Малая Литва и христианская культура: мотивация крещения детей

LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Krikšto motyvacija; Krikščioniškoji kultūra; Liaudies tikėjimai; Mažoji Lietuva; Vaikų krikšto motyvacija; Christian culture; Folk beliefs; Lithuania Minor; Motivation of baby baptism.

ENBeliefs concerning the cycle of birth extant in Lithuania at the beginning of 21st century stimulated the revision of old written sources referring to the past, i.e. to the times of the establishment of Christian ideology and Church Baptism. Revision may only be carried out with reference to the situation in Lithuania Minor only because the customs of birth and Baptism in the other parts of Lithuanian ethnic territory are more widely known only from the sources of the 19th century and later periods of time. On the other hand, the study of the situation in Lithuania Minor is an opportunity to reveal the cultural distinction of this region. The analysis of the old written sources leads to the conclusion that customs of birth cycle were barely influenced by both ethnic (sub-ethnic) and confessional (in the boundaries of Christian confessions) factors, whereas peculiarities of popular perception of the Baptism were also conditioned by beliefs which existed for centuries and had nothing in common with Christian ideology. Cultural distinction of Lithuania Minor is important for the research of birth and Baptism customs of the whole Lithuania. [From the publication]