Author(s): Oksana Tykhovska / Language(s): Ukrainian
Issue: 3/2020
The aim of the article is an analysis of folk beliefs of Ukrainians of Transcarpathia which deal with magic features of plant at Kupala night and studying their ethno-psychological basis. The specifics of the theme predisposed application of comprehensive approach to the research methodologies, among which there should be mentioned such as: analytical, genetic, structural-semantic, structural-typological, comparative-historical, psycho-analytical. Scientific relevance. The objects of the research are works of Transcarpathian folklorists of the first part of XXth century such as V. Potushnyak, F. Potushnyak, I. Fedorkov, M. Scherbey. Their works were published in periodicals of those days – “Literaturna nedilya”, “Podkarpatska Rus”, “Nash rodnyi kray” “Pcholka”. Beliefs and rituals which were described in these works were not the objects of separate research and this fact predetermines the novelty of this article. The V. Shukhevych’s and P. Shekeryk-Djnykiv’s ideas about plant magic in Kupala rituals of Hutsuls were used for typological comparison. Kupala rituals and spells have been presented through the prism of ethno-psychology and psychoanalysis for the first time. Conclusions. Belief in a wonderful power of plants at Kupala night became a precondition of appearance of various types of magic rituals which had 1) to provide marriage with a beloved man (rituals with “lyptytsya”, “nimytsya”, “korolytsya” and tyrlych), 2) to heal deceases (naked bathing in dew, running around the house, tying round the shoulders with the help of grass ropes), 3) to help to assert in the society (ritual which is performed be a man with “nimytsya”), 4) to condition increasing milk yield what concerning cows, 5) to find and neutralize the actions of witches. Plant magic in Kupala rituals of Transcarpathian peasants of the first part of XXth century was connected to love magic. Early in the morning girls looked for plants which were associated with their lovers and made metaphoric transference of their love on those plants: they talked to them and behaved as if those plants were their lovers. A girl tried to influence on the plant with magic rituals which could cause appearance of a real lover. With the help of different Kupala rituals people symbolically asked plants, water or dew to support them in their desire to find betrothed, to become healthy and successful, to overcome an enemy or to be successful at household issues. In such rituals a plant was regarded not as a love object, but as half-deity which was able to help asker after a great sacrifice.
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