« 2018. #6 (144)

The Ethnology Notebooks. 2018, 6 (144), 1394–1412

UDK 398.4:398.33](477.41/.42+476-12)

DOI https://doi.org/10.15407/nz2018.06.1394

Received 21.11.2018

CUSTOM OF RUSALKY`S RELEASE: LOCAL FORMS AND AREA PLACEMENT AT THE TERRITORY OF UKRAINE AND BELARUS POLISSIA

ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1240-8308

Kovalchuk Nadiia, candidate of sciences in history,

Scientific secretary at the State scientific center

of defence of cultural heritage from technogenic catastrophes,

21 Vyshhorods’ka Str., 04074, Kyiv, Ukraine.

Contacts: Tel.: 0508151794, email.: kovalchuk69@ukr.netkovalchuk.nadia6@gmail.com

Abstract. Whitsunday tradition of mermaids (rusalky`s) release is considered from the point of view of its local forms of expression and distribution areas on the territory of the Polissia of Ukraine and Belarus. According to the set of ritual actions, the appropriate variants of the custom were found and the geography of their distribution in the southeast of Belarus and in the northeastern part of the Right Bank Polissia and the northwestern part of the Left Bank Polissia of Ukraine was clarified.

Keywords: calendar custom, the Trinity cycle, the release of mermaids, the Polissia of Ukraine, the Polissia of Belarus.

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