Res Humanitariae

Esame labai spartaus mokslo, komunikacijų, skaitmeninių technologijų tobulėjimo liudininkai. Tai perša naują komunikavimo, vartojimo, gyvenimo būdą ir pasaulėžiūrą. Etninio savitumo išsaugojimas ypač aktualus globalizacijos kontekste. UNESCO Tolerancijos principų deklaracijos pirmame straipsnyje sakoma: „Tolerancija yra pagarba gausiai mūsų pasaulio kultūrų įvairovei, tai – ne vien moralinė pareiga, bet ir politinis bei teisinis reikalavimas.“ Tad tik savo kalba, etnine kultūra besiremianti tauta gali dalyvauti pasaulio civilizacijoje kaip lygiavertė partnerė, kurdama atvirą, modernią visuomenę, ir išlaikyti orumą bei gyvybingumą. Prie to, kad ir nedidele dalimi, prisideda ir žurnalas ,,Res Humanitariae“, kurio XXVI numeryje skelbiamos publikacijos, skirtos įvairių sričių – kalbotyros, literatūrologijos, kultūrologijos ir muzikologijos – klausimams, įprasminantiems žmogaus būtį ir siejantiems jį su savo tauta.

The article presents an analysis of the derivational system of one group of verbs attested to in the old Lithuanian text ‚Ziwatas‘ (1759), in particular denominative verbs derived from adjectives and nouns. The verbs analysed belong to factitive, ornative, fientive, stative, instrumental, similative and participative word formation categories. The centre of the denominative derivational type is comprised of desubstantives (51% in total) and deadjectives (42%), while derivatives from other parts of speech stand on the periphery of this type. The prototypical derivational types of denominatives are deadjectival verbs with the suffix -inti, and desubstantives with the suffixes -avoti and -yti, both belonging to the factitive category.

Methodological practice is based on complex linguistic research when semasiological and onomasiological aspects are combined. The article analyses the Lithuanian words for cow, bull and calf, in order to determine what conceptual features of animals semasiological and onomasiological lexical studies help to highlight. The main source of empirical material is the dictionary of the Lithuanian language. The analysis of complex semasiological and onomasiological lexemes shows that the language system identifies various conceptual features of cow, bull and calf. At the top of the animal hierarchy is the cow. The categorisation that emerges from the language system reflects the anthropocentric evaluation of the animals discussed.

Over recent decades, speaking in dialects has lost its aspect of comic expression, and attained a much greater degree of prestige. In fact, owing to processes of globalisation, dialects are no longer tied to a clearly defined habitat: they have transcended traditional geographical boundaries, and have become an instrument of creative work and communication on social media. Furthermore, the public have a clear inclination to abandon the dichotomy of the dialectological and ethnographic segmentation of Lithuania, and to match dialects to ethnographic regions as closely as possible. Therefore, by distancing ourselves from perceiving a dialect as a static and closed-ended system, we can assume that dialects have every opportunity to survive and evolve, if they adapt to the needs of modern society.

Motiejus Valančius paid attention to the depiction of the relationship between a man and a woman (husband and wife) in his didactic creative work. The main aim of the Bishop of Samogitia was to educate people in the spirit of religion and morality. In Valančius‘ opinion, a good relationship between spouses is determined by equality between a man and a woman, cooperation, and equal responsibility for the children‘s upbringing. For this reason, the compatibility of social-caste, cultural and religious features between both spouses is important. The report reveals how Valančius created didactic precepts in order to create a harmonious relationship between a man and a woman.

The article provides an overview of the emergence of the term ethnic culture, analysing how the notion of ethnic culture is understood in the ethnology of Western countries, and how it is interpreted by the creators of ethnos theory. In Lithuania, not only cultural workers but also scholars and researchers understand ethnic culture very differently. In order to dispense with the chaotic and extremely varied understanding of ethnic culture in Lithuania, the author offers several possible ways out: 1) if most ethnologists and cultural workers in Lithuania have accepted the fundamental postulate of ethnos theory, recognising that ethnic culture can be discerned from the entirety of the culture of the nation, then the notion of ethnic culture existing in the theory of ethnos should also be adopted; 2) if this understanding is rejected, then guidance should be taken from the theoretical approach existing in the ethnology of Western countries requiring us not to apply the notion of ethnic culture when discussing cultures of nations.

