others. If it does, then we have settled into a form of arrogant anthropocentrism that allows us to resign from the problem or claim some superhuman detachment from it. (Gruen 2015: 24). 
Anthropocentrismis also called anthroparchy, and human domination (Cudworth 2008: 34). These definitions derive from animal studies and not from critical animal studies. The latter rejects anthropocentrism entirely. Belcourt argues that anthropocentrism is connected to other axes of oppression and that it functions as the “anchor of speciesism, capitalism and settler colonialism” offering “a decolonial ethic that accounts for animal bodies as resurgent bodies” (2015: 3-4). Gary Steiner, who has authored works of critical animal studies, says: 
The key to overcoming anthropocentric prejudice towards animals (and 
perhaps other beings) is to cultivate a sense of kinship with them as fellow 
members of the Earth’s community of life, a community in which each 
animal, like each human being, is the teleological centre of life striving to 
realise its own good in its unique way. (Steiner 2008: 141) 
He continues: “Once we recognise that animals are in all essential respect identical with us and that the difference lies merely in the degree of intelligence, we will acknowledge that we owe to the animal not mercy but justice.” (Steiner 2008: 142). Speciesism is sim­ilarly discriminatory; it discriminates based on species (Ryder 2011, Dunayer 2009). This discrimination is determined by hierarchy; the human is at the top, and all other species are subordinate. Therefore, we could say that anthropocentrism and speciesism are closely related. Consequently, Bekoff, for example, believes that today the use of the word “species” is problematic. Instead, individuals within a species should be referred to as we cannot define the behaviour of one individual as a model for its entire species (Bekoff 2008: 151). 
From this, we can conclude that the anthropocentric model puts the human being at the top of the pyramid, which can be applied to animal dwelling and production of homes throughout the literary discourse. 
One noted anthropocentric writer was Fran Erjavec. In addition to placing the human being in the central position, he leaned into Christian theology, which considers the human being the ruler of the world, the only being to possess a soul and verbal abilities. Erjavec was a writer and a zoologist. He worked in the period from the mid-1800s to the end of the 19th century. In a way, he created a two-way connection between zoology and literature, so we could say that his work combines science and literature. His best-known work is Domace in tuje živali v podabah (Domestic and Foreign Animals in Pictures, 1868-1873). The book describes in detail various animals that are defined based on their species. Erjavec connected literature and environmental writing and presented many different animals and their homes. His view of animals was anthropocentric; for him, the human is the master of the universe. However, he includes the empathic principle by which man is not allowed to torture animals. He used two concepts: the synanthropic view, which treats animals as harmful, and the anthropophilic view, which regards animals as useful (e.g., Viskovic 1996). The book includes quotations of folk songs, proverbs and peoples’ beliefs about individual animals. His way of telling stories about animals 

and their homes resembles fables. He still distinguishes between nature and culture, and he sees animal buildings and skills only as instinctive acts. In the introduction, he talks 
about human superiority, the soul, which places the human above animals, and about his verbal and cognitive abilities (Erjavec 1995:10). Nevertheless, he emphasises empathy that derives from marked anthropocentrism: 
The human is master on earth. God Himself gave him the ownership of animals to preside over them. But the human should be a merciful and righteous master if he wants to please the Lord, who is love and goodness personified.Themanmustnotforcetheanimaltodotheworkheis ableto do;heshouldnotoverburdentheanimalandshouldnotbeatitmercilessly. God allows the man to killor slaughter livestock needed for food, clothing and other things. He is allowed to kill and hunt animals that present danger 
to him and his domestic animals or cause damage in general. He can kill 
all such animals – but torture he must not. (Erjavec 1995: 11) 
In addition to his zoological observations of animals, Erjavec quotes Slovenian folk songs that describe individual animal species. He uses them to support his arguments and make them less scientific and readily understood. By applying fable and narrative literary styles, he combines allegoric anthropomorphism with anthropocentric viewpoints on animals (e.g., when he describes a cat fighting other cats, he adds to the description of a night-time fight a quote from a folk song that humanises the cat: “Prišel je domu ves zaspan / ko mežnar odzvonil je dan” (He came home half asleep/when the sexton rang the start of the day, Erjavec 1995: 41). 
His description of birds is also anthropocentric and anthropomorphic: 
The Slovenian man liked to concern himself with birds, and so his songs 
are as picturesque as a green meadow. The birds share his joy and sorrow. 
It seems to him that the bird can understand him and he, in turn, seeks to understand its singing. He believes that the bird comforts him in his grief, 
at other times, it encourages him to work, and then again it mocks his effort. He transfers much of the bird’s singing into his own speech. When in spring, for example, he hears a nightingale sing high above him, it appears to him as if the bird is calling him to work saying: ‘work, work, work, plough, plough, plough, sow, sow, throw, throw!’ (Erjavec 1995: 283) 

Birds are, according to Erjavec, man’s friends, and he uses anthropomorphism in describing their dwelling. He states that freedom is the most important for every bird, and if you cage her/him you take her/him half of hers/his life away. To support that he quotes a stanza of a folk song: 
Ptica se brani službe [The bird does not want to work] 
Necem, necem, mlada gospa, k tebi, ti bi mene v beli grad zaprla. Raj odletim si jaz v log zeleni, se nazobljem lepe frišne vode, no zapojem z moje drage volje. 
No, no I will not go to you, young lady, 
You will shut me inside a white castle. 
I prefer to fly away to green meadows 
To drink beautiful freshwater 
And sing to my heart’s delight. (Erjavec 1995: 286; Štrekelj 1989, 951 Cerovec, redaction II, p. 789) 
When he describes nesting, Erjavec the zoologist does not acknowledge the bird’s nest-building skill; he believes this skill does not derive from a cultural heritage: it is 
merely instinctive. 
Every bird makes its nest in its own way, some more and some less artfully. 
Nesting is innate to the bird. Instinct, which we cannot explain, drives it to make a nest just like its mother did and all the predecessors of its species. 
We must not assume that it is taught the skill by the old generation. As the 
young birds start nesting, the old ones have long stopped caring for them. Those birds that nest only once a year would never see their parents make the nest for when they were little in the nest; all they cared for was food and not the nest. (Erjavec 1995: 286) 
However, in the 19th century, scientific findings were based on the viewpoint of hu­man superiority. Erjavec does not acknowledge any cognitive activity; he thought that it was impossible for the birds’ parents to teach their young. Today, we understand that these activities are connected to thought patterns and do not reflect genetic heritage only. For example, Yi-Fu Tuan wrote: “Weaverbirds are capable of having experience, which means that not all the details of their performance are controlled by heredity” (1977: 77). 
Erjavec presents his view on birds while at the same time he is instructive: 
Having heard of the benefits of birds so far, a wise person does not need our recommendation, nor endorsement of birds. So, let me just briefly explain here how best to attract these little workers into your gardens and 

woods. Your land should be a welcoming shelter where birds must not be 
disturbed and chased away. Children, especially shepherds, are to be strictly forbidden to search for nests, to destroy them or take eggs or fledgelings 
from them. In autumn as well, young birds must not be hunted and owls 
and buzzards must not be shot. If your neighbours will do the same, you will soon see the benefits of such husbandry. (Erjavec 1995: 294) 
In addition to being well aware of the benefits, Erjavec advocates good care of birds: 
There are other ways you can attract birds into your garden. Make sure 
they have suitable places to nest, use hollow branches or wood pieces to make bird houses and nail or hang them into the bushy treetops. You will see how happy the birds will be and how quickly they will settle in them. Little birds, like the tit for example, really like the houses some 7 inches long and 3 inches wide; a round hole that the bird uses to go in and out should be an inch wide, and a stick should be placed in front of it so the 
birds can sit on it. It is good to cover the little house in moss. Starlings like 
bigger houses, up to two feet high and the hole must be two inches wide. In Germany, you will find several bigger and several smaller bird houses 
in every garden and that is why the trees there are clean and healthy and 
the garden is very profitable for the owner. (Erjavec 1995: 294) 
He writes that he chooses holes inside trees or in walls and in church towers for starlings. 
The bird is very grateful for a box nailed up to a tree or under a roof. In the selected hole 
it accumulates dry grass, feathers, hairs or anything warm and soft for its nest. Each bird 
can build its nest in its special way. From the perspective of zoology, he describes in detail the homes of individual animal species, sometimes he objectivises an animal completely or tries to endear it to the reader by using the so-called negative anthropomorphism, which presents the animal as the human’s shadow; he also uses the same expressions as for the human dwellings, e.g., the rabbit’s (1995: 116) or the badger’s dwelling: 
Its abode is truly something. A rather spacious bedroom is a fathom, sometimes even two fathoms deep underground with several 5-6 fathoms long, well-made tunnels leading to it from different directions […] As the home is completed, it gathers leaves, moss and grass for a soft bed. (Erjavec 1995: 198) 
He states that animal behaviour and building homes derive from instincts and not 
awareness. He also emphasises the art of nest-building. In short, he acknowledges that some birds apply skill and artfulness when building their nests. When he depicts animal homes and their dwellings, he represents their homes and animal architecture, creativity 
and skills very clearly. 

Erjavec is a representative of anthropocentrism. His descriptions of animals and observations of animal dwellings and homes express a viewpointthat draws a sharp dis­tinction between the animal and the human being and also between nature and culture. For him, the animals’ building skills are nothing more than instinct, which he determines from the viewpoint of speciesism. 
ANTHROPOMORPHISM AND ATTEMPT OF LITERARY THEMATISATION OF ANIMAL COMMUNITY 
Anthropomorphism is a model or a point of view that ascribes human characteristics to animals, often unwarrantedly. In contrast, a complete rejection of anthropomorphism 
can be, according to some researchers, an exaggeration as they do not acknowledge any 
human traits in animals, which leads to the non-personification of animals, denying that 
animals have any cognitive abilities or other characteristics. This view seems to refuse 
any understanding of animal behaviour, as it is impossible to comprehend the animal other than from our human perspective (Grušovnik 2016: 69-82). Leesa Fawcett believes that: “Anthropomorphism is a necessary means we employ to make sense of and relate to other species’ experience because we still have no real knowledge of animal cognition. We must rely on our imaginations to make this link” (1989: 14). Her anthropomorphism is rather a kind of personalism. She says that “Humans are continuous with nature and not [its] most important member[s]” (Fawcet 1989: 15). Juliet Clutton-Brock also does not object to anthropomorphism, which has become a comprehensive area of ethologic research. “Anthropomorphism does not necessarily disrupt scientific observation but can support the continuity between humans and animals” (2005: 958). She also says, “Treating [animals] as individuals can have a dramatic effect on attitudes to animal con­servation, and one can only gain understanding of the animal as an individual through 
anthropomorphism” (Clutton-Brock 2005: 958). However, many researchers disagree with the anthropomorphic viewpoint, believing it neglects true characteristics and needs of animals and thatitmerely applies human traits to animals, which fails to acknowledge animals’ subjectivity. Mitchell, for example, believes that anthropomorphisation is a mistake or even a scientific error and considers it as dangerous to animals as violence against animals. “But we have a practical problem in regards to the opposite movement (the anthropomorphisation of non-anthropomorphically designed animals), which is equally seen as an epistemological error and an ethical and political danger (Mitchell et al.: 1997). Ramirez Baretto agrees with him: 
[the] error of anthropomorphism is the presumption inherent in attributing human attributesto animals. In so doing, we deprive animals of their own subjectivity and impose what Rosi Bradiotti describes as ‘an asymmetric relation to animals’ that is framed by power relations biased in favour of humanaccess to thebodies ofanimalothers.(RamirezBaretto2009:526-32) 

Steven Best is open to anthropomorphism. In 2009, he talked about cognitive ethology and acknowledged its value mostly on the basis of research into animals’ complexities (Best 2009: 15). He admits that anthropomorphism has value only when it comes to “critical anthropomorphism” as defined by Griffin in his two books Animal Thinking and Animal Minds. Best says, 
But anthropomorphismneed notbe ascientificsin. Clearly, wedon’twant to project onto animals characteristics they don’t have. But thereare core commonalities between nonhuman and human animals, what Griffin calls ‘critical anthropomorphism’, is our best access to understanding animals, and ‘objective detachment’ will block insight every time. (Best 2009: 17) 
However, in 2014, Best changed his view completely. He sharply criticises anthropo­morphism and equates it to speciesism (Best 2014: 97, 99, 154). Rosi Bradiotti, in contrast, criticises both anthropomorphism and the metaphorisation of animals in literature, saying: 
The old metaphoric dimension has been overridden by a new mode of re­lation. Animals are no longer the signifying system that props up human’s self-projections and moral aspirations. Nor are they keepers of the gates between species. They have rather, started to be approached literally, as entities framed by codes systems of their own […] The metaphoric dimension of the human interaction with others is replaced by a literal approach based on the biovitalist immanence of life. The animal can no longer be metaphor-ised as other but needs to be taken on its own terms. (Bradiotti 2009: 528) 
Monica Libell is concerned with the question of anthropomorphism, which she aims to rehabilitate. She looks at the positive side of the anthropomorphicview of animals. “We anthropomorphise in order to predict, understand, and control our environment (Libell 2014: 149; cf. Lorraine Daston 2005; Clinton Sanders 2008). 
Lockwood mostly concentrated on anthropomorphism found in the literature. He defined five types of anthropomorphism, which can be used in animal perception in lit­erature, predominantly in fables. The first type is allegoric anthropomorphism, in which the story or the message is either more or less hidden or likeable. Lockwood, for example, mentions two modern fables, Watership Down (1972) by Richard Adams and Animal Farm (1945) by George Orwell. The fifth type is applied anthropomorphism, where we can apply our own experience in order to understand the other, understand what it means to be a member of another species (Lockwood 1989: 41-56). 
Anthropomorphism should be of service to animals, and if so, it should be accepted. However, it should be looking at an animal as an individuum with interests and not ap­plying human interests on themor putting human interests beforetheirs. Weshould open another question about animal communication, to describe and understand animal sounds and postures; if we could decodethat, it would be a break-through in our understanding of animals as persons and a step towards embracing them in the social community. 

