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The topic of the study is the symbolic role of the offensive weapons in the antiquity. The analyses and conclusions are based mainly on the monuments and pictorial texts from ancient Thrace. Some aspects of the weapons as marker of culture, as signs of age and warrior initiation are of special interest. The most important weapons as the spear, sword and bow acquire their symbolic meaning from myth and ritual. The implicit meanings of some natural fenomena as sexuality, moon and plants, as well as cultural symbols like weddings, branding of the spear, ritual implementing of the marked weapons, exchanging the roles between weapons and tools, and power connotations of the weapons are studied in detail.
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The process of Europeization of Turkish culture started in the Tanzimat era embraced more and more spheres of social and cultural life. This spectacular transformation from Islamic to European culture is closely related to the appearance of a new type of intellectuals and artists as a result of a number of reforms in education and society as a whole. The rejection of previous and the acceptance and building of new European model are the main characteristics of transition from one civilization to another. In the field of fine art painting, it means not only applying new techniques, but rather change in the very conception of the world, the attitude of the artist toward the universe, nature and man. This is a process of an internal opposition between the ‘’traditional” and the “modem”. The 1914 Generation of Ibrahim Qalli, Hikmet Onat, Ruhi Arel, Feyhaman Duran, Nazmi Ziya, Namik Ismail, Sarni Yetik among them creates a new qualitative and even revolutionary change in Turkish art. Above all, it is a strive for a new and individual outlook, the stronger expression of the creator himself with a new approach and techniques that were closer to the impressionist and post-impressionist attitude to the world. They had the opportunity to enrich their experience and knowledge in Europe and to acquire a new outlook, or manner of thinking. Destroying the “old” in a revolutionary way they succeeded to ruin also the barriers to the new Modem Turkish art The spread of impressionism in Turkey or a “local” variant of it is due mainly to their efforts and works. What makes them closer to the “belle epoque” is rather the liberation of individuality as a leading principle of their creativeness than specific features of their style. Representing a modernist trend they, however, man aged to keep a balance between “the other” and ‘’the same”, to borrow from European art only what their internal need required and to the ex tent which gives answers to their beliefs and creative principles. The creative works of the “1914 Generation” often named “Turkish impressionism”, shows that the generation of the first Turkish modernists gives a very important impulse that inspired Turkish intellectuals to look for the “new” and the non-traditional. Thus, creators and innovators in the field of art, literature, journalism etc., play a decisive role and contribute to the building of new cultural identity of the Turkish nation at the beginning of 20th century.
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Although intended for the Christian temple, ecclesiastical woodcarving represents compositions influenced by the Folklore and the ancient Eastern mythology. It contains images of sirens, unicorns, centaurs, sphinxes, etc., but the lamias (dragons) are the most interesting among them. They appear on the royal gates, by the Crucifix, on the columns and woodcarving panels, etc. These teratological motifs offer very different mythological-folklore interpretations: the lamias as apotropaic sign, as chtonic creature, representing the great Mother-Earth, as one participant of the dual nature of the world, etc. Only in the late iconosthasis (the end of the 19th century and during the 20 century) the lamia appears according to the orthodox Christian ideas as a symbol of evil or Satan, but that means the end of the great epoch of the ecclesiastical woodcarving and its symbolic importance.
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In this paper I will review the impact of the designation of Jorge Bergoglio as the Catholic Pope on the field of religious heterodoxies in Argentina. From a post-colonial approach, i will consider his designation within the historical relations between the State and the Catholic Church in South America and its capacity to organize one of the most hegemonic and constitutional socio symbolic frames in which religious practices and beliefs struggle for legitimation and negotiates their position on Argentina’s religious field. In this context the concept of religious pluralism, proposed by the social sciences, operates as a device that regulates and administrates religious diversity rather than protecting it.
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This article reviews the impact of cultural factors on mental health of an Indian women. Marked gender discrimination in India has led to second class status of women in society. Their mobility, work, self-esteem and self-image, in fact their worth and identity, seem to depend upon the male members of a patriarchal society. Women’s lack of empowerment and both financial and emotional dependence have restricted their self-expression and choices in life. This, along with family, social and work pressures, has a definite impact on women’s mental health. This paper discusses some recent advances in the area of movements that has gained tremendous impetus in the humanities and social sciences is the rediscovery of the role of women in history and their contributions to human culture. These diverse collections demonstrate the far-ranging impact women have had on all aspects of culture. From innovative women artists and pioneering scientists and technologists to the woman who campaigned for universal suffrage and social equality, their stories provide a window on to women’s multifaceted contributions to our shared heritage.
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Labour migration has become a mass phenomenon among Albanians from the Republic of Macedonia – during the last five decades, tens of thousands of people have left their native areas, seeking profit in Western European countries in order to better their living standard. Remittances sent by migrants are an important source of income for relatives in their places of origin.Most surveys examining the effects of migration tend to deal with remittances spent on food, clothing, housing, education, and health services. Investments in family-based business activities often are another accent of analysis. In this paper, however, I pay attention to issues of community-based or collective remittances. In the theoretical literature, collective remittances are seen as donations which are turned into investments of public interest. Various community projects financed through collective remittances have taken place in localities with high rates of migration. What distinguishes these projects is, namely, the collective benefit or good they provide.This paper examines different forms of such local projects based on collective remittances and mutual community engagement in Albanian villages in Macedonia. With such resources, people urbanize their villages and also support seriously ill people or people who have been devastated by a disaster. Questions about the existence, uses, and impacts of collective remittances are analysed in relationship to the broader discussion of remittances and development.
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Sofia Palace of Justice is a largely public building with thousands of people of various backgrounds, mentalities, and dispositions crossing its areas. The monumental decorative artworks in the building are widely accessible to various publics. Ivan Penkov’s stained-glass pieces, found in different places within the building are among the most appealing works in the interior of the Palace. These were topical at the time of their creation, retaining their aesthetical and artistic qualities for posterity. Being a professional, Penkov imparted to his compositions much more symbolism than discernible on the face of it. He carefully wrought each detail impregnating it with a number of connotations. The stained- glass pieces retain the actuality of their messages to this day. One of the elements he has used, for instance, is book. In the stained glasses designed by the artist it becomes a symbol of the eternal and all-embracing knowledge, of primal wisdom and supreme law. Sword is another major element. Combining a sword with a book, the author focuses viewer’s attention on the power, significance, and the rule of law. At the same time he suggests a harsh but just in its essence punishment, meted out to those committing, both wittingly and unwittingly, a breach of law. As a third no less important element Ivan Penkov uses the central part of Bulgaria’s national emblem, seeking to establish Bulgarian national identity through this symbol. Due to being imbued with symbolism, Ivan Penkov’s stained glasses are worth studying and analysing even now.
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Art festivals, particularly in recent years, have participated increasingly actively in the exchange of cultural values in artistic life. An adequate evaluation of their role for the contemporary society requires a more precise definition of their specifics, potential, benefits, and possible adverse consequences. The paper analyses the attempts at classifications of the arts and types of festivals. Using the provided data, a model of a typology of art festivals is proposed. The model takes into account both the achievements of the theoretical apprehension of the arts, and the specifics of the festival practices, which draw energy from various systems of social life.
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