Traditional Belarusian wooden calendar from Sluck County

Abstract

Carved wooden calendars were known to many peoples from the Middle Ages to the beginning of the 20th century. For example, the Scandinavian ones are well enough studied, but about the existence of such calendars among Belarusians wasn’t known for a long time. The Russian Museum of Ethnography has a carved calendar from the Sluck County. Today it is the only such Belarusian artifact. The article presents a description of a carved wooden calendar from the Čudzin Village, Sluck County. A brief overview of other calendars of a similar type is shown. The prerequisites for the formation and distribution of such artifacts on the territory of Belarus were studied. The article discusses the sign system used to designate holidays and working periods, which correlate with the calendar tradition of the region. Based on the data obtained, the authors draw conclusion about the local origin of the calendar.

Author Biographies

Ilya S. Butov, Independent researcher, Minsk, Belarus

PhD (agricultural science); independent researcher

Dzmitry V. Skvarcheuski, Belarusian State University, 4 Niezaliežnasci Avenue, Minsk 220030, Belarus

PhD (history); associate professor at the department of Belarus history of the ancient time and the Middle Ages, faculty of history

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Published
2021-08-10
Keywords: carved wooden calendar, folk calendar, feast days, graphic sign system
Supporting Agencies The authors are grateful to doctor of science (history) deputy director for scientific and innovative work of the Center for the Belarusian Culture, Language and Literature Researches of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus S. P. Vitsiaz for his help in organising a visit to study the calendar at the Russian Museum of Ethnography and to researcher of the highest category at the department of ethnography of Russian people of the Russian Museum of Ethnography O. G. Baranova for providing the opportunity to explore the artifact and for the consultations.
How to Cite
Butov I. S., Skvarcheuski D. V. Traditional Belarusian wooden calendar from Sluck County // Journal of the Belarusian State University. History. 2021. 3. PP. 97-110.