The use of border signs in the Carpathian region: Contribution to the understanding of borders in the Middle and Early Modern Age
The use of border signs in the Carpathian region: Contribution to the understanding of borders in the Middle and Early Modern Age

Author(s): Pavol Maliniak
Subject(s): History, Geography, Regional studies, Middle Ages, 16th Century
Published by: Historický ústav SAV
Keywords: Carpathian region; Early Modern Age; Middle Age; border sign;
Summary/Abstract: Closer attention has been paid to historical phenomenon of borders over the recent years. And yet the research does not only focus on traditional themes such as e.g. stability or mobility of borders. The research evaluates borders as manifestation of proprietary, political, ethnical, lingual, cultural and religious relationships. Presence and influence of borders is associated with social and religious awareness which was in different forms related to environment and influenced men’s activities in the past. Borders as well as other areas marked with crosses are related to mentioned categories. Numerous studies have concerned within individual European regions with themes of crosses and signs located in the landscape, especially on stones. We are familiar with complex elaboration of this topic e.g. from Switzerland or Sweden. Within the frame of Central and Eastern Europe, systematic researches from Czech Republic and Belarus have produced remarkable results. Particular localities in Slovenia and Poland have been evaluated according to interdisciplinary procedures mostly using the knowledge from religious studies, semiotics, ethnology and archaeology. Here we would like to focus on extension, forms, functions and meaning of border signs, mainly crosses, in the central region of Carpathian Mountains in Slovakia. The area developed in the Middle Age and modern times’ Hungarian kingdom where it belonged politically. Borders gained specific function in this multicultural environment when they could often present only formal barrier within opened civilisation area. On the contrary, real proprietary and administrative division of the area determined its continual existence. The work from Hungarian ethnographer Lajos Takács, where the author have assessed modern times evidence of cultural importance of border stones in christened folk society, has enriched the research of relationship with the studied region. In our own contribution we have been concentrating on mapping of border crosses occurrence in territorial-administrative unit of Zvolen County during broader time period from the 13th till 18th/19th century. symbols in Zvolen County as well as in neighbouring regions in the Middle Ages and in the early modern times. Subsequently we will interpret gained knowledge on the basis of comparative study considering the particularities of local development. On the example of selected areas, besides the characteristics of borders in formal and functional aspects, we will also point out its position within thoughts and ideas of both urban and rural inhabitants.Closer attention has been paid to historical phenomenon of borders over the recent years. And yet the research does not only focus on traditional themes such as e.g. stability or mobility of borders. The research evaluates borders as manifestation of proprietary, political, ethnical, lingual, cultural and religious relationships. Presence and influence of borders is associated with social and religious awareness which was in different forms related to environment and influenced men’s activities in the past. Borders as well as other areas marked with crosses are related to mentioned categories. Numerous studies have concerned within individual European regions with themes of crosses and signs located in the landscape, especially on stones. We are familiar with complex elaboration of this topic e.g. from Switzerland or Sweden. Within the frame of Central and Eastern Europe, systematic researches from Czech Republic and Belarus have produced remarkable results. Particular localities in Slovenia and Poland have been evaluated according to interdisciplinary procedures mostly using the knowledge from religious studies, semiotics, ethnology and archaeology. Here we would like to focus on extension, forms, functions and meaning of border signs, mainly crosses, in the central region of Carpathian Mountains in Slovakia. The area developed in the Middle Age and modern times’ Hungarian kingdom where it belonged politically. Borders gained specific function in this multicultural environment when they could often present only formal barrier within opened civilisation area. On the contrary, real proprietary and administrative division of the area determined its continual existence. The work from Hungarian ethnographer Lajos Takács, where the author have assessed modern times evidence of cultural importance of border stones in christened folk society, has enriched the research of relationship with the studied region. In our own contribution we have been concentrating on mapping of border crosses occurrence in territorial-administrative unit of Zvolen County during broader time period from the 13th till 18th/19th century. symbols in Zvolen County as well as in neighbouring regions in the Middle Ages and in the early modern times. Subsequently we will interpret gained knowledge on the basis of comparative study considering the particularities of local development. On the example of selected areas, besides the characteristics of borders in formal and functional aspects, we will also point out its position within thoughts and ideas of both urban and rural inhabitants.

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