I think anthropomorphism can be used in literature, especially in those stories in which animals are depicted as living creatures with their social and cultural system, but are very realistic and not allegoric. Thus, we can either negate anthropomorphism or apply it by “becoming the animal” or by an understanding of what it means to be a bat, for example, even if only to a small extent. Therefore, it is all the same whether anthropomorphism is an error or an aide in the understanding of our animal brothers and sisters. 
Richard Adams’s Watership Down(1972) includes both types of anthropomorphism, as suggested by Lockwood. We could also read this work as an attempt to understand animal individuals within a fictional story, the same way Namma Harel suggests we should look at fables. She believes fables do not marginalise nonhuman animals; some describe authentic animal behaviour and provide a critical look at human conduct and relationship to other animals. Consequently, she suggests a non-allegoric, literary reading of fables (Harel 2009: 9-21). 
In Watership Down, Adams writes about a group of rabbits who have to leave their home, which is about to be destroyed. Unsurprisingly, thedestruction of their home comes at the hands of humans. The rabbits set off to find a new home in their native Hampshire (England), which they do at Watership Down – a real place, where the author spent his childhood. Here we have so-called speaking animals; we can observe animals’ social and political structure and culture that is expressed in anthropomorphic or personified manner. Anthropomorphisation can be quite damaging when it thematises a false reality or injects human traits into the animal world. 
Nevertheless, anthropomorphisation can be positive. Leesa Fawcett believes, “An­thropomorphism is a way for life (humans) to know life (nonhumans)” (Fawcet 1989: 19). However, is this not still domination? Can we not see animals as animals but only as a reflection of humans? It is true, though, that we cannot entirely grasp the cognitive dimensions of an individual animal, so the anthropomorphism and personalisation of animals help us understand their lives and dwelling, which this book proves. It borrows from the existing scientific research to show the organisation of a group of rabbits and adds anthropomorphisation, which allows the reader to understand the rabbits’ world from the human perspective as it is impossible for us to comprehend it in any other manner. 
Furthermore, it describes the rabbits’ homes, the making of homes and the organisation of their dwelling that is intentional and produces innovations that do not have merely instinctive patterns. It enables us to understand that animals do have their own culture. At this point, it should be said that not every case of anthropomorphisation is negative, especially when it presents animals as realistic creatures whose homes are endangered by people and their interests. Adams certainly uses critical anthropomorphism; his ani­mals are aware that only the human being can be a threat, ruin their homes or even kill them. However, how does Adams make his story so believable, even though it is fiction? His description of the rabbits and their homes follows existing scientific observations.3 
Erjavec also wrote about rabbits’ dwellings. “Wild rabbits prefer to live on sandy hills, craggy rocks overgrown with bushes and other herbs. Every burrow is inhabited by a pair that does not tolerate any other animal. During the day they sit in their holes and at night they graze outside, but they never stray too far from their burrow.” (Erjavec 1995: 116). 

He draws from the research of Ronald Lockley, a biologist and ornithologist, who created an artificial rabbit burrow covered with a glass roof and observed the lives of rabbits for four years. Lockley described his findings in his book The Private Life of the Rabbit, 1964, which Adams read and later included its findings in his work. 
I think we can understand Watership Down and rabbits in the environment hidden 
to us if we use a system of “putting somebody in their place” –, and with this, we could achieve an ecocentric attitude with a consideration that all life is equal and connected. So, animals in such stories will not be considered as only imagined personalities but real 
animals with needs and interests, without a hegemonic attitude of humans regarding the destruction of their homes. Watership Down could be an allegory, but it can also be a book 
about rabbit homes, how they built their homes, and I think rabbits are more personified than anthropomorphised. 
In a book, wild rabbits can have their social structure, folklore, and culture, and the 
production of their homes shows intention and innovativeness. Looking at the story from the positive point of view, it strives to present the life and dwelling of the rabbit 
society so that we can have a so-called vision and knowledge of animals that originally 
feels alien, unknown. Therefore,we could say that in addition to applied and allegorical anthropomorphism, Adams also draws on the so-called constructive anthropomorphism (Bruni, 2018), or, according to Bekoff, “biocentric anthropomorphism” (2000), which means that a fictional story could even become possible. 
Adams’s descriptions of rabbit dwelling and the rabbits’ homes, aswe can see below, might be called realistic anthropomorphism: 
The holes certainly were rough – ‘Just right for a lot of vagabonds like us,’ said bigwig – but the exhausted and those who wander in the strange country are not particular about quarters. At least there was a room for twelve rabbits and the burrows were dry. Two of the runs – the ones among the thorn trees – led straight down to burrows scooped out of the top of the chalk subsoil. Rabbits do not line their sleeping-places and a hard, almost rocky floor is uncomfortable for those not accustomed to it. The holes in the bank, however, had runs of the usual bow-shape, leading down to the chalk and then curving up again to burrows with floors of trampled earth. There were no connecting passages, but the rabbits were too weary to care. They slept four to a burrow, snug and secure […]. (Adams 1972: 137) 
The rabbits have names and a hierarchical social structure in which female rabbits are subordinate. The rabbits also have their own folklore. Adams also includes folklore 
quotes from English folk ballads. For example, he takes themotto of Chapter 9 The Crow and TheBeanfield fromtheballad TheTwo Crows:“You willsiton his whiteneck-bone, And I’ll peck out his pretty blue eyes.” (Adams 1972: 50). 
The value of Adams’s novel is in having the possibility to identify with animals and to understand them better. Adams also criticises anthropocentrism by condemning the destruction of rabbit homes; the human being destroys everything he encounters without concern for animals and their homes. Adams quite explicitly presents rabbits’ behaviour and placesthe human asthe rabbits’ main adversary. He expresseshis ecocentric position 

through the words of Holly, a female rabbit: 
There’s terrible evil in the world. It comes from men” said Holly […] “All 
others ellil do what they have to do and Firth moves them as he moves 
us. They live on earth and they need food. Men will never rest till they’ve 
spoiled the earth and destroyed the animals […]. (Adams 1972: 159) 
A description of people in chapter 27 is not very pretty either: 
Animals don’t behave like men,” he said [Strawberry]. “If they have to fight, they fight; and if they have to kill they kill. But they don’t sit down and set their wits to work to devise ways of spoiling other creatures’ lives and hurting them. They have dignity and animality. (Adams 1972: 245) 
Eco-critic Lawrence Buell believes that rabbits that speak, rabbit sociology, culture, tradition, mythology and folklore included in Adams’s book constitute eco-criticism (Buell 2014). Adams does not place rabbits below human beings, so his work can be eco-critical. Rabbits are not metaphors for or symbols of humanity, although some believe they are an allegory. Adams’s writing may be fiction, but it is based on reality. Anthropomorphisation, in its true sense, is not an appropriate model for this book. It seems that the rabbits are autonomous in their actions, have agency, and they experi­ence the world in their own way and not in the way people do. Perhaps this book is about personification; the author attempts to de-objectivise the rabbits and portray them as individuals, animal persons instead. Rabbits’ emotions, experiences of the world, descriptions of their imagination and cognitive abilities and planning skills all reflect the ecocentric viewpoint of the animal world. Adams acknowledges all these abilities, although it sometimes seems that hestilldraws from his own human experience. There­fore, wecould callthis viewpointfiction cognitiveethology combined with thecriticism of human attitude to one of the animal species. The act of dwelling and the physical dwellings of rabbits in Adams’s work are the result of intentional activities; the rabbits not only dwell in this world but also change their world, living their lives according to their own rules. Their dwellings are not merely rabbit warren burrows: they are their homes, where they live their rabbit lives. 
ZOOCENTRISM, ZOOPOETICS, AND ECO/POETICS OR RESPECT OF OTHERS AND KNOWLEDGE OF ITS INHERENT VALUE 
Eco-bio-zoocentrism focuses on the animal (and all living beings, including plants, i.e., nature in general). Animals within zoocentrism have intrinsic value, are appreciated 
for themselves as living beings and not for being seen as an object of human interest 

(Grušovnik 2016: 63). Zoocentrism could be extended to includethe question of animal dwelling and physicaldwellings, where their cognitiveabilities and intentionalproduction of homes is not negated. In contrast, human superiority and dominance are removed, and 
animals are not marginalised as inferior beings. 
Nevertheless, the question of the hegemony of human interests over those of the animal continues to arise when discussing animal production of homes and their cultural patterns, which leads to the destruction of their homes: 
Human interests, even those considered most trivial or superfluous, go before the interests of other animals in keeping their lives and environment; this, of course, depending on the legal, social and economic taxonomies established by humans who act with or against those animals. (Kim 2007; Ramirez Barreto 2002) 
Human interests destroy animal dwellings, are aggressive towards the animal and are based on the so-called “natural differentiation” between animals and people. They legitimise violence and animal abuse. (Wolh and Emel 1998; Johnston 2008; Ramirez Barreto 2009: 86) 
Consequently, it is literature that enables us to understand animal cultural patterns and their so-called poetic dwelling. We might learn about animal productivity, for instance, the birds’ singing that a poet can reproduce or at least place it in the context of poetry. We may discover the poetry of dwelling when we observe a fish that is creating mandalas in the ocean, not because of instinct or to breed or similar instinctive act but merely as a tool of expression. The understanding we thus gain allows us to become aware not only of the ontological status of the animal but also of the truly creative cognitive process of animal dwelling culture. 
Zoopoetics was developed by Aaron Moe, who based it in the concepts of ecopoetics of Johnathan Bate. Although Moe originally belonged to eco-criticism, he moved on from it, as he says, “zoopoetics provides a theoretical focus to explore what poem does 
– as a verb – to our understanding of and relationship with nonhuman animals” (Moe 2012: 28). Moe developed zoopoetics by observing how individual poets use poetry to form zoopoesis, such as animal sounds in poetry or the presence of animals as persons in poetry. In the work Poetry, Thought, Language (1971), Heidegger develops a hypoth­esis on “interdependency between poetry and dwelling: ‘poetry and dwelling belong to one another … for poetry, as the authentic gauging of the dimension of dwelling, is the primal form of building.’” (as cited in Moe 2012: 29). However, Heidegger believes that poetic dwelling or dwelling through poetry is only a human capacity, which is a purely anthropocentric view that Moe disagrees with. When looking at animals, both in life and 
in literature, we cannot overlook the fact that animals have agency, which in itself is not 
merely instinctive but means activity that includes complete engagement, different from that of the human but still complex. Therefore, we agree with Moe that “nonhuman animals also dwell on the earth, engaging imaginatively with their own kind, with other species, with the environment, and with the human other.” (Moe 2012: 29). According to Moe, looking at the bat as an animal that merely flies through space merely sensing it, without changing it, is characteristic of speciesism. Consequently, eco- or zoopoetics may show that that animals also develop a sense of space they populate and “nonhuman animals dwell imaginatively, rhetorically, and culturally on earth.” (Moe 2012: 30). Poetry and literature developed by the human can also reveal how animals understand and cultivate their living space, home production and dwelling. 

RamirezBarretobelieves thattheexisting binary understanding of natureandculture, 
which sees the latter as a human characteristic only, should be refuted entirely: 
I would like to reject an illusion considering the animal as determined, 
mechanical, instinctive and limited to mere corporeality (ontogenetic constitution), or as an evolutionary past that has been left behind with the acquisition of tools and language (phylogenetic condition), looking upon humanity as purifying and distancing its own human spaces, without animals (social, cultural and historical constitution). (Ramirez Barreto 2009: 84) 
How can human literature allow us to perceive animal subjects and their physical dwellings? How can we even see and recognise them, comprehend their value regardless of our interests? Perhaps we can find the answers to all these questions in the poetry of several poets, for example, Jure Detela, and also in the zoopoetics of Iztok Geister’s work Narava kot jo vidi narava [Nature as Seen by Nature, 2010], which we have chosen for its zoopoetic descriptions of animal dwellings. The descriptions of animal habitats Geister speaks about in his ecological-poetic essay can be determined as zoopoetics as its thematisation of animals in literature and not for the “animal poesis” as defined by Aaron Moe when he researched the poetry of Cummings (cf. Moe 2013) and others. The contents of the essays speak about the way humans affect their dominance over animals and nature. This also refers to ecopoesis, which allows us to see nature, plants and animals as individual subjects with their habitat, the place where they dwell, build their own cultural and social systems and cry their silent screams when they lose their homes as their world collides with human dominance. 
Geister speaks about different types of dwellings: 
1. 
those made and inhabited by animals only, 

2. 
those set up by people – cohabitation or destruction: positive and negative anthropocentrism. 


