HER GHOST IN THE FOG.... SILENSI AND THE OTHER SACRED LANDSCAPES IN THE SLAVIC BELIEFS
Channel: European Association of Archaeologists
Date: 26/03/2021

Early medieval tribal beliefs mainly focused around deities and phenomena related to nature. Among them, we find sacred moun-tains,  springs,  stones,  groves,  trees.  Located  on  the  Sudeten  Foreland,  Mount  Ślęża  –  Silensi,  since  the  prehistoric  times  was  surrounded by worship. On cloudy days its peak is shrouded in fog, during the storms most atmospheric discharges are concen-trated around the top of this mountain. These phenomena perhaps have already been noticed in the Lusatian culture, and then in the Latene period and Early Middle Ages. Pagan religious practices in Ślęża we can find in historical sources as well as archae-ological finds. In addition to the cultivated practices on Ślęża that have also survived in folk tales, we know a dozen or so points in the Sudetenland, which are considered to be medieval places of worship (stones, springs). Among the practices of symbolic significance, one can also mention finds of foundation offerings or, most probably, deposits of ferrous objects. All these sources create an image of the relationship between human spirituality and the surrounding mountains. The research was carried out as part of the project of the National Program for the Development of Humanities (No. 2aH 15 0283 83).


Author(s): Lisowska, Ewa (Uniwersytet Wroclawski)