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Copyright of Prace Filologiczne. Literaturoznawstwo is the property of University of Warsaw and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

At the beginning of his Creole opus The Grandissimes, George Washington Cable refers to Louisiana as "A land hung in mourning, darkened by gigantic cypresses, submerged; a land of reptiles, silence, shadow, decay". This anti-pastoral view of Louisiana as an ecosystem of horrific nature and the very human melancholy it breeds is one that has persisted in popular American culture to the present day. However, the literature of Louisiana itself is marked by its creativity in blending elements of folktales, fairy tales, and local color. This paper proposes to examine the transhuman, or the transcendence of the natural by means of supernatural transformation, in folk horror tales of Louisiana. As the locus where the fairy tale meets the burgeoning Southern Gothic, these tales revolve around a reworking of what Vladimir Propp refers to as transfiguration, the physical and metaphysical alteration of the human into something beyond the human. The focus of this paper will be on three recurring figures in Louisiana folk horror: yellow fever, voodoo, and the Devil. Drawing upon works including Alcée Fortier's collection of Creole folktales Louisiana Folktales (1895), Dr. Alfred Mercier's "1878", and various newspaper tales of voodoo ceremonies from the ante- and post-bellum periods, this article brings together theorizations about the fairy tale from Vladimir Propp and Jack Zipes and historiological approaches to the Southern Gothic genre to demonstrate that Louisiana, in its multilingual literary traditions, serves as a nexus where both genres blend uncannily together to create tales that are both geographically specific and yet exist outside of the historical time of non-fantastic fiction. Each of these figures, yellow fever, voodoo, and the Devil, challenges the expectations of what limits the human. Thus, this paper seeks to examine what will be termed the "Louisiana gothic", a particular blend of fairy-tale timelessness, local color, and the transfiguration of the human. Ultimately, the Louisiana gothic, as expressed in French, English, and Creole, tends toward a view of society in decay, mobilizing these elements of horror and of fairy tales to comment on a society that, after the revolution in Saint-Domingue, the Louisiana Purchase, and the Civil War, was seen as falling into inevitable decline. This commentary on societal decay, expressed through elements of folk horror, sets apart Louisiana gothic as a distinct subgenre that challenges conventions about the structures and functions of the fairy tale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are innumerable records on stone and metal found in India detailing grants of land and donations made by kings and chieftains to Brahman priests, many on the occasions of eclipses and on the cardinal days. In this paper we investigate one such grant, first written about by Henry Colebrooke in 1809. It is from Gauj, the modern Gowthamapura in Shivamogga district in Karnataka state. Spread over three copper plates, the inscription is in mixed Sanskrit and Kannada and records a charitable grant of several villages made to thirty-two thousand Brahmans on the occasion of a sarpa yagna (snake-sacrifice) and a solar eclipse by Janaméjaya, the Puranic monarch who reigned over Hastinapur at the commencement of Kaliyuga. The eclipse was in the lunar month of Chaitra, on a Sunday, in Asvini naksatra. The grant further specified the circumstances such as Vyatipata (pata – aspect), and that on the following day the naksatra was Bharani and the karana (the half-tithi) was Kimstughna. These specifications make it the rarest of the rare eclipses. However, there is no eclipse mentioned in Janaméjaya legends, so was the eclipse in the grant genuine or an invented one? There were attempts made in the 1860s to identify the eclipse and possibly date the grant, but the identifications are not valid. In this paper we examine all such eclipses that occurred between 601 and 1699 CE and were visible from India. There are six such eclipses, in 712, 739, 851, 1027, 1372 and 1548 CE. Of these, we find the eclipse of 1027 CE as historically the most suitable one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Studies in Oral Folk Literature / Estudis de Literatura Oral Popular is the property of Universitat Rovira I Virgili and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Land cover (LC) plays a crucial role in the monitoring and planning of the environment among various domains, such as climate change, the management of natural resources, and sustainable development. However, inconsistent LC legends hamper their usability, particularly as technologies, like remote sensing, rapidly improve data quality and quantity for extracting valuable information. Ontologies play a pivotal role in improving the standardization and harmonization of different LC taxonomies, enabling both a reduction in inconsistencies and a way to harness ever-increasing computing power to help scientists provide faster and better answers. However, using ontologies without suitable tools, especially when expressive power is matched with complexity, can prove a daunting task. This paper introduces the land characterization system (LCHS), an innovative tool built to support the ontology discussed in the ISO 19144-2 standard, known as Land Cover Meta Language (LCML). The LCHS can help streamline and speed up the creation and editing of LC legends using a data-driven design approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pakhangba consolidated seven clans during the establishment of the Ningthouja dynasty in 33 AD, resulting in the present Meitei. The deity Khamlangba is associated with the discovery of iron. The legend about his search for iron has meticulously been written down in the Puyas (a sacred text of Meitei written with archaic Meitei scripts using indigenous paper and ink). And the Meitei has been associated with iron smelting since time immemorial. The dating of iron-bearing slag indicates a date of around 400 AD. This paper discusses a special type of thang (dao, a long-bladed knife) called Lai thang. They are symbolic of ancient kings or deities or are used for ritualistic purposes. An Attempt has been made to understand the historical significance of these daos as well as the mode of acquisition and measurement. In the process, a variety of Lai thangs are documented and artifact-based interviews are conducted. The study concludes that the so-called Lai thangs are a product of deeply rooted people's faith and belief in Sanamahism, a traditional practice of worshipping ancestors and deities that adapted to its technology and surrounding environment. Therefore, material culture also reflects religious faith and belief. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Estudios de Linguistica del Espanol is the property of University Library of Bern and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In a novel by a Chinese author, Yu Hua, the birth of the main character takes place in a train toilet. He falls down on the track and survives. During the last 30 years news stories with this content have been reported several times. The event is generally said to have taken place in China or India. From a folkloristic perspective the story can be defined as a newspaper legend. Like contemporary legends in oral tradition newspaper legends often are about accidents where babies are involved. As opposed to the orally transmitted legends they generally have a happy ending; they are published as a counterbalance to all the real accidents that daily papers have to report. The oldest version of "The Baby on the Track" was published in 1888 in a medical journal. The author, the famous physician William Osler, had a reputation for being a practical joker, and today it is difficult to judge if his story is based on a real case or if Osler invented it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the broad spectrum of critical theories in Folklore studies, the critical tenets of Historical materialism and Psychoanalysis are of great significance. With the appropriation of Historical materialism propounded by Engels and Marx and the Freudian psychoanalytical perspectives, there emerged two novel trends in Folklore studies. Marxist folklorists argue that the folk- the creator of the folklore mostly constitutes the working class. Therefore, the body of folk literature is the symbolic representation of the class struggle itself. On the other hand, the adherents of Freudian Psychoanalysis explicate the folktales as the symbolic expression(s) of the id's repressed forbidden wishes and desires. The present paper intends to analyze two selected tales, namely Tejimola and Panesoi, from the collection of Assamese Folktales entitled Burhi Aair Sadhu, in the light of Historical materialism and Freudian psychoanalysis, respectively. The paper examines the theme and characters of two selected tales. Further, a close reading of both tales' symbols and metaphors would inform the conceptual underpinnings of Historical materialism and Freudian psychoanalysis. This study also analyzes the element of fantasy in the selected tales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, it is aimed to determine the awareness level of the elements registered in the name of Turkey in the list created within the scope of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, in terms of "recognition" and "experience", and to present suggestions for the safeguarding, sustainability and transmission of cultural heritage to next generations based on the awareness level. In this respect, the online survey developed based on the literature was applied to the citizens of Republic of Turkey aged over 20 between January 24 - March 28, 2021. The survey questions only consist of the elements in the Representative List. A total of 1550 people from seven regions of Turkey responded to the survey. Descriptive statistics and Importance-Performance Analysis were used to analyze the data. As a priority, in the list created within the scope of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, the public awareness and experience levels of nineteen intangible cultural heritage elements registered in the name of Turkey have been determined and the awareness level of each intangible cultural heritage elements has been identified. As a result of the analysis of the data, the intangible cultural heritage elements are located in the Familiarity- Experience matrix. According to the findings obtained as a result of the positioning, 5 intangible cultural heritage elements with a high level of awareness were identified: "Turkish Coffee and Tradition", "Karagöz", "Nevruz", "Flatbread Making and Sharing Tradition: Lavash, Katırma, Jupka, Yufka" and "Spring Festival Hıdırellez". The "familiarity" and "experience" levels of these elements