The Kinship between Saints according to the Beliefs of the Balkan Peoples

Authors:

Pages: 328-340

Abstract:

An especially mixed and varied palette of believes and images, presented two, three or more saints in the specific relationship, could be observed into the Weltansicht and folklore of Balkan people. The different configurations of kinship arise and determine on ancient mythological conceptions, related to the twins‘ myth and to the semantics of numbers. In this relations the number two (the number of duplicity and twins‘ myth) and the number three (the number of cosmic harmony and triuhy of God in Christianity) have a leading position in the process of formation of well-known configurations. The article examines in the brother-sister and wifehusband sacred duets (Peter and Paul; Anthony and Athanasius; Petka and Nedelya; Constantine and Неlena; Georg and Marieta), as well as sacred triads and quartettes of brothers and sisters (Вarвara, Sava and Nicholas; Peter, Anthony and Athanasius; Еlijah, Panteley, Marina and Mary Magdalena). The kinship at the line of descent mother-son is only typical for Virgin Mary and the new born Jesus Christ.

Keywords:

saints, kinship, holidays

Download

France / Portugal / Cote D'Ivoire / Romania / United Kingdom / Europe / United States / Canada / Germany / NA / Macedonia / Russian Federation / China / Sweden / Austria / Bulgaria / Poland / Moldova, Republic of / Turkey / Armenia / Panama / Ukraine