Click the star to add/remove an item to/from your individual schedule.
You need to be logged in to avail of this functionality.
Log in
- Convenors:
-
Ülo Valk
(University of Tartu)
Lina Būgienė (Institute of Lithuanian Literature and Folklore)
Agita Misane (University of Latvia)
Dirk Johannsen (University of Oslo)
Send message to Convenors
- Chairs:
-
Marion Bowman
(The Open University)
Dirk Johannsen (University of Oslo)
Ülo Valk (University of Tartu)
- Discussant:
-
Marion Bowman
(The Open University)
- Format:
- Panel
- Location:
- Theta room
- Sessions:
- Thursday 7 September, -, -
Time zone: Europe/Vilnius
Short Abstract:
The panel reflects on the techniques and technologies by which places and routes with a religious or mythical past gain renewed significance. Focusing on narration, heritagisation, and contestation, the papers explore how places and routes are imagined and represented in different kinds of media.
Long Abstract:
The panel reflects on the techniques and technologies by which places and routes with a religious or mythical past gain renewed significance. Focusing on processes of narration, heritagisation, and contestation, the papers explore how places and routes change meanings, how they are imagined and represented in different kinds of media, how they are (re-)connected to vernacular religious and knowledge traditions, and how new and old technologies are used to identify, access and utilize them. Landscapes, routes, and places appear in constant reconfiguration, shaped by the dominant discourses, religious traditions, and social needs. Placemaking often evokes active imaginations of the past, and of the ancient significance of the site, involving personal experiences of site visits and subsequent storytelling. The storyworlds appear in multiple forms, displaying variations and divergent perspectives of the imaginary. Significant places often stand out because they are contested by incompatible ideologies expressed in alternative storyworlds.
The papers in this panel explore current processes in placemaking, discussing case studies from different countries, such as Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, and Russia. These regions have historically been dominated by Catholic, Lutheran, and Orthodox traditions. Still, modernity has added new ideological layers, such as nationalism, socialism, state-sponsored atheism, and the revival of religious imagery in forms of new spirituality. Participants in active place construction include historians, folklorists, writers, artists, politicians, landowners, peasants, clergy members, pilgrims, tourists, and many other social roles. Papers in the panel shed light on the practices of placemaking past and present, focusing on current technologies, discourses, agents, and media involved.
Accepted papers:
Session 1 Thursday 7 September, 2023, -Paper short abstract:
Looking at pilgrimage landscape in Estonia and Latvia, I will explore how walking along ‘routes with roots’ towards significant places strengthens the collective national/ regional or religious identity of pilgrims. I will also examine immanent agency of saints, statues, and souvenirs.
Paper long abstract:
During recent decades, there has been a considerable increase in pilgrimage activity across the Baltic states and across traditional religious divisions, and this has given rise to new traditions and new material culture. Several new pilgrim trails have been developed in the context of the larger European network of pilgrimage routes to Santiago; alongside these are annual Catholic pilgrimages to places associated with Mary. We have previously argued that Lithuania has a more pilgrim-friendly environment than Estonia and Latvia (Eade and Sepp 2022). In this paper, a further comparison is made between different pilgrimage destinations in Estonia (and Latvia). I will explore how walking along ‘routes with roots’ towards significant places strengthens the collective national/ regional or religious identity of pilgrims.
By adopting a relational approach I will examine immanent agency of saints, statues, souvenirs, etc. First person narratives about encounters with God and saints will be analysed from the senses and material religion perspective. When examining the role played by saints in shaping pilgrim experience, my focus will be on St James and Mary. While St James seems to have been "domesticated" by many Protestants and secular people as a patron saint of pilgrims, attitudes towards Mary are more ambiguous. I am going to ask the following questions:
(a) Will the relationship with St James that his pilgrims experienced in Spain be reflected/ replicated on the new Caminos just like the new pilgrim routes are modelled after the physical Camino?
(b) Will the founders and pilgrims of the new Caminos retain the kind of relationship with the patron saint of pilgrims they had in Spain or will the different cultural and religious landscapes of their homeland change their views on this?
(c) How do saints fit into the pilgrimage culture of the mostly secular/ Protestant countries?
