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Bird Symbolism in Lithuanian (Baltic) Folklore and Folk Art 111 Місце та роль народного мистецтва у культурному просторі ХХІ століття: осередки, майстри, художні ідеї Она ҐАЙДАМАВІЧЮТЄ ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-000-918-7208 УДК 398:[7.011.26.042:598.2](=172) магістр литовської філології, магістр мистецтвознавства, DOI https://doi.org/10.15407/nz2020.01.109 старший музейний працівник, Національний музей Литви, відділ етнічної культури, BIRD SYMBOLISM Arsenalo g. 1, 01143, Вільнюс, Литва IN LITHUANIAN (BALTIC) СИМВОЛІКА ПТАХІВ FOLKLORE AND FOLK ART У ЛИТОВСЬКОМУ (БАЛТІЙСЬКОМУ) ФОЛЬКЛОРІ ТА НАРОДНОМУ МИСТЕЦТВІ Ona GAIDAMAVIČIŪTĖ Постановка проблеми. Образ птаха, який має різні ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9181-7208 символічні навантаження, дуже важливий у литовському, master of Lithuanian philology, master of art history senior museologist worker, а точніше — у балтійському фольклорі та іконографії. Lithuanian national museum, Птахи у фольклорі й релігії виконують багато функцій, Department of the Ethnic culture пов’язаних з усіма стадіями людського життя (народжен- ня, шлюб, смерть). Птахи є також посередниками між не- бом і землею, між живими і мертвими. Мета статті по- лягає в обговоренні та узагальненні символіки птахів у Introduction. I suppose that the birds are the mediators of балтійському фольклорі й іконографії, а також порівняння heaven and earth. The prophetic chanting of birds, the ability його із аналогічними слов’янськими символами. Об’єктом to fly in the sky, the ability to land on plants, the particular be- дослідження стали птахи у литовському (балтійському) havior of the human senses were associated with the rhythm of фольклорі та в іконографії народного мистецтва. Акту- nature and its eternal change, the dynamism of space, the conti- альність обраної теми зумовлена недостатньою кількістю nuity of life. In folk art, birds are depicted on both sides of trees публікацій, присвячених символіці птахів у литовському and flowers, crosses or roof poles, and if one at the top. Birds наративному фольклорі та народній творчості. Образ пта- are depicted with wheels, concentric circles. They land on ei- хів у литовських народних піснях краще висвітлений, про- ther side of the circle or within the circle itself. Folk art contin- те у цьому випадку перевага надавалась структурно- ues the millennial tradition of giving importance to birds. Still, семантичному аналізу. Складна і багатопланова тема по- one of the most important birds in Lithuanian folklore, especial- требує різноманітних методів, серед яких основними ly the singing cuckoo, the destiny maker, the prophet of death, стали метод порівняльного аналізу, етнографічні та іконо- the “ancestor” of the goddess Laima, the fate bird. графічні методи, які дозволили вповні проаналізувати ли- Problem statement. Obviously, the image of the bird, which товський етнолігвістичний матеріал. carries various symbolic meanings, is very important in Lithua- Результати. У статті автор обґрунтовує припущення, nian, or rather Baltic, folklore and iconography. Birds in folklore, що у литовському (балтійському) фольклорі й народному religion, perform many functions related to all stages of human мистецтві птахи виступали посередниками між небом і life (birth, marriage, death), transformation, and accompany землею. Їхню можливість літати попід небесами, сідати на throughout human life. Birds are also mediators between heav- рослини, співати пісні, яким надавали пророцького змісту, en and earth, between the living and the dead. The purpose of здатність відчувати емоції людини пов’язували з ритмами this work is to discuss and summarize the symbolism of the bird природи, її постійними змінами, динамізмом простору, phenomenon in Baltic folklore and iconography. There will also безперервністю циклів життя. У народному мистецтві пта- be a comparative study of Slavic folklore and iconography. хів розміщували по обидва боки дерев чи квітів, кіл, коліс, The purpose of this work is to discuss and summarize the на хрестах і балясинах, інколи у верхній їх частині або у symbolism of the bird phenomenon in Baltic folklore and ico- середині концентричних зображень. Народна творчість nography. There will also be a comparative study of Slavic folk- продовжує тисячолітню традицію вшанування птахів. Од- lore and iconography. ним з найважливіших символів литовського фольклору Methods. Complex interdisciplinary research is used — eth- була зозуля, що співає — птах долі, пророк смерті, «пред- nographic, iconographic methods, as well as folklore (both sing- ок» богині Лайми. ing and narrative), folk art and ethnolinguistic material. Ключові слова: птахи, іконографія, народна творчість, Keywords: the birds, iconography, folk art, Baltic folklore, балтійський фольклор, зозуля, богиня Лайма, втілення, the