are high and it is important to carry out studies for their safeguarding and sustainability. It has been determined that five intangible cultural heritage elements with high "familiarity" levels and low "experience" levels have a partial awareness level. These elements are; "Kırkpınar Oil Wrestling Festival", "Marbling: Turkish Paper Decoration Art", "Dede Korkut-Korkut Ata Heritage: Culture, Legends and Music", "Mevlevi Sema Ceremonies" and "The Tradition of Minstrelsy". It is important to concentrate on these elements and make an effort to develop them. It has been determined that the remaining 9 intangible cultural heritage elements have very low levels of both "familiarity" and "experience". It is necessary to take serious measures to ensure that these elements are not forgotten and disappeared by the society. These elements with very low awareness in the society are as follows; "Mesir Macunu Festival", "Miniature Art", "Traditional Conversation Meetings (Yaren, Barana, Sira Nights etc.)", "Traditional Tile Art", "Traditional Turkish Archery", "Meddah Tradition", "Alevi-Bektashi Ritual Semah", "Traditional Ceremonial Keskek" and "Traditional Intelligence and Strategy Game: Togyzqumalaq, Toguz Korgool, Mangala/Göçürme". Based on these findings, in order to increase the awareness level of intangible cultural heritage elements and to keep them alive, it is thought that it is necessary to use the media effectively, to raise awareness of the society from childhood, and the state to encourage and support activities in this direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of HUM: Journal of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Mostar is the property of University of Mostar, Faculty of Arts and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The paper predicates the prospects of mythopoeia in the mythical tradition. An authorial construction of mythopoeia, when internalized into the collective consciousness can evolve into mythos. This mythopoeia turned mythos in the course of time and space may regress into myth. The fragments of the myth may then result in the making of another mythopoeia. Mythopoeia to mythos to myth is a cyclical process in mythical tradition. The paper establishes this argument with J. R. R. Tolkien’s conception of mythopoeia. It explores similarities between mythopoeia and conlang. It contends that just as conlang can evolve as language, mythopoeia can also evolve into mythos. It further corroborates that if every mythos was mythopoeic in its conception, then every mythopoeia can advance into mythos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on data from ethnographic fieldwork, this study focuses on an icon known as Panagia Amirou kept at the Amirou Monastery in Cyprus. Instead of analyzing its unusual form, consisting of two icons from different times inserted one into another, this paper uses the concept of "religious heritage complex" to understand the special status of the icon, the complexity of the assemblages it has joined over time, and the relationships between religion and heritage. The Panagia Amirou icon has become the symbol of the monastery and appears to be crucial for the creation of a shared identity by giving the community the feeling of a connection to the past and continuity of monastic tradition, for as they believe, the icon and the monastery are from the same time. Particular attention is paid to the process of authenticating the icon's special status. The legend recounts not only the icon's old age but also its miraculous appearance and the healing power inherent in it from the very beginning, so it authenticates, together with processions, not only the alleged connection of the icon with the beginning of the monastery but also the status of the icon as being miracle-working. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several sites in East Asia have been identified as Potalaka, originally thought to be located near the southern seas of India. The basis of this phenomenon is built upon the nature of Avalokiteśvara as a mediator between sentient beings and buddhas, the nature of Potalaka as a boundary between their worlds, and Buddhist philosophy. The belief in the abode of Avalokiteśvara bodhisattva on Earth incorporates various places into a Buddhist world transcending borders. This paper examines Korean beliefs about Potalaka and Avalokiteśvara through legends about Naksan Temple, with special emphasis on their relationship with mountain and sea worship. At the same time, the study attempts to connect the beliefs with the philosophical background of Hwaŏm tradition, which is in close relation with this ritual site. The aim of this approach is to point out the unique and universal, as well as the local and translocal elements in Korean narratives about Potalaka. In other words, the paper searches for patterns that are to be found in the wider Buddhist world and characteristics that are created by the specific religious environment of Korean culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mythic Tales side quests in Ghost of Tsushima (2020) explore folkloric and supernatural narratives using the themes from legends and lore surrounding Tsushima Island. However, as a historical video game that reimagines a thirteenth-century medieval Japanese society during the events of the Mongol invasion of Japan in 1274, careful examination of its represented form is necessary since it can tell us how a player is instructed to play with the reimagined past or what about