“Between the Mouth of the Two Rivers”. The Agency of Water, Springs, Rivers and Trees in ancient Mesopotamian Cosmology and Religion

Author(s): Anna Perdibon / Language(s): English Issue: 44/2021

This contribution offers an anthropological view of holy waters, springs, sacred rivers, and trees in the ancient Mesopotamian religious framework. Water is omnipresent in Mesopotamian myths and rituals, particularly in association with the cosmic Apsû, the primeval source of all waters. The pristine waters flow out through springs in the mountains and form the flowing bodies of rivers. For the Babylonians and Assyrians, rivers and watercourses were sacred and cosmic entities, often worshipped as deities. The Tigris and the Euphrates particularly appeared as river deities, with life-giving, motherly, healing, and judging roles. This essay considers the interrelationships between the Apsû, springs and sacred rivers, and the associated sacred trees, mountains and anthropomorphic deities, to shed new light on ancient Mesopotamian notions about nature, religion, and the cosmos.

Індоєвропейські витоки обрядовості слов’янського епосу

Author(s): Nazarii A. Nazarov / Language(s): Ukrainian Issue: 1/2019

Was there a goddess Slava in Slavic pagan antiquity? Though there have been voices that it was possible, the analysis of Slavic folklore texts proved the issue to be more complex. The present paper shows that Ukrainian folklore as well as the folklore of other Slavic peoples may have preserved stable compositional clichés that can be traced back to Indo-European prototypes. In their turn, these clichés may be explained as the verbal reflections of ritual practices and sacred etiquette. It is stated that the final parts of Ukrainian dumas, Russian bylinas, and Serbian heroic songs that contain praise (slava) of natural forces can be regarded as remnants of pagan beliefs with strongly proved Indo-European background. The common motives of slava in different Slavic epic traditions give us important insights into the Slavic pagan religion. At the end of dumas, bylinas, and South Slavic heroic songs, there is a distinct part in which the singer, apart from the main story, blesses the audience and the universe. This part had preserved the composition scheme comparable to that of Old Indian stuti hymns, Pindaric, and Vedic poetry: 1) an invocation to the deity or a person with higher social rank; 2) a recounting of the previous (semi)mythological precedent; 3) a request. The obligatory lexical element of the final part of Slavic eposes is slava. As it is mentioned in the context of mourning over the dead or calming the natural forces, it is very likely that the concept was connected to the cult of ancestors and natural forces – one of the most archaic forms of religion. It is proved by two non-neighbouring cognate folklore sources. In Hutsul funerals up to the beginning of the 20th century, slava used to serve as a taboo name of the soul of the deceased. Meanwhile, at least up to 19th century, the Serbs preserved the holiday of slava that is interwoven with the cult of the dead (e.g., kolyvo was eaten during the rite). Thus, though we cannot claim the existence of the personified goddess named Slava, we have strong evidence about the notion of slava (praise, fame) that could have been current in Common Slavic religion. It is even more likely due to the underlying Indo-European tradition, in which the notion of fame was not personified though crucial for the ideology of warring elites (like in Pindar’s lyric). Such evasive notion of slava that was not always personified though praised comforts very well to the picture of ancient Slavic religion handed down to us by Procopius of Caesarea. He claimed that ancient Slavs praised natural forces, rivers, and forests. Likewise, in the fragments preserved in some of Ukrainian dumas and songs from Kirsha Danilov’s collection, the praise (slava) was sung not only to the heroes but also to rivers and fields.

