Górnośląska demonologia na przykładzie polskich ujęć utopca, diabła, skarbnika i beboka w perspektywie historyczno-folklorystycznej
Demonology of Upper Silesia Based on the Polish Approach to the Utopiec, the Devil, the Skarbnik, and the Bebok from a Historical and Folkloric Perspective

Summary/Abstract: In Upper Silesia, Polish, German, and Czech influences have intertwined for centuries. In the 19th century, when Upper Silesia transformed into a highly urbanised and industrialised region, this process accelerated significantly. This article presents an analysis of the Upper Silesian imaginarium and an attempt to reconstruct the contemporary model of how four selected demonic entities were understood: the utopiec (drowned spirit), the devil, the skarbnik (mine spirit), and the bebok (boogeyman), chosen due to their significance in regional folklore. The utopiec, the devil, and the skarbnik appear frequently in folk narratives, while the bebok, despite a relatively small number of accounts, is a visually iconic element of Upper Silesian folklore. The analysis is based on available printed materials, including ethnographic studies as well as historical sources, particularly texts from the 19th and 20th centuries.

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