Geister, the ecologist, defines the anthropocentric and economic propensities of people in the 19th century and the fact that the ethics of ecology is only slightly over a hundred years old. The Austro-Hungarian legislation, which was also in force in the Slovenian territory, protected nature purely for economic reasons. Christian ethics was the one to advocate mercy. However, in 1877 a song Sinicja tožba [A Tit’s Lament] was first written by Andrej Praprotnik in 1844 and later adapted by Fran Levstik. The poem entered the realmof folk and became an educational song for children (in school only a poem), warning them about the unacceptable destruction of bird nests presented as birds’ dwellings (Geister 2010: 14, cf. Golež Kaucic 2003: 262). 

Stoji ucilna zidana,  There’s a school built up of brick,  
pred njo je stara jablana.  An old apple tree in front of it.  
Ta jablana je votel panj,  The tree’s a hollow stump,  
sinica znosi gnezdo vanj.  A little tit makes a nest inside.  
Sinica zjutraj prileti,  The tit comes in the morning,  
na šolskem oknu obsedi.  On a windowsill it sits,  
Na oknu kljuncek svoj odpre,  And opens now its little beak  
tako prepevati zacne:  It starts to sing its song:  
»Poslušaj me, ucitelj ti!  ‘Oh, listen, teacher to me!  
Kako se pod teboj godi.  Look what happens here.  
Vsi decki tvoji me crte,  All your boys hate me,  
povsod love, povsod pode.  They hunt me. They chase me.  
Zalezli moj so pticji rod,  They searched out my young ones,  
iz gnezda vrgli ga za plot.  And threw them over the fence,  
Mladicki tam pomrli so,  Where all my little babies died,  
oci svetle zaprli so.«  There they shut their eyes so bright.’  
»Grdobe grde paglave,  ‘You wretched rascals, you,  
masti ste vredni leskove.  Worthy of the hazel cane.  
Kdor v gnezdu pticice lovi,  Those who hunt for little birds,  
ta v srcu svojem prida ni.«  Their cold hearts are their bane.’  

Geister presents two parallel habitats, one where animals build their homes and the other where people create their cultural environment where animals can find their dwellings or people destroy the animals’ original dwellings. He calls these parallel habitats wilderness and culture, for example, a rain forest and a commercially exploited forest where the “ethics of cultural strategy in the forest lags behind the natural ethics” (Geister 2010: 19). Thus, he again allows for the binary nature of the natural and the cultural and does not acknowledge animal culture. William Hoppitt and Kevin Laland believe that: 
While the capacity for niche construction is universal to living creatures, 
human niche construction is extraordinarily powerful, in part as a conse­
quence of our culture. Perhaps what is unique about human culture is that, 
through niche construction, cultural transmission has become self-reinforcing, 
with transgenerational culture modifying the environment in a manner than 
favors ever more culture. (Hoppitt and Laland 2013: 158) 

Are ecological niches, natural dwellingsthat animalsoccupy, really lesstrue dwellings than cultural niches produced by people? Geister remains within this binary viewpoint. However, his poetics allows us to understand animals and their homes, which they either occupy or build. Still, in his descriptions, we can observe positive anthropomorphisation, which enables us to understand better animal spaces as true homes. He only makes an exception in his description of reed beds, on the one hand, and the site of fire, on the other, where he presents the reeds as natural dwellings inhabited by various animals: 
We can imagine a singular reed stalk as a skyscraper with various business or residentialniches. Differentlower animals live either on thefaçadeor inside, wheretheyfeed,mate, layeggs,spendtheir earlylives,learn forlifeandlose 
it as well […] Birds that live in reeds make their nests among young reed 
stalks or on the broken wooden stalks. Warblers, birds that have completely adapted to the life in the reed metropolis, have allotted themselves different environmental niches; the Great reed warbler feeds predominantly in the reed flowers, the Eurasian reed warbler among the stalks and Moustached warbler can be found right above the water. (Geister 2010: 69) 
In addition to this description, he talks about the human destruction of animal homes and criticises anthropocentric activities that do not consider other – animal – interests 
but their own: 
In winter the countryside marshes that are overgrown with reed beds are 
traditionally cleared with fire. After the first spring rain, lush green grass will grow on the site of fire. Of course, no one spares even a thought for animals that have lost their lives in the different stages of the fire and for the animals that have become homeless in the middle of winter. (Geister 2010: 70) 
In his descriptions, which are rather essay-like, Geister’s writing is rather zoopo­etic, not from the perspective of animal communication but, in his zooethical attitude to animals, it is reflected in his poetic descriptions of animal dwelling and way of life. This is the poetics of animal and nature combined with ecological findings and distinct anthropocentric attitude to animals and nature. The co-existence of all living beings in an environment is the so-called poetics of space, habitats, and animal homes where animals are visible or invisible, where the human helps to build the homes or destroy them. Geister is aware of nonhuman beings; he does not perceive them as something else or theother. His position is almostcritically animalistic as he criticises the dominant human attitude towards creatures that people share their space with but often prevent animals from dwelling and developing their individual existence in that space. Geister sees birds just as birds and not individual specimens of birds, which makes him more of an ecologist than critical animalist, even though he warns about the human appropriation of nature. He believes that nature, animals and plants should find a mutual agreement 
without human intervention. 

Geister compares natural dwellings with “artificial” ones and discusses the so-called spaceinhabitedbydifferentanimals,eachonewithits view ofits dwelling,andindividual 
usage that suits its needs and although the dwellings look the same, and they just may be given their names. This is how he describes a creek or a gully: 
In the creek: the skunk and the otter find their hiding places among the 
intertwined bare roots of the riverside trees, in the clay walls of the crum­
bled gully, there is the kingfisher, a seemingly virtual being created form an apparition and reality. (Geister 2010: 106) 
According to Geister, a manmade gravel pond, mrtvica, is a “cultural runt” (2010: 124). He compares spontaneously growing vegetation with a park. City parks host numerous animals precisely because they can find dwellings there: 
Not only the hundred-year-old trees, the pruned tree shoots and bushes too 
attract many animal cultural trackers. In addition to bugs and birds, hollow tree 
trunks host rodents and bats and there are quite a few kinds of finches nesting in the forked boughs. Many different birds nest in city parks, as in a kind of a spontaneous forest, which can be ascribed to the combination of various dwelling types; especially in winter the numbers of members of individual species increase, the result of milder urban micro-climate. (Geister 2010: 159) 
Animals, therefore, createtheir own spaceand occupy pre-existing dwellings. Some­times itis their artisticcreativity that allows themto produce unique and innovative homes, but they are also happy to accept and settle in dwellings already prepared for them by the people such as the white stork: 
There are not many places left where storks will nest on trees or rocks. The majority of them settle on houses, electric or telephone utility poles and innesting places prepared specifically for themdueto thestork’s deep symbolic meaning and value for people. (Geister 2010: 229) 
This human charity stems only from specific symbolism traditionally ascribed to the stork. The stork’s interests that are merely for its benefit are not relevant: human interest is. 
Although Geister’s understanding of animal dwelling is decidedly ecocentric and ecoethical, it still lacks personalisation; he does not acknowledge individuals within a species nor ascribe any intrinsic value to an individual living being. For Geister, nature is a homogenous entity in which individual species dwell and share space, sometimes more and sometimes less in harmony. Geister does not allow the animal to be in an equal position with the human; his thoughts are devoted to ecocentrism: letting the animals and nature manage their own status and dwelling. Nature becomes an omnipotent person and 
the human being merely intervenes, destroys dwellings, but with his interventions also, 
rather absurdly, provides them as well. 
CONCLUSION 

As long as the animal is considered to be a possession and human interests prevail over animal interests, their ontological equivalence will be no more than empty philosophical and anthropological babble. When humans understand that their actions do not benefit ani­mals, when humans give animals space for their dwellings so that they do not have to keep retreating4or even dying due to human interventions into “nature” and “animal culture and architecture”, thenwewillbeableto talk abouttheequality of animaland human dwelling. Even more, humans will help build dwellings for those animals that have lost their own. 
Can literature and how we read and interpret it aid in achieving this? Can it change our viewpoint and allow us to see the animal as our relative and its dwelling and physical dwelling asuntouchable? Yes, literature can enable usto see reality from zoopoetic perspec­tive. According to Lawrence Buell, ecoliterature shows empathy to animals and so human interest in such literature is not the only legitimate one (Buell 1995, from Starre 2010: 23). Ortiz-Robles writes: “Literature helps us imagine alternatives way we live with animals, and help us imagine a new role for literature in a world where animal future is uncertain” (Ortiz-Robles 2016: 5). He aims to focus his critical viewpoint on the damaging social and cultural practices, especially speciesism and any discrimination and demonisation of the other and to allow the creative energy of literature to enter the formation processes. Kari Weil thinks that literature could be the voice of the other and understands the “animal question” as the “broader question of language, epistemology and ethics women and post-colonial societies already addressed” (Weil 2010: 4, 2012: 7). Literature makes it possible for us to see how animals accept and change the environment in which they live; authors can usurp the generally accepted viewpoint on animal dwelling as something static and nat­urally determined. Literature that introduces eco-critical, zoopoetic, and critical animalistic points of view in its narrative and refutes the belief that only the human being can possess imagination, rhetoric abilities and the culture of life and dwelling can, based on observation 
and research, determine how many of these qualities can be attributed to animals as well. However, do we truly believe that people are so original? Where is the proof based on 
observation that does not include the same communication as that of animals? Is it true 
that only scientific observation and experiments enable us to understand animals in their complex lives, creation and dwelling? We are still at the beginning of a different kind of thinking, and we still overestimate ourselves and underestimate the animals. Only when absolute communication with all living beings is possible, beings that will not live in fear of the “mad animal – the human” will the world of the animal other be revealed to us. 
So, the answers to all three questions are: 
1. Animals’ dwellings and their home production are an element of culture, involv­ing crafts or even arts that are different from human craft or art and would not be considered biological predestination but creativity. Animals have their own cultural patterns and develop special skills. 
The SARS virus in 2002 developed on Chinese markets with wild exotic animals; and most probably the Covid 19 virus also developed on such “wet markets” in Wuhan, China. 

2. 
Animal home production might be an intentional act, but we cannot enter the minds of animals to determine that. 

3. 
Through literature, we can see that negative and positive human and nonhuman encounters can be established, but negative ones still prevail. 


Jure Detela, a Slovenian poet, was the only one able to understand that animal geogra­phy and animal dwelling and production of homes are the same as those of the human, as he reveals in his poetic description of animal dwelling and dwellings of animals that live underground – either molesor rabbits. Hisvisual horizon encompassesthe understanding that everything is straight and plain, equality of all living beings, including those that are completely alien to us. 
Rovi pod zemljo, množica Burrows underground, a multitude toplih rjavih teles, of warm brown bodies, siva megla nad ravnino, grey fog above the plane, jagode med zelenjem. strawberries in the green. 
Vse sem že prvic videl I saw it all the first time v enem horizontu in one horizon krog ene same ravnine, across a single plane, v celoti popolnoma sam entirely and completely alone. 
(Jure Detela, Zbrane pesmi, Vol. II, 2018, p. 1140). 
This viewpoint can be called pure zoo-ecopoetics and eco/zoocentric worldview. It is this kind of literature that reveals anthropocentrism, speciesism and non-critical anthropomorphism as anarchism and distinct errors of our world. 
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»ZOOPOETICNO BIVANJE«: EKOLOGIJA POVEZANOSTI ŽIVALSKIH IN CLOVEŠKIH BIVALIŠC IN BIVANJ SKOZI FOLKLORNE IN LITERARNE REPREZENTACIJE 
marJeTka GoležkauCiC 

Bivanje in bivališca niso samo clovekova domena, pac pa tudi vsi prostori, okolja in domovi razlicnih živali. Na podlagi vprašanja, ali žival samo živi ali tudi biva, v clanku razmišljamo o okoljih, kjer skupaj z ljudmi ali neodvisno bivajo in si gradijo svoja bivališca tudi necloveške živali. V uvodu smo si postavili tri vpraša­nja: Ali živali zavestno bivajo in ali so njihova bivališca del narave ali tudi kulture oziroma ali so njihovi domovi zgolj del neke instinktivne obrti ali celo umetnosti? Ali živali gradijosvoja bivališcazavestno ali zgolj instinktivno? Kakšne vrste ži­valsko-cloveških srecanjlahkovidimoobopazovanjurazlicnih živalskihbivališc, ko so ta oblikovana s strani živali ali ljudi, in kakšna so ta srecanja, ko živalsko bivališce trci ob interes ljudi? V poglavju Ontološka ekvivalenca ali ontološka diferenca živali in ljudi (bivanje/eksistiranje) se ukvarjamo z naslednjimikoncepti: živostin aktivnost bivanja, daživalikomunicirajo med seboj, eksistencna vrednost živalskih manifestacij. Dodajamo pa še antropološko izhodišce Tima Ingolda o ontološki ekvivalentnosti cloveka in živali. Ugotavljamo, da je izrazita zmota, da živalim odrekamo sposobnost nacrtovanja in miselnih procesov pri oblikovanju lastnih bivališc. Tako ljudje kot živali so graditelji in bivajoci. Torej, ce oblikujemo 
svet, ga gradimo, takrat smo oboji tudi del kulture in ne samo narave. Toda kako 
bi lahko vedeli za ves notranji svet živali ali trdili, da se žival samo znajde na svetu, ga nic ne spreminja? To je izrazita antropocentricna zazrtost v svet; žival ne skoci v svet in nato iz sveta odskoci v smrt, ne, spreminja svoj svet, svet živali in tudi ljudi okoli sebe, in si gradi svojo lastno stvarnost. Skratka, žival ni samo tu, ampak ta tu tudi napolni s svojim lastnim odnosom do tu. Zato ni samo del narave, temvec ima svojo kulturo, oblikuje svoj svet, drugace kot clovek, na svoj nacin. Zato poetika sveta ni samo poetika cloveškega sveta, pac pa tudi narave, živali, rastlin.Na podlagi folkloristicnih, antropoloških, filozofskih, ekokriticnih in kriticno animalisticnih spoznanj predstavljamo tri modele gledanja na živali ter njihovo bivanje in bivališca. To so antropocentricni, antropomorficni in zoocen­tricni model, ki se kažejo v delih avtorjev Frana Erjavca (Domace in tuje živali v podobah, 1868–1873), Richarda Adamsa (Watership Down, 1972) in Iztoka Geistra (Narava, kot jo vidi narava, 2010). Skozi predstavitve živali in njihovih bivališc v teh delih, ki so vecinoma verodostojna slika resnicnosti, ugotavljamo, ali lahko ta bivališca klasificiramo kot del narave ali kulture, z vprašanjem, ali je npr. bobrovo bivališce arhitekturna mojstrovina ali le dejanje, ki izhaja iz instinkta. Izhajamo iz temeljnega izhodišca, da so živali osebe in kot osebe zmožne bivati in intencionalno producirati svoja bivališca. 

