Folkloristički aspekti lika suđenica u usmenim predajama

Jovanović, Vanja. (2016). Folkloristički aspekti lika suđenica u usmenim predajama. Diploma Thesis. Filozofski fakultet u Zagrebu, Department of Croatian Language and Literature. [mentor Rudan Kapec, Evelina].

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Abstract

The thesis studies the Fates. In the thesis, the Fates imply mythical beings which determine human destiny, especially the day of their death. The first part of the thesis deals with their depiction in Greek, Roman, Norse mythology and (focusing mainly on) different Slavic belief. The Fates are known under many names in various mythologies and beliefs (different terms associated with their name are written in the thesis same as they were found in the original text, with or without capitalization while the author of the thesis uses the terms suđenice and rođenice without capitalizing them.) yet their main features remain the same. Motifs such as spindle, the act of spinning and scissors are often associated with their presence in different literature genres. The thesis deals with the question of their supernatural heritage – are they beings with supernatural abilities or supernatural beings and which category (fairy, witch) do they belong to. Motifs associated with them do not carry the same importance in oral lore as they do in myths and fairy tales. This is because fantastic elements in these genres do not require further (rational or any other) explanation. Therefore, in fairy tales we find that the Fates do not have such strong and clearly shaped (nor defined) identities – fairy tales need not stress whether the Fates are natural beings (old women), supernatural beings (fairies) or beings with supernatural abilities because this is not important for the genre itself; the motifs themselves are more important. The second part deals with the Fates in oral literary genres, analyzing how they are depicted in fairy tales and legends (folk lore) and by comparing them with similar beings. The Fates are more often referred to by their name in legends than in fairy tales because the supernatural is the foundation for estrangement in legends which is emphasized through their naming; if the act of naming is absent from the legend the reason for this is that the supernatural is seen as dangerous and any act of naming is the same as invocation – naming them would mean calling upon them. Therefore, we find different apotropeic agents and initiation processes used in legends (and folk lore) – such as setting the table for the Fates’ arrival the third night. The Fates are usually not seen visiting the child but they are often heard by a natural protagonist while deciding on the child’s fate – this motif is typical for demonological/ mythic legends, therefore, we may infer that the Fates are supernatural beings. While some researchers consider them fairy beings (in legends they are often named fairies), other believe they are witches – The Fates are neither, though they share characteristics with both of them. Researchers, however, agree that they are beings (creatures) similar to men. They are most commonly depicted as three women visiting a newly born child between the first and the third night (of his/her birth) to determine the child’s fate. In fairy tales, the first two Fates usually present the child with presents (material or other) while the third’s judgment (in fairy tales and legends alike) is almost without exception ominous. The custom of setting the table for the Fates’ arrival has somewhat been forgotten, although record of this can still be found in legends and fairy tales. In legends, the child is usually a boy while in fairy tales the child is more often a girl. In fairy tales, the Fates are rarely named and are often described only as old women; their function is that of a helper. This subject matter was chosen because of their low representation in the works dealing with supernatural beings and beings with supernatural abilities of Croatian traditional beliefs. These are mainly dedicated to the study or collecting and recording of data about witches, fairies, werewolves, more, orko, macić, krsnik and others, while the authors tend to have very little to say about the Fates (in comparison with the entities mentioned above). The thesis attempts to show their narrative fertility and determine their representation in living oral tradition based on records and previously collected (known) data. For an actual display of their narrative productivity, a field research is necessary. The third part examines other sources (other than fairy tales, traditions and myth) that give us information that is important for a more complete view and understanding of the Fates and beliefs related to them. The collected distributive data confirms the assumption that the belief in the Fates could be found in Slavic tradition, as well as other nations, in the last century. Their narrative productivity today is much lower in comparison to that of the previous century since researchers have shown more interest in fantastic beings with narrative productivity of higher degree. New research has yet to determine whether the belief in the Fates has been transferred to the next generation. I hope that this work will come as an incentive for new field research in determining their narrative productivity.

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