Paper short abstract:
The paper focuses on the way of turning the mythical stone Puntukas, which was well-established in Lithuanian folklore, inspiring several place legends and finding its way into the famous poem by Baranauskas, into an object of national heritage and a site of patriotic pilgrimage.
Paper long abstract:
The huge boulder of Puntukas, situated in the middle of Anykščiai wood, was until 1956 considered the biggest stone in Lithuania. In Lithuanian folklore, there are several place-legends about this stone, the most popular one describing the devil unsuccessfully using the stone to destroy the Anykščiai Church. This legend of Puntukas also found its way into the famous 19th century poem by Antanas Baranauskas. However, Puntukas gained particular importance from the middle of the 20th century, when sculptor Bronius Pundzius, aided by several local stone masters, in 1943 chiseled a bas-relief of the legendary Lithuanian aviators Darius and Girėnas, along with the words from their testament. This action, undertaken on the initiative of a devoted cultural activist Tomas Zauka, became a center of controversies and even condemnation by the local clergy and some writers, who labeled the transformation of Puntukas a “tragedy” and even a sacrilege. Nevertheless, since then, Puntukas acquired a new meaning as a great national and patriotic monument, attracting big numbers of visitors.
Paper short abstract:
The importance of Gediminas' Castle Hill in Vilnius is grounded in Renaissance chronicles and folklore. After landslides in 2017 the graves of 19th c. rebels were found on the hill reviving the great national narrative and folk legends and turning it into a place of modern patriotic pilgrimage.
Paper long abstract:
The Gediminas' Castle Hill is a historic mound on which the Gediminas' Tower is located in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. This is a key historic site, the importance of which is grounded in the Renaissance chronicles about the founding of Vilnius and its founder, the Grand Duke Gediminas of pagan Lithuania. In the folk tradition, the historic legends about the great army which slumbered under the Gediminas' Hill and which if awakened could join the fight for the independence of the homeland were widespread.
In 2017, after a heavy rain season, the hill was severely damaged by landslides. Sophisticated and intrusive engineering measures of ground anchoring were to be implemented. During the archaeological monitoring the unmarked graves of the main leaders and other insurgents of the so-called January Uprising of 1863-64 against the Russian Empire were discovered. The insurrection spread in Poland, Lithuania, and a section of Belarus. In Vilnius, 22 rebels were brutally executed by the tsarist forces and secretly buried on the top of the hill.
The historical discoveries were regarded as a sign of a miracle - as if the personified hill itself would have decided to shake off the soil and to uncover the graves of the national heroes right before the Centennial of the restored Lithuania in 2018. Thus, geotechnical and archaeological measures gave a new impetus to the dissemination of Lithuania's great historical narrative about the pagan forefathers of the nation, the historic freedom fighters, and place-lore as well as strengthened the feelings of national pride in Belarus and Poland. The Gediminas' Castle Hill gained a renewed significance as a place of modern patriotic pilgrimage both for the Lithuanians, the Belarusians, and the Poles.
Paper short abstract:
The presentation introduces three spiritual parks in North of Estonia as the sites of learning of particular tradition where negotiations between different sources create the milieu of attention and enchantment.
Paper long abstract:
The presentation introduces three spiritual parks in North of Estonia as the sites of learning of particular spiritual tradition. They are built to perform and engage the visitors into different teachings by their architecture and organization of the room. Various ritual practices merge different religious sources inspired by yogic/Hindu concepts, neo-shamanic teachings and psychologisation of the natural forms on the paths of the person seeking spiritual as well as physical healing.
However each park has its dangers, the places that embody qualities that are considered harmful and insecure by their supernatural nature. Earth energy stemming from the ground, spirits of the nature and the conflicts in the transforming power of ritual and meditation express the dangers that control the feeling of sacredness and its inevitable role in the spiritual reality. Despite seemingly distant origins of teachings in these parks, the nature with its supernatural qualities works as a uniting, translating and renewing concept for its users. This refers to the conceptualization the source of sacrality which is ultimate and transformative power with its different functions, it is living and dynamic force, healing, dangerous and educating at the same time.
Paper short abstract:
The paper explores the role of conflicting ideologies in shaping and manufacturing place-lore, its symbolism, and building alternative storyworlds. It discusses the relationship between folklore, Orthodoxy, and state-sponsored atheism.