the past is deemed important (Chapman; Balela and Mundy; McCall). Furthermore, the side quests provide a deeper exploration of the game-world setting, which can provide a historical and sociocultural understanding of the represented past through gameplay. In line with this, this paper examines the Mythic Tales experience by exploring the representations of the in-game version of a Japanese traditional performance art called the heikyoku, performed by a medieval storyteller known as the biwa hōshi. This includes a discussion of the tradition and how it translates into a video game format, highlighting the special audiovisual spectacle that relies on familiar Japanese imageries such as the sumi-e and ukiyo-e, which are unique to this part of the game. A case study of one of the Mythic Tales, "The Curse of Uchitsune," will serve as critical analysis toward the kind of in-game mythic narrative and experience the game provides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Turkish Culture & Haci Bektas Veli Research Quarterly is the property of Turkish Cultur & Haci Bektas Veli Research Quarterly and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Studia Antiqua et Archeologica is the property of Studia Antiqua et Archeologica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Mukaddime Journal is the property of Mukaddime Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Special Treatment / Különleges Bánásmód is the property of University of Debrecen and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Tradition Oral Literature / Boletín de Literatura Oral is the property of Boletin de Literatura Oral and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Acta Histriae is the property of Historical Society of Southern Primorska of Koper and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Dating from the early 8th century and created in Anglo-Saxon Northumbria, Codex Amiatinus is the oldest intact single-volume Bible in any language. Within its extensive prefatory material is an image of Ezra, the scribe who according to legend rewrote the whole of the Old Testament, while behind him stands a large open book cupboard in which nine volumes of the scriptures are displayed. In this paper, I will argue that this image depicts a tension between two versions of the Old Testament that the compilers of the codex have had to resolve. In the image, this Bible represents itself as the product of the decisions that have gone into its making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

King Arthur and Robin Hood, as two main folkloric figures, play an important role in British national identity especially in the nineteenth century. Throughout centuries, these mythical stories became well-known in the cultural heritage of other countries besides Britain. The lore and depictions of these two characters were not limited to the written and oral literature but came into existence through different mediums such as television, cinema, and computer games. Both the stories of King Arthur and Robin Hood have topical themes reflecting the political, social, and cultural issues and conflicts in societies and shape the future as timeless artefacts. In this sense, the major aim of this paper is to present and analyze the evolution of these two folk legends by using various historical and cultural sources to demonstrate the validity of the two characters across time, place, and medium. King Arthur and Robin Hood: The History and Folklore of England's Most Famous Folk Legends by Jesse Harasta (2009) is used as the basis of the evolution of the lore of the two folkloric characters. The stories and the characters, the subjects of various myths and legends throughout centuries, have also been adapted and used in a variety of works and products transmitting local history of the lore of King Arthur and Robin Hood into global folklore. The political, social, and cultural use, adaptation, and evolution of King Arthur and Robin Hood will be traced starting from their emergence in the medieval ages through the twentieth century when the lore of King Arthur and Robin Hood is transformed through story-telling and added to different structures by using different media. As will be exemplified per the aim of the study though some changes in the presentation of the folkloric characters are present; the major dichotomic human characteristics are preserved. The article follows the trajectory of evolution of two legends into myths, literature, and finally products of popular culture. The work questions whether the divisive line between what is local and authentic versus that which is globalized and thus international is as clear as is presupposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ars Adriatica is the property of Sveuciliste u Zadru (University of Zadar) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Studies in Oral Folk Literature / Estudis de Literatura Oral Popular is the property of Universitat Rovira I Virgili and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The name of Korkut has long attracted the attention of the world scientific community. In the folklore of many Turkic peoples related to the ancient Oghuz tribes, there are legends and myths about Korkut, which describe the heroic deeds of the Oghuz heroes. The legacy of the legendary Korkut's music and epic has attracted the attention of researchers since the middle of the 19th century. Scholars from Russia, Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan have written a wide