Weise Frauen und geheimnisvolle Zeichen

Texte zum Volksglauben in Georgien

114 Seiten, Taschenbuch

Kurzbeschreibung des Verlags

Omen, taboo and advice texts from Georgia have not been treated systematically so far. This volume is the first attempt to present relevant material in a structured form and to make this type of traditional culture accessible for systematic research. The texts are given in German translation of the Georgian, Russian and French originals. These were for the most part assembled in the 19th and the first half of the 20th century and figure in books describing the various regions of Georgia and their traditional culture. A sizeable portion of the presented texts is from archive material kept in the Rustaveli Institute for Georgian Literature in Tbilisi; it is published here for the first time.

The annotated collection of texts presents material from most regions of Georgia, reflecting the regional and cultural diversity of Georgian culture. In spite of the very early conversion to Christianity and the authority of the Georgian Orthodox Church, remnants of the older belief have persisted to this day. For instance, magic practices have played an important role in curing illnesses. Some elements of popular belief have even merged with Christian traditions, as in the case of prophecy, which has been an institution in the mountaineous regions of Georgia, specifically in Khevsureti with its rather low impact the church has had there. Another particularly interesting body of material are texts about popular belief from the Jewish community, which has thrived in Georgia since the 6th century BC.

The volume is intended to serve as basis for more in-depth studies of Georgia's various cultural spheres and their beliefs. The comprehensive index provides easy access to the individual motives and key notions. Preceding the texts there is an Introduction on Georgian popular beliefs.

• ISBN: 9783895005923
• Erscheinungsdatum: 20.04.2012
• Genre: Ethnologie/Volkskunde
• Verlag: Reichert, L
• Herausgegeben von: Elguja Dadunashvili, Agnes Korn