Studia mythologica Slavica

An Ithyphallic Idol from the Monastery of St. Naum near Ohrid

Nikos Chausidis — 2023-07-13

The article presents a stone idol located in the courtyard of the monastery of St. Naum near Ohrid, discovered within its boundaries or somewhere in its surroundings at an unknown date. The authors offer a description of the monument, assumptions about its former appearance, and an analysis of its iconographic elements, with an emphasis on ithyphallicity and the pose of the hands. Through analogies, the article assesses the chronological and cultural affiliation of the idol, with arguments in favor of its potential Pagan-Slavic character. The monument is also observed in context of the mythological and religious traditions of the region, with a focus on the local cult of St. Naum and the legend of how he yoked a bear. In that direction, presented in the article are also the surrounding toponyms that contain Pagan-Slavic theonyms, with a predominance of those of a chthonic nature. The attribution and character of the idol is then derived on the basis of comparing its iconography with the domains of St. Naum as the depicted character’s Christian successor: agriculture, livestock, water, crafts, trade, as well as healing, especially of childlessness and mental illness.

Sacred Stones and Stone Structures in the Ritual Practice of the Turkic Population in the Southern Urals: Archaeological Evidence and Modernity

Ainur Tuzbekov — 2023-07-13

The article summarises, analyses and structures the beliefs of the Turkic population of the Southern Urals that are associated with stones, mountains, menhirs, karaski, stone mounds, tombstones, etc.
Based on the works of Russian and foreign authors, as well as on field materials gathered during the expedition trips in 2011–2023, two groups of beliefs are singled out: cults associated with stones of natural (divine) origin, and beliefs associated with stone constructions of man-made origin. Various forms of the use of stone and stone constructions by the Turkic people in modern ritual practice are described. The processes of sacralisation and desacralisation at the cult sites of the Southern Urals occurring at the present stage of development are considered. Beliefs related to gemstones, to which people gave special symbolic meaning, and attributed protective, magic and healing properties, are analysed separately.

Strategic Uses of Belief Narratives

Mirjam Mencej — 2023-07-13

Based on the fieldwork, the author discusses belief narratives from the perspective of their strategic use by individuals in everyday communication. When it serves them, the narrators can intentionally draw upon them, and mobilize them to their own benefit, to turn a situation to their profit, to save face, mask their deviant behaviour, conceal embarrassment and scandal, enhance their own prestige and reputation and lower that of a rival or a person with who they are in tense relationship.

Prezrti zgodovinski kontekst izročila o kralju Matjažu

Marija Klobčar — 2023-07-13

The diversity of depictions of King Matthias (Sln. kralj Matjaž) in Slovenian folk tradition, the contexts they are associated with, and the parallels with the traditions of other countries have posed a great challenge to folklore studies: due to disagreement among historical facts, the hypothesis that King Matthias was actually based on an older historical figure has become widely established. Based on the most important introductory line of Slovenian folksongs about King Matthias and, first and foremost, an analysis of different meanings of the term ‘Hungarians’ (Sln. Ogri, Germ. Ungarn), this article looks for this historical figure in the period predating Matthias Corvinus that represented the greatest watershed for Slovenians—that is, the period of Charlemagne, or the period when the Slovenians still maintained their economic and social power and its symbols—while also drawing attention to the critical period that followed.

Elements of Pre-Christian Beliefs in the Toponymy of South and Southeast Velebit

Mirjana Trošelj — 2023-07-13

The paper focuses on the toponymy of south and southeast Velebit associated with degraded and demonised mythical beings (fairies and old women, babas), which arises from the traditional symbolical perceptions and beliefs of the inhabitants of southern Podgorje. The work uses folk narratives, ritual songs and more recent written sources with the aim of interpreting toponyms in southern Podgorje that are evidence of the survival of pre-Christian, Slavic beliefs.

Elements of Slovenian national consciousness in relation to the mother country and the Latin American culture in narrative materials documented among Slovenians in Argentina

Barbara Ivančič Kutin — 2023-07-13

The article is based on a month-long field research conducted on three locations among Slovenians in Argentina in 2019, with the aim of documenting their (folk) narrative material. Most of the Slovenians cooperating as informants in this research are emigrants who settled in Argentina after the Second World War as political refugees, or their descendants. Immediately after arrival, this Slovene community established Slovenian centres called “Slovenian Homes”, which took care of the education and cultivation of the Slovenian language and culture (and thus identity), a role they have preserved to this day. The analysis determines which Slovenian elements most often appear in the narrative material at the level of language and “traditional” culture in relation to the native homeland of Slovenia and to Latin American culture, and which distinctions between cultures are most emphasized.

Marek Tamm, Peeter Torop (eds.), The Companion to Juri Lotman. A Semiotic Theory of Culture

Rok Mrvič — 2023-07-19

Suzana Marjanić, Mitovi i re/konstrukcije: tragom Nodilove “stare vjere” Srba i Hrvata

Lidija Delić — 2023-07-19

Saša Babič, Mateja Belak (ur.), Staroverstvo v Sloveniji med religijo in znanostjo

Manca Račič — 2023-07-19

Suzana Marjanić i Rosana Ratkovčić (ur.), Mačkozbornik: od Bastet do Catwoman

Danijela Vasić — 2023-07-17