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Clothes as Symbolic and Magic Objects in Slavic Childbirth Customs

Bibliographic Data

ID2658910
AuthorsI Sedakova (0000-0002-9252-5407, corresponding author)
Year2016
Volume66
Pages165-174
Publication date2016-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueFolklore Electronic Journal of Folklore (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1406-0957 • E-ISSN: 1406-0949
PublisherEstonian Literary Museum Scholarly Press (PUBLISHER • EE)
DOI10.7592/fejf2016.66.sedakova
OpenAlexW2557872015
LanguageEN
Citations received1

The paper analyzes the practical, symbolic, and magic functions of female, male, and babies' clothes in Slavic childbirth-lore. Traditional clothes and their parts are seen as "objects and signs" (see, e.g., Bogatyrev 2007), and their cultural semantics and symbolism depend on the ritual situation, its performers, and magic goals. Each item of clothing has its own practical significance and acquires symbolic qualities which can be interpreted in terms of semiotic oppositions (life/death, lucky/unlucky, healthy/unhealthy, male/female, old/young). Special attention is paid to swaddles as the baby's first item of clothing. In the conclusion, the modern shift in attitudes to pregnancy clothing is analyzed, though it is noted that some authentic beliefs regarding clothes are still observed

Archaeology · Art · Astronomy · Clothing · Physics · Slavic languages · Ancient and Medieval Archaeology Studies · Classics · Fashion and Cultural Textiles · Historical and Archaeological Studies · History

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Unique citing works1
Citations per year1
Citation span2025 - 2025 (1)
Citation velocityrecent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 1

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