number of research papers, which highlighted the problems associated with the main epic legacy of Oghuz antiquity -- "The Book of Dede Korkut" or "The Book of Korkut Ata". The literary artifacts associated with the name of the legendary Korkut have gained worldwide fame. Both versions of the Oghuz manuscript "Kitab-ı Dede Korkut Ala Lisan-ı Taife-i Oğuzan" (Dresden) and "Hikâyat-i Oğuznâme-i, Kazan Beğ ve Gayrı" (Vatican), which have come down to us, are now the focus of scientific consideration. The abundance of cognitive information and onomastic names in the epic increasingly attracts the attention of folklorists. It is no secret that in the Kazakh folklore of the early 20th century, the Soviet ideology imposed a ban on the development of the epic heritage of Korkut. Moreover, closer to the middle of the 20th century, the Oghuz heroic epic was evaluated as a creative product of the feudal era. For this reason, some peoples of Oghuz origin openly ignored the folk heritage. Korkut is a representative of the Oghuz tribe. In addition, his name has existed in Kazakh folklore for a very long time. Even before the 1917 Revolution, several legends about the Korkut tombstone were recorded by famous ethnographers. Kazakh scholars began to study folklore materials about Korkut at the turn of the 1970s. This topic was first voiced by Professor Auelbek Konratbayev, who published several articles, then translated V. V. Bartold's edition of "The Book of my grandfather Korkut" into Kazakh. In recent decades, especially after the gaining of independence, folklorists, musicologists, and performing musicians have begun to deal with this problem. It got to the point that some of them started talking about the newly found legacy of the legendary Korkut - musical compositions for the bowed instrument - kylkobyz. Without referring to reliable sources, without arguing the origin of the newly discovered musical compositions attributed to Korkut, individual authors began to publish their rather detailed research in the form of scientific articles and even books. Despite the existing criticism in international publications, the wave of pseudo-researchers is growing. The questions related to the heritage of Korkut are overgrown with all sorts of tall tales of indefinite origin. This article attempts to conduct a scientific analysis of numerous studies published in the recent years on the pages of both foreign and local press. The works of individual novice authors who are engaged in inflating the number of legends associated with the name of Korkut are subjected to special consideration. In this regard, the article emphasizes that the classic version of the Kazakh legend of Korkut was published by V. Velyaminov- Zernov in the second half of the 19th century. Despite the presence of a published text, this legend has been freely interpreted by individual authors. Another legend, once published by A. Zhubanov without reference to the original source, also requires close study. This article is based on scientific problems related to the music and epic heritage of Korkut. It highlights the stages of mastering the musical heritage of Korkut and the legends associated with them. Much attention is paid to detailed, comparative analysis and the study of primary sources. In the process of developing the theme, all the changes that have occurred since the beginning of the development of the musical heritage of Korkut are identified. The legends that allegedly arose in connection with his music are also subjected to scientific analysis. Through the prism of hermeneutical analysis, the musical melodies attributed to Korkut are also studied. A special attention is drawn to the reliability of previ ously unknown primary sources that have begun to enter scientific realm. At the same time, the artistic features and scientific significance of these musical tunes are analyzed. Only in recent years, several articles about Korkut's musical heritage have been published on the pages of foreign scientific publications. They have become the focus of this article. In the recent years previously unknown legends, which have been claimed to be preserved in Kazakh folklore, have appeared in the literature. The admirers of Korkut's name are trying hard to connect these immature plots with the name of the legendary Korkut. Moreover, some researchers started talking about the musical heritage of Korkut, which is not known not only to the Turkic world, but also to the scientific world. As the primary source, they began to refer to the religious and mystical tunes of Nishan Shamenuly, who lived in the second half of the 20th century, from whom the musical tunes "saryn" and "sarnau" were recorded. This article attempts to determine the origin of the music and religious tunes of Nishan, because the aforementioned sweeping statements are circulated without taking into account the centuries-old performing tradition of the kobyz, some of which has not even reached our times. Without much detailed research so-called previously unknown musical heritage of medieval Korkut have been introduced to the whole world. Moreover, these same tunes, which have nothing to do with the legendary Korkut, were included in the UNESCO list as an example of the intangible culture of medieval antiquity. All these questions formed the main problem of the given article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Croatian Journal of Ethnology & Folklore Research / Narodna Umjetnost is the property of Institute of Ethnology & Folklore