Saint George in Croatian traditional heritage

Abstract

The paper first deals with the life, martyrdom and cult of Saint George. This is followed by seventeen chapters in which more than one hundred and fifty examples of legends, rituals, customs, processions, prophesies, beliefs, oral lyrical poems, and prayers are listed and interpreted in a multidisciplinary manner. The paper contains more than one hundred examples recorded in the last ten years in about seventy places in the Republic of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. All this clearly testifies that Saint George is one of the most worshipped saints by Croatians. The worship of Saint George’s day is marked by secular and religious customs and rituals. In terms of folklore, Saint George’s day is, along with Christmas Eve, the richest day of the year. Some of the customs, rituals, beliefs and prophesies are of pre-Christian origin, and in others pre-Christian and Christian characteristics intertwine. Most secular rituals, processions and customs have an apotropaic and panspermic character. Although Saint George’s day is not a commanding holiday, Croatian Catholics celebrate it with holy water sprinkling, Masses, processions, pilgrimages, vows and prayers.