Papers by Jolanta Zabulytė
Acta Academiae Artium Vilnensis, Oct 15, 2023
The purpose of this article is to explore pine role and function in Lithuanian traditional cultur... more The purpose of this article is to explore pine role and function in Lithuanian traditional culture. According to various sources, the article discusses on the comparative basis different aspects of pine role in Lithuanian traditional culture: pine relationship with places of worship, death (afterlife and ghosts turning into repenting pines, place of execution, haunting, etc.), with women and their fertility, health, the Tree of the World and the Tree of Life mythologems. In author‘s opinion, the crucial and key aspect of pine role lies in its holiness, which is revealed through pine in places of worship and which corresponds to the holiness of oak and other trees, belonging to worship places and performing functions of centralizing sacral space and mediating – the place where deities live and manifest. Certain features suggest that evergreen pine could also convey the meaning of Tree of the World and its derivative, Tree of Life. Healing power of pine could be associated not only wi...
The purpose of this article is to explore pine role and function in Lithuanian traditional cultur... more The purpose of this article is to explore pine role and function in Lithuanian traditional culture. According to various sources, the article discusses on the comparative basis different aspects of pine role in Lithuanian traditional culture: pine relationship with places of worship, death (afterlife and ghosts turning into repenting pines, place of execution, haunting, etc.), with women and their fertility, health, the Tree of the World and the Tree of Life mythologems. In author‘s opinion, the crucial and key aspect of pine role lies in its holiness, which is revealed through pine in places of worship and which corresponds to the holiness of oak and other trees, belonging to worship places and performing functions of centralizing sacral space and mediating – the place where deities live and manifest. Certain features suggest that evergreen pine could also convey the meaning of Tree of the World and its derivative, Tree of Life. Healing power of pine could be associated not only wi...
Žemaitijos kaltiniai kryžiai: Adelės Genovaitės Zinkevičiūtės archyvo pėdsakais. Tautodailės metraštis, 2023, nr. 55, p. 23 - 29, 2023
9. Žemaitijos kaltiniai kryžiai: Adelės Genovaitės Zinkevičiūtės archyvo pėdsakais. Tautodailės metraštis, 2023, nr. 55, p. 23 - 29, 2023
The article tackles the problem of typology of one of the oldest monuments located at the village... more The article tackles the problem of typology of one of the oldest monuments located at the village of Alsėdžiai. Taking into account diverse opinions by numerous authors, it is currently not really possible to identify the Alsėdžiai monument as the karavykas-type (double-bar) cross, unless some corroborating church documents emerge. When compared to other examples from the ip"" century, the Alsėdžiai monument demonstrates parallel features with stave crosses in Samogitia and Eastern Lithuania, such as two-slope roofs in cross-wise orientation, sometimes, horizontal details on the vertical. The purpose of such is not precisely clear, therefore hypothesis is made that: 1- by analogy with other three stave crosses with one horizontal short bar, the top horizontal bar of the Alsėdžiai monument could hide an opening in the pillar; 2. the horizontals were possibly supposed for textiles - for hanging sacrifices in memory, gratitude and prayers for the deceased
In the second part of the article Jolanta Zabulytë analyses real (dove, cuckoo) and stylised bird... more In the second part of the article Jolanta Zabulytë analyses real (dove, cuckoo) and stylised birds' motifs in wooden cross decorations. Stylisation complicates the identification of the bird type. Nevertheless, the image of the bird is associated with and therefore belongs in Heaven, in the realm of the God of the sky. Thus, birds are represented "high up" on the cross and their representations are combined with vegetal ornaments. This representation is reminiscent of the structure of the Tree of the World or the Tree of Life present in the folk art of numerous countries at different times, including Lithuanian folk art. One of the functions of wooden crosses (as well as other similar monuments) is to signify the sacred centre of the world, which is also the symbolic function of the Tree of Life. In this case, birds symbolise God's messengers and mediators between heaven and earth. Considering the belief that after death some souls might assume the appearance of a ...
The paper unfolds the key reasons that encouraged many great artists of the 20th century to draw ... more The paper unfolds the key reasons that encouraged many great artists of the 20th century to draw their attention to the art of non-European civilizations, to introduce the art of various cultures to the horizons of the Western world, and to create the imaginary museum of contemporary art. Exploring the ideas of famous French existential writer and art philosopher Andre Malraux, the article aims to discuss the crisis of the fundamental values which severely affected 20th century European culture and encouraged artists to look for authentic existence, the meaning of life and transcendent absolutes in other cultures of the world. The paper also focuses on Malraux's understanding of the nature and significance of art. It explores cultural dialogues and artistic metamorphoses that revealed the quest for deep spiritual values and metaphysical phenomena, introducing to Western art the art forms and creative concepts of other cultures. Eastern civilizations and non-European cultural her...
