Prethodno priopćenje
Do Not Touch Our Fire : the Ritual Bonfire at the End of the Year on the Island of Korčula
Tonko Barčot
; Arhivski-sabirni centar Korčula-Lastovo
Sažetak
Following a brief archival note from the late 19th century, the author attempts to reconstruct an ancient custom of lighting bonfires on Christmas Eve in Vela Luka, the only town on the island of Korčula where this tradition has not survived to the present day. The island’s customs are analyzed and compared, situating them within the broader context of Christmas traditions as well as ancient pre-Christian customs. It is observed that Christmas and New Year bonfires are rarely explored in existing literature, and it is concluded that they reflect ritual practices from ancient pre-Christian times, during which the old year was symbolically burned. According to some interpretations, this act may symbolize an imaginary forefather or an ancestor of the lineage.
Ključne riječi
bonfire; fire; yule log (known locally as “badnjak”); Christmas and New Year customs; island of Korčula
Hrčak ID:
328172
URI
Datum izdavanja:
30.12.2025.
Posjeta: 14 *