Current issue

This study examines the role of regional dances within the repertoire of both dance parties and choreographies performed by youth groups (chasa) during contemporary traditional kermesse festivals (hody). It investigates their significance as a means of expressing local and regional identity. Utilising participant observation, video documentation, and interviews, the paper compares the function of dance expressions within the established kermesse traditions of the Slovácko region against the context of revived kermesse festivals in the Brno area. In the context of continuity and tranformation of ethnocultural traditions, the study presents dance — on both participatory and presentational levels — as a cultural symbol and a dynamic tool for negotiating territorial identity.

One of the most important moments in life was traditionally the wedding, as also reflected in the Litomyšl region during the 19th century. Weddings had their own rules and magical objects – traditional costumes (wedding guests often wore clothes that were no longer commonly worn, such as a long, light-coloured, blue-embroidered coat for the groom), ceremonial pastries (especially wedding cake), and a wedding key (a bouquet made of wood and fabric flowers, with wooden figures or symbolic animals, placed in a glass bottle). The study focuses on bouquets from the Litomyšl region, which are unique and only one of which was previously known. The study presents two more and explains their meaning and use.

The present paper examines a specific branch of miner-led folk art: the creation of objects fashioned from rock and mineral specimens. This category encompasses not only mine models (known as Stufenwerke), often featuring mechanical components, but also “puzzles” in bottles, religious scenes, and similar artefacts. While these objects are typically associated with a few regions in Central Europe, this distinctive craft was also widespread in certain mining localities across the British Isles. Crucially, in contrast to the Central European tradition, the British practice was often demonstrably carried out as a means of supplementing one’s income. The first section of the text outlines the historical development of this phenomenon in Central Europe, with a particular focus on the Příbram region. The second section provides a detailed focus on the situation in Great Britain. Finally, the paper offers a comparison of the production methods and the underlying motivations that influenced this specific form of folk creativity in both aforementioned regions.

This study focuses on changes in the relationship between religion and ethnic identity among Carpatho Rusyns living in the Chomutov area of the Czech Republic. It is based on the premise that the Greek Catholic religion has long been a significant factor in shaping the Carpatho-Rusyns’ ethnic identity, but that this influence is gradually weakening in the diaspora context. The aim of this paper is to analyse how the significance of religious affiliation is changing for the sense of belonging and ethnic identification of a minority community outside its region of origin. The research is based on long-term ethnographic fieldwork, utilising participant observation and semi-structured interviews. The findings suggest a shift from public collective to private individual forms of expressing belonging, both religious and ethnic, which the author interprets through the concept of the politics of belonging.

This paper examines how the introduction of death-related buildings, such as the funeral home in rural Slovakia, alters the ways and frequency of contact with the dead body and, in turn, influences the course and certain aspects of funeral rituals. It presents a case study based on long-term ethnographic research, analysing data collected over three years in a village in the Horehronie region of the Slovak Republic with a predominantly Roman Catholic population. Through analysis of ethnographic data, the study argues that the establishment of the funeral home and the related shift in the space where the body is kept before the funeral changed the course and some elements of funeral rituals. The funeral home not only serves an essential function in the funeral process but can also gradually become a space and symbol associated with the dead, death, and the afterlife; it also embodies and reflects religious beliefs and norms that can shape both collective and individual behaviours and emotional states.