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The cult of the Seto pre-Christian fertility God Peko has attracted research attention both from descriptive (Eisen 1909; 1936) and analytical aspects (Ränk 1933; Hagu 1975, 1997; Västrik 2017), the latter concentrating upon its geographical distributon and context among Finno-Ugric and Finnic deities. This article, based mainly on information collected in Setomaa since the 1990s, sheds light upon its latest phase of retreat and disappearance. The cult of Peko survived the longest in the small district of Mokornulk west of Obinitsa church village, historically extreme periphery of the Orthodox Pskov Government against the border of the Lutheran Government of Livonia. Last communal sermons of Peko were held in the hamlet of Ignasõ, 3 km southwest of Obinitsa, for the last time in the midle of 1930s when then the circle of participants was limited to ca. 6 old people from the same village. A living witness of the event remembers how women brought food to the idol covered by white cloth. Although the wooden image of the god disappeared from the public in the late 1930s already, it was kept and secretly worshipped by Peeter Ots (Otsa Petra) (1900–1980) (Fig. 1) in the neighbouring Navigõ hamlet until the end of his lifetime. The fact that the man was simultaneously a true and deeply religious Orthodox Christian, for years also the assistant of the priest of Obinitsa Church, gives evidence of the broad spectrum of vernacular religion. Another image of Peko which was widely used to get help in case of misfortune, trouble or poverty as late as in the late 1930s was secretly kept in Küllatüvä village until the late 1990s. In Ermakova village Akulina Mägi, a local healer (Fig. 3) used a wooden idol and a man-shaped image of rye straw (Figs. 4, 5) in rites related to first-time taking the cow out to the pasture in spring. Data of wooden idols, similar to Peko are also known from Setomaa from Saabolda hamlet, as well as from Lüütsepä (Fig. 6) and Palli hamlets near Ruusmäe/Rogosi manor in the southern part of Rõuge parish (Võrumaa) – also in remote periphery, near the Latvian border. The new data give evidence of broader distribution of the cult of Peko when compared to what was known before (Map 1), as well as about its longer duration. Although in Palli the image was called Peka, it must be noted that the variations Pek(k)o/Pek(k)a occur also in the tradition of eastern Finland and Karelia where the name also designates some supernatural being(s). Presumably, the cult of Peko relates to a broader ancient eastern Finnic tradition which once stretched from eastern Finland and Karelia over Ingermanland and lands east of Lake Peipsi to south-eastern Estonia. Although during the last decades Peko has obtained a new meaning among the Seto community – that of the sleeping god-king of whole Setomaa, waiting for its resurrection and new coming in the caves of Pskovo-Petchersky monastery – the topic of Peko as a god of the past is sometimes still not open for aliens.
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Review of: Vanaaja pulm. Valitud tekste ja pilte 16. sajandi keskpaigast 19. aastasaja viimase veerandini. Kokku seadnud Ants Hein. Tallinn: Tänapäev, 2018. 423 lk.
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Report on the conference “Noorte hääled” held at Estonian Literary Museum from April 24th to 25th, 2013.
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One of the most important tools when trying to establish a link between the past and the present is the study of historical novels. As Norbert Elias stated in his relational sociological work, The Civilization Process, written in 1939, civilization is actually a process of democratization and learning to tolerate polyphony in social relations – including sports – without the need for violence. However, his predictions about the development of democracy in proportion to the transfer of the monopoly of violence from the society to the state, unfortunately, could not be realized. As intolerance increased, people continued to show their reactions in different ways, whether physical or not, both in the public and private spheres. The main problem of the research presented here, in this context, is the gradual decline of tolerance as well as the polarization of human relations in various forms and ways in society. In this study, wrestling culture was interpreted as relational sociologically, especially from the legendary hero of Battalname Epic from Anatolian folk culture, Battal Gazi, using Elias and his figurative sociology. While examining the novel Battal Gazi, written by Ziya Şakir (2007), as a historical narrative analysis, in this qualitative research, duality and essentialism were rejected, while ambiguities, especially "liminality" and differences were emphasized. In the study, it has been found that historical events are reconstructed by both the author and the readers, and even inevitably by the researchers, self-reflectively. In the study, the characteristics of Battal Gazi as a historical hero who skillfully uses wrestling as a combat sport have been tried to be shown based on the novel.
