Page 51 - Hrobat Virloget, Katja, ur. 2021. Mitska krajina: iz različnih perspektiv. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem.
P. 51
Mitska krajina: razmisleki in smernice za Mitski park
found in the Christian tradition of the Karst, in which other, older symbols
were added to the Christian apotropaic symbols (Čok 2015). This dichotomy
of belief can be interpreted by claiming that the foundation of belief is not
conviction, but rather the opposite – doubt (Severi 2015), that is why we
can witness a number of different fluid belief identities depending on the
context of time and space (Jordan 2003).
By analysing the mythical landscape of Rodik and Trebišće, the author first
asks herself what is the ‘supernatural’ that so often appears in the narrative
tradition. This is also one of the issues of the exhibition at the Rodik Visi-
tor Centre, which shows different views of the world or, in English, ‘world
makings’ (van de Port, Birgit Meyer 2018, 2), from mythical, scientific to
artistic and pseudo-scientific. Or is ‘supernatural’ just a fictional concept
of scientific discourse that does not coincide with the people’s perception
(Mencej 2020)? The example of the ‘supernatural’ being Lintver, from the
place of Jezero na Čuku, once again confirms the thesis that the Church, by
its fight against ‘supernatural’ beings, actually confirmed their existence, al-
though it officially denied them and forbade believing in them (Šešo 2016).
Christian rites and the narrative tradition of Lintver from Jezero probably
indicates a pre-Christian cult of the population of the ancient settlement at
Ajdovščina above Rodik, whereby anthropogenic activities are evidenced in
the large limestone blocks, unusual for the Brkini ridge, which is formed by
sandstone and marl. If we look from the perspective of Slavic mythology,
the demonised mythical creature from the top of the mythical mountain
full of water could be interpreted as the heavenly god Perun, the creator of
thunder who brings lightning and storms.
The analysis of the mythical landscape continues in the landscape of Tre-
bišća, whose name probably derives from the Old Slavic word for sacrifice,
‘treba,’ and is located below the hill named after the Old Slavic celestial cre-
ator of thunder Perun. In the caves below it, the residence of Veles – the
god of the underworld and livestock – was identified, as well as several pos-
sible connections in the so-called mythical triangle with the ancient Slavic
goddess Mokoš or Baba (Katičić 2008, 305–312; Belaj in Belaj 2014, 157–166).
Given the frequent mention of Perun and his location Trebišća in Russian
ecclesiastical literature, it is interesting that the same pattern of toponyms
in the landscape occurs in Števerjan/San Floriano del Collio in the Province
of Gorizia in Italy, where the hill Kresavnik is located, which is often linked
to the heavenly creator of thunder, as well as the place Trebežišče (Klemše
idr. 1999; Hrobat 2010a, 217). Apart from the comparison with the Slavic
mythical landscape, these toponyms also point to a comparison with the
multi-layered mythical landscape of Rodik, especially with the toponyms V
sveti meji, Čuklja and the two toponyms of Počivala, where a mythical con-
notation of the word Čuk is indicated.
Further analyses build on the previous knowledge about the mythical figure
51
found in the Christian tradition of the Karst, in which other, older symbols
were added to the Christian apotropaic symbols (Čok 2015). This dichotomy
of belief can be interpreted by claiming that the foundation of belief is not
conviction, but rather the opposite – doubt (Severi 2015), that is why we
can witness a number of different fluid belief identities depending on the
context of time and space (Jordan 2003).
By analysing the mythical landscape of Rodik and Trebišće, the author first
asks herself what is the ‘supernatural’ that so often appears in the narrative
tradition. This is also one of the issues of the exhibition at the Rodik Visi-
tor Centre, which shows different views of the world or, in English, ‘world
makings’ (van de Port, Birgit Meyer 2018, 2), from mythical, scientific to
artistic and pseudo-scientific. Or is ‘supernatural’ just a fictional concept
of scientific discourse that does not coincide with the people’s perception
(Mencej 2020)? The example of the ‘supernatural’ being Lintver, from the
place of Jezero na Čuku, once again confirms the thesis that the Church, by
its fight against ‘supernatural’ beings, actually confirmed their existence, al-
though it officially denied them and forbade believing in them (Šešo 2016).
Christian rites and the narrative tradition of Lintver from Jezero probably
indicates a pre-Christian cult of the population of the ancient settlement at
Ajdovščina above Rodik, whereby anthropogenic activities are evidenced in
the large limestone blocks, unusual for the Brkini ridge, which is formed by
sandstone and marl. If we look from the perspective of Slavic mythology,
the demonised mythical creature from the top of the mythical mountain
full of water could be interpreted as the heavenly god Perun, the creator of
thunder who brings lightning and storms.
The analysis of the mythical landscape continues in the landscape of Tre-
bišća, whose name probably derives from the Old Slavic word for sacrifice,
‘treba,’ and is located below the hill named after the Old Slavic celestial cre-
ator of thunder Perun. In the caves below it, the residence of Veles – the
god of the underworld and livestock – was identified, as well as several pos-
sible connections in the so-called mythical triangle with the ancient Slavic
goddess Mokoš or Baba (Katičić 2008, 305–312; Belaj in Belaj 2014, 157–166).
Given the frequent mention of Perun and his location Trebišća in Russian
ecclesiastical literature, it is interesting that the same pattern of toponyms
in the landscape occurs in Števerjan/San Floriano del Collio in the Province
of Gorizia in Italy, where the hill Kresavnik is located, which is often linked
to the heavenly creator of thunder, as well as the place Trebežišče (Klemše
idr. 1999; Hrobat 2010a, 217). Apart from the comparison with the Slavic
mythical landscape, these toponyms also point to a comparison with the
multi-layered mythical landscape of Rodik, especially with the toponyms V
sveti meji, Čuklja and the two toponyms of Počivala, where a mythical con-
notation of the word Čuk is indicated.
Further analyses build on the previous knowledge about the mythical figure
51
