The Saintly Brothers and Healers Kozma and Damyan in the Traditional Beliefs of the Balkan Peoples

Authors:

Pages: 241-251

Abstract:

The popular Christian cult of the brothers Kozma and Damian unifies the cults of the homonymous doctors from Minor Asia and from the Roman Empire, who lived in the III century. Chronologically the cult is first located in the Eastern Roman Empire, whose center is Constantinople. The big number of churches and monasteries having for patron saint Kozma and Damian prove the big popularity of their cult. It inherits some of the characterizations of Asklepii’s cult. Later the fame of the healers Kozma and Damian most naturally “leaves” Byzantium’s capital and spreads all over the Balkans and Russia. The description and analysis of the folk believes and the rites related to the esteem of the two brothers among Balkan peoples will follow one common model. It includes some basic characterizations: the first is related and based on the ancient universal cult of the mythological twin brothers, the second is built up entirely on their healer aspect, influenced mainly by their passionals, in which they are described as doctors. Finally some other plots related to their patronage of the wolfs and the hailstorm.

Keywords:

folk cult, beliefs, rituals, Balkans

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