DOI Heft:
Nr. 1
DOI Artikel:Goss, Vladimir Peter: The "Croatian Westwork" revisited
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.31178#0025
7 3. ZďÁzmr— RAA/G/. PETGaL CGrA,
V /A P7<c7<?.' IX P. (My.
The pattern that has emerged is that of a sacred
triangle the characteristics of which are:
1. Of the three points usually in a visual contact with
one another, two are occupied by male deities
(Perun, Veles, Juraj) and the third by Mokoš;
2. One of the angles measures ca. 23 degrees (re-
presenting the dehection between the imagined
orbits of the Sun on the equinox and the solstice,
in Croatia 23 degrees 27 minutes);
3. The two shorter sides form a ratio of 1 to square
root of 2;
4. The longest side usually links the two key oppo-
nents;
5. Perun's point is always on an elevated ground;
6. The female point is usually next to water;
7. There is usually water between Mokoš and Ve-
les.
In conclusion, Belaj underlines the tremendous
practical impact of the "myth in the landscape":
"T&7T ro/w/A/yg 17?,?
o/*
^ o/' wW?2g čw?... TVr
C /áw ^ T'/oy^yy
(ogř/^^y* w^yy)/ ^ Myyy/ o/" yyy^/4M yyy yyy/VrV
ykt /řgyfyyyy^ 0Kwrf."^°
If this view of the "myth in the landscape" is
correct, then, hrst of all, the Croats and the other
Southern Slavs brought along to the Roman and
Greek world within which they had settled a fairly
sophisticated culture. Also, beyond, this may apply to
any "barbarian" nation — Slavic, Germanie, Asian by
origin — that settled within the Mediterranean world,
or that without moving away from its homeland
became a part of European civilisation by accepting
Christianity. The Croats and other Southern Slavs
imprinted some of their essential mythical features
on the new land in the process of taking it as they
perpetuated some of their deepest expériences about
the self and the world. They re-made the picture
of their old country. Among the newcomers to
the Mediterranean, only the Slovènes, Croats, and
Monténégrins did preserve their "barbarian" Slavic
tongue. They stuck to their tradition.
So, in many respects did, I believe, all other
"barbarians" that eventually became members of
"Europe". While the "humanists" among European
scholars háve doně an outstanding job in iliuminating
the Mediterranean component of the European cul-
ture, the "barbarian" side has argued its case poorly
or not at all. In fact, we do not yet know how to re-
ally approach a serious search for, e.g., Slavic pagan
4° BELAJ 2007 (see m note 38), pp. 423-424, 454.
19
V /A P7<c7<?.' IX P. (My.
The pattern that has emerged is that of a sacred
triangle the characteristics of which are:
1. Of the three points usually in a visual contact with
one another, two are occupied by male deities
(Perun, Veles, Juraj) and the third by Mokoš;
2. One of the angles measures ca. 23 degrees (re-
presenting the dehection between the imagined
orbits of the Sun on the equinox and the solstice,
in Croatia 23 degrees 27 minutes);
3. The two shorter sides form a ratio of 1 to square
root of 2;
4. The longest side usually links the two key oppo-
nents;
5. Perun's point is always on an elevated ground;
6. The female point is usually next to water;
7. There is usually water between Mokoš and Ve-
les.
In conclusion, Belaj underlines the tremendous
practical impact of the "myth in the landscape":
"T&7T ro/w/A/yg 17?,?
o/*
^ o/' wW?2g čw?... TVr
C /áw ^ T'/oy^yy
(ogř/^^y* w^yy)/ ^ Myyy/ o/" yyy^/4M yyy yyy/VrV
ykt /řgyfyyyy^ 0Kwrf."^°
If this view of the "myth in the landscape" is
correct, then, hrst of all, the Croats and the other
Southern Slavs brought along to the Roman and
Greek world within which they had settled a fairly
sophisticated culture. Also, beyond, this may apply to
any "barbarian" nation — Slavic, Germanie, Asian by
origin — that settled within the Mediterranean world,
or that without moving away from its homeland
became a part of European civilisation by accepting
Christianity. The Croats and other Southern Slavs
imprinted some of their essential mythical features
on the new land in the process of taking it as they
perpetuated some of their deepest expériences about
the self and the world. They re-made the picture
of their old country. Among the newcomers to
the Mediterranean, only the Slovènes, Croats, and
Monténégrins did preserve their "barbarian" Slavic
tongue. They stuck to their tradition.
So, in many respects did, I believe, all other
"barbarians" that eventually became members of
"Europe". While the "humanists" among European
scholars háve doně an outstanding job in iliuminating
the Mediterranean component of the European cul-
ture, the "barbarian" side has argued its case poorly
or not at all. In fact, we do not yet know how to re-
ally approach a serious search for, e.g., Slavic pagan
4° BELAJ 2007 (see m note 38), pp. 423-424, 454.
19