MĂTURA – OBIECT CU VALENȚE RITUAL-MAGICO-SIMBOLICE
THE BROOM – OBJECT WITH RITUAL-MAGICO-SYMBOLIC VALENCES

Summary/Abstract: The paper ”The broom - object with ritual-magical-symbolic valences” aims to highlight the impact that the broom has both in the ontological universe of the Romanian village and in other cultural spaces. The benign-malignant binary anticipates a combination of functions: apotropaic, magical, ritualistic, therapeutic, utilitarian. The symbiosis (order-disorder, clean-dirty) announces the ambivalence of the broom, the lunge between the microcosm and the macrocosm, between the horizontal and the vertical plane. In the Romanian cultural space, the broom becomes a genius loci, a representation of the mythical ancestor. Not coincidentally, in the absence of the owner of the house, the broom was propped up in front of the door. At other times, in order to protect the newborn from the evil forces, the broom was placed next to the cradle. On the other hand, the broom becomes the prerogative of witches, being used either as a vehicle or as an indispensable tool in various magical practices. The empirical thinking of the man living in the world of the Romanian village imposes prohibitions, predictions, beliefs and superstitions. Having magical virtues, the broom was used in extreme situations. The folklore categories (riddles, spells, children's games, proverbs) emphasize the complexity and importance of this object endowed with ritual-magical-symbolic virtues.

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