ІНДОЛОГІЧНІ ДОСЛІДЖЕННЯ Д. М. ОВСЯНИКО-КУЛИКОВСЬКОГО

Author(s): Lyubov Dablo / Language(s): Ukrainian Issue: 2/2014

It is almost for a quarter of the century that our country is a free and independent state. It has become the subject of the international life, has joined the global world processes and is actively developing intercultural connections with other countries. Nowadays the western model of the development of the political and cultural relations is peculiar to Ukraine, but since Ukrainian culture was forming under the pressure of Indo-European culture in the old days, more and more often we can evidence the tendency for oriental traditions and the popularization of the Middle Eastern culture.And this direction is getting more significant as one of the fundamental models of Ukraine’s orientations. That is why oriental studies in Ukraine are becoming more important.At the end of the 19th – the beginning of the 20th one of the first scientists, who devoted himself to the oriental studies or, rather, developed the indological studies in Ukraine, was an academician D.M. Ovsyanyko-Kulikovsky. The scientist, known mainly among philologists, was at his time one of the most outstanding and popular Russian literary critics. An active participant of the social and political life of Ukraine, prominent scientist, essay writer, culturologist, linguist and educationist, he influenced the formation of the ideology of intellectuals of that time, the development of Ukrainian culture, higher and secondary education.Leading researchers of D.M. Ovsyanyko-Kulikovsky are A.V.Vietukhov, A.G. Gornfeld, T.I. Rainov. The researches of S.F. Oldenburg, P.M. Sakulin are of a particular value. Such scientists as M. K. Anikin, I.G. Ilyukhin, A.P. Kovalivskyi, M.V. Osmakov, M.N.Boiko, R. S. Zolotarev, U. V. Mann also studied the scientific heritage of D.M. Ovsyanyko-Kulikovsky. Among the Ukrainian scientists it is necessary to point out the works of O.I. Ladyga and L.O. Chuvpylo.Thus, in the view of the aforesaid we can make a conclusion that the scientific heritage of D.M. Ovsyanyko-Kulikovsky is always of a great interest for the scientists, the breadth of his soul and a rich scientific experience don’t leave anyone indifferent. The goal of this research is the analysis of one of the D.M. Ovsyanyko-Kulikovsky’s indological works. Dmytro Ovsyanyko-Kulikovsky (1853-1920) comes from the province of Tavria. He worked in Ukraine. Almost all his life he studied the Sanskrit, the culture and religion of Ancient India. One of his first works "The review of the myth about falcon, who brought the Soma plant" contains an analysis of Rigveda texts, where he reconstructs the main ideas and some mythological images of Indo-European origin, in particular the image of God Soma’s cult. From the studies of the Sacred Writings of the Ancient Indians appears another scientific work on linguistics "The cult of Soma in Ancient India", in which the author analyzes the hymns of Rigveda from social and psychological point of view and comes to a conclusion, that language is the best reflection of the ancient thinking and consciousness. The cult of Soma, that is widely represented in hymns, was some kind of a religious rite with the elements of sacrament and mystery, and the use of Soma’s drink gave people an impulse for psychological actions, for developing a language, sociability, inspired for creativity and cultural instincts of a person. And the combination of music, Soma’s drink and the speech of the priest threw into an ecstasy. The influence of such a state on the ancient person’s mind encouraged the development of thinking, imagination, that were gradually forming the precise system of mythological believes and the beginnings of the philosophical thinking. This rite was of a great importance for the people of that time.Thus, having studied properly the hymns of Rigveda, the scientist tried to understand how the perception of Indo-Aryans, the spiritual culture, the beginning of the creativity were developing. He emphasized the power of the influence of language on the people’s consciousness. The idea of the influence of language, that is felt in the hymns of Rigveda together with a heady Soma’s drink, on ancient people, wasn’t continued in linguistics, history of the culture and cultural studies at all.The contribution of D.M. Ovsyanyko-Kulikovsky on the development of Ukrainian science is significant. The research methods of the spiritual world of an ancient person with the help of the language, made by the scientist, are very important nowadays in such fields as linguistics, social anthropology and cultural studies.

Історична ретроспектива рецепції сакрального у європейській культурі

Author(s): Natalya Liva / Language(s): Ukrainian Issue: 27/2015

Central place in the article occupies the evolution of the interaction of the European people with the sphere of sacral on the different studies of social and historical progress. This interaction has been researched in the context of the dialectical opposition of faith and knowledge as basic forms of mental existention. Main attention is paid on the necessity of salvation of the conflict which has reached its culmination in the 20th century. The fundamental mission of culture – activities aimed at maintaining (culturing!) Humanistic values. It is designated function today acquires outstanding importance due to the pressing need to find ways to overcome the problems of European society corner of XX-XXI centuries – cultural crisis, largely caused by the crisis of spirituality.