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Friedrich Daniel Wahr (1749−1827) was a pastor of a Baltic German origin, a representative of the Enlightenment movement, who over his lifetime provided a great contribution to the development of Latvian literature and folkloristics. F. D. Wahr had studied at the Frederick’s College and the Albert University (Albertus Universität) in Konigsberg (now Kaliningrad), where he supposedly came in touch with the ideas of Pietism and Enlightenment. Straight after he graduated from the university, he went to Livonia and in an unusually short time was ordained as a pastor for the parishes of Palsmane and Aumeistari, where he worked all his life. Along with the activities of the pastor, F. D. Wahr actively worked as a translator both localising German texts and writing his own texts. The most important work of the pastor is his and Gustav Bergmann’s (1749−1814) book Palcmariešu dziesmu krājums (Song Compilation of Palsmane Inhabitants, 1808) published in Rūjiena, which at that time was the biggest collection of folk songs compiled by one individual (413 folk songs). It was also the first collection that was structured in chapters. The author of this article has examined whether and to what extent F. D. Wahr has ben an innovator or rather a follower taking into account the context of the time period. The author has also questioned to what extent these were occasional activities and to what extent it was goal-orientated work. The author has gathered the data on Palsmane and its surroundings in terms of the social and cultural aspects at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, which so far have not been studied. The author has also listed the literary works of F. D. Wahr providing an insight, as well as brief reflections on the creation of the Song Compilation of Palsmane Inhabitants.
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The article summarizes the motives for lifestyle migration from the city to the village of back-to-the-land migrants in Bulgaria. Among these motives are the search for and the achievement of self-realization through the initiatives initiated and the pursuit of a better and quality life. The survey shows that in the majority of respondents there is a contradiction between the notions of life in rural areas and its actual implementation. Achieving economic sustainability through the activities undertaken a major challenge, and the migrants develop different strategies to deal with it.The existence of their initiatives in the unstable context of the culture of capitalism is important for their development. Despite the difficulties, the various models that the representatives of the back-to-the-land movement are developing can serve as an example of the implementation of positive transformations in rural areas.
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The choice of where to live is also a choice of how to live (Hoey 2006: 366). The change of one’s place of residence appears to be crucial as the new place upbrings and guarantees the longed-for change in one’s lifestyle. Examples taken from the Slovak ecovillage of Zajezova and the Bulgarian village of Zhelen verify this. Migrants from civic environments who settled in thosetwo villages take care of their authentic selves, being conscious of and purposefully living in harmony with their values. They believe that the individual should delimit himself of the social expectations to find out what is authentic. They make this true they begin to live alternatively to the commonly adopted civic lifestyle. Being alternative is shown through the following key aspects: close relation to nature, conscious consumption, and production. Activities and attitudes related to these three aspects appear to be a toolkit for forming alternative identities and for becoming part of a community with similar values. How are these identities characterized and how do they manifest themselves in everyday practice? To answer this research question the article draws on the production and consumption practice of lifestyle migrants in Zhelen and Zajezova.
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The study presents a specific case of a family that moves to the countryside after retirement. Following the development of the narrative of the interlocutors, the author’s interpretations, in the first place, focus on the way in which the selected village (Pchelarovo) is positioned in the local context, in a network of relevant settlements. At the next stage, the specific situation is placed and made meaningful in the context of the life stories of my interlocutors, who build an argumentative line explaining their choice to move to the countryside. The meanings of the village and rural life derived from these contextualizations then unfold against the background of the everyday life of my interlocutors in the village. The aim of the author’s interpretations is to stay close to their sources, as the case unfolds through the narratives of the interlocutors, who are called to construct memories, set meaning and help to establish identity.
