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In 1906 Vasile Suciu (future Greek-Catholic metropolitan bishop) published the work „Hypnotism and Spiritualism. A critical-theological study”. His is the first work that addresses the topic from a theological, psychological, historical and even medical perspective, in the Romanian culture. Our study approaches this book from the historiographic and theological perspective. We used the comparative method quite often: analysing the author's position and the sources he used on one hand and the analysis of other important works but not used by the author, on the other hand. An original chapter is the one in which the author does field research work and presents in detail several cases of „spiritualist molestation" believed to have been seen in some villages - information collected from some Romanian Orthodox and Greek-Catholic parishes (noted by local priests) throughout the 1903 - 1906 period. The work is also very important for the study of mentalities. Suciu has a huge field of work at hand, with many different information, starting with the complex domain of the history of religions. The study cites more documents attesting „spiritualist" or „hypnotism" manifestations practiced within the antique or even prehistoric rituals, then passing along through a long list of personalities concerned with the phenomenon and even through some contemporary studies of anthropology, ethnography or psychology. On the other hand, the concept deliberately excludes other points of view - some common in the intellectual environments of the time - for an exclusivist approach through the theological - moral prism, which is acceptable and expected if we think about the autor's clerical formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study on the funerary ceremonial is based on our direct field research, which took place in a few villages that make up the archaic nucleus of the Vrancea area. The first part is dedicated to a comparative analysis of the main rituals, insisting on their magic-mythical layer, and giving special attention to the most important ceremonial and ethnographic objects that are used in these rituals. Consequently, we mainly analysed the rituals facilitating the passage to the other side, the burying of the defunct with all the daily useful tools, the wake, the ritualistic alms, as well as the death marks. We considered these sequences in all the stages of the ceremonial, starting with the agony, and then the funeral ceremonial itself; in the end, we analysed the rites that take place after the funeral. We permanently observed all sequences and elements that are very old, as well as the ones that are extremely particular and give the funerary ceremonial its individuality, or a note of uniqueness; thus, we highlighted regional versions, as well. Our research also entailed an analysis of the shapes of the ceremonial ring-breads, which are extremely old and carry a distinct symbolic meaning; the funerary-tree and the alms trees, the house of the defunct, all of them carriers of a special magic-mythical load. The second part of our research was dedicated to a recounting of the evolution of the entire ceremonial, as it appears from all field information that we gathered, as they were transmitted to us by our informants. The details we have inserted facilitate a highlighting of differences, which sometimes appear even from one village to another. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the ethnographic space from Oltenia, the ritual object characterized and particularized through a distinct symbolism is the knot-shaped bread. This does not differ from the compositional point of view, but only in dimension and varied symbolic shapes, ornamented according to the local tradition and being made by women specialized in the art of "doe modelling". Rich and interesting is also the category of the knit-shaped loaves of bread that mark the major moments in a man's life, along with those that are doled for the souls of the deceased, who, according to the tradition, return among the living on the opportunity of different holidays along the year. We should furthermore mention the knot-shaped loaves of bread offered to the carollers during the winter holidays. Its thriving ri-tology recommends it as a symbol of the rebirth, renovation and also fertility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]