Raudy: genologia i ewolucja gatunku

ENThe author of the article makes an attempt to reconstruct genology of "raudos" pagan funeral songs, which occur within Lithuanian folklore. "Raudos" as lamentations belong to the oral culture. Known since pagan times, for centuries have been handed down from generation to generation. Pagan "raudos" were never written and knowledge about them is drawn on the basis of the few mentions in historical chronicles and documents. A few records, that are often inconsistent sources of information, became the starting point for hypothetical reflection on Lithuanian lamentations. In this text it is tried to determine the specific qualities of "raudos", and also the development and evolution of internally diverse genre.