Ti trije primeri so obravnavani kot zgledi, ki pokažejo spremembo cloveko­vega odnosa do bivanja živali in produkcije njihovih bivališc, kot jo tematizirajo zooliteratura 19. stoletja, fiktivni roman kot fantazijski nacin antropomorfiranih živali in t. i. ekoliteratura. S pomocjo novega branja teh del želimo na zoopoeticni nacin predstaviti resnicnost bivanja živali v sodobnem svetu. Vsi trije primeri pa kažejo tudi na razlicne možnosti ali nezmožnosti sobivanja živali in ljudi ali celo na dominacijo ene vrste nad drugo tudi – ali celo najbolj – pri živalskih bivališcih in njihovi izdelavi ter nato zapušcanju, izgubljanju in ponovnem pridobivanju ali naselitvi. Erjavec je predstavnik antropocentrizma, ki s svojimi opisi živali in lastnimi observacijami njihovegabivanja in bivališc izraža stališce, da je locnica med živaljo in clovekom ter med naravo in kulturo ostra. Vgraditvenih spretnostih živalskih bivališc ne vidi nicesar drugega kot le del nagonskega ravnanja, ki pa ga speciesisticno determinira. Adams poskuša na neki nacin približati bivanje in življenje divjih kuncev, ki jih ne poznamo, ki so nam pravzaprav zelo tuji in njihovo življenje zelo oddaljeno od naše percepcije le-tega. Njegovo stališce je, da imajo lahko divji kunci tudi svojo socialno ureditev, svojo folkloro in svojo kulturo ter da produkcija njihovih domov kaže na intencijo in inovativnost. Ce pogledamo na to zgodbo s pozitivne strani, predstaviti življenje in bivanje kuncje družbe, da bi dosegli t. i. videnje in vedenje o živalih, ki so nam tuje in ki jih ne poznamo, lahko recemo, da je morda Adams poleg aplikativnegain alegoricnega antropomorfizma uporabil še t. i. konstruktivni ali biocentricni antropomorfizem, kar pa pomeni, da je fiktivna zgodba lahko celo verjetna. Geister pa govori o raz­licnih vrstah bivališc: bivališca, ki jih naredijo živali ali se vanje samo naselijo, in bivališca, ki jih omogocijo ljudje – kohabitacija ali razdiranje: pozitivni in negativni antropocen. Geister prikazuje dvoje vzporednih življenjskih okolij, v katerih si živali gradijo svoje domove in v katerih ljudje gradijo kulturna okolja, nato pa v njih živali lahko najdejo svoja bivališca ali pa jim ljudje njihova prvotna bivališcavnjihrazdirajo.BivanježivalipriGeistru,cetudijeizrazitoekocentricno in ekoeticno, pa je še vedno brez personalizacije ali upoštevanja posameznikov znotraj vrste in brez priznanja intrinzicne vrednosti posameznemu živemu bitju. Narava je Geistru enovita entiteta, znotraj nje pa bivajo posamezne vrste, ki med seboj harmonicno ali neharmonicno delijo svoj prostor. Geister še ne omogoca, da bi žival kot posameznik zavzela cloveku enakovredno pozicijo, je pripadnik ekocentrizma, ki zahteva, da pustimo živalim in naravi, da same urejajo svoj status, svoje bivanje; narava postaja omnipotentna oseba, clovek pa po njego­vem vanjo le posega, razdira bivališca, a jih hkrati s svojimi posegi tudi – kako absurdno – omogoca. 
V sklepu ponujamo odgovore na uvodna vprašanja. Živalsko bivanje in obliko­vanje bivališc sodi v kulturo, njihova bivališca so ne samo obrtniško inovativna, so celo artisticna, a drugacna od cloveških. Niso produkt instinkta, temvec miselnih in ustvarjalnih procesov gradnje bivališc. Živali imajo svoje kulturne vzorce in razvijajo lastne spretnosti v graditvi bivališc. Prek folklore in literature lahko odkrivamo negativna in pozitivna srecanja med ljudmi in živalmi, med katerimi žal negativna prevladujejo. Na koncu clanka je navedena pesem Jureta Detele, s katero želimo prikazati, da le tovrstna literatura omogoca, da antropocentrizem, speciesizem in nekriticni antropomorfizem postanejo arhaizmi in izrazite zmote 

tega sveta. 
Marjetka Golež Kaucic, Ph.D., Professor, Research Advisor, Scientific 
Research Centre of Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Institute 
of Ethnomusicology, Novi trg 2, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Marjetka. 
Golez-Kaucic@zrc-sazu.si 
23 STUDIA MYTH O L OGICA SLAVICA 2020 
235 – 252 | https://doi.org/10.3987/SMS20202313 
“Petishism”, or Animals in the City 

and on the Islands: Case Study of the Island of Silba 

The first part of this paper (by Suzana Marjanic) documents the fact that city authorities throughout Croatia do not encourage needed care for stray dogs and cats, specifically the construction of state and private shelters for abandoned and lost animals, as well as feeding stations. Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, does not have a shelter for cats. Also documented are exhibitions of animal studies in Croatia, two of which were organised in Zagreb in 
the same year: an artistic one All Our Animals – Animals as Subjects in Croatian Modern Fine Arts (Modern Gallery, Zagreb, 2017), and another from the aspect of ethnozoology and anthropology of animals– Of Animalsand Humans(Ethnographic Museum, Zagreb, 2017), both of which also featured cats. The second part of the article (by Rosana Ratkovcic) notes the fact that the number of stray cats on Croatian islands increases each year, as pets brought by tourists are frequently left behind at the end of summer vacation. On the example of the island of Silba and its only (eponymous) town, how the local population has self-organised the protection of the island’s stray cats is presented. 
KEYWORDS: petishism, animal studies, stray cats, island of Silba 
THE URBAN JUNGLE: ANIMALS FOR SLAUGHTERING, ANIMALS FOR PETTING 
The beginning of the third millennium is marked by two extremes: we are witnessing revolutionary changes in the understanding of animal rights while horrendous massacres of animals occur (as was also evident at the session organised by Marjetka Golež Kau-cic).1 In his book AnimalandMan:AContributiontoCulturalZoology(1996),Croatia’s first zoo-ethicist Nikola Viskovic noted the emergence of a disturbing socio-biological process: the global number of species and individuals of so-calledwild animals has been 
This article has been presented in 2017 at SIEF (International Society for Ethnology and Folklore) in Göttingen, within the panel discussion “Dwelling of Others: Non-Human Homes from a Puddle to an Animal Reserve” organised by Marjetka Golež Kaucic. The first part of the article has been fully supported by the Croatian Science Foundation under the project Cultural Animal Studies: Interdisciplinary Perspectives and Traditional Practices (IP-2019-04-5621). 

reduced2 at the same rate as the number of domestic animals, particularly of pet animals (“petishism” or the cult of pets, or nonhuman companions and nonhuman friends as termed by thetheoreticians who negatelinguisticspeciesism)3 has increased. Today, when an animal is reduced to a mere object of exploitation, in the process called “a latter-day holocaust” by animal rights activists, it is astonishing that its symbolic value has not disappeared as well.4 Alongside Lévi-Strauss’ studies of animals as flexible symbols, one should note the work of anthropologists Evans-Pritchard, Edmund Leach, and Mary Douglas.5 Of course, when speaking of the beginning of animal studies in anthropology, one needs to note the American anthropologist Lewis Henry Morgan and his book The American Beaver and His Works (1868), wherein he compares the beavers’ building of 
habitats, dams and canals with methods used by human engineers, and along the same line (as noted by S. Eben Kirksey and Stefan Helmreich) opens up the question of ani­mal rights, pointing out that we treat such animals with unmerciful cruelty.6 Studies in anthrozoology should certainly include the work of Gregory Bateson, who discussed communication between humans and dolphins; his theory of play, fantasy and mental processes annulled the essentialist differences between human and nonhuman mentality. 
Contemporary animal studies have examined numerous aspects of the correlation between animals and humans in urban surroundings. Anthropologist Annabelle Sabloff (2001) wrote that of all human-animal relations, the keeping of animals as companions or pets is one of the most intriguing. In her book Reordering the Natural World, Sabloff argues that contemporary capitalist society augments the conviction that we (urban citi­zens) are alienated from the rest of nature. At the same time, urban citizens (the research was conducted on a sample of Canadian citizens) relate to the natural world. 
I also use this opportunity to note the exceptional book The Horse in the City: Living Machines in the Nineteenth Century (2007) written by Clay McShane, Joel Tarr, and Harriet Ritvo. The book identifies the 19th century as the golden age of the horse. In urban America, the horse, as the most important urban animal, provided the power for notonlyvehicles thatmovedfreight,transportedpassengers,andfoughtfires,butalsofor equipment in breweries, mills, foundries, and machine shops. In relation to this, I would like to note an entry from Miroslav Krleža’s journal Davni dani (Olden Days) written in the period of the First World War, in which he wrote down distressing observations about Zagreb’s horses. Specifically, in his olden-day-journal entries, Krleža often re­cords the deaths of innocent animals. For instance, he perceives (and commemorates in writing) the death of a mare that “croaked in Zrinjevac Park […] While looking on the voiceless death of the equine, a passer-by is peeling and nibbling on roasted chestnuts.”7 Theatre, television, and film actress Eliza Gerner, a friend of Krleža’s, spoke of him as 
2 Viskovic 1996: 385 3 Alongside the term companion, Joan Dunayer (2004) also uses the term pet, albeit not defined speciesistically. 4 Viskovic 1996: 16 
5 Arluke, Sanders 1996: 3 
6 Kirksey and Helmreich 2010: 549 7 Krleža 1977a: 299 

being heavily affected by horses clashing on the street: “He literally suffered because of it, and such clashes were a daily occurrence at the time.”8 The compassion towards the fates of horses associates Krleža’s psycho/biography with Nietzsche’s, who collapsed on the streets of Torino in 1888 due to the fate of a pulling horse that was mercilessly beaten by its owner – he put his arms around its neck and sought to protect it, he burst into tears and his soul sunk into despair.9 Krleža notes how August Cesarec (author, translator, publicist and political activist, one of the pioneers of the Communist move­ment in Croatia prior to the First World War) “in an intense ecstasy of joy, rapture, sentimental devotion and even tears […] has been petting horses on the streets ever since childhood.”10 With the apophthegm “horses and women are equally passive historical phaenomena; both assist in battles,”11 he notes the historical subjugation of women and animals (horses as the central animals in war) in androcentric wars. Shortly after the observed death of the mare, which croaked(I pointoutKrleža’s linguisticspeciesismin the context of the animal’s fate mentioned above) in Zrinjevac Park, Krleža records the fate of an ox on his way to the slaughterhouse: “[…] amid Ilica Street, a silvery-satin ox is trudging to the abattoir.”12 
Furthermore, he notices a run-over dog in a puddle of blood on the tram tracks: “A carnivore feels compassion towards the canine’s blood-soaked carcass since it is not ‘appetising’, since it cannot be eaten as, say, an equally repulsive slain piglet.”13 Under date of 20 September 1919, at 11 p.m., he records the memory of visiting a slaughterhouse with Franjo Ciraki: “Premiere night. This is the first abattoir I have visited in my entire life. Sheep eyes in blood. Blood-soaked sheep.”14 
Today, as regards horses, they are kept in urban surroundings only as pets for sports entertainment at hippodromes, or as zoo-therapists. The results of a study published in the journal Human-Animal Interaction Bulletinhave therefore shown that cortisol levels – in the afternoon and in the morning upon waking up – of a group of adolescents included 
8 Gerner 1993: 8 
9 Wirth 2001: 110 
10 Krleža 1977a: 25 11 Krleža 1977: 350 12 Krleža 1977a: 300. In an entry in Olden Days, on 11 May 1917 at 5 p.m., near the Chapel of St. Vitus on 
Sokolovac in Požega, Krleža records that he is sitting among cockchafers, bumblebees, ants, bees, flies, and May flowers “under chestnut trees in full, exquisite bloom, with [his] palms covered in pollen and (white) petals from daisies and marguerites; the clouded heavenly titans of May are softly drifting above us on the fiddle of the spring wind, in the evening’s orange glow. A solemn atmosphere” (Krleža 1977: 253). Ivo Fran-geš interprets the aforementioned note as one of Krleža’s “warmest Matoš-like visions of Croatian landscape” (Frangeš 1977:309). (I would like to refer to Amiel’s saying “any landscape is a condition of the spirit” which, for example, was poeticised in the initial verse “My soul is where enchantment dwells” of the poem At Home by Matoš.) This is followed by a record of a white ox passing by, who left behind him “a comet’s tail full of ammonia with a scent of warm manure” (Krleža 1977: 253), and goes on to say that today, this white ox is as ready for the slaughterhouse as we are, “once a God, a subjugator of Europe, and today a four-legged castrated misery” (Krleža 1977: 254). Yet, I would like to add (even though it is irrelevant for the poetic and historical iconogram on anthropoid bestiality) that the aforementioned zoolatric and Greco-mythic analogy refers to a bull (hence, not an ox), in the form of which Zeus ravished Europe. 
13 Krleža 1977a: 303 14 Krleža 1977a: 219, emphasis by S. M. 

