Ožio aukojimas pagal Luco Davido "Prūsijos kroniką" (1583)

Direct Link:
Collection:
Mokslo publikacijos / Scientific publications
Document Type:
Knygų dalys / Parts of the books
Language:
Lietuvių kalba / Lithuanian
Title:
Ožio aukojimas pagal Luco Davido "Prūsijos kroniką" (1583)
Alternative Title:
Sacrifice of a goat according to Prussian chronicle by Lucas David (1583)
Authors:
Usačiovaitė, Elvyra
In the Book:
Kultūros istorijos šaltinių tyrimai. Vilnius : Lietuvos kultūros tyrimų institutas, 2025. P. 195-243
Subject terms:
LT
Senieji tikėjimai / Old religion; Istorijos šaltiniai / Historical sources; 13 a. - 1569. Viduramžiai. LDK.
Summary / Abstract:

LTŠio straipsnio tyrimo objektas yra prūsų ožio aukojimas, aprašytas Luco Davido „Prūsijos kronikoje“. Dingstis imtis šios temos atsirado dėl kontroversiškų pasisakymų šiandien, neva tai buvęs netikras aukojimas, atspindintis vien tik krikščioniško autoriaus ožiu įsivaizduotą velnią arba perteikiantis iš Biblijos perimtą „atpirkimo ožio“ vaizdinį. Straipsnyje gilinamasi ne tik į šį Luco Davido jo gyvenamuoju laiku užrašytą pasakojimą apie ožio aukojimą ano meto kaimiečių ūkyje, bet taip pat apžvelgiami jo Kronikoje panaudoti kiti rašytiniai šaltiniai apie ožio aukojimą senovėje: 1. Užfiksuotas legendinėje prūsų istorijos dalyje; 2. Perrašytas iš vadinamos „Sūduvių knygelės“ ir 3. Iš Simono Grunau „Prūsijos kronikos". Šaltinių ištraukos apie ožio aukojimą, panaudotos Luco Davido Kronikoje, straipsnio autorės yra išverčiamos iš vokiečių į lietuvių kalbą, pažymint naujus bruožus, anksčiau nepastebėtus tyrinėtojų ir sąsajas su Luco Davido aprašytu ožio aukojimu XVI amžiuje. Be to, pateikiami vėlesni - XVII a. išlikę ožio aukojimo reliktai baltų kultūroje, nurodyti istoriniuose rašytiniuose šaltiniuose. Straipsnyje prūsų ožio aukojimas analizuojamas lyginant su archajiniu Senovės pasaulio kitų tautų religiniu kontekstu, aptariant Senajame Testamente aprašytą „atpirkimo ožio“ paprotį, ir vėlesnę nevienareikšmę gyvūno sampratą Europos krikščioniškoje kultūroje. Luco Davido Kronikoje pateikti duomenys apie ožio aukojimą XVI a. Prūsijoje tiriami remiantis teorine religinio aukojimo fenomeno samprata, kuri yra pateikta žymių užsienio specialistų darbuose.Prūsų aukojimo autentiškumas nustatomas pagal priimtą aukojimo religinio reiškinio apibrėžimą, išskiriant pagrindinius aukojimo parametrus. Naudojami teksto vertimo analizės ir istorinis lyginamasis metodai. Raktiniai žodžiai: Lucas David „Preussische Chronik“, senovės baltų kultūra, prūsai, sūduviai, lietuviai, latviai, religinis aukojimas XVI-XVII a., sakralumas, kreipimasis į dievus dėl žmogaus gyvenimo išsaugojimo, sutartis su dievybe.

ENThe article examines the account recorded in Lucas Davids Chronicle about the sacrifice of a goat by Prussian peasants, performed in 16th-century Prussia, based on the theoretical concept of the phenomenon of religious sacrifice as presented in the works of prominent foreign scholars. The authenticity of the Prussian sacrifice is determined according to the main characteristics of the religious phenomenon of sacrifice. Specifically - concern for the preservation of human life, prayers directed to the gods, and sacredness. The Prussian goat sacrifice expresses all of these aspects. The gathered Prussians offer the sacrifice to their gods for the health of a person or an animal. The sacredness is demonstrated by various parts of the sacrificial process. First of all, the sacrifice is led by a priest - a religious figure considered holy within the community, who therefore had the prerogative to address the gods. The goat was intended for the gods, but during the sacrifice it was slaughtered, and a meal was prepared from its meat, which was eaten by the Prussians performing the sacrifice. Both the goat and the food made from its meat were considered sacred. Therefore, after the meal, it was forbidden to throw away (into the trash) the bones of the sacrificed and eaten meat - instead, they were burned during the feast; the remaining meat was left in the cooking pot at the sacrificial site, and later adolescent boys were sent there and instructed to eat it over several occasions. Moreover, the broth in which the sacrificed goats meat was cooked - referred to in the description as soup - also becomes sacred. Its sacredness is shown by the ritual of pouring it into a bowl (nine times) and drinking it in a circle, with each participant in the sacrifice taking three sips.In the examined Prussian sacrificial ritual, sacredness is also attributed to fire, which is used in three forms: 1) Before the sacrifice, an open fire is kindled indoors, around which the gathered Prussians perform the sacrifice; 2) The priest, holding a burning log taken from the fire, addresses the gods with a prayer; 3) A burning ember is taken from the fire, which each participant briefly places on their head before throwing it back into the fire. The sacrifice recorded by Lucas David, in its general characteristics (the preservation of human life, prayers directed to a divine recipient, sacredness), is similar to the sacrifices described in the Sudovian Book and Simon Grunaus Chronicle, which Lucas David recounts in his own Chronicle. Based on these sources, another feature distinguishing sacrifice as a religious phenomenon can be identified, namely: a covenant - a human commitment to the deity. This occurs when the priest tells the gathered participants about the faith of their ancestors and urges them to return to their gods. It is worth adding that, according to the description of sacrifice in the Sudovian Book, not only the goats meat but also a specially baked bread became sacred. The gathered sacrificers would knead and shape wheat dough and then toss it to one another through the flames of the fire until it was baked. The sacredness of the bread, like that of the goats meat, is shown in this written source by the fact that, after the sacrifice, any leftover food (crumbs and bones) was carried away and buried outside the living area, ensuring that animals or wild beasts would not dig them up. The sacredness attributed to the sacrificed animal in the discussed chronicles is also expressed through the use of its blood to heal sick livestock and to sprinkle on farm buildings.Although the remnants of Prussian paganism were negatively regarded by both the secular and ecclesiastical authorities of Prussia as devilish practices, this ritual does not reflect the Christian negative meaning of the devil. Instead, it carries a positive significance, as it is performed by sacrificers addressing the gods and believing they will receive their help for human health, livestock, and the welfare of the household. There is no basis for identifying the authentic Prussian sacrifice recorded by Lucas David with the scapegoat’ of the Old Testament. Essentially, the nature of the ritual differs: the sins of people committed over one year are not placed on the Prussian sacrificial goat, the goat is not driven into the wilderness and left there, but is instead it is slaughtered and eaten by the Prussian sacrificers. Keywords: ancient Baltic culture, Prussians, Sudovians, Lithuanians, Latvians, religious sacrifice, sacredness, prayers to the gods for the preservation of human life, Lucas David Preusische Chronik.

Subject area:
Related Publications:
Permalink:
https://www.lituanistika.lt/content/14266
Updated:
2026-06-14 14:37:02
Metrics:
Views: 2
Export:
Download