Arta bogomilă şi simbolurile sale
The Bogomil art and its symbols

Summary/Abstract: The Bogomil art and its symbols is a study which tries to identify and classify the main motives and symbols that decorate the funeral monuments of the bogomils, the so- called stečak. These stečaks are mainly characteristic to Balkan countries (Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia, Dalmatia etc.), where the heretic religious movement of the bogomils had a great impact on culture and mentality. The decorative motives can be classified in four specific groups: a) animal decorative motives (the stag, hunting scenes etc.) b) vegetal decorative motives ( the grape vine, the lily etc.) c) cosmic decorative motives (the sun, the spiral etc.) d) human decorative motives (the man with the right hand raised up, the hora etc.) and e) other motives: the cross, the dove, the snake, the bow etc. Each symbol or motif has its own meaning and our attempt is to unfold the hidden language that hides behind their ornamental surface and put it in the right context.

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