Naslov
A newly discovered figurative representation of the mythical Baba – "Old Baba Vukoša" in St. Mary's church of Gračišće in Istria

Autori
Vince-Pallua, Jelka

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Poglavlja u knjigama, znanstveni

Knjiga
SACRALISATION OF LANDSCAPE AND SACRED PLACES Zagreb, 2018 Proceedings of the 3rd International Scientific Conference of Mediaeval Archaeology of the Institute of Archaeology Zagreb, 2nd and 3rd June 2016

Urednik/ci
Belaj, Juraj, Belaj Marijana, Krznar, Siniša, Sekelj Ivančan, Tatjana, Tkalčec, Tatjana

Izdavač
Institut za arheologiju

Grad
Zagreb

Godina
2018

Raspon stranica
105-117

ISBN
978-953-6064-36-6

Ključne riječi
Slavic mythology, Slavic goddess, Mokoš, Baba, Mother Earth, monolith, figurative representation, Istria, Croatia

Sažetak
Two unique figurative representations of the mythical Baba – from Grobnik and Gračišće, Croatia – are discussed in this paper. They are the only ones in figurative form found until today. The author introduces a newly discovered figurative representation of the mythical Baba in St. Mary's church in Gračišće, Istria. It is a drawing of a fat old woman accompanied by an inscription written in Gothic Latin letters that reads Stara Baba Vukoša/Old Baba Vukoša. Contrary to the opinion that this is a sarcastic comment about some fat woman from Gračišće, it has for the first time been placed and interpreted in a mythological context. In the inscription of Stara Baba Vukoša the author reveals the well known connection of the Baba with the supreme Proto-Slavic goddess Mokoš, as well as with Mati syra zeml’a/Damp Mother Earth, the oldest deity in Slavic mythology. On the basis of several indicators discussed in the paper, the author concludes that the drawing of a fat woman, accompanied by this inscription, must have been inscribed into still wet plaster by some infertile woman, or a woman in need who, having preserved the "old faith", still in the 15th century prayed for help (also) to the pagan goddess Mokoš (i.e. the primal goddess Mati syra zeml’a/Damp Mother Earth) in the votive church dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the most common Christian substitute for Mokoš.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Povijest umjetnosti, Etnologija i antropologija, Religijske znanosti (interdisciplinarno polje)

Napomena
Rad je referiran na međunarodnom skupu "Sacralization of Landscape and Sacred Places/Sakralizacija prostora i sveta mjesta". 3. međunarodni znanstveni skup srednjovjekovne arheologije Instituta za arheologiju, Zagreb, 2.–3. lipnja 2016., Zagreb.

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