Publication details
Současné slavení královniček na Moravě : proměna funkcí obyčeje a lokální religiozity
| Title in English | Present-Day Celebration of the Local Pentecost Maidens Ritual in Moravia : Transformation of the Functions of the Custom and Local Religiosity |
|---|---|
| Authors | |
| Year of publication | 2026 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Slovensky Narodopis |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| web | https://doi.org/10.31577/SN.2026.1.03 |
| Doi | https://doi.org/10.31577/SN.2026.1.03 |
| Keywords | královničky; Pentecost maidens ritual; ceremonies; customs; magic; Christianity; folklore; Moravia |
| Description | The original local Pentecost maidens ritual (královničky, literally “little queens”) was considered one of the oldest manifestations of traditional folk culture during the peak period of the Czech national movement. Early ethnographers, as well as various association leaders and intellectuals, regarded it as evidence of an original Old Slavic religion and saw in it the sought-a?er “spirit of the nation”. Although such strongly romantic interpretations have been problematised by later research, certain elements of the ritual can still be identified whose functions were originally magical. On the one hand, processes associated with modernisation, such as the disenchantment of the world and secularisation led to the disappearance of the custom in its original 19th-century form. On the other hand, the peak of the Czech national movement and the related romantic understanding of the custom contributed to its widespread expansion in its so-called “second existence”, during which it served as an expression of Czech or Slavic ethnic identity. Its association with Pentecost also made it acceptable to patriotic clergy. Today, the custom is preserved in Moravia only in a few localities and is o?en performed by folklore ensembles at various festivals and festivities. However, how have the forms of this custom changed, given that its historical interpretation was closely tied to the performance of magical and religious functions? In the current postmodern, globalised, and largely secularised era, the custom is dominated by other functions – particularly socially integrative, aesthetic, and identity-forming ones – which demonstrate a strong connection to the symbolic dimension of tradition in contemporary society. ?e aim of this study is to examine the transformation of the functions of královničky in selected localities, from its original form to its present-day revival or continuous practice, and, through this lens, to analyse the broader transformation of local religiosity. |
| Related projects: |