in an equine-facilitated programme are significantly lower compared to another group 
of children who do not interact with horses.15 
Letus returnforamomenttothetermpet, which, as I have already stated, animal rights theoretician and feminist Joan Dunayer (2004) does not consider speciesistic; she uses it alongside the term companion. Specifically, the term pet is shunned by many nonhuman rights advocates and denotes an animal that is kept for amusement and companionship. 
Historian Keith Thomas considers pets to be domesticated animals with three func­tions:firstly, they livewith humans in their homes (they are letinto thehouse);secondly, they are named (they have an individual personal name); and thirdly, they are not eaten.16 Let us observe for a moment the first definition, which says that a companion or pet is an animal living with humans in their homes. Then how do we name animals that live on a chain, attached to a metal leash in the yards of human homes, often on concrete in their own excrement which, unfortunately, is still the case in many households in Croatia, especially in the suburbs (e.g., in the Dubrava district, dogs are often kept on chains in yards, sometimes without doghouses, and sleep on concrete)? I would like to mention the example of a dog in my street with the same fate; truth be told, it does have a doghouse in the yard, but permanently resides in a constricted space. Its “owners” never take it for walks and feed it primarily with scraps from their table. This dog is not kept for amusement (which is the meaning of the term pet) and companionship (which is the meaning of the term animal companion); it is mistreated as a means for keeping trespassers away from the house. 
In the following part of the text, the emphasis is placed on abandoned cats – which 
do not have a home and were once named, but their names have been forgotten. The 
fact is that cats are generally left to survive on their own, hunting mice and rats, “[…] The large number of dogs, and especially cats that are fending for themselves outdoors and filling animal shelters […].”17 Specifically, motivated by the idea of cultural animal studies, Croatia’s first zoo-ethicist Nikola Viskovic, Rosana Ratkovcic and I have initi­ated the publishing of Mackozbornik (“Catnicle”/”Catmanac”, currently in print) with a felinologicalsequencefromtheanthropo-zoomorphiccat-headedgoddess Bastet18 and the anthropomorphic neotenicHello Kittyto the mythic superhero, the anthropo-zoomorphic Catwoman.WhileKatharineM.Rogers (2001)choseGarfield for thesubtitleofher book The Cat and the Human Imagination: Feline Images from Bast to Garfield, we opted for Catwoman so as to keep the feminine narrative within the felinological fate related to all the Others who are marked as degraded and damaged. Therefore, I will also present certain instancesrelated to the titular subject with selected examples from the collection mentioned above of papers. 
As an example, I note the Old Cat Shelter (Stari macek) owned by Ljiljana Horvat Komericki,whosoughttoprovideasafeand comfortablehomeforcats thathad never had 
15 Pendry, Smith, Roeter 2014 
16 Thomas 1983: 112-115 
17 Johnson 2009: 74 18 From whose alternative name Pasht the ambiguous English word pussy is also derived (Sax 2001: 58, 60). 

one or were abandoned by their human families. Most of them are found on the streets, sick 
and injured. The initiative has been supported by many organisations, as well as private persons. Today, Old Cat Shelter is home to 129 cats and is the only shelter in Croatia exclusively for abandoned cats (I would like to mention here that Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, does not have a cat shelter). It is located in the village of Voloder near Kutina, approximately 55 km from Zagreb. It was built on the estate of the Komericki family in Moslavacka Gora Regional Park and is surrounded by vineyards and the forest. The costs of food, water, heating, medical treatment and hired hands exceed €2500 per month. The shelter does not receive any support from the government or local authorities. It is almost entirely financed by Josip and Ljiljana Komericki. Hired labour, which is needed from timeto time, is financed by ZlataKilchenmann. They occasionally receivefood donations fromsomeCroatian food companies. However,suchdonations aresporadic, and theshelter cannot depend on them entirely. Veterinary services and medications must be paid in cash.19 
Furthermore, I quote a story from a Croatian island as conveyed by anthropologist Karmen Turcinov: 
Twoyoungmen,fishermenStipeandIvespentawinteronanislandalone, 
with twenty feral cats. There were many cold and windy days in a row, 
and the food became scarce. There was only a sufficient quantity of flour and sauerkraut as these goods are not perishable. The young men would prepare a large pot of sauerkraut with bread and give that to the cats. The cats were called “Nikadnerecinemogu” (Never-Say-I-Cannot). But these supplies also became scarce and were slowly running out. Out of fear and discomfort, they no longer opened the front door as the cats were jumping 
on it at every little sound. The cats were wailing and howling around the house throughout the night, and the storm was very strong. After a few 
days and nights, the fishermen’s lives became unbearable. One morning, having once again spent the night hungry and sleepless, the fishermen made a decision: they would capture the cats and put them in jute bags. They caughtalmosttwenty. Someof thecats fled, probablyrealising the goal of this hellish plan. It was an act bordering on insanity – a fight for life or death. The bags were loaded on a ship and transported to a nearby 
islet situated just shy of a mile from the island. They untied the bags and 
released the cats on the desolate islet. The distraught cats dispersed around, and the fishermen sailed back to their bay. After this, they did not feel like doing anything. They just wanted peace, peace and more peace. 
However, early in the evening, they could not believe their eyes when they saw 
all of the cats from the islet swimming back in the direction of their bay.”20 
19 Horvat Komericki in Mackozbornik. 20 Upon exploring the island, they realised there was no food and estimated that they will only survive if they return to the same port. The cats came back exhausted, wet and hungry, and there was still no food there (Turcinov, Mackozbornik, manuscript). 

As another example, I would like to mention Željka Bišcan who has experience in the coexistence of different animal species (dogs, cats, pigs, sheep, goats, horses, parrots, chickens, ducks, turtles, geckos, fish, hamsters, mice, guinea pigs). In 2017, her house was home to nine dogs, seven pigs, a duck, a rooster and two humans (herself and her husband), which is an extraordinary example of helping animals. 
Briefly put, all of these examples serve to demonstrate that it is possible today to help animals which do not live in their natural habitats, but by keeping them as domestic pets or companions in an imposed life on the border between nature and culture, only to be abandoned in worst-case scenarios.21 
As yet another example, I would like to mention a lady from the suburbs of Zagreb – the already-mentioned district of Dubrava – who, during the extremely harsh winter of 2016, made a small improvised shelter for cats out of cardboard boxes to keep their food dry from the snow. I would also like to briefly note Sonja Manojlovic, librarian at the National and University Libraryin Zagreb, who is well-known for her work of rescuing cats. Furthermore, thanks to journalist and activist Vesna Kesic, Prvic Luka has become known as the island of happy cats. We should also mention Mr Jura and Mrs Dragica, who for years have been taking care of two cats, White (10) and Grey (5), which live in a tree hollow in Bundek Park in Zagreb.22 In Dubrovnik, a small group of people have created improvised feeding stations at certain locations in the city. As Dubrovnik is a tourist destination with a typically Mediterranean architecture of narrow streets and passages, seventy-five-year-old Mrs Lili Kera provided a street money box to collect contributions for the cats, with requests written in English to raise the tourists’ awareness of this local issue. Mrs Kera’s pension is around €200, half of which is spent on stray cats; she also has cat houses in her garden. There are also numerous NGOs in Croatia such as SOS CAT, Prava šapa (True Paw), Prijatelji životinja (Animal Friends), among others. 
In contrast, the lives of stray dogs and cats, and hunting them, is a lucrative business in some towns in Croatia. For instance, the City of Split pays 984 kunas for every cat, and 1660 kunas for every dog removed from the streets to a private company from Šibenik and slightly less for carcasses (this linguistic speciesism is used by the newspaper article I quote here), which costs around 1.1 million kunas annually. In 2012, 54 live cats and 839 dead cats were removed, as well as 28 dog carcasses and 224 live dogs. One such collection campaign, carried out recently on Marjan Hill above Split, caused such a stir that the police had to intervene (Vukovic 2013). 
FELINE EXHIBITIONS 
As I have already stated in the abstract, in this part of the paper, I will note key feline exhibi­tions in Croatia. As regards the region (i.e., the former Yugoslav countries), the correlation between cats and people has been validated in museums by Piero Pazzi, Venetian art collector 
21 Bišcan, Mackozbornik, manuscript. 22 Ljudi velikog srca: Deda Jura i teta Dragica brinu o ulicnim macama s Bundeka (2016). 

and lecturer at the Academy of Fine Arts (Accademia di belle arti di Venezia), who recently founded the Cats Museum in Kotor, Montenegro, where he presented his cat-collection of historical postcards, photographs, publications, illustrations, postage stamps, advertisements and other graphic materials, the oldest of which date to the 17th century, united by the motif of the cat. Thanks to the efforts of the Pazzi, the Maritime and History Museum of the Cro­atian Littoral joined in the marking of the 100th anniversary of the First World War with the exhibition Miau, miau, što sam ja radila u Prvom svjetskom ratu (Meow Meow, What I Did in the First World War, Rijeka, 2014), which featured around a hundred enlarged historical postcards and photographs from the First World War with the cat as the main character.23 
Furthermore, I would like to mention here the only cat-monument in Croatia: a wooden 
sculpture depicting cats, located in Osijek. In Osijek’s industrial district, the villa of the 
Hermann family stands out architecturally and is far better known as the Mackamama (Cat-Mum) Castle. This is the “feline” moniker of benefactress Paulina Hermann (Nova Gradiška 1859 – Osijek 1939) who, alongside misfortunate humans (vagabonds, impov­erished labourers, persons in mental distress), also helped animals, primarily cats. It is believed that caring for animals and helping humans caused her financial ruin at the end 
of her life.24 It would be interesting to gather together the urban myths/legends about 
Hermann,a.k.a.Cat-Mum,as oneofthemalleges thatshealsokeptwildcats,evenalion. 
The most recent feline exhibition is entitled Macka u hrvatskoj likovnoj umjetnosti (The Cat in Croatian Fine Arts; exhibition authors: Dajana Vlaisavljevic and Snježana Pavicic; curator: Nikolina Šimunovic, Head of Prica Gallery; Samobor, 18 October–24 November 2019). Until this exhibition, there were only three key exhibitions in Croatia from the field of fine art animal studies – Sve naše životinje. Animalisticke teme u hrvat­skoj modernoj likovnoj umjetnosti (All Our Animals – Animals as Subjects in Croatian Modern Fine Arts, Zagreb, Modern Gallery, 9 March–9 May 2017, exhibition author: Dajana Vlaisavljevic); the exhibition Srce iznad teka(Heart over Appetite) organised by artist Sanja Burazin (Galic Salon, Split, 1–14 October 2014), organised on the occasion of World Vegetarian Day (1 October) and World Animal Day (4 October) as the first larger-scale domestic exhibition on the subject of animal rights art; and the animal studies exhibition Pas u hrvatskoj likovnoj umjetnosti od 19. st. do danas (The Dog in Croatian Fine Arts from the 19th Century to the Present) Prica Gallery, Samobor, 19 November–15 December 2013 by the same authors who organised the first-mentioned feline exhibition. 
The authors commenced the visual journey through fine art animal studies with the animal that is commonly reputed as our best friend; in Slavic languages, however, this animal’s name is most commonly used in swearwords, hence the etymological kinship of the words pas (dog) and psovka (swearword). With the feline exhibition, the aforementioned authors have continued their research of animal motifs and subjects within the cycle Animal Studies in Croatian Fine Arts, initiated in 2013 with the already-mentioned canine one. 
Briefly put, the exhibition featured artworks by numerous domestic artists created within a period of nearly two decades, from Izidor Kršnjavi’s Pet studija macjih glava 
23 Marjanic 2015. 24 “Paulina Hermann”. 