The aim of this article is to discuss the metamorphoses of mythical forms and exotic images in me... more The aim of this article is to discuss the metamorphoses of mythical forms and exotic images in medieval art that were examined by Henri Focillon's school members and especially by one of the most prominent it's representative Jurgis Baltrušaitis who has created new comparative methods of art history. Analyzing the evolution of immanent art structures, the study reveals methodological instruments that exposed the influences of different civilizations, complicated interactions of Symbols and visual Systems, survivals, revivals and the manifestations of historical memory. The study also discusses the development of mythical forms in the Ancient world and its spreading into Western art. Owing to analysis of the ways of mythical forms Baltrušaitis revealed "other" face of medieval art because the survived mythical forms reflected not a "realistic" and individuality of man emphasizing Middle Ages but "irrealistic", full of ancient myths and legends th...
For the first time the paper presents a comprehensive discussion on the religious monuments in th... more For the first time the paper presents a comprehensive discussion on the religious monuments in the area of Užpaliai, i.e., cast, forged or tubular metal crosses, wooden pillar crosses (a post with a roof) and pillared shrines (shrine posts), their modern interpretations as well as wooden crosses. The religious monuments are studied in the aspect of their historical development: from the oldest specimens (mid- and end-19th century) to the latest monuments. Their shape, decoration motives are analysed, tables of chiselled cross decorations and stone pedestal forms are given. The investigations done enabled to conclude that the olden monuments in the Užpaliai area reflect the features typical of the East Aukštaitija regions and the Utena land. The monuments erected after the second half of the 20th century specifically extend the former traditional forms and illustrate the tendencies in the modern cross-crafting in Lithuania
Straipsnis skirtas pušies vaidmens ir funkcijų tradicinėje lietuvių kultūroje tyrinėjimui. Remian... more Straipsnis skirtas pušies vaidmens ir funkcijų tradicinėje lietuvių kultūroje tyrinėjimui. Remiantis įvairių šaltinių duomenimis, straipsnyje lyginamuoju aspektu aptariami įvairūs pušies vaidmens lietuvių tradicinėje kultūroje aspektai: jų ryšys su švenvietėmis, su mirtimi (pomirtiniu virtimu ir vėlės atgailavimu pušyse, egzekucijos vietomis, vaidenimusi ir kt.), su moterimis ir jų vaisingumu, su sveikata, Pasaulio ir Gyvybės medžio mitologemų bruožais. Straipsnio autorės nuomone, ryškiausias ir esminis pušies vaidmens bruožas-jos šventumas, atsiskleidžiantis šventviečių pušų atvejais ir atitinkantis ąžuolui bei kitiems šventviečių medžiams būdingas sakraliosios erdvės įcentrinio ir tarpininkavimo funkcijas-tai vieta, kur gyvena arba apsireiškia dievybės. Pagal tam tikrus bruožus galima spėti, kad amžinai žaliuojanti pušis galėjo turėti ir Pasaulio medžio, ir jo vedinio-Gyvybės medžio − reikšmių. Gydomosios pušies galios gali būti susiję ne tik su šiais vaizdiniais, bet ir su jos pl...
Article discusses the subject under researched in Lithuania, namely, crosses engraved in the tree... more Article discusses the subject under researched in Lithuania, namely, crosses engraved in the trees, as well as the cases of hanging the wooden crosses and chapels in the trees, the comparisons with other countries examples were presented. It is concluded that the crosses cut in the trees, the wooden crosses and chapels in trees often indicate the place of a person's death; alongside it carries out the function of the souls of the dead protection, while in the holy places they play the role of acknowledgements and the offering application. Today, chapels and the wooden crosses hanging in trees maintained the tradition of the former features: wooden crosses mark the death location of the local partisans, chapels and crosses marked burials in cemeteries, in holy places they are hung as offerings, in the former farmsteads they became signs of memory, and as in other European countries, they mark the places of sudden death, less often the places of haunting
26. Zabulytė J., Skapiškio seniūnijos kryždirbystės paminklai, Skapiškis. Senovė ir dabartis, sud. A. Jonušytė, ser. Lietuos valsčiai, Vilnius: Versmė, Kupiškis: Kupiškio etnografinis muziejus, 2019, p. 807-832, il.
