A Near-Death Experience Narrated by a Vepsian Woman
A Near-Death Experience Narrated by a Vepsian Woman
Author(s): Madis Arukask, Eva SaarSubject(s): Christian Theology and Religion, Customs / Folklore, Cultural Anthropology / Ethnology, Culture and social structure , Sociology of Culture, Eastern Orthodoxy, Sociology of Religion
Published by: Tartu Ülikool, Eesti Rahva Muuseum, Eesti Kirjandusmuuseum
Keywords: animistic beliefs; near-death experience; Vepsians; vernacular Orthodox Christianity;
Summary/Abstract: This article focuses on the immediate near-death experience of an elderly woman living in traditional Vepsian culture. We analyse which universal, and which more culturally motivated features are present in her story narrated to us in 2018. We conclude that, despite the strong association with animistic beliefs in the informant’s everyday life, the experience is dominated by elements specific to vernacular Orthodox Christianity. The article presents a translation from Vepsian of a fragmentary personal experience narrative.
Journal: Journal of Ethnology and Folkloristics
- Issue Year: XVIII/2024
- Issue No: 1
- Page Range: 113-128
- Page Count: 16
- Language: English