Църквата „Св. Антоний“ в Мелник – чудотворни обекти и ритуални практики

Author(s): Yana Gergova / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 4/2020

Anthony is a highly honoured saint, considered to be a patron and a defender of various diseases. The church “St. Anthony” in the smallest town in Bulgaria – Melnik – is known exactly for its healing aspect and can be identified as one of the most sacred cult sites in the surroundings, connected with numerous stories of miracles, healings, interesting and rare ritual practices. The modern state and functioning of the church is a complex of different components that build the role and importance of the cult site as a very attractive place for pilgrimage and healing. Besides of the cult of the patron itself, these components include also various miraculous objects, iconographic features, the location of the church, and characteristic stories of miracles, media, and personal representations and interpretations. In this article, I will examine the cult of St. Anthony in the city and church dedicated to him through the prism of two basic elements – miraculous objects or other ones in the church area and beliefs and ritual practices related to them. It is precisely the connection between the different components of the cult site, combining diverse objects of pilgrimage, honoring, and usage, that creates a truly unique context in which this church, the only one in the country until recently dedicated to the St. Anthony, exists. The analysis is based on observations from conducted fieldwork studies in Melnik and bibliographic and online surveys in the period 2016–2018.

Църковният събор от 1360 г. в Търново и българо-еврейският религиозен конфликт от 50-те години на XIV век

Author(s): Hristo Saldzhiev / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2021

The article focuses on problems relating to the Jewish community’s origin in medieval Tarnovo, the reasons that provoked the Bulgarian-Jewish conflict from the 1350ies and its aftermaths. The hypothesis that Tarnovo Jews originated from Byzantine and appeared in medieval Bulgarian capital at the end of the 12th century as manufacturers of silk is proposed. The religious clash from the 1350ies is ascribed to the influence exerted by some Talmudic anti-Christian texts on the local Jewish community, to the broken inner status-quo between Christians and Jews after the second marriage of the Bulgarian tsar Ivan Alexander and to the reactions of part of the Christian population against the breach of this status-quo.

Църковно и просветно дело в град Разград през 40-те - 70-те години на XIX век

Author(s): Todorka Simeonova / Language(s): Bulgarian Publication Year: 0

The town Razgrad from today was established in the XV century on a early Thracian, Roman and Bulgarian settlement. During the Renaissance and the period from the middle of the XIX century Bulgarians in Razgrad created their own municipality and joined the struggle for church independence and establishing a new school. In 1860 was built the current church "St.Nikolai" and the authority of the Ecumenical Patriarchate was rejected. For the educational and spiritual development of the city worked many of the citizens from whom more notable were S. Petrov, D. Hranov, A. Tsanov, N. Georgieva and others.

Цярпенне невыцерпнага: суіснаванне ў Вільні XVII стагоддзя

Author(s): David Frick / Language(s): Belarussian Issue: 22-23/2015

The article considers the practices of tolerance and coexistence of different religious and ethnic communities of Vilnius in the 17th century. In early modern period Vilnius had a very heterogeneous population: Lutherans, Calvinists, Catholics, Uniates, Orthodox Christians, Jews, and Muslims. The author raises the question how a relatively peaceful coexistence of diverse religious communities was maintained in the era of conflicts and wars. Through the analysis of certain social practices (marriage, settlement, baptism, etc.), and comparison with other European cities (the German imperial cities, Lviv), the author maps the place of Vilnius on the scale of tolerance of European cities of early modern era.

