The world of plants in the east-slovian healing spells

• Authors: Szczesniak K.
• Languages of publication: PL

Abstracts

EN

The article concerns the plant naming present in east-slovian healing spells which themselves constitute a very specific example of magic texts. The researched material allowed for three types of such orders to be distinguished: 1. Texts where the name of plant or its specific part is necessary for the incantation. 2. Texts where the name forms a background for the ritual of dispelling. 3. Texts where both of the afore-mentioned functions are attributed to the plant. The gathered material contained not only the names of various plants, shrubs and trees but also specific plant parts (such as gnarls, branches and fungi growing thereupon) and their respective collectivities (such as forests and orchards) or objects made from them (such as a broom or a crucifix). The presence of plant names is usually connected with the symbolic nature of those respective plants in slovian culture. The absence in those orders of such names as: plantago or linden or other plants having equally time-honoured traditions in folk medicine can bring about some confusion, however, after more such texts have been researched these doubts may well be dispersed.

Keywords

EN

FOLK MEDICINE; HEALING SPELLS (EAST-SLOVIAN); MAGIC TEXT; PLANT

Discipline

• PHILOLOGY_&_LINGUISTICS: PHILOLOGY & LINGUISTICS

• Publisher: Instytut Slawistyki Polskiej Akademii Nauk
• Journal: Acta Baltico-Slavica
• Year: 2007
• Volume: 31
• Pages: 299-313
• Document type: ARTICLE

Contributors

author

Szczesniak K.

• K. Szczesniak, Uniwersytet Gdanski, Katedra Slawistyki, ul. Wita Stwosza 55, 80-952 Gdansk, Poland

Identifiers

CEJSH db identifier

07PLAAAA02515229