ANCA CEAUȘESCU
Cercetător ştiinţific III, dr., Institutul de Cercetări Socio-Umane „C.S. Nicolăescu-Plopşor” din Craiova, al Academiei Române;
E-mail: ancaceausescu@yahoo.com
Abstract
Within agricultural habits, fertility rites form a significant category, focusing more on ensuring normal rainfall conditions. In this article we will focus on Caloian,a magical-ritual practice of triggering precipitation (but also to stop them, in certain situations), conserved in the oral tradition of the Romanian people and practiced close to our days. The habit of Caloian is one of the most interesting and complex folklore manifestations of the archaic type. The main element of the custom is the doll made of clay, mud, rags or old patches, which replaces either a pluviometric divinity, either a messenger sent to the pluviometric divinity for starting or stopping rains.
Keywords
agrarian habits, Caloian, fertility rites, popular mentalit