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The Ethnology Notebooks. 2023. № 5 (173), 1265—1270

UDK 398.332(=161.2):271-565.8

DOI https://doi.org/10.15407/nz2023.05.1265

«PОLAZNYK» ON THE FEAST OF THE PRESENTATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY AS A REFLECTION OF FOLK RELIGIOSITY IN THE UKRAINIANS’ CALENDAR RITUALS

DIAKIV Volodymyr

  • ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9513-4364
  • Ph.D of Philological Sciences, Senior Researcher Fellow
  • of the Ethnology Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine,
  • 15, Svobody Avenue, 79008, Lviv, Ukraine;
  • Lviv Polytechnic National University,
  • department of the Ukrainian language, Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences,
  • 12, Bandera street, 79013, Lviv, Ukraine,
  • Contacts: e-mail: d.v.m.1029@gmail.com

Abstract. Introduction. The relevance of this paper is conditioned by the need to explore the folk and religious beliefs and views of Ukrainians associated with a «Polaznyk» («first visitor») on the Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary during the pre-Christmas and New Year period in calendar rituals.

Problem Statement. The subject matter of the study is the folk calendrical rituals of Ukrainians associated with a «Polaznyk» on the Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, particularly during the pre-Christmas period. The scope of the study is specific manifestations of folk Christian religiosity in these rituals.

Purpose. The purpose of the paper is to highlight the folk and religious views and beliefs inherent in the traditional pre-Christmas period, in particular, those associated with a «Polaznyk» on the Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, as well as to determine the tradition framework and further transformations, the peculiarities of the development of ideological, substantial, and structural elements.

Materials and Methods. The source base of the paper comprises mainly archive materials and field data, as well as academic literature on this topic. The main methods were comparative typological and culture-historical, as well as elements of structural and typological, geographical, and other methods of Ethnology.

Results. Based on the archive materials and field references, as well as academic literature, through the example of a «Polaznyk» on the Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a unique functioning of particular folk Christian religiosity in the system of traditional calendrical rituals of Ukrainians during the pre-Christmas and New Year period is analyzed.

Conclusion. Research has shown that the «Polaznyk» («first visitor») custom was among the fundamental ones. This custom is unique and it performs a specific function of reflecting the folk religiosity of Ukrainians as early as this initial stage of the pre-Christmas and New Year period in the traditional calendrical rituals. During the pre-Christmas and New Year period, a specific development of a particular folk religiosity is observed as early as on this Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Keywords: Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Polaznyk, folk religiosity, calendar rituality, tradition, beliefs, functioning.

Received 28.08.2023

REFERENCES

  • Galko, I. (1862). Folk customs and rituals from the outskirts over Zbruch described by Ignatii Galko (Vol. 2). Lviv [in Russian].
  • Petrushevych, A.S. (1866). All-Russian journal of church, family and folk holidays, household chores, omens and fortune telling. Lviv [in Russian].
  • Franko, I. (1898). Folk calendar. Etnohrafichnyj Zbirnyk (Vol. V, pp. 203—210) [in Ukrainian].
  • Zubrytskyi, M. (1900). Folk calendar. Folk customs and beliefs associated with days of the week and yearly holidays. Materials for Ukrainian ethnology (Vol. 3, pp. 33—60) [in Ukrainian].
  • Hrushevs’ky, M. (1993). History of the Ukrainian literature (Vol. I). Kyiv [in Ukrainian].
  • Hrushevs’ky, M. (1992). History of religious thought in Ukraine. Kyiv: Osvita [in Ukrainian].
  • Voropai, O. (1958). Customs of our people. Ethnographic essay. Munich: Ukrainian Publishing House (Vol. I, part 1, pp. 7—136). Toronto [in Ukrainian].
  • Onatskyi, Y. (1964). Introduction to the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In Onatskyi Yevhen. Ukrainian small encyclopedia: in 8 vol.and 16 books (Vol. 2, book 2, p. 130). Buenos Aires (Argentina) [in Ukrainian].
  • Kylymnyk, S. (1963). The Ukrainian year in folk customs in historical light: in V t. Winnipeg; Toronto (Vol. V: Autumn cycle) [in Ukrainian].
  • Voitovych, V. (2002). Ukrainian mythology. Kyiv: Lybid’ [in Ukrainian].
  • Tolstaya, S.M., & Tolstoy, N.I. (Ed.). (1995). Presentation of Mary. Slavic antiquities (Vol. 1, p. 293). Moscow: International Relations [in Russian].

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