Šventė: nuo mito iki modernybės

LTDaiktavardis „šventė“ - vedinys iš būdvardžio „šventas“. Rodos, viskas aišku, šventė - tai šventas, su religija glaudžiai susijęs laikas. Atsiradus kalendoriams, kada ir kaip švęsti nurodydavo ir žmonių elgesį šventinio laikotarpio metu prižiūrėdavo religinių kultų tarnai. Visos pasaulio tautos šventinį laiką ir šiandieną skaičiuoja pagal religinių sistemų įteisintus kalendorius. Religijų yra daug, tad ir šventinių kalendorių rasime toli gražu ne vieną. O kur dar vadinamieji „liaudies kalendoriai“ ir juos atliepiančios švenčių apeigos! Jų laikas daugiau ar mažiau susijęs su oficialiu kalendoriumi, tačiau pačios apeigos mažai ką turi bendra su bažnytine šventinės dienos liturgija. Kas reiškia sąvoka „šventas laikas“? Juk jei yra šventas, tai turi būti ir paprastas - nešventas arba kasdienis laikas. Kuo šventės laikas skiriasi nuo paprasto, kasdienio? Atsakyti į šį klausimą nėra lengva. Šventė - tai ne tik tas metas, kai atliekamos religinės sistemos įteisintos apeigos ir juolab ne vien sočiai vaišinamasi, pramogaujama, išdaigaujama, šokama ir muzikuojama. Be abejo, visus šiuos elementus aptiksime kiekvienoje reikšmingesnėje šventėje. Tačiau daugelio šventinių apeigų bus neįmanoma esmingai suprasti nepažvelgus į jas iš mitinio laiko pozicijų. Nes šventės laikas - tai, pirmiausia, mitinio pasaulio laikas, arba duotasis pasauliui jo sukūrimo metu. Net ir santykinai vėlyvais amžiais ši šventės laiko ypatybė daugeliu atveju nulemdavo apeigų esmę. O anuomet, kai žmogus į pasaulį žvelgė per mitinės pasaulėžiūros prizmę, pirmapradžio pasaulio laikas atsidurdavo pačiame žmogaus šventinio gyvenimo centre. [p. 81].

ENMost peoples in the ancient world marked the passage of time by observing longer and shorter cycles and almost all of them believed that, as time reached the end of its cycle, the human world faced the very real threat of physical extinction. Festive rituals mark a certain critical situation: They are resorted to when the prevailing conditions can no longer be influenced by other means. This is why rituals meant to ensure the continuing existence of the world became the focal point of celebrations in the Ancient World. A mythical understanding of time was also the basis for another purpose of festive rituals: to control the extent to which the life of a society corresponded to the stereotypes of “correct“ behavior believed to have been handed down at the beginning of time. Only a set of actions responding to mythical precedent could ensure a full-fledged existence for a community and the individual. Seen from the mythical worldview, celebratory rituals take place not within the human world, but rather in the time of mythical precedent, which always remains fixed at the same point at which it existed at the creation of the world. Thus, the results of actions performed during a celebration would also remain constant over time. Another important feature of archaic festive rituals was their close connection to the honoring of departed ancestors. Deceased loved ones would be symbolically depicted in masks worn during celebrations. There is no period or culture in which masks or some equivalent body painting would not be a familiar feature.Liberated in the latter half of the 19th and early 20th centuries from the influence of festive rituals that controlled the traditional way of life, modern big city dwellers had more opportunities to create celebratory symbols than their ancestors. Unrestrained by authority, they could combine traditional and global elements of celebratory culture according to their own individual understanding and needs. Meanwhile, increased demand, met by a corresponding supply of culture and business services, and the simultaneous opportunities of modern management has meant the appearance of new, never before seen, ever more appealing and more colorful variations of celebrations aimed at satisfying the whims of contemporary civilization. Paradoxically, even today the most visible hallmarks of a celebration or festivity are various manifestations of carnival culture, from traditional costume parades revived by folklore enthusiasts and European urban to dressing up as characters from animated and feature films. Why are carnivals so popular? Most likely because the en masse transformation of appearance and demeanor can, better than any other form of celebratory behavior, best respond to the consumerist needs of contemporary society: It is inclusive, visually appealing, and has a limitless capacity to change. What’s more, carnivals allow individuals to become someone or something they could never be in real life.