Paper long abstract:
The paper explores the place-lore of Alutaguse parish in North Eastern Estonia as a realm of ideological conflicts. The historical changes starting from the national movement and Russification policy of the Czarist Empire in the 19th century, leading to the establishment of the Estonian Republic, the following Communist occupation, and the restoration of independence reconfigured the meaning of the local landscape. The region is rich in giant-lore representing the country's mythic past, including a hillock identified as the grave of Kalevipoeg – the mythical king who ruled the country in historical legends and the Estonian epic "Kalevipoeg". Only a few kilometers away in Kuremäe is the Orthodox convent of the Dormition of the Mother of God, established in the late 19th century. Nearby is a holy spring and other places related to religious legends about the apparition of the Virgin Mary and the discovery of a miraculous icon. Atheistic fight against Christianity in Soviet Estonia and the new wave of Russification entangled the giant-lore and Orthodoxy, expounding the former in a progressive light and the latter as an example of superstitious ignorance. The paper explores the role of conflicting ideologies in shaping and manufacturing place-lore, its symbolism, and building alternative storyworlds.
Paper short abstract:
This paper will discuss these how the visions and ideas of the promoters of new sacred sites in Latvia shaped the development of these sites, their popularity and religious experiences reported by visitors.
Paper long abstract:
Since the late 1980’ies, several new sacred sites have appeared in the rural areas in Latvia. All are located in rural areas and feature altered landscapes (i.e. uncovered stone piles, installation of artistic elements or buildings), attract numerous visitors and are promoted by individuals who are, in most cases, published authors. These sites are not linked to any organized religion; however, the connected narratives contain references to religious traditions and visitors have reported transformative and/or communicative spiritual experiences. Three basic types of new shrines could be identified. Shrines of the first type are linked to the Latvian nationalist mythology – the connected narratives refer to the past glory and Latvia’s exceptional place in the world. Other group of sites are oriented towards visitors’ individual spiritual growth and accomplishment and are integrated into broader networks of contemporary alternative spiritualities. The third type of smaller shrines are found on private properties and are connected to the family history and local identity.
They have been promoted by individuals who are, in most cases, authors of published books and articles available in print or on their websites. This paper will discuss these publications and how the visions and main ideas of Ojārs Ozoliņš (Bitarīnkalns in the Vijciems parish), Ivars Vīks and Ilze Jansone (Pokaiņi sacred grove), Elvita Rudzāte (Self-awareness and harmonization park in Sigulda) and Ēriks Delpers (Hill of Christ the King in Aglona) shaped the development of these sites, their popularity and religious experiences reported by visitors.
Paper short abstract:
The paper discusses alleged sacred site of Lopaičiai in north western Lithuania and how it emerged in the early 21st century, disguised as a pagan historical site. Paper will focus on the techniques of narrative construction in re-shaping and re-storying a place.
Paper long abstract:
Lopaičiai is a village in Žemaitija ("Samogitia" in Latin), north western part of Lithuania. There is a hill-fort in Lopaičiai, located few hundred meters from the village in nearby forest. Lopaičiai hill-fort, as most hill-forts in Lithuania, was frequently mentioned in local place-lore during 20th century, but it wasn’t until 21st century when the place gained its fame and significance. After Lithuania regained independence in 1990, questions of unique Samogitian identity began to arise in public. Local public figures, societies, various cultural fellowships and local press have been slowly building the case of Samogitian identity. It helped to set the scene for a new place to emerge in early 21st century – the alleged sacred pagan site, located over the small river from the Lopaičiai hill-fort. Since 2004 numerous mentions of this sacred site suddenly appeared in local journals and internet websites. Afterwards local people and ideological Samogitian leaders started to build the mythology around the place and Lopaičiai sacred site emerged, as it seems, from nothing. Today alleged sacred site of Lopaičiai is increasing in popularity every year. However, if the legend of Lopaičiai began with Samogitian duke Vykintas and pagan religion, today it became a center for spiritual healing and transcendental connections with the cosmos. It also became increasingly prominent place of Samogitian identity, because it was methodically spread by people interested in building this kind of narrative.
In my paper I will address how the legend of Lopaičiai sacred site was constructed using a combination of historical data, folk tales, samogitian nationalism and spiritual healing. I will focus on the techniques of narrative construction, and how people re-shaped and re-storied Lopaičiai by adding additional meaning to a historical place.