Ritualinis juokas baltų religijoje ir mitologijoje

LTStraipsnyje analizuojamas ritualinis juokas baltams priskiriamuose XVI–XVII a. rašytiniuose šaltiniuose bei to juoko refleksijos XIX–XX a. kalendoriniuose ir šeimos papročiuose, tautosakoje.

ENIt can be argued that ritual laughter has neither beginning nor end. It is a closed circle that accompanies human life from birth to death and rebirth; from laughter in this world to fun in another. The latter idea is well illustrated by the Tyrolean proverb: Heaven’s door opens only to those who know how to smile. Data from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries in written sources (albeit fragmentary) show that Lithuanians and Prussians are familiar with ritual laughter, which is an integral part of the sacrifice to the ancient gods. The purpose of ritual laughter is to make the gods merry (especially the gods and goddesses of agriculture). With the establishment of Christianity at the end of the 17th century, ritual laughter becomes an important part of calendar, family and other customs, recorded in folklore and phraseology.