Kùpiškio krašte buvę ir esami kryždirbystės paminklai iki šiol tyrinėti fra-gmentiškai: sovietų l... more Kùpiškio krašte buvę ir esami kryždirbystės paminklai iki šiol tyrinėti fra-gmentiškai: sovietų laikais apie senuosius medžio kryždirbius rašė Juozas Petrulis 1 ir Zita Žemaitytė 2 , šio amžiaus pradžioje apie Kupiškio rajone buvusius kai kuriuos senuosius ir naujai atstatytus bei pastatytus medinius paminklus rašė Aušra Jonu-šytė 3 , kurios pastangomis išleistas šio krašto medinius paminklus reprezentuojantis katalogas 4. Apie XIX a. pabaigoje-XX a. pradžioje kryžius kūrusius Kupiškio kalvius ir jų darbus rašyta taip pat nedaug: apie Petrą Buzą (1836-1916) užsiminta Z. Že-maitytės 1966 m. straipsnyje 5 ir Aloyzo Buzo prisiminimuose 2004 m. 6 , Jonas Dagys (1855-1940) ir Juozapas Tilindis (mirė 1888) trumpai aptarti Juozo Petrulio 7 , pastarojo pateikti duomenys atkartoti Česlovo Kontrimo ir Antano Stravinsko straipsniuose 8. Kalvystei skirtose publikacijose pateiktos trumpos biografijos, paminklų pastatymo vietovės, tačiau jų kūrybai daugiau dėmesio neskiriama, nepateikti ir šių kalvių darbų pavyzdžiai. Išsamius mokslinius tyrimus ska-tino 2012-2013 m. "Versmės" rengtos kompleksinės mokslinės ekspedicijos Kùpiškyje ir Skåpiškio seniūnijoje-2014 m. "Lietuvos lokalinių tyrimų" svetainėje publikuoti šių eilučių autorės 9 bei Skaidrės Urbonienės 10 straipsniai, po dvejų metų pasirodę ir solidžios mono-grafijos "Kupiškis" turinyje. Aptardama sovietmečio Kupiškio kryždirbystės ty-rimus S. Urbonienė trumpai apibūdino ir kai kuriuos Kupiškio krašte buvusius medinius kryžius, publikavo keletą jų nuotraukų 11. Šio teksto autorė pagrindi-nį dėmesį skyrė XIX a. pab.-XX a. pir-mosios pusės įvairių medžiagų ir tipų Kupiškio kapinių paminklams-aptarė lietus iš ketaus, kaltinius, vamzdinius ir akmeninius kryžius bei skirtingų for-mų medinius paminklus kitų Kupiškio rajonų ir Lietuvos kontekstuose 12. Skapiškio seniūnijos kapinių pa-minklai iki šiol nebuvo išsamiau aptar ti, todėl šiame straipsnyje jie analizuojami pirmą kartą. Tyrimo tikslas-išana lizuoti Skapiškio seniūnijos kapinių XIX a. antrosios pusės-XXI a. pra-džios kryždirbystės paminklų bruožus.
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Papers by Jolanta Zabulytė
crosses found and recorded during the
expeditions in 2014–2015 in the cemeteries
of Zanavykai area for the frst time. Te metal
cross from Šakiai District cemeteries are
characterised and compared with the examples
from other Lithuanian areas; many typical
models prevalent in Zanavykai cemeteries are
presented in the tables annexed. Discussing the
periods and styles of all types of tombstones,
the attention is drawn to unstudied forged
crosses, and especially to tubular crosses and
supplements to the chiseled granite stelas
which were not observed and researched
in the Soviet period but which are a part of
Lithuanian metal cross-making, and also
the tradition continuity, witnesses of today‘s
blacksmiths creative style.