(Five Studies of Cats’ Heads) from 1874 and Studije macica (Studies of Kittens, from around 1900 – with five white kittens) by Nikola Mašic to, for example, Ivan Kožaric (Macke / Cats, 1971–2002; Macka i miš / Cat and Mouse, 1980s; Macka na cesti / Cat on the Street, 1986), Stipan Tadic (Roadkill, 2015), or Igor Kuduz and his tomcat Mo­hammad (Revelation Archive – 341 Stories of the Prophet, 2014), which photographically corresponds with the captured yawn of a cat, similar to Kršnjavi who, with his study, also caught the cat’s open jaw, either while attacking or while hissing in self-defence. As regards Kuduz’s Mohammad, the series had been created from 2014 until 2016, starting from an incidental photograph of Mohammad’s yaw, which soon – as the author himself states – turned into systematic, disciplined and somewhat obsessive recording of a one-and-the-same moment in a cat’s life. In his own words: 
I was captivated by the realisation that I’ve become reeeeally familiar with my own cat’s daily routine, and that I can effortlessly identify the moment at which a yawn could take place. Not one photograph is the result of a long period of pursuing, and I merely recognised the moment. Marko Golub wrote a fantastic text on the whole matter when I organised an ad hoc exhibition at Žitnjak Ateliers, at which I exhibited the entire series, nearly 350 photographs, for the first and hitherto only time. 
Alongside the aforementioned first two domestic feline exhibitions (featuring cats as artistic inspiration), I would also like to point out the fact that two more exhibitions on the subject of animals were organised in Zagreb nearly concurrently – an artistic/animal one, and the other from the aspect of ethnozoology and anthropology of animals – the already-mentioned Sve naše životinje.Animalisticke teme u hrvatskoj modernoj likovnoj umjetnosti (All Our Animals – Animals as Subjects in Croatian Modern Fine Arts, Mod­ern Gallery, Zagreb, 2017, exhibition author: Dajana Vlaisavljevic) and O životinjama i ljudima (Of Animals and Humans, Ethnographic Museum, Zagreb, 22 April–12 No­vember 2017, authors: Željka Petrovic Osmak, Tea Rittig Šiško, Gordana Viljetic), both of which, naturally, also featured cats. The ethno-zoo exhibition, therefore, highlighted, among other things, the fact that cats and dogs who once lived in rural homesteads did not have a name, as opposed to, for example, Daisy the cow or Misty the mare. In contrast, today – as pets, within the framework of petishism as matrices of speciesism – they are named, as opposed to all of those nameless animals who are slaughtered daily (Viljetic 2017) – the ones we eat and whose skins we wear, as underscored by Melanie Joy in her book Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows (2009) on carnism as the ruling dogma. 
BERGER’S QUESTION “HOW DO WE SEE ANIMALS?” 
As for the aforementioned animal rights exhibition Heart over Appetite, the fact remains 
that, concerning urban animals, they are most frequently and continuously present on our plates, in industrial farms and slaughterhouses (which have been removed from 

the scope of both urban and rural surroundings, just like concentration camps), where many of them spend and end their lives. As regards local cases, I would like to note the example of Jerry the Bull, who outwitted his pursuers. Specifically, having escaped from the slaughterhouse, Jerry became the most famous fugitive in Croatia, who was cheered on even by the most adamant meat-eaters. He was given the slogan “We Are All Jerry” (and a Facebook support group “Support for Jerry the Bull”) by the press and was ultimately set free, if his owner and slaughterer are to be believed. Jerry escaped from the slaughterhouse depot in Kaštel Stari near Split in 2019, and soon became the most sought-after individual in Croatia. Asrecorded by writer and journalist Ante Tomic, “the nitwits initially lured the escaped bull with food, and then set up an erotic trap with several young, fairly attractive cows.”25 What is sad, however, is that Jerry was the star of Facebook and Instagram only for a couple of days, and his fate was soon forgotten as is always the case with all slaughterhouse animals; or, as documented by Ante Tomic: 
Our hyperactive world, our attention-deficient civilisation suddenly forgot about Jerry. On Tuesday night, his adventures were still the main subject of news programmes and web portals, and as early as Wednesdaynobody mentioned the humorous case of the bull who escaped the butcher’sknife.26 
Truth be told, considering the media structure, this may have only been a media spin that was intended to shift public attention to poor Jerry from a topical political issue that was thereby supposed to have been concealed. 
John Berger dedicates part of his essay Why Look at Animals? to imprisoned ani­mals, stressing that, since the 19th century, following the Second Industrial Revolution, animals – in their disappearance from our everyday life – have mostly been adjoined to the family and the society of the spectacle as pets and as prisoners in zoos. This fate also befell the cat on its path to domestication. Therefore, we also applied human hierarchic relationships to the feline world: we speak of cat elites, for example, with the Croatian Association of Felinological Societies, who organise exhibitions of purebred cats and so-called elite races (hence the term “race” has also been assigned to denote the breed),27 while on the other hand, domestic cats and other abandoned animals lead “a dog’s life” (why not that of a cat, too, within the framework of zoo-comparisons?) as is demonstrated, for example, by the example of Mackograd (Catville) in Porec.28 
Public zoos, which emerged in the 19th century, functioned as an affirmation of colonial power – the conquest of exotic lands. Contemporaneously with this colonial practice of exhibiting exotic animals, the 19th century also saw increased demand for realistic toys of 
25 Tomic 2019: 26-27. 26 Tomic 2019: 26. 27 Mackarica, 2016. 28 On the temporary postponement of the eviction of Mackograd (2016), http://www.parentium.com/prva. 

asp?clanak=53193; on Mackograd moving to a legal shelter (2017), http://porestina.info/mackograd-preselio--u-legalan-azil/; on Porec opening the first shelter for stray cats in Croatia, https://www.parentium.com/prva. asp?clanak=61270 

animals. According to Berger’s detections, the parallelism of this ideology of the Indus­trial Revolution in the context of the lives of animals extends even further: realistic toys 
have prompted a demand for a new toy – a city pet, in which the fate of cats is equally included. Therefore the Japanese Bobtail cat is most famous today as Hello Kitty, a little white cat with a pink bow. She first appeared, according to Wikipedia, on a coin purse in Japan in 1974, and in the US in 1976. Hello Kitty, produced by the company Sanrio and designed by Yuko Shimizu, today denotes hyper-consumerist symbolism based on ethno-tradition. Specifically, in Japan, bobtail cats are believed to bring good luck, pros­perity and money. For that reason, porcelain or ceramic cats, the so-called Maneki-Neko (beckoning cats with an upright paw), are produced. Calico cats (Mi-Ke – tricolour) are particularly considered a symbol of good luck.29 
Hence, today the ideology of pets, as well as realistic toys of animals and Disney’s cute anthropomorphic characters seemingly prevent us from facing the gory truth of the contemporary slaughterhouse holocaust, wherein animals have been reduced to raw material as if they were soulless machines. 
In the final and most distressing part of his essay, Berger points out the fact that all sites of enforced marginalisation (e.g. ghettos, prisons, mental asylums, concentration camps) have something in common with zoos. However, he thereby adds that viewing the zoo in this sense, that is, merely as a symbol, would be overly easy and overly evasive since zoos, in this modern totalitarianism which we silently witness, merely represent the relations between man and animal; and nothing else (Berger 2007: 255-261). 
Hereby, I conclude this part of the text on the cat, the most popular so-called pet to­day (apparently due to its independence, unlike the dog that requires far more attention, care, and patience) – or companion, to quote Joan Dunayer in her destruction of specie-sist determinants – even though cats were the last species to be domesticated – allow me to use a more suitable term – imprisoned. Alternatively, as accurately summarised by French sociologist Marcel Mauss: the cat is the only animal to have succeeded in domesticating man. He was absolutely right. However, here we can also sarcastically add that this animal made a historical journey from sacralisation and demonisation to petishism. Christianity sought to nullify the aforementioned demonisation with the life of St. Gertrude (7th ct.), the patron saint of cats, whose feast day is on 17 March. Apart from being the patron saint of cats, she is also the patron saint of travellers, widows, and gardeners, and provides protection from mice and mental illnesses. All of the afore­mentioned seems to be encompassed by Ivan Vecenaj’s (Paunchy) Jana with her only companion – a shaggy black cat.30 
Suzana Marjanic 
29 According to some interpretations, the Maneki-Neko has a bib under its chin, like the Bodhisattva Jizo. 30 Ivan Vecenaj’s Pupava Jana (Paunchy Jana, 1962), an exceptional surreal-‘naďve’ depiction of Jana with mental suffering who is feeding a black cat milk by a spoon, is included in the aforementioned feline exhibition. 
A CASE STUDY OF THE ISLAND OF SILBA 

On Croatian islands, particularly smaller ones, the area’s isolation positively influences the self-organisation of the local population alongside the participation of several tour­ists, who work together on raising funds for food, medical treatment, and spaying and neutering of the island’s cats. 
The number of stray cats on islands is constantly increasing as pets brought by tourists are left behind at the end of summer vacation. On the example of the island of Silba and its only (eponymous) town, we will recount the positive practice of self-organisation of the local population in protecting and caring for the island’s stray cats. 
Several islanders have started caring for abandoned cats at their initiative by letting them into their homes and providing them with food, shelter and protection, including Mrs Ankica Vukorepa, and Mrs Ljiljana and Mr Aljo, husband and wife. 
The Society for the Protection of Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Island of Silba has recently initiated the so-called “Kitten Department,” bringing together islanders and their guests who work together to protect cats. After collecting money for food for abandoned cats, members distribute the food to places at which cats gather, such as the island’s landfill. The collected donations also cover cat food for the locals who care for a large number of cats in their homes. Therefore we can say that stray cats on Silba are looked after in terms of food thanks to the efforts of the “Kitten Departmen” and several especially engaged individuals. It has also been noted that feral cats live in the island’s forests and eat whatever they can catch. 
In 2016, organised by the “Kitten Department” and thanks to special efforts by Petra Hillinger, a large-scale campaign of spaying and neutering of the island’s cats was initiated to prevent the increasing number of the island’s stray cats. Petra Hillinger, an Austrian tourist who has spent her summers on Silba since childhood, brought her veterinarian friends who voluntarily spayed and neutered around sixty cats at their own expense. Notices inviting the residents to bring in their cats to be spayed/neutered were put up on the island, and traps were set for feral cats. Unfortunately, some cat owners did not want to spay or neuter them even though it was free of charge and prefer to throw new-born kittens into the sea. It should also be noted that, according to experience, systematic neutering within a one-year period reduces the population of cats by up to 40 per cent. 
The abandoned cats that gather on the island’s landfill are fed by Mrs Ljiljana and 
her husband Aljo, who also care for a large number of cats in their home. At the time I 
visited them, they were quite concerned about Bijeli (Whitey), a male named after the colour of his fur, since he started developing skin cancer on one of his ears due to lack of pigment and exposure to the sun. With great effort by Mrs Ljiljana and after taking the cat to a vet in Zadar to be operated on, the cat pulled through, the infected part of 
the ear was surgically removed, and the cat is healthy today, albeit missing one ear.31 
31 I heard an anecdote from the residents that a nun living on the island, a “švora”, once reproached Aljo for his caring for cats, to which he replied that “if she wears this habit (nun’s attire) of hers, she might as well know that animals are God’s creatures.” 

Some locals who are always on the island (i.e. throughout the entire year), such as Mrs Verica and Mrs Đimberta, provide care and food for the cats who live in the homes of people who only spend their summers on the island. 
Among the islanders who took on themselves the care and protection of abandoned cats without any previous organisation, we should especially note Mrs Ankica Vukorepa, who gathers cats in her home and has been caring for them for more than fifteen years. 
Mrs Ankica comes from Miljevci near Drniš, where she worked as a primary school teacher; having retired, she moved to Silba together with her late husband Cedo, into her family’s old house. She cared for cats while she was still living and working in Miljevci; she remembers an anecdote from that time, about a cat who knew which of her students brought good lunch from home, so he would sit next to this student and wait for a treat or two. This cat was later run over by another student with a motorcycle, with the kind of violent malice that is characteristic of children but is little spoken of as they are typically idealised. 
Among cats that are cared for by Mrs Ankica today, Krivi (Crooked) is the only cat that came to Silba from Miljevci. He was brought to their home by Ankica’s husband Cedo as akitten;afterher husbandpassed,shefound thecatsleeping on his grave.Thecat got his name because he had broken his spine and has had a crooked posture ever since. 
With typically feline opportunism, in summer months Krivi moves to the home of Mrs Gavrilovic, one of the tourists who resides on the island only during summer and cares for the island’s cats within that period. There are fewer cats at Mrs Gavrilovic’s than there are atMrs Ankica’s, so Krivihas chosen theformer location as his summer residence, probably due to more food and more care provided. In winter, when Mrs. Gavrilovic leavesthe island, Krivi returns to Mrs. Ankica’s. Mrs. Ankica is extremely saddened by Krivi’s summer infidelity since she is especially attached to him due to the memory of her late husband. 
When notices were put up on the island, which informed the residents of the spaying/ neutering programme organised by Petra Hillinger, they featured the photograph of Krivi, who thereby became a kind of trademark of Silba’s cats, as well as of the care provided for them by these selfless women. 
When Petra Hillinger resides on Silba, she also gathers a large number of cats in her home, whom she cares for and feeds. On her fence, she put up many notices advocating the care for cats, a donation box, and also the photograph of Krivi. Petra Hillinger’s house on Silba is close to Mrs. Ankica’s home, so her cats also drop by Petra’s at mealtime. 
Mrs. Ankica feeds, fosters and cares for approximately thirty cats in her home; the exact number is unknown as new cats keep coming. The number of cats in her home is this high since people throw abandoned cats or young kittens over her fence; she once found seven in a single day. 
Mrs. Ankica calls the cats she cares for Moje blago (My Treasure). While she was talking about them, she was spraying water on some disobedient cats while saying the proverb “Svaka ptica ima svoga orla” (literally “Every bird has its eagle”, meaning “There is always someone who is more powerful or influential”, “There is a sky above the sky”), which is in contrast to the harmless solution she has for their disobedience. Mrs. Ankica told us that she is wrought with sadness over the suffering of her cats and the pain inflicted upon them by people. 