Research and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Introduction. The article analyzes legends and songs about Genghis Khan recorded in expeditions across Buryatia, Mongolia and China — to further compare them with related archival and published materials. Goals. The work aims at identifying distinctive features inherent to folklore texts dealing with Genghis Khan in different linguistic and ethnic environments. The issue of revival of ethnic consciousness actualizes insights into ethnic culture and its peculiarities. Methods. The paper is first to consider local versions of Buryat songs about Genghis Khan in a comparative aspect. Semantic contextual analysis proves instrumental in revealing ethnic markers. Results. The article discusses songs about Genghis Khan of both local and general Mongol significance. Songs about kinship with Genghis Khan and the ancestral homeland of Buryats — Nayan Nava — have a local and specifically tribal meaning being connected to the history of the Khori Buryats proper. Songs with a motif of chase contain parallels with plots of all-Mongol toponymic legends. The song titled ‘Two Steeds of Bogdo’ (Bur. Bogdyn hoyor zagal) and known among the Mongolic peoples dates back to the Mongolian medieval literature — The Tale of Two Steeds of Genghis Khan. The songs are examined in comparison with legends and The Secret History of the Mongols. Conclusion. Contextual analysis of songs about Genghis Khan along with legends and The Secret History reveals a hidden deep layer in the semantics of texts. The songs of Russia and Mongolia’s Buryats identify ancient roots of the motif of kinship with Genghis Khan that date back to the historical homeland. The Shinehen Buryats of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (China) have shown a perfect preservation of authentic materials in an isolated environment, while Mongolia’s Buryats experienced a transformation and song borrowings in the close ethnic culture. The paper also concludes there are virtually no such songs about Genghis Khan among modern Buryats of Russia. In general, the comparative analysis of Buryat songs about the legendary warlord proves those had been created in their historical homeland of present-day Russia to be further preserved both in the alien (China) and kindred (Mongolia) ethnocultural environments.

Copyright of Revista de Poética Medieval is the property of Instituto Universitario de Investigacion en Estudios Medievales and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The present article delves into exploring the naming of a place (or toponymy) to unravel the potentials related to the history and legend of Bondaraya village as an effort to provide enrichment and education to the community. It further maps out and elaborates the naming processes of places that derive from the legend, the discourse, and the historical background, with which it outlines a recommendation for the government to develop policies regarding the promotion of cultural tourism objects and local wisdom education in Gorontalo Province. The study employed a qualitative design with an anthropolinguistic approach. It aimed to explore the local wisdom of the Bondaraya village community in the form of their culture and tradition through the lens of toponymy. The data were collected by in-depth interviews and Focus Group Discussion. Further, the data were analyzed in a descriptive manner. The result shows that the toponymy within Bondaraya village accentuates the local wisdom, which is the identity of the village. The study finds out that the naming of places in this village is closely related to some of the local wisdom elements in the area, i.e., the musical art (oral literature) and societal system. In conclusion, the toponymy of Bondaraya village is closely related to the local wisdom within the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines Ukrainian folkloric parallels to Viy, a character in the horror novella of the same name by Nikolai Gogol. It is a formidable chthonic, demonic creature whose eyelids cover the eyes and need to be lifted, and the gaze sees what is hidden from others. Although the writer claimed that this character, like the entire plot of the story, was taken from Ukrainian folklore, some modern researchers claim that Viy is the author's own invention. This is contradicted by folkloric data, primarily Ukrainian lore. Demonic characters with different names but with the same appearance and very similar functions as Viy appear in Ukrainian folk tales, legends and beliefs recorded in the 19th and 20th centuries. The plots have various degrees of closeness to the plot of Gogol's story, showing that Viy is an authentic figure from Ukrainian folklore. