„Wodzenie niedźwiedzia”. O możliwych wariantach interpretacji obrzędowości zapustnej na Górnym Śląsku
“Bear Guiding”. On Possible Alternatives of the Interpretation of Shrovetide Customs in Upper Silesia

Summary/Abstract: “Bear guiding” is one of most characteristic and still practiced rites during the carnival period in Upper Silesia. The course and the internal structure of the ritual, especially the participation of a zoomorphic figure of “bear” in the ceremony, allows us to search for the interpretational analogies to other cultural facts. The study is focused on the role of animals in the folk culture and on a comparative analysis of the symbolic meaning of “bear” in the cycle of annual rites. The final conclusion address the culture-shaping role of animals with reference to selected elements of mythology.

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