Fig. 1. – Lunch at Petra Hillinger’s home, Silba, 2017 (photo by Rosana Ratkovcic). 

Fig. 2. – Mrs. Ankica Vukorepa and her cats, Silba, 2017 (photo by Rosana Ratkovcic). 

In and around Mrs. Ankica’s house, everything is subordinated to cats. The property is full of makeshift cat houses, every cat has its own nook, but they also like dwelling in twos in a single house. 
Mrs. Ankica feeds her cats severaltimes aday; sheprepares a mixture of bread soaked in soup or milk and store-bought cat food, a bit of dry kibble, some canned food, even though she keeps the latter for cats that are sick and eat very little. When she exits the house, she leaves food for them so that they stay inside; otherwise the cats go after her and follow her around the island. Furthermore, Mrs. Ankica always keeps a pouch of cat food in her bag so that she could feed the cats she meets along the way. 
Apart from cats, in her love of animals, Mrs. Ankica also keeps turtles and a crow 
that she rescued from being attacked by cats. Afterwards, the crow became tame and 
stayed in Mrs. Ankica’s garden. 
Alongside Krivi, other catsthat live with Mrs. Ankica include Moro (Dusky), Žuti (Amber), Brzi (Speedy), Bila (Snowball), Crni repic (Blacktail). A female named Mica (Kitty) escaped from the ship and returned when they wanted to take her away to Austria. There is also a pair of identical twins with unusual, lavender-coloured fur, and they both have an injured eye. One of the males had a broken jaw, which left him with a string of saliva constantly hanging from his mouth. Moro got his name after the colour of his fur and is one of Mrs. Ankica’s favourites; he is skinny and a picky eater. Moro and Bila are the only cats allowed to sleep in the house. 
Silba’s cats have been immortalised in the works of Marija Ujevic Galetovic, one of Croatia’s most significant female sculptors, who is linked to Silba through family and spends most of the year there. The cat motif is inevitable in her work and one of her trademarks, particularly in her numerous sculptures of hybrid figures of women with cat’s heads. On Silba, sheopened theMarijaUjevicGaletovicGallery, arranged as an outdoor sculpture garden, with her sculptures on display. Marija Ujevic Galetovic, her sculptures and the cats of Silba are also the subject of the animated film Macka je uvijek ženska (A Cat Is Always Female, 2019) by Martina Meštrovic and Tanja Vujasinovic, with which the authors have honoured their professor through a feminist lens. 
Similar initiatives by locals and tourists for the protection of cats on the islands are also present on the island of Prvic in Šibenik archipelago, which saw the implementation of the project entitled Prrrrrvic, otok sretnih macaka i zadovoljnih ljudi(Prrrrrvic, Island of Happy Cats and Contented People). According to the 2001 census, the island of Prvic with its two boroughs, Šepurine and Luka, had 453 residents.32 The locals realised that there were more cats than people on the island and decided to do something about it. The aim of the project Purrrrrvic, Island of Happy Cats and Contented People includes not only systematic neutering of the island’s cats, butalso the fostering of cats and educating the localcommunity. The initiative also has a Facebook page, Otok sretnih macaka (The Island of Happy Cats).33 
32 “Mackarica – sve o mackama” / “Cat Lady – All About Cats”. http://www.mackarica.com/vijesti/prvic-je-
-postao-otok-sretnih-macaka-i-zadovoljnih-ljudi/ (accessed on 2 March 2017) 33 “Otok sretnih macaka” / “The Island of Happy Cats”. https://www.facebook.com/ 
Otok-sretnih-macaka-1574977072730812/?fref=ts (accessed on 2 March 2017) 

On the island of Cres, the initiative entitled Cres Cat Rescue was launched by aca­demicpainterKoraljkaPolacekin2016,tocontrolthepopulationoftheisland’s cats and provide them with a better life.34 As a member of the Animal Protection Society of Mali Lošinj, she implements the trap-neuter-release (TNR) programme, and collaborates with the volunteers in Rijeka and Zagreb and Veterinary Clinic Rijeka – Veterinary Clinic Mali Lošinj. Alongside Koraljka, Diana Primožic from the NGO Vis Vitalis also partici­pates in the neutering programme of Cres’s cats, all of which are neutered at Veterinary Clinic Rijeka.35 Neutering of the island’s cats is primarily financed by the Municipality of Cres, which tends to the wellbeing of its animals. Thus far, 280 cats on Cres have 
been neutered, many of them received medical treatment, and more than 40 cats have been adopted. Thanks to the volunteers, a meal is provided daily for around one hundred cats at various locations on the island.36 Having moved to Cres, Koraljka Polacek began artistically painting fragments of Cres stone, and cats have been the main motif of her painterly expression for quite a while. The charity sale of Koraljka’s paintings through online auctions partly covers the costs of food, medicine, and other supplies for cats.37 
*** 
As we can see from the study, in Croatia, city governments do not encourage necessary 
care for stray dogs and cats, such as the construction of public and private shelters for abandoned and lost animals. However, Croatia’s smaller islands as isolated environments serve as an example of self-organisation of the local population who, together with several tourists, jointly work on raising funds, feeding, and spaying and neutering of the island’s cats (on the example of the island of Silba). 
Rosana Ratkovcic Translated by Mirta Jurilj 
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PETIŠIZAM ILI ŽIVOTINJE U GRADU I NA OTOCIMA: SLUCAJ SILBE 
suzana marJanic, rosana raTkovCic 

Prvi dio clanka (Suzana Marjanic) dokumentira kako gradske vlasti u Hrvatskoj ne poticu potrebnu skrb za pse i macke lutalice – gradnju državnih i privatnih skloništa (azila) za napuštene i izgubljene životinje, kao ni hranilišta. Zagreb kao glavni grad Hrvatske nema azil za macke. Završni dio toga prvoga dijela clanka dokumentira kljucne animalisticke izložbe u Hrvatskoj. Tako su iste godine or-ganizirane dvije animalisticke izložbe u Zagrebu – jedna likovnoanimalisticka, a druga iz aspekta etnozoologije i antropologije životinja – Sve naše životinje. Animalisticke teme u hrvatskoj modernoj likovnoj umjetnosti (Moderna galerija, Zagreb, 2017, autorica izložbe: Dajana Vlaisavljevic) i O životinjama i ljudima (Etnografski muzej, Zagreb, 2017., autorice: Željka Petrovic Osmak, Tea Rittig Šiško, Gordana Viljetic), na kojima su svoje izložbeno mjesto pronašle, naravno, i macke. 
Drugidioteksta(RosanaRatkovcic)upozoravakakosenahrvatskimotocima povecava broj macaka lutalica zbog kucnih ljubimaca koje dovode turisti te ih nakon završetkaljetovanjaostavenaotoku. Naprimjeru otokaSilbeijedinog isto­imenog naselja na otoku, autorica demonstrira pozitivnu praksu samoorganiziranja lokalnog stanovništva u brizi i zaštiti otockih macaka lutalica. Postoji nekoliko otocana koji su se isprva samoinicijativno poceli brinuti o napuštenim mackama, okupljajuci ih u svojim domovima i pružajuci im hranu, zaštitu i njegu. Nedavno je pri Udruzi za zaštitu prirodne i kulturne baštine otoka Silbe osnovana sekcija „Macic“ koja okuplja otocane i njihove goste koji zajedno rade na zaštiti macaka. Prikuplja se novac za hranu za napuštene macke koju clanovi sekcije raznose na mjesta na kojima se macke okupljaju. Zalaganjem Petre Hillinger, turistice iz Austrije, organizirana je velika akcija steriliziranja i kastriranja otockih macaka kako bi se zaustavilo povecavanje broja macaka lutalica na otoku. 
Suzana Marjanic, Ph.D., Research Advisor, Institute of Ethnology andFolklore Research, Šubiceva 42, Zagreb, suzana@ief.hr 

Rosana Ratkovcic, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, University North, Trg Žarka Dolinara 1, Koprivnica, Croatia, rosana.ratkovcic@zg.t-com.hr 

Gradivo 
Materiale 


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23 STUDIA MYTH O L OGICA SLAVICA 2020 
255 – 258 | https://doi.org/10.3987/SMS20202314 
Naš Triglav 

Ko mi je prababica Marija Ban - Frigleva iz Prelož v šestdesetih letih 20. stoletja pri­povedovala o staroverskem izrocilu, mi je že na zacetku pripovedi zaupno dejala: »To ti povem zato, ker si naš!« Takrat sem pac mislil, da to pomeni, da sem iz iste rodbine. Pa mi je hitro pojasnila, da to nima zveze samo z rodbino, da je pomen mnogo, mnogo globlji in da bom to razumel, ko bom odrasel. In res se mi je na tak nacin izraz »naš« pocasi odstiral s pripovedmi drugih nosilk staroverskega izrocila veliko pozneje, ko sem obiskoval njihove hcere, rojene med letoma 1920 in 1930. 
Ena izmed njih je bila tudi Marijana Mevlja (por. Božeglav), med vašcani bolj po­znana kot Marija Rajceva, rojena leta 1922. Rajcevi, Ivancevi, Majlenderjevi, Kohtovi, Caccevi, Fincetovi, Mevljovi, Vidcevi in Ulcarjevi so bile družine, ki so bile vse iz rodu s priimkom Mevlja po prvonaseljenem Matjažu. Celo njihove hiše so se držale skupaj, saj so si potomciene družine samo dozidavali domove ob že obstojeci ocetovi hiši. Med seboj so bili zelo povezani in od svoje mame nisem nikoli slišal, da bi bili kdaj hudo sprti. Seveda so bili med njimi manjši nesporazumi, a nic vec kot to. Tudi moja mama Olga Ivanceva in Marija Rajcevasta si bili zelo blizu in prijateljici. Ko je morala Marija zaradi zdravstvenih težav v pozni starosti oditi v oskrbo v sežanski dom upokojencev, sem moral svojo mamo veckrat peljati k njej na obisk, tako kot k nekaterim drugim Lokavkam in Preložkam, ki so bile tam, npr. Karlina Liletova, Pepka Trepceva, Marija Mihatova. Vcasih sem šel po narocilu in priporocilu svoje mame tudi sam, da jim pone-sem kaj malega,pa naj si bo samo tri pomarance. To je bil predvsem znak pozornosti, s katerim jim je dala vedeti, da pogosto misli nanje – eden tistih prepoznavnih znakov, kaj pomeni biti »naš«. Bil je globoko zakoreninjen v podzavesti vaške skupnosti, predvsem tistega dela ljudi, ki so izhajali iz staroverske in avtohtone skupnosti. Precej prišlekov je bilo iz drugih slovenskih pokrajin; prihajali so s trebuhom za kruhom in se nastanili v naši vasi, saj dela in zaposlitve v hitro razvijajocem se Trstu ni primanjkovalo. Tudi zaledne vasi so bile pod vplivom tega razvoja, saj je skoznje potekal predvsem furmanski promet iz pristanišca v osrcje Avstro-Ogrske in obratno. Pred izgradnjo železniške proge Dunaj–Trst (1842–1857) ali Južne železnice je glavna pot potekala prav skozi našo vas Lokev. Zanimivo pri tem naseljevanju je bilo, da so prišleki še dolgo casa veljali za fo­rešte – tujce; trajalo je kar nekaj desetletij, da so se pocasi vkljucili v vaško skupnost. Iz pripovedi najstarejših vašcanov sem lahko zasledil, da jim niso zaupali, ker so bili prevec farški ali kršcansko pobožni in niso ohranili niti trohice staroverstva, kar pa ni veljalo za potomce Uskokov, ki so prišli že veliko prej. Izvedel sem tudi, da Mevljev rod cerkvi ni bil prevec naklonjen že davno, davno prej, preden je prišel na oblast komunizem. 

