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« 2025. # 6 (186)

The Ethnology Notebooks. 2025. № 6 (186), 1480—1485

UDK 392.28+398.32

DOI https://doi.org/10.15407/

ROZZOKHA («TREE WITH TWO HEARTS») IN UKRAINIAN FOLK DE MONOLOGICAL ILLUSTRATIONS

SILETSKYI Roman

  • ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1451-5908
  • Doctor of Sciences in History, Professor,
  • Department of Ethnology,
  • Ivan Franko National University of Lviv,
  • 1, Universytetska Str., 79000, Lviv, Ukraine,
  • Contacts: e-mail: r.sileckyj@gmail.com

Abstract. The article is devoted to the traditional demonological beliefs of Ukrainians, in particular about the ghoul. The focus is on the ritual prohibition of using a dried tree in everyday life («a tree with two hearts», «double», «sprout», etc.). Despite the fact that the ghoul is a well-known character in Ukrainian and Slavic demonology, its connection with the scythe tree has not yet been the subject of attention by ethnologists and remains unexplored. This circumstance actualizes the chosen topic of the article, as it will deepen existing knowledge about one of the oldest characters in Ukrainian folk mythology.

The research objective is to clarify the origin of the ritual prohibition of using the dried tree in everyday life and the reasons for the demonization of this tree.

The object of study is folk beliefs about ghouls and their connection with the tree.

The subject of the study is ritual prohibitions, beliefs, omens, magical actions associated with the aforementioned demonologically marked tree, and the elucidation of their origin.

The territorial boundaries of the study cover all Ukrainian ethnic lands. The chronological framework of the article is limited to the 19th — early 21st centuries, which is due to the state of the source base. However, the conclusions go far beyond the specified chronology. Research methods — to achieve the set goal, the principle of historicism, historical and comparative method, typological, complex and retrospective analysis, and historical reconstruction were applied.

Keywords: ethnology, Ukrainians, folk demonology, funeral rituals, customs, ritual prohibitions, magic.

Received 21.10.2025

REFERENCES

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