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the only surviving legends of Cyrus the great are found in the GraecoRoman sources, they ultimately speak to various viewpoints in Achaemenid Iran on Cyrus. Following a survey of historical conditions surrounding the rise of the Persian Empire by Cyrus and its consolidation under Darius, characteristics of western Iranian historiography concerning the Median “state” and the dawn of the Persian Empire during the Achaemenid period are explored. It is argued that the Median and Iranian orientation of the Achaemenid Empire from the time of Darius provides the possibility of infusion of Young Avestan myths and legends in western Iran. In particular, the parallels between stories of Cyrus the great and Kauui Haosrauuah (Kay Ḵosrow) are investigated that point to a process of assimilation of the former with the latter that probably started in the Achaemenid period and later led to a two-way interaction of legends about these two figures. In addition, the depiction of Alexander in the Iranian tradition and his association with Kay Ḵosrow, analogous to his association with Cyrus the great in the western sources are pointed out that may further show the assimilation of Cyrus the great with the Iranian tradition by being identified with Kay Ḵosrow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Charles Scott Sherrington (1857–1952) is widely acclaimed as the most important neurophysiologist in history. He became a legend in his own time, coined the term "synapse", and in 1932 received the Nobel Prize in medicine for his discoveries on the function of neurons. By the time he presented the Gifford Lectures 1937–38, he represented the best that science had to offer on behalf of the relationship of the mind to the natural world. The lectures, including one never publicly presented, were published as Man on His Nature (1941). Here neurology meets theology at the busy and often treacherous intersection of science and religion. Examining Sherrington's views in some detail, the standard rendering of Sherrington as a theist cannot be sustained by their contents; he ends up as at least a humanist and perhaps an atheist. Views by neurologists and philosophers of mind some seventy to eighty years later are compared and contrasted with Sherrington's. Although expectations of a materialist/reductionist answer to the mind/body problem have not been realized, neuroscientist Raymond Tallis appears as a parallel figure to Sherrington: both are clearly naturalistic humanists. A theistic response is presented addressing the mind/body problem from a hylomorphic process theology perspective, along with some comments regarding natural theology in general. In the end, this essay has two complementary aims: (1) to relocate Sherrington's neurotheology—if it can be called that—in a more appropriate historiographical category; and (2) to offer a viable answer to the mind/body problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article introduces the key issues and scope of the 16th-century debate over the rights of the native American peoples encountered by Columbus and the Castilian conquistadores. The historic attempt by theologians and missionaries to limit imperial expansion and to defend the dignity of conquered peoples is an example of Western self-criticism and a fundamental contribution of the Catholic Church to the slow emergence of human rights discourses. This article then focuses on the first pages of Bartolomé de Las Casas's Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies, a text that played a pivotal role in the formation of the Black Legend against Spain, but also in the drafting of the Leyes Nuevas (New Laws) of 1542. While the Short Account's hyperbolic and explosive prose are well-known, its religious roots can be detected in the prologue and preface, with their discussion of biblical kingship, virtuous Indians, mortal sin, and (un)Christian behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mount Putuo in Zhejiang Province, China, is the most important holy land of Guanyin in East Asia. Landscape sacralization is a key modality by which sacred meaning is constructed. This paper takes several examples—the Tidal Sound Cave ("chaoyin dong" 潮音洞), the Well of the Immortal Mei ("Meixian jing" 梅仙井), the Well of Ge Hong ("Ge Hong jing" 葛洪井), the Well of the Immortal ("xianren jing" 仙人井), and Duangu Pier ("Duan Gu daotou" 短姑道頭)—to analyze the three types of processes of sacralization. The Tidal Sound Cave is a re-construction of the founding myths; Well of the Immortal Mei, the Well of Ge Hong and the Well of the Immortal reflect harmony between local legends of Daoist immortals and the sacred Buddhist site; and the Duangu Pier accomplished its sanctification process in the course of local pilgrimage activities. By sorting out the mechanism and process of landscape sanctification and exploring the generation and renewal of landscape meaning, we can observe the logic of the construction of this sacred site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is devoted to the problem of existence and analysis of the current state of legends and toponymic legends of Central Kazakhstan. The material was the texts recorded by the authors on expeditions to the Karaganda region in 2012 and 2017. The current state of the folklore of Central Kazakhstan is marked by the functioning of certain genres: legends, wedding poetry, proverbs, toponymic legends. The main layer of the functioning of folklore samples falls on legends and toponymic legends. It is concluded that the Kazakh legends are characterized by a specific informative function. The main plot-forming component is the character, around which all the material is united, the plots themselves, as a rule, are single-motive, do not contain fantastic elements and are designed as a narration about the recent past. The paper notes that toponymic legends explain the names of localities and are associated, as a rule, with the names of famous people. The specificity of the names is the use of speaking names or similarity with natural phenomena. The authors argue that the active functioning of folklore samples indicates a favorable folklore situation and the prospects for further research on the sociocultural aspect of Kazakh non-fairytale prose.

