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  1. 3 Mäetagused

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  1. 1 Kama P.

  2. 1 Kaniava A.

  3. 1 Päll L.

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  1. 3 2022

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1

Looduslikud pühapaigad kui jutupaigad Rambynase mäe näitel

100%
Kaniava A.
Mäetagused
|
2022
|
vol. 83
37-58
EN
This article presents different cases of Rambynas Hill in south-western Lithuania. The first one discusses Rambynas Hill as a pagan sacred site. Sporadic mentions in written historical sources do not paint a clear picture of the place and of how it was used in pre-Christian times. Nevertheless, early mentions of Rambynas from as early as the 13th century confirm that the place was indeed significant at the time. No high-profile archaeological excavations ever took place at Rambynas and this limits our understanding of the place in the prehistoric context. Unfortunately, the most important part of the hill collapsed into the Nemunas River in the 19th century, which suggests that any future archaeological expeditions would probably be unavailing. Folklore remains the main source for understanding Rambynas’ importance as a sacred site, while some folktales are presumably of pagan origin. The cult stone on top of Rambynas, last seen in the late 19th century, also suggests that the place was a kind of pagan sacred site. However, its origins could not be verified because the stone was destroyed. It is important to note that despite the lack of additional data in some cases, Rambynas Hill is one of the best-documented and best-known sacred sites in Lithuania. The second case of Rambynas Hill demonstrates how the place regained its fame and importance at the beginning of the 20th century, at the time of creating national identity in Lithuania Minor. Rambynas became the pinnacle of the joint historical narrative between the inhabitants of Lithuania Minor and Lithuania Major in order to further include the former to the newly formed independent country. Rambynas also became the centre of summer solstice celebrations that grew larger with every year during the 1920s and 1930s. For these celebrations a local figure, Martynas Jankus, started The Eternal Book of Rambynas, where people wrote down their experiences of the place. This book represents the third case of Rambynas and is comprised of short writings from different people inspired by their immediate experience. It presents the main topics that were important for people visiting Rambynas Hill and also shows how the place was successfully re-storied in the 20th century and regained its fame as a sacred site of now romanticized pre-Christian religion, despite the fact that it had not been practiced for a few hundred years. The Eternal Book of Rambynas reveals a more personal approach, even though still highly influenced by collective ideas. It does not elaborate on each case of personal experience due to the limited scope of the records. The last case presented in this article discusses Rambynas as part of personal lifeworld, revealed in the memories of a local villager Elena Grigolaitytė. Her experiences are recorded in a short book titled Rojaus Kelias, in which the woman summarizes her life in Bitėnai village close to Rambynas Hill. The case of Elena shows how the same place could be presented in a different light when viewed from a personal perspective of everyday life. All the cases presented in the article serve the purpose of showcasing the possibilities of studying sites as story-places. Research of ancient sacred sites in Lithuania is often limited by historical and ethnological data, and researchers try to include these places in pre-Christian narratives. Due to phenomenological approach, story-places allow to temporarily suspend these values and discuss these places as part of human experience and everyday life. However, the phenomenological approach works best as a part of complex research. Historical facts and written sources about the hill introduce Rambynas as a part of pre-Christian sacred site, probably important during prehistoric times and later in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Investigation carried out by the 19th and early 20th-century press, written memories, historic documents and other data introduce the modern restoration of Rambynas and how the hill functioned as a cultural and even political centre of Lithuania Minor. Lastly, by analysing records in The Eternal Book of Rambynas, folk stories about the place and personal memories, it is possible to understand how people were experiencing the place. This approach paints a complex picture of the place and, most importantly, does not automatically reject modern stories as irrelevant.
2

Eesti ajalooliste looduslike pühapaikade inventuurist ja kaitsest 2022. aastal

88%
Kama P.
Mäetagused
|
2022
|
vol. 83
211-218
EN
The article gives a short overview about the progress in the inventory of natural sacred sites in Estonia and describes developments in the protection of these sites. Inventory of natural sacred sites means locating and detailed description of holy sites in nature. Inventory begins in archives where all the information about the areas of sacred natural sites is searched and combined. There are plenty of folklore notes about, for example, offering stones, holy groves or springs with healing water, but often the exact location and their state is unknown. The second phase of inventory is fieldwork, where sacred sites are being searched in landscape – and if this is successful, are described and the borders of a site are determined. Many sacred sites described in archive texts unfortunately have not survived due to natural causes or human activity. Important is the help and knowledge of local people, who may pass on information about sacred sites in the area and can help with finding them. By the beginning of 2022 approximately half of Estonia’s territory had been inventoried and this work still continues. Based on the reports, it has been suggested to take 193 sites under state protection. In 2019 a new type of cultural monuments was established in the Heritage Conservation Act – “historical natural sacred site”. Previously these sites were protected as archaeological monuments although sacred sites may not contain any archaeological finds. Currently there are 557 natural sacred sites under heritage protection; in addition, around 90 sacred sites are under nature protection. Recently 15 cross-tree forests and one offering site have been taken under state protection. Definitely there is a long way to go, but having an overview of all Estonian sacred sites on the basis of inventories gives an opportunity to apply state production to the sites that are most valuable or in most danger.
3

Kohapärimuse roll keskkonnakonflikti diskursuses: Paluküla hiiemäe juhtum

88%
Päll L.
Mäetagused
|
2022
|
vol. 83
59-88
EN
This article is a critical study of how local place-related narratives, i.e., place-lore, is integrated into environmental discussions. Place-lore reflects the cultural and ecological dimensions of collective environmental experience; for example, what kind of species grow in a specific place, what are the characteristics of the landscape, what kind of activities and usages certain environment allows, etc. Place-lore is culturally and ecologically highly contextual and refers to the environment it represents. However, when including these kinds of contextual and environmental-related narratives in conflict communication, the narratives may become disconnected or decontextualised from the environment represented. Combining the frameworks of ecosemiotics, environmental communication studies, and place-lore research, the article explores how a new storytelling context, ideological choices, and the logic of conflict communication influence the interpretation of place-lore. The theory is applied to an empirical examination of the public discussion of Paluküla sacred hill in central Estonia. The conflict surrounding the plan to build a ski resort near Paluküla sacred hill is one of the longest place-centred environmental conflicts in contemporary Estonia. A larger opposition broke out in 2004 and discussions are still ongoing. Moreover, Paluküla is a good model conflict for studying the role of place-lore in similar conflicts. Since the beginning of the conflict, it has been characteristic of the debate to involve references to and discussions of folklore, and also to question, compare, and use specific place-related vernacular knowledge and narratives as part of the argumentation. Tracking references to the previous place-lore about Paluküla Hill in the media coverage of the conflict allows a demonstration of how the contextuality and referentiality towards an extra-narrative environment that are originally present in place-lore are often overlooked or ignored in conflict discourse. When part of practices, activities, or ways of relating with the place are ignored or diminished in the discussion, the possible semiotic relationships with the environment also become neglected. This, in turn, leads to socially and ecologically disconnected discussion.
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