Kas bendra tarp dievmedis ir dievas, dievai?

LTLietuviai diemedį ir latviai dievakoks vadina augalą Artemisia abrotanum. Sąvokos dažniausiai vartojamos tautosakoje, ypač vestuvių oracijose, dainose. Simbolinė reikšmė teikiama jaunikio įvaizdžiui perteikti. Tautosakoje diemedis dažnai traktuojamas kaip medis. Iškeliamas klausimas, kodėl puskrūmis pavadintas medžiu ir kas jį sieja su dievu, kodėl įvežtinis augalas tapo reikšmingas papročiuose ir simbolikoje. Pavadinimai diemedis bei dievakoks randami jau pirmuosiuose XVII amžiaus lietuvių bei latvių kalbų žodynuose. Pateikiama diemedžio pavadinimų apžvalga kai kuriose Europos kalbose. Pietų, vakarų ir šiaurės Europoje vyrauja pavadinimai, kurie remiasi skoliniais iš lotynų abrotanum, dažnai jie perdirbti pagal liaudies etimologiją bei referuoja į vaistines savybes bei kvapą. Pavadinimai, reiškiantys dievo medį, vyrauja rytų Europoje, visose slavų baltų kalbose ir pasitaiko vengrų bei rumunų kalbose. Liaudies etimologijos žodyne buvo senasis gr. habrotanon 'Artemisia sp.', sugretintas su àbrotos 'nemirštąs, dieviškas' - taip tapdamas dievo augalu. Tai sudarė sąlygas toliau jį tapatinti su liaudies tikėjime ar tautosakoje egzistavusiu dievo medžiu. Į Lietuvą augalas atėjo per slavus, lietuviškas bei latviškas pavadinimas traktuojamas kaip kalkė. [Iš leidinio]Reikšminiai žodžiai: Artemisia abrotanum; Artemisia abrotarum; Diemedis; Dievo medis; Latvių kalba; Simbolis; Tautosaka; Artemisia abrotanum; Artemisia abrotarum; Folklore; God's tree; Southernwood; Southerwood; Symbol; The Latvian language; The Lithuanian language.

ENLithuanian diemedis and Latvian dievakoks represent the most frequent vernacular names of southernwood Artemisia abrotanum. These plant names appear quite frequently in Lithuanian and more seldom in Latvian folklore, especially in folk songs and speeches given during traditional wedding ceremonies. Here, southernwood goes as symbol of the groom or any young man. Quite often, the properties mentioned point to a tree, not a shrub. For example, the tree diemedis is suitable for a falcon or peacock to take a seat. Literally both diemedis and dievakoks mean God's tree. The plant, however, is a small perennial shrub. The paper raises several questions. Why was the shrub called "tree"? What is the relation between God and the shrub? What is the reason that the shrub became symbolically loaded and used during ceremonies? Lithuanian and Latvian names of southernwood appear as early as the 17th century in the earliest dictionaries. An overview of vernacular names of the plant in many European languages shows a picture as follows. While in the South, West and North Europe most names are loans based on Latin abrotanum and remakings of them by means of folk etymology, other names refer. to officinal use or smell. [From the publication]However, in the Eastern Europe, namely, in all Slavic and Baltic languages the plant names meaning "God's tree" dominate. Moreover, we can come across such instances in the Romanian and Hungarian languages. Their origin seems to be Old Greek habrotanon 'Artemisia sp.' of unknown origin, which was related to àbrotos 'immortal, divine' in folk etymology. In Slavic environment, the plant, thus being a divine plant, was subsequently identified with the already existing "God's tree" in folk belief and custom. When brought to the Baits, the plant was identified and its name was adopted. Lithuanian dievo medis is a calque of Slavic origin. As the old God's tree is described in folklore, it may be seen as a trace of the world tree concept, which is used as a ritual place during wedding ceremonies. Other views are possible, of course. Some texts show the changes indicated by the real plant onto the view of God's tree; for example, diemedžio krūmelis 'God's tree shrub', or the growing part in the bed of flowers. [From the publication]