Частите на душата и богопознанието в моралната драма „Премъдрост“ (Ум, Воля и Разбиране или Премъдростта, която е Христос)

Author(s): Slava Yanakieva / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 25/2019

Enumerating the parts of the soul could hardly be an object of leisure-time activity and it is only in themedieval presentative culture that we could find it as naturally integrated topos of a dramatic text. Thisseemingly paradoxical situation loses almost all of its mysterious aura in dramatic genres like theconventional for fifteenth-century England “drama of moral instruction”, which is by definitionnonrealistic in form and religiously utilized by content. The focus of this article is the famous drama ofWisdom Who is Christ from the Macro MS and specifically its first part which concerns the introductoryexposition of the “structure” of the soul, the latter being a central character of the play. While the themeof the parts of the soul are not new to premodern philosophy and theology, it is the way this topic isinternalized in the new devotional trends of the time that makes the analysis of the text and its dramaticpotential so fruitful. This analysis is all the more crucial for the understanding of the play as most of theaction is delegated only to parts of the soul as “representatives” of the protagonist and carriers of themechanics of the stage salvation. Important works of contemporary laical devotional and contemplativeliterature are considered in terms of their influence on the dramatic piece considered.

Чашата на причастието. Към семантиката на съдовете от благороден метал в орфическата ритуална среда на тракийската аристокрация

Author(s): Michaela Yordanova / Language(s): English,Greek, Ancient (to 1453),Bulgarian Issue: 25/2020

The exposition analyzes the semantics of Thracian vessels of precious metal; an attempt was made to discuss their function in the context of sacred mysterious logos; a reinterpretation of the ritual symposial practices characteristic of the Orphic communities of Thracian political elites is proposed. Precisely because of their sacred functions, vessels of precious metal with inscriptions are found in the funerals and treasures of the aristocratic elite. They function in a certain way in the symposium rituals during the ruler’s symposia, and such practices in Thrace, are part of the Orphic religion and are associated with aristocratic political elites. There are several reasons for this topic: There is discussion in the literature and there is still a lack of a systematic and consistent thesis about the function of precious metal vessels in the Thracian cultural model. Despite the fundamental research of Al. Foul, the connection between the Thracian basic model of Orphism as aristocratic ideology and its projections in artifacts and folk narratives has not yet been sought. No effort was made to illuminate the function of the Thracian sacral artifacts in parallel with the Greek orphic sources.

Чудеса святых в Никоновской летописи как источник изучения церковной идеологии 20-30-x годов XVI века

Author(s): Aleksandr Leonidovich Novoselov / Language(s): Russian Issue: 6/2020

This paper examines the informative potential of miracles described in Nikon’s Chronicle. Miracles are understood as a symbolic genre of the Old Russian literature. They are stories about unexpected and miraculous events taking place through the will of God and solving some earthly problems. The miracles worked by the following Russian saints were analyzed: Saint Peter of Moscow, Sergius of Radonezh, Barlaam of Khutyn, etc. The texts of miracles from the saints’ lives, Russian chronicles dating from the 15th century to the early 16th century, and Nikon’s Chronicle were compared. It was concluded that the storylines had been considerably revised in the 1520s–1530s. A hypothesis was introduced that the texts were transformed as a result of the influence exercised by Maximus the Greek and the non-possessors, who expressed doubts that certain metropolitans and monastery rectors could have been recognized as miracle workers. This hypothesis was confirmed through the comparative analysis of Nikon’s Chronicle and the trial minutes of Maximus the Greek. The conclusion was made that the miracles described in the earlier sources were rewritten in the subsequent years to shift the emphasis on the important role played by certain church figures in the key historical events.

Чудотворни мироточиви икони и съвременни поклоннически практики сред православните християни – по примери от Тереспол (Полша) и Шумен (България)

Author(s): Daniel Fokas / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 4/2020