Tere is a fair amount of moulded cast
iron crosses still extant in the Cemeteries of
Šakiai District; most of them date back to the 9
decade of the nineteenth century – the frst half
of the twentieth century and match the period
of their prevalence in Lithuania. Te oldest
surviving cross with the 1837 date of death in
Šilgaliai cemetery (Slavikai eldership) is one of
the earliest examples of the moulded cast iron
crosses in Lithuania. In Lithuania context,
Zanavykai area stands out in abundance of
quite early moulded cast iron crosses from
the middle to the 8 decade of the nineteenth
century. Speaking about the shapes of crosses,
in Šakiai District there spread the cross
patterns popular in many areas of Lithuanian,
some of which are more ofen found in the
Highlands, the others are found in Samogitia
and Lithuania Minor. Analogies with the
particularity of Lithuania Minor region could
result from close neighbourship and the
taste of the local population of the Lutheran
confession. Tere are also less common and
rare cross models which are not traced in
other areas of Lithuania. Te prevailing style of
the monuments is Neo-Gothic, neo-Baroque
decor forms are less common. Tere is a fair
amount of new castings arranged between two
stelas and on their facades, the majority of their
shapes are standard, they are found in other
areas of Lithuania, too. Te shape of a sun on a
decorative mast is the most commonly spead
option. Tere are found some original granite
stela castings which are not tracked in other
areas.
Forged tombstone crosses also survived
in quite large numbers. Te oldest dated
monument marks 1869 tomb (in Plokščiai);
as in all of Lithuania, the majority of them
belong to the end of the nineteenth century
and the frst half of the twentieth century,
some individual monuments are built in the
second half of the twentieth centuries and at
the beginning of the twenty-frst century.
Structurally, two-masted ones dominate,
one-masted ones are scarce, some of their
designs and decor are typical, others have
analogues in Samogitia, the examples specifc
for Dzūkija are rarely found. Tere are also use
options of individual ornamentation; 2 crosses
are of the professional work of blacksmiths
(the crosses in the cemeteries of Prieniškiai
and Griškabūdis).
In terms of decor, abundant two-masted
ones have several key features: typical models
spread in Lithuania at the end of the nineteenth
century in the frst half of the twentieth
century are quite rare in the cemeteries of
Zanavykai area, and this is an evidence of
the local blacksmiths‘ creativity; there is anumber of distinctive crosses created by the
local blacksmiths in which there are different
variations of S and C motifs which ofen
create tracery typical for a neo-Gothic style;
different patterns of transverse ends of the
shape are used; silhouettes of some crosses are
supplemented with openwork caps. Crosses
which have a „frame“ and some vertical parts
reminiscent of the gothic style on the mast are
found in the cemeteries of Žemaičių Kalvarija
and Raseiniai district; this model could affect
the distinctive parts - two candles, crosses
and similar „towers“ - emergence at the
bottom of the non-gothic crosses. Originality
is provided by the characteristic features of
the crosses from Lutheran cemeteries - sacral
record tables, craving for analogous molded
parts, rarely used fgurative castings. Te
influence of the Lutheran cemetery crosses is
undoubtable because until the middle of the
twentieth century in Zanavykai area there
was a big number of Lutheran communities
and some blacksmiths belonging to this
confession. Te crosses in Lutheran cemetery
have clear analogies with Minor Lithuania
cemetery monuments of the same period. In
Stalioriai cemetery there survived a rare in
Lithuania cross decor type when the spaces
of internal frame is flled with metal bands
openwork cut. Tere are not many tombstone
crosses at the end of the twentieth century
and at the beginning of the twenty-frst
century; the decor of a part of them shows
a certain continuity of the former tradition,
in the other part, we can see creative
interpretations of the blacksmiths. In Šakiai
district cemeteries, quite a few tubular crosses
were built; some of them belong to the frst
half of the twentieth century and majority
correspond to the prevalence in Lithuania
period. In the term of form, the vast majority
of the crosses represent the typical models
spread in Lithuania, however, there are also
some distinctive decor options which are not
registered in other Lithuanian cemeteries. It is
a crosspiece highlighted with the variety of S,
C, tulip flowers and other motifs, continuing
the decor tradition of one-masted and
Samogitian old wooden crosses, transverse
beams tracery (geometric tooth, S rotations,
different openwork bars) was used; „sun“
motifs were quite popular, too; in some cases
combinations of graceful drawing of rays with
iron tops are used, in others, in the silhouette.
there is an active „sun“ shining with various
profled rays. Taking these characteristics
into consideration, it can be argued that
since the Soviet times up to the present,
tubular crosses combine and extend some
motifs of old wooden crosses and the decor
of iron cross forged tops. In determining the
specifc features of the metal monuments in
Šakiai District Cemetery, it is not possible to
compare them with the cemetery monuments
from adjacent Marijampole, Kalvarija and
Seinai County in Poland, so these fndings
are not defnitive, they are only the frst step
towards the further research of this theme.