Pri enem od takih obiskov pri Mariji leta 2006 je pogovor nanesel tudi na izraz »naš«. In takrat mi je dejala brez zadržkov, da so »naši« bili in so še vsi tisti, ki so ohranili vsaj eno majhno koreniko stare vere. Vprašal sem jo, kaj pomeni stara vera, ceprav sem o tem že precej izvedel od nosilcev izrocila, pa tudi iz književnosti. V oporo mi je bila predvsem knjiga Slovanska mitologija in verovanje (1990), ki jo je napisal Damjan J. Ovsec, in nekatere druge. Dejala mi je, da tudi ona kot otrok o tem ni vedela kaj dosti, mislila je, da so pripovedi starejših vašcanov pravljice. Šele malo pred drugo svetovno vojno, okrog leta 1940, ji je mama Marija Petaros iz Grocane, por. Mevlja (1878–1953), povedala,daobredipriprošnje, cešcenja, zašciteinodurocitveizvirajo izstarevere,kiso jo imeli naši predniki, preden so jih na silo ali na prefinjen nacin pokristjanili. In še, da je njena mama vse to izvedela od svoje matere, njene none Marije Višnjevec, po rodu iz Vrhpolj. Moja tiha misel je bila, da sta to dve vasi, ki sta ohranili precej vec staroverstva kot druge v bližini Lokve. Sledilo je vprašanje, ali vem, kaj predstavlja »naš Triglav«. Odgovoril sem ji, da našo najvišjo in najlepšo goro in starega boga. »Ja, ampak ali veš, kaj predstavlja ta bog?« je vprašala še enkrat. Samo namršcil sem obrvi in ji s tem dal vedeti, da nimam pojma, ceprav to ni bilo res; zanimalo me je, kaj mi bo povedala o tem. 
Sledilo je njeno pojasnilo: 
Že samo ime da vedeti, da je ta naš bog imel tri glave, to pomeni tri bogove v enem! Desna glava je bil bog Kres, ki je varoval nebo, in ce ljudje niso delali dobro z naravo, jim je pošiljal strele na zemljo in jih tako kaznoval! Kamor trešci strela na tla, tam zraste njegova roža plutnek (perunika). Tega starega boga so se ljudje najbolj bali, ker so bile njegove strele nepredvidljive! Leva glava je bil bog Vilež, ki je varoval podzemlje, duše rajnkih in vile, na površju pa je šcitil domace živali. Pazil je tudi na ljudi, kaj delajo za casa življenja, in ce so se prekršili proti naravi in živalim, je povzrocalpotrese. Ma sedajboš pa presenecen: srednja glava, malo višja, je bila ženski bog, varovala je naravo ali ji škodovala. Spomladi in poleti je to bila Živa in je bila ljubica Kresa, ob polni luni avgusta meseca pa se je spremenila v Moro in tako postala jeseni in pozimi ljubica Vileža. Vidiš, in tako deluje tudi narava! Kadar grmi in bliska in se valijo megle iz jam, takrat se oba moška bogova tepeta za prevlado, obe ženski pa za naravo. Prva dela dobro, ko narava ozeleni in oživi, zato ima tudi tako ime. Druga dela slabo in naravo umori, zato ima tudi ona ustrezno ime. Te boginje naši predniki niso castili, ampak so jo crtili. Tako so naši predniki videli in verjeli v tega boga, tudi še ene druge! Moj oce Jožef Mevlja mi je povedal še to, ce so te stvari prišle na uha farjem (ušesa župnikom), ki niso bili 



Cokov zapis o Triglavu iz leta 2006. 

»naši«, se je lahko marsikaj hudega zgodilo! Tako so Dulancem1 razdejali svetišce v Gluhem dolu. Anbot (nekoc) davno nazaj so se Dulanci hodili štirikrat na leto klanjat v Gluhi dol, sedaj je od Cevitnikovih, tudi iz naše Mevljove rodovine. Takrat so še živeli na Reni. So delali wfer2 podobno kot v cerkvi, samo tam niso dajali šoldu (denarja), temvec rože, sadje in take domace stvari! So se najprej vicali (ocistili) pod eno veliko steno in potem šli k trem velikim kamnom.3 In so tudi kakšnega od »naših« ljudi obesili kot carovnika ali carovnico, so tudi to govorili ta stari, da se je dogajalo na Podgavju4 pri Grebenu! 
Celjust se mi je povesila od presenecenja in razburjenja, saj sem tako razlago o Tri­glavu slišal prvic. In takoj sem pomislil, da ni nic cudnega, da so v okolici Lokve, Divace in Prelož tri obredna mesta, ki so povezana z bogom Triglavom, njemu v nasprotje pa še cerkveni pil Svete trojice. 
Potem mi je pripovedovala o svojih prednikih Rajcevih, da so bili zelo pridni, modri in ne prevec naklonjeni cerkvi. Kako so pridobili ogromne posesti proti Divaci, Povirju in Matavunu. Pa tudi o moževih – Tonckovih božeglavcih, kako so bili za tiste case izredno bistri in preudarni, ceprav so bili še nepismeni. Vse to mi je pripovedovala z velikim ponosom in obcudovanjem do njih. Žal je kmalu za tem umrla in verjetno odnesla v grob še marsikatero skrivnost. 
Boris Cok, Lokev 
1 Dulanci – vašcani Dulanje vasi v Lokvi, po starem imenovane Rena. Renati v narecju pomeni ‘vzrejati, 
vzdrževati, npr. otroke ali celo družino’. 2 Wfer – narecni izraz, ki verjetno izhajaiz italijanske besede ofrire ‘podariti’. Pri maši se je šlo okrog oltarja, spotoma se je poljubilo moštranco, potem pa darovalo denar v škrapco – mošnjicek. 
3 Ti so pomenili boga Triglava (kasnejši dodatek zapisovalca – v originalnem zapisku tega ni). 4 Podgavgami – pod vešali. 
R
ecenzije in porocila o knjigah 
R
ecensioni di libri 


B
ook  reviews 

Jirí DynDa, slovanské PohansTví ve sTreDovekých ruských kázáních. [slavic PaGanism in meDieval russian homi­leTics] Praha: scriPTorium 2019, 408 sTrani, 41 slik. 

Ceški religiolog in slavist Jirí Dynda je pravkar naredil naslednji korak v svojem izjemno plodnem prizadevanju za ponovno objavo pisnih virov, ki govorijo o nekr-šcanskem verovanju Slovanov. Potem ko je leta 2017 izšla njegova knjiga srednje­veških virov v latinšcini, ki se nanašajo na prostor zahodnih Slovanov, je pravkar objavil zbirko srednjeveških pridig v stari knjižni vzhodni cerkveni slovanšcini. Gre za besedila, ki poleg Pripovedi o minulih casih (znani tudi kot Nestorjeva kronika) vsebujejo najbolj znana besedila, ki jih že dolgo navajajo vsi raziskovalci verovanja starih Slovanov, zlasti vzhodnih Slovanov. 
Dyndajedesetnajpomembnejšihvirov razvrstil enega ob drugem, z originalnimi besedili razlicnih redakcij in v vzporednem ceškem prevodu. To bralcu omogoca pre­gledne strukturne primerjave in raziskovanje morebitnih povezav. A sopostavljeni viri predstavljajo samo tretjino obsega knjige; prvi dve tretjini zavzemajo komentarji, pred­vsem pa obširna analiza pripovedi. Pri tem gre za tekstnokriticne literarnozgodovinske prijeme, ponekod pa tudi za vsebinske pri­merjaves porocililatinskihvirovinceloza primerjave z nekaterimi folklornimi izrocili. Vse to je namenjeno iskanju odgovora na osnovno vprašanje: kaj je tisto, na kar pri­digarji ciljajo. 
Medtem ko je povsem nedvoumno, da so avtorji kršcanski duhovniki, ni tako jasno, kdo so njihovi poslušalci. Besedila so v precejšnji meri kompilacija starejših predlog. Gre za boljše ali slabše prevode iz bizantinskih grških besedil kot tudi za odlomke starejših cerkvenoslovanskih spisov. To osnovno gradivo so pisci nato predelali do te mere, da so besedila postala razumljiva novemu obcinstvu. Žal ni trdnih meril, ki bi pomagala razlocevati med literarnimi umotvori piscev in opisi splošno znanih realij v njihovem življenjskem okolju. To dobro kaže zgodovina raziskav, ki jo Dynda vestno dodaja posamicnim primerom. Iz nje je razvidno, da je pristop posameznih interpretov mocno individualno arbitraren. Kar nekateri jemljejo za cisto resnico, je drugim literarna izmišljotina. Seveda ima pri tem veljavo zdravorazumska predpo­stavka, da so imeli pisci pridig opraviti z necim realnim, kar so razumeli kot odklon od pravovernega kršcanstva. Ce bi bile vse njihove navedbe cista izmišljotina, bi nastal problem motivacije, zakaj se sploh vznemirjajo. Dynda tako krmari med Scilo fantazije in Karibdo ciste resnice, pri cemer senebojipovedatilastnegamnenja,ceprav ve, da je subjektivno. Tak pristop mu štejem v dobro, kajti nacelno ne zaupam avtorjem, ki razglašajo lastno nepristranost in navi­dezno objektivnost. Kaj takega namrec ne 
more obstajati. 
Dynda odklone, ki jih opisujejo pridige, obravnava kot dedišcino poganskih navad, verovanj in ritualov, ki pa jo je treba presojati v kontekstu kršcanske kulture, v kontekstu tamkajšnje srednjeveške in novoveške reli­gioznosti, ki je imela sinkreticni sestav iz razlicnih delov, vendar je vseeno delovala celostno. S tem skuša tudi preseci pojem dvojeverja, ki je v srednjem veku, po nje­govi analizi, pomenil dvolicnost in so mu šele moderni avtorji podelili pomen hkratne vere v dva religiozna sistema. To izlocanje dvojeverja je rdeca nit Dyndove spremne študije. Morda bi se komu zdelo, da gre za njegovo raziskovalno kaprico, vendar je mnogo vec kot to. Gre za paradigmaticno drugacen pogled na tedanje verske razmere, ki omogoca drugacna raziskovalna vpraša­nja. Od vprašanj pa so odvisni odgovori, ki jih išcemo. Že samo iz Dyndovih navajanj je razvidno, da se interpretiranje religije vzhodnih Slovanov že dolgo vrti v istih krogih, ki jih dolocata vera in dvom, ne pa povecevanje razumevanja. To stanje lahko presekajo samo povsem nova vprašanja. 


Ponovnojetrebapoudariti,dasoavtorji virov o verovanju Slovanov kršcanski du­hovniki in dasmo odvisni od njihoveoptike. Njihovi opisi so samo odmev necesa. Cesa? Kaj so videli? Kaj so razumeli? Kako so razumeli? Kaj so bili pripravljeni napisati? In ce govorimo o omenjenih pridigah, so bile te zelo ocitno namenjene kristjanom, nemalokratsogovorilecelooneprimernem obnašanju kršcanskih duhovnikov. Kot da stojimoprednevidniminformacijskimzidom. 
Trdim, da nam prehod preko tega zidu pomaga ustvariti folkloristicno gradivo, ki sta ga v zahodni Sloveniji našla Pavel Medvešcek(Iz nevidnestranineba:razkrite skrivnosti staroverstva, Studia mythologica Slavica, Supplementa, suppl. 12, Ljubljana 2015) in Boris Cok (Vsiju mesecine, Studia mythologica Slavica, Supplementa, suppl. 5, Ljubljana2012).Obapodajataprvoosebne izpovedi ljudi, ki so neodvisno od kršcanstva ohranili svojo staro vero do naših dni. Na tem mestu ni pomembno, koliko je ta vera podobna tisti iz srednjega veka, zadošca že samo to, da gre za pogled z druge stra­ni informacijskega zidu. In sedaj imamo možnost preveriti, kaj ta pogled pomeni na kršcanski strani zidu. 
Navedel bom samo en primer. Gre za globoko prepricanje o starosti domace vere, predvsemotem, dajestarejšaod kršcanstva, ki se je uveljavilo kasneje. To prepricanje je pomembno v sporu o tem, kdo je bolj upravicen do obstoja v nekem prostoru, do obstoja, ki pomeni vero kot nacin življenja. In v takem sporu je normalno, da se argu­mentacija poenostavi na vprašanje, cigav bog je starejši. Ko postavimo to vprašanje, postanemo pozorni na pridigo (Pridiga in razodetje svetih apostolov), ki je Dynda ni uvrstil v svoj izbor in mimogrede omenja samo njen odlomek (str. 51). Ta pridiga namrec trdi, da so bili Perun, Hors, Div, Trojan nekoc ljudje v Rimu, Grciji, na Cipru in drugod, ki so jih pozneje ljudje zaceli lažnivo castiti po božje. Dynda odlomek obravnava kot literarno zanimivost. V luci vprašanja, cigav bog je starejši, pa dobi izjemno velik pomen. Domislica avtorja pridige je seveda brez tega vprašanja brez motivacijein navideznonakljucna. Vendar ni, dokazuje, da je tudi tedaj obstajala živa diskusija o tem, cigav bog je starejši, doka­zuje, da je ob kršcanski skupnosti obstajala nesinkreticna skupnost starovercev, ki se je borila za svojo identiteto in jo skušala ohraniti. Dokazuje, da je tudi pokristjanje­na javnost verjela v vecjo starost naštetih bogov, kar je pisec lahko razvodenil samo s trditvijo, da so res starejši, da pa so lažni, ker so bili v resnici to nekoc ljudje. 
Primer kaže, kako odlicno jesestavljena knjiga Jiríja Dynde – je kot instrument, iz katerega lahko izvabimo nove zvoke, ce le znamo najti pravo struno in nanjo zabrenkati. 
Andrej Pleterski, Ljubljana 

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