The article discusses the beginning, assumptions and dispersion of the historical reenactment movement in the world. National peculiarities of the phenomenon are highlighted by presenting the preconditions for and circumstances of the historical reconstruction movement in Lithuania. Features of the phenomenon are analysed in the formation of the first historical reconstruction clubs and the first festivals. The basis for this work is fieldwork material collected during 2015–2018, in the form of surveys and interviews with respondents. The data was processed by applying historical comparative and analytical methods. According to the data, the beginning of the historical reenactment movement in Lithuania started in the 1980s. This was influenced by Lithuania’s restitution of its statehood in the 1990s after Soviet suppression, and the desire to properly present the long history of the state. The folklore movement that started around the 1970s was still in existence, and influenced the start of the historical reenactment movement. The media (especially the Internet) and relations with foreign clubs (in Latvia, Poland, Estonia, Belarus and Russia) increased the development and popularity of movement. The analysis of the data has indicated the following main historical reenactment periods: the Balts, the Middle Ages, the Napoleonic era, the First and the Second World War, and the resistance. In the reenactment of general themes (such as Medieval), the local, regional and national history and artefacts are employed. The period of the Balts and Baltic tribes (Yotvingians, Curonians), the period of the creation and prosperity of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the partisan resistance, are themes by which the historical reenactment movement stands out.

In the 19th and the first half of the 20th century, an opposition between official medicine and folk medicine, partly based on ethnic aspects, formed in Lithuania. The article analyses the alternation in the ‘self-other’ opposition in the choice of treatment. Folk medicine traditions existed alongside standard medicine in the town of Aukštadvaris, which was characterised as multi-confessional in the first half of the 20th century (despite the tensions, Lithuanians, Poles, Jews and Tartars lived together harmoniously). Faith healers with extraordinary qualities or powers were classified as ‘other’. So the choice of treatment reveals two aspects: the concept of ethnicity, and mythical perception (when dealing with those engaged in other activities). Studies have shown that in a disaster or illness, the ‘self-other’ opposition declines. An opposition between official medicine and folk medicine did not form in the Aukštadvaris area.

The article presents the picture of the Christian angel in a genre of Lithuanian folklore, legends. The texts in question reveal the attitude of traditional Lithuanian society to angels as acting in the divine and earthly spheres. The research and the identification of the most popular scenes have revealed that the most important features of the legendary angel are the fulfilment of God›s will, and the protection of man and his soul. The article concludes that the legends of Lithuanian peasants about the activities of angels strengthened religion, promoted behaviour according to the norms of the community, and ensured a sense of security.

The article presents and analyses the ethnomusicological terminology used by Professor Mykolas Biržiška (1882–1962), an outstanding scholar, publicist, and researcher of traditional Lithuanian songs. The scientific activity of M. Biržiška was very extensive. He researched old Lithuanian literature, wrote textbooks, and published many articles. They include ‘The Life and Writings of Donelaitis’, ‘Textbook of Lithuanian Song Literature’, ‘The History of Our Literature’, ‘Our Ancient Writings’, ‘Old Vilnius University’, ‘Lithuanian Geography’, and others. He was particularly interested in the history of traditional Lithuanian culture, and tried to systematise Lithuanian literature, provide a general overview of it, and systematise all collected Lithuanian folk songs. He drew attention to various important features of Lithuanian folk songs in his writings. An important part of this research was devoted to the analysis of the composition of Lithuanian folk songs and the development of a system for their classification. In Biržiška’s times the dictionary of Lithuanian ethnomusicological terminology had not yet been formed, so he had to create new terms and propose new concepts for these terms. His works on the creation of ethnomusicological terminology are also of interest to contemporary scholars: ethnomusicologists, folklorists, and researchers of traditional Lithuanian singing and instrumental folklore.