Paper short abstract:

In the face of serious changes and new contexts, "classic" issues, which I consider folklore and intangible cultural heritage, must be studied in a new way. In my speech I would like to discuss the relationship between climate crisis, rural folklore and intangible cultural heritage.

Paper long abstract:

Folklore, intangible cultural heritage and the climate crisis seem to be spaces too distant from each other to see their relationships and mutual influence. In my opinion this is not and never was true. Folklore is "closely related to the social background, the living conditions and the life of the community itself, and is also a reflection of the living conditions in its content and forms" (Burszta 1987: 126). Poland is a country with economy based on agriculture. Therefore, elements of intangible cultural heritage, that can be found in the Polish ritual year (a traditional cycle of repetitive activities of a specific meaning and importance) are based on human relations with the environment: changing seasons and the agricultural calendar. In my speech, I would like to discuss the relationship between climate crisis and rural folklore and heritage. Do harvest festivals celebrated in September maintain a connection with reality if the harvest ended in July? What about the first spring storms, supposed to "shake the ground" before the beginning of the agricultural season, which take place in winter, or not at all? What will the Corpus Christi floral carpets be made of, if there are no flowers? These are just a few questions that arise when reflecting on folklore and its relationship with the environment. In the face of serious changes, the "classic" issues, which I consider folklore and intangible cultural heritage, must be analysed multidisciplinary. Changes in the world around us cause changes in every area of ​​human life.