A widely popular concept among Orthodox Christians is that religious images as intermediaries between man and God (the Mother of God or the saints) can give material signs of the divine presence on Earth and often do so. First comes the veneration of miracle-working icons, which are connected to narratives of miraculous events and considered the most helpful mediators for prayers addressed to God, the Virgin or a saint. Another popular notion is that icons can miraculously renew themselves or exude holy oil or blood, and give out fragrance. Two cases of largescale myrrh-gushing from the recent years offer different examples of the emergence, development and interpretation of such miraculous events in Orthodox shrines. The first case is from the town of Terespol in Eastern Poland (since 2010) and the second one comes from the town of Shumen in Northern Bulgaria (from 2017). In the Polish case, the myrrh-streaming continued for a long period of time, encompassed other icons as well and was accompanied by stories of miraculous healings. It was approved by the Church as a manifestation of divine nature. All these occurrences gave an impetus to the development of the veneration of the myrrh-streaming icon of the Theotokos Gorgoepēkoos (She Who Is Quick to Hear) and stimulated pilgrimage to the town.In the case from Bulgaria there was also large-scale myrrh-streaming, but it happened only once, at the feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God (15 August). The event was accepted just as a divine sign and was interpreted mainly as given for the sake of penance and strengthening of faith. The fact that no myrrh was gathered and there were no consequent miracles made the Church take a more passive position and the local bishop just unofficially referred to the general Orthodox idea of myrrh-streaming icons.Events of this kind, which were traditionally taken for miracles, often provoke scepticism and doubts of falsification in modern times. For that reason, they are examined by committees appointed by the Church or inspected by bishops, and even submitted to chemical tests. All these processes emphasize the icons’ multifaceted presence in local communities and in society in general.

Эволюция типов святых от Средних веков до Нового времени

Author(s): Nikita Igorevich Egorov / Language(s): Russian Issue: 3/2020

The paper considers whether it is possible and appropriate to differentiate between the types of saints in the Middle Ages and the early Modern Era in Europe. The study is based on the analysis of various types of sources, such as saints’ lives, protocols of canonization processes, and other church acts. The typologies of “old” (late antique and medieval) and “new” (represented by the so-called beati moderni) saints were compared. The differences between the medieval and the modern vision of sanctity in Catholic Church were revealed. The classifications of saints proposed by A. Voshe and M.Yu. Paramonova were discussed. A new classification of beati moderni was suggested. The specifics of canonization of “new saints” and the phenomenon of their emergence were explored. Using the results of the comparative analysis, it was concluded that “new saints” must be distinguished from the medieval ones, because they are a reflection of the realities and values of the early Modern Era. In many cases, they determined a new image of saints in Catholic Church, which has been common since the Council of Trent until the present times.

Энеолитические погребения кургана 6 могильника Константиновский-6

Author(s): Sergej N. Korenevskij,Yakov Berezin / Language(s): Russian Issue: 2/2017

The funerary complex of the Eneolithic period from the Konstantinovsky-6 cemetery represents a typical example of the most ancient burial complexes under kurgans which are related to the tribes of the proto-Pit-Grave (proto-Yamnaya) culture. The buried man was laid on his back with legs bent at the knees symbolizing a special magic contact of human feet with the earth. His body was abundantly sprinkled with red paint including the area of the feet.The burial of two children disposed close to the first grave reflects the fact that the erection of the mound was connected not only with the burial of an adult but with infants too. Ornaments from the child’s burial in the shape of copper pendants–shells represent long-distance relations of the population from the Northern Caucasus with Eneolithic cultures of the Danube region and can be considered as symbols of the cult of the goddess of fertility.

Эпизод из истории литературных контактов: рецепция сочинений Франца Костера SI в книжной культуре Речи Посполитой XVI–XVII вв.

Author(s): Margarita A. Korzo / Language(s): Russian Issue: 1/2017

The history of the ascetic works composed by the Flemish Jesuit Franz Coster (1531–1619) and their translations into Polish and “prosta mova” are considered as an interesting example of the 17th-century literary contacts in Europe and an example of the spread of Catholic works among adherents of Orthodoxy. Coster’s Bulla super forma iuramenti professionis fidei (1576) was originally intended to members of the Catholic Sodality of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Cologne. Two Polish-language reversed editions entitled Skarb duszny (1582 and 1594) served as a source of a concise text of admonition written in “prosta mova” to the confession Nauka i priklady, which can be found in two editions of the 17th-century Orthodox Vilna’s Poluustav: ca. 1637–1640 and ca. 1643–1644. The Polish translation later was taken as a basis for drawing up a manual of confession Nauka o tainie svyatogo pokayaniya (1671) published in the Kiev Monastery of the Caves. The question of the translator from Latin into Polish as well as the translator from Polish into “prosta mova” remains open.