There is a large corpus of myths and legends about sea creatures in the maritime world, a record that portrays incredible and wondrous feats, wrecks, calamities, and disasters. In this article, I present an account of the mythological cosmology of the Endenese, a group of fearless seafarers that scoured the Eastern Indonesian seas for over four centuries. By discussing the legend of Kota Djogo, an island that disappeared into the sea in time immemorial, I reconstruct Endenese explanations for luck and uncertainty in a world plagued by volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, and typhoons. Going beyond the legend's veracity, I build on the study of the narrative to show how symbolic accounts of environmental events can provide important clues to the understanding of ecological disasters. I argue that the indigenous rationalizations of uncertainty present in oral legends and myths can function as coping mechanisms that reconcile communities with the unpredictable and the ambiguous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Contextos Educativos is the property of Universidad de la Rioja, Servicio de Publicaciones and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Contextos Educativos is the property of Universidad de la Rioja, Servicio de Publicaciones and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article highlights a broad range of economic indicators from the Current Population Survey (CPS) to provide a picture of the performance of the U.S. labor market in 2022, both overall and for various demographic groups. Cited are trends in usual weekly earnings, labor force flows, and the number of self-employed people, the number of unemployed people and the unemployment rate, and a summary of recent changes in the employment status of veterans, people with a disability, and foreigners.

Xishen (喜神, the God of Happiness) is one of the folk beliefs widely known and believed by Chinese people. He has no clear image or specific birthday, and there is no place of worship dedicated to Him. Although He has no specific religious space, there are clear directions and time requirements for the worship of Xishen. The task of this article is not to present and explain the belief in Xishen comprehensively, but rather to analyze the practice of folk belief centered on the orientation of Him and people's cognition formation process of the object of their belief. Taking the spatial study of religions as a standpoint and starting from a broad understanding of dynamic space, we compare and analyze materials from historical documents, folktales, and the practice of sacrificing to Xishen. We consider the relationship between religious, social, and cultural lives and try to prove that such folk beliefs still play an important role in our daily life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Studia Mythologica Slavica is the property of Scientific Research Centre of Slovenian Academy of Sciences & Arts and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Studia Mythologica Slavica is the property of Scientific Research Centre of Slovenian Academy of Sciences & Arts and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

HÁLEK, Jan. Historiography in the Wake of the Politics of History: the case of Ľudovít Holotík’s book Štefánikovská legenda. Historický časopis, 2022, 70, 1, pp. 115–142, Bratislava. The paper analyses the issue of a fight against the bourgeois legends about the foundation of Czechoslovakia in 1918. It uses the example of a Slovak historian Ľudovít Holotík and his book Štefánikovská legenda a vznik ČSR. It also focuses on the changes experienced in the period 1960–1968 by the Czech and Slovak historian communities and historiographies describing the First World War and the fight by Czechs and Slovaks for an independent country. In the period following the assumption of power by the Communists in February 1948, the fight against the bourgeois legends about the foundation of Czechoslovakia was one of the main tasks of the official Czechoslovak historiography. Book and journal production devoted to this subject culminated in 1958 with a book by a prominent Slovak historian Ľudovít Holotík Štefánikovská legenda a vznik ČSR. Its author set out to prove the claim that the work of M. R. Štefánik (and the whole Czechoslovak resistance abroad) during the First World War could not lead to the liberation of Czechs and Slovaks from the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. The book received a lot of positive responses from Holotík’s colleagues at the time it was published, but in the changing political and social climate of the 1960s it was subjected to sharp criticism. The disapproval culminated during the Prague Spring of 1968. Holotík became gradually isolated and so did his colleagues, who in the new climate refused to uphold their reviews from ten years before. Due to the public pressure, Holotík had to resign from his post as the director of the Institute of History of the Slovak Academy of Sciences in October 1968.