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The Ethnology Notebooks. 2022. № 3 (165), 664—673

UDK 392:392.12:477.86/.87

DOI https://doi.org/10.15407/nz2022.03.664

ANCIETARY CUSTOMS AND RITUALS OF UKRAINIANS OF OPILLYA AND BOYKIVSCHINA

DENYS Iryna

  • ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9646-2100
  • Candidate of Historical Sciences,
  • Associate Professor,
  • Ukrainian National Forestry University,
  • Department of Philosophy, Sociology and Cultural Studies,
  • 103, General Chuprynky Street, Lviv, 79057, Ukraine,
  • Contacts: e-mail: idenys15@gmail.com

VOITOVYCH Nadiia

  • ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6313-9585
  • Candidate of Historical Sciences,
  • Associate Professor,
  • Stepan Gzhytskyi National University of Veterinary
  • Medicine and Biotechnologies,
  • Department of the History of Ukraine, Economic Theory and Tourism,
  • 50, Pekarska Street, Lviv, 79000, Ukraine,
  • Contacts: е-mail: wojtovych@ukr.net

Abstract. From ancient times in the minds of Ukrainians the image of a woman is closely associated with the guardian of the family, home comfort and well-being, as evidenced by various Ukrainian proverbs and sayings: «A man in the house — the head and a woman — the soul», «A woman holds a house by three corners, and a man by one…», «Like a hen with chickens, and a woman with children», etc. That is why the figure of the Ukrainian woman as a mother, as a good/bad wife, daughter-in-law or daughter, and on the other hand, as an independent strong person is always relevant for researchers.

Our study focuses on the figure of a pregnant woman, in particular the attitude of Ukrainians to pregnant woman in the historical and ethnographic areas of Opillya and Boykivshchyna, analyzed the antenatal customs and rites of opillians and boykos, revealing common and distinctive features in folk beliefs about pregnancy, birth process and protection of the newborn baby.

The birth of a newborn has always been a significant event in every family. And this is natural, because the family is replenished with a new member, with whom parents and relatives have certain hopes and expectations. Antenatal rites of the inhabitants of Opillya and Boykivshchyna from the end of XIX — beginning of XXI centuries is always relevant and an integral part of the spiritual culture of Ukrainians, because it is a system of diverse customs and beliefs, in which the rational is closely intertwined with the magical and religious аnd Christian.

The research methodology is based on the use of the principles of historicism, systematicity, scientificity, verification, authorial objectivity, as well as on the application of comparative-historical, structural-functional, statistical, deductive methods, typological and complex analysis. The scientific novelty of the work is that for the first time in Ukrainian historiography and ethnology a study of antenatal customs and rituals of the inhabitants of Opillya and Boykivshchyna from the end of XIX to the beginning of XXI centuries.

Keywords: maternity rites, antenatal customs and rites, folk beliefs, pregnant woman, baby, Opillya, Boykivshchyna.

Received 17.06.2022

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