Cuckoo, goddess Laima, incarnation, birds-psychopomps, птахи-психопами, сакральність, всесвітнє дерево, sacredness, the World Tree, structural-semantic analysis. структурно-семантичний аналіз. © O. GAIDAMAVIČIŪTĖ, 2020 ISSN 1028-5091. Народознавчі зошити. № 1 (151), 2020 110 Ona GAIDAMAVIČIŪTĖ ntroduction. The object of this work is birds in Lith- with bird attributes; 12) sacred birds; 13) bird sacrific- Iuanian (Baltic) folklore-folklore and iconography-folk es; 14) birds in ceremonies, choreography and hymns; art. The choice of theme is inspired by several factors. I 15) Birds in Professional Art and Fiction. have been interested in birds and ornithology since school. Still, we should look critically at the book by P. Dun- I have been a member of the Lithuanian Ornithological dulienė, because some of its hypotheses and interpretations Society for over 10 years. are much strained, and the sources and literature used are I also wrote a course paper «Bird Symbolism in Lithu- somewhat limited (the author uses sources only in Lith- anian Folk Art» in the 1st year art studies course. By the uanian, Russian and some — in German). way, in 2019 in North Athens (№ 11) I published an ar- Vida Olindaitė in 1987 made her doctoral disserta- ticle on the symbolism of the cuckoo in Lithuanian folk- tion «Nature in Lithuanian Folk Songs» at the Univer- lore «And the Three Cuckoos Came Out». sity of Tartu, Institute of Language and Literature of There are almost no articles on bird symbolism in Lith- the Estonian Academy of Sciences. According to dis- uanian narrative folklore and folk art and this is due to sertation V. Olindaitė wrote an article «Nature’s treat- paper`s topicality. The image of birds is studied a lit- ment of Lithuanian folk songs» (Texts and Contexts: tle more in Lithuanian folk songs, but more structurally- Language Movement, Kaunas: VU Press, 2005) [3]. semantically. V. Olindaitė also presented the article «Birds in Lithu- Research methods. This is a very broad, multi-lay- anian Folk Songs», unfortunately it is limited to the for- ered topic requiring a complex comparative research mal structural analysis of song types. V. Olindaitė dis- spectrum. Complex interdisciplinary research is used — cusses in more detail the parallel pair of cuckoo (virgin) ethnographic, iconographic methods, as well as folklore and hawk (young man) [4]. (both singing and narrative), folk art and ethnolinguis- It is important to add that ethnologist Daiva Šeškauskaitė, tic material. who has published her book «Erotica in Folklore» accord- Literature Review: The Image of Birds in Folklore. ing to her dissertation, also mentions the fluctuating sym- There are almost no articles on bird symbolism in Lith- bolism of birds. In the aforementioned book «Erotica in uanian narrative folklore and folk art. The image of birds Folklore» [5] D. Šeškauskaitė discusses the individual is studied a little more in Lithuanian folk songs, but more birds and their groups — pigeon; ducks; geese, swans, structurally-semantically. stork, winches; cuckoos; raven; genius; chicken and cock A little bird image was analyzed ethnolinguistically: symbolism in Lithuanian folklore and mythology. Ac- Birutė Jasiūnaitė masterfully performed the monograph cording to the ethnologist, birds have a diverse symbol- «Saints and the Wicked in Phraseology and Folk Cul- ism: they relate to the transformations of life (birth, mar- ture» [1]. For example, B. Jasiūnaitė, using comparative riage, death), symbolize the human soul. phraseology, finds an interesting parallel / pair between According to the ethnologist, every bird has its own the devil and the cuckoo: «neither the devil nor the cuck- role in folklore. Pigeon or dove mean dead people, their oo; Only for the eyes to look like devils in the cuckoo; spirit. Duck contributes to the creation of the world, You look like the devil in May». This further reinforces helping a girl who has turned into a woman to bring the hypothesis that the cuckoo is a bird associated with the soul of a child. Wild birds — geese, swans, storks, the Chthonic, dungeon, and death world. winches — are involved in the first reunion, sexual in- Pranė Dundulienė discusses birds in Lithuanian folk tercourse. Stork is asked to bring a child. Crow — the beliefs in detail in her book «Birds in Old Lithuanian devil bird that helps a guy find a girl. The genus is an Fates and Art» [2]. The book reviews many aspects of ancestral bird that represents rebirth and pairs two mu- bird image: 1) birds in Lithuanian folk art; 2) birds — tually appropriate people. creators of the universe out of chaos; 3) the emergence The object of this article is birds in Lithuanian (Bal- of the universe from the Cosmic Egg; 4) Birds in Ar- tic) folklore and folk art, iconography. The purpose of chaic Beliefs; 5) Birds
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