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The aim of the article is to present within the context of urban-rural migration the role of mobility between the village and the city in structuring the everyday life of the household members in the implementation of different activities related to work, education, leisure, social contacts and consumer practices. Therefore, various examples of mobility patterns of individuals and families in active age – some commuting daily and others visiting the city several times a month, some travelling short distances and others visiting more remote locations – are presented. From a theoretical point of view, in the article, migration is not perceived as a“movement from one place to another” (according to the classical migration definition)but as socio-spatial lifestyle strategies and practices of multi-place connectedness based on variable engagements with rural and urban activities.
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The main goal of this study is to establish the nature and specifics of craftsmanship carried out in Kyustendil and its surroundings during the period of the Bulgarian National Revival. The analysis of the available source materials shows that during that period, in the development of craftsmanship in the region significant changes occur, which become the basis for the establishment of more progressive production relations in this area of the regional economy. However, the implementation of these changes is accompanied by a number of opposing factors that determine the slow pace of their implementation. This is the main reason why the establishment of these relations could not take place during the historical epoch under study.
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The article recalls lesser-known facts from the relations between the Croatian bishop Josip Strossmayer and the brothers Konstantin and Dimitar Miladinovi in the period around the publication of the collection of folk songs from 1860. The bishop is among the main supporters of the idea of Bulgarian liberation a collection with the conviction that it helps the spiritual uplift of a glorious people in the past. The work of Bishop Strossmayer is an example of political courage and cultural foresight, and he emerged as a recognized leader of Slavic unity in the long service of his spiritual fast.
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The object of the present study is an unusual iconographic composition from the German Monastery, exhibited today in the exposition of the Sofia Museum, combining the figures of our famous saints warriors St. George and St. Mina, presented at first glance in his role as savior of a girl (princess), to which St. Mina hands over keys, and two wolf dogs are tied to the stirrup of his left leg. This is a very rare theme in the iconography of the holy martyr, brought by the folk cult of St. Mina, known among all Balkan nations for his mythical rule over wolves, and the icon was commissioned because of the prayed miracle St. Mina performed for the shepherds.
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Only a fragment from the complex and vast Macedonian music folklore will be presented in this paper thru the example of the village of Istibanja, Vinica region in which very strong bond with the tradition and active performance of the customs during one year still exists. The focus of the paper will be on the customs of the spring cycle in which intermingling of the spiritual and profane segments shows unique example of amalgam between pagan, orthodox Christian and local traditional beliefs and customs. Special attention will be dedicated to the meaning of the music segment from the festivities and during the performance of the customs.
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Entering the global world of the XXI century, we are increasingly aware of the need to return to the roots, to our original nature, to not be left alone and being lost in the new global reality. In this report my aim is to identify and highlight the intangible heritage of Botevgrad, which is endangered and, what is nowadays a part of our way of life and our faith, and traditions came from grandmothers. The report is based on comparison and analysis, raises questions and is an attempt to preserve the rich intangible heritage of Botevgrad.Entering the global world of the XXI century, we are increasingly aware of the need to return to the roots, to our original nature, to not be left alone and being lost in the new global reality. In this report my aim is to identify and highlight the intangible heritage of Botevgrad, which is endangered and, what is nowadays a part of our way of life and our faith, and traditions came from grandmothers. The report is based on comparison and analysis, raises questions and is an attempt to preserve the rich intangible heritage of Botevgrad.
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Статията анализира личните имена на 1 417 българи от севернодобруджанското село Липница, както са вписани в опис-декларации от 1940 г. – по групи, честота на употреба и като източник на допълнителна информация за етно-демографските процеси в Добруджа и България.
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The desacralization of lexemes such as Бог, Господ ‘God, Lord’ in interjections and figurative meanings in Bulgarian and Russian is studied within the framework of the linguоcultural concept of linguistic picture of the world, or worldview. According to the Bulgarian spelling norms, in sacred texts Бог, Господ, Божията Майка ‘God, Lord, Mother of God’ are written with capital letters as a sign of their sacredness, and in figurative meanings, inserted and interjected phrases it is recommended to write with a small letter, probably as a sign of desacralization. There are similar prescriptions in the Russian language.
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