Dievai ir šventieji lietuvių etnokultūroje

LTKnygoje kalbama apie lietuvių mitologinius dievus, Jėzų Kristų, Švč. M. Mariją ir krikščionių šventuosius lietuvių etnokultūroje. Leidinys nepretenduoja į visų dievybių pristatymą, darbo naujovė - gilesnis tautodailės atskleidimas. Knygą sudaro pratarmė, trys skyriai, kuriuose yra 50 apybraižų ir 40 eksponatų iliustracijų. Prie iliustracijų pateikiami ne tik pagrindiniai metrikos duomenys, bet ir platesnės reikšmės, interpretacijos etnokultūriniame kontekste. Pirmojo skyriaus iliustracijos yra tautodailės taikomosios dailės pavyzdžiai - medžio, tekstilės dirbiniai. Vienuose dievybių vaizdavimai akivaizdūs, kitur jie menami arba su dievybe susiję tik prasminiais ryšiais. Antrajame skyriuje pasirinkti liaudies skulptūros pavyzdžiai, ieškant charakteringo liaudiško tipažo ir meninio savitumo. Trečiajame skyriuje pristatomi trys skirtingų istorinių laikotarpių dievdirbiai: V. Svirskis, J. Valius, L. Šepka ir jų darbų pavyzdžiai, atskleidžiantys žmogaus ir dievybės kūrybinį santykj. Knyga sudaryta lyginimo - priešinimo principu: dievybė - žmogus; dievybių vaizdiniai - dievybių vaizdavimai; dvasinė-materialinų kultūra; mitologija, religija, tautosaka-tautodailė: ikonografija, simbolika, semiotika; praeitis-dabartis. [Iš Pratarmės]Reikšminiai žodžiai: Dievai; Dievdirbiai; Dievybės; Etnokultūra; Krikščionybė; Kryždirbiai; Lietuvių etninė kultūra; Mitologija; Mitologija; Tautodailė; Šventieji; Christianity; Cross carvers; Deity; Ethnic culture; Folk art; God carvers; Lithuanian ethnic culture; Lithuanian mythology; Mythology; Saints; The Gods.

ENThe book "Gods and Saints in Lithuanian Rhnoculture" consists of three sec lions. 1 he first section discusses mythical deities; the se( ond section focuses on Christ, Virgin Mary and the Christian Saints; the third section is devoted to the craftsmen who produced wooden statues of GocJ and the saints, the so-called "godcarvers". The first and the second parts are closely interrelated, thereby the third one reveals the relationship between a deity and a human being. The author does not embrace the whole scale of deities, the focus being made on the most distinct images formed in the consciousness of the nation, also describing the statues as the objects demonstrating specific ways of artistic representation. Here the reader will meet god Perkūnas, godd esses Saule (the Sun) Aušrine (the Dawn Star), /emyna (Erce), Austėja, Medeina, Gabija, Laima, I aumė, Giltine (Skeleton), and such mythical figures as the grass-snake and brownie. In myths, legends, folksongs, and customs, mythical deities are reflected more thoroughly; however, the difficulties were experienced in the field of folkart ancJ therefore an unsufficient amount of(examples could be used in the book. To specify, the first section includes the direct images (e.g. of god Perkūnas or of the grass-snake), the implied images (e.g. of the bee as Austėja, of Laima), the motifs semantically related with the image (e.g. of Žemyna in the apron or in the beer goblet; of Gabija in the candle; of Laume in the belt-carpet) and also symbols (e.g. of the Sun or the Star in the swastica), etc. In fact, all the sections arc composed of independent essays, which, nevertheless, are interconnected: some point to the motif of the deity expressed in the national spiritual culture, others focus on iconography. The illustrations used in the book present the reader with the authentic museum displays having clear registry data and semantic descriptions.The author aims at presenting the reader with a "spoken-to" exhibit as a piece of folkart value. The first section introduces the examples of applied folkart: clothes, textile, tools, dishes, which were meant for ritual or Christian liturgy functions and thus preserved both artistic and semantic information. In the second section the Christian images of Christ, Virgin Mary (often referred to as Mother of God), and the saints, the latter traditionally referred to as "goddies", are represented in sculpture, painting, drawing, yet, more rarely, in applied folkart (e.g. in the church inventory, flags, cemetery monuments, etc.). The authors choice has been made on the sculptural presentation with the most characteristic ethnic features. The book being of educational value is devoted to teachers and pupils and may be used in the lessons of various disciplines as well as in extracurricular activities, i.e. holiday celebration, drama, carnival, drawing circles, etc. 1 he author cherishes hope that it will give food for knowledge and initiate artistic quests. [From the publication]