On the Methods of Constructing a Mythological Text: Slavic Folk Beliefs regarding the Spots of the Moon
On the Methods of Constructing a Mythological Text: Slavic Folk Beliefs regarding the Spots of the Moon

Summary/Abstract: The dark spots visible on the surface of the full Moon have been diversely interpreted in the Slavic folk calendar, with a partial overlapping being noted upon the consolidation of relevant thematic groups. The article provides an overview regarding the explanations, concerning the origin of lunar spots, widespread among the Slavic people. The comparative analysis of the Slavic narratives on lunar spots indicates the distribution of the text into different morphological elements, enables the ascertaining of mutual correlations and combinations, and shows how they are being used to “assemble”, construct texts in different regional traditions, determining the “grammatical” structure of the mythological text as a whole.

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