Юродство как феномен средневекового города: юродство в свете исихазма

Author(s): Stanislav Oplatek / Language(s): Russian Publication Year: 0

Stanislav Oplatek’s contribution covers the phenomenon of yurodstvo and its relationship to the ascetic practice of hesychasm. There are proofs of the Rus people’s familiarity with hesychasm starting from the 14th century, under Metropolitan Theognostus. One of the important common traits among the yurods (“fools for Christ”) and among hesychasts in Rus are their mutual connections with the monastic environment (to name one example: the link between Kirill of White Lake and Sergius of Radonezh, i.e. a link between student and spiritual teacher). Besides these facts, one can also see evidence of knowledge of hesychastic practices in the hagiographies of holy yurods, which frequently describe physical and mental states corresponding to the states achieved through hesychastic practice (feeling heat, seeing lights, spiritual bliss tied to resignation from the world, and tears), as well as the so-called “Jesus Prayer.”

Явор Милтенов. Слова от колекцията Златоструй с неизвестен гръцки източник. София: Авалон, 2021. 250 с. ISBN 978-954-9704-40-2

Author(s): Tatyana Slavova / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 63-64/2021

Ѿтверзи нaмъ милосєрдіѧ двєри: revitalizácia hodnotového systému a mariánska duchovná tradícia

Author(s): Peter Žeňuch / Language(s): Slovak Issue: 03/2021

The paper presents the interpretation of the motif of mercy as an axiological constant in Marian spiritual songs. The author bases his interpretation of mercy on a knowledge of a relationship based on the interpretation of the concepts of truth, law and justice. He explains examples of this relationship in the context of folk Marian piety.

საერთო რელიგიური სიწმინდეები და მისი გავლენა რეგიონულ უსაფრთხოებაზე

Author(s): Maia Kapanadze,Shorena Sigua / Language(s): Georgian Issue: 1/2020

Jews and Arabs are people of common Semitic descent. And Abraham is their common ancestor. Therefore, they have common sanctities, which have been a major point of contention between them for several years. Conflict cannot be resolved on this ground, both Jews and Arabs are demanding recognition of their exclusive rights to common religious shrines. External forces in the region are also involved in this conflict, which prolongs the problem and has a negative impact on regional security. There is a serious dispute over Jerusalem besides other common sanctuaries that recognize both Israel and Palestine as its capital. It should also be noted that Jerusalem is a holy city for both Jews and Muslims. Recently, the US position on Jerusalem has posed a serious problem for the security of the Middle East. The recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel by the United States has caused concern not only to the Palestinians, but to the Muslim world as a whole, because, as we have already mentioned, this city is sacred to both of these religions. Added to this is the fact that the city has common religious - Jewish and Islamic shrines.

تأمالت في المناسبات ودراسة تطبيقية من القرآن الكريم

Author(s): Muhammed Aydın / Language(s): Arabic Issue: 17/2008

Bu çalışmada Kur’an ilimleri arasında yer alan “münasebet ilmi” tanıtılmaya çalışılmaktadır. Makalede münasebet ilminin önemi ve faydaları belirtildikten sonra İslam alimlerinin bu ilim hakkındaki olumlu veya olumsuz görüşlerine ve bu ilim çerçevesinde Kur’an’ın daha iyi anlaşılmasına yönelik olarak ortaya konulan temel kaidelere yer verilmiştir. Daha sonra ayetler arasındaki münasebet, ayet içi münasebet, surelerin başları ve sonları arasındaki münasebet vb. konular, Razî ve Ebu Hayyan gibi bu ilmin otoriteleri sayılan müfessirlerin eserlerinden örnekler seçilerek açıklanmaya ve bu bağlamda konunun Kur’an’ın anlaşılması noktasındaki rolüne vurgu yapılmaya çalışılmıştır.