Search
Search Results
-
Witchcraft in Modern Society: An Ongoing Tradition or a Folkloric Relic? An Investigation into the Persistence of Witchcraft, from Folklore Stories to 21st Century Practices
191-202Views:103This article explores witchcraft’s ongoing relevance and function in contemporary society based on a qualitative analysis of folklore, historical, and modern practices. Despite the rise of secularism and scientific scepticism, the practice of witchcraft continues, albeit under different names and with different purposes. Through the examination of stories collected by Vuk Stefanović Karadžić and partly by Milovan Glišić, as well as contemporary testimonies as a side of comparison, this study reveals that witchcraft serves as a form of spiritual but also practical support in times of personal and social crisis. Rituals like ‘The Melting of Fear’ and ‘Coal Quenching’ demonstrate the continuity of magical practices, even as their cultural and religious contexts evolve. This study argues that, while secular individuals may publicly reject the supernatural, many still seek the services of witchcraft practitioners when conventional solutions fail. The methodology of this work includes a literary analysis of the stories of the mentioned authors and qualitative interviews with four individuals. Emphasising the complex interweaving of witchcraft, folklore, and religious and pagan beliefs, this study shows that despite the changing times, magical practices remain dominant and well-known even to today’s modern man.
-
The Vampire as the Mythological Creature in the Cinematography of South Slavic Countries: Vampire in Films “Leptirica” and “Holy Place” - Folkloric Juxtaposition
83-96Views:242Mythological creatures have enchanted and intrigued human beings for ages, and humans unconsciously stimulated their fears and insecurities. People have created a vampire-paranormal obsession that is reflected in everything that human creativity has touched, especially in film adaptations. In this article, readers will see the representation of the mythological creature Vampire on the Serbian film screen. The article dissects two selected films, “She-Butterfly” and “The Holy Place” from the vampire-induced horrors of the South Slavic cinematography. They will representatively be the focus of the study. These examples will reveal how the film of that time conjured up the horror, fear, and general aura of the mythological creature Vampire that has haunted the human race for centuries. In contrast to film representations, the author places a vampire from folklore as a pillar for comparison or a test sample to analyze the similarities, differences, and credibility of the representations in the film. Regarding the supportive material, we will extensively rely on the "Serbian Mythological Dictionary" as it provides a solid collection of various folk explanations and descriptions, which we will use for comparison. The methodological approach includes a description of the film plot with important elements, the analysis of the mentioned elements of interest within separate important parts of the plot, and a comparison with a folklore vampire within the analysis.
-
A THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVE ON THE THERAPEUTIC ROLE OF CHILDREN'S FOLK SONGS
75-81Views:293Starting from the idea that treating a problem is done more efficiently when we address the causes that generated it than when dealing with symptoms, respectively from theories that claim that most of the mental disorders have their roots in the mother-child relationship developed in the early childhood, through the paper entitled A Theoretical Perspective on the Therapeutic Role of Children's Folk Songs we intend to argue the more use of songs from children's folklore in music therapy. Thus, in the first part of the paper, we bring to the attention of the main theories that demonstrate the importance of the mother-child relationship from the early childhood in order to a healthy evolution of the child from the point of view of its psychic development, with special emphasis on their expression through vocal singing. In the second part of the study, we propose to approach the defense mechanisms from the perspective of the positive functions that it performs in the case of normal persons, as a defense mechanism and defense behavior. In the third part of the paper, we present an analysis of the repertoire of songs from the children's folklore from the perspective of the content of ideas, of the structure of the melodic line, of the specific rhythms, as a mirror of the relationships that children develop with themselves and with others, in particular with my mother. In the fourth part of the paper, we argue the use of songs from children's folklore in music therapy in order to trigger certain memories from the first childhood so that the traumas that have not been overcome are